When the pears are green

Chapter 126 Thinning

The sunlight crossed the ocean, passed through the mountains, and returned to this plain.

After running, Jiang Qingye saw Jiang Qingzhou cleaning the chicken coop. He muttered, "The sky and the earth are dark yellow, the universe is vast and boundless..." He walked to the pigpen, lifted his legs and swiftly climbed in, then picked up the shovel standing beside him and shoveled pig manure into a special wooden barrel.

When Jiang Qingzhou saw this, he warned Jiang Qingye: "Qingye, don't turn over like this again in the future. Be careful not to get it on your shoes."

Jiang Qingye, who had a youthful mentality, nodded, but he would most likely sneak in the same way next time.

Jiang Qingye originally wanted to continue reciting "Thousand Character Classic", but his ears were filled with "chi chi chi" and "hum hum hum" sounds, and he no longer had the heart to recite.

The two of them worked hard and soon cleaned the chicken coop and pig pen. Jiang Qingzhou asked Jiang Qingye to wash his hands first, and he went to empty the manure in the wooden barrel.

Jiang Qingye washed his hands with the clean water he had prepared in advance, and then filled another bucket of water for Jiang Qingzhou to use.

Song Li drove the two brothers out of the kitchen after they finished their work. She stood at the kitchen door, fanning them, and asked them to rest in the shade first, as breakfast would be ready soon.

Jiang Qingzhou originally wanted to help Song Li, but was stopped by Song Li's eyes. Jiang Qingye, who was standing by, saw this and covered his mouth with his hands and laughed, and was hit twice on the forehead with chestnuts.

Since the weather started to get hot, the three members of the Jiang family moved their dining place from the kitchen to the main hall. Song Li came out of the kitchen carrying a bamboo basket, and the two brothers immediately went to the kitchen to help serve the food.

Song Li put a plate of stewed fish in front of Jiang Qingye. She smiled and said, "Qingye, this is the carp I stewed. They say that carp jumps over the dragon gate. Eat more."

Jiang Qingye nodded quickly. He picked up a piece of carp and put it in his bowl, eating it slowly.

"Sister-in-law, our teacher said that every scholar from an ordinary family hopes to one day make a leap into the dragon gate. Where is this dragon gate? Is it in the sky?" Jiang Qingye, who was very curious, looked at Song Li who was concentrating on eating.

Song Li put down her chopsticks, thought for a moment, and then told Jiang Qingye: "Qingye, Longmen is not in the sky, nor on the river. It is a place name. According to legend, the Yi River was blocked by Longmen to form a large lake with beautiful scenery. A group of carp in the Yellow River wanted to go and see it, but there was no waterway on Longmen, so they couldn't get through. One of the red carps said that everyone could just jump over Longmen, and the red carp jumped up first and turned into a giant dragon in mid-air. Other carps tried, some fell into the water, and some turned into dragons."

"So that's how it is. The first carp is really brave." Jiang Qingye nodded. He admired this carp very much.

Song Li echoed: "Yes, we should also learn from this carp. No one will have a smooth life. We will always encounter difficulties big and small. We should be brave enough to try and find a solution."

After Song Li finished speaking, she smiled and picked up a piece of carp for Jiang Qingzhou, who had been silent the whole time, and then asked: "Qingzhou, don't you think so?"

Ever since the Spring Festival couplets incident, Song Li has always been concerned about Jiang Qingzhou's emotions and would always find topics for him to talk about.

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li, whose eyebrows were curved, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Xiao Li is right."

After dinner, Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou went to the riverbank again. The mulberry seedlings had grown a lot. Song Li squatted down and measured with his thumb. It was time to thin out the seedlings.

Song Li stood up and looked at the sun that had just climbed to the top of the tree. It was still some time before noon. She suggested to Jiang Qingzhou: "Qingzhou, let's do it first, and let Qingye join us in the afternoon."

