When the pears are green

When Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou arrived at Rongxing Bookstore, the class was still going on. Only Li Yi was squatting at the closed gate, drawing on the ground with a wooden stick.

"Li Yi, what are you drawing?" After Song Li finished speaking, she and Jiang Qingzhou squatted down together and looked carefully at the circle drawn by Li Yi.

Li Yi raised her head, stared at Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou with red eyes, and then told them in an aggrieved voice that she was just drawing casually.

Song Li looked at Li Yi's raised slender neck, fair face, and bright eyes. Rather than saying that Li Yi was a boy, she would rather believe that Li Yi was a girl.

What Master Li once said came to Song Li's mind again. He said that Nian Nian was the name called by family members, and outsiders could only call her Li Yi. Song Li suddenly realized.

"So that's it!" Song Li said softly.

Jiang Qingzhou glanced at Song Li, who secretly wrote the word "girl" on the palm of Jiang Qingzhou's hand with her fingers. Jiang Qingzhou, who had always been in tune with Song Li, instantly understood what Song Li meant. He quickly stood up, pretended to look at the bamboo inside the courtyard wall, and slowly walked to the side.

Song Li looked at Li Yi's unhappy expression and asked softly, "Li Yi, what's wrong? Are you angry with the teacher?"

Li Yi nodded, and she whispered to Song Li: "Sister, Grandpa always lied to me. He said my dad would come back on my birthday, but today is my birthday and he still hasn't come back."

Song Li listened carefully. She comforted Li Yi that it might be because her father had something to do and didn't have time to come back, and he would definitely come back after finishing his business.

"Really, sister?" Li Yi looked at Song Li with expectant eyes.

Song Li nodded slightly, and she took out a brand new handkerchief from her sleeve and gave it to Li Yi, saying that it was a birthday gift for her and wished her a happy birthday!

Li Yi thanked Song Li happily. She took the handkerchief with both hands and put it carefully into her sleeve.

At this moment, bursts of laughter were heard from the courtyard of the study. Then Master Li opened the gate, and a group of little children walked out of the courtyard in an orderly manner.

Jiang Qingzhou walked to the gate of the courtyard, holding Jiang Qingye with one hand and Song Xing with the other. The three of them looked at Song Li and Li Yi with a smile.

Li Yi looked at Master Li standing by the gate, and the grievances surged into her heart again. She shouted to Master Li: "Grandpa, if Dad can't come back for something, just tell me, and don't lie to me next time."

Master Li slowly walked towards Li Yi and apologized to him: "Nian Nian is right. Grandpa will not lie to you again. Let's go in. You ran out without saying a word, and Grandpa was also worried."

Li Yi snorted and whispered, "Then grandpa didn't come out to find me!"

Master Li patted Li Yi on the shoulder and said to her with a smile: "Nian Nian always comes here to draw circles. Look, those circles are still there!"

Li Yi quickly ran over and smeared the circles with his feet.

Master Li walked over with a smile and took Li Yi into the courtyard. Li Yi turned around and waved goodbye to Song Li and the others.

Li Yi took out the handkerchief Song Li gave her and showed it to Master Li with a smile.

"Does Nian Nian like handkerchiefs?" Master Li asked meaningfully.

While looking at the embroidery on the handkerchief, Li Yi smiled and told Master Li that every girl would like these beautiful things.

Master Li looked at Li Yi's happy expression, and he suddenly felt that he was a little selfish. He shouldn't have erased Li Yi's nature as a girl just for the sake of convenience.

Mr. Li sighed inwardly, he didn't know how to tell Li Yi that it was her heartless father who deliberately left her here.

After Song Li and the other three returned home, Song Li went to the kitchen to cook, while Jiang Qingzhou sat in the yard to check on the homework of Jiang Qingye and Song Xing.

"When man is born, his nature is good. ... These five elements are based on numbers." The voices of Song Xing and Jiang Qingye reciting passed through the open kitchen door and entered Song Li's ears. She listened carefully to every word, then happily cut an extra piece of meat and put it on the chopping board, preparing to make shredded pork noodles for them.

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing swallowed their saliva while staring at the pieces of meat in the pot. Neither of them spoke a word, as they were afraid that saliva would flow out from the corners of their mouths if they opened their mouths.

After dinner, Jiang Qingzhou told Song Li: "Xiao Li, Brother Jixiang and I agreed yesterday to go to Liuzhuang to buy piglets this afternoon. You can stay at home in the afternoon. Don't go to the riverbank to weed alone."

Song Li looked at the green grass next to the chicken coop and nodded. She went back to the east room and took out her purse, then took out two taels of silver and handed it to Jiang Qingzhou.

"Is that enough?" Song Li asked.

Jiang Qingzhou took the silver and put it into his purse. He smiled and told Song Li that it was enough.

After Jiang Qingzhou left, Song Li first swept out the garbage in the pigpen with a broom, then leveled the pigpen with an iron shovel, and finally cleaned the wooden trough with clean water.

By the time Song Li finished everything, the sun had already started to set.

Song Li looked at the sun and estimated the time in her heart. It would still be some time before dark. So she opened the door of the main room, took out the needlework basket from the east side room, and began to prepare shoes for Jiang Qingzhou and the other two.

Song Li was sewing the soles of her shoes slowly. She watched the sunlight in the yard getting less and less. She couldn't suppress her inner anxiety, so she locked the gate and went to the village entrance to wait for Jiang Qingzhou to come back.

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing came back from school. They saw Song Li standing at the entrance of the village, and hurried over to ask Song Li why she was there.

Song Li looked at the intersection and replied that Jiang Qingzhou and Zhang Jixiang had gone to buy piglets together and had not returned yet.

Jiang Qingye quickly comforted Song Li: "Sister-in-law, Liuzhuang is a bit far. In previous years, my brother and cousin went to buy piglets and had to wait until dark to come back. Let's go home, they should be here soon."

Song Li then felt a little relieved. She looked at the intersection a few more times before leading Jiang Qingye and Song Xing home.

After returning home, Song Li asked Jiang Qingye and Song Xing to practice calligraphy on the ground, and told them to write well, and she would come to check after she finished cooking.

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing nodded quickly, and they took branches and began to write in the area designated by Song Li for them.

When Jiang Qingzhou came back, Song Li was checking the words written by Song Xing and Jiang Qingye.

After hearing the knock on the door, the three of them ran to the gate in panic, and Song Li accidentally stepped on the words written by the two of them.

Zhang Jixiang helped Jiang Qingzhou put the two piglets into the cleaned pigsty.

Song Li invited Zhang Jixiang to have dinner at home, but Zhang Jixiang declined because he was afraid that Jiang, Xia Lin and the others would worry, and he hurried back.

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing gathered around the pigpen, curiously watching the two piglets grunting and struggling.

Song Li went into the kitchen to serve the rice. Jiang Qingzhou sat next to Song Li and told her what happened when they bought the piglets.

"I'll go see Ruyi tomorrow and ask her to talk it over with my aunt." Song Li said a little worriedly.

Jiang Qingzhou nodded and said that he would go with Song Li.

After dinner, Jiang Qingzhou took an oil lamp and went to look at the words written on the ground by Jiang Qingye and Song Xing. He saw two footprints on the words and couldn't help laughing.

Song Li punched Jiang Qingzhou on the chest in annoyance, but Jiang Qingzhou gently held his fist in his palm.