When the pears are green

"Xiaofeng, Xiaofeng, are you home? Someone is looking for you." The loud-voiced woman shouted while banging on the clanging gate, startling the nearby dogs, which started barking non-stop.

The barking of dogs and the banging of doors intertwined together and echoed in the long and narrow alley.

Master Li looked at the swaying gate with a worried look on his face. It looked more like a wooden board with holes eroded by wind and rain than a gate. He quickly reminded the woman to knock on the door more gently.

The loud-voiced woman smiled at Master Li awkwardly, still patting the gate with her right hand to explain to Master Li: "People in our village have strong hands, don't be surprised, brother, I guarantee that this door won't break."

Master Li didn't dare to let the loud-mouthed woman clap again, and tactfully reminded her: "Sister, I think Zhang Feng must have heard it. I can just wait here. Sister, go and do your own thing."

The loud-voiced woman thought that Master Li was Zhang Feng's relative. She sighed and asked Master Li to help Zhang Feng find a way to survive. Then she walked towards her own yard, looking back every few steps.

Master Li lingered in front of the courtyard gate for a few steps. The courtyard was still quiet. He quickly walked to the courtyard wall that was as high as a person, and stood on tiptoe to look into the courtyard.

A vegetable patch full of cabbages came into Master Li's sight, and then he saw Zhang Feng push open the door of the thatched hut, holding his stomach and staggering towards the courtyard gate.

With a clang, the courtyard door opened. Master Li quickly supported Zhang Feng, who was about to fall, and asked him softly why he became so weak, when he was fine two days ago.

Zhang Feng held onto the door frame with his hand and explained to Master Li weakly, "I haven't eaten since I came back from the market. I'll try to starve myself to death in a few days. There's not much at home, so I have to save some, or I won't survive the winter."

Master Li looked at Zhang Feng, who was about the same age as Li Yi, and was so sad that he was speechless. He was afraid that if he left one day, Li Yi would become like Zhang Feng, or even worse than Zhang Feng.

"What do you want to talk to me about, old gentleman?" Zhang Feng licked his lips and asked Master Li, whose eyes were red.

Mr. Li shook his head, which began to hurt again. He rubbed the back of his head and asked Zhang Feng if he would like to go to the study and be Li Yi's playmate.

Zhang Feng turned his head and looked at this small courtyard that carried his joys and sorrows, and asked Master Li in a low voice whether he wanted to buy him.

Master Li knew that Zhang Feng had misunderstood him, and he quickly explained to Zhang Feng, "I can't buy you. The government has a rule that slaves, regardless of age, must pay a head tax of 120 coins per year. I want to hire you to accompany Nian Nian for a few years, and provide you with three meals a day and accommodation, but no salary. You don't need to do anything, just play with Nian Nian. Don't worry, the three meals a day are the same as ours. I can't say that the food will be much better, but you will definitely be full."

Zhang Feng didn't believe that such a good thing could happen to him, and asked with a defensive look on his face why they were looking for him.

"Nian Nian has very few friends. Including the boy from the Jiang family and the boy from the Song family, you are the third one." Master Li couldn't help but sigh after saying this. He wondered if his self before losing his memory had noticed Li Yi's inner loneliness.

After hearing this, Zhang Feng agreed without hesitation. He wanted to survive and also wanted to be friends with Li Yi.

"Take your things and go directly to the study tomorrow. There are beddings in the study, so you don't need to bring anything. Child, just survive first and don't think too far ahead." After Master Li finished speaking, he patted the weak Zhang Feng. He was afraid that Li Yi would be anxious, so he hurried back to Jiangjia Village.

Zhang Feng looked at Master Li's back, breathing heavily. After a rest, he walked tremblingly to the vegetable patch, picked up a cabbage and started to eat it. He didn't eat it until his stomach felt better. Then he broke off a bunch of cabbage leaves and took them to the kitchen to cook and eat.

When Master Li reached the entrance of Jiangjia Village, he went to the graves of Jiang Wan and Jiang Rong to say goodbye. A few crows landed on the willow trees beside the road, calling "wow-wow-wow".

"Go away, you mourning birds! I still have a few more years to live!" Master Li said as he threw mud at the crows.

The mud fell to the ground before it even touched the willow tree. Master Li saw this and said to the two graves with a smile, "Old friend, I am old too. I can't even drive the birds away."

The whistling north wind blew by, as if responding to Master Li. Master Li shrank his neck and tightened his cotton jacket, and said softly: "Xiao Wan, A Rong, I'm leaving."

Li Yi, who was standing at the door, saw Master Li and hurried over, anxiously asking where Master Li had gone.

Master Li rubbed Li Yi's head and replied, "I went to find Zhang Feng and hired him to play with you in the bookstore."

"Really? Why did grandpa hire him?" Li Yi asked, looking up.

Master Li nodded and replied, "Of course it's true. He is your friend, so it's appropriate to hire him."

Li Yi happily hugged Master Li's arm and skipped towards the Jiang family. She no longer had to sit alone by the courtyard wall counting bamboos, nor did she have to squat under a tree counting ants. Finally, there was someone to share her joys and sorrows.

