When the pears are green

In early spring, the weather is still cold. After a storm, the warm sun is hanging in the sky again.

Song Li took off her heavy cotton coat and put on a thin quilted shirt. She looked at Jiang Qingzhou who was playing with the cat and puppy in the yard, walked over quickly, and smiled as she lay on Jiang Qingzhou's back.

Jiang Qingzhou felt his back sink. He turned around to look at the happy Song Li and said softly, "Hold on tight!" Then he slowly stood up, carried Song Li on his back and ran across the yard.

Song Li hurriedly put her arms around Jiang Qingzhou's neck, and her laughter filled the entire courtyard. She listened to Jiang Qingzhou's heavy breathing and shouted loudly: "Qingzhou, put me down quickly!"

Jiang Qingzhou slowly stopped, Song Li released her arms that were around Jiang Qingzhou's neck, and slid down from Jiang Qingzhou's back.

Song Li stood still. She looked at Jiang Qingzhou's slightly red face and gently scolded him, "Silly boy, are you tired?"

Jiang Qingzhou picked up Song Li again with a smile and said to her, "Of course I'm not tired. Let's go."

The two of them locked the gate and slowly walked towards Heihe Town, greeting the villagers along the way.

Ever since Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li caught the thief, the villagers have been much more enthusiastic towards them than before.

Song Li sometimes looked at the tender yellow willow branches, and sometimes looked at the green wheat fields. She smiled and said to Jiang Qingzhou: "Qingzhou, it's going to be lively soon."

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li's happy face and asked softly, "Does Xiaoli like spring very much?"

Song Li nodded and said, "No one can resist spring. Even our chickens like the tender grass in spring. Let's go to the wasteland to pick wild vegetables in a few days."

Jiang Qingzhou smiled and nodded.

The two soon arrived at Heihe Town. They first went to the grain store to buy the mung beans that Song Li needed, and then strolled around the town.

Today is market day, but there are not many people at the market, only a few stalls selling eggs, sesame cakes and pork.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou looked at it again and again, and felt that there was nothing they needed, so they planned to go directly to the bookstore to wait for Song Xing and Jiang Qingye to finish school.

A figure running quickly bumped into Song Li. Jiang Qingzhou quickly grabbed Song Li and prevented him from falling to the ground.

Just as Song Li stood firm, a voice came from behind: "Little thief, you dare to steal your grandfather's buns, don't run!"

Jiang Qingzhou looked at the figure running over, and he hurriedly pulled Song Li aside, fearing that Song Li would be hit by someone again.

The two stood on the side of the road, watching two figures chasing each other on the street.

The thief who was stealing the buns stumbled and fell to the ground. The vendor quickly caught up with him and kicked him several times. The thief couldn't help but cry out in pain.

There were a few curious people standing by to watch the fun. Someone heard a woman's voice and laughed as he lifted the woman's hair in front of her face, then said loudly, "This woman is quite beautiful."

Song Li watched from afar and recognized that the woman lying on the ground was Wang Juan, who was at odds with her.

Several people who were busy with joking surrounded Wang Juan and kept teasing her. Some even wanted to pull Wang Juan away. Wang Juan was so scared that she started crying loudly.

The vendor tried to stop him in a hurry but was pushed aside.

Although Song Li didn't get along with Wang Juan, she wouldn't just watch Wang Juan being dragged away and fall into an irretrievable situation. She sighed, pulled Jiang Qingzhou and walked over quickly.

Jiang Qingzhou grabbed the man's outstretched hand and shouted, "What do you want to do? This belongs to our village."

Wang Juan looked at Song Li in disbelief. She hugged Song Li's ankles tightly, fearing that she would be abandoned by Song Li.

The vendor standing nearby breathed a sigh of relief. He helped Jiang Qingzhou drive away half of the men with bad intentions.

The other half were scared away by passing constables.

The young constable took back the iron ruler in his hand. He smiled and said to Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou: "Nice to meet you again. My name is Chen Yuan."

"Thank you, Constable Chen." Jiang Qingzhou hurriedly thanked him.

"You're welcome. This is our duty. I'm busy, so I'll leave first." Chen Yuan said, turned and left.

The vendor couldn't believe his eyes. He muttered, "When did these uncles become so easy to talk to? But this Constable Chen has always been better than the other Constables."

After Song Li heard what the vendor said, she looked at him, then lowered her head and asked, "Do you have any copper coins?"

Wang Juan shook her head. She thought for a moment, then took an earring off her ear and handed it to the vendor, asking in a low voice, "Is this okay?"

The vendor took it and looked at it carefully. It was silver. He said happily, "Okay, okay, wait, I'll get you a few more buns."

Wang Juan watched the vendor running away. She slowly stood up and then slumped down on the side of the road.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou prepared to leave.

"Song Li, thank you. Can I tell you why you fell into the water?" Wang Juan shouted at their backs.

Song Li stopped and said softly to Jiang Qingzhou, "Forget it, I don't want to know anymore."

"Let's go and listen. It's just an explanation to Song Li. Let her rest in peace." Jiang Qingzhou held Song Li's hand and slowly walked towards Wang Juan.

Wang Juan looked at Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou's tightly clasped hands. She smiled, and then, as if recalling a memory, she slowly said, "Song Li and I had a very good relationship before, and she trusted me very much. But later, Li Chun kept showing me his goodwill. He said that he was about to turn twenty, and he didn't want to be fined silver, nor did he want to pay a gift, so he set his sights on Song Li. He gave me one or two taels of silver and asked me to trick Song Li out. He wanted to make it a done deal. He knew that Song Li was timid and would definitely not tell her family. As long as Song Li was pregnant, he could tell the Song family clearly and ask them to give him a dowry."

Wang Juan looked at Jiang Qingzhou with some anticipation, but Jiang Qingzhou just stared at Wang Juan expressionlessly.

Wang Juan lowered her head in disappointment. She coughed a few times and then continued, "I coaxed Song Li out before the wheat harvest and deliberately left her alone in the woods. I stood behind the woods and listened to Song Li's crying. She kept shouting, 'Sister Juan, save me.' She didn't know that this was planned by Li Chun and I. I kept listening until Song Li ran out and fell into the river."

Song Li suppressed her anger and kicked Wang Juan a few times. Wang Juan fell to the ground with a smile.

"Haha, it's really retribution. Li Chun asked me to return his silver afterwards, and I spent the silver and agreed to marry him. But I didn't want to marry him. I was beautiful and I should have married someone in town. But he had something in his hand, so I had to marry him. He beat me and I beat him, and in the end he sold me for five taels of silver. It's retribution! He was a bastard, he sold me to a cruel man, and I finally ran away, and I'm going to go back and settle the score with him." Wang Juan said gritting her teeth.

Song Li looked at the somewhat crazy Wang Juan. She ignored Wang Juan, turned around and pulled Jiang Qingzhou away.

When the vendor delivering steamed buns saw Wang Juan's crazy look, he put the steamed buns next to Wang Juan and immediately ran away, fearing that he would be pestered by Wang Juan.

Jiang Qingzhou held Song Li's hand tightly and said softly, "Xiao Li, I don't care about what she said."

"I know, let's go pick up Xiaoxing and Qingye!" Song Li raised her head and looked at Jiang Qingzhou with a smile.

It was another late spring cold snap. Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou went to sell bean sprouts and met Song Yue who was going to Li's shop to sell handkerchiefs.

Song Yue told Song Li: "Sister, Wang Juan, who was sold by Li Chun, ran back. She set fire to the Li family's house and died in the fire with Li Chun."

Song Li just nodded, and then accompanied Song Yue to Li's shop.