When the pears are green

Chapter 179 Buying Books

Song Li was in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness all night, and after the cocks crowed twice, she was no longer sleepy. She first gently groped for the tinder, and then climbed out of bed quietly with the light of the tinder.

The autumn morning was chilly, and Song Li's shoulders couldn't help shaking. She endured the chill, lit the kerosene lamp, quickly put on her clothes, and then she felt her body warm again.

Song Li gently opened the door. Before she went out, she looked back at Jiang Qingzhou who was still sleeping. Seeing that Jiang Qingzhou's hands and feet were not exposed from the quilt, she walked out with peace of mind.

The sky was already slightly bright, with the morning star rising in the east and the full moon about to set in the west facing each other in the distance, heralding another sunny day today.

Song Li stood in the yard and sighed. It still hadn't rained. She wondered how long this autumn drought would last.

Song Li went into the kitchen and simply cooked rice porridge and eggs. She didn't want to travel on an empty stomach in the cold morning.

The Jiang brothers got up one after another. Jiang Qingzhou walked into the kitchen and asked Song Li who was lighting the fire: "Xiao Li, when did you get up? You didn't even call me."

"I just got up too. Is Qingye up yet? If not, go call him so as not to waste time." After saying this, Song Li touched Jiang Qingzhou's hand again. She felt it was a little cold, so she asked Jiang Qingzhou to go back to his room and put on some more clothes.

Before Jiang Qingzhou reached the kitchen door, Jiang Qingye walked in with a smile.

"Qingzhou, go put on more clothes quickly, and Qingye, I see you're wearing too thin. After you two put on more clothes, go wash up, and I'll serve the meal." Song Li hurriedly urged the two to go about their respective business.

The two brothers returned soon, and the three of them quickly finished their breakfast.

As Song Li walked out of the yard, she checked the pass and purse in her bag. Only after she found that everything was normal did she follow Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye to the town market with peace of mind.

Song Li, Jiang Qingzhou, Jiang Qingye, and Yang Yu and Yang Jing arrived almost at the same time. Song Li looked behind Yang Jing again and again, and asked Yang Jing: "Jing'er, isn't Sister Wu going?"

"Xiao Li, my third brother said that Sister Mingshu went home yesterday afternoon. Her second brother and his family came back from the county town to celebrate the festival, and Minghui and her second brother's wife came to pick her up." Yang Jing hurriedly explained to Song Li that although she wanted Wu Mingshu to go to the county town with her, she hoped that Wu Mingshu could reconcile with her family even more.

While the two were talking, Li Yun'an arrived driving a ox cart. He first asked about Wu Mingshu's situation. After learning that Wu Mingshu had returned to Wuzhuang Village, he asked everyone to get on the cart.

As he had to deliver bean sprouts to the restaurant, Li Yun'an went to the restaurant first. Jiang Qingzhou hurriedly went to knock on the main door of the restaurant. After a while, he happily opened the door with sleepy eyes.

Jiang Qingzhou helped Kai Xin take the bean sprouts to the kitchen. He and Kai Xin agreed to come back to settle the bill tomorrow.

As the ox cart moved forward again, Yang Jing told Song Li about her and Yang Zhang's visit to her uncle's house.

"My mother originally wanted me to marry my eldest uncle's cousin, but my third brother helped me refuse with just one sentence." After Yang Jing finished speaking, she turned around and looked at Yang Yu who was sitting alone at the back of the car.

Song Li asked softly, "Jing'er, what did Master Yang say?"

Yang Jing said that Yang Yu asked Yang Zhang if she still remembered Yang Yun who died in childbirth. After hearing this, Yang Zhang hugged Yang Jing and started crying. While crying about Yang Yun's miserable life, she said that she would find a good family for Yang Jing in the town.

"When my second sister passed away, I was only eleven years old, and I have forgotten what she looked like." Yang Jing covered her face with her hands, a little sad.

Song Li quickly comforted Yang Jing. She told Yang Jing: "Jing'er, sisters all look very similar. If you can't remember, just look at yourself and you'll know."

"Really? But everyone says that I look like my third brother, and only 40% like my second sister." Yang Jing asked puzzledly.

Song Li pointed at Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye and explained to Yang Jing: "Look at Qingzhou and Qingye. Although they only have their mouths alike, this one point can make people think of Qingzhou and Qingye. You two are also 40% alike, so it is easier for people to see you and think of your second sister."

Yang Jing nodded in conviction. She went on to say that she didn't like her cousin from her uncle's family at first, but Yang Yu rejected him on her behalf, and she was very happy.

Li Yun'an, who had been listening to Song Li and Yang Jing talking, turned around and asked Yang Jing: "Miss Yang, why don't you like your cousin?"

"How could you eavesdrop on girls' conversation?" Yang Jing questioned Li Yun'an angrily.

Li Yun'an replied helplessly: "Miss Yang, I don't want to listen either, but your voice is too loud and it automatically floats to my ears. You haven't answered my question yet. I am naturally very curious. If you don't tell me, I can't drive the car properly."

Yang Jing glared at Li Yun'an fiercely. She moved closer to Li Yun'an and whispered, "Because he bullied me when he was a kid, and I was too strong to fight back."

"Poor girl, no one will bully you anymore!" Li Yun'an turned around and said to Yang Jing with a smile.

The two chatted happily, so much so that Li Yun'an forgot that he was still driving the ox cart. If it weren't for the sharp-eyed Jiang Qingzhou who reminded Li Yun'an loudly, the ox cart would have flipped into the ditch.

