Chapter 100
The fifth master took a sip of the tobacco pipe with satisfaction, and then said, "Since both of your families have no objections, then let's do it this way. The two children are willing, so there is no need to visit each other's house. None of you know how each other's family is doing."
Xia Juhua thought for a moment and said, "There's one more thing I want to say. I'll start with this. If Zhishuang and the others are successful, I want to separate the family and let them live their own lives. I've actually had this idea for a long time. You all know about our family affairs in the past, so I can't bring it up. I'm telling you now so that you don't think I have any opinions about Xiaoman later."
Chen Dongsheng and Sun Zhaodi were silent for a moment, and Master Wu looked at Xia Juhua in confusion: "Why do you suddenly want to divide the family property among them?"
Xia Juhua said, "Now that Zhiquan's family has two children, Caifeng can't go to the fields to earn work points, so this year Zhishuang and I will each carry one child's food and earn work points. When Zhishuang and Xiaoman are done, we can't let Zhishuang support his brother."
Master Wu knocked on the tobacco pot thoughtfully and asked, "Have you told the brothers about this?"
Xia Juhua shook her head: "I haven't said it yet. A big tree needs branches. Brothers should live their own lives to have fewer conflicts. If you keep using a spoon in the same pot, the ladle will inevitably hit the edge of the pot. Instead of getting angry, it's better to separate right from the beginning."
Chen Dongsheng glanced at Xia Juhua and said slowly, "But if Xiaoman gets married, you will have to divide the family property between the two brothers. People will think that our Xiaoman is too busy or unwilling to support his brother."
Since it concerns the reputation of the young lady, the honest man Chen Dongsheng cannot help but think about it.
Xia Juhua shook her head and said, "I was afraid that people would say this in the future, so I thought about separating the family once they got married."
"I don't agree." Xia Juhua had just come home and told her two sons what she thought when Liu Zhishuang yelled at her: "We have been living well together, why do we have to separate after I get married? Mom, Xiaoman is not the same as Sun Hongmei, don't worry about her causing trouble after she gets married."
In front of her son, Xia Juhua said bluntly: "I'm not afraid of Xiaoman causing trouble, I'm afraid someone will try to provoke Xiaoman."
Everyone knew who might be the one to provoke Xiaoman, without Xia Juhua telling them. Qi Weidong, who already knew the Liu family's situation very well, got angry when he heard it: "Auntie, leave this matter to me. You can't give up your marriage just for a scabby Zhishuang."
"Mom," Wang Caifeng's eyes were red. "In the future, Zhiquan and I will work hard to earn as much money as possible. We don't need Zhishuang to raise children for us. This family cannot be divided no matter what."
"If the family is still struggling to make ends meet and we have to stick together to survive, mother wouldn't talk about dividing the family. Now life at home is much better than before, and you can all support yourselves. It's time to separate." Xia Juhua finally had a legitimate reason to propose a separation, so she naturally insisted.
Liu Zhishuang gritted his teeth and said, "Mom, if we have to split up, then I'd rather not get married."
"Nonsense." Xia Juhua glared at him and said, "Your uncle Chen and aunt Chen have agreed, and Xiaoman is waiting for you to marry her. Now you say you don't want to get married. What should Xiaoman do?"
Qi Weidong stood up and winked at Li Lin and Xie Hongbing, and the three of them left the house without saying a word. Liu Zhiquan wanted to greet them, but seeing that Xia Juhua didn't move, he had to sit back and said in a muffled voice: "Mom, if you must give us two separate families, then you have to live with me."
Liu Zhishuang was already furious, and he got even more furious when he heard his brother say this: "Why should Mom live with you? I want Mom to live with me. I've always made Mom worry, so I have to be filial to her for a few days."
"I won't live with anyone." How could Xia Juhua live with them? She said firmly, "I can still move on my own now, I don't need your respect. Just remember to save money and build your own house quickly, and move out."
Liu Zhishuang, who was furious, suddenly laughed: "Mom, all my money has to be used as a dowry for Xiaoman. I have no money to build a house, so I have to live in the west wing forever."
