Chapter 102
Hong Ling rolled her eyes at Liu Zhishuang in anger and said, "Brother, if you say that again, I'll take the passenger seat." Then she went forward and picked up Liu Baoguo, then waved to Hong Cui, "Come on, let's ride on the tractor too."
After hearing what Hong Ling said, the members watching knew what was going on. Several people started to make fun of Liu Zhishuang: "Zhishuang, you haven't even treated us to candy yet, and you're already trying to kidnap Xiaoman. Chen Dongsheng will beat you with a big stick."
Xiaoman climbed up to the co-pilot's seat silently. Liu Zhishuang said to the people who were making a fuss, "How do you know Uncle Chen is going to hit me with a big stick?" Without waiting for anyone to answer, he drove the tractor away, leaving the onlookers with a mouthful of dirt.
Everyone laughed and cursed, and after they finished laughing and cursing, they looked at Chen Dongsheng and his wife standing at the door with a little envy and asked, "They have decided on their relationship. How much will the captain's family give as a betrothal gift, and when will the marriage be settled?"
Chen Dongsheng and his wife were delighted to see Liu Zhishuang driving the tractor skillfully. At this moment, Chen Dongsheng no longer had any intention of letting his daughter learn the craft to teach their son - his son was still digging for food in the dirt, while Liu Zhishuang was already driving a tractor. It was a great honor for him.
So he smiled at the person who asked him the question with his usual simple and honest smile: "It hasn't been completely decided yet. As long as the children are doing well, there's no need to worry about the betrothal gift."
The noisy atmosphere outside could be heard in the house, and Director Zhang also had a smile on his face.
Of course, his intention was not just to have a meal at Xia Juhua's house. He solemnly repeated what he had said at the meeting, that is, preparations must be made for canal construction. This year, Ping'anzhuang Brigade must not only repair canals, but also repair more and better canals than other brigades.
"Once these two tractors arrive at the commune, other brigades will get the news and keep an eye on them. If you don't repair the canal well in Pingan Village, those people will have their eyes on these two tractors. I won't be able to handle it by then, so you can't go to the commune again."
Xia Juhua was angry: "Director Zhang, what else can the tractor do besides help transport the excavated soil? Don't we still have to dig it out with hoes and shovels?"
"Who told the county to specifically give these two tractors to Ping'an Village?" Director Zhang chuckled a little unkindly, "You don't know that the agricultural machinery station has been surrounded by the captains of the various brigades these days, and they are asking us to send technicians to their brigades every day."
By hiring a technician from the agricultural machinery station, two tractors can be brought to the brigade. Now all the team leaders want to establish good relationships with the people from the agricultural machinery station.
Xia Juhua no longer wanted to comment on those people's thoughts: "Director Zhang, I have no control over how they do things, but you know better than me how our brigade got these two tractors."
Director Zhang certainly knew this, but he had his reasons: "Captain Xia, don't tell me you don't know, with these two tractors, your brigade can save a lot of effort in the spring ploughing next year. With this effort, why can't you build more canals? For example, if your third team is connected to the canal of Ping'an Village, can you get more food this year?"
Xia Juhua and Li Changshun were silent. If the Third Team had not followed Ping'an Village closely this year and planted a lot of sweet potatoes, I couldn't imagine how they would live if they only relied on conventional crops such as corn and wheat.
Xia Juhua thought that it was only in the past few years that everyone listened to her call and used the winter off-season to concentrate on water conservancy construction and try to connect all the canals in the brigade. When the household contract responsibility system was first implemented, who would have been willing to let the canals run through their own land? As a result, only half of the canals were built, and the rest of the land depended on those few wells.
Wells cannot be dug everywhere, and it depends on whether they can produce water. According to Xia Juhua's memory, the third team basically relied on the weather throughout the 1980s. It was not until the mid-1990s that several wells were dug and all the land was turned into irrigated land.
"Captain," Xia Juhua looked at Li Changshun, "What do you think about us having a battle?"
