When the pears are green

Yang Yu was cooking absentmindedly. From time to time, he would lean on the window or stick his head out of the door to look into the still empty yard. Until he saw Wu Mingshu coming out of the room, he happily put down the dough in his hand and ran towards Wu Mingshu.

"Why don't you comb your hair?" Yang Yu asked as he reached out and held up Wu Mingshu's waist-length hair.

Wu Mingshu lowered her head and stammered, "My arm hurts and I can't lift it up."

Yang Yu blushed, and he leaned over to Wu Mingshu's ear and whispered an apology: "It's all my fault. I won't do it again next time."

"You want it to happen again next time." Wu Mingshu raised her head suddenly. She didn't care about her still aching arm. She gritted her teeth, clenched her fist and hit Yang Yu.

Yang Yu did not dodge. He waited for Wu Mingshu to stop, then held Wu Mingshu's hand and asked if it hurt.

"It hurts, it's all your fault." Wu Mingshu looked at Yang Yu with an aggrieved expression, which made Yang Yu's heart beat even more.

Yang Yu bent down and carried Wu Mingshu to the kitchen. He asked Wu Mingshu to sit on a stool to rest first, and then he would comb her hair after dinner.

"Can you comb your hair?" Wu Mingshu asked curiously.

Yang Yu answered while kneading the dough: "When Jing'er was little, my parents were busy with work and weaving, my second sister was busy with housework, and my eldest brother didn't like Jing'er and me, so Jing'er was brought up by me. I was the one who combed her hair before she was twelve years old, and you taught her after she was twelve years old. I still remember that day when I wanted to comb her hair, she thought it was not good-looking, so she took the comb to find you, and showed off to me when she came back."

After hearing this, Wu Mingshu recalled the scene when Yang Jing came to her with her hair loose and a comb to comb her hair. She also remembered that Yang Jing asked her to teach her how to comb a man's bun, saying that she wanted to comb it for Yang Yu when she got home.

"Did Jing'er comb your hair when she went back?" Wu Mingshu asked, trying not to laugh. She remembered that what she taught Yang Jing was the boy's double bun.

Yang Yu then realized that the double bun that embarrassed him was taught by Wu Mingshu. He told Wu Mingshu what happened next: "The next day when I went to school, Jing'er insisted on combing my hair. I agreed because I didn't want to waste time. I was in a hurry and didn't care what she combed. Can you imagine a sixteen-year-old boy with a boy's bun? Passers-by and classmates pointed at me. In the end, the teacher couldn't stand it anymore and asked me to look in the mirror. Then I saw Jing'er's masterpiece. Mingshu, how are you going to compensate me?"

Wu Mingshu quickly pushed away Yang Yu who was getting closer and closer to her. She pointed at the dough on the chopping board and said that she was hungry. Only then did Yang Yu put his mind aside and continue cooking.

It was past noon and the sun was slowly beginning to set.

After dinner, Yang Yu carefully combed Wu Mingshu's hair. Wu Mingshu held a small bronze mirror and watched Yang Yu's movements carefully. After Wu Mingshu's constant guidance, a bun that looked acceptable was finally completed.

Yang Yu put the wooden comb on the table. Just when he wanted to get closer to Wu Mingshu, there was a knock on the door.

"Go and open the door quickly. Is it Jing'er and Aunt Wu who are back?" Wu Mingshu felt relieved. She didn't want to continue making mistakes with Yang Yu, but she couldn't refuse Yang Yu's closeness either.

Yang Yu reached out and pinched Wu Mingshu's earlobe. He tidied up his and Wu Mingshu's clothes, then quickly walked to the gate and opened it.

"Brother Yang, my second sister-in-law and I are here to pick up my eldest sister. Where is my eldest sister?" Wu Minghui asked Yang Yu with a smile.

Yang Yu stepped aside to let Wu Minghui and Lin Chunhong enter the yard. He pointed to the kitchen and told them, "In the kitchen."

Wu Minghui went to the kitchen to look for Wu Mingshu first. Seeing that there was no one else in the yard, Lin Chunhong asked Yang Yu, "Mr. Yang, I heard from my third brother that my eldest sister and your younger sister are good friends. Is your younger sister not at home?"

"My sister and mother went to visit relatives at my uncle's house." Yang Yu decided to answer Lin Chunhong truthfully. His intuition told him that the woman in front of him was not someone to be trifled with.

After Lin Chunhong said "Oh", Wu Minghui pulled Wu Mingshu out of the kitchen.

"What is Chunhong looking at?" Wu Mingshu asked uncomfortably when she saw Lin Chunhong's eyes moving back and forth between her and Yang Yu.

Lin Chunhong smiled and said to Wu Mingshu, "Sister, I heard from mother that you are going to the county town tomorrow. Mingxuan and I brought Yuanzhan here as well. Yuanzhan has not met his aunt yet, so why don't you stay at home and play with Yuanzhan tomorrow?"

"Yes, elder sister. Third brother has talked to mother, and mother will no longer interfere in your marriage. Second and third brothers will make the decision for you in the future. You stay at home tomorrow. Dad will prepare to stew a big goose for us tomorrow." Wu Minghui also said, pulling Wu Mingshu's sleeve.