Li Yi couldn't wait to share this with Song Li. Song Li first congratulated Li Yi with a smile, and then recalled the young man she had met before. He was indeed a good candidate.

In the afternoon, Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou sent Master Li and Li Yi to the study together. When she saw Li Yi happily cleaning the guest room, the melancholy about separation in her heart disappeared.

Jiang Qingzhou noticed Song Li's mood change, lowered his head, held Song Li's hand and said, "Xiao Li, I will always be with you."

Song Li smiled without saying anything, and placed her other hand on Jiang Qingzhou's hand. She also wanted to stay with Jiang Qingzhou forever.

After leaving the bookstore, the two went to the grain store to buy fifty kilograms of soybeans, and met Chen Yuan at the door of the grain store.

Jiang Qingzhou handed over the land deed and the land tenancy document he had brought with him to Chen Yuan. Chen Yuan said to the two of them uncomfortably that he had already found a matchmaker and would go to the Zhang family to propose marriage tomorrow morning.

Song Li gave Chen Yuan a thumbs up and praised him: "Detective Chen is really quick to act. I really admire him."

Chen Yuan's face turned red. He was afraid that Jiang would not agree, so he asked Song Li to go with the matchmaker the next morning.

Song Li asked jokingly, "Detective Chen, will I be able to agree if I go there?"

"Of course. With my cousin's good words, we will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort." After Chen Yuan finished speaking, Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou both laughed. Song Li stopped teasing Chen Yuan and made an appointment with Chen Yuan to meet at the entrance of Jiangjia Village at noon tomorrow.

After the two returned home, Jiang Heng and Jiang Ji came to say that the two families were planning to order 30 kilograms of tofu.

Song Li calculated the cost in his mind and said to Jiang Ji and Jiang Heng with a smile, "Uncle Ji, Uncle Heng, if it's copper coins, it's seven coins for two catties. If it's soybeans, it's one catty of soybeans for two catties of tofu. For corn, wheat or sorghum, it's one catty for one catty. One more thing, Qingzhou and I are a small business, we pay in cash and never on credit."

"Your Uncle Heng and I can understand what Da Hu's wife said. Our two families will first exchange soybeans. We planted some soybeans this summer, and they are still piled there." Jiang Ji had also worked as a peddler. He understood what Song Li said very well and took Jiang Heng home to get the soybeans.

The two of them returned quickly. Song Li simply picked up the tofu and said with a smile that she believed in Jiang Heng and Jiang Ji, and asked them to come to her house to get the tofu when the sun rises above the treetops tomorrow.

After Jiang Heng and Jiang Ji left, Song Li weighed the soybeans and found that there were indeed 15 kilograms. She thought that she could have long-term cooperation with the two of them in the future.

After breakfast the next day, Song Li hurried to the village entrance, where the matchmaker wearing a red flower on her head was already waiting.

After a few words of casual conversation, the matchmaker smiled and went to Zhang's house with Song Li.

Seeing that it was a matchmaker, Jiang pulled Song Li over and asked, "Xiao Li, are you going to be a matchmaker for Ruyi?"

"Auntie, of course it's for Ruyi, or the Constable Chen I mentioned before. He hasn't found a suitable girl yet. When I met him two days ago, he mentioned Ruyi's marriage again. When he heard that Ruyi hadn't met a suitable candidate either, he shamelessly asked me to come again. Constable Chen has already bought some land, the three acres that my mother sold before. After going around in circles, if Ruyi and Constable Chen's marriage is settled, these three acres of land will return to our family." Song Li's voice was very loud, and the bowl in Ruyi's hand slipped and almost fell to the ground.

Jiang was filled with emotion after hearing this. She knew that it was she who found the buyer for Jiang Rong's land sale. Six years later, she never expected that Jiang Baogen's family, once one of the best in the village, would have to rely on selling land to make a living.

When the matchmaker saw that Jiang did not express her opinion, she hurriedly smiled and praised Chen Yuan.

Jiang quickly invited Song Li and the matchmaker into the main room, saying that she was also frightened by Zhao Xuan before, and wanted to meet Chen Yuan first before making a statement.

The matchmaker glanced at Song Li, who held her forehead with her hand a little helplessly, hoping that Jiang Shi would not be able to tell that Chen Yuan was Chen Shu.

Seeing Song Li frowning, Jiang asked, "Xiao Li, is it inconvenient?"

"It's convenient, of course it's convenient. Auntie, please tell me a time." Song Li smiled at Jiang quickly.

Jiang thought about it and asked Chen Yuan to meet at home tomorrow afternoon.

"It is said that seeing is believing. Once you meet Constable Chen, you will know whether I am lying or not." The matchmaker continued to chat with Jiang. After the two of them talked happily for nearly a quarter of an hour, the matchmaker and Song Li left the Zhang family together.

Jiang told Ruyi, who was washing dishes, what the matchmaker said. Ruyi suppressed the corners of her mouth that were raised, lowered her head and replied to Jiang: "It's up to you, mother."