Li Changshun saw that Xia Juhua had not spoken just now, so he knew that she was thinking about something, so he did not speak. Unexpectedly, Xia Juhua was so bold that she even dared to mention a battle: A brigade wants to engage in a battle, aren't you afraid of being laughed at if you tell others?
Xia Juhua is not afraid of being laughed at. One production team working together is agricultural production. Five production teams working together, what else can we call it if not a battle?!
Looking at the confident Xia Juhua, Director Zhang was not as shocked as Li Changshun. He just asked, "How are you going to fight?"
"I was thinking that when the commune gave us tasks, could we not assign tasks to each production team individually, but instead focus all our efforts on one production team first, starting with Team 3 and Ping'an Village. They are far from the Xianhe River. If we build a canal between Ping'an Village and Team 3, Team 3 will also be able to use the Xianhe River water to irrigate the land in the spring of next year."
"After we have completed the canal between our production team and the third team, if there is still time, we will continue to repair the canal between the fourth and fifth teams. After we have completed the canal between these two production teams, our brigade will only have the Xiaozhuangtou side left. They have already opened up the canal on the other side of the Xihe River. After the thaw of the ice, several production teams will work harder and use the time before the spring plowing. Maybe the canals of the entire brigade can be connected."
The more Xia Juhua thought about it, the more she felt that this was a very real possibility. If the canals of each production team could be repaired before the household contract responsibility system was implemented, everyone would have water to irrigate the land when the land was divided in the future. If two more water pumps were built by the Xihe River, the entire Ping'anzhuang Brigade would no longer have to rely on the weather for their livelihood.
Director Zhang looked at Xia Juhua, who was looking longing, and asked, "There is still halfway between Team 3 and Ping'an Village. Is there still time to repair the section between Team 4 and Team 5? What if the members of the small village have opinions and feel that they are at a disadvantage?"
Li Changshun said quickly, "No, I will do the work in Xiaozhuangtou." If the canals in the whole brigade were connected, how much more water would be needed to irrigate the land. Anyway, Xiaozhuangtou already has half of the land irrigated with water, and the remaining half can be used to grow sweet potatoes and last for a year.
Xia Juhua mentally mentioned the canal between Xiaozhuangtou and Ping'anzhuang and said, "Actually, Xiaozhuangtou and Ping'anzhuang are already connected. What remains is to connect them to the fourth team. If all the members of the brigade work together, it will be done in half a month."
It sounds like a promising future. Director Zhang nodded slowly and said, "Okay, I'll ask the people at the Agricultural Machinery Station when I get back. If they have nothing else to do, I'll see if they can provide you with more support."
Xiao Zhao and his friends had been eating hot and sour noodles, and now they said, "Director, as long as the Red Team members are quiet, we want to come here to eat hot and sour noodles every day."
Director Zhang smiled and said, "I know what you stationmasters are thinking. I'll think of a solution when I get back." They are just a few red teams. Can they still thrive without subsidies?
Since Director Zhang also supported his idea, the Ping'anzhuang Brigade convened all the production team leaders and brigade cadres for a meeting that night. I don't know if Li Changshun told Li Daniu in advance. At the meeting, Li Daniu didn't say a word of opposition, but was the first to assure Xia Juhua:
"Captain, don't worry. As long as the brigade says it's time to start repairing the canal, our production team will be there at any time. We will repair wherever we are told to."
Seeing that Li Daniu had taken the lead, the other three team leaders all expressed the same idea as him. The third team leader even bowed to those people and said, "Don't worry, when our production team is done repairing the canals, we will help you repair them even if it means delaying the spring ploughing next year."
Chen Qiusheng, on the other hand, was the one with the least burden. He pulled the captain of Team 3 and asked him to sit down: "Captain Niu, we are all from the same brigade. This is the unified arrangement of the brigade. It's too formal for you to say that."
Captain Niu shook his head and said, "It's not that we are being polite. Although it is a unified arrangement of the brigade, the confidence of repairing first and repairing later is different. We have fewer people in the third team, so we have taken advantage of everyone."
"Since everyone agrees, let's hurry up and start the work of the production team. We won't wait for the notice from the commune and will start repairing the canal in three days."