Wu Mingshu bit her lip and quickly glanced at Yang Yu opposite her. Yang Yu smiled and blinked at Wu Mingshu.

"Okay then, I'll go back with Chunhong and Minghui. Please tell Jing'er that I'll go with her next time if I have the chance." After Wu Mingshu said this, she went to Yang Jing's room with Wu Minghui to pack her clothes.

After Wu Mingshu and Wu Minghui came out, Lin Chunhong took the bag from Wu Minghui and asked them to get on the ox cart first.

Seeing the two people walking away, Lin Chunhong cursed Yang Yu with all the words she could think of: "Even if my elder sister volunteered, she is the one who suffered. You are a hypocritical hypocrite, a despicable and lecherous person, and a shameless villain who takes advantage of others' misfortune."

Yang Yu listened to Lin Chunhong quietly. He promised Lin Chunhong that he would go to Wu's house to propose marriage in two days.

"Wait a month before going again. My eldest sister just came back from your house and you come to propose marriage right after that. Are you afraid of her mother? Bah, doesn't my mother know that there is something going on between you two? If I knew that you didn't go after a month, I would bring people to smash your house." After threatening Yang Yu, Lin Chunhong sighed and walked out of the Yang family's courtyard. She did not go back directly, but went to the town's clinic to buy medicine, using the excuse that she was not feeling well.

Mrs. Wu Li was waiting at the door early in the morning holding Wu Yuanzhan. Wu Yuanzhan saw Lin Chunhong driving a ox cart towards them from afar. He stretched out his hand to find Lin Chunhong.

Lin Chunhong stopped the ox cart with a smile. She jumped out first to coax Wu Yuanzhan, then reached out to help Wu Mingshu get off the cart. Before Wu Mingshu could stand firmly, Lin Chunhong suddenly withdrew her hand and Wu Mingshu fell to the ground.

Lin Chunhong and Wu Minghui hurriedly helped Wu Mingshu up. Wu Li glared at Lin Chunhong. She handed Wu Yuanzhan to Lin Chunhong, and she and Wu Minghui helped Wu Mingshu into the room.

Wu Mingshu lay on the bed looking at Lin Chunhong embarrassedly. Seeing that Wu Mingshu was in great pain, Mrs. Wu Li hurriedly asked the brothers Wu Mingxuan and Wu Mingde to go to the village barefoot doctor to get herbal painkillers.

Wu Wei was afraid that Wu Li would say something unpleasant, so he quickly asked Wu Li to carry Wu Yuanzhan and Wu Minghui to the main hall to play.

Seeing that only she and Wu Mingshu were left in the room, Lin Chunhong whispered what she had discovered.

Wu Mingshu lowered her head in shame.

"Sister, you are so bold to do this. Can't you two take it easy? I can see it, and mother can see it too. You should lie down for two days and get out of bed when your legs don't hurt anymore. Aren't you afraid? What if you get pregnant? What should you do?" Lin Chunhong felt that she was more worried than Wu Lishi, and she repeated her conversation with Yang Yu.

Wu Mingshu still lowered her head and said nothing. Lin Chunhong patted her back and comforted her: "Don't be afraid. I just bought you some medicine at the clinic. I'll make some for you when Mingxuan and Mingde come back. Sister, it's normal for men and women to love each other, but you have to think about us too. He doesn't understand, don't you? Yang Cheng can't do it, can't he? I'm not against you. I'm asking you to pay attention to the aftermath."

Wu Mingshu nodded, looked at Lin Chunhong shamefully, and then buried herself in the quilt.

Lin Chunhong sat beside Wu Mingshu's bed, feeling depressed about what she was in charge of. She could choose not to care about anything, but if something came to light in the future, she would be embarrassed.

It was already dusk. After Song Li and Jiang Chuan had pulled all the radishes in the house, they took Jiang Qingzhou to the house to take a look.

Song Li happily ran to the wall and gestured to open a small door there.

"Qingzhou, when spring comes, I want to plant some fruit trees in the southeast corner and southwest corner, apple trees, pear trees, persimmon trees, and pomegranate trees, and then plant a row of bamboos beside the south wall and the north wall." Song Li said as they walked.

Song Li then walked to the middle of the yard. She pointed to the place where Jiang Chuan planted radishes and told Jiang Qingzhou: "Qingzhou, I plan to continue to cultivate this vegetable plot, and plant garlic sprouts in a few days. Let's build adobe bricks around the vegetable plot, which can save a lot of wooden boards. We can also plant a few wooden stakes, so that we will have a place to hang the dried vegetables this year."

Jiang Qingzhou's eyes followed Song Li all the time, and he could clearly feel the excitement in Song Li's heart at this moment.

Song Li then went on to tell Jiang Qingzhou where to raise pigs and chickens, and that she also wanted to raise a flock of white geese.

"Why doesn't Qingzhou speak?" Seeing that Jiang Qingzhou just nodded, Song Li walked over to Jiang Qingzhou and asked.

Jiang Qingzhou held Song Li's hand and answered softly: "Xiao Li and I think the same, I will just listen to Xiao Li."

Song Li stared into Jiang Qingzhou's eyes and asked, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. It's getting dark. Let's go back. Go to bed early today because we have to go to the county town tomorrow." Jiang Qingzhou reached out and touched Song Li's forehead, then pulled Song Li back to his yard.