When the pears are green

After Zhang and Song Changhe came back, they sat under the shade of a tree and began to discuss how to prepare a dowry for Song Li.

Zhang said to Song Changhe: "Master, I want to make a few quilts and furniture like the girls in the village."

After hearing this, Song Changhe directly told Zhang what he was thinking: "Xiaoxing is still young, and the family is not in a hurry to use the money now. Let Xiaoli take away Dahu's five taels of betrothal gift when the time comes."

After hearing this, Zhang couldn't believe her ears. She asked again in a questioning tone: "Boss, what did you say?"

Song Changhe looked at Zhang's stunned expression, and repeated what he had just said, then said to Zhang with a smile: "Xiangxiang, I'm not selling my daughter, why would I covet the few taels of betrothal gifts? The Jiang family has had a hard time, I just hope Xiaoli can live a happy life."

Zhang turned her gaze to Song Li and Song Yue who were watering the vegetables. Song Li noticed Zhang's gaze and smiled at her.

Zhang retracted her gaze and said to Song Changhe dimly, "I thought you were not close to the two girls."

After hearing this, Song Changhe said to Zhang aggrievedly, "The two children are grown up now, and as a father, I naturally have to avoid suspicion. How can Xiangxiang think that I am not good to them? I have never hit them or scolded them. They have everything that Xiaoxing has. You misunderstood me, and I am so sad." After Song Changhe finished speaking, he reached out and hit Zhang's arm a few times, as if to say how could you do this, he felt so wronged.

Zhang saw Song Changhe's movements and felt goose bumps all over her body. She quickly changed the subject and asked Song Changhe, "We don't have cotton at home. Should we buy it in the village or in town?"

Song Changhe stopped teasing Zhang and said to her, "Let's go to town. If we buy it in the village, people will gossip about us. We're all going to spend money, so we might as well spend it happily. There will be a big market in three days, you and I will go together and we'll see if we need to buy anything else. We've raised her for sixteen years, not to exchange her for silver one day, but to happily marry her off one day, to watch her have children, and to watch our grandchildren call you and me grandma and grandpa."

Song Changhe paused for a moment, then continued to say to Zhang: "In two years, Xiaoyue will also be getting married. I have to make a lot of money in the next two years. What I buy for Xiaoli now, I will also give to Xiaoyue in due time."

Zhang was silent after hearing this. She thought of her wedding, when she only had a few quilts, a piece of cloth, and two wooden boxes as her dowry. However, the flood had just ended, and the dowry that Zhang's family gave her was considered generous among the girls in the same village.

Zhang calmed down and said to Song Changhe with a smile, "Master, I will go find some sisters-in-law and aunts in a few days and ask them to come and help Xiaoli make the quilt. Xiaoyue has always been very dependent on Xiaoli. When Xiaoli gets married, I wonder how Xiaoyue will cry."

Song Changhe sensed the sadness hidden under Zhang's smile. He said to her softly, "Xiangxiang, don't think too much. Xiaoli is not married far away, she can come back anytime."

After hearing this, Zhang no longer paid attention to Song Changhe and went back to her room alone.

Song Li and Song Yue had just finished watering the vegetables when Song Xing ran in and said to them, "Big sister, second sister, someone is collecting the bark of the mulberry at the entrance of the village. Let's go and sell it too. There are so many people queuing up!"

Song Li smiled after hearing this. The "cicada peel" that Song Xing mentioned was the cicada shell.

Song Li went to the room and took out the basket of cicada shells and the cicada shells that had become crumbs. She told Song Xing not to worry, and she carefully poured the cicada shells on the ground and counted them. There were about a hundred of them.

Song Li calculated in her mind. According to the information she had read, these cicada shells weighed about one or two taels. Song Li thought that according to the price Song Yue had mentioned before, they could be sold for about fifty coins.

Song Li felt that although she had become famous in the village, she felt a little unsafe with three children walking around the village with only fifty cents in her pocket.

Song Li looked at Song Changhe who was sitting under the shade of a tree, and hurriedly shouted, "Dad, come with us!" Song Changhe looked at the three children in front of him, smiled and agreed to them.

Song Li hurriedly put the cicada shells back into the basket and followed Song Changhe towards the village entrance.

Song Xing was right. Villagers selling cicada shells formed a long line at the entrance of the village. Song Li hurriedly stood at the end of the line, fearing that if he hesitated any longer, he would stand further back.

