When the pears are green

Chapter 190: Easily change the heart of an old friend

Yang Jing refused to stay in the yard to talk to Li Yun'an. She followed Song Li directly into the kitchen, leaving Li Yun'an alone to count the sparrows jumping back and forth on the tung tree in boredom.

The laughter of Song Li and Yang Jing came from the kitchen. Li Yun'an wanted to go in and talk to them, but was afraid that Song Li would make fun of him, so he thought he should go and ask Jiang Qian if he wanted to go to the county school together tomorrow.

When Li Yun'an arrived at Jiang Qian's home, Jiang Qian was walking back and forth in the yard holding the one-month-old baby Jiang Chong. The little baby was wrapped in a thin quilt, with a pair of small hands sticking out of the quilt and scratching around.

"So cute, and looks a lot like Jiang Qian." After Li Yun'an said this, he wanted to poke Jiang Zhong's fair and tender face with his fingers, but he was afraid of hurting the child, so he retracted his fingers.

Jiang Qian handed Jiang Zhong to Jiang Ping who had just opened the door, and then invited Li Yun'an to sit in his study.

Li Yun'an waved his hands quickly and asked Jiang Qian directly: "Jiang Qian, do you want to go to the county school with me and Mingde tomorrow? The three of us can go together and see if we can be assigned to the same public dormitory."

Jiang Qian quickly agreed, and then asked Li Yun'an what time to leave tomorrow and how to go?

Li Yun'an repeated Hu Zhimin's words to Jiang Qian truthfully.

After hearing this, the light in Jiang Qian's eyes slowly disappeared. He laughed dryly and said to Li Yun'an, "Yun'an, I still want to stay at home and spend more time with the kids tomorrow. You and Mingde can go first."

Li Yun'an thought that it might be because Jiang Qian and Hu Zhimin were not familiar with each other, so it was normal for Jiang Qian to refuse.

"In that case, we won't go with you. I heard that the county school prohibits entry and exit at 3:00 p.m. every day, so don't be late." After Li Yun'an said this, he said goodbye to Jiang Qian and Jiang Ping.

After sending Li Yun'an away, Jiang Ping asked Jiang Qian, who was trying to coax Jiang Zhong to sleep, in confusion: "Qian'er, since your classmates invited you to go with them, why don't you agree? If you go together, you can take care of each other and it will be much more convenient."

"Dad, don't ask anymore. I have my reasons for doing this. I'll coax Chong'er to sleep, you go and cook." Jiang Qian didn't want to explain too much to Jiang Ping, so he carried Jiang Chong into the main room.

Jiang Ping sighed and went to the kitchen. He always felt that Jiang Qian had changed a little after returning from Songcheng County. In the past, Jiang Qian rarely argued with Zhang Ying; now, the couple often quarreled.

The scene in the yard was seen by Zhang Ying who had been standing by the window. Like Jiang Ping, she always felt that Jiang Qian was drifting away from this family.

After returning to Jiang's house, Li Yun'an stayed in the kitchen waiting to help Song Li light the fire. He told Song Li and Yang Jing that Jiang Qian refused to go to the county school with him and Wu Mingde.

Yang Jing had the same idea as Li Yun'an. She thought it might be because Jiang Qian and Hu Zhimin were not familiar with each other.

Song Li thought that it might be because Jiang Qian had an inferiority complex. She had heard Jiang Qian and Zhang Ying quarreling at home. Jiang Qian had been dazzled by the title of scholar, and he began to dislike Zhang Ying for being illiterate and unromantic.

Jiang Qian initially agreed to go with Li Yun'an and Wu Mingde, probably because he thought that since they were all scholars, there wouldn't be much difference in their attire. But when he heard about the rich young man Hu Zhimin, he used the excuse that he wanted to stay home with his children more, probably because he was afraid that he would look shabby and downtrodden.

"Alas, many people can share adversity but not wealth. What's more, we don't have wealth yet!" Song Li couldn't help but sigh in a low voice.

After hearing this, Yang Jing glared at Li Yun'an. Li Yun'an, who was confused, quickly said that he was innocent.

"Jing'er, I just said it casually. Besides, Yun'an wouldn't dare to do that, because you have Master Yang and Sister Wu backing you up." Song Li hurriedly comforted Yang Jing. If Yang Jing and Li Yun'an were separated because of a word, she would become a sinner.

Yang Jing snorted, and continued with Song Li's words: "Xiao Li, this is a common problem among men. They don't cherish what they get. In the face of temptation, past feelings are worthless."

