Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Just as Li Xiangqian was still immersed in his own thoughts, he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from the direction of the courtyard. He turned back subconsciously and saw He Yuzhu carrying a sack, walking hurriedly and with a bit of uneasiness.

"Brother Xiangqian," He Yuzhu walked a few steps closer and saw Li Xiangqian standing in the middle of the yard with a somewhat alert look in his eyes. He couldn't help but slow down his pace and said with some hesitation, "I... I brought back a chicken and wanted to send some to your family."

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then realized that He Yuzhu had no bad intentions. He relaxed his guard slightly, slowly stood up, and his eyes unconsciously fell on the sack that He Yuzhu was carrying. The appearance of the chicken was vaguely visible through the gap in the sack, with fluffy feathers, as if it had not experienced too much wind and frost. Li Xiangqian couldn't help but wonder, where did this chicken come from, and how did it suddenly appear in his life?

"What do you want to do with this chicken?" Li Xiangqian asked calmly but with a hint of curiosity. He knew that He Yuzhu was a straightforward person and would not do anything without a reason.

"No, I saw that your family was having a hard time, and I thought that chickens are living things, and it's better than nothing." He Yuzhu smiled a little awkwardly, "You know, everyone has had a hard time during this period, and it's not easy to get some meat. I thought, we can't keep eating dry bread or something, so I gave the children some to satisfy their cravings."

Li Xiangqian nodded slightly, but he was a little hesitant. He could understand He Yuzhu's intentions. They were all neighbors, and it was natural for them to help each other. But he also vaguely felt that the chicken's appearance was not entirely for the purpose of helping. He had heard that He Yuzhu often went out during this period, and he didn't know if he was busy with other things. Li Xiangqian did not nod his head immediately, but was silent for a while, his eyes subconsciously falling on the chicken.

"Yuzhu, chicken is a good thing, we can't just take it casually." Li Xiangqian said slowly, "You know that everything is hard to come by now, and it's not easy to get a chicken."

He Yuzhu didn't seem to expect Li Xiangqian to say that. After a pause, a trace of uneasiness flashed in his eyes. "Brother Xiangqian, I brought it here because your child is still young and chicken is nutritious. Don't think too much about it. It's just a thought between neighbors."

Li Xiangqian looked at him with a deep look in his eyes, and he felt a little confused. He Yuzhu obviously had no ill intentions, but his expression always gave people a feeling of being thoughtful. Li Xiangqian suddenly had a premonition that this chicken might become the key to what he would face next.

"It's not easy for you to get this chicken." Li Xiangqian's tone became calmer, "But thank you for your kindness. I don't need it for now, I'll treat you to a meal when I'm free."

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, seemed a little disappointed, but did not insist. He nodded and said, "Okay, since you don't need it, I'll go back first." With that, he turned around and prepared to leave.

Li Xiangqian stood there, watching He Yuzhu's back gradually disappear at the gate of the courtyard, but a question kept lingering in his mind - was this chicken a coincidence? Or was there something else going on?

Back in the house, Li Xiangqian's eyes fell on the packet of seeds and the turned soil on the table. He still remembered what happened yesterday, and he knew he couldn't simply ignore everything in front of him. The land, the mysterious man, and He Yuzhu's sudden appearance, it seemed that everything was moving in some unforeseen direction.

He turned his head subconsciously and saw his wife coming out of the kitchen with some vegetable leaves in her hands. "Why are you standing here in a daze?" she asked softly, "Are you tired?"

Li Xiangqian tried to remain calm and forced a smile, "It's okay, I'm just a little uneasy. I didn't handle yesterday's matter well."

The wife nodded and sighed softly, "You have been so anxious lately, has something happened?"

Li Xiangqian did not answer, his mind was full of confused thoughts. He Yuzhu brought the chicken, obviously not just to share food. In this difficult moment, any seemingly insignificant action may hide a deeper meaning. Li Xiangqian's intuition told him that he was standing at an unknown crossroads, the road ahead was full of fog, and all he had to do was to uncover the fog step by step.

At dinner, Li Xiangqian suppressed his doubts and ate with his family. Although the dishes on the table were simple, the chicken brought by He Yuzhu made the meal seem particularly rich. However, Li Xiangqian was not completely relaxed. He felt that he could no longer live peacefully as before. The chicken, the strange soil, and the strange man all seemed to be guiding him towards a deeper mystery.

Li Xiangqian stood in the yard, still unable to calm down. The chicken, He Yuzhu's sudden visit, and the strange object in the land, all seemed to be pieced together into a blurry picture, but every stroke of the picture made his heart heavier. All kinds of uneasiness and doubts were like an invisible hand, tightly grasping his heart, making him breathless.

He knew that if he continued to search aimlessly, he would never find out anything. Someone must understand these things, someone must know what happened to this land. Li Xiangqian immediately decided to go to Xu Damao to ask for information. Xu Damao was the oldest and most experienced man in the courtyard. Although he was not a talkative person, Li Xiangqian believed that he must know something that others did not know, especially things related to this land.

He walked through the yard, walked to Xu Damao's door, and knocked. There was a slight sound of footsteps in the house, and then the door was pushed open, and Xu Damao's weathered face appeared at the door. Li Xiangqian could feel the deep and indifferent look in the old man's eyes, like a pool of stagnant water, calm without a ripple.

"Xiang Qian, what do you want from me?" Xu Damao asked indifferently, as if he was not surprised that Li Xiang Qian would come to him.

"Uncle Xu, can you come in and chat?" Li Xiangqian asked in a low voice, feeling a little nervous. He knew that he did not come to Xu Damao with ease, but with an anxious desire to find a solution.

Xu Damao looked at him and seemed to notice Li Xiangqian's unusual expression. He nodded silently and opened the door to let Li Xiangqian in. The air in the room was a bit dull. There were some messy books and old newspapers piled on the table, exuding a stale smell. After Li Xiangqian entered the room, he quickly found a place to sit down. His eyes unconsciously fell on the books on the table, and then he shifted his gaze to Xu Damao.