Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Standing on the dark street, Li Xiangqian looked down at the few grains of corn left at his feet. He bent down and picked up the remaining grains, feeling helpless. These scattered grains of corn could not change the current plight of his family.

He knew that the next thing to do was to return to the courtyard as soon as possible and find a way to solve the food problem at home. The failure tonight did not defeat him, but made him realize that in order to survive in such a difficult environment, he must be more careful and decisive.

Li Xiangqian stood on the dark street, his heart beating violently and his head buzzing. He never thought that his carefully planned action would be interrupted in such a rude and unexpected way. Everything that just happened was too fast. The group of people emerged from the shadows like ghosts, leaving him almost no time to react.

He stared with wide eyes, watching the figures who took away the corn disappear in the distance, his chest was choked by anger and helplessness. "How dare they? In a place like this, who dares to rob people so blatantly?" His fingers trembled, and he was angry and a little shocked. He had never encountered such a direct threat, and he never thought that one day he would be robbed.

He wanted to catch up and take back the lost food, but his legs seemed to be filled with lead and he couldn't move. It was as if the intimidation of the group of people made him have no courage to risk resistance. All his plans and schemes seemed so fragile at this moment.

"Why am I so unlucky?" Li Xiangqian whispered dryly from his throat, but more of it was doubts about himself. The resentment and loss in his heart almost made him emotionally collapse, and the empty cart behind him made him feel an indescribable humiliation.

Recalling the rude methods and sarcastic words of the group of people, his self-esteem seemed to be trampled on the ground. He always thought that he was a smart man, with plans and strategies, and could deal with various difficulties, but today a few people easily disrupted all his arrangements and robbed him of his full corn.

"Who are they? They just robbed me like that?" Li Xiangqian was confused. He replayed what had just happened in his mind over and over again. The sneers, threats, and looks from the other party were like thorns piercing his heart. This humiliation made him more determined and he would never let it go.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from a distance, instantly pulling him back to reality. Li Xiangqian raised his head, squinted his eyes, and saw several figures swaying not far away. His first reaction was that the people who robbed him were back, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his whole body tensed up.

"Are they planning to do something else? Impossible, they have already taken everything." Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, fear and vigilance intertwined. He lowered his body, hid in the shadows beside him, and stared at the movements of those people.

However, a few seconds later he realized that it was not the people who robbed him, but some passing vendors who were pushing their carts towards the market. Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief, and his heartbeat gradually stabilized, but the anger in his heart became stronger. He realized that he had just behaved like a coward, and he didn't even have the courage to resist in the face of such a situation.

"I can't be so incompetent anymore." He warned himself in his heart, and slowly clenched his fists. Although the corn was robbed, it was only a temporary setback. Li Xiangqian was a calculating man. He knew that this lesson was not only to make him realize the darkness of the market, but more importantly, to let him learn how to survive in this shadow.

He could no longer act rashly. He had to come up with a more thorough plan and even find some strong support. He could not fight against the forces that controlled the market on his own. He thought of Jia Dongxu, and a complex emotion passed through his mind. Jia Dongxu was not reliable, but he had a certain network of connections after all, and perhaps he could get some information from him.

Li Xiangqian slowly walked out of the shadows and pushed the empty cart, thinking about his next move. He had to find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise the family's plight would become more serious and even future food supplies would be insecure.

The night was still heavy, the wind blew coldly through the streets, and Li Xiangqian's steps were heavy and firm. Even though he had just suffered a huge setback, he still did not give up in his heart. He knew that this road was far more dangerous than he had imagined, but he would not back down. If he wanted to survive, he had to be smarter and more cautious than anyone else.

Back at the courtyard, it was quiet all around, with only a few windows still showing faint lights. Li Xiangqian pushed the cart quietly into his courtyard, trying not to make any noise. He didn't want the people in the courtyard to know what happened tonight. This kind of failure was a shame for him. He couldn't let these people see his embarrassment, especially someone like Jia Dongxu.

As soon as he entered the yard, Li Xiangqian leaned his cart against the wall, sat on a stone bench, and rubbed his forehead tiredly. The fatigue of his body was far less than the anxiety in his heart. He took a deep breath, looked up at the night sky, and thought about how to deal with this dilemma next.

"Now that we have no corn, what should we do next?" Li Xiangqian had countless thoughts in his mind. Should he go find Jia Dongxu? Or should he find another source of food? He knew that without better resources, he would soon fall into a more passive situation.

"We need to find out who those people are first." Li Xiangqian muttered to himself, and a vague plan gradually emerged in his mind. He must understand those who control the market so that he can find a safer way to deal with the food problem at hand.

He decided to start with Jia Dongxu. Jia Dongxu had contacts with some people in the market and might be able to provide some useful information. Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian stood up and prepared to find Jia Dongxu early tomorrow morning to ask for clarification.

However, at this moment, there was a slight knock on the door, interrupting his thoughts.

"Who would come to see me so late?" Li Xiangqian frowned, feeling a little uneasy. He walked quickly to the door and opened it gently, only to see a familiar figure standing outside - Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu looked a little anxious, his eyes flickering, as if he had something urgent to say. He whispered, "Xiang Qian, I just heard something and I have to tell you."

Li Xiangqian's heart trembled, and he immediately became alert and motioned him to come in: "Brother Dongxu, what's the matter? Why are you coming here so late?"

As soon as Jia Dongxu entered, he immediately closed the door and said in a low voice: "I just heard from someone at the market that someone was robbed outside the market tonight and several bags of corn were lost. I heard the details they told, and they sound a bit like you."