Chapter 53

Alas, Fifth Master thought angrily, the women in the village now only care about making money by weaving mats, and they are almost praising Xia Juhua, who helps them make money, to the sky. So every word Xia Juhua said was heard by those women in their hearts.

In the past, those old ladies with long hair and short knowledge were the first to think about going to the food station to sell food when they knew that they could make more money from selling surplus food.

Even though he felt a little uncomfortable, Fifth Master knew that it was not the women's fault that they listened to Xia Juhua - she had just been the production team leader for a few days, and everyone in Ping'an Village seemed to be led by her. There was no one gossiping on the street, and those who could move were either working in the fields or weaving mats. They worked their butts off.

If everyone had done the same thing a few years ago, the dividends from Ping An Zhuang would have been...

Others did not think as much as Fifth Master. When the Liu family heard him speak, they all gathered around. The men who had the final say looked at each other. Liu Daxi said to Xia Juhua, "Sister-in-law, do we have to pay everything? We have a large family and we have to buy some expensive grain every year to supplement our income so that we can harvest in autumn. Can we not pay?"

Not only did the Liu family look at Xia Juhua again with a calm face, but others were also waiting for Xia Juhua's answer, especially those from Chen Qiu Sheng's family and Li Changman's family, who were eagerly waiting for Xia Juhua's answer.

There were many people talking, but Xia Juhua gave a standard answer: "The brigade notified us that handing over the remaining grain is completely voluntary."

After saying that, she glanced at Wu Ye, signaling him not to say anything else. Some people can persuade, but some people think a penny is more important than a millstone, and persuading them will not be a good thing. Wu Ye has lived for so many years, what kind of people has he not seen? He immediately understood what Xia Juhua meant, knocked the tobacco pot against the sole of his shoe twice, snorted, and went home with his hands behind his back.

When the Liu family saw the Fifth Master leaving, they followed him. Liu Daxi said to Xia Juhua a little embarrassedly, "Sister-in-law, this is how my grandfather is, not towards you." After saying that, he didn't wait for Xia Juhua to reply, and hurriedly chased after the Fifth Master to help him, but the old man shook his arm and threw him away.

After Liu left, the yard was half empty. Xia Juhua asked Chen Qiu Sheng if he had anything else to do, but Chen Qiu Sheng kept shaking his head. What else could he have? His only job was to get home as soon as possible and find a wife.

Seeing that everyone was fine, Xia Juhua took her two sons home. She was anxious to go home to see how the sweet potato pulp she had ground at noon was doing.

It is winter now, not a good time to grind sweet potato pulp. If you are not careful, not only will your time be wasted, but the sweet potatoes will also be wasted. Now, Xia Juhua is like a miser, unwilling to waste even a little food.

Whether it is staple food or miscellaneous food.

Fortunately, the basin of sweet potato pulp was placed in the kitchen, and the water in it had begun to clear. Xia Juhua nodded in satisfaction. Liu Zhiquan and his brother also leaned over to watch, wondering why their mother was so nervous.

"Mom, if you're worried that we don't have enough food, I'll go to the other villages and collect some quietly." Liu Zhishuang suddenly proposed a method that Xia Juhua had thought about but never put into practice: "If we pay more than the grain station pays for the surplus grain, someone should be willing to sell it."

Of course, some people will sell them. Not only that, but when a natural disaster strikes next year, those sellers will buy them back from them at two or three times the price they paid for them.

But Xia Juhua only thought about this method, but never put it into practice. She couldn't get over the hurdle in her heart.

Now Xia Juhua is working desperately to lead all the people in Ping'an Village to earn money so that everyone can have some savings. When a natural disaster really comes, at least they can have money to buy life-saving food.

Xia Juhua couldn't do anything about buying food from others when she knew it was life-saving food. So she shook her head and said, "The grain station can accept it, but if we accept it, someone will say we are speculating."

"It's okay, mother. I'll quietly go to my father-in-law's village to collect some money and ask him to find someone reliable and strict-mouthed." Liu Zhiquan didn't want his brother to occupy all of his mother's attention, so he put forward a condition that Liu Zhishuang didn't have.

