Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He suddenly thought of a melon field not far from the courtyard. A few days ago, he heard from the neighbors that the watermelons in the field were about to mature. "If I can help pick the watermelons, maybe I can exchange some food for it, at least it can give my family more food." Li Xiangqian thought about it and gradually came up with an idea. There was no time to hesitate, so he decided to go to the melon field early the next morning to try his luck.

As soon as it was light, Li Xiangqian got up and went out, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb Li Xiuying and the children. He knew that the current situation at home was not optimistic, but one more opportunity meant one more hope. The air in the early morning was a little chilly, and Li Xiangqian hurried through the narrow alley, feeling a little nervous and expectant. "I hope the owner of the melon field will let me help, even if the wages are a little less, I will accept it." He thought silently in his heart.

After walking for a while, he finally saw the melon field. From a distance, a large green vine spread along the terrain, and among the green leaves, a few round watermelons vaguely revealed the sheen of the melon skin. The owner of the melon field was a short and fat middle-aged man, who was standing by the field smoking a dry pipe with a frown on his face, as if he was thinking about something.

Li walked closer and asked tentatively, "Brother, what are you busy with?"

The man looked up when he heard the voice and saw Li Xiangqian. There was a hint of doubt in his eyes, but he nodded amiably: "Yes, the melons are almost ripe, and I'm worried about picking them." He exhaled a puff of smoke, glanced at Li Xiangqian, and added: "Who are you?"

Li Xiangqian quickly introduced himself: "I live in a courtyard nearby. I heard that your melon fields are about to be harvested, so I wanted to come over to see if I could help out and earn some money."

The man looked at him for a while, as if he was weighing the pros and cons. Li Xiangqian felt a little nervous, fearing that the other party would refuse. He knew it was not easy to find a job now, especially jobs that could be directly exchanged for food. Just when he was feeling anxious, the man finally nodded and said, "It's just right. I'm worried about having no manpower these days. If you really want to help, just follow along. The work is not easy, but I'll give you some watermelons to take back, okay?"

Li Xiangqian was delighted and nodded quickly: "Okay! That's great! Thank you, brother. I'm not afraid of hardship, so don't worry."

Seeing him so straightforward, the man smiled and said, "Well, let's try for a day and see. The watermelons are ripe, so be careful when picking them. After we pick them, we'll divide them according to the quantity. We won't let you down."

Li Xiangqian finally felt relieved. He knew that although this job was not very respectable, he could bring some melons home, and at least the child and Xiuying would not have to go hungry. So he immediately rolled up his sleeves and followed the man into the melon field.

The air in the melon field was filled with the faint fragrance of melons. The vines were intertwined and the watermelons were lying on the ground. Li Xiangqian squatted down and followed the man's instructions. He carefully picked up a ripe watermelon and cut the vine with a knife. He felt the heavy melon in his hand and felt a sense of satisfaction that he had never felt before. "These melons can save lives." He thought and worked more attentively.

The sun rose slowly, and the temperature in the field gradually increased. Li Xiangqian's sweat dripped from his forehead, but he didn't care at all. He had a thought in his mind: "Pick a few more and bring more back." As long as he thought about his family having a full meal, all the fatigue seemed to become insignificant.

At noon, the man came over and handed him a bottle of water: "Brother, take a break. Don't work too hard. There are still several days of work to do."

Li Xiangqian took the water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and grinned: "I'm not tired, don't worry, big brother, we will try to pick more today so as not to delay your melon sales."

The man smiled and patted his shoulder: "Okay, it's a good thing to be able to work. When the work is done, you can bring back some watermelons. This family must have food to eat."

Li Xiangqian nodded, his gratitude overflowing with words. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to work. Every time he cut a melon, his heart was filled with a sense of steadiness and hope. Although such labor was tiring, compared with the helplessness he felt when his melons were robbed at the market before, such efforts made him feel that he was at least fighting for something for his family.

By the afternoon, the melon fields were already full of ripe watermelons. Li Xiangqian was so tired that his back and waist ached, but his face showed a satisfaction he had never experienced before. He knew that he would have to continue working tomorrow, but at least he could bring a few watermelons home today, and the children would have sweet watermelons to eat tonight.

When she got home, it was already late. Li Xiuying heard the door open and hurried out. She saw Li Xiangqian carrying two large watermelons on his shoulders. She looked surprised and unbelievable: "Xiangqian, where did you get these watermelons?"

Li Xiangqian wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile: "I went to the melon field over there to help pick melons. The owner asked me to bring some back, so we will have watermelons to eat tonight." There was a sense of pride in his voice. The fruits of his labor with his own hands made him feel a long-lost sense of accomplishment.

Li Xiuying took the watermelon, tears welling up in her eyes. She held Li Xiangqian's hand tightly, her voice choking with sobs: "Xiangqian, thank you for your hard work. The children will have something sweet tonight."

Li Xiangqian looked at her, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart, but more of a comfort. He patted her hand gently and said, "It's okay, Xiuying. I'll run more and do more work in the future, and our family won't always have such a hard time."

That night, Li Xiangqian and his family sat around a small table, the children grinned and ate sweet watermelons, and their laughter echoed in the room. Li Xiangqian looked at this scene and felt a sense of satisfaction. Although life was still difficult, he knew that as long as he was willing to work hard, things would turn around.

That night, Li Xiangqian lay in bed, looking at the roof, his mind racing. "Although this melon field can bring some relief, it is not a long-term solution." He knew that if he wanted to really get through this difficult time, he had to think of a more secure way. But no matter what, today's work gave him hope, and even a moment of satisfaction was his motivation to move forward.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian went to the melon field as usual and continued his work. Although he was exhausted the day before, the sense of accomplishment of earning food with his own hands still made him full of energy. Thinking of the smiles on the children's faces when they ate watermelon last night, he couldn't help but quicken his pace. Although life is not rich now, at least there is work to do and he can exchange some food. Li Xiangqian feels that the burden on his shoulders is slightly lighter.