Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Cuihua, you see, I have been thinking about a problem these days." Li Xiangqian suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

Zhang Cuihua walked over to him with a bowl of hot soup and looked at him with concern. "What's the problem? Is there any problem with the window?"

Li Xiangqian shook his head and said, "It's not the window that's the problem. It's the situation at our home." He paused, as if thinking about how to express his inner thoughts.

Zhang Cuihua sat beside him and patted his hands gently. "Whatever you want to say, just say it. We are a family."

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and looked into the distance with a determined gaze. "Over the years, our family's life has always relied on the outside world, on the help and support of others. Now that food is scarce and food is running low, I don't think we can continue like this."

Zhang Cuihua listened silently, knowing that he had long been unable to calm down. Over the years, they have been working hard to maintain their family's livelihood, but the cruel reality often makes them feel helpless and frustrated.

Li Xiangqian continued, "I want to do as much as I can. Not just grow some vegetables, I want to try more planting, and maybe raise some small animals, so that we can be more self-reliant."

Zhang Cuihua's eyes flashed with surprise and understanding. "You mean, you want to expand our planting area?"

Li Xiangqian nodded, "Yes, I went to ask Old Zhang today, and he has some abandoned land that he can rent to us. Although the conditions don't look very good now, I think as long as we work hard, we may get something in return."

Zhang Cuihua quietly savored his words. She knew that this was an important decision for Li Xiangqian. Life at home no longer depended on outside assistance, but could be changed through their own efforts. This change was not only material, but also a kind of psychological and spiritual relief and growth.

"Xiang Qian, I support your decision." Zhang Cuihua said softly, "You are right, we can't always rely on others. Even if there are many difficulties, we have to try to do it, at least this way we will have more hope."

Li Xiangqian smiled, feeling her support and understanding. "Thank you, Cuihua. I know this road is not easy, but I will do my best to fight for more for our future."

Their hearts are more closely connected at this moment. Faced with the uncertainty of the future, they know that only by supporting each other and working together can they meet every new challenge.

In this quadrangle, there is a family named Li. The male owner is called Li Xiangqian. He is in his early forties, with a burly figure and a resolute look on his face. Li Xiangqian works in a state-owned grain store and is an honest and kind man. He and his wife Wang Chunfang raise two sons together - the eldest son Li Xiaohu and the youngest son Li Xiaolong. Although life is not rich, the family can always make do.

However, in the early 1980s, the whole country was facing a food shortage. Under the planned economy, food coupons became a necessity for every family. Food supply was not only related to food and clothing, but also to social stability. At the grain store where Li Xiangqian worked, there would be a long queue every morning before dawn. People were anxiously waiting for a little bit of food, with helplessness and expectation in their eyes.

On this day, Li Xiangqian got up early, ate a few mouthfuls of steamed buns left over from yesterday, and rode his old 28-inch bicycle to the grain store. He knew that today's work would be particularly busy because the news said that the food supply would be even tighter in the next few days.

Riding his bike through the narrow alleys, Li Xiangqian heard the neighbors whispering, almost all of which were discussing food. Aunt Zhang's family had just distributed half a bag of flour yesterday, and Uncle Zhao's rice jar was already empty. This difficult life made everyone feel uneasy.

Arriving at the grain store, Li Xiangqian saw a long line at the door. People's faces were full of anxiety, as if every minute and every second of waiting was tugging at their hearts. He hurried into the store and prepared to open the store with his colleagues. Today's rations were limited, and he knew that they had to be distributed reasonably so that as many people as possible could get some food.

As soon as the store door opened, people rushed in. Li Xiangqian and his colleagues quickly started working, weighing and registering, their hands and feet never stopped. People in the queue sometimes quarreled, and sometimes sighed in silence. After a few hours, Li Xiangqian's forehead was covered with sweat, but he still patiently received everyone who came to buy grain.

Just when he was busy, there was a commotion outside the store. Li Xiangqian looked up and saw a group of people surrounding a short middle-aged man walking in. The man had a fierce look on his face, wearing an old military coat and holding a worn cloth bag in his hand. He looked at the people in the store with a cold look. Li Xiangqian recognized him. His name was Zhao Tiezhu, and he was a well-known rogue in the area.

Zhao Tiezhu impatiently squeezed to the counter, slammed the table and shouted: "Li Xiangqian, weigh me ten kilograms of rice!"

Li Xiangqian frowned and complained inwardly. He knew that Zhao Tiezhu was a difficult man, but today's rations were limited, and each person could only get two kilograms at most. Faced with Zhao Tiezhu's unreasonable request, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Zhao Tiezhu, today's food is tight, and each person can only buy two kilograms. This is the rule."

Zhao Tiezhu sneered, his eyes threatening: "What's the rule? I want ten kilograms today. If you don't give it to me, I will smash your shabby store!"

The people in the store fell silent for a moment, all eyes focused on Li Xiangqian and Zhao Tiezhu. Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound calm: "Brother Tiezhu, you know that it's not easy for everyone right now. How about this, I'll weigh two kilograms for you first, and you can come back tomorrow to get the rest, okay?"

Zhao Tiezhu was obviously dissatisfied and was about to explode when he suddenly heard an old voice behind him saying, "Zhao Tiezhu, don't make things difficult for Li Xiangqian. It's not easy for everyone."

The person who spoke was Uncle Zhang, a respected old man in the courtyard. He walked slowly to Zhao Tiezhu with a cane, his eyes carrying an unquestionable majesty. Although Zhao Tiezhu was a jerk, he was still a little afraid of Uncle Zhang. He muttered a few words, but finally left with two kilograms of rice.

This scene made Li Xiangqian feel relieved, but also helpless. In the days of food shortage, everyone was struggling and fighting for survival. Li Xiangqian knew that this kind of life would continue for a long time, so he could only grit his teeth and try to make his family and neighbors live a little better in these difficult years.