Chapter 200 Various Changes

Brother Wang also smiled and said, "Uncle Wang is such a good man. This flour looks really good."

Everyone sat in the middle of the yard, sharing this unexpected beauty. Everyone was silently grateful for the warmth and kindness from the village. They knew that only through this kind of unity and mutual assistance could they overcome all the difficulties in life together.

Li Xiangqian looked at the flour and cornmeal in his hand in the yard, and a sense of confidence and determination surged in his heart. He realized that although relying on the outside world for food supply could solve the immediate problem, it was more important to cultivate the self-sufficiency of the yard. So he decided to make some steamed buns and cornmeal cakes by himself, so as to share this skill and deliciousness among the people in the yard.

Li Xiangqian found some simple pots and pans, cleaned them and began to prepare. He was secretly glad that he had learned some basic cooking skills at home, which gave him a different coping ability during this difficult period.

When the people in the yard saw Li Xiangqian taking out the pots and flour, they all came to watch. Brother Wang said excitedly: "Brother Li, can you make steamed buns?"

Li Xiangqian smiled and nodded, "I learned a little at home, I want to give it a try."

Aunt Zhang also joined in, "Brother Li, can we help?"

Li Xiangqian felt everyone's concern and expectations, and he encouraged them by saying, "You can help me bring some water over, I will cook it, and you can come and taste it."

So, the people in the yard helped Li Xiangqian to carry water and prepare ingredients. The earthenware jar was filled with the fragrance of water, the flour rolled gently in the bowl, and Li Xiangqian kneaded the dough attentively, his heart filled with desire for fresh food and expectation for the satisfied smiles of the people in the yard.

He divided the kneaded dough into small pieces, kneaded them into round shapes, and then gently cut a few times on them and put them into the preheated fire. Smoke rose up, and the yard was filled with fresh fragrance, which attracted more people's curiosity and expectations.

After a while, the smoke cleared and the fragrant steamed buns and golden cornmeal cakes came out of the oven. Li Xiangqian took a steaming bun and shared it with everyone.

"Come, try my cooking." Li Xiangqian handed Brother Wang a steamed bun with a smile.

Brother Wang took it and said enthusiastically, "Great! I haven't eaten such fresh steamed buns in a long time."

Aunt Zhang also praised him highly, "Brother Li, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Li Xiangqian felt inexplicably satisfied and proud when listening to everyone's praise. He knew that the satisfaction of being able to create something with his own hands far exceeded simply filling his stomach.

People in the yard sat together and tasted these freshly baked foods, which not only satisfied their stomachs, but also their hearts. In this simple and happy moment, they felt the good side of life and the true power of unity and mutual help.

Li Xiangqian grew up in an old courtyard house in Beijing. Although the courtyard house has gone through many ups and downs, every brick and tile is full of family memories. His grandfathers were well-known planting experts in this land. The vegetable fields around the courtyard house always grew well, with a bumper harvest of various vegetables and fruits. However, with the changes of the times and the expansion of the city, the farmland around the courtyard house was gradually replaced by high-rise buildings, and the former abundance gradually became a distant memory.

Li Xiangqian is now a young man who has graduated from university. He chose to stay in this courtyard and stick to the planting techniques left by his ancestors. Despite the deteriorating environment around him, he is still full of confidence and enthusiasm for planting. Every morning, he walks out of the old house on time to check the several vegetables and fruit trees he has planted. Although the planting area is limited, he is still willing to keep in touch with the traditions of his ancestors in this way.

However, the urbanization process has brought unprecedented challenges to Li Xiangqian. The first is the decline in land quality. The groundwater level around the courtyard has dropped sharply, and the soil is barren and seriously polluted. Li Xiangqian has to spend a lot of time and energy to deal with these problems, but the effect is minimal. The second is the extreme weather caused by climate change. There are often droughts or heavy rains that cause planting failures. The most serious challenge is the threat of famine, especially some external disasters that cause food shortages.

Despite this, Li Xiangqian still insisted on his dream. He established a small community in the courtyard and invited some like-minded young people to join and discuss solutions to the problem. They tried to introduce new planting techniques and drought-resistant crops, and find more environmentally friendly agricultural methods to cope with the challenges brought by food shortages and urbanization.

One morning, Li Xiangqian hurried out of the gate of the courtyard and headed for the nearby farmers' market. On the way, he was thinking about buying some bamboo baskets to prepare for harvesting vegetables and fruits.

Walking to the market, he saw all kinds of bamboo baskets on the stalls, of different sizes, some new and some old, obviously picked up by the bosses from the waste. Li Xiangqian patiently selected a few bamboo baskets that looked relatively sturdy, bargained with the boss, and finally paid with satisfaction, carrying the baskets back to the courtyard.

Back in the yard, he put down the bamboo basket and began to prepare for today's planting. He carefully checked the growth of each plant, trimmed dead leaves, loosened the soil and applied fertilizer. Over the years, he learned to listen to the voice of the earth and adjust his planting techniques by observing the reactions of the plants.

In between work, Li Xiangqian often returns to the study in the old house to browse the planting notes and books left by his ancestors. Those ancient texts and pictures seem to tell the accumulation of years and the inheritance of wisdom. He learned a lot of knowledge from the books that he had never been exposed to before, such as the importance of soil microorganisms and the interaction between different plants.

However, he often feels frustrated and helpless. Despite his efforts, urbanization still has an unstoppable impact on the environment of the courtyard. Whenever night falls, standing in the courtyard and looking at the brightly lit high-rise buildings in the distance, he can't help but sigh that time flies and everything is constantly changing.

Once, he ran into a neighbor aunt in the yard. The aunt was nearly 70 years old and was always surrounded by a group of naughty puppies. She greeted Li Xiangqian and happily talked about the changes in the yard. The aunt told him that she still remembered that decades ago, the fruit trees here were lush and green, and the vegetables were fragrant. Life at that time was so beautiful and simple.