When the pears are green

The crowing of a rooster woke Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li.

"Qingzhou, what time is it?" Song Li asked, staring at the dark night.

Jiang Qingzhou found the lighter beside the bed and lit the oil lamp. The dim light filled the entire room.

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li's confused expression and replied softly, "Xiao Li, it's still early. It should be the first crowing of the cock. You go back to sleep. I'll continue to keep watch."

Song Li held Jiang Qingzhou's arm with one hand, rubbed her eyes with the other and said, "I'll go with you."

Jiang Qingzhou smiled and pressed Song Li into the bed. He touched Song Li's hair and said, "Okay, let's go together. I think the fire in the brazier is about to go out. I'll go and light the fire first. You can go after it's warm."

Song Li nodded and told Jiang Qingzhou to wear more clothes as it was the coldest in the early morning.

Jiang Qingzhou left the oil lamp in the east room. He pushed open the door and saw that the brazier in the main room was almost extinguished. He put the prepared weeds into the brazier and lit the fire. The burning weeds instantly lit up the whole room.

Jiang Qingzhou put some wood beside him into the brazier and let it burn slowly.

Song Li saw a sudden light at the door of the room. She rubbed her slightly cold hands, then quickly got up and dressed.

The two of them sat by the brazier, warming themselves and chatting.

"Qingzhou, I think we should raise more chickens and two piglets in the spring. When we are old enough to wear cloth shirts, we can continue to grow bean sprouts and some garlic sprouts to sell. Oh, and mulberry trees." Song Li whispered to Jiang Qingzhou about her plan.

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li's excited expression through the yellow firelight, as if he also saw the scene of a yard full of chickens and pigs in the future.

Song Li felt a little hungry, so she took two steamed buns, stuck them on chopsticks and slowly roasted them over the brazier.

There were roosters crowing again. Song Li saw white light coming through the crack of the main room door. She walked over and opened the door. The sky was already turning white. She turned around and smiled at Jiang Qingzhou and said, "Qingzhou, the world will be bright when the rooster crows."

When the two cats saw the door open, they ran into the house one after the other, lay down beside the brazier and meowed a few times.

Jiang Qingye fed the two cats a few small pieces of baked steamed bread. After the cats finished eating, they lay down beside the brazier contentedly.

Jiang Qingzhou patted the residue on his hands, walked to Song Li, took out a silk flower and put it in Song Li's hair. He whispered to Song Li: "This is for Xiaoli."

"Didn't you have it before?" Song Li asked with a smile.

Jiang Qingzhou explained to Song Li: "Last time it was peach blossoms, this time it's plum blossoms, they're different."

"Thank you Qingzhou." Song Li said, touched the silk flower on her head, and happily rubbed her head on Jiang Qingzhou's arm.

Soon, Jiang Qingye walked into the main room. He looked at Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou who were sitting by the brazier, bowed to them, and said loudly: "Brother, sister-in-law, happy New Year!"

"Qingye, Happy New Year! This is the New Year's money from your brother and me." After Song Li finished speaking, she took out the copper coins wrapped in red paper that she had prepared and handed them to Jiang Qingye.

"Thank you, brother, thank you, sister-in-law." After Jiang Qingye received it, he happily put the New Year's money into his sleeve, and then asked: "Brother, sister-in-law, did you stay up all night?"

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou looked at each other, then smiled and nodded.

"Then you guys go to sleep for a while. I'll make breakfast after I finish my run." Jiang Qingye considerately closed the door for the two of them. The sound of running came from outside the house.

Song Li looked at the closed door and asked Jiang Qingzhou with a smile: "Are you still sleepy?"

"Of course I'm sleepy. Let Qingye make breakfast." After Jiang Qingzhou said that, he pulled Song Li to lie down for a while.

The Jiang Qingzhou brothers do not have close contacts with their family.

After breakfast, Jiang Qingzhou took Jiang Qingye to visit his two cousins’ homes to wish them a happy new year. After saying a few words, they returned.

When Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye came back, Song Li and Zhang Ying were sitting by the brazier and talking.

"Brother, I'm going back to my room first." Jiang Qingye ran into his room.

Jiang Qingzhou walked over and asked Song Li with a smile: "What are Xiaoli and Second Sister-in-law talking about? They are so happy."

"Qingzhou, my second sister-in-law is talking about making clothes for the baby." Song Li replied with a smile.

Seeing that Jiang Qingzhou had returned, Zhang Ying felt it was not appropriate for her to stay at the Jiang family any longer, so she said goodbye.

Song Li sent Zhang Ying to the gate, and then asked Jiang Qingzhou who followed him out: "Why so fast, where is Qingye?"

"Qingye went straight back to his room when he saw my second sister-in-law. My cousin and I didn't have much to say. We just went through the motions and came back after that." Jiang Qingzhou had an indifferent expression.

