Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He couldn't help but think of the weeds in the vegetable garden, the water, and the cold eyes of the snakes, which made him feel more and more inexplicably pressured.

"What on earth do they want to do?" he muttered to himself, with a look of confusion in his eyes. He couldn't fall asleep, so he sat up and leaned against the head of the bed, constantly recalling the scene tonight in his mind, trying to figure out whether the actions of those snakes really had some kind of hint.

The moonlight from the window poured in, shining on the ground, casting a cold silver glow. Li Xiangqian's thoughts became more and more erratic in the quiet night. He accidentally glanced at a few vegetables he brought back on the windowsill, and suddenly an absurd thought came to his mind: Could these vegetables be related to the appearance of the snake?

He shook his head, trying to dispel this absurd thought, but the suspicion lingered in his mind for a long time. He sighed and thought that maybe he could go to the field again tomorrow to check carefully for the snake's traces, maybe he could find some clues.

Li Xiangqian tossed and turned in bed all night, and fell into a hazy sleep until dawn. In a daze, he dreamed that the snake appeared in the vegetable field again, and its cold eyes were still fixed on him, as if secretly observing his every move. When he woke up, the snake's gaze in his mind had not completely dissipated. He couldn't help shivering, rubbing his sore eyes, and sitting up.

Just as he was thinking about what happened last night, his wife Xiaomei came in with a bowl of hot breakfast and said softly, "Xiang Qian, you didn't sleep well last night? Look at your eyes, they are red."

Li Xiangqian looked up and saw Xiaomei's gentle smile. His heart suddenly warmed up, and the tension that had been suppressed for a long time was slightly relieved. He took the bowl and forced a smile, "I couldn't sleep last night. There were always snakes in the fields, and I was always worried."

Xiaomei frowned slightly and comforted him, "It's not necessarily a bad thing for snakes to appear in the fields. They are mostly here to prey on pests. Don't worry too much. If you worry about these things all day, your body will not be able to bear it."

Li Xiangqian knew that his wife was doing this for his own good, so he nodded, gently held her hand, and said gratefully: "Xiaomei, I'm glad you're at home taking care of me, otherwise I would be at a loss." As he spoke, he smiled with gratitude, thinking that maybe he should really listen to her more. After all, she has always been the one who knows how to balance life and can always make up for the missing stability in his heart.

"You just worry too much. The farm issues cannot be resolved in a short time, so we don't need to worry about it." Xiaomei advised gently, "I see that you have been thinking about the snake these days. You fall asleep as soon as you come home at night and don't eat much. How about I go to the farm with you today? We will feel more at ease if we go together."

Li Xiangqian hesitated. Although he always wanted to be more careful about snakes, he was reluctant to let his wife take risks. "No, why are you going? The ground is wet and slippery. What if you run into those snakes and get scared?"

Xiaomei patted the back of his hand gently and said with a smile: "Don't think of me as a delicate flower. I have worked in the fields before, so I am not so naive. If you think about the snakes in the fields by yourself, it will only make your heart more burdened. With me here, you won't be so scared."

Li Xiangqian felt a little relieved when he heard this. His wife's words made him feel that she cared about him in every possible way, and this kind of care just made up for his helplessness when facing the snake. So he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together, but you must stay with me and don't walk around."

Xiaomei nodded and smiled as she began to help him clean up the breakfast dishes. Her calmness and warmth slowly calmed Li Xiangqian's heart, and he secretly made up his mind that no matter what happened, he would protect her.

After they packed up, they walked towards the vegetable garden together. Along the way, Li Xiangqian kept observing the surroundings, scanning the grass with vigilance, fearing that the snakes would suddenly appear again like last night. Seeing this, Xiaomei smiled softly and said, "Xiangqian, don't be so nervous. I'm here. Even if we really encounter snakes, I'm not afraid."

Li Xiangqian smiled, feeling more confident. Thinking of what happened last night, he couldn't help but say to his wife, "Xiaomei, why do those snakes always appear near our vegetable fields? Shouldn't normal snakes hide in secluded places? I always feel that these snakes are a little weird."

Xiaomei lowered her head and thought for a moment, then gently advised, "The snakes' behavior is indeed disturbing, but don't think too much about it. Maybe they are just interested in the crops we grow. After all, the land is full of life, which may have attracted small animals, so they naturally followed."

Li Xiangqian felt relieved after listening to this. Perhaps he had really thought too much. Although the appearance of those snakes always made him a little uneasy, Xiaomei's words made him realize that he might have fallen into a paranoia about snakes and ignored other beautiful things in life.

As he was thinking, he suddenly noticed a movement somewhere in the field. His heart tightened and he looked over there. He saw a black shadow slowly moving in the field. The shadow was not big, but it was obviously a snake. Li Xiangqian instinctively grabbed Xiaomei's hand, protected her behind him, and whispered, "Be careful, there is a snake."

Xiaomei nodded, without much panic in her eyes, but with a bit of curiosity, she said softly: "Xiang Qian, let's not disturb it, let's see what it wants to do." Her words calmed Li Xiangqian a little, and he thought to himself that maybe he really shouldn't always be so panicked.

The snake slid slowly, seemingly not noticing their presence, passing by the seedlings they had planted, sniffing the ground carefully, as if looking for something. Li Xiangqian narrowed his eyes, observing the snake's every move, but his inner vigilance had not completely subsided.

"Look forward, it seems to be just looking for food and has no intention of approaching us." Xiaomei whispered softly in his ear, with a hint of calmness and analysis in her eyes.

Li Xiangqian nodded, and gradually calmed down, and began to re-examine the situation. He thought of his previous fear and doubt, and couldn't help but feel a little funny - maybe Xiaomei was right, he was indeed a little worried. He gently shook Xiaomei's hand, and said with a hint of apology: "I don't know why, I always feel that these snakes seem to be targeting me recently, and I feel uneasy when they come."

Xiaomei smiled and consoled him, "It's no wonder. Snakes are cold-blooded animals after all. They always give people a cold and mysterious feeling. Just don't be too nervous. Let's calm down, and maybe they won't be so scary anymore."