Chapter 195 Anticipation and Excitement

The old lady shook her head and said, "No, no, it's just a small thing." She took the coin with a smile, her expression revealing a deep sense of pride and satisfaction.

Li Xiangqian turned and left the market, holding the flour in the cloth bag warmly in his hands. His heart was filled with hope and expectation for the future. Flour is not just a raw material for food, it carries a continuation and connection of life, connecting the old lady selling grain in the market, and connecting everyone in the yard's desire for a better life.

When he returned to the courtyard, he saw He Yuzhu busy in the yard. He walked over and took out the flour from the bag. "Look, I bought some fresh flour." He said to He Yuzhu happily.

He Yuzhu looked up and his eyes lit up when he saw the flour. "Great, we can make more pasta this way," he said excitedly.

Li Xiangqian smiled and nodded, "Yes, we can try different recipes and flavors to make everyone's life more colorful."

He Yuzhu took the flour and nodded in agreement. "We can try making some steamed buns, dumplings or sesame cakes to bring some freshness to everyone."

Li Xiangqian returned to the courtyard in a good mood, carrying the flour he had bought. Although they already had fresh flour, he felt that they should try some new methods and make some food for everyone by themselves, not only to fill their stomachs, but also to bring a little warmth and care to everyone.

He walked into the kitchen and gently put down the flour in the bag. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of baking, which made him feel the warmth of home. He began to get busy, first using a large bowl to mix the flour evenly, then slowly adding water and kneading it into dough little by little. The process of kneading the dough gave him a wonderful pleasure, and the warm feeling from his fingertips seemed to connect him with the land and the people's hearts.

After kneading the dough, he carefully divided it into small balls, and then rolled them into buns of appropriate size. His movements were skillful and adept, as if this was not the first time he made food for the people in the yard.

Just as he put the last steamed bun into the steamer, the laughter of several young people came from the yard. Li Xiangqian looked up and saw the young people gathered together chatting, as if they had already felt the breath of home in the fragrance of the steamed buns.

"Brother Li, the steamed buns smell so good!" a young man joked.

"Eat quickly, I'm starving." said another young man with a smile.

Li Xiangqian smiled, feeling the joy and ease of the young people. "It will be ready soon, just wait a moment," he said encouragingly, and then continued to wait for the steamed buns to be cooked.

The steamed buns in the steamer gave off an alluring aroma. Li Xiangqian opened the lid of the pot and the steaming buns immediately made people salivate. He carefully took out the steaming buns with a clean cloth and placed them on a large plate.

"Come on, let's eat together!" Li Xiangqian said excitedly to the young people, his voice filled with love and care.

The young people cheered and gathered around the big plate impatiently. Everyone picked up a piece of steamed bun and took a bite. The hot bun melted in their mouths, exuding an incomparable sense of satisfaction. This was not just the taste of food, but also a symbol of team spirit and mutual support.

Li Xiangqian watched them enjoying the happiness brought by the steamed buns, and his heart was filled with confidence in life and hope for the future. Although they faced various difficulties and challenges, they believed that as long as they united as one and worked together, any difficulties could be overcome. They were not just a simple community, but also a big family composed of mutual love and support.

The story takes place in a winter when the temperature drops sharply. The sky is gloomy for a long time, and there is hardly a ray of sunlight through the thick clouds. Li Xiangqian stands in the yard, looking at the cracked land and sparse vegetation, and his heart is full of worries. In the spring and summer of last year, the crops they planted were almost wiped out due to drought, and there is little food left for the winter. Everyone in the courtyard feels the approach of famine, and they start to tighten their belts and rely on a little food to maintain a barely living.

Li Xiangqian recalled the stories his grandfather told him when he was a child, when the old city of Beijing also experienced severe cold and famine in winter. He remembered his grandfather saying that in order to survive, people had to look for food everywhere and even sell their last valuable belongings.

Li Xiangqian decided to take action and started a discussion among the neighbors in the courtyard. Everyone agreed that they had to find a way to increase food reserves. So they made a plan: use every inch of land in the yard to grow vegetables and grains suitable for winter. Although this plan was full of difficulties and challenges, they had no room to retreat.

Li Xiangqian became the leader of this action. He led the people in the courtyard to work together and do their best to cope with the impending famine. Every morning, they would sweat in the cold air, constantly cultivating and watering. In the process of labor, they supported each other and faced difficulties and challenges together.

However, as time went by, the shadow of famine seemed to be getting closer and closer. They watched their food reserves gradually decrease, but they were unwilling to give up hope. Under the leadership of Li Xiangqian, they constantly looked for ways to solve the problem and explored every possible opportunity.

Li Xiangqian got up in the morning and decided to go to the city to buy some bamboo baskets. He knew that the baskets could help them collect and store the crops in the courtyard more efficiently. The people in the courtyard relied on him and believed that he could find a solution to the famine. He set out on the road to the city with hope and a sense of responsibility in his heart.

On the streets of the city, Li Xiangqian felt a completely different hustle and bustle from the courtyard. The crowds and the interweaving of various sounds made him feel a little uncomfortable. He walked into a small shop and began to look for bamboo baskets. On the shelves, various bamboo baskets were neatly arranged. He carefully selected several baskets of better quality to prepare for the upcoming harvest.

When he returned to the courtyard, the sun had already set. People in the courtyard were busy doing farm work. It was a busy scene. Li Xiangqian distributed bamboo baskets to everyone, and everyone was doing their work attentively. He watched the elderly Aunt Zhang bending over and carefully weeding in the vegetable field, with a look of determination and courage on her face; watching the young Brother Wang quickly picking the ripe vegetables, his eyes revealed a hint of expectation and excitement.