Chapter 106
Liu Daxi's wife Chang Guihua also came to pick up Fifth Master. She was a little depressed after hearing what he said, but she took it with a smile on her face: "Why can't I see it? Tomorrow I will tell Third Aunt to let her find a partner for Sixth Master as soon as possible. Master, you don't know that now many girls from other production teams are willing to come to our production team to visit relatives."
Why did you come willingly? Master Wu knew clearly in his heart, and the smile spread across his wrinkled face, and he could not take it back.
Li Changshun was picked up by Liu Zhishuang on a tractor. When he saw Fifth Master wearing new clothes, he started to mock him: "You are such a slut. You still wear new clothes for your birthday at such an old age."
The Fifth Master replied cheerfully, "Life is getting better and better. Juhua said that I will have new clothes in the future. Why should I keep them? If you wear an old military uniform all year round like you, how many clothes can you wear? Now you are wearing them all. Let's see what you will wear when you are in the coffin."
If someone else said this, Li Changshun would definitely curse back, but when the Fifth Master, who was older than him, said this, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I still have a new set, waiting to wear it when I get into the coffin."
The Fifth Master looked at him unhappily and said, "You have no ambition. You are only thinking about what to wear when you are in the coffin. I just don't want to think that life is getting better and better. Why should I be afraid of having nothing to wear when I am in the coffin?"
Yes, Pinganzhuang and even the entire Pinganzhuang Brigade were getting better and better, as anyone with eyes could see. That year, before the New Year, all the canals in the entire Pinganzhuang Brigade were cleared, and the land in the entire brigade became waterlogged.
So much so that in the second year, God felt guilty and kept the previous year's rain for that year as well. The drought in Pingde County almost turned into a flood, and the canal in Ping'an Village also played a huge role.
The canal can not only divert water, but also smoothly divert the accumulated water in the fields into the Xihe River, avoiding inland flooding and reducing disaster losses. As a result, during the autumn harvest, the Ping'anzhuang Brigade once again had a bumper harvest of grain, while other brigades could only pay half of the public grain.
Ping'anzhuang Brigade kept their word and paid back all the reserve grain borrowed the previous year that year. The entire brigade also replaced the reserve grain with new grain. After hearing about it, the newspaper people came to Ping'anzhuang again. This time, the Ping'anzhuang Brigade's canal was not only published in the county newspaper, but also in the regional newspaper.
However, in the local newspaper, the news about the Ping'anzhuang Brigade's canal construction only occupied a small space, and the entire newspaper was filled with large sections of articles criticizing the criminal group.
Looking at the newspaper specially delivered to her by the county newspaper office and listening to the announcer reading the critical text in a passionate voice over the loudspeaker, Xia Juhua knew that with the demise of the evil group, spring had really begun to approach people this autumn.
So she called together several production team leaders and asked them to talk about their respective assets - when spring really came, the production team would fall apart, and all assets would be clearly divided among the members. Xia Juhua hoped to give more support to the people of Ping'anzhuang Brigade before that, so that the members would have more confidence in the future to deal with the great changes they had never seen before.
The first person to report was of course Chen Qiu Sheng. This year, the work points of the Ping An Zhuang production team exceeded the 25-cent mark for the first time. Each work point was worth 26 cents, and the collective surplus money reached 1,000 yuan.
The other four production teams were much worse, with work points ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 cents, and the collective surplus was no more than 500 yuan. But for their own production team, it was an unprecedented harvest. So even though everyone looked at Chen Qiusheng with green eyes, they still had smiles on their faces.
Accountant Chang also talked about the brigade's accounts: the Ping'anzhuang Brigade's account balance was 2,744.7 yuan.
Li Changshun, who was listening in, was shocked: "Why does the brigade have so much money? Has the levy been handed over?" The production team handed over the levy to the brigade, and the brigade also had to hand it over to the commune, which was why the commune allocated production data to the brigade. Li Changshun was worried that Xia Juhua and her team were only interested in strengthening the Ping'anzhuang Brigade's assets, and ended up withholding the levy.
For Li Changshun, who has been truly selfless all his life, he never wanted this kind of situation to happen under his nose.
Xia Juhua knew that he always put the collective first, so she quickly said in a soothing tone: "Don't worry, captain, we have paid the full amount of the reserve fund. This year is a good year. You can see that the work points of every production team are much higher than in previous years, so the team has more than enough money to retain."
Li Changshun then nodded and said nothing. Li Daniu and the other four production team leaders looked at Chen Qiu Sheng with complicated expressions: Ping'an Village has the highest work points. Don't think they don't know that Ping'an Village set aside the one thousand yuan specifically for buying reed poles from other production teams.
Chen Qiusheng seemed to be unable to feel the gazes on him. He pondered over what Zhang Cuiping had said to him: "You need to talk to the team leader. This year, the supply and marketing cooperative suddenly placed an order for the word seat again. The quantity is quite large. Should we still prepare the basket?"
Xia Juhua didn't know that Chen Qiusheng was also responsible for such a mission. She asked the other four production team leaders, "This year, the sorghum planted is small. Do your teams have enough sorghum seedlings for sweeping and cooking brooms?"
After sorghum is husked, the empty ears left are called sorghum seedlings. The brooms and cooking brooms made of them are compact and easy to use, and are very popular. Xia Juhua thought that although these two things are not worth much, they are useful to every household and government agencies. So she went to the county supply and marketing cooperative to find Director Zheng and asked him if he could buy them openly.
Director Zheng has benefited greatly from Ping'an Village's calligraphy mats, decorative baskets and various animal products in the past two years. He is often praised even at meetings of the regional supply and marketing cooperative, and he is eager for Xia Juhua to come to him.