Liu Zhiquan's father-in-law? Xia Juhua secretly blamed herself for forgetting this matter. She glanced at Liu Zhiquan and said to him, "Come with me."

Why is Big Brother the only one? Liu Zhishuang touched his head and regretted marrying Sun Hongmei even more - if he had married someone else, he would also be a member of his father-in-law's family now.

Liu Zhiquan was also regretting why he mentioned his father-in-law's family. Now his mother actually asked him to secretly persuade his father-in-law's family not to hand over the leftover food, using the same unreliable reason from Chen Qiu Sheng's family.

Aren't we not allowed to even tell Chen Qiu Sheng's family? Why are we letting him tell them?

Xia Juhua said seriously, "Just tell them that I heard it, and it's up to them whether to believe it or not. If they don't believe it, if there is a disaster in the future, we can't even take care of ourselves, so I'm afraid we won't be able to help them."

Liu Zhiquan could only nod and couldn't think of any words to refute. The main reason was that his mother's attitude was too serious. Liu Zhiquan had been tortured by his mother's serious expression for many days. Now when he saw his mother's stern face, his first thought was to make his mother calm down quickly. He didn't have the idea of ​​resisting at all.

When she went back to her room to discuss it with Wang Caifeng, Wang Caifeng said without hesitation: "Go if your mother asks you to go. Forget it, you should go to work tomorrow, or I will go back to my parents' home by myself." Could the mother-in-law be wrong? Of course not. My mother asked Liu Zhiquan to send a message to her parents' home, it must be for their own good.

One has to admit that Wang Caifeng has now completely become a fan of Xia Juhua. She believes whatever Xia Juhua says.

The next day, Xia Juhua heard that Wang Caifeng was going back to her parents' home by herself, and asked worriedly, "Can you go back alone?" Her belly was so big, and she had to take Liu Baoguo with her.

Liu Zhishuang suddenly said cleverly: "Mom, let big brother and sister-in-law go together. Our production team's canal is almost finished, and big brother can save a day of work."

Liu Zhiquan reacted quickly: "You are thinking of working one more day than me." However, his brother asked him to go to his father-in-law's house with him, and his mother did not object, which meant that she was willing in her heart. Liu Zhiquan did not dare to say that he had to go to work.

Because Wang Caifeng was going back to her parents' home, Xia Juhua simply asked her to tell her parents how she was going to try to leak the powder, and the specific steps, so that the Wang family's sweet potatoes would not be wasted if they were not properly stored. This made Wang Caifeng's eyes wet again, and she wanted to go up and kiss her mother-in-law.

Xia Juhua made her hair stand on end. When she was about to leave, Liu Liqun appeared at the gate of the courtyard and said, "Captain Xia, the captain has prepared everything. I want to ask if you can leave now."

"Yes, I'm fine now." Xia Juhua decided to leave first, otherwise Wang Caifeng would cry in front of her and she would not try to persuade anyone.

Following Liu Liqun to the brigade headquarters, I saw that Li Changshun had already put on a half-new military uniform with three medals on his chest. I didn't know how he stood, but he stood straight beside the ox cart even though he had a limp, with his hands hanging naturally at his sides, not behind his back as usual.

That posture, as if he could pick up a wooden basket and go to the battlefield. Perhaps for Li Changshun, today was his battlefield. At this moment, Xia Juhua's resentment towards Li Changshun for forcing her to ask Section Chief Chen for a favor to buy wheat bran for other production teams disappeared without a trace.

She was for the Ping'anzhuang production team, and Li Changshun was for the Ping'anzhuang brigade. The starting points of the two were the same, but Xia Juhua cared about smaller things, while Li Changshun cared about larger things.

It's not for my own little family.

Li Changshun felt a little uncomfortable when Xia Juhua looked at him: "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get in the car. Let's try to get it done today."

"Captain, you get on first." Xia Juhua didn't dare to get on the cart before Li Changshun. Besides the fact that he was the captain, his age and physical condition were enough for Li Changshun to sit on the ox cart safely and early instead of standing there waiting for Xia Juhua.

