When the pears are green

Chapter 206 First Encounter

After everything at home was tidied, Song Li carried a basket of tofu and garlic sprouts and walked towards Zhanggou Village with Li Yi.

When the two of them reached the entrance of the village, Song Li pointed at the road leading to Zhanggou Village and sighed: "In the summer, I always felt that this road was very long and my uncle's house was very far away. Now, it seems that it is only a few dozen acres of land and can be seen at a glance."

"It's the cornfield in summer that blocks my sight. I'm afraid of the cornfield, so I feel the road is far away. Sister, let's go quickly!" After saying that, Li Yi jumped forward, like a butterfly flying back and forth among the fields, sometimes looking at the green wheat fields, and sometimes throwing a few clods of mud into the ditch.

Song Li followed Li Yi slowly. After the heavy rain, two more drizzles fell. The villagers took advantage of the soil moisture to plant crops in the fields.

Soon, a piece of abandoned field came into Song Li's sight.

Song Li stood by the ditch and looked at the abrupt piece of land. Two sycamore trees grew side by side at the edge of the field.

"Strange, why hasn't his family planted wheat yet?" Song Li muttered in a low voice. She recognized that the land was adjacent to her own fields. It was the land of Jiang Baogen, whom she had seen several times.

Song Li didn't dare to stay here for too long, fearing that Li Yi would get into danger if he walked too far away, so she hurried to chase after Li Yi whose back was almost out of sight.

Li Yi, who had gone ahead, did not dare to rush into the village. He stood obediently by the roadside waiting for Song Li who was walking towards him quickly, completely unaware that there was a pair of eyes in the woods behind him looking at him.

"Kid, are you lost?" A boy's voice came from above Li Yi's head.

Li Yi was startled by the sudden sound and nervously ran to the other side of the road, searching around for the source of the sound with his uneasy eyes.

"It's here, don't look around." The voice sounded again.

Li Yi then discovered that a boy with a blue pudding on his grey thin jacket was hanging on the branch of the sycamore tree facing him. The branch, which was only as thick as an adult's arm, was shaking slowly due to the boy's climbing.

Li Yi swallowed nervously, covering his face and not daring to look at the boy who was still climbing up, for fear that the boy would fall from the tree branch in the next second.

The boy was amused by Li Yi's behavior. He laughed and hugged the tree branch and shouted to Li Yi: "Not only is he a little mute, he is also a coward."

Hearing this, Li Yi's face turned red, and he walked to the tree three times in a rage, stomped on the trunk with his left foot and shouted, "I'm not, it's so high, aren't you afraid of falling down?"

"Kid, stop stomping on me. I can't fall down, but you might stomp me down." The boy's laughing voice came from the top of the tree again.

Li Yi quickly retracted his left foot and glared angrily at the skinny boy squatting beside the tree branch. His dry and yellow hair was combed meticulously. Although his clothes were torn, his face was clean.

"Get out of the way, kid. I'm going down."

Li Yi quickly moved aside, and the boy slid down the tree trunk nimbly like a small snake wrapped around a tree trunk.

The boy smiled at Li Yi, his triangular eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and he secretly hid his rough hands behind his back.

At this time, Song Li ran over breathlessly and shouted to Li Yi who was standing by the tree: "Li Yi, let's go quickly."

Li Yi hurriedly walked to Song Li. Song Li looked at Li Yi for a few times. Seeing that Li Yi was normal, she felt relieved and continued to walk towards the village with Li Yi.

The boy looked up at the branch he had just climbed, smiled bitterly, and walked through the woods towards his home.

Jiang, who was talking to her neighbor at the gate of the courtyard, saw Song Li and Li Yi from afar and hurriedly went to greet them with a smile.

Jiang looked at Li Yi and asked with a smile whose child this was, why he was so fair and pretty.

"Auntie, I'm Xiaoxing and Qingye's friend. I'm staying at your sister's house for a few days." Li Yi answered Jiang sweetly, causing Jiang to touch her head lovingly.