Liu Zhiquan followed suit and said, "I have to give Baoguo two grains in exchange for food, and I don't have money to build a house."
What kind of sons do you raise?
Xia Juhua looked at her two sons who were as naughty as children in silence, and was speechless for a moment. Wang Caifeng's eyes lit up, and she pursed her lips to laugh but didn't dare to laugh out loud, and glanced at her mother-in-law from time to time.
"We have to build it even if we have to borrow money!" Xia Juhua said angrily, "Tomorrow you two will make adobe bricks and tiles for me. When you have enough, Xiao Qi will help you get the wood."
Making adobe bricks and tiles? The two brothers who had just been so lax heard these two terms and their eyes lit up like Wang Caifeng's: "Mom, you said we should build a tile house?"
If you don't build a tiled house, why build a new house? It's better to continue to deal with it together. Xia Juhua looked at her two sons unhappily and said, "Go back to your own rooms. I'm angry just by looking at you."
The Liu family was not on the same page, and Chen Dongsheng's family was not much better. After Sun Zhaodi returned home, she thought more and more that Xia Juhua's proposal to split the family was wrong at this time: "What do you think the captain was thinking? As soon as Xiaoman and the others' matter was brought up, she wanted to split the family for the two children?"
Chen Dongsheng thought Xia Juhua had a point: "Are you willing to take on the work points of supporting Liu Zhiquan's children after Xiaoman gets married?"
"But if the family splits up, she won't be able to live with the captain. If the captain can take care of Xiaoman, Xiaoman won't have to worry about her future." Rather than saying that Sun Zhaodi is interested in Liu Zhishuang as a son-in-law, it would be more accurate to say that she is interested in Xia Juhua as a relative.
Now the in-laws actually want to divide the property between their two sons, and Sun Zhaodi feels very unhappy.
"Can the captain live alone? He must have a son. Then Xiaoman can be sweeter and more hardworking. When the captain sees that Xiaoman is filial, how can he not live with them? By then, he will have to teach Xiaoman all her skills." Chen Dongsheng felt that nothing was more important than letting Xiaoman marry Liu Zhishuang.
By marrying Liu Zhishuang, she will enter the captain's family. In the future, is there any fear that the captain will not teach his skills to his daughter?
If I teach my daughter, then it would be like...
Chen Dongsheng was becoming more and more proud of himself. He didn't notice that his daughter was already standing in the room. She even said to him, "Whether the captain is willing to teach me the craft or not, I will live a good life with Brother Zhishuang and be filial to the captain."
"You little girl, are you trying to rebel?" Chen Dongsheng was embarrassed when his secret thoughts were heard by the young lady, and he tried to use the authority of a father to shut the young lady up.
But if Xiaoman didn't have her own ideas, she wouldn't have run to Liu Zhishuang when her mother asked her to go on a blind date: "Dad, the captain has been very good to the people in Ping'an Village. We can't always think about his things."
Chen Dongsheng was a little speechless, and he said with all his strength: "I am doing this for your future well-being, right?"
"Dad, you know it in your heart whether it is for me or not." Xiaoman, who has always been taciturn, spoke clearly today.
Sun Zhaodi was afraid that the two of them would make too much noise and be heard by the neighbors, so she tried to persuade her daughter: "Your father is really doing this for your own good. Think about it, the captain is already over 40 years old, how many years can he still work? If you learn the skills and make money in the future, can the captain live with you and enjoy life?"
Xiao Man was unmoved and only believed in her own reasoning: "Anyway, if the captain is willing to teach me, I will learn. If she is not willing to teach me, I will not make it difficult for her. Even if I learn the skills, they belong to the Liu family. I will not teach them to anyone who is not from the Liu family."
What is the saying that a married lady is like spilled water? Chen Dongsheng, who has not yet married a lady, thinks that this is the case. The worst thing is that he cannot even regret it now, and he is even afraid that the neighbors will hear him scolding the lady.
