Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Various possible situations emerged in his mind. How many of the seemingly friendly people in the yard would reveal their true colors during the harvest season? Would someone steal his harvest while he was busy working? Would someone deliberately come to disrupt the situation and take advantage of the various conflicts in the yard to cause trouble? Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian's mood became heavier.

In order to deal with these unknown troubles, Li Xiangqian decided to prepare in advance. He silently calculated that he not only had to find a way to continue to maintain the water source at Lao Zhou's place, but also had to find a few reliable people to help watch the land before the harvest, especially at night to prevent theft. But who should he find? Everyone in the yard had their own thoughts, and not everyone could be trusted.

At this time, he thought of a person - Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong usually looks inconspicuous, taciturn, and does things unobtrusively, but he has a steady spirit. Li Xiangqian doesn't usually interact with him much, but a few accidental exchanges make him feel that this person is at least not as smooth and treacherous as Xu Damao. Maybe asking him to help watch over the land is a good choice.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian felt a little relieved. He decided to find a chance to talk to Liu Haizhong in the evening to see if he was willing to help him.

Li Xiangqian made up his mind. Although he had some countermeasures in mind, he still felt that every step was difficult. He looked at the vibrant potato field in front of him, as if he saw the entire stake of his fate. He knew that every step he took could not go wrong, and any small mistake could make him lose all hope.

As he was thinking, the sun gradually set in the sky, and life in the courtyard slowly returned to peace. People in the courtyard began to prepare dinner, and the smell of fireworks gradually filled the air. Li Xiangqian stood up, patted his hands covered with mud, and silently reminded himself in his heart that he had to hold on no matter what.

Li Xiangqian dragged his tired body back home, and the house seemed unusually quiet. As the sky gradually darkened, the hustle and bustle of the courtyard gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of pots and bowls colliding from a few kitchens, and occasionally the sound of boiling oil in the pot. Li Xiangqian stood in his small kitchen, looking at the only bag of eggs on the table, and felt heavy in his heart.

"Oh, what should I eat today?" He sighed softly and reached out to take out a few eggs from the bag. This kind of life has lasted for a long time. Although it is simple, it is much better than being hungry. He has long been accustomed to this kind of life - a bowl of porridge, some vegetables, and at most a few eggs, which is already a rare improvement.

Li Xiangqian doesn't really care what he eats. He is more worried about the potatoes in the field and the future harvest. But facing this ordinary life, he still feels powerless. His former ambitions and hopes for the future are gradually being exhausted by the daily trivialities. Now, all he wants is to have a stable potato harvest this season. He doesn't even dare to think about anything else.

The egg turned gently in his hands, as if it was too heavy to be ignored. Li Xiangqian walked to the stove and turned on the gas. The blue flame jumped up instantly, reflecting his tired face. He was not in a hurry to beat the eggs, but stared at the flame for a while. The pot on the stove was a little worn out, with several obvious burn marks on the edge. This was the pot he used most often, and he relied on it for frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying. The color of the bottom of the pot had turned black due to years of use, and even exuded a faint smell of oldness.

"Forget it, life must go on." He whispered to himself, as if trying to comfort himself with these words.

Li Xiangqian broke an egg, and the egg liquid slid down the edge of the pan into the boiling hot oil, making a "sizzling" sound. Oil splashed everywhere, and the kitchen was instantly filled with the rich aroma of eggs. The sound and smell made him seem to be temporarily free from his troubles and focus on the cooking in front of him. The spatula in his hand skillfully flipped the egg, and the golden egg liquid gradually solidified, exuding an attractive luster.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside. Li Xiangqian looked out the window and saw Qin Huairu walking slowly through the center of the yard. She was holding a basket with some fresh vegetables in it, which looked like they had just been bought from outside. Seeing Li Xiangqian standing in the kitchen, she stopped and greeted him through the window: "Hey, Xiangqian, what are you eating today? Why is there such a delicious smell?"

Li Xiangqian smiled awkwardly: "Nothing special, just scrambled two eggs and made do with it."

Qin Huairu glanced at the eggs in his pot and smiled: "Hey, this is easy for you, isn't it? I haven't eaten eggs for a long time, and I'm craving for them."

Li Xiangqian laughed dryly, but he felt a little uncomfortable. He usually didn't talk much with people in the yard, especially people like Qin Huairu. When dealing with them, he always felt that the other party had something else in their words. Today's sudden chat made him a little confused.

"Or...if you want to eat, I'll give you two eggs?" Li Xiangqian felt that he should still be polite. Although he knew that Qin Huairu would not really ask him for anything, they lived in the same yard after all, so he should be polite.

Sure enough, Qin Huairu smiled and waved her hand: "No, no, how can I really want your eggs? I just smelled the fragrance and couldn't help but say a few words. You also know that my children can't bear to eat more eggs. I save them for their health."

Hearing this, Li Xiangqian nodded involuntarily. He knew a little about the situation of Qin Huairu's family. It was not easy for them to have several children. Although he was always a little wary of her, what she said made sense. She continued, "But, Xiangqian, I also heard that you have been working hard on the farm recently. You don't look very well these days. Are you too tired?"

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened when he heard this. Although this sounded concerned, it was a bit of a test when he thought about it. He didn't want the people in the yard to know about his worries, so he quickly interrupted and said, "It's okay, I've been a little busy lately. Who doesn't feel tired? We still have to be busy."

Qin Huairu nodded, said nothing more, picked up the basket and turned away. Her back disappeared into the night, but Li Xiangqian's mood did not calm down. Qin Huairu's words seemed to have dropped a small stone in his heart, causing ripples. He knew that he was indeed too tired recently, and the dual pressure of body and mind made him gradually unable to cope.