Chapter 183 Knocked on a House's Door

The early autumn morning light shone through the leaves of the sycamore trees in the yard, and scattered on the stone road. Li Xiangqian pushed open the mottled wooden door, and the cold wind that blew in made him wrap his worn military coat tightly. In the yard, a few sparrows were looking for food, occasionally pecking at a few grains of husk that leaked out of the bag. Li Xiangqian sighed. These days, he has gradually gotten used to the empty feeling in his stomach, which is the silent protest of hunger.

Last night, his wife Zhang Cuihua cooked a pot of porridge with the little rice and a few small potatoes. His three-year-old son Xiaobao ate with gusto, but she didn't touch her chopsticks and just said she wasn't hungry. Li Xiangqian knew that she wanted to save some for him and the child. Looking at his wife's haggard face, he felt heartbroken, but he was powerless to change the situation.

Life in the factory was not easy either, with production declining and workers' food rations decreasing. The monthly rations were getting smaller and smaller, barely enough to support a family of three. Li Xiangqian stood in the workshop, operating the machine, but his mind kept recalling the good harvests of the past. Those days that were once full of hope now seemed so far away.

One day at noon, Wang Daniu, a co-worker, approached Li Xiangqian mysteriously and whispered, "Xiangqian, I heard there's a village in the suburbs that just harvested a batch of crops and they have some surplus food. Should we go and try to see if we can get some back?"

Li Xiangqian's heart moved. The surplus food was a godsend for them now. But going to the suburbs required travel expenses, and there was also the risk of being checked on the way. After thinking for a moment, he nodded firmly, "It doesn't hurt to give it a try. It's better than sitting and waiting for death."

That night, Li Xiangqian and Wang Daniu quietly left the courtyard. They walked through the quiet streets in a hurry, but their hearts were full of hope and anxiety. The two took the last bus to the suburbs. There were not many people on the bus, all of whom were ordinary people with the same thoughts as them.

As the night deepened, the scenery outside the car window gradually became desolate, and the shadows of the mountains in the distance looked particularly gloomy under the moonlight. Li Xiangqian looked at the scenery outside the window, feeling uneasy. When they arrived in the suburbs, they followed the information Wang Daniu had found before and found the village. At the entrance of the village, the lights of several households shone faintly through the paper windows. The two held their breath and quietly knocked on the door of a household.

The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man poked his head out, looking at them warily. Li Xiangqian quickly explained his purpose, speaking earnestly. The man frowned, but eventually invited them in. The house was simple and tidy. An old woman was sitting by the stove, and she was a little surprised to see a stranger coming in.

"I'm here to exchange for some food." Li Xiangqian took out the factory products he brought with him. They were some mechanical parts that he secretly brought out from the factory. Under the current circumstances, these parts might come in handy.

The middle-aged man took the parts, looked at them carefully, and nodded. "Wait a moment, I'll go get some food." He said, and turned into the inner room. After a while, he came out with a small bag of grain and handed it to Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian took the millet and thanked them repeatedly with gratitude. He knew that this small bag of millet might not be enough to solve the fundamental problem, but at least it could help his family survive for a while. They said goodbye to the family and started their return journey with the precious millet in their arms.

It was late at night when Li Xiangqian returned to the courtyard. He quietly opened the door and found Zhang Cuihua sitting in the dim light, waiting anxiously. When she saw Li Xiangqian, a glimmer of joy flashed in her eyes, but was soon replaced by deep fatigue.

"You're back. Did you find food?" she asked in a low voice.

Li Xiangqian nodded and handed her the small bag of grain. Zhang Cuihua took it, tears welling up in her eyes, "Great, with this food, we can hold on for a few more days."

In the following days, Li Xiangqian continued to work hard in the factory, but his anxiety never subsided. He knew that the food crisis would not pass easily, and all they could rely on was this meager surplus of food and hope. Other families in the courtyard were also suffering from the same predicament. At dinner time every day, the courtyard was filled with the faint smell of rice, and the laughter of children became less and less, replaced by silence and helplessness brought by hunger.

One day, Li Xiangqian heard a piece of news in the factory. Someone said that there was a county in the south with a relatively sufficient supply of food. Someone went there to exchange for a lot of food. The news spread quickly among the workers, and everyone discussed whether to take the risk and go there. Li Xiangqian was also tempted. He knew that this might be their last hope.

So he discussed with Wang Daniu again, and the two decided to go to the southern county together to try their luck. This time, they brought more factory parts and some old things from home, hoping to exchange for more food. After a few days of preparation, they boarded the train heading south. The scenery along the way gradually became unfamiliar, but their hearts were full of hope and determination.

After arriving at the destination, they found a local food supplier according to the information they had gathered. He was a chubby middle-aged man who greeted Li Xiangqian and his friends with a smile. After some bargaining, they finally exchanged the items they brought for a few bags of rice and flour. Although the quantity was not much, it was enough to keep them from being troubled by hunger in the days ahead.

Returning to the courtyard, Li Xiangqian was filled with relief. Although the food crisis still existed, he knew that as long as they worked hard, they could always find a solution. Life in the courtyard was still difficult, but in this ancient courtyard, every family was surviving tenaciously, supporting each other and facing difficulties together.

One evening, Li Xiangqian and Zhang Cuihua sat on a stone bench in the yard, watching the sunset slowly sink into the horizon. Behind them, Xiaobao's laughter came, and the child was playing with several friends from the neighbor's house. Li Xiangqian felt his wife's warm palm, and a determination he had never felt before rose in his heart. He knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, they would go on together, for their family and for the land they loved so much.

Li Xiangqian sat on the old bamboo chair, holding a yellowed book in his hands, but his eyes were not focused on the words. Outside the window, the dusk light shone through the dusty glass window and reflected on the oil lamp on the table. The weak flame flickered, as if telling the outside scenery about his inner anxiety and uneasiness. At this moment, his thoughts were like the burning candle, wavering.