"You sit down first, you're the only woman here," Li Changshun was a little impatient with such politeness: "You sit in the front, there are quite a few of us. Don't waste time with me, hurry up, or walk to the commune by yourselves." Li Changshun suddenly shouted at the brigade headquarters.

Four big bosses came out of the brigade headquarters at once, and Li Daniu from Xiaozhuangtou was among them. Needless to say, the remaining three were also production team leaders. Xia Juhua looked at the brigade accountant inquiringly, and he nodded to her.

Li Daniu was the one driving the ox cart. None of the other production team leaders were willing to get on the cart first. They all waited until Li Changshun was seated before squeezing to the back of the cart. Xia Juhua saw two people holding red paper rolls in their hands and asked in a low voice, "Captain, where is the commendation letter?"

Li Changshun raised his chin towards the person holding the red paper roll and said, "Isn't that it?"

It's true. Xia Juhua looked at the two people holding the red paper rolls in silence. She wanted to send the commendation letter in a lively manner to give Director Lin some face, but she never thought that Li Changshun would make such a big fuss.

Is this a letter of praise to Director Lin, or is this a moral kidnapping? If Director Lin is disgusted, I'm afraid he won't even accept guests from Ping An Zhuang anymore.

After a tangled journey, the ox cart finally arrived at the gate of the supply and marketing cooperative at a moderate pace. The three production team leaders at the rear of the cart had already jumped off, and the one who did not hold the red paper roll reached out to help Li Changshun.

Li Changshun impatiently opened the hand that was supporting him, saying, "I can get down by myself." One leg had already touched the ground. Perhaps he was in a hurry to get off the car, so the injured leg touched the ground first, and he lost his balance and almost fell down.

The one whose hands were opened was the production team leader of Team 3. He reacted quickly and immediately reached out to support Li Changshun, helping him to stand firmly before letting go. Xia Juhua held back her laughter, jumped off the ox cart, and asked, "Team leader, shall we go in now?"

Li Changshun glanced at her unhappily and said, "Just go in like this, why do we need so many people here?"

Was it you who wanted to bring all these people here? Xia Juhua muttered to herself, wondering if she should quietly go in and say hello to Director Lin first, so that she wouldn't be blamed.

Li Changshun seemed to know what Xia Juhua was thinking. He glanced at her, stopped her, and said to Li Daniu, "Quickly move the ox cart aside. It's getting in the way." He then shouted to the production team leader of Team 3, "Go to the commune and invite Director Zhang. Tell him that I'm waiting for him here."

After yelling at the two production team leaders, Li Changshun patted his half-new military uniform, touched the hook at the collar, checked to make sure all the buttons were fastened, and then raised his chin and ordered Xia Juhua: "Go and invite Director Lin."

What exactly do you want to do? Can you give me some definite information? Xia Juhua did not move.

Li Changshun was a little impatient: "Hurry up, Director Zhang of the Commune Revolutionary Committee will be here soon. If Director Lin hasn't come out yet, who will you give your letter of commendation to?"

Come on, who made you the team leader? Xia Juhua walked slowly towards the supply and marketing cooperative helplessly, hoping that Li Changshun would stop her at the last minute and tell her how to make Director Lin understand that they really came to deliver a letter of commendation, not to embarrass the supply and marketing cooperative.

Even though the supply and marketing cooperative was always the busiest place in the whole commune, the sight of several grown men standing at the door of the cooperative without entering still attracted the attention of the salespersons. When Xia Juhua came in, Wang Caixia was the first to ask, "What are you going to buy? Why don't those people come in?"

Xia Juhua shook her head and said, "Where is Director Lin? Our captain wants to see Director Lin."

Even though Wang Caixia had always had a good relationship with Xia Juhua, she wanted to curl her lips after hearing this. The team leader was a senior official in the eyes of the peasants, but he was not so prominent in the commune. In the eyes of the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, he was really not worth mentioning.

After all, a large part of the production materials of each brigade can only be purchased through the supply and marketing cooperatives. The director of the supply and marketing cooperative has the final say on which brigade to give the materials to first and which brigade to give them later. So no matter which brigade leader saw Director Lin, they had to smile. They couldn't ask Director Lin to go out and see their brigade leader as Xia Juhua said.

