When the pears are green

"Are you still waiting for the future? She has been married to the second son for two or three years, but they don't even have a child. I guess the second son doesn't want her to have a child!" One of the women glanced in the direction of the young woman and continued loudly.

The woman suppressed her anger and kept turning her hand holding the three-toothed rake.

Another woman next to her pointed at the woman holding the three-toothed rake and said to the woman who had just spoken, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm listening!" After that, both of them laughed.

The woman grabbed the three-pronged rake and ran angrily towards the woman who had just spoken. The woman ran to the woman, grabbed the three-pronged rake, and directly hoeed the woman, frightening the two women so much that they rolled and crawled to the side. One of them ran far away, and the other was tripped by weeds and fell to the ground.

The woman dropped her three-pronged rake and started wrestling with the woman lying on the ground.

Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye were both men, so it was not easy for them to try to stop the fight. They turned around and looked at Song Li.

Seeing that the woman was not at a disadvantage, Song Li walked over slowly, then put her hands behind her and said softly, "Second sister-in-law, stop hitting me."

After Song Li finished speaking, she looked at the sun above her head and thought it was time to go home and cook.

At this time, there was a noisy sound of footsteps behind him. Song Li turned around and saw that it was the head of the village who was coming with a group of people. Song Li hurriedly pulled the girl up from the woman.

Li Zheng looked angrily at the woman who was pulled up by Song Li, and then looked at the woman still lying on the ground. The woman cried and complained to Li Zheng.

The village head looked at the woman with a headache and said, "Mr. Li, everyone in the village knows that you are a good gossiper, and you still have the nerve to cry."

The woman immediately stopped crying and looked at the other woman and the head of the village unwillingly.

The village head asked the girl again: "Tell me, what happened?"

The woman twisted her clothes with her hands and said to the head of the village with red eyes: "Uncle head of the village, my father is sick and my husband still needs to study, so they gossiped about my father and my husband. I was so angry that I..."

Before she could finish her words, the woman started to cry softly.

The village head sighed and glanced at the woman, then angrily said to Li Da's wife, "Everyone in the village knows that Jiang Qian's wife has a hard life, and you are still gossiping about her. If I find out that you are gossiping again, this wasteland will not be reclaimed, so go home and rest."

After hearing what the head of the village said, the crowd that was still talking suddenly shut up.

The head of the village looked at the sun above his head and said loudly: "Everyone can go home. Those who should go home should go home, and those who don't want to go home should continue working." After that, he shook his sleeves and walked back to the village.

Jiang Qian's wife first thanked Song Li, then bent down and picked up the three-toothed rake.

Song Li whispered to Jiang Qian's wife, "Sister-in-law, let's go back!"

Jiang Qian's wife nodded. She smiled at Song Li embarrassedly, tidied her clothes and hair, picked up the three-toothed rake and walked towards the backpack.

Song Li strode towards Jiang Qingzhou and said, "Qingzhou, let's go back and come back in the afternoon."

None of the four spoke a word, and they walked home in silence.

Jiang Qian's wife stood at the door. She looked at Song Li and said, "Sister-in-law, I'll call you when I go there in the afternoon."

Song Li nodded and followed Jiang Qingzhou into the courtyard.

While Song Li was cooking, she listened to Jiang Qingzhou, who was making the fire, talking about Jiang Qian's wife.

Jiang Qian’s wife is named Zhang Ying, and she is from Zhanggou Village. She and Jiang Qian were engaged since childhood and got married three years ago.

Jiang Ping had three children, all of whom died in the flood eighteen years ago except Jiang Qian. Because of this, Jiang Qian's mother died of depression a few years later.

Jiang Ping was in good health at first, and he worked very hard to support Jiang Qian's studies and find a wife for him. But after Jiang Qian got married, Jiang Ping's health deteriorated, and since Jiang Qian had to study, all the heavy work at home fell on Zhang Ying.

Zhang Ying worked hard and never complained about Jiang Ping and Jiang Qian in front of the villagers.

Jiang Qian passed the provincial examination in April this year and will also take part in the academy examination next year.

Because the tuition at the academy in the county town was higher than that in Heihe Town, Jiang Qian chose to continue studying in the town so that he could go home every day to help with chores.

Song Li was filled with regret after hearing this. Although people often talk about poor scholars and sour scholars, how could such a poor and sour scholar pass the exam so easily? From the county exam to the prefectural exam, how many people failed at the academy exam?

Jiang Qingzhou saw that Song Li didn't say anything, so he asked, "Xiao Li, what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing. Maybe Uncle Ping saw Jiang Qian got married and felt that he had accomplished his mission. He relaxed mentally and his body collapsed." Song Li replied.

Song Li ate quickly, then hurriedly sewed two pairs of simple gloves to use when she worked in the afternoon.

Zhang Ying's mood in the afternoon was much better than at noon. She smiled and told Song Li many interesting things that happened in the village.

Song Li looked at Zhang Ying's red hands from the cold. She showed her the gloves she had made and asked Zhang Ying to make a pair when she got home. Wearing them would be convenient and keep warm.

Zhang Ying looked at it carefully, she returned the gloves to Song Li, and then said with a smile: "Thank you so much, sister-in-law, I will go home and make a pair for you."

The night comes early in winter. When Jiang Qingzhou saw the sun begin to set, he called Song Li and the others to go home.

After the meal, the three members of the Jiang family went to rest early as they had to continue reclaiming the wasteland tomorrow.

In the dim kitchen, Jiang Qian looked at the scratches on Zhang Ying's face. He asked in a low voice, "Mother Ying, what happened to your face?"

Zhang Ying reached out and touched it, then covered his face and said, "Nothing, I got caught by accident while clearing the land."

Jiang Qian didn't believe it. He pried open Zhang Ying's hand, took a closer look, and said softly, "Mother Ying, don't lie to me. This was dug out by someone. Did you have a fight?"

"No, it's just stuck." Zhang Ying suddenly shouted loudly.

Jiang Qian had never seen Zhang Ying speak so loudly, and he was a little scared.

Zhang Ying looked at the stunned Jiang Qian, and she thought of what Li's wife had said. She asked tentatively, "Brother Qian, let's have a baby!"

"Ying Niang, why do you suddenly say that? Didn't you say you would wait until I pass the exam to become a scholar?" Jiang Qian asked after he came back to his senses.

Zhang Ying's eyes darkened, she turned her head to the side and stopped talking.

Seeing this, Jiang Qian guessed that someone must have gossiped in front of Zhang Ying, and Zhang Ying had a fight with that person.

"The teacher said that he has something to do tomorrow, so we don't need to go to school." This was the first time Jiang Qian lied in front of Zhang Ying. He said to Zhang Ying while touching his nose with his hand.

Zhang Ying watched Jiang Qian's little trick, but didn't expose him. He just whispered, "Then you should stay at home with Dad tomorrow!"

"No, I want to be with Yingniang. I want to go and see. I can't just sit in school and study and let Yingniang bear the burden of life alone." Jiang Qian said, holding Zhang Ying's hand.

Zhang Ying said nothing more. In fact, she was not sure whether Jiang Qian could pass the examination to become a scholar. It was actually a good choice to let Jiang Qian get involved in farm work as early as possible.

The next morning, Jiang Qian and Zhang Ying appeared at the gate of Jiang Qingzhou's house, one carrying a hoe and the other carrying a three-toothed rake.