As if he had guessed what his father was thinking, Xiaoman's face was tense: "Dad, I know you want our family to live a good life, but isn't the life that the captain leads the people of Ping'an Village good? What belongs to our family is ours, and if we take what is not ours by force, we will be laughed at."
Chen Dong fell on the kang angrily and said nothing. Sun Zhaodi pushed the girl and said, "Your father didn't say anything, but you are so rude. Don't worry, as long as you live a good life, we will be happy to see it, and no one is forcing you."
Chen Dongsheng didn't get up from the kang until Xiaoman left. Sun Zhaodi sat on the edge of the kang and said, "Don't force Xiaoman. I heard Fifth Master talk about Zhishuang and Xiaoman this morning. Didn't you say that Xiaoman would have a good life in the future?"
Chen Dongsheng sat up this time: "Even if her life is better now, she can't ignore her brothers at home!"
Sun Zhaodi was a little surprised: "Now the work points in the team are so high, Shuanzhu and Liuzhu can earn full work points. Our family's dividends in the production team are already high, so we don't need Xiaoman to supplement it anymore."
None of it makes sense. None of it makes sense.
Chen Dongsheng felt that no one could understand his devotion to his son, and said bitterly: "The captain just doesn't have a concubine. Otherwise, you see, she is more concerned about her son than I am about finding a concubine to support him."
Sun Zhaodi didn't believe it: "I don't think the captain is that kind of person. Look how good she is to the girls. She taught them to read and gave them rewards when they came up with new ideas. The girls are very proud of themselves because they are led by the captain."
Because Xia Juhua had made her feel proud, Xiao Man dared to say that she would not teach her son the skills she learned in the Liu family. Chen Dongsheng fell back on the kang in frustration: "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten how many work points Xiao Man had earned for the family. It's really a waste of money to support her."