"Okay." Jiang Qingzhou had already walked down the ridge of the field. He found the tree trunk inserted between his own and Jiang Ping's mulberry fields. He bent down and looked at the clusters of mulberry seedlings carefully, pulling out the sick and weak ones.

Song Li walked to the right side of Jiang Qingzhou, and they walked in a row, one in front and one behind, carrying mulberry seedlings.

Fortunately, there was wind and river, so Song Li didn't feel too hot. She bent over at first, then just squatted on the ground and slowly moved forward.

"Xiao Li, take a break first. After we finish these two lines, we'll go home." Jiang Qingzhou said to Song Li while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Song Li shook her head, took a few steps forward, and said softly, "Qingzhou, I'm fine, my waist just hurts." After that, she continued to pick the mulberry seedlings outside.

Finally they arrived at the edge of the field. Jiang Qingzhou asked Song Li to take a rest while he picked up the mulberry seedlings and carried them to the edge of the field, ready to take them home to feed the chickens.

The two of them took a break in the field. Song Li leaned against Jiang Qingzhou and said, "Qingzhou, it's true that farmers have few idle months. Let's go back quickly and don't let Qingye wait anxiously at home."

Jiang Qingzhou stood up, held Sang Miao in his arms, and slowly walked home with Song Li.

Jiang Qingzhou pushed open the courtyard door. Jiang Qingye, who was playing with a slingshot, hurriedly put it down and ran to the door. He took the mulberry seedlings from Jiang Qingzhou's arms and asked, "Brother, can we thin out the seedlings now?"

Jiang Qingzhou nodded and said to Jiang Qingye, "Qingye, put these in the chicken pen and go cook. Let Xiaoli go and have a rest first. I'll go see if Uncle Ping is home."

"Brother, Uncle Ping and the others went to the Wenchang Temple in town and should not have come back yet. Not long after you left, my second brother came to ask if you wanted to go to the Wenchang Temple together." Jiang Qingye hurriedly stopped Jiang Qingzhou who was about to go out.

Jiang Qingye scattered the mulberry seedlings into the chicken coop, then asked Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou to rest while he went to the kitchen to cook.

In the east room, Jiang Qingzhou was massaging Song Li's waist. Song Li turned around and asked, "Qingzhou, where is the Wenchang Temple?"

"In the town's government office, the third day of the second lunar month every year is the birthday of Emperor Wenchang, and the government office will organize people to worship him. Next year, I'll take you to see it." Jiang Qingzhou replied softly.

Song Li nodded happily.

The summer sun is scorching, but farm work in the fields does not wait for anyone.

Jiang Qingzhou walked in front holding the water pitcher, while Song Li and Jiang Qingye followed behind Jiang Qingzhou, running from one shady place to another.

When they reached the riverbank, Jiang Qingzhou placed the water can on the ridge of the field and asked Jiang Qingye to work near the edge of the field. After the three of them divided the work, they carefully removed the mulberry seedlings in their respective areas.

During the break, Jiang Qingye carried the water pitcher and bowl to Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou. After the two finished drinking the water, he carried the things to the edge of the field.

Song Li heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw a young couple she was not familiar with walking towards her.

Song Li nudged Jiang Qingzhou who was sitting next to her and asked, "Qingzhou, who is that?"

Jiang Qingzhou looked up, put his hand on his forehead and looked carefully, then said to Song Li: "It's behind the village. Jiang Dong and his wife have not had much contact."

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and finally stopped at the edge of the mulberry field.

"Brother Dahu, sister-in-law." A simple and honest male voice.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou looked up at the same time. Jiang Dong, with a dark face, rubbed his hands helplessly. He looked at Jiang Qingzhou and Song Li a little embarrassedly.

The woman next to her had the same expression. The thin woman rolled up the corners of her clothes with both hands, sometimes looking up at Song Li, and sometimes lowering her head.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou stood up, and Jiang Qingzhou asked, "Is there anything wrong with Brother Dong and Sister-in-law?"

"Brother, can you give us some unwanted mulberry seedlings?" Jiang Dong asked with a red face.