When the pears are green

Soon it was the day for Song Li to return home in three days. Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li brought the prepared gifts and walked step by step from Jiangjia Village to Wuzhuang Village under the rising sun.

Song Yue and Song Xing were waiting at the entrance of the village early. They were looking forward to seeing Song Li as soon as possible. Song Yue stared at the intersection ahead without moving. After seeing Song Li, she ran over quickly and hugged Song Li.

Song Li smiled and patted Song Yue on the back. Song Xing also came over. He greeted Jiang Qingzhou first, then smiled and said to Song Li: "Sister, the second sister missed you so much. She came at dawn and didn't even have dinner."

After hearing this, Song Li felt sad. She said to Song Yue, "Yueyue, good Yueyue, I miss you too. Let's go home. Xiaoxing, go back and tell mom first. We will be there soon."

Song Xing responded, turned around and ran home.

Song Yue secretly touched her eyes with her hands. After she let go of Song Li, she smiled and said to Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou, "Sister, brother-in-law, let's go home!"

Song Li held Song Yue's hand and slowly walked towards the Song family.

After Zhang and Song Changhe received the news about Song Xing, everyone in the Song family stood at the door, waiting for Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou to arrive.

After seeing Song Li and the others, everyone in the Song family came forward and surrounded Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou. Jiang Qingzhou smiled and said to Song Changhe and Zhang: "Dad, Mom, I'm back with Xiao Li."

Song Changhe showed an honest smile and said, "It's good that you're back. Don't stand here. Come in quickly."

The women gathered around Song Li and looked at her again and again, while the men took the backpack on Jiang Qingzhou's back and the basket in his hands and led Jiang Qingzhou to the main room.

Before entering the house, Jiang Qingzhou took out a rooster from the backpack and a large piece of pork from the basket and handed them to Zhang. Zhang took them with a smile and put them in the kitchen.

Zhang and the others pulled Song Li into the room, and they surrounded her and looked her up and down. Song Li felt embarrassed by their stares and lowered her head.

Lianlian smiled and said to Zhang: "Sister-in-law can rest assured now. Everyone who sees Xiaoli knows that Xiaoli is a beloved bride."

Lianlian's joke made Song Li blush.

Zhang saw this and said hurriedly, "My son-in-law has arrived. I need Lianlian, my second aunt, and my fourth brother's wife to help me cook."

Everyone hurriedly agreed and went out with Zhang, leaving Song Yue and Song Li alone in the room.

Song Yue asked Song Li: "Sister, is your brother-in-law good to you?"

Song Li smiled and said, "Of course he is good to me, you know that."

After hearing this, Song Yue also laughed. She said to Song Li, "I know it's different from what my sister said herself."

After Song Yue finished speaking, she took out the handkerchief she had embroidered and showed it to Song Li. Song Yue was already able to embroider the pattern given by Li Yun'an on the handkerchief.

After seeing this, Song Li said to Song Yue happily: "Yueyue, you are really amazing."

Song Yue put the handkerchief in Song Li's hand and said, "Sister, this handkerchief is for you. It's not that I'm good, but you helped me. Master Wu told me about your request for help from Master Li, and he said you took all your copper coins."

Song Li took the handkerchief in her hand and looked at it again and again. She said to Song Yue: "Yueyue, I just created the conditions for you. It is you who helped you. If you don't work hard and are unwilling to learn, even if I invite embroidery masters to help you, you may not learn anything."

"I have to thank my sister too. Mr. Li said that once I can embroider all these patterns, he can draw some more complicated ones for me." Song Yue said with a smile.

Song Li looked at Song Yue's happy face, and she thought of Ruyi again. She said to Song Yue: "Yueyue, do you still remember what Master Wu said? Master Li helped you. He is..."

"I know it's to make money from me, sister. Mr. Li treats me well, but he's also okay to Minghui and Ruyi, I won't think too much about it. If you really like someone, you won't be nice to so many people at the same time. Just look at my brother-in-law. I'm a transparent person in his eyes. Sister, let's not stay in the house, let's go out and take a look." Song Yue said as she pulled Song Li to the yard.

Song Li stood in the familiar courtyard, carefully observing every scene in the courtyard. The summer vegetables had been picked, and the cabbage planted by Zhang had sprouted. The chrysanthemums planted next to the vegetable field had grown new branches and leaves.