I think my face is a little too big.

Wang Caixia kindly reminded Xia Juhua in a low voice: "Let your captain and his men come in. Director Lin is here, but who knows if he's busy right now. Don't delay his work."

Xia Juhua herself also thought it would be better to let Li Changshun come in to see Director Lin, but could she convince the old man? No one had ever pinned their military medals on their chest.

So she could only put on an embarrassed smile to Wang Caixia: "There is no way, our team leader is a little different from other team leaders. You know he is an old revolutionary, even the commune has to give him some face. By the way, he has already sent someone to invite Director Zhang of the Revolutionary Committee."

Wang Caixia was really shocked. Is the captain of Ping'an Village Brigade so powerful? Regardless of whether he can invite Master Zhang or not, if he dares to invite him, it means that he thinks he can.

You have to tell Director Lin whatever you say.

Wang Caixia took Xia Juhua to Director Lin's office. Director Lin was quite happy to see Xia Juhua and greeted her. He was so shocked by Li Changshun's operation that he couldn't sit still: "He said he wanted to invite Director Zhang?"

Although the supply and marketing cooperative has a lot of status in the commune, the status is given by people, and both sides need to cooperate with each other in many tasks, so Director Lin has always maintained a friendly relationship with the commune revolutionary committee.

Like Wang Caixia, Director Lin also felt that no matter whether Director Zhang would come or not, he had to go out to meet the captain of the Ping'an Village Brigade. When he went out, he even straightened his clothes and used his fingers to comb his hair twice.

Wang Caixia whispered to Xia Juhua: "This is the first time our director has acted like this..."

As a result, when Director Lin was about to turn around and talk to Xia Juhua, Wang Caixia swallowed her words back.

Xia Juhua had to put on a smile for Director Lin again: "Director, our team leader is an old revolutionary. He thinks that the supply and marketing cooperative supports our production so strongly, so he should send a letter of praise to the supply and marketing cooperative."

Director Lin smiled and said he didn't care. He asked Xia Juhua, "How is your mat weaving going? Let me tell you, I took your new mat to the county supply and marketing cooperative. The county supply and marketing cooperative wants to order another 400 mats directly from your production team and send them to the regional supply and marketing cooperative."

Four hundred pieces, one thousand yuan! Xia Juhua was shocked by the number, but she didn't let it overwhelm her. She said with some embarrassment: "Director, the reeds for our production team are all cut in the fall. By the time you finish your task, they will be almost all used up."

Xia Juhua thought that time and manpower were no problem - if the women of Ping'an Village heard that they could weave mats all the time, they might not even have to celebrate the New Year - but the problem of reed stalks was a big issue.

Director Lin frowned. As the director of a supply and marketing cooperative that was always out of stock, he understood too well the pain of having no rice to cook. Thinking about the reed stalks, Director Lin left the door of the supply and marketing cooperative with a frown on his face.

"What's the matter, Old Lin? The Ping'anzhuang Brigade is here to give you a letter of commendation, not to ask you for urgent supplies, but you are still unwilling to accept it. If you really don't want to accept it, then our Revolutionary Committee will keep the letter of commendation." When someone saw Director Lin frowning, he said jokingly.

Xia Juhua took a quick look around. The person who was speaking was wearing a half-worn blue Zhongshan suit. He had a square face and a 3:7 side-parted hair. He was standing next to Li Changshun and greeted Director Lin with a smile.

"Director Zhang," Director Lin took two quick steps and stretched out his right hand with a smile, "I heard Captain Xia say Captain Li was coming, so I rushed out to greet him, but I didn't expect you to get there first."

After shaking hands with Director Zhang, Director Lin extended his hand to Li Changshun, shook it and shook it up and down: "Captain Li, you are so polite. Our supply and marketing cooperative is to serve the peasant brothers, and we can't afford an old revolutionary like you to come all the way here."

