Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian felt even more confused after hearing this. He originally thought it was his own operational error, but now hearing that even other people's crops had problems, he felt even more depressed.

"Uncle Liu, what should we do?" He asked in an almost helpless tone, "If we can't harvest the crops these days, how are we going to live?"

Old Liu sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "We can only leave it to fate and wait for the government to see if there are any remedial measures. Otherwise, this year may really be a famine."

Li Xiangqian sat on the ground helplessly, holding the rotten potato in his hand, his mind was blank. Planting potatoes was his only hope this year, and now all this hope has vanished, and he can't help but doubt whether he can still survive this winter.

The neighbors seemed to have noticed something, and from time to time someone would walk through the gate and look at him inquiringly. Li Xiangqian knew that these people, like him, were concerned about the harvest in their fields, because if the harvest was not good, this winter would be difficult.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the yard, and a familiar figure appeared at the door. It was Li Xiangqian's cousin Li Yun. She rushed into the yard with anxiety on her face. When she saw Li Xiangqian, she hurriedly shouted: "Brother, it's bad! I heard that many potatoes in the town have rotted, and even the field in our hometown has not been spared!"

Li Xiangqian's heart sank, and he barely raised his head to look at her. "What? Are you saying that something happened to our piece of land in the countryside?"

Li Yun nodded, his face showing more anxiety. "Yes, I just came back from there, and the fields were full of rotten potatoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. Many people in the village said it was a disaster, and I'm afraid we'll starve this year."

These words hit Li Xiangqian's heart like a huge rock, and he felt his breath stagnate. The piece of land in the countryside was the last hope for their family. If there was a problem there, then the Li family would have no harvest this year.

"What on earth is going on..." Li Xiangqian muttered to himself, his eyes unfocused. He had lived in this courtyard since he was a child, and had never seen anything like this. Although he was not an expert in farming, he had some experience. This was the first time he had encountered a situation like this, where he could not save the situation no matter how hard he tried.

Li Yun felt bad when she saw her brother remained silent. She walked forward, gently held Li Xiangqian's hand, and said with a choked voice: "Brother, we can't just accept it like this. Do you think we should go to the town officials to ask about the situation and see if they can come up with a solution?"

Li Xiangqian nodded, but there was still no hope in his eyes. He knew that even if he asked, what would be the use? The land was completely ruined, and the cadres could not make the rotten potatoes grow again.

However, now that things have come to this, he can only try to find another way out. Maybe the town can really come up with a solution or give them some compensation food.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian took a deep breath, stood up, looked at Lao Liu and Li Yun, and said with a firm voice: "Let's go, let's go to the town to ask and see if we can find a solution."

Old Liu sighed, "It's good that you have this kind of energy. Don't be discouraged. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

Li Xiangqian walked along the country road, the mud under his feet making every step seem particularly heavy. His trouser legs were already covered with wet mud, but he didn't care at all. Li Yun walked beside him, looking up at him from time to time, his face full of worry. Lao Liu followed behind, humming a tuneless little song as he walked, as if trying to relieve the dull atmosphere in this way.

However, Li Xiangqian felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart, getting heavier and heavier. Along the way, he repeatedly thought about the rotten potatoes, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. Was it the weather? Or was it because he had neglected something? No matter how hard he thought, he could not find a definite answer. This feeling of powerlessness made him feel frustrated.

"Brother, do we really have no other choice?" Li Yun finally couldn't help but asked in a low voice.

Li Xiangqian turned his head slightly and glanced at her, his eyes complicated. He knew that Li Yun was just as unwilling as he was. No one wanted to watch the fruits of months of hard work go to waste.

"Maybe, maybe not." Li Xiangqian's voice was low and a little tired. "I don't know. Going to the town to ask is always a solution. We can't just do nothing."

Li Yun bit her lip and nodded. She knew how much pressure her brother was under, especially since their parents passed away, the burden of the family fell on Li Xiangqian alone. This time all the potatoes rotted, which was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Li family.

They walked for a while, and the surroundings gradually became quiet. The autumn air was filled with a damp smell. In the fields in the distance, the crops had long been desolate, and the straw stalks stood there like broken walls, as if they had experienced a silent disaster.

Li Xiangqian looked up at the sky, dark clouds rolled in, and it seemed that a heavy rain would pour down at any time. His mood became heavier, not only because of the weather, but also because of the hardship he had experienced day after day over the past year. During those days when he was sweating under the scorching sun, he had been full of hope, thinking that he could at least survive a relatively stable winter by growing potatoes.

"All rotten..." He repeated these words silently in his mind, the smell and touch of decay constantly echoing in his mind. Those rotten potatoes were like rotten sores, destroying all his expectations.

Suddenly, Li Yun's voice sounded again, pulling him back from his thoughts: "Brother, if there is nothing we can do in town, what should we do?"

Li Xiangqian paused, and after a moment of silence, he sighed, "What else can I do? At worst, I can start all over again next year."

"Start all over again?" Li Yun's voice was filled with disbelief and helplessness. "What should we do this year? How are we going to survive this winter? You can't let our whole family starve, can you?"

Li Xiangqian's face froze for a moment. He knew that what Li Yun said was true. This winter was indeed a huge challenge for them, and now they had almost no reserves. Autumn was originally their most abundant harvest season, but now everything has turned into nothing.

"I know, I will find a way." Li Xiangqian said softly, but his tone was not very confident. He also understood that this blow was far beyond his expectations. However, he had to make a decision and not let his family think that he had given up.