Chen Qiusheng smiled and nodded: "No problem, the 200 strong men from Ping An Village will definitely report to Team 3 on time."
In previous years, each production team only sent out a hundred people to build the canal. This year, Xia Juhua said that she wanted to have a battle, and each production team had just agreed to send out 200 people. Just by hearing this, everyone could imagine how heated the scene was.
Captain Niu said hurriedly, "I heard that when Ping'an Village was repairing the canal last year, someone delivered water and ginger soup to the repairmen every day. Our team three doesn't have that much ginger, but we're sure there's enough hot water."
Everyone laughed, and the fourth team leader said to Xia Juhua with some regret: "I was thinking of taking a few good guys to Ping'an Village to repair the canal in a few days. If we fall in love with a girl from Ping'an Village, we will make a fortune. But now we are going to the third team to repair the canal..."
"What do you mean?" Captain Niu was unwilling: "You look down on the girls of our production team, don't you? Just wait, don't let me hear that the young man from your production team wants to marry a girl from our production team. If I find out, I will break your head."
The fourth captain said fearlessly: "You still don't want to listen, ask them who doesn't want to marry the daughter of Ping An Manor now."
Li Daniu and a few others nodded to Captain Niu, making Captain Niu so angry that he gasped for breath.
After the meeting, Xia Juhua returned home and found that the light in the east room was still on. She stood under the window and asked, "Caifeng, why haven't you slept yet?"
Wang Caifeng opened the door and came out, whispering, "Mom, Xiaoqi is resting in Zhishuang's room, and Zhiquan and Li Lin have gone to the small village."
No wonder, Xia Juhua understood why Li Daniu was so easy to talk to today. He probably met Liu Zhiquan before the meeting.