Upon hearing this, Sun Zhaodi was no longer willing to do it: "My daughter was only a little girl when she started to wash clothes for her brothers and help me clean the house. When she grew up, she even cooked for me so that I could work in the fields with peace of mind. Oh, my daughter didn't do any work at that time, so why did she have to hand over all the work points she earned to you?"
見陳冬生不說話，孫招弟更來氣：“老人家都說婦女能頂半邊天，咱們家要不是有我們娘兩個，你們爺三天天得吃生的。現在還嫌乎我閨女沒法再給你掙工分，那你自己去跟五爺說，等閨女給你掙夠了工分再嫁給志雙。”
陳冬生哪敢去跟人說，想息事寧人：“我啥時候說不讓她嫁給志雙了？”
“那你還說白養閨女了？”孫招弟一年來往家裏掙現錢，早就有底氣讓陳冬生認清現實了：“這一年我跟閨女都買了幾回肉了，你們爺三買過沒？吃的倒挺歡。”
此時齊衛東自己又回到了劉家的院子，見劉志全和劉志雙兩個都在院子裏站着，正房的門關的緊緊的，小聲問：“嬸子生氣啦？”
劉志全就瞪他兄弟：“我娘沒生我氣，讓志雙給氣着了。”
說好的是老實人的親哥呢？劉志雙有些不可思議的看親哥一眼：“你自己沒問娘是不是要蓋瓦房？”
“啥瓦房？”齊衛東沒聽懂。
劉家兄弟就将夏菊花讓他們脫土坯、打瓦片的事兒說了，齊衛東樂了：“我說你們兩也夠實在的，咋就想不明白嬸子的苦心呢。這院子就這麽大，你們都結婚了，誰知道得生幾個孩子？院子住不下，早晚都得另蓋房子。嬸子一定是想着趁她還能張羅得動，替你們把房子張羅起來。”
真是這樣嗎？剛才感受到夏菊花決心的劉家兄弟半信半疑，架不住齊衛東的張巧嘴把黑的都能說成白的，想忽悠他們哥兩個跟玩似的。
在應下給哥兩個買木頭的難題之後，劉志全和劉志雙不得不相信，夏菊花真的是在為他們哥兩考慮——齊衛東要通過親娘收粉條，才認識他們哥兩，否則不可能主動答應替他們買木頭。
想通了的兄弟兩個，一齊到窗戶底下請夏菊花出來吃飯，齊衛東見夏菊花開了門，笑嘻嘻的說：“嬸子，知道你嫌我們吃的多，我已經把李林和謝紅兵打發回縣城去了，今天晚上就我自己在家裏吃。”
夏菊花可不覺得齊衛東說的是真的，狐疑的看了他一眼，人家臉上一點兒破綻都沒有，也不好問的太多，幾個人吃完飯後，劉志全兄弟兩個一個騎自家的自行車、一個騎齊衛東的自行車，去四隊收粉條，齊衛東才消停跟夏菊花說話。
“嬸子，我覺得那個孫紅梅留在孫家莊是個禍害。剛才跟李林他們去孫家莊打聽了一下，她還沒嫁人呢，我想着不如在志雙結婚之前，把她給嫁出去。”
孫紅梅能聽你的？夏菊花搖頭說：“那一家子人心氣高着呢，不會讓孫紅梅随便就嫁人的。”
“當然不會讓她随便嫁人。我們都聽說了，她爹娘一直說要給她找個吃商品糧的，可吃商品糧的能看上她？這不一年了還呆在孫家呢。不過現在孫家快揭不開鍋了，她不想嫁也不行了。”想想自己打聽到的情況，齊衛東深覺劉志雙當年娶孫紅梅，一定是腦子裏沒少進水。
“謝紅兵有一個叔叔，是糠醛廠燒鍋爐的，腿腳有點兒不好，一直沒娶上媳婦，脾氣就有點兒爆。可人真是吃商品糧的，我覺得孫家應該能同意，讓謝紅兵回去問他叔了。”
如果夏菊花沒記錯的話，謝紅兵好象管齊小叔叫姐夫，那他的叔叔跟齊衛東應該也算是親戚，這麽坑人家，真的好嗎？
齊衛東面對夏菊花的目光，一點兒也不心虛：“謝紅兵他叔想娶媳婦都快魔症了，他肯定能同意。再說他那個脾氣，應該能壓得住那個叫孫紅梅的。”
夏菊花問了一句：“謝紅兵的叔叔多大歲數了？”有正式工作還吃商品糧，這樣的人哪怕腿腳不好，也該早娶上媳婦了。
齊衛東笑了：“好象跟嬸子你年紀差不多。別看是謝紅兵的叔叔，可小時候家裏失火燎着臉了，腿上的傷也是那時候落的，要不咋也不至于燒鍋爐。”
夏菊花徹底說不出話來了，只在心裏默默告誡自己，以後跟齊衛東打交道可不能得罪他，這貨心眼太小太會算計了。
跟昨天去收粉條一樣，九點多的時候劉志全兄弟兩個已經回來了，收到的粉條也差不多是四百多斤，齊衛東就按照七毛三付了錢，再把跑腿錢遞給劉志全。