Song Li waited in line for about a quarter of an hour. The vendor who collected the cicada shells weighed the shells in their baskets and said to them with a smile, "Little girls, it's a little more than one or two taels. I'll give you fifty-five cents."

After hearing this, Song Li smiled and said to the vendor, "Brother, I have some broken cicada shells. Would you like to buy them?"

The vendor thought for a moment, and then he said to Song Li, "Little girl, take it out and let me see it."

Song Li quickly took out the broken cicada shells. The vendor took a look at them and pointed to the blue cloth bag next to him and said to Song Li, "One penny. If you can, pour it into the blue cloth bag."

Song Li poured the crushed cicada shells in without hesitation. When the vendor saw it, he smiled and said to her, "Little girl, the total is fifty-six coins. Here, keep the money."

Song Li happily took the copper coins and piled them in her palm like a small mountain. Song Li gently put the copper coins into the basket, then handed the basket to Song Changhe with a smile.

Song Changhe took the basket, looked at the three siblings with smiling faces, and started laughing too.

Not far from the stall collecting cicada shells, a butcher from the next village set up a stall to sell pork. As the butcher cut the meat, he shouted loudly: "This is all today's pork, eight cents a pound, much cheaper than in town."

There were a lot of people gathered in front of the stall because it was the slack season for farming and most villagers did not eat meat at home.

The butcher sells it cheaply, and since they have just made some money from selling cicada shells, many villagers cannot resist the children's begging and buy some to take home as a snack for their children.

Song Li also came over and saw that the pork was of decent quality. She whispered to Song Changhe, "Dad, let's buy some too!"

Song Changhe smiled and said softly to Song Li, "Xiao Li, just buy it. You earned this money with hard work. You decide for yourself."

After hearing this, Song Yue and Song Xing happily surrounded Song Li, and smiled as they pointed out to Song Li which piece of meat in the butcher shop was the most delicious.

Song Li finally bought two kilograms of hind leg meat. She said to Song Yue and Song Xing, "Let's go home and stew it. We can put some dried beans we dried in the sun in it. It will be delicious."

After hearing what Song Li said, Song Yue felt like her saliva was about to flow out.

Song Xing took the pork from Song Li, and he and Song Yue ran home together.

Seeing Song Xing's staggering steps, Song Li shouted loudly, "Slow down, don't fall." After saying that, Song Li also ran forward and caught up with Song Xing and the others.

Song Changhe walked slowly behind, watching the three children running home while laughing.

When Song Changhe got home, Song Li had already chopped the pork into pieces. Song Changhe put the basket next to Song Li, who looked down and continued to wash the pork.

Zhang took the pottery basin from Song Li's hand. She pointed at the two little heads outside the window and said to Song Li, "You go out first. They are still waiting for you!" After Zhang said that, Song Yue and Song Xing embarrassedly shrank their heads under the window.

Seeing this, Song Li smiled and took out the basket with wet hands. Song Yue walked up to her and said, "Sister, please put everything away. Sister is getting married soon, so consider this as a gift from us!"

Song Li looked at Song Yue who was serious. She smiled and said to Song Yue and Song Xing, "You don't have to give me so much. I'll give you five cents each!"

After hearing this, Song Yue and Song Xing looked at each other and quickly ran away, hiding far away. Song Li had no choice but to put all the copper coins into his own small box.

While eating, Song Changhe told Song Li about the five taels of silver. Song Li was stunned, and a piece of lean meat fell from her chopsticks into the bowl with a plop.

Zhang waved her hand in front of Song Li's eyes, and Song Li finally recovered from his shock.

Song Li said to Zhang with red eyes: "Mom, you don't have to give it all to me, just keep some for yourself!"

After hearing this, Song Changhe smiled and said to Song Li, "Xiao Li, I'll give it to you now. Two taels is too little, three taels is unlucky, and four taels doesn't sound good. It's better to give you five taels. Dad doesn't want your money, he just wants you and Da Hu to live a good life."

Song Changhe originally wanted to tell Song Yue and Song Xing not to talk nonsense when they went out, but looking at the two children who were only busy putting meat into their mouths, he felt that the two children might not have listened to him.

That night, Song Li lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time, repeating Song Changhe's words over and over again in her mind.