When the pears are green

Ever since Zhang said that Song Changhe would be back in a few days, Song Xing had to go to the village entrance several times every day.

With the old man Wang's cry of "whoa", the ox cart stopped. The people who were chatting casually under the willow tree also stopped talking and quickly gathered around.

As soon as Song Changhe’s right foot touched the ground, he heard familiar voices calling: "Dad, Dad, Dad..."

Song Changhe hurriedly put down his left foot. He ignored the things still on the ox cart and hugged Song Xing who was running towards him.

Song Changhe held Song Xing in his arms and gently wiped the sweat off Song Xing's forehead with his sleeve.

Old Man Wang took a puff of his pipe and said to Song Xing with a smile, "Xiao Xing, you have waited for your father. Every time I come back these past seven or eight days, I can see you here."

After hearing this, Song Xing blushed and lowered her head, her eyes constantly stealing glances at Song Changhe.

After hearing this, Song Changhe smiled at Old Man Wang and said, "Sorry for delaying Uncle Wang. I'll take the things down right away."

Old Man Wang raised his hand and said, "Changhe, go back quickly, your family is waiting for you!"

Song Changhe let go of Song Xing, turned around and picked up the backpack from the ox cart, waved to Old Man Wang, then took Song Xing's hand and went home.

Old Man Wang paused for a moment, blew out a smoke ring from his mouth, and said to Old Cow with a smile: "Everyone has gone home, let's go too!"

The old cow wagged its tail, mooed a few times, and slowly pulled the cart forward.

Song Xing happily shook Song Changhe's hand and skipped towards home.

Song Xing finally met Song Changhe on the day of the Beginning of Autumn.

The door of the Song family was open. Song Xing ran over and shouted at the door: "Mom, elder sister, second sister, Dad is back. I picked him up today."

Song Xing's voice was so loud that it startled the birds perched on the sycamore tree at the door and made them fly away. The birds were startled and ran out of the door, barking "woof woof woof".

When Zhang heard Song Xing's shout, she quickly stood up and tidied her clothes and hair. She looked up and found that Song Li and Song Yue had already run out.

Song Changhe looked at Zhang who was standing at the door, laughed a little, then said to Zhang with a simple smile: "Xiangxiang, I'm back."

When Song Li and her brother heard this, they all laughed secretly. Zhang's face turned red because of the children's laughter.

Zhang said to Song Changhe with a cold face: "Come in quickly, don't stand there like an idiot." But the words out of her mouth turned into sweet words that couldn't be dissolved by water.

Zhang wanted to take the backpack from Song Changhe's back, but Song Changhe smiled and said to Zhang, "Xiangxiang, it's very heavy, you can't carry it."

After Song Changhe finished speaking, he squatted down and slowly took off the backpack.

Song Changhe took the bowl handed to him by Song Li and began to drink slowly.

As Song Changhe drank, he said to his wife and children, "We are working for a wealthy family this time. The master was very generous and paid me my wages without hesitation. The master heard that I came back to hold a wedding for my daughter, and said that today is the beginning of autumn, so they sent me a few watermelons to celebrate the occasion and to celebrate the autumn. I'll bring them out to you after I finish drinking the water."

After hearing this, Song Xing and Song Yue clapped their hands happily.

Under the eager gazes of Song Yue and Song Xing, Song Changhe drank the remaining water, and Song Li hurriedly took the bowl.

Song Changhe bent down, took out three watermelons from the basket and placed them carefully on the ground.

Song Li looked at the watermelons carefully. The green rind had white texture and some small pits on the surface. They were not much different from the watermelons she remembered.

Song Yue and Song Xing squatted on the ground and kept touching them with their hands. Song Xing wanted to take one and roll it on the ground, but was hit on the head by Zhang.

Zhang saw Song Yue touching the watermelon and looking at her. After seeing this, Zhang smiled and said to Song Li, "Xiao Li, go cut a watermelon, don't let this greedy cat wait anxiously."

Song Li looked at Song Yue with a smile, picked up a watermelon and carried it to the kitchen, with two little tails following behind her.