"Okay, then you should take a rest first." Xia Juhua said and went back to the house. Wang Caifeng closed the door carefully. After hearing that the two children were silent, she followed them to the main room and said:
“娘，你剛走沒一會兒，我表姐就來了，說是地區供銷社給他們下了任務，想讓你再給炒一千斤花生，問你啥時候能把花生送來。”
還想讓自己炒花生？夏菊花疑惑的問：“他們哪兒來的花生？”問完才發現自己多想了，哪怕年景再不好，地區供銷社想弄點兒花生還是不費勁的。
“你咋說的？”
“我跟我表姐說，你到大隊開會去了，不知道有沒有時間，要問問你才能行。她家裏還有事兒，等不及就先走了，讓我千萬今天把話給你帶到，明天等着你回話。”王彩鳳一五一十告訴夏菊花。
夏菊花就不明白了：“你咋不答應她呢。就算我沒時間，可你炒花生的手藝不是已經練出來了嘛，你自己炒呀。一斤五分錢，五十塊錢呢，不賺白不賺。”
王彩鳳有些不好意思：“娘，那手藝是你教我的，要是你要炒的話……”
“說啥呢。”夏菊花沖王彩鳳擺了擺手：“我現在天天忙外頭的事兒還忙不過來，你覺得自己能忙得過來就接下，忙不過來的話，”想想要是這回推了的話，下次人家說不定就不找自家了，夏菊花還是舍不得：“要覺得忙不過來，就讓七奶幫你帶帶孩子，你咋也得把花生給你表姐炒出來。”
“要是人家吃出來不是娘炒的咋辦？”王彩鳳還是有些擔心。
夏菊花覺得根本不是問題：“他們嘴哪有那麽刁，我都吃不出來他們就能吃出來了。一年也就這個時候能炒幾鍋，你還琢磨啥呢。”
王彩鳳只覺得心放到肚子裏了，高興的點頭說：“行，那明天我就讓志全跟我表姐去說一聲。娘，等我掙了錢，咱們一人一半。”
人家為啥非得找劉家炒花生，王彩鳳心裏清楚着呢。
夏菊花卻不想要這個錢，告訴兒媳婦：“錢是你自己一鏟子一鏟子炒出來的，我可不要。你自己養兩個孩子呢，該拿的錢都自己收着。還有志雙那裏，也別讓志全老覺得占了他便宜，小齊虧不着志雙。以後他得專心開拖拉機，掙錢的機會多着呢。”
八十年代初，把方向盤的可是掙大錢的人。
說起劉志雙，王彩鳳可說的話就停不住了：“娘，你知道吧，小齊晚上跟我們說，他給孫紅梅介紹了個對象，孫家人已經同意了，聽說還是個吃商品糧的。就是歲數比孫紅梅大兩歲，不過那吃商品糧的咋看上孫紅梅呢？”
那是大兩歲嗎，那是能給孫紅梅當爹的歲數。
夏菊花聽聽東廂房孩子沒有動靜，就把齊衛東跟她說的情況，一一說給王彩鳳聽，把王彩鳳說的一愣一愣的：“那樣的人，孫家咋就同意了，孫紅梅自己也幹？”
對于孫家人，夏菊花不憚以最大的惡意揣測：“他們那一家子人，都是見錢眼開的主。老院劉四壯家的錢，不是一直都沒要回來？今年孫家莊也沒啥收成，他們家的錢又都讓紅小隊收走了，可不就想着用孫紅梅換糧食呗。”不過孫紅梅那自私的性子，老孫家也就占這一回便宜吧。
“那要是孫紅梅把那人給攏住了……”王彩鳳不得不擔心。這個時候的農民，對于城裏吃商品糧的抱有骨子裏的羨慕，總覺得他們辦起啥事來都比農民容易。
要說齊衛東給孫紅梅找的這個人，跟齊小叔還能拉上點兒親戚關系，真要對付劉家的話也不是不能對付。可齊衛東說的明白，那個人從腿腳不好以後，性格可能扭曲了，有精力估計也都用到孫紅梅身上，顧不上對付劉家。
就算真想對付劉家，夏菊花相信有齊衛東在，那人跟齊小叔的關系還能近過他去？沒見李林都跟着齊衛東跑呢。
聽了夏菊花的分析，王彩鳳才算放心：“這就好。不過娘，志雙是不是得抓緊時間給陳叔家過一下彩禮，要不讓孫紅梅比志雙先結婚，我這心裏總覺得志雙被她壓了一頭似的。”
夏菊花卻不這麽想：“她先結婚才好呢，結婚離的遠遠的，想給咱們添亂都沒機會了。不過等志雙回來，是得問問他。那個混小子，也沒跟我說明白他要過多少彩禮。虧他今天還有臉大模大樣帶着人家小滿去公社。”
王彩鳳就笑了一下：“保國回來說了，志雙給小滿買了一條紅色的頭巾。”
“晚上小齊過來，沒帶啥東西呀？他不是去找小齊置辦東西來着嗎？”夏菊花今天太忙，真沒顧上劉志雙買回來啥東西。
王彩鳳搖頭，帶着些自己沒幫婆婆掌好眼的內疚說：“小齊倒是拿了兩個紙包給志雙，不過他沒說是啥。”
有東西就行呀，夏菊花準備明天再問，打發王彩鳳回屋裏看孩子，自己躺下睡了。至于劉志全收粉條還沒回來，夏菊花已經不擔心了——他都那麽大的人了，也走了兩個生産隊了，要是還出纰漏，那也該他自己想辦法解決。