Li Yun'an, who had escaped the disaster, kept patting his pounding heart, and the cold sweat on his head could not stop. He took the handkerchief handed over by Yang Jing and wiped the sweat on his head randomly. After his emotions stabilized, he continued to drive the ox cart to the county town.

Yang Jing was afraid that her words would make Li Yun'an happy again, so she covered her mouth and didn't say another word until they arrived at the county town.

Li Yun'an first drove the ox cart to the livestock storage area, and then lined up with everyone else to enter the county town.

Those who entered the city successfully stood at the city gate to discuss where to go. After some discussion, everyone decided to go to several bookstores on Nianfeng Street first.

As they walked, Li Yun'an introduced the streets of the county town to Yang Jing and Jiang Qingye, who had never been to the county town. He also promised them that after buying the books, he would go to the Hengqu Academy to listen to storytelling.

Jiang Qingzhou quietly said to Yang Yu: "Master Yang, in fact, Master Li knows how to please people better. Why don't you ask Master Li for advice?"

Yang Yu shook his head and said that Jiang Qingzhou's sincere approach was more effective.

They soon arrived at the intersection of four main roads. As they continued walking forward, Song Li couldn't help but look at the old man's Wei Jueming Study, which had now become a pancake shop.

Jiang Qingzhou shook Song Li's hand, and Song Li whispered that she was just taking a look, and the two continued walking forward.

"Although his shop is just a stall, it has quite a complete range of items." Li Yun'an pointed to several wooden tables placed under the tung tree in front and told everyone.

The group hurried over and saw many books piled on the wooden table. Most of them were handwritten, and only a very small number were printed.

The stall owner was a plump, dark-skinned young man in his twenties. He happily asked everyone what they needed.

Song Li casually flipped through the books on the table and asked the stall owner if he had any picture books.

"Yes, who are they for?" The stall owner glanced at Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye standing beside Song Li.

Song Li pointed at Jiang Qingye standing beside her and replied, "It's for the children to see."

The stall owner asked Song Li to wait for a moment, and he took out two picture books from the box behind him and handed them to Jiang Qingye.

Jiang Qingye quickly took over, they were "The Story of the White Snake" and "Lanxi Prison".

Song Li asked Jiang Qingye to take a look at it first and buy it if he liked it.

Jiang Qingye happily flipped through the two picture books in his hands.

Li Yun'an asked the stall owner if he had any new books. The stall owner squinted his eyes and took out a piece of paper folded into three from a wooden box and told Li Yun'an: "Sir, this is from Dunhuang and is very popular. Don't underestimate the content of only one piece of paper. This piece of paper can be sold for fifteen coins!"

After hearing this, Yang Yu and Jiang Qingzhou looked at the paper in the stall owner's hand curiously. They both wanted to know what was written on the paper that could be worth fifteen cents.

Song Li also came close to Jiang Qingzhou to take a look, and saw three big words written on the paper: Da Le Fu.

"Young man said it's worth fifteen cents. How can we know if we don't take a look? I don't want you to suffer any loss, so I'll just think of it." Song Li was not sure whether this fu was the famous health-preserving fu.

The stall owner smiled and lifted a corner, reading aloud: "Life is the foundation of human beings, and love..."

"Young man, stop reading, just say one sentence at a time." Song Li quickly interrupted the stall owner and couldn't help but exclaim in his heart: It really is this.

Yang Yu asked the stall owner whose work it was.

"I heard it was written by Bai Xingjian, the younger brother of the great poet Bai Juyi. This fu is very famous. You can buy it and take it home to read. However, you can only read it by yourself and cannot share it with others." The stall owner tried his best to get the three people standing in front of him to buy it.

The three of them discussed in low voices for a while, and Li Yun'an bargained with the stall owner: "We three want one each, brother, I'll give you a cheaper price, five cents."

Yang Jing also joined in the fun. She pulled Yang Yu's sleeve and said, "Third brother, I want one too."

The stall owner glanced at the beautiful girl who was talking, and he quickly waved his hand and said, "This is not for little girls. This guy's price is too high. It must be at least ten cents."

"It's only five cents. We three can buy one copy, and I can copy it for them when I go back." Li Yun'an continued.

The stall owner thought about it and agreed in casual clothes with a reluctant look, as he had copied it himself.

Song Li smiled and glanced at the three curious men, then asked Jiang Qingye, who was flipping through a book, if he had decided which one to buy.

Jiang Qingye was hesitating while holding the two picture books. Seeing that he was having trouble making a decision, Song Li decided to take both.

"Then give me thirty cents. There are three more books. I'll take them out for my wife. They are a set." After the peddler said this, he lowered his head and took out three books from the wooden box and handed them to Song Li.

Song Li took it in her hand and took a look. It turned out that "The Story of the White Snake" was a set of three volumes, and "Lanxi Prison" was a set of two volumes.

The stall owner was afraid that Song Li would bargain, so he said that he would not bargain if she bought it.

Song Li handed the purse to Jiang Qingzhou and asked him to pay.

Seeing that the four of them had bought books, Yang Jing begged Li Yun'an to take them to listen to storytelling.

The stall owner heard this and told everyone: "Why don't you go to the West Gate to watch the rain prayer? I heard it's very lively. If it weren't for these few copper coins, I would definitely go."

"Then let's go watch the rain-praying show." Yang Jing thought it would be better to go where there was a lot of fun.

Everyone nodded. After Li Yun'an thanked the stall owner, he led the group to the west city gate.