Song Yue and Song Xing stood at the door and watched Song Li. Song Li washed the watermelon first and then put it on the chopping board. Song Li smiled at them and quickly cut the watermelon on the chopping board. The pink flesh was embedded with black seeds and the skin was very thick.

Song Li first cut a thin slice for the two little tails and let them taste it. The two took it with a smile and quickly stuffed it into their mouths. Song Yue smiled and said, "Sister, it's so sweet!"

Song Li tapped Song Yue's forehead, smiled and said to Song Yue and Song Xing, "Let's go out!" After Song Li finished speaking, he put the cut watermelon into a ceramic basin and took it out, followed closely by the two little tails.

Song Changhe smiled and looked at the anxious Song Yue and Song Xing. He handed a piece to Zhang first, and then said to Song Li and her brother, "Take it yourselves. Xiaoli, share it with them."

The watermelon was not big, so Song Li cut it into fifteen pieces. Song Li placed the five larger pieces in front of Song Changhe and Zhang, and then divided the remaining nine pieces into three portions.

Song Li took a bite of the watermelon and felt that it was not as delicious as she remembered, and not very sweet. Song Li looked at Song Yue and Song Xing wolfing down their food, and she handed them the remaining two pieces, saying that she had been feeling sick recently and couldn't eat anything too cold.

Song Li asked everyone to put the watermelon rinds in a ceramic basin, then went to the kitchen to get a knife, peeled the rinds, and said that they would stir-fry the watermelon rinds in the evening.

A watermelon was eaten up quickly.

Song Li took the small wooden bowl made by Song Xing and picked up the melon seeds on the ground and put them in one by one.

When Song Yue saw it, she asked curiously, "Sister, what do you want it for? Are you going to grow watermelons?"

Song Li looked up and smiled at Song Yue, "Yes, I want to give it a try to see if I can grow them. Let's dry them in the shade first and give it a try next spring."

After hearing this, Song Yue jumped up with joy.

Song Changhe saw this scene, and he said to Zhang: "Xiangxiang, on my way back, I heard some gossip from the villagers. They said that their parents were back, and that Xiaoli was fighting three people. I wanted to ask them in detail what was going on, but they asked me to come back and ask you. Xiangxiang, what happened?"

After hearing this, Zhang sighed and told Song Changhe the story of someone prying the gate of the courtyard on a stormy night and how Song Li rescued Xing'er at the Heihe River embankment.

After hearing this, Song Changhe's face turned pale. He didn't expect that so many things had happened at home in less than two months since he left.

Song Li heard the sound of Song Changhe pounding the table and hurried over. She said to Song Changhe, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Song Changhe looked at Song Li for a moment, then said to her, "It's okay. Our little Li has grown up. I bought some cloth from the county town and asked your mother to find someone to make a quilt for you. Little Li will be married to another family soon."

Song Li blushed when Song Changhe said that and she quickly walked away.

After Song Changhe finished speaking, he walked to the backpack, bent down, took out several pieces of cloth of different colors and handed them to Zhang. He said to Zhang, "You decide for yourself. I will make a set of clothes for each of you, and the rest will be used as a quilt for Xiaoli."

After Zhang took them, she placed them on the small bed and flipped through the green, blue, white and scarlet cloths.

Song Changhe watched Zhang flipping the cloth, thought for a moment, and then said to Zhang, "Xiangxiang, I want to give the remaining watermelons to Changming and Changsong. Our parents passed away early, and our second and third uncles have helped us a lot."

Zhang paused for a moment, knowing that Song Changhe was a grateful person. Although she also wanted the children to eat more, she smiled and said to Song Changhe, "Of course, give one to Changming, and cut the other in half and give them to Lianlian and Changsong's family respectively."

After hearing this, Song Changhe said to Zhang: "Okay, I'll listen to you. You can go with me later."

After hearing this, Zhang first carried the cloth into the house, then went to the kitchen to cut the watermelon, put it in the basket and covered it with the cloth.

Zhang asked Song Li to look after Song Yue and Song Xing, then she carried the basket and asked Song Changhe to hold the other watermelon, and the two of them walked towards Song Ershun's house together.