When the pears are green

Chapter 220: Growing Melon Seedlings

Jiang Ping came over and clapped his hands to tease Jiang Zhong. Jiang Zhong shouted “Ahhh” and stretched out his chubby little hands for Jiang Ping to hold.

"Chong'er, grandpa will take you to the village entrance to play, so that your mother and your aunt can talk for a while." Jiang Ping smiled and hugged Jiang Chong in his arms, holding Jiang Chong's little hand as they walked, pointing to the main road at the village entrance.

Song Li waved to Jiang Zhong who was lying in Jiang Ping's arms and looking at this side, and asked Zhang Ying if he wanted to come to her house for a visit.

"Sister-in-law, that's not necessary. I'm very confused right now. Just talk here." After Zhang Ying finished speaking, he looked up at the locust tree that was exposed outside the courtyard wall.

Song Li then asked Jiang Qian if he knew about this matter.

"Neither he nor dad knows. I just felt unwell a few days ago, so I went to the town clinic. The doctor said I was three months pregnant." Zhang Ying sighed as she spoke. She wanted this child to keep Jiang Qian, but she was also afraid that Jiang Qian didn't want it.

Song Li thought for a moment and whispered to Zhang Ying, "Sister-in-law, I heard from Jing'er that the county school will be closed again soon. It would be better for you to tell your second brother when he comes back. I am not you, and I don't know what the situation is between you and your second brother, so I can't irresponsibly persuade you to keep the child, nor can I instigate you to abort the child. I can only ask you to think it over before making a decision."

Zhang Ying looked lonely and forced a smile as he looked at Song Li.

Song Li quickly comforted Zhang Ying: "Second sister-in-law, clothes are not as good as new, and people are not as good as old. Maybe one day, the second brother will turn around and repent. Don't be too depressed. Besides, the second brother has always loved Chong'er. With Chong'er around, he won't be too harsh on you."

"My sister-in-law is right. Chong'er is still here. Please go home quickly. I will go find dad and Chong'er." Zhang Ying's mood improved. He said goodbye to Song Li with a smile and turned to walk towards the village entrance.

After Song Li returned home, she took a few watermelon seeds that she had saved last year, wrapped them in soaked cotton cloth and placed them in a cool place. She wanted to test the germination rate first. If the germination rate was too low, she would need to go to the grain store to buy new seeds.

The following days became very busy as Jiang Qingzhou had said.

Jiang Qingzhou suspended his business for two days, and together with Jiang Heng, Jiang Ji and Zhang Pingan who came specially to help, he tidied up the pigsty, chicken coop and rabbit hutch, and converted the previous pigsty into a donkey shed.

From then on, as usual, except on market days, Jiang Qingzhou still went to the nearby village with Zhang Pingan to sell tofu every morning, and leveled the remaining land in the new house at home in the afternoon.

Four or five days later, Song Li opened the still moist cotton cloth and found three watermelon seeds had sprouted, while the other two had no movement at all.

After Jiang Qingzhou returned home, Song Li told Jiang Qingzhou the results of the seeds germination. Jiang Qingzhou then took Song Li to the grain store in the town to buy some watermelon seeds.

After they returned home, they soaked the watermelon seeds in clean water overnight, wrapped them in cotton cloth early the next morning and sprinkled water on them every day.

About two days later, the seeds gradually sprouted tender white buds. Song Li planted all the germinated seeds in the land prepared by Jiang Qingzhou. When the seeds grew to the four-leaf stage, they could be transplanted into the wheat field.

The seeds slowly drilled out of the soil, grew tender green leaves, and slowly grew in the spring with changeable temperatures.

During the break in the study, Master Li and Li Yi came to see Song Li together. Li Yi put the two grass carps caught by Zhang Feng into the wooden basin beside the well, which attracted two cats to meow around the basin.

Li Yi was holding a branch to drive away the cat while telling Song Li: "Sister, my grandfather let Zhang Feng go to the lecture hall to study. Zhang Feng is very smart. Grandpa said he is a good student."

"That's great, but you have to play alone again." Song Li put the woven willow hat on Li Yi's head. Li Yi looked at Song Li with a smile, his bright eyes like the sky after washing with water, pure and moving.

Li Yi continued to tell Song Li about Zhang Feng. She went into the lecture hall with Zhang Feng to study. Although it felt a bit boring sometimes, it was much more interesting than sitting under a tree and daydreaming alone.

Song Li thought this was a good idea, so she asked Li Yi, "Where did Zhang Feng go?"

"He went home. He would go home every time he had a break, because he was afraid that if he didn't go back for a long time, someone would occupy his house." After Li Yi finished speaking, he handed the branch in his hand to Song Li, then jumped to Master Li and listened to him explain the contents of the book to Jiang Qingye.

"When you first learn the Analects, it is normal to not understand Zilu, Zigong, Zixia, Ran You, Yan Hui and others. Read it several times, practice makes perfect, and you will be able to understand it clearly. Reading should also be applied flexibly, not just memorizing by rote." Master Li closed the book and handed it to Jiang Qingye, asking him not to put too much pressure on himself.

Jiang Qingye nodded. He and Song Li sent Li Yi and Master Li to the courtyard. Jiang Qingye followed behind Song Li dejectedly, sighing constantly.

"What happened to Qingye?" Song Li turned around and asked.

Jiang Qingye lowered his head even more and answered Song Li's words in a low voice. It turned out that the bookstore was now starting to study the contents of the Four Books and Five Classics, such as "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Great Learning". Jiang Qingye felt that it was much more difficult than learning "Three Character Classic" and "The Rules for Being a Good Pupil and Child" before.

"Don't study too fast, take your time. If studying was easy, why would our ancestors have hung their heads on the beams and pierced their legs with awls to study? So without the accumulation of small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without the accumulation of small streams, one cannot form a river or sea. A good horse cannot take ten steps in one leap; a slow horse can travel ten miles in ten days if it keeps going. Even rotten wood cannot be broken if you give up halfway; even gold and stone can be carved if you keep going. This is the truth." Song Li said as she picked up another woven willow hat and put it on Jiang Qingye's head.

Jiang Qingye carefully thought about the meaning of Song Li's words, then he ran into the kitchen with a smile, took out a kitchen knife, and squatted beside the wooden basin to kill the fish.

After Song Xing returned home, she told Song Changhe, Zhang and Song Yue the news that Song Li was pregnant.

Song Changhe and Zhang walked back and forth in the yard excitedly, staring at the only two hens in the chicken coop, planning to take them to see Song Li tomorrow.

Song Yue ran into the room and took out the amulet given to her by Wu Mingde from under the pillow. She wanted to give the amulet to Song Li, hoping that it could bring peace and good luck to Song Li.

The next morning, the Song family rushed to the village entrance with their things. They were going to take Old Man Wang's ox cart to the town, and then go to Jiangjia Village to visit Song Li.

Whenever a villager asked Song Changhe where he and his family were going, Song Changhe would grin and answer that Song Li was pregnant, so naturally they were going to visit their daughter and future grandson.

Song Changhe walked excitedly in the chilly spring morning, and even the chirping of birds, which he usually annoyed, seemed much more pleasant to his ears.

After the family arrived in town, they went to buy pork first, and then went to Jiangjia Village. When they arrived at Jiang's house, Jiang Qingzhou and Jiang Qingye went to the restaurant to deliver the goods, and Song Li was sitting at the wooden table slowly eating breakfast.