The roosters were fighting as usual, and Song Li, who was standing under the locust tree watching the falling leaves, could clearly hear the flapping of their wings.

Song Yue took a stick, walked to the chicken coop and knocked on the wooden stakes. The roosters all lowered their heads and returned to their own territories.

An autumn wind blew, and the fallen leaves on the locust tree kept falling down. Song Li reached out and caught a leaf, held it in his hand, and threw it out again.

Song Li stayed in the Song family for five months, and she spent half of her time under this locust tree. This locust tree has heard her secrets, understood her fears and anxieties, and witnessed her joy. Song Li regarded it as a friend that she could not speak of.

Looking at the fallen leaves all over the yard, Song Yue picked up the broom and slowly swept it. Song Li took the broom from Song Yue and said to her, "Yueyue, let me sweep it."

Song Li took the broom and gently swept up the fallen leaves, then placed them under the new shed built by Song Changhe to use for burning.

After Song Li finished sweeping, she sat under the locust tree with Song Yue and listened to Song Yue talking about the recent events in the village. Song Yue said that Lianlian was pregnant again, Xing'er was engaged to Song Ershun's apprentice, and Wang Juan and Li Chun often fought at home.

Song Li listened quietly as Song Yue talked about the gossip in the village.

The Song family has never had too many rules, and Song Changhe only invited the families of Song Ershun and Song Sanshun to attend Song Li's return banquet. So Song Changhe placed two tables in the main room and sat men and women separately.

During the meal, Zhang specifically told Song Changhe not to let Jiang Qingzhou drink so as not to delay his return trip in the afternoon.

During the meal, Song Li heard Song Changhe and Song Ershun talking about labor service. This time they were going to repair the official road between Linhe County and Yilu County. They would set off the day after tomorrow and it would take a total of 15 days. Song Ershun took advantage of the alcohol to tell Song Changhe: "Changhe, repairing the official road is much better than repairing the city wall. Three years ago, I saw someone fall from beside me with my own eyes. I still remember that scene. It's really..."

Before Song Ershun finished speaking, he was helped to the side by Song Changming. He said to Song Changhe embarrassedly: "Brother, my father is drunk, please don't mind." Song Changhe waved his hand and said: "It's okay, brother, I also saw what my second uncle said. Well, don't say anything, today is Xiaoli's good day, don't think about these troubles."

After hearing this, Song Li asked Zhang quietly, "Mother, how much silver will it cost to replace the service?" Zhang gestured with her hand and said, "I heard it will cost at least one hundred coins."

Song Li didn't expect that so much would be needed, and then she thought of what the storyteller in the county said. This dynasty has only been established for 50 years. After years of war, the population has decreased rapidly. It has not yet recovered to the pre-war population. It is definitely not easy to let people use silver to replace military service. No wonder Song Ershun's family was exempted from one year of taxation because of the birth of a boy.

Soon it was time for Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou to go back. Song Yue handed two cloth bags to Song Li, saying that the big one contained dried chrysanthemums and the small one contained dried watermelon seeds. Song Li took them and put them in the basket.

Song Changhe caught two ducks from the duck pen and said to Jiang Qingzhou, "Qingzhou, this is a return gift from Xiaoli's parents' home. It's the custom." Jiang Qingzhou no longer refused. He took it with a smile and put it in the backpack.

Song Yue and Song Xing sent Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou to the entrance of the village. Song Li comforted Song Yue and said, "I will come again when Dad comes back."

Song Yue nodded, and only went home with Song Xing until Song Li could no longer be seen.

Jiang Qingzhou was walking on the road. He pointed to the eastern sky and said to Song Li, "Xiao Li, it's the moon."

Song Li looked up and saw the silvery white half moon hanging in the clear sky. She then looked at the setting sun. She smiled and said to Jiang Qingzhou, "It's the sun and the moon shining together."

Jiang Qingzhou bowed to the moon and the sun respectively, then smiled and said to Song Li: "It's a good omen, something good is going to happen."

Song Li wanted to explain the reason to Jiang Qingzhou, but after seeing Jiang Qingzhou's pious attitude, she smiled and responded: "Yes, something good is going to happen."