Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Zhong Hai, don't be angry." Li Xiangqian suddenly spoke to break the deadlock. He turned to the two men with a flattering smile on his face: "Two brothers, how about this? Zhong Hai is really not feeling well today. How about you go back first and talk about it another day? I promise to let him talk to you in person."

The two men were obviously a little hesitant, but they also seemed to realize that there would not be much to gain by staying here. They looked at each other and finally nodded: "Okay, we'll come back another day. However, Mr. Yi, I hope you won't let us down."

After the two left, Li Xiangqian quickly closed the door and turned to look at Yi Zhonghai, his expression was extremely complicated. He wanted to say something, but swallowed it back. He knew that this was just the beginning, and the real danger was still to come.

After Li Xiangqian closed the door, he leaned against it and let out a long breath. His back was soaked with cold sweat and his mind was a mess. Everything that happened just now made him exhausted, but he knew that this was just the beginning. Yi Zhonghai's expression was still stern, and he didn't seem to relax his vigilance because of the departure of the two people.

"Xiang Qian, just because they left doesn't mean the matter is over." Yi Zhonghai whispered, with a hint of fatigue in his tone, "They will come again."

"I know." Li Xiangqian nodded and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "But at least we have delayed them today. We have to find a way to deal with them next. They will definitely find a new reason to come back, and maybe even more directly."

Yi Zhonghai was silent for a moment, his eyes fell on the teacup on the table, his fingertips tapping the tabletop lightly, as if thinking about something. Li Xiangqian did not speak again, but walked to the kitchen, opened the rice jar and took a look, his face suddenly became even uglier.

There was only a little rice left in the rice jar, enough for them to have two meals at most. And in the current situation, it was obviously not easy to go out and buy food. Li Xiangqian's stomach ached slightly, he hadn't eaten properly for a day. Looking at Yi Zhonghai again, his face was pale and his eyes were sunken. It was obvious that he couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Zhong Hai, you take a rest first. I'll go out and get some food." Li Xiangqian said in a low voice with a hint of determination in his tone.

Yi Zhonghai raised his head with a worried look in his eyes: "It's not safe outside now, be careful if you go out alone. Those people may still be watching nearby."

"I know." Li Xiangqian nodded, picked up the coat hanging on the wall and put it on, then turned and walked out of the courtyard. His steps were steady, but his heart was already in turmoil. He knew that he had to solve the problem quickly, not only to fill his stomach, but also to keep his sanity. An empty stomach would make people dull, and now, any dullness could put them in danger.

The wind on the street was a little cold, and it made Li Xiangqian's cheeks numb slightly. He lowered his head and put his hands in his pockets, trying to make himself less conspicuous. The street stalls had already started to set up, and the air was filled with a faint smell of oil smoke. Li Xiangqian's stomach twitched violently, and the feeling of hunger surged up like a tide, making him swallow his saliva.

He walked to a food stall, where the stall owner was a middle-aged man, busy frying noodles in a pot. The oil in the pot was glittering, and the noodles were coated in sauce and glistened, emitting an enticing aroma. Li Xiangqian stood in front of the stall, staring at the noodles in the pot, but his mind was calculating rapidly.

"Give me some noodles." He finally spoke, his voice low but firm.

The stall owner looked up at him and nodded: "Wait a moment, it will be ready soon."

Li Xiangqian found a corner and sat down, trying not to attract attention. He looked around and found that there were no suspicious people nearby, so he relaxed a little. The hunger made his mind more sensitive, and the faces of the two people just now kept appearing in his mind. Who are they? Who is behind all this? These questions are like countless thorns, piercing his mind and making him upset.

"Sir, your noodles." The stall owner came over with a bowl of hot noodles and placed it in front of Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian looked down at the noodles, feeling a complicated feeling in his heart. He hadn't eaten hot food for a long time, and the aroma of this bowl of noodles made him feel a little dazed for a moment. He picked up the chopsticks, took a mouthful of noodles and put it in his mouth. The warm feeling made his stomach feel better immediately. He didn't say much, just buried his head in eating, trying to keep himself calm.

However, his eyes accidentally swept across the street corner, and suddenly he saw a familiar figure. It was one of the men who had just come to the courtyard, standing on the street at this moment, his eyes seemed to be searching for something. Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly tightened, he lowered his head, pretending to be calm and continued to eat noodles, but his mind was already working rapidly.

"They really didn't go far." He said to himself, trying to appear more natural. He knew that the most important thing now was not to reveal his whereabouts, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

After finishing his noodles, Li Xiangqian stood up, paid, and left the food stand as inconspicuously as possible. He walked slowly along the street, keeping an eye on the man. He found that the man didn't seem to notice him, which made him feel a little relieved.

After returning to the courtyard, Li Xiangqian closed the door and let out a long breath. He told Yi Zhonghai what had just happened, and the latter's face became more solemn after listening.

"Move forward. They are clearly well prepared." Yi Zhonghai said in a low voice, with a hint of coldness in his tone. "We must find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise they will catch us sooner or later."

"I know." Li Xiangqian nodded, a trace of fatigue on his face. "But the most important thing now is to solve the problem at hand. We have to find a way to get some food back, at least to ensure that we don't starve in the next few days."

Li Xiangqian sat on the chair, feeling like a huge rock was pressing down on his heart. He knew that it would be difficult to solve the food problem in a short period of time by himself. Several familiar names flashed through his mind, and finally settled on He Yuzhu. He gritted his teeth and thought, "Yuzhu is usually a chatterbox, but he is still reliable at critical moments. Maybe I can ask him to help get some food back."

Li Xiangqian stood up and paced back and forth in the yard, thinking about how to start the conversation. He knew that although He Yuzhu was usually careless, he was very sensitive to the ways of the world. If he went to see him at this time, he couldn't appear too anxious, nor reveal too much of his background. Thinking of this, he patted the dust off his body and turned to walk towards He Yuzhu's residence.