Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Old Li, have you heard? Tomorrow's rations may be less, and the factory will reduce production." An old worker with gray hair suddenly whispered, with a hint of worry in his tone.

Li Xiangqian paused and frowned. The food problem has always been a big stone in the hearts of the residents of the courtyard. Although he worked hard every day, facing the gradually reduced food quota, no matter how hard he tried, it seemed that he could not change the status quo. Li Xiangqian turned around and looked at the faces in the yard. They had also long been accustomed to such a life, but the worry in everyone's eyes had never diminished.

When I got home, the house was small and crowded. A simple dinner was placed on the table. My wife Xiaoying was busy preparing lunch boxes for the children, her face full of fatigue. My son Xiaodong was squatting in the corner, drawing something on an old exercise book with a broken pencil.

"Xiang Qian, do we have enough food for today?" Xiaoying asked softly, with a hint of expectation in her eyes, but more of helplessness.

Li Xiangqian sighed, silently took out the heavy ration list from his arms and placed it on the table.

"Enough... but not much." His voice was low, as if he was being pressed down by an invisible mountain.

Xiaoying didn't say anything, just lowered her head and continued to pack, her hands moving slowly. She knew that life was getting harder and harder, and food rations were becoming increasingly tight. If things continued like this, even her children's appetite would be affected. But, apart from saving money, what else could they do?

It was late at night, and the only sounds in the courtyard were the occasional meow of a cat and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Li Xiangqian lay in bed, tossing and turning, thinking over and over again about what his co-workers had said during the day. Food was a concern for everyone in this courtyard. If he went to the factory tomorrow, he might be able to get more information, but it would probably be too late by then.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian got up earlier than usual. He pushed open the gate of the courtyard. It was still dark outside and the air was a little chilly. He quickly got on his bicycle and rushed towards the factory. On the way, he occasionally saw a few workers in a hurry. Everyone looked particularly solemn. It was obvious that the food problem was a dark cloud in everyone's heart.

The factory gate slowly opened, the iron gate creaked harshly, and Li Xiangqian followed a group of workers in. The atmosphere today seemed heavier than usual. People gathered in twos and threes, whispering about something, with worried looks on their faces. Some tried to find out about the factory director's movements, while others just wanted to confirm whether their food quota would be reduced again.

Li Xiangqian walked silently to the workshop where he worked. It was deserted. The roar of the machines drowned out the conversations of the workers, but a strange atmosphere still spread. During the lunch break, his colleague Lao Liu quietly came over and pulled his sleeve.

"Xiang Qian, have you heard? The food supply in the factory is almost gone. From what I heard from the higher-ups, if we don't find a solution, we'll starve." Old Liu frowned and said in a low voice.

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat. Although he had a premonition, he still felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he heard the exact news. "What did the higher-ups say? Do they have a solution?"

Old Liu smiled bitterly. "What can we do? This time it's because of the reduction in grain production. It's not our turn as grassroots workers to have a say. The factory director is still looking for people to discuss countermeasures, but they can either reduce the ration or simply not distribute it... But I heard that some people have already started to hoard grain privately."

Hoarding food? When Li Xiangqian heard this word, his heart was shocked. He knew that the food problem should not be underestimated. If someone really hoarded food secretly, it meant that the food struggle would become more brutal. Everyone was thinking about their own livelihood. Food became a scarce resource, and the trust between people would be shaken.

After a day's work, Li Xiangqian was absent-minded. He kept thinking about these things in his mind, feeling like an invisible net, slowly tightening, pressing him so hard that he couldn't breathe. When he returned to the courtyard, it was already dark. Several old neighbors at the door were still smoking there, but today's topic was obviously focused on the food problem.

"Old Li, how is things at your factory? I heard that the food ration will be reduced?" The neighbor handed me a cigarette with an anxious look on his face.

Li Xiangqian took the cigarette and nodded, "There is a rumor, but there is no definite news from the factory yet."

"Alas, life is getting harder and harder." The old man sighed, with helplessness in his eyes.

Li Xiangqian looked up at the gray sky, and his heart was heavy. The food problem not only affected the workers in the factory, but also every family in the courtyard. He knew that he could no longer sit and wait for death. He had to come up with a solution for his family and everyone in the courtyard.

In the following days, Li Xiangqian worked as usual, but his mind became increasingly heavy. Every time he returned to the courtyard and saw those familiar faces, he always felt an invisible pressure. The atmosphere in the courtyard began to become subtle, and everyone's eyes seemed to have a hint of vigilance and suspicion. This feeling became more obvious, especially when the food rations began to decrease.

One night, when Li Xiangqian came back from the factory, the yard was as quiet as usual, but when he opened the door of his house, he found that the house was brightly lit and his wife Xiaoying was sitting at the table with a serious expression.

"Xiang Qian, someone said that our neighbor Li's family has stockpiled a lot of food." She said in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat. "Who said that?"

"Several people in the yard have mentioned it. I met Aunt Liu at the door this afternoon. She said that Lao Li has been going out frequently recently, and always comes back with a lot of bags." Xiaoying continued, with a hint of suspicion and worry in her voice.

"Is it possible... that he is really hoarding food?" Li Xiangqian frowned even more. Although Lao Li looked quite honest on weekdays, in such a tight food environment, it was hard to guarantee that no one would not be tempted to keep a few more grains for himself.

It was late at night, and the courtyard fell into silence as usual. The wind gently blew over the eaves, shaking a few old tiles, like a sign of some kind of uneasiness. Li Xiangqian lay on the bed, his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, his heart in turmoil. He couldn't fall asleep, and the recent food problem was like a dark cloud, weighing on everyone's heart. His wife Xiaoying had fallen asleep tiredly, and the child Xiaodong was snoring slightly, but he was the only one who tossed and turned because of the anxiety in his heart.

Is the neighbor, Mr. Li… really hoarding food? Li Xiangqian recalled the rumors and Mr. Li’s mysterious behavior in recent days. As a neighbor, Mr. Li usually doesn’t talk much, and his family is not well-off.