Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Thinking that those people in the yard who used to have a good relationship with him might now be talking about him behind his back, he felt a chill in his heart. "Is this the horror of people's words?"

He stared at the ceiling in the dark, wondering what path he should take next. Life was hard enough, and now he was going to lose the trust of the people around him? Li Xiangqian turned over and lay on his side, closed his eyes, and said to himself silently: "No matter what others say, I, Li Xiangqian, am innocent. I support my family with my own hands. I have nothing to be ashamed of."

The next day, Li Xiangqian woke up early at dawn. He slept lightly, and the events of the previous night were still swirling in his mind. The rumors in the yard made him feel upset. He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, with complicated thoughts. Over the years, he had lived diligently with his own hands, but he did not expect that he would become the object of suspicion of everyone now, and even an old man like Yi Zhonghai misunderstood him.

Thinking of Jia Dongxu's stand for him last night, Li Xiangqian felt a little comforted, but also more determined - he couldn't passively take the beating anymore. He had to do something to protect himself, not only to save the fruits and vegetables he had worked so hard to grow, but also to shut up the people in the yard who were suspicious.

Li Xiangqian sat up from the bed, rubbed his forehead, and thought to himself: "I have to think of a way to prevent these mice from destroying my watermelons again." He pondered for a moment and suddenly came up with an idea - chili powder. Mice are afraid of spicy food, so maybe chili powder can have some effect. Although it may not completely drive them away, it can at least teach them a lesson and make them dare not approach again.

With an idea in mind, Li Xiangqian suddenly felt relieved. He got up and washed up quickly, then found a bag of chili powder from the corner of the kitchen. This was used for meals at home, but now he had to use it to kill mice. He carefully put the chili powder into a small bag, thinking that he would sprinkle some around the watermelons when he went to the melon field in the evening.

After he was ready, he felt hungry, but he had no appetite because of what he was thinking about. He ate a few mouthfuls of food and went out. Along the way, Li Xiangqian thought about how to arrange the chili powder plan, and he felt a little relaxed. Now things are complicated, he must win the initiative in this invisible struggle, only in this way can he keep his harvest.

Arriving at the melon field, Li Xiangqian did not rush into the field, but observed for a while. The field was quiet. The wind last night made the watermelon vines sway slightly. The green watermelons were still lying in the field. It seemed calm, but he knew in his heart that these watermelons might have been visited by mice last night. Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian became more determined to take action.

He walked into the melon field and checked around. As expected, he found several watermelons with signs of being bitten. The familiar bite marks instantly made him furious: "These damn rats are so shameless!" He cursed in a low voice and tightly grasped the bag in his hand.

"I can't go on like this. If I continue like this, my entire harvest this year will be lost." Li Xiangqian gritted his teeth secretly and had made up his mind to get rid of these rats.

That night, Li Xiangqian returned to the melon field early. He carried the chili powder on his back and carefully observed his surroundings along the way to make sure no one was following him. He knew that he had to be careful this time. There had been constant rumors in the courtyard recently, and he didn't want to arouse other people's suspicion.

The melon field was quiet at night, with only the sound of the wind blowing gently over the melon vines. Li Xiangqian squatted beside the watermelon, carefully spreading the chili powder evenly around the watermelon, thinking to himself: "If these mice dare to come tonight, I guarantee they will be in trouble." A sneer appeared on his face, as if he had already seen the mice running around because of the spiciness.

After spreading the chili powder, Li Xiangqian carefully checked the surroundings again, and only stood up to go home after confirming that there was nothing missing. He felt much more relaxed than when he came here, as if a heavy weight had finally fallen from his heart. He understood that this was only a temporary solution, and mice were smart, and they might find other ways soon, but at least he would no longer be helpless like before.

After returning home, Li Xiangqian took off his coat, sat on the edge of the bed and sighed deeply. "Things may not be over yet, but I have done what I can." This feeling of being in control of the situation gave him a sense of comfort. Thinking back on the past few days, the depression and anxiety in his heart slowly subsided.

But just when he thought that everything would be peaceful tonight, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the yard, followed by a knock on the door in the yard.

"Forward! Open the door!"

It was Jia Dongxu's voice, and he sounded very nervous. When Li Xiangqian heard it, his heart suddenly tightened, and he ran over to open the door: "What's wrong, Dongxu? What happened?"

Jia Dongxu's face was full of anxiety, and he panted and said, "Something big has happened! Uncle Yi said someone dumped chili powder in your watermelon field, and someone in the yard complained, saying that someone saw you doing something!"

When Li Xiangqian heard this, his head suddenly buzzed. He stood there in a daze for a while before he reacted: "How is this possible? Who saw it? I sprinkled chili powder to kill rats. Who would sue me?"

Jia Dongxu lowered his voice, obviously not wanting others in the courtyard to hear: "I don't know who it is, but someone sent a message saying that you made the watermelon field look strange, and suspected that you were up to something. Now Uncle Yi is calling everyone together to discuss it, saying that he wants to get to the bottom of this matter."

Li Xiangqian instantly felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet. "What's wrong with these people in the courtyard? They even use my sprinkling of chili powder as an excuse? This is simply making trouble out of nothing!" He was indignant, but he also knew that now was not the time to lose his temper.

"Dongxu, I just sprinkled some chili powder to prevent rats, how come it becomes a problem in the eyes of others?" Li Xiangqian frowned, his tone revealing helplessness and resentment.

Jia Dongxu shook his head and sighed: "Alas, Xiang Qian, I don't understand what these people are thinking. You should go over quickly, otherwise things will only get worse."

Li Xiangqian gritted his teeth, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll explain it clearly."

When Li Xiangqian walked into the yard, a circle of people had gathered there. Everyone looked serious and was discussing something in a low voice. He could feel their gazes piercing him, and he felt uneasy. He thought to himself, "What kind of accusations will I face today?"

He tried to stay calm and approached the crowd. Jia Dongxu followed him and whispered, "Xiang Qian, don't be too nervous. They just want to figure out the situation." Li Xiangqian nodded, but felt vaguely uneasy in his heart.