第二天起來齊衛東竟然沒走，就等着跟夏菊花說話呢。吃着早飯，他把自己了解的行情說了，現在糧食金貴，黑市上頭的糧食都比原來高了五成。這還是救濟來後落了價，前段時間都快翻倍了。
“嬸子，這糧食你還買嗎？”齊衛東要得了準話再辦事。
夏菊花果斷點頭：“買，能買多少買多少。志全，你把從各生産隊扣出來多少錢都記好了吧？”
她看劉志全，劉志全就看王彩鳳，見王彩鳳點頭，他也跟着點頭：“彩鳳都記下來了。”
看的夏菊花恨不得給他一下子：“讓你有空跟着志雙認認字，就算讓彩鳳教教你，是不是也比啥都指望別人強？”
劉志全悶聲應了一句：“今天我就學。”
行，總算沒給她支到明天去，夏菊花除了低頭喝粥，還能幹啥？
齊衛東覺得夏嬸子跟兩兒子說話很有意思，明明話語裏全是嫌棄，可等下回有事兒了還會不厭其煩的再教。那兩兄弟被罵了也不惱，有時明知道說的事兒會挨罵，也從來不肯瞞夏嬸子一點兒。
大概這就是一個願打一個願挨吧。
夏菊花是不知道齊衛東這麽想他們娘三個的關系，要是知道了說不定會告訴齊衛東，上輩子她被瞞的事兒可不少，這輩子也是經過幾次敲打，才讓這哥兩說老實話做老實事兒。
現在她還有事要問劉志雙：“小齊把東西給你買來了，你啥時候去隔壁？”
咋這個時候提這件事兒呢？
劉志雙有些不解的說：“娘，拖拉機剛來，我還想熟悉兩天呢。”
“去下彩禮才能耽誤你多大工夫？”夏菊花就差拍桌子了。
劉志雙有些疑惑的說：“娘，你現在脾氣咋一天比一天大呢？”
夏菊花沒理他，讓他快點兒吃完把齊衛東幫着買來的東西拿過來，她得看看東西多少，免得讓人家陳家人挑理。
劉志雙認命的扒拉完粥，把最後一塊二和面餅子塞進嘴裏，回西廂房拿過兩個紙包來。
“娘，這個大的是三米布，給小滿她爹娘。另外那一米五的紅布，給小滿，給小滿做一身。這個小的裏頭的布，娘你自己做身衣裳穿吧。”劉志雙邊說，邊打開紙包。
大紙包裏是青色和紅色的布，小紙包裏一塊青色一塊深藍色的斜紋布，都被疊的整整齊齊。夏菊花指着青色的布問：“咋都是青色的？”
齊衛東就笑着解釋：“嬸子，我想着這布最後不知道誰做，買一大塊裁的話不耽誤材料。這塊深藍的是我挑的，比你現在的黑褂子好看吧。”
夏菊花就問：“這兩塊布多少錢？我把錢給你吧，你還得給人家下彩禮，手裏該沒啥錢了。”
劉志雙笑嘻嘻說：“別的錢沒有，給娘買身衣裳的錢還能沒有？”
王彩鳳轉身回屋，拿出一雙棉鞋來：“娘，這鞋留着志雙結婚的時候你穿。”
夏菊花更覺得過意不去了：“你還帶着兩孩子呢，咋還給我做鞋呢。”說完，已經把劉志雙給買的布放下，試起新鞋來：“正合适，下回你可不用給我做了。”
齊衛東笑着跟王彩鳳說：“嫂子，下回等我看到有賣皮鞋的，給嬸子捎一雙回來，你好好帶着保國哥兩就行了。”
覺得自己已經被夏菊花誇獎過的王彩鳳，沒覺得齊衛東看不起自己做的棉鞋，笑着說：“行，你給我娘帶回來，多少錢你跟我說，我給你錢。”
齊衛東笑笑沒說話，夏菊花則把給自己的紙包收了起來，接着問劉志雙：“給多少彩禮錢？”
“不是說五十嗎？”劉志雙認為夏菊花應該知道，一副理所當然的樣子。
王彩鳳抿了抿嘴，沒說話。劉志全卻問：“那沒買兩樣點心，買點兒糖啥的？”咋也得湊成四樣，才象個樣不是。
Seeing Liu Zhishuang and Qi Weidong nod together, everyone felt relieved. Because of the local custom, the betrothal gift must be paid in the morning, so Xia Juhua decided to go to the brigade headquarters a little later today and find the Fifth Master to take care of this matter first.
The Fifth Master asked Qixi to go to the Chen family first, so that when they went there, everyone in the family would go to work. Xia Juhua said with a bit of self-pity: "I should have told you earlier, but one thing after another, I forgot. Chen Dongsheng and his wife won't make trouble, right?"