Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"We have to take this seriously." The old section chief muttered to himself, then raised his head and said to Li Xiangqian, "You did the right thing by coming to us in time. Since this group of people dared to rob food, they must have something to rely on. Our security department will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. Don't worry, we won't let you suffer in vain."

Li Xiangqian was relieved when he heard this. He knew that the old section chief had been moved by his words and was willing to help him solve the problem. This was good news. At least he was no longer fighting alone.

"Thank you, Chief. I don't have any other requests. I just hope there will be an explanation so that this group of people can't continue to act tyrannically again and again." Li Xiangqian said earnestly, with a hint of suppressed expectation in his tone.

The old section chief nodded, stood up, and patted Li Xiangqian on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we will definitely get to the bottom of this matter. You go back first, and we will notify you in time if there is any movement in the next two days."

Li Xiangqian stood up and bowed deeply, feeling relieved and expectant. He knew that things would not come to fruition so quickly, but at least the intervention of the security department gave him some support. As long as those people knew that someone was watching them from behind, perhaps they would restrain themselves and he could breathe a sigh of relief.

After leaving the security department, Li Xiangqian stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at the layout of the quadrangle with mixed feelings. The current situation was far more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined, but he was not going to give up easily. No matter what, he had to find a solution to keep the family's food and restore peace to life.

He decided to wait and see what would happen. Wait until the security department takes action, and then see if those people would restrain themselves. If the security department can exert enough pressure this time, perhaps the situation in the market will change. But if the security department is unable to solve this matter... Li Xiangqian frowned involuntarily, and he knew that he had to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

The night enveloped the courtyard, and the courtyard was so quiet that only the humming of autumn insects could be heard. Li Xiangqian lay on his bed, tossing and turning. Although the conversation with the security department made him feel a little relieved, he still couldn't let go of the food that was stolen. Those were supposed to be important resources to support the family, but now they were taken away. The faces of those people kept appearing in his mind, especially the man with a scar. His rough behavior and arrogant attitude made him angry.

"These people are really going too far!" He gritted his teeth in his heart.

After thinking for a while, he decided to put this matter aside for the time being and go check on his watermelon field. Although the corn suffered heavy losses, if the watermelons could have a good harvest, it would at least bring a ray of hope to his family. Thinking of this, he quickly got up, took a worn straw hat and a kettle, and prepared to go check on the watermelon field early in the morning.

At daybreak, Li Xiangqian set out on his journey in the dew. Along the way, the autumn wind was cool, and he hurried along with mixed emotions. The corn issue had always made him feel uneasy, and the watermelon was his last hope, so he knew he couldn't make any more mistakes.

He quickened his pace and passed by a patch of wild grass near the village. The sky gradually brightened and he could see his own melon field from afar. The melon field was not big, but for Li Xiangqian, it was the result of his hard work throughout the summer. He took care of these watermelons from germination to growth, watching the watermelons become plump and round little by little, as if they were his own children.

As he approached the watermelon field, Li Xiangqian's mood became delicate. Although he had always been confident about the growth of his own watermelons, he still couldn't help but worry about whether there would be any unexpected situations. Especially the recent chaos in the market seemed to cast a shadow on all his plans.

"As long as the melons are good, there is hope." He said to himself silently, as if to cheer himself up.

The moment he stepped into the melon field, his eyes were immediately attracted by the watermelons all over the field. The sun had just risen, and the morning light shone on the field, reflecting the bright color of the watermelon skins, with a faint luster. Li Xiangqian carefully looked at the watermelons and found that they were indeed much more mature as he expected, with large sizes, regular shapes, thin skins and thick flesh. He was immediately filled with joy, and these watermelons would definitely sell for a good price.

"This year's watermelons are really good." Li Xiangqian said to himself, with a bit of pride in his tone. He put a lot of effort into growing these watermelons, and the current results are undoubtedly the best reward for his hard work.

However, as he walked deeper into the melon field, his original joy was gradually replaced by a sense of uneasiness. He found that the watermelons at several places on the edge of the field seemed to have been moved, with some messy footprints on the soil and the grass being trampled crooked.

Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly sank, and his breathing became rapid. He quickly squatted down and carefully observed the footprints, and a sense of foreboding arose in his heart. "Is someone here to steal the watermelon?" He couldn't believe it. After all, this was his last hope. If he couldn't even keep the watermelon, what else could he rely on?

He walked a few steps along the footprints and found a few watermelon shells that had been cut open not far away. The watermelon flesh had been hollowed out, and there were a few half-rotten seeds next to the scattered peels. It was obvious that this had happened in the past few days.

Seeing this, Li Xiangqian was furious, his fists clenched, and the veins on his hands were bulging. His watermelons! These should have been the support of his family's life, but they were ruined like this!

"Who did it?!" He roared in his heart, and his chest felt like it was being hit by a heavy hammer. Almost instantly, countless possibilities emerged in his mind: Was it the gang at the market? Or the thief in the village? He had no way of knowing, but the anger in his heart erupted like a volcano.

He stood up suddenly, his eyes full of determination. He couldn't stand it any longer. No matter who did it, they had to be taught a lesson! Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that anger alone would not solve the problem. If he wanted to find the mastermind, he had to think of a more effective way.

Suddenly, Li Xiangqian heard a faint sound of footsteps, as if someone was quietly approaching the melon field. He instantly became alert and immediately hid behind a bunch of tall corn stalks, holding his breath and quietly observing the movements around him.

A few seconds later, a thin figure poked his head out from the woods not far away and looked furtively towards the melon field. The man was young and looked a little panicked. He was obviously not an experienced thief. Li Xiangqian narrowed his eyes and sneered in his heart: "So he is a thief!"