Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian nodded, and although he was still a little uneasy, he thought that He Yuzhu, who sold him seeds, should understand these issues better than he did. So he decided to follow He Yuzhu's advice and quickly fertilize the land, hoping to save the growth of these seedlings.

A few days later, Li Xiangqian applied fertilizer according to He Yuzhu's instructions, hoping that the seedlings would regain their vitality. However, the situation did not improve. On the contrary, the condition of the seedlings became worse day by day. The leaves became yellower and yellower, and some even began to wither. Li Xiangqian was very anxious. He stood at the edge of the field almost every day to observe the sickly plants, and his heart became heavier and heavier.

Li Ergou also realized that the situation was not good, and came up to him with some concern: "Brother Xiangqian, why haven't you gotten better yet? This...isn't it a disease?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a long time, his mind was in turmoil, but he didn't say his guess out loud. He didn't want to believe that the seeds he had worked so hard to buy had problems. He was even more unwilling to believe that he might have been deceived by He Yuzhu.

One afternoon, Li Xiangqian couldn't help himself and decided to ask He Yuzhu again. He had too many questions in his mind and was unwilling to watch these seedlings slowly die. When he arrived at He Yuzhu's house, Li Xiangqian went straight to the point: "Yuzhu, I'm a little worried about the seedlings. You said that applying fertilizer would help, but why is it getting worse the more you apply?"

He Yuzhu still had a smile on his face when he saw him coming, but Li Xiangqian could sense a hint of evasion in his eyes: "Hey, Brother Xiangqian, this matter... I didn't expect it to be so difficult. But don't worry, I'll give you some other suggestions, I guarantee you can save the child."

Li Xiangqian stared into He Yuzhu's eyes, and suddenly a chill rose in his heart. He suddenly realized that this person might not have told him the truth from the beginning. The problem with the seeds might not be the weather or fertilizer at all, or maybe there was something wrong with the new type of seeds themselves.

"Were the seeds you sold to me fake?" Li Xiangqian's voice was low and calm, with suppressed anger in his tone.

The smile on He Yuzhu's face froze for a moment, then returned to normal and waved his hand: "Oh, how can you say that? These seeds are imported through legitimate channels, but... sometimes it is inevitable that some batches are not very stable, you know."

Hearing this, Li Xiangqian's heart felt like being hit by a stone. He finally understood that he had been fooled by He Yuzhu. These seeds were not the high-yield, disease-resistant new varieties he promised, but some inferior products with poor quality. Li Xiangqian felt a sense of powerlessness rising from the bottom of his heart, with anger, disappointment and regret intertwined.

He clenched his fists and held back his anger: "You just use these fakes to fool me? I believed you, spent so much money, and hoped that this piece of land could save my life. Now you tell me that there is something wrong with this seed?"

He Yuzhu's smile became a little awkward, and he tried to laugh it off: "Ah, Brother Xiang Qian, I didn't do this on purpose. Besides, farming is not guaranteed to go smoothly every time. I can help you again and compensate you with some seeds, or there are other ways."

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that arguing with He Yuzhu would not change the current situation, but would only waste more time. But he couldn't let it go in his heart. He trusted He Yuzhu so much, but ended up like this.

"I don't want your compensation," Li Xiangqian said in a low but firm voice, "I just want you to stop lying to others in the future."

After saying that, he turned and left without looking back. On the way home, Li Xiangqian felt even more depressed. The yellow and withered seedlings seemed to sway in front of his eyes, as if mocking his naivety and credulity. As he walked, he thought about how to face all this. The old well in the yard was still turbid, the crops in the field were dying, and the only hope in his heart seemed to dissipate little by little as the seedlings withered.

Arriving at the courtyard, Li Xiangqian stood by his own field, his heart filled with mixed emotions. The withered seedlings in the field seemed to be telling of his failure and confusion during this period. He was unwilling to accept it, but at this moment he had no other choice.

Li Ergou saw him coming back, walked over and asked, "Brother Xiangqian, how are you? What did He Yuzhu say?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, then whispered, "There's nothing to say. The seeds are wrong." He didn't explain much, but Li Ergou could tell something from his tone. He angrily cursed, "This guy is so unreliable! We believed him, but..."

Li Xiangqian gave a bitter smile, unable to conceal his inner pain and regret any longer. He looked at the land, as if all his hard work had been swallowed up by the soil and could never be recovered.

When Li Xiangqian returned to the yard, he felt as if a huge stone was pressing down on him. He Yuzhu's deception made him feel that all his efforts had gone to waste. He was filled with anger and disappointment, but it was meaningless to vent his emotions at this time. The seedlings withered and the land was barren. The crisis at hand could not be solved by emotions. He had to find a way to remedy the situation, but he knew that it was difficult for him to reverse the situation on his own.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian got up early and stood in the yard smoking silently, his mind in a mess. He barely slept last night, and one thing kept circling in his mind - Xu Damao. Although Xu Damao was a shrewd and smooth person, he always had some connections and was well-informed. Li Xiangqian thought that instead of continuing to be trapped in the quagmire, it would be better to go to Xu Damao to discuss and see if there was any other way.

Xu Damao happened to be at home that day. When he saw Li Xiangqian coming over, he was a little surprised: "Brother Xiangqian, what brings you here today? Is there something wrong?"

Li Xiangqian gritted his teeth, suppressed the annoyance and doubts in his heart, and said simply: "Da Mao, I want to discuss something with you today. My land... As you know, there is a problem with the seeds. He Yuzhu deceived me. I want to find someone to solve this matter, but you know, I don't have any way."

When Xu Damao heard the name "He Yuzhu", he raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised, but also with a bit of sneer: "Hey, he dares to sell anything. I heard that there was a problem with his batch of seeds, but I didn't expect you to be cheated." He shook his head with a hint of mockery, "However, he has been hiding this matter, fearing that you farmers would cause trouble for him."

Li Xiangqian's heart sank when he heard this. His original suspicion became clearer now. He Yuzhu was selling fake seeds, which cheated himself and others. Li Xiangqian's face became even gloomier. He lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and asked in a cold voice: "Do you have any solution? I have to figure this out. I can't let him fool me for nothing."