"Come out, everyone. Xiaoli is here."

Jiang led Song Li and Li Yi into the main room while shouting. Song Li took out the garlic sprouts and tofu from the basket and placed them on the eight-immortals table.

"Come on, kid. What else do you want to bring?" Jiang's eyes moved back and forth on the tofu, and the wrinkles on her face were all filled with smiles.

Song Li smiled and explained to Jiang: "Auntie, Qingzhou and I made the tofu, and we also grew the garlic sprouts. Qingzhou had something to do in town today, so he asked me to bring some to you."

Jiang smiled even more happily. Song Li then explained her purpose to Jiang: "Auntie, Qingzhou is going to sell tofu in a nearby village. Qingye has to study and can't go with him. But I'm really worried about him going out to do business alone, so I want Ping'an to go with him. Auntie, don't worry, don't let Ping'an run around in vain. How about giving him ten copper coins a day?"

Zhang Pingan and Ruyi, who were walking to the main hall door, happened to hear Song Li's words. Zhang Pingan scratched his head embarrassedly and said to Song Li: "Cousin, I don't know how to use a scale, and I don't know how to count."

"You fool, these are not difficult. Just follow your cousin and learn." Ruyi pushed Zhang Pingan, and the two of them walked to Song Li's side together.

Jiang also reacted to Song Li's words. She smiled and told Song Li: "Just let this silly boy follow Qingzhou. Let him learn from Qingzhou first. You can't take the copper coins. Anyway, he can't do anything at home except climbing trees."

"Mom, you're lying. I don't climb trees now. I still feed rabbits every day!" Zhang Ping'an retorted with a blushing face.

Song Li thought for a moment, then said to Jiang and Zhang Pingan, "Okay, wait until Pingan can count and use the scale by himself, then give Pingan ten copper coins a day, how about that? If not, I'll have to ask Qingzhou to ask the Jiang Ming brothers."

"Okay, let's do as Xiaoli says." Jiang smiled and held Song Li's arm.

Song Li then asked about Ruyi's marriage. Jiang sighed and shook her head, saying that either she didn't like the one she liked, or the one she liked was snatched away by other matchmakers.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. There will definitely be a better marriage waiting for sister Ruyi." Song Li comforted Jiang and winked at Ruyi.

Ruyi's face turned red and she twisted her sleeves uncomfortably.

"Oh, I hope it's as Xiaoli said. I just hope she can get married smoothly. I don't dare to have too high expectations for anything else. I will be satisfied if the man's family has a room and a few acres of land." After Jiang said this, she sighed heavily again. She really couldn't understand why Ruyi's road to finding a partner was so difficult.

Song Li hurriedly changed the subject and asked Jiang: "Don't think too much, sister-in-law. I heard Qingzhou say a few days ago that my uncle and brother Jixiang were back. I didn't see them today. Did they go out again?"

"That's right. They planted wheat and left, taking Qingwan's brother with them. Although the child is young and the wages are not much, at least the employer provides food and accommodation, which is better than staying at home and starving and freezing." After Jiang said this, she felt that it was not too much for her to let Jiang Qingwan spin cloth all day long.

Song Li listened to the "jiji fujiji" sound of spinning cloth and didn't know what to say. She made an agreement with Jiang and Zhang Pingan to come to Zhanggou Village to sell tofu the day after tomorrow morning, and let Zhang Pingan accompany Jiang Qingzhou at that time.

Jiang and Zhang Pingan agreed with a smile.

"Aunt, I still have work to do when I get home, so I'll leave first." After Song Li said that, she picked up the basket on the eight-immortals table and led Li Yi out.

Jiang asked Ruyi to see Song Li off. Ruyi took the opportunity to go to the room, got a pair of finished cotton shoes and put them in the basket, and asked Song Li to help deliver them to Chen Yuan.

Song Li looked at Ruyi and Mian Xie with a playful gaze, and smiled, telling Ruyi not to worry.