Li Changshun's hand swayed along with Director Lin's: "I would be restless if I didn't come here. Captains Da and Xia told me that our supply and marketing cooperative has always supported the production of the Ping'anzhuang production team, which means it supports the production of our brigade. Thank you, thank you so much to the comrades of the supply and marketing cooperative."

After saying that, Li Changshun let go of Director Lin's hand and looked back at the production team leaders of Team 2 and Team 4 who were holding the red paper roll. The two of them gently unfolded the big red paper. On the top of the red paper in Team 2's hand, the three characters "Thank You Letter" were written in thick ink.

Director Zhang started clapping, and Xia Juhua and the salespeople who followed from the supply and marketing cooperative also started clapping. Li Daniu was a little slow to react, and after being glared at by Li Changshun, he clapped his hands loudly.

Pedestrians on the road were attracted by this scene and stopped. Seeing that the director of the Revolutionary Committee and the director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative were there, the sales clerks also clapped their hands, and one by one they followed suit.

Xia Juhua felt that her brain was not enough. The scene was very lively, too lively, wasn't it? She couldn't figure it out. Since Li Changshun was able to invite the director of the commune's revolutionary committee, he must have a good relationship with him. Then wouldn't it be too simple to ask the director of the revolutionary committee to negotiate with the noodle factory and buy some wheat bran?

Why go through so much trouble and go through Director Lin's approach, which we don't even know if will work?

Before she could figure it out, Director Lin took the letter of thanks with a flushed face, turned around and handed it to Chen Xiaoman, then turned back and held Li Changshun's hand, shaking it excitedly and refusing to let go.

When Director Lin calmed down and asked Director Zhang and others to come into the supply and marketing cooperative, Director Zhang shook his head and refused: "No, I have to go back soon. Since Captain Li is here to thank you, you just need to talk nicely."

After that, he smiled at Li Changshun and said, "Uncle Li, Director Lin is a capable and enthusiastic person who has always been committed to serving the members. If you have any difficulties in production, Director Lin will do his best to help you solve them. You must not leave at noon today. I will wait for you at the commune."

Uncle Li? Xia Juhua's already inadequate brain was even more confused. The commune director called Li Changshun "uncle", so it was no wonder that he invited someone to come.

Director Lin was obviously also shocked by Director Zhang's address to Li Changshun. After returning to the office and sitting down, the first thing he asked was, "Are Captain Li and Director Zhang related?"

Li Changshun shook his head: "No, it's just the child of an old comrade."

Everyone present was shocked, and Li Daniu even forgot where he was: "Captain, why didn't you tell me about this earlier? If I had known earlier..."

Li Changshun glared at him and said, "What if I had known this earlier? I would have stopped causing trouble for him earlier. Director Zhang is nostalgic, and I can't take advantage of my age."

Xia Juhua lowered her head, thinking, if you don't want to take advantage of your seniority, why did you specially call someone over to help you? You don't want to cause trouble for others, so you can cause trouble for Director Lin later? How can you say that out loud?

Facts have proved that Li Changshun could teach Li Daniu a lesson with righteous words, and he could also ask Director Lin for help in a serious manner: "... Director Lin, you also know that the production teams have a heavy task of raising pigs, and pigs eat human food. We heard that the noodle factory grinds its own flour, and the bran inside is piled up in vain, so we wondered if we could buy some to feed the pigs."

Director Lin looked at Xia Juhua, the only person he was familiar with, with some confusion. Unfortunately, Xia Juhua was looking down, and no one knew what she was thinking. She just didn't meet his eyes.

"Is that so?" Director Lin laughed. "Raising pigs to support the people in the city is indeed an important task."

Li Chang nodded solemnly: "So in order to complete this task, I have to ask Director Lin for help."

Director Lin suddenly had an idea: "Speaking of which, our supply and marketing cooperative and each brigade and production team all help each other. For example, if we want to purchase the mats prepared by each production team..."

Xia Juhua had to look up, and happened to meet Director Lin's smiling eyes. She heard him say to Li Changshun: "But we have a heavy purchase task now, and we need a lot of reed stalks for weaving mats."

Xia Juhua's eyes widened. Director Lin actually asked Li Changshun for reed poles on her behalf!