這次劉志雙沒拒絕劉志全分給他的一半，不過卻不肯自己去送齊衛東，非得讓劉志全幫齊衛東送回縣裏。
等兩人走了，劉志雙才問：“娘，齊哥跟你說啥了？”
“他覺得孫紅梅留孫家莊是個麻煩，想給她介紹個對象，讓她嫁的遠遠的。”夏菊花定定看着劉志雙的反應。
劉志雙有點兒吃驚：“他給孫紅梅介紹對象，人家能看上孫紅梅嘛。”說着帶了些憧憬：“要是孫紅梅真嫁得遠遠的就好了。”
見他是這個态度，夏菊花放心不少：“行了，成不成還得看小齊找的人，孫家能不能看得上。”
說是這麽說，夏菊花心裏還是覺得希望不小，盤算着問：“你覺得哪天上小滿家合适？”
劉志雙一臉信任的說：“都聽娘的。”
再問：“那你覺得該給多少彩禮合适？”
劉志雙還是一臉信任：“娘你說給多少，我就準備多少。”
夏菊花聽了不禁想笑：“我說給一百塊錢，再拿五十斤麥子，你有嗎？”
劉志雙啞了，一百塊錢湊一湊他還能拿得出來，這樣的年景想拿出五十斤麥子來，他還真有些為難。不過還是咬着牙說：“我找齊哥想辦法。”
“現在的糧食價太高了，不如讓小齊給你買點兒布，給你陳叔陳嬸一人做一套衣裳。”夏菊花不再為難小兒子，真心的給他出主意。
于是劉志雙第二天接過劉志全剛騎回來的自行車，上縣裏找齊衛東去了，夏菊花只能走着去大隊部。路過小莊頭的時候可不得了，被李大牛給看了個正着，人家叫了一聲大隊長，也不說別的，就是不讓夏菊花走，小眼神裏全是哀怨。
夏菊花被李大牛看的直發毛：“你有啥話直說，這麽看着我好象我多對不起你似的。”
李大牛跟做賊似的四下裏看了又看，聲間小得幾乎聽不見：“大隊長，你別聽四隊隊長說得好聽，我們生産隊給老人的面也已經發到位了，那幾個生孩子的婦女我也讓我媳婦問過了，都願意辦幼兒園。你就別生我的氣，讓志全晚上來我們生産隊收粉條吧。”
夏菊花十分無語的看着李大牛：“李隊長，我昨天不是已經說清楚了嘛，志全沒收過粉條。”
“大隊長，”李大牛沖夏菊花招了招手，示意她跟自己往人更少的地方走，邊走邊小聲說：“昨天晚上我都看到志全兄弟兩個從我們生産隊過了，你還瞞着我。你放心，等志全他們來了，我一定只說是我自己家裏用，不跟別人說是他們收的，咋樣？”
說着聲音裏帶了哀求：“志全他們再不來我們生産隊，那些人都要直接把粉條送到你們家裏去了，我費了多大的勁才給攔下。”
聽他說得懇切，夏菊花終于松了口：“不是不想到你們生産隊收，不過有點兒事兒怕你不同意，沒敢讓志全來找你。”
“啥事兒，大隊長你盡管說。四隊能辦到的，我們小莊頭同樣能辦到。”李大牛就差舉起手來發誓了——生産隊那些人都快把他耳朵吵出繭子來了，現在夏菊花說啥他都願意聽。
夏菊花就把要從每斤粉條裏扣出三分錢，用來買點兒糧食，好給巡邏的民兵每晚加餐的想法說給李大牛聽，把李大牛說的一拍大腿：“這是好事兒，我還能不同意？大隊長你太小看我了。”
說完見夏菊花定定看着自己，李大牛不得不想起自己幾次與夏菊花打交道，很少不反對夏菊花意見的實情來，臉上讪讪的不再言語。
“那行，等人家再要粉條的話，我讓志全先來小莊頭。”夏菊花唠叨了一句：“我覺得這天也不可能一直旱着，說不定哪天就下雪了，來年就不旱了。可想有收成咋也得到夏天打小麥，紅薯或是粉條也得留夠自己家吃的。”
李大牛頭點兒的跟小雞叨米似的：“對對對，大隊長你說的都對。我也覺得粉條得夠吃了，總不能自己吃的都沒有，賣了錢再拿錢買不着吃的不是。”
夏菊花又用剛才的目光看李大牛了，李大牛慢慢低下頭——他想起去年這個時候，小莊頭還真有不少人家，都把餘糧給賣了，就圖一斤多出的那三分錢。
結果好了吧，當時是得了便宜，可開了春就不見下雨，夏莊稼差點兒指望不上。要不是今年多種了點兒紅薯，有紅薯葉子摻着，小莊頭能餓死兩口子。
His face turned redder the more he thought about it. Li Daniu abruptly changed the subject: "Captain, you said that the drought won't last too long, right? Then I'd better arrange some people to push the river mud to make adobe bricks. Otherwise, the water in the Eyang River will accumulate and the mud will be difficult to push." Li Daniu looked at Xia Juhua, as if as soon as Xia Juhua opened her mouth, it would snow tomorrow to alleviate the drought.