Song Li closed the gate, took out the wooden box, and found a few novels and miscellaneous notes from it. The two of them sometimes played with the cat at their feet, and sometimes read together, and spent half a day like this.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou returned to the Song family together. Beside the brazier in the main hall of the Song family, Song Yue and Song Li mentioned the Nuo on New Year's Eve at the same time.

Song Yue said in annoyance: "It turns out that I really saw my sister. I should have looked for her for a while longer, maybe I could have found her."

Song Li hurriedly comforted Song Yue: "Yueyue, we will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future, there is no need to rush."

Song Li asked Song Yue about the handkerchief again, and Song Yue told Song Li that Li Yun'an and Wu Mingde had drawn the blueprint for her respectively.

Song Yue took the drawing and handed it to Song Li.

Song Li read the drawings again and again. She smiled and said, "Mr. Wu's level is not much worse than Mr. Li's. Why did you and Mr. Li say that about Mr. Wu during the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Song Yue took out another wrinkled drawing and showed it to Song Li. Song Li took it curiously and felt a little nervous.

Jiang Qingzhou saw Song Li staring blankly at the blueprint. He walked over and asked, "Xiao Li, what's wrong? Isn't this a strange snake with wings and legs?"

Song Li recovered and whispered to Jiang Qingzhou, "It's Fei Yi from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a strange snake from Mount Taihua with six legs and four wings. When it is seen, there will be a severe drought in the world."

"It's just a blueprint, Xiaoli, don't think too much about it." Jiang Qingzhou saw Song Li's heavy expression, so he comforted Song Li.

Song Li put her thoughts aside, forced a smile and handed the paper to Song Yue, saying with a smile: "It is indeed a little fat snake. Mr. Wu may not be good at drawing animals, but you can see that this old plum is pretty good."

After Song Li finished speaking, she took the blueprint and showed it to Song Yue.

Jiang Qingzhou felt relieved when he saw this. He turned around and asked Song Xing if he had prepared paper, ink, brush and inkstone.

Song Xing happily told Jiang Qingzhou that Song Yue took him to Li's shop on New Year's Eve and bought him a set.

Jiang Qingzhou nodded, and then said to Song Changhe and Zhang, "Dad, Mom, Xiaoli and I have discussed it. When Xiaoxing enters school, we can let him live in our house. It will be a good opportunity for him to keep Qingye company."

Song Changhe and Zhang looked at each other and quickly refused.

"Dad, Mom, we have discussed this with Qingye. Qingye is very happy and wants Xiaoxing to live with him. Just agree to it. Otherwise, it will take three hours to go back and forth every day. Xiaoxing is too young and it is not safe on the road." Song Li walked to Zhang's side and said.

Zhang looked at Jiang Qingzhou. Seeing that he looked calm, she nodded in agreement.

After Jiang Qingzhou saw this, he turned to Song Xing and said, "Xiaoxing, pack your things before the full moon of the first lunar month. Your elder sister and I will come to pick you up then."

Song Xing nodded quickly.

On the third day of the Chinese New Year, Song Li, Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye went to visit the graves of Jiang's father and mother.

On the fourth day of the New Year, the three of them went to Jiang's place, and Song Li met Ruyi, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

Jiang revealed that he would arrange an engagement for Ruyi after the New Year. Ruyi's expression remained unchanged, presumably indicating that she had agreed.

On the seventh day, the three of them went to the town to ask for a statue of the Kitchen God.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li went to the Song family together to pick up Song Xing.

Song Changhe, Zhang and Song Yue sent them to the village entrance.

After returning home, Song Changhe, Zhang and Song Yue suddenly felt that the house was much quieter.

Jiang Qingye moved to the west room, and Song Xing lived in Jiang Qingye's original room.

After nightfall, Jiang Qingye stared at the tablets of Jiang's father and mother on the wooden table and could not fall asleep for a long time.

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li sent Song Xing and Jiang Qingye to school, paid their tuition fees, and brought two pieces of pork and two handfuls of dried vegetables.

Song Xing and Jiang Qingye came back and told Song Li that they first bowed to Confucius and then offered tea to Master Li.

The days passed slowly and the cold winter was coming to an end.

That night, Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou were awakened by the sound of dogs barking. Song Li asked Jiang Qingzhou anxiously, "Qingzhou, why are there so many dogs barking? Are there any thieves?"

Jiang Qingzhou nodded slightly, and said to Song Li: "Xiao Li, the New Year is easy, but the spring is hard. This season is a gap between the harvest and the harvest, and some people can't survive. They have to think of some ways. It's like this every year. You go to sleep, I won't sleep anymore."

Song Li originally wanted to be with Jiang Qingzhou, but was slowly coaxed to sleep by Jiang Qingzhou.