Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

As Li Xiangqian grew up, his father also aged, and the burden of tilling the land gradually fell on his shoulders. Li's father was no longer as healthy as before, and every spring he would just stand on the ridge and watch, occasionally saying a few words to Li Xiangqian. Li Xiangqian also gradually understood that ox-ploughing was not just a kind of labor, but also a dialogue with the land and nature.

One spring, Li Xiangqian went out to the village to buy seeds. On the way, he saw a family plowing the land with a tractor. The sound was rumbling and the ground was shaking. Li Xiangqian was a little shaken and wondered if he should buy a tractor as well. This way, the land could be plowed much faster and his father wouldn't have to work so hard. He told his father about this idea. Father Li was silent for a while before he slowly said, "Xiangqian, the tractor is indeed fast and labor-saving, but you have to remember that the land is spiritual and needs people to listen to and care for it. Although cattle plowing is slow, it is the closest way to the land. The land plowed by cattle is breathable and soft, and the crops in the land will grow better."

Li Xiangqian listened to his father's words, and his hesitation gradually subsided. He decided to continue to use cattle to plow the land. One morning in spring, Li Xiangqian brought his old cattle to the fields. The cattle was not young, but it was still energetic, and its four hooves stepped firmly on the soil. Li Xiangqian picked up the plow stick and gently patted the cattle's back. The cattle moved forward slowly. Li Xiangqian followed behind the cattle, holding the plow stick tightly with both hands, feeling the power of the plow head cutting through the soil.

The sun was shining brightly that day, and the fields were filled with the smell of moist earth. As Li Xiangqian plowed the land, he thought about his father's words, and gradually felt a peace he had never felt before. The land rolled under his feet, and the cows walked steadily in front of him, as if every step was integrated with the land. Li Xiangqian suddenly felt as if he had some kind of unspeakable connection with this land.

After finishing the tillage, Li Xiangqian stood on the ridge of the field, looking at the neatly arranged ridges, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He remembered his father's words: the field knows who is truly taking care of it. Li Xiangqian raised his head and looked at the mountains in the distance, feeling a sense of satisfaction and peace in his heart that he had never felt before.

As time goes by, Li Xiangqian still uses cattle to plow the land. Every spring, he leads the cattle and walks on the familiar path in the field. There are fewer and fewer young people in the village. Many people have gone to the city to work, and the remaining older generation is gradually getting older. Li Xiangqian's life seems to be firmly tied to this piece of land. The courtyard is still his home in his heart. Every time he finishes plowing the land, he will return to the old locust tree and sit where his father once sat, feeling the passage of time.

One spring, Li Xiangqian went out to plough the fields again. This time, he felt that the old cow's steps seemed a little heavy, not as brisk as before. Li Xiangqian felt nervous, knowing that the old cow was already quite old and might not last for a few more years. He gently patted the cow's back, feeling an inexplicable sadness. He suddenly remembered the time when his father took him to plough the fields when he was a child. At that time, he was still an ignorant child, but now he has become the main force in ploughing the fields, and his father can no longer go to the fields.

Li Xiangqian is determined to continue plowing the land with cattle until the cattle can no longer plow. He knows that this is not only a promise to his father, but also a respect for the land. The land provides a source of livelihood for his family and also gives them peace of mind.

As time goes by, Li Xiangqian's life seems to remain unchanged. Every spring, he leads his old ox to plow the land, and feels a sense of silent satisfaction when he sees the land rolling under his feet. The villagers gradually admire him and think he is a persistent person who is truly integrated with the land. Li Xiangqian himself knows that this way of life may have been gradually abandoned by the times, but he still firmly believes that using oxen to plow the land best reflects the relationship between people and the land.

He knew that as the old cows got older, the task of tilling the land would become more and more difficult, but he was unwilling to give up. He felt that this was not only a kind of labor, but also a belief, a way of life, and a reverence for nature and the land.

Li Xiangqian stood at the edge of the field, his eyes wandering back and forth between the sky in the distance and the land under his feet, but he was thinking about one thing in his heart. In recent years, the old cow's physical strength has obviously not been as good as before, and the speed of plowing the land has also slowed down. In a few years, I am afraid that he will have to rely on himself to cultivate this land. Although he is still reluctant to replace the old cow, reality forces him to consider new planting methods and better seeds.

"Maybe I should try some new varieties of seeds," he thought silently. The old ox was getting weaker and weaker, but the harvest from the field could not be reduced. Li Xiangqian knew that if he didn't find some solutions, he might even have trouble getting enough food and clothing.

This thought kept turning over and over in his mind all day. When he returned to the courtyard at night, he sat under the old locust tree, looking at the stars in the sky, and was a little dazed for a while. His father walked out of the house, saw Li Xiangqian's thoughtful look, sat down next to him, and handed him a cigarette. The father and son were silent for a while, with only the red light of the cigarette butt flickering in the dark night.

"What are you thinking about, Xiang Qian?" The father spoke first, his voice still as calm, but with a hint of concern.

"Dad, I'm wondering if we should change some seeds?" Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment and finally spoke out what was in his mind.

After hearing this, my father did not respond immediately, but took a puff of cigarette, as if he was considering something. After a while, he slowly said, "Changing seeds is a good thing. The land is ours, and we plant everything to make it produce more food. In recent years, our harvest has not been as good as before, so what you said makes sense."

"But..." Li Xiangqian hesitated, "But our old cow is no longer able to do it. What if it still can't plow the field after we change the seeds?"

My father was silent for a moment, then he sighed, "Yes, the old cow has indeed lost its strength in recent years. Go forward, the land belongs to us, and the seeds are for our harvest. No matter how old the cow is, we have to try to keep going, so that the land cannot be left uncultivated and the harvest cannot be cut off."

Li Xiangqian nodded. He knew his father was right and he couldn't just give up and change his mind. The next morning, Li Xiangqian decided to go to town to buy some new seeds. He knew he couldn't put this off any longer.

He led the old cow to the yard and patted its neck gently. The cow lowered its head and looked at Li Xiangqian with its cloudy eyes, as if it knew what he was going to do this time. Li Xiangqian whispered in the cow's ear: "Old buddy, we are going to find you some new things. You have to hold on for a few more years and don't let me down." The cow seemed to understand, snorted, and slowly shook its tail.