"Miss Yang, what you said is not right. Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty once wanted to marry his sister Princess Huyang to Song Hong, so he asked Song Hong his opinion on "changing friends when rich and changing wives when noble". Song Hong replied: A wife who has shared the hardships of life should not be divorced, and a friend made in poverty should not be forgotten. After hearing this, Emperor Guangwu gave up the idea of ​​asking Song Hong to divorce his wife and marry another princess. Both men and women have good and bad sides, and cannot be generalized." As soon as Chen Yuan finished speaking, Jiang Qingzhou and Li Yun'an couldn't wait to echo what Chen Yuan had just said. They both wanted to prove their innocence in front of their beloved ones.

"I think what Detective Chen said is right. Qingzhou, Detective Chen, have you reached an agreement with Jiang Xiaoniu?" Song Li asked, changing the subject.

Jiang Qingzhou asked Li Yun'an to take Yang Jing to the yard to rest, and then whispered to Song Li: "Jiang Xiaoniu's land is not for sale, he wants to pawn his wife for three years."

With a "pop", the dough in Song Li's hand fell onto the chopping board. She asked in surprise, "Is it Dian, Dian's wife?"

Jiang Qingzhou and Chen Yuan nodded at the same time.

"Jiang Xiaoniu originally wanted to sell the land, but then he felt that if he sold the land, the whole family would have no way to make a living, so he thought of pawning his wife for three years. I heard that he has found a family, who is forty or fifty miles away from here, and he pawned her for two taels of silver. Regardless of whether his wife can give birth to a son for that family in these three years, she will come back after three years." Jiang Qingzhou told Song Li, who was still in shock, everything he had heard from Jiang Xiaoniu.

Song Li had heard of pawning wives before, but she had never expected to see it around her. She couldn't help but feel sad for Jiang Xiaoniu's wife, whom she had never met. After being pawned once, it was followed by a second and third time, until no one was willing to pay to pawn her anymore.

Song Li was puzzled and asked why the other party could come up with two taels of silver but still wanted to pawn his wife.

Chen Yuan and Jiang Qingzhou looked at each other, and Jiang Qingzhou answered Song Li uncomfortably: "The other party is two brothers, and Jiang Xiaoniu's wife was pawned to both brothers at the same time."

"They are almost twenty years old. If they can't find wives, the government allows them to pawn their wives. Generally, no man is willing to be a cuckold unless he has no other choice." Chen Yuan added to Jiang Qingzhou's words. He remembered what he saw at Jiang Xiaoniu's house, two hungry children crying and an old woman who was bedridden but still yelling and cursing.

Song Li didn't ask any more questions. She took a few deep breaths and continued to cook. There are too many sufferings in the world, and it is not easy to live a good life.

Song Li was absent-mindedly eating the noodles with mixed sauce that she had made with soybean paste pickled in early autumn. She told Jiang Qingzhou that Li Yi was coming to stay at Jiang's house for a while, and asked Jiang Qingzhou to pick up the three children in the afternoon.

Jiang Qingzhou also heard from Chen Yuan about the theft that happened in the town last night. He asked Song Xing and Jiang Qingye, who were having dinner, to tell Master Li to pack Li Yi's clothes in advance.

The two children quickly said that they would definitely convey Jiang Qingzhou's words.

Chen Yuan and Li Yun'an talked about what happened yesterday afternoon, and Yang Jing then realized that Chen Yuan was the new mysterious neighbor next to her house.

Song Li looked at Jiang Qingzhou, Chen Yuan, Yang Jing, and Li Yun'an who were talking at the Eight Immortals Table, and then looked at Song Xing and Jiang Qingye who were eating with their heads down. She suddenly felt that she was extremely hungry.

Before leaving, Chen Yuan told Jiang Qingzhou that if anyone else wanted to sell land, he should remember to inform him as his cousin.

Jiang Qingzhou has become accustomed to Chen Yuan calling him cousin, and he said that if he has any news, he will definitely inform Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan turned around and coaxed Jiang Qingye and Song Xing to call him brother-in-law. The two men, who had a bottom line, shook their heads and said that this would ruin Ruyi's reputation and they were unwilling to do so.

Chen Yuan took out a wooden stick from the kitchen and started playing with it. He told the two of them: "If you want, I can teach you martial arts. I have been practicing martial arts since I was five years old."

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing threw their bottom line out of the window. They surrounded Chen Yuan and called him sweetly, "Brother-in-law."

Chen Yuan agreed with a smile, and then told Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou that he planned to quit his job as a constable after getting engaged to Ruyi, and prepare to open a martial arts school in town to make a living.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou agreed with Chen Yuan's idea. Although being a constable could exempt them from corvée labor, they still had to consider future generations.

When Chen Yuan, Li Yun'an and Yang Jing returned to the town, they first sent Song Xing and Jiang Qingye back to the study, and then continued to walk towards Nanguan together.

When Yang Jing saw Yang Yu standing at the door, she hurriedly hid behind Li Yun'an.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan teased Li Yun'an: "Mr. Li, you are in trouble."