Chapter 184: Full of Miscellaneous

As time went by, the family's food supply gradually ran out. The rice and flour brought back from the south brought a brief comfort and hope in the first few days, but as time went on, these hopes began to fade. Zhang Cuihua calculated the remaining food every day and carefully controlled the amount of each meal, fearing that they would accidentally use up their last bit of reserves.

"Xiang Qian, we can only eat half a bowl of rice today. Please give Xiaobao a little more." Zhang Cuihua said in a low voice, her eyes revealing endless fatigue and worry.

Li Xiangqian nodded and looked up at the ceiling, where a dim light bulb was hanging, emitting a weak light. He knew that it was not just the dim light, but also the hardship of life. He whispered to comfort her: "Cuihua, you should eat something too. We all need strength so that we can continue to hold on."

Zhang Cuihua shook her head slightly, "I'm not hungry, you eat."

Li Xiangqian had heard this sentence countless times, and every time he heard it, the bitterness in his heart surged like a tide. He clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white from the force. He knew that he couldn't go on like this. He needed to find a way. For his family, for his wife and children, he had to do something.

One day, he heard his co-worker, Old Man Zhang, whispering in the factory, "Xiang Qian, I heard there's an old man in the market west of the city who has some surplus food and is willing to trade it for some daily necessities. Do you want to try your luck?"

Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly jumped, as if he saw a ray of light in the darkness. That night, he went home and discussed with Zhang Cuihua, and decided to give it a try the next morning. The next morning, just after dawn, Li Xiangqian carried an old cloth bag with a few old clothes and some small tools at home, and quietly went out.

He walked through the narrow alleys. The streets were still shrouded in a layer of mist, and the air was filled with a slight chill. When he arrived at the market in the west of the city, there were already many people talking in low voices, exchanging various daily necessities. Li Xiangqian shuttled through the crowd, searching with his eyes, and finally found the old man in the corner.

The old man was wearing a grey cotton jacket, his hair was grey, his face was weathered, but his eyes showed a shrewd look. Li Xiangqian walked up to him and whispered, "Old man, I heard you have food to exchange. I brought some things with me. Can you exchange some for me?"

The old man looked Li Xiangqian up and down and nodded, "Take the things out and let me see them."

Li Xiangqian nervously opened the bag and placed the items in front of the old man one by one. After carefully examining them, the old man finally nodded and said, "These things are good. I can give you two kilograms of rice."

Li Xiangqian was delighted and quickly agreed. The old man took out two kilograms of rice from the sack behind him, wrapped it in a cloth bag and handed it to him. Li Xiangqian took the rice and finally felt relieved. After thanking him repeatedly, he hurriedly left the market.

When Zhang Cuihua saw the rice he brought back, she had a long-lost light in her eyes. She said softly, "Xiang Qian, it's great. With this rice, we can survive for a few more days."

Li Xiangqian smiled slightly, held his wife's hand, and a warm feeling rose in his heart. However, this short-lived comfort did not last long. As time passed, food became scarce again. Every day at dinner time, the smell of rice from the courtyard became increasingly thin. Every family quietly reduced their food intake, trying to survive on the edge of starvation.

Every day when Li Xiangqian returns home, he feels an invisible pressure that follows him everywhere and lingers in his heart. Although Xiaobao is still young, he seems to have sensed the changes at home. He no longer makes noises, but just looks at his parents silently, with a hint of confusion and grievance in his eyes.

One night, Li Xiangqian lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He stared at the ceiling, thinking of various solutions in his mind. Suddenly, he thought of an old friend, Lao Liu. Lao Liu was a senior craftsman with superb skills and some savings at home. Perhaps he could get some help from Lao Liu.

The next day, Li Xiangqian got up early and rushed to Lao Liu's house. Lao Liu was repairing an old chair in the yard. Seeing Li Xiangqian coming, he smiled warmly and said, "Xiangqian, long time no see. How come you have time to come here today?"

Li Xiangqian scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "Lao Liu, my family is short of food recently. I want to ask if you have any extra food. Can you lend me some? I will definitely pay you back later."

Old Liu stopped what he was doing, pondered for a moment, and nodded, "I do have some food stored at home. Wait a minute, I'll get it for you."

Li Xiangqian thanked him repeatedly, but he couldn't help but feel sad. He knew that asking friends for help was not a long-term solution, but in this difficult time, he had no choice. Lao Liu took out a small bag of rice from the house and handed it to him, patting him on the shoulder, "Brother, don't force yourself to be in trouble. We are all friends. Just tell me if you need anything."

Li Xiangqian took the rice and felt warm in his heart. He looked at Lao Liu gratefully and nodded heavily, "Thank you, Lao Liu, I will remember your kindness."

When Zhang Cuihua saw the rice after returning home, she felt a glimmer of hope again. She knew that although the food was not much, it was enough to tide them over for the time being. However, life was still difficult, and the food crisis was not fundamentally resolved because of the rice. Li Xiangqian knew that he had to find a more long-term solution.

One day, Li Xiangqian met an old colleague, Lao Zhang, in the factory. Lao Zhang was a senior worker who didn't talk much but was very reliable. He told Li Xiangqian that there was an abandoned granary on the outskirts of the city. Although it was in disrepair, there might be some grain stored there.

This news was like a ray of light, illuminating Li Xiangqian's heart. He decided to take a risk, but this required more preparation and planning. He returned home and discussed it with Zhang Cuihua, and finally decided to set out at night.

That night, Li Xiangqian and Lao Zhang set out together, passing through the dark streets and heading towards the outskirts of the city. The suburbs seemed particularly quiet under the moonlight, and the abandoned granary stood alone in the wilderness, looking gloomy and mysterious. The two approached quietly and found a half-open wooden door with the help of the faint moonlight.

Li pushed the wooden door open and it was pitch black inside. He took out his flashlight and illuminated the road ahead. The abandoned granary was filled with debris and the air was filled with a stale smell. They carefully searched among the debris and finally found some moldy sacks in the corner.