When I heard that they just wanted the supply and marketing cooperative to take over all the brooms and kitchen dustpans of Ping'anzhuang Brigade, I agreed without hesitation. However, the condition was that the specifications and sizes of the brooms and kitchen dustpans produced by each production team must be similar.
There is no way. Nowadays, brooms and cooking brushes are all made by hand. Each family has its own way of making them and each person has his own specifications. The sizes are always different. If there are only one or two, it is fine. But if there are hundreds or thousands of them piled together, it looks irregular.
Xia Juhua was already familiar with the matter of unified specifications, and she agreed immediately. She returned to Ping'an Village Brigade and told the four production team leaders about the situation, and they performed the broomstick-tying exercise for Xia Juhua on the spot.
Finally, everyone decided on the length, thickness and size of the brooms and cooking dustpans. Xia Juhua also explained to them why they had to decide like that: the cost of making the brooms also had to be calculated. The supply and marketing cooperative only gave fifty cents for a broom, and even less for a cooking dustpan, at just twenty cents. If too many sorghum seedlings were used, it would be a loss.
But Li Daniu and a few others were impressed. They asked why the annual work points in Ping'an Village were so high. It turned out that people had already considered whether they could make money before working, so of course they would not suffer losses.
When the members of the production team heard that they could earn cash by making brooms and cooking dustpans, they were all very happy. All the canals in Ping'anzhuang Brigade had been opened, and they had nothing to do this winter, so going to level the land was just for show. The brigade had two tractors, and they could borrow a few more from the agricultural machinery station from time to time. In the early spring, the tractors plowed the soil deep and fast, but now they were working so hard. Working hard earned five work points a day, which was not as exciting as making cash by making brooms.
When Xia Juhua asked if there were enough sorghum seedlings, Li Daniu shook his head and said, "Not really. Everyone heard that they could receive orders from the county supply agency, and they were so busy planting sorghum every day that the sorghum seedlings would be gone in two days. Someone also told me that our production team should plant more sorghum next year, otherwise there would be no sorghum seedlings in the winter."
Multiple varieties of sorghum? Xia Juhua thought that the person who came up with this idea must be a bit stupid. Even an illiterate person could figure out the price of wheat and the price of a pound of sorghum.
Besides, the Pingan Village Brigade now irrigates the fields. This year, the wheat yield reached 520 catties per mu, while the sorghum yield was only over 300 catties. Even if the money for making a broom is added, the income is still not as high as that from wheat.
What is going on in your mind when you give up wheat which tastes better and brings higher income and grows sorghum?
"Then what do you think?" It was useless for the members to complain, as they still had to look at the ideas of the production team and the brigade. Xia Juhua didn't want to make all the decisions for the production team - spring was coming, and the big contract farming was about to start. She could save some money in the next few years, and when Qiweidong built the agricultural and trade market, she could invest in it and collect rent to support her retirement.
Li Daniu had obviously thought about this question, and said carefully: "I want to collect some sorghum seedlings from other brigades just like Ping'an Village collects reed stalks."
Pinganzhuang Brigade had irrigated land, so except for a few crops that had to be paid as public grain, the rest of the land was planted with wheat, which allowed the dividends of each production team to reach a higher level. However, other brigades did not have the convenience of Pinganzhuang, and still distributed land equally among various crops.
They have the sorghum seedlings that Ping'an Village needs.
Captain Niu curled his lips, thinking that there was no need for Li Daniu to be so cautious. As long as it could increase income, the captain was not afraid of the production teams testing the policy edge - Ping'an Village was now harvesting reeds, which had become a fact recognized by the entire Hongxing Commune and even the entire Pingde County, and the captain did not hide it.
Why can't they harvest sorghum seedlings? Team 3 has already harvested a batch.
Like the third captain, Xia Juhua only asked if the money in the small farm's account was enough to buy sorghum seedlings, and had no intention of stopping it. Captain Niu felt that he still had to tell Li Daniu, lest the two production teams charge different prices, which would cause conflicts and make Xia Juhua angry:
“李隊長，你們要是收高粱苗的話，可別比我們生産隊出的價錢高啊，我們是一斤二分錢。”高粱苗除了紮掃把，還能趁沒失水的時候喂牲口，所以收起來比葦杆貴。
李大牛沒想到牛隊長又走到他前頭，有些不滿的說：“你們生産隊啥時候收的，咋不告訴我一聲呢？”
牛隊長沒一點兒心虛的說：“高粱苗不夠用，可不就得收點兒。我還以為你們幾個早就收了呢。”
四隊五隊隊長：咋有這麽臉皮厚的人，難怪三隊今年的工分值，是四個生産隊最高的。
至于平安莊，他們早已經沒有跟他們比的心思了。
四隊長看了牛隊長一眼，自己向夏菊花提出了問題：“大隊長，平安莊招人編籃子，真跟城裏工人一樣給開工資？”
夏菊花自己沒回答這個問題，而是看向陳秋生。陳秋生點了點頭：“咱們每個生産隊的工分值不一樣，要是按換工算的話怕我們生産隊的社員有意見。按你們生産隊的工分值算的話，又怕那些去編籃子的人吃虧，不如每個月給工資合理。”
當然是每個月給工資好，現在平安莊編席編籃子的訂單自己完不成，不得不向別的生産隊招人，雖然他們只要女的，那四個生産隊也一點兒意見都沒有。
有啥意見，婦女們幹本生産隊的活不如男的力氣大，現在大隊又有了兩臺拖拉機的加