Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

The next morning, he went to the hillside outside the village and collected more wormwood and some snake repellent herbs, and even borrowed some red peppers from the village. He chopped the herbs and peppers, soaked them in water to make a strong smell, and then sprinkled the homemade "snake repellent soup" on the ground around the yard, making sure the smell covered every corner. After doing all this, he felt a little comforted.

But a few days later, in the dead of night, he heard the familiar rustling sound in the yard again. Li Xiangqian suddenly became nervous, grabbed the net bag and flashlight, and walked carefully into the yard. He slowly opened the door and shone the flashlight towards the source of the sound, but was surprised to find that the black snake was coiled in the middle of the yard! Its eyes were cold and gloomy, as if with some kind of silent protest, staring at Li Xiangqian, as if protesting against him.

"Why are you back again..." Li Xiangqian murmured in a low voice, shocked and angry, almost unable to resist the urge to pick up the net bag to catch it. But he knew that catching such a snake meant great risk, and the appearance of the snake also disrupted his originally peaceful plan. Despite this, he was still unwilling to give in, stubbornly holding the net bag in his hand, and slowly approached the black snake.

Li Xiangqian has become increasingly wary of snakes lately, and he feels a little uneasy. In the past few days, snakes have broken into his yard twice in a row, which makes him feel like he is being spied on, as if the world he lives in is being watched by some ominous creature. The snake appears near his yard from time to time, day or night, and seems to have a persistent attachment to this place. He knows that snakes generally do not approach human settlements for no reason, especially when they appear repeatedly. This unusual situation, how can he not worry?

He was determined to drive the black snake out of his courtyard no matter what, even if it meant using some snake-repelling methods. He approached the elders in the village several times and asked them if they had more effective snake-repelling methods, but they all said that snakes were spiritual and elusive, and that nothing could be forced, let alone angering them. These words made Li Xiangqian feel even more mysterious, but the taboo in his heart never went away. He even began to wonder whether he should find someone to get rid of the snake completely, but he was always a little hesitant in his heart, fearing that rash action would lead to greater trouble.

As night fell, the yard was silent, with only a few crickets chirping softly in the grass and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Li Xiangqian did not fall asleep. He tossed and turned in bed, with the scene of the confrontation with the snake during the day circling in his mind. The snake's cold eyes and dark figure, like some kind of ghost buried deep in the darkness, emerged from his mind from time to time, making him shudder.

"Why does it always haunt me?" he murmured to himself, feeling somewhat puzzled and frightened.

Just when he was worried and thinking about something, there was a rustling sound in the yard. The sound was low and slow, as if something was moving slowly on the ground. Li Xiangqian's nerves were instantly tense, and his intuition told him that the black snake was coming again. He instinctively grabbed the net bag on the bedside, tiptoed to the window, carefully opened a gap, and cast his eyes to the center of the yard.

In the dim moonlight, he vaguely saw a winding black shadow moving slowly. The black snake was coiled on the stone steps in the yard, as if staring at his door. Li Xiangqian felt a chill down his spine. The snake's behavior was so strange. Was it really targeting him? He clenched the net bag in his hand, feeling uneasy.

"What do you want?" He questioned the snake in his heart, but he didn't have the courage to go out and face it. Although he was afraid of snakes, he was unwilling to be forced to retreat by a snake. He took a deep breath quietly, his palms were full of sweat, and he kept encouraging himself in his heart: "It's just a snake, what's so scary! This yard is mine, why does it want to disturb my life?"

Li Xiangqian finally mustered up the courage, opened the door, and walked into the yard. The night wind blew, bringing a hint of chill, and his figure looked lonely and determined in the moonlight. He slowly walked towards the stone steps where the snake was, stared coldly at the coiled black snake, and whispered: "What do you want? I just want to farm here peacefully and live my own life. Why do you always pester me?"

The black snake still coiled quietly, its eyes were cold and calm, and it seemed that it was not shaken by Li Xiangqian's approach. Its eyes were like a bottomless well, making it impossible to guess its intentions. Li Xiangqian felt more and more uneasy. This strange confrontation made him confused and angry. His hands trembled slightly, and he clenched the net bag in his hands. He kept weighing whether he should catch the snake in one go and drive it out of the yard completely. However, when he thought that it might fight back and he didn't have a complete chance of winning, he hesitated again.

Just as he was hesitating, the black snake suddenly slowly raised its head and moved its body slightly, as if it was making some movement. Li Xiangqian subconsciously took a step back, breathing rapidly, and staring at every movement of the snake. He knew in his heart that this snake was no ordinary creature, and even had some incredible keen intuition. Perhaps it was precisely because of his taboo and fear that it had the idea of ​​a confrontation.

"Or... should I let it go?" A thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit of awe when he remembered what the old man in the village said, "Snakes have spirits." Maybe this snake is really not an ordinary wild animal, but a kind of existence that protects this land. However, if he continued to let it roam in the yard, his life might never return to its original peace, and he felt a little unwilling.

The struggle in his heart made his expression look a little distorted in the moonlight, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. Li Xiangqian knew that he had to make a decision tonight, either expel the snake or completely give up resisting it. At this moment, he suddenly had an idea and thought of a way that might solve the problem.

He took a deep breath and slowly said to the snake: "I know you may not understand, but I don't want to hurt you. I just want to live here quietly. If you can hear what I say, please don't come near here again. I will leave a piece of land for you and will not disturb you. I hope you can understand my intentions."

After saying this, Li Xiangqian stood quietly, waiting for the other party's reaction.