Chapter 304 Storing Some Food

"What are you doing?" asked neighbor Xiao Wang curiously.

"I'm preparing to store potatoes," Li Xiangqian replied. "Winter is coming, and it's always good to store some food."

Xiao Wang nodded. "Yeah, it's better to be prepared. Your idea is good. I plan to store some at home as well."

Li Xiangqian continued to work, thinking about his plan. He hoped to grow not only potatoes but also other vegetables, which would not only enrich his dining table but also prepare for the future. Thinking of this, he decided to go to the bookstore to buy some books on vegetable planting to learn more knowledge.

A few days later, Li Xiangqian returned to the courtyard with several thick books. He found a lot of useful information in the books and learned how to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. Every night, he would read in the yard and think about his next plan.

One weekend, Li Xiangqian invited a few friends to work together to cultivate new land in the yard and plant more vegetables. While working, the friends chatted and the courtyard was filled with laughter.

"You have a nice yard," said my friend Lao Liu as he dug the soil. "If you plant these vegetables, your life will be more fulfilling."

Li Xiangqian wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a smile: "Yes, it feels good to do it yourself and have enough food and clothing."

As time went by, Li Xiangqian's vegetable garden grew larger and more diverse. The first thing he did every morning after getting up was to go to the yard to check on the growth of vegetables, pull out weeds, water and fertilize. His life became busier, but also more fulfilling.

One evening, Li Xiangqian stood in the yard, looking at the thriving vegetables, and felt extremely satisfied. The courtyard seemed to have turned into a small farm, and every plant was thriving under his careful care. Li Xiangqian felt that this was not only the result of his labor, but also the hope and confidence for the future.

"Xiang Qian, your vegetable garden is so beautiful!" Neighbor Lao Zhang came over and praised.

"Thank you," Li Xiangqian smiled modestly, "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts."

As night falls, the courtyard is quiet and beautiful. Li Xiangqian sits on a small stool in the yard, holding a book in his hand, thinking about the future. He knows that storing food is to cope with possible difficulties, and growing vegetables is to make life more colorful.

The morning sun shines on the eaves of the courtyard, and the air is filled with a fresh smell of earth. Li Xiangqian stands in the yard, looking at the vegetables that are thriving, and feels satisfied. However, he suddenly thinks that the amount of water seems to have decreased recently, and every time he waters, the water flow in the water pipe seems a little weak.

Li Xiangqian walked to the corner of the yard and turned on the faucet. As expected, the water flow became weak and could hardly meet the water needs of so many plants in the yard. He began to feel anxious. If he could not solve this problem in time, the vegetables he had worked so hard to grow might wither due to lack of water.

"It seems that I have to find a way to solve this problem." Li Xiangqian said to himself.

Just as he was thinking about a solution, his neighbor Xiao Wang came over. "Good morning, Xiang Qian. Why do you look so sad?"

"Hey, Xiao Wang, the amount of water in our house has decreased. It's not enough for watering." Li Xiangqian said helplessly.

"This is indeed a problem. We can't be careless with the use of water here, otherwise all these vegetables will be wasted." Xiao Wang nodded to show his understanding.

Li Xiangqian decided to go to a nearby water supply station to check the situation and understand the reason for the reduction in water supply. He changed into outdoor clothes, rode his bicycle, and quickly rushed to the water supply station. The staff at the station told him that the water supply was indeed a bit tight recently, mainly due to drought.

"It seems that I have to think of another way." Li Xiangqian thought to himself. After returning to the courtyard, he began to think about whether he could use rainwater to replenish the water source. Although there is not much rain in Beijing in autumn, there are still a few drizzles occasionally. Using this rainwater may alleviate the current water problem.

"We can try to collect rainwater," Li Xiangqian said to Xiao Wang. "This is both environmentally friendly and can solve our current water shortage."

"Good idea!" Xiao Wang responded excitedly, "I'll go find some big barrels and collection equipment right away."

The two divided the work, Li Xiangqian was responsible for installing the rainwater collection device under the eaves of the courtyard, while Xiao Wang went to the market to buy some large-capacity buckets. After a busy period, the entire rainwater collection system was finally built. Standing in the yard, looking at the neatly arranged buckets, Li Xiangqian felt a sense of accomplishment.

A few days later, it finally rained a little. Li Xiangqian and Xiao Wang excitedly ran to the yard and watched the rain flow into the bucket along the eaves. Although the rainfall was not heavy, the collected water was enough to water their vegetable garden.

"That's great! Now our vegetables are saved." Xiao Wang said happily.

Li Xiangqian nodded, and a big stone hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground. In order to further ensure the water source, he also planned to install a small reservoir in the yard to store more rainwater.

In the following days, Li Xiangqian's life returned to its former peace. He still got up early every morning to check the growth of vegetables, watering, fertilizing, and weeding. He was very busy. Whenever he saw the green leaves shining in the sun, he felt extremely satisfied.

Life in the courtyard is still peaceful and beautiful. Inspired by Li Xiangqian, neighbors have started to install rainwater collection devices in their own courtyards. The whole courtyard has become more united, and everyone helps each other and faces various challenges in life together.

One weekend afternoon, Li Xiangqian sat in the yard, holding a book in his hands, enjoying his rare leisure time. His eyes occasionally moved away from the pages of the book to look at the vegetables that were growing vigorously. He thought to himself that he could try to grow more kinds of vegetables in the future, or even raise a few chickens to make his life more colorful.

"Xiang Qian, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Wang came over with a basket of freshly picked vegetables and asked with a smile.

"I'm thinking about what to plant next." Li Xiangqian replied with a smile.

"Haha, you really can't sit still. But it's good this way, life is more interesting." Xiao Wang nodded in agreement.

Li Xiangqian's rainwater collection system solved part of the problem, but as autumn progressed, the rain became scarcer and scarcer. He began to worry whether the stored water would be enough to cope with the coming winter. Every night when he lay in bed, he would toss and turn thinking about solutions, his heart filled with anxiety.