When the pears are green

The gate of the Jiang family's courtyard was open.

Song Li and Jiang Qingye sat in the yard, patiently breaking off cloves of garlic. They then casually dropped the cloves into a basin of water to soak.

Jiang Qingzhou carried the wooden barrels and transported the fermented farmyard manure to the fields. After transporting the manure, he used a three-toothed rake to turn the land over and it was time to plant garlic.

Only half of the land was used to plant garlic, so Jiang Qingzhou quickly transported all the fertilizer. Just as he was about to go to the field with a three-toothed rake, Song Li, who had already peeled the garlic, called him, "Qingzhou, it's almost noon, let's go in the afternoon, go change your clothes first."

Jiang Qingzhou looked up at the sun that was already hanging overhead, and said to Song Li, "Okay, let's go in the afternoon."

Song Li followed Jiang Qingzhou into the room. Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li uncomfortably and said, "Xiao Li, what are you doing here?"

Song Li glanced at Jiang Qingzhou, whose ears were red, and said with a smile, "What can I do? I'll find clothes for you. What are you afraid of?"

Song Li turned around and took out a set of clothes for Jiang Qingzhou from the wooden box. After she handed the clothes to Jiang Qingzhou, she looked at the embarrassed Jiang Qingzhou and said, "Put the clothes in the basin. I'll wash them for you in the afternoon."

After Song Li finished speaking, she quickly walked out of the room and then considerately closed the door for Jiang Qingzhou. At the moment of closing the door, Song Li clearly saw a long scar on Jiang Qingzhou's back.

While Song Li was cooking, Jiang Qingzhou not only washed the clothes, but also turned over the vegetable garden at home, preparing to sow some spinach.

Song Li came out to call Jiang Qingzhou to eat. After seeing Jiang Qingzhou spreading rapeseed on the ground, she hurried over and asked, "Qingzhou, what is this?"

Jiang Qingzhou smiled and said to Song Li, "Spinach. When I came back from town, I met my cousin's aunt in the village. She said these were the seeds she saved last year, and now is the right time to plant them, so she gave me some."

Song Li took the seeds from Jiang Qingzhou, and then scattered them in the soil according to what Zhang had taught her. Jiang Qingzhou then covered them with soil, and the two of them quickly finished planting spinach.

"Let's go, go wash your hands first. I made something you like to eat." After Song Li finished speaking, she pulled Jiang Qingzhou to the well to wash their hands.

Just after the three members of the Jiang family finished their meal, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Qingzhou said to Song Li who was about to get up, "I'll go. It's probably the night patrol."

"Night patrol? What's going on?" Song Li asked Jiang Qingye as he watched Jiang Qingzhou's receding back.

"Sister-in-law, most men in the village who are over 20 years old and under 50 years old have gone to do forced labor. The head of the village is afraid that someone will take the opportunity to come to the village to do bad things, so he will organize people to patrol at night. My brother and I started patrolling at night three years ago." Jiang Qingye said to Song Li while washing dishes.

After hearing this, Song Li stopped washing the pot and asked in confusion, "You've been there too? You were only seven years old three years ago. What could you have done there?"

After Jiang Qingye heard this, he turned around and smiled at Song Li and said, "I am with my brother. My brother wanted to leave me at home, but I was afraid, so he took me with him. We don't go every day, but once every three days. Three teams take turns patrolling at night, usually five people in each team."

"Oh, so that's how it is. But your brother was only twelve years old at the time, so it's not right to ask him for help." Song Li still felt that the village head's actions were incomprehensible. What could a twelve-year-old child do?

"At that time, the village was short of manpower, so my brother took the initiative to find the head of the village, and the head of the village let my brother go. The scar on my brother's back was left at that time. Some bad guys really entered the village, and when a fight broke out, my brother took the knife for the head of the village. My brother lay in bed for a long time before he recovered. I was so scared at the time, I thought my brother was going to abandon me." Jiang Qingye's eyes turned red as he spoke.

Song Li wiped her hands, walked to Jiang Qingye's side, and whispered to him: "Okay, Qingye, it's all over."

At this time, Jiang Qingzhou also returned to the kitchen. He said to Song Li and Jiang Qingye, "Starting tonight, I will go on night patrol. The head of the village told me that I will patrol once every three days. Qingye, you and Xiaoli stay at home, and you two can be taken care of."

Jiang Qingye nodded after hearing this. Song Li remembered the scar on Jiang Qingzhou's back and asked Jiang Qingzhou, "Qingzhou, will there be any danger this time?"

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li in surprise. Jiang Qingye walked up to Jiang Qingzhou and whispered, "Brother, I told my sister-in-law what happened three years ago."

"Xiao Li, don't worry, I will protect myself this time." Jiang Qingzhou said to Song Li while rubbing Jiang Qingye's head.

Considering that Jiang Qingzhou had to patrol at night, Song Li asked Jiang Qingzhou to rest at home in the afternoon while she went to plow the soil.

Jiang Qingzhou disagreed. After a quarrel, Jiang Qingzhou went to his neighbor's house to borrow a three-toothed rake. He and Song Li went to the fields together, leaving Jiang Qingye at home.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou braved the cold October wind and slowly turned over a small piece of land in the field. Although the wind was very cold, Song Li still felt himself sweating.

During the break, Song Li said to Jiang Qingzhou: "It must have been painful at that time!"

Jiang Qingzhou was stunned for a moment before he realized that Song Li was talking about the scar on his back. He reached out and touched his back, then held Song Li's hand and said, "I forgot, it must be very painful. When I saw the knife coming towards the head of the village, I was actually hesitant, but I still blocked it for him. First, the head of the village is really good to my family, and second, I need the head of the village to owe me a favor. It is because of this favor that the head of the village will help me transfer all the land in my family to Qingye's name."

After hearing this, Song Li patted the back of Jiang Qingzhou's hand with her other hand.

Jiang Qingzhou smiled at Song Li, and then continued, "I think Qingye told you that I took the initiative to go on night patrol three years ago. After my mother left, I would go to dig canals and repair roads every winter. Some people say that I am a fool and don't know how to be lazy. But, Xiaoli, I know that if Qingye and I want to live in the village, we can't just rely on the pity of others. Because I blocked the knife for the head of the village, in the past three years, the villagers dared not bully Qingye and me openly, and no one in the Jiang family has ever thought about our family property."

Song Li didn't know how to comfort Jiang Qingzhou. All she could do was listen to Jiang Qingzhou finish his words.

Jiang Qingzhou calmed down a bit, and said to Song Li with a smile: "Xiao Li, you take a break first, I'll go finish turning the rest of the land."

Song Li also stood up and said with a smile, "I don't want it. I want to be with you."

Together, the two of them finally finished turning the land before the sun set. Jiang Qingzhou looked at the turned land and said to Song Li, "This makes me feel relieved. You and Qingye can plant the garlic tomorrow."

After nightfall, Song Li handed the dagger to Jiang Qingzhou who was about to go out. In order to reassure Song Li, Jiang Qingzhou took it with a smile. Then he gave Song Li and Jiang Qingye a few more instructions before walking towards the headman's house with the young man waiting for him at the door.

After Song Li closed the gate, she took out two wooden sticks she had prepared, handed one to Jiang Qingye and held the other in her own hand. After giving Jiang Qingye a few instructions, she returned to her room with the wooden sticks.