When the pears are green

Chapter 208 Selling Land

Dawn had just broken in the east, and except for a few villagers who got up early to pick leaves and vendors who hurried to the market, the whole village was still shrouded in silence.

Jiang Qingzhou returned home carrying two pieces of pork bought from the village pork vendor, and gave one to Song Li and the other to Master Li.

"Master, we can stew this pork at home for lunch. The garlic sprouts have been put in the backpack. We can deliver it to the restaurant before the sun rises over the treetops." Jiang Qingzhou said as he picked up the basket and walked to the gate of the courtyard with Song Li and Master Li.

Master Li nodded and told Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou to be careful on the road.

Just as the two were about to leave, they turned around and met Jiang Baogen who had come to find Jiang Qingzhou specifically.

"Uncle Baogen, what's the matter that brings you to me so early?" Jiang Qingzhou heard Song Li say that Jiang Baogen's family's fields had not yet been cultivated, and he couldn't help but wonder if Jiang Baogen came to borrow seeds.

A gust of north wind blew, and Jiang Baogen stuffed his hands into his sleeves that revealed the cotton wool. His cotton-padded jacket was covered with pudding upon pudding, and the original color of the jacket could no longer be seen.

"Da Hu, I heard from Xiao Niu that you are helping the town policeman buy land. I want to sell the three acres of land next to your house. I wonder if the policeman is willing to buy it?" After Jiang Baogen finished speaking, he looked at Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou with a dry laugh, the wrinkles on his face shaking because of the long fake smile.

Jiang Qingzhou did not ask Jiang Baogen why he sold the land. Selling land at this time was generally because of the inability to pay the head tax.

After some thought, Jiang Qingzhou explained to Jiang Baogen: "Uncle Baogen, the land is still for sale, but I can't make the decision. The buyer has to come and see it in person before I can set the price. My wife and I have to go back to my parents' home today, so we don't have time to go to town. I wonder if Uncle Baogen can wait until I come back?"

"We can wait. There's no rush. Dahu is now more promising than the three in my family. These three acres of land were bought from your family." Jiang Baogen sighed, and his already cloudy eyes seemed to have lost their vitality.

Jiang Qingzhou opened his mouth, paused for a few seconds, and then whispered to Jiang Baogen, who was not sure what he was thinking, "It's cold, Uncle Baogen, go back first. When I have news, I will go to your house and tell you."

Jiang Baogen nodded, hunched over and slowly turned into the alley on the left side of the Jiang family's house.

Master Li heard the conversation between Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Baogen, and came over to ask Jiang Qingzhou: "Qingzhou, do you want me to go to the government office and ask Constable Chen first?"

Jiang Qingzhou didn't want to trouble Master Li too much, so he said, "Today is the third day of the first lunar month, and there is a gathering in the town. Constable Chen usually patrols the market. Master, you can keep an eye out for him at the market when you go to the restaurant. If you see him, ask him. If you don't see him, forget it."

"Okay then, you guys should set off soon. I think the three of them should be awake by now." Master Li watched Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou walk away, then returned to the Jiang family with a sigh.

Whether in prosperous times or troubled times, it is not easy for ordinary people to hold on to the few acres of land they have. Although there are scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, farmers have three meals a day and wear short clothes all year round. The government has always treated farmers as slaves, as slaves, as agents, as fools, but never as masters of knowledge.

Song Li looked at Jiang Qingzhou hesitantly, wanting to ask about the three acres of land, but was afraid of touching upon Jiang Qingzhou's sad memories.

Seeing this, Jiang Qingzhou reached out and held Song Li's slightly cold hand and asked, "Your hands are cold, why don't you wear more clothes?"

Song Li looked at Jiang Qingzhou innocently and whispered, "It's hot at noon, it's too troublesome to take off your clothes."

Jiang Qingzhou tapped Song Li's forehead with a smile, held Song Li's hand and continued walking forward, whispering to Song Li the story about the three acres of land.

When Jiang Wan was seriously ill, Jiang Rong sold three acres of land without telling Jiang Wan, who was lying in bed unable to move, hoping to save his father's life with the money from the land sale. However, Jiang Wan died before he could finish the herbs he bought.

Jiang Qingzhou looked at Song Li who was a little dazed, reached out and touched the camellia in Song Li's hair, and then said to Song Li: "The five taels of silver I used to betroth Xiaoli were the money left from the sale of the land. Before my mother died, she specifically told me not to touch the remaining eight taels of silver unless it was absolutely necessary. I used five taels of it to marry you. Even if I see my mother in the underworld in the future, if my mother asks me how I spent the eight taels of silver, I can answer her with peace of mind."

After hearing this, Song Li hurriedly pulled her hand away from Jiang Qingzhou, stood on tiptoe to cover Jiang Qingzhou's mouth, and told him with red eyes not to talk nonsense.

The warm breath sprayed on Song Li's palm. Jiang Qingzhou smiled and took Song Li's hand away. He held Song Li's wrist and patted his cheek.

Jiang Qingzhou smiled and said while patting, "It's my fault. What I said just now was nonsense. I will always be with Xiaoli, live and die together, okay?"

Song Li gritted her teeth and stepped on Jiang Qingzhou a few times, telling him to stop talking nonsense.

"Okay, I won't say anything more." Jiang Qingzhou pulled Song Li and continued to move forward. They had only walked half of the distance of more than ten miles.

As the sun slowly rose, Master Li led Li Yi, Jiang Qingye and Song Xing to the study first. He wanted to let Li Yi stay in the study first, but Li Yi was unwilling, so he had to take her to the restaurant.

Master Li told Yang Yu that he was planning to move back the day after tomorrow.

After hearing this, Yang Yu laughed happily and said that he would go to the Wu family to propose marriage in a few days, and it was just right that Master Li could take over his class.

Seeing the sun rising higher and higher, Master Li led Li Yi to the restaurant in a hurry. After they came out of the restaurant, they slowly looked for Chen Yuan in the market.

Although Li Yi lived in the town, she seldom came to the market. She looked curiously at the various stalls on both sides of the street, listened carefully to the vendors' shouts, and stared at the goods on the shoulders of the peddlers passing by her. Suddenly, she was dazzled.

Li Yi let Master Li hold his sleeve and walk forward, his eyes continuing to look around.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard, and Li Yi stopped and looked at the boy who was selling a hen.

The boy walked to Li Yi excitedly and said to him with a smile: "Kid, I meet you again."

Master Li didn't know when Li Yi knew this friend, so he asked Li Yi tentatively: "Niannian, is this your friend?"

Li Yi shook his head and replied: "Grandpa, I only met him once yesterday. I don't even know his name, so we can't be considered friends."

After hearing this, the boy hurriedly introduced himself to Li Yi and Master Li: "My name is Zhang Feng, and I know your name is Li Yi, so we are friends now."

Li Yi looked at Zhang Feng, who wanted to be friends with him, at a loss, and quickly changed the subject and asked, "Are you only selling this one chicken?"

"Yes, there is only this one chicken left at home. Although it is not easy to sell, I can always sell it." Zhang Feng scratched his head a little embarrassedly. He originally wanted to slaughter the chicken, but after thinking about it again and again, he still felt that selling it at the market would make him live longer.

Master Li looked at Zhang Feng, first asked the price of the chicken, then took out his purse to buy the hen in Zhang Feng's arms.

Zhang Feng hurriedly thanked Master Li. Master Li didn't have a basket to hold the chicken, so he asked Zhang Feng to help deliver the chicken to the study.

The three of them walked slowly in the market and finally met Chen Yuan fifty meters away from the market entrance.

Master Li told Chen Yuan that someone wanted to sell land. Chen Yuan smiled and thanked Master Li, and said that he would go to Jiang's house in the evening.

Master Li nodded and led Li Yi and Zhang Feng back to the study. After Zhang Feng put the hen into the empty chicken coop, he held the thirty copper coins tightly in his hand and walked out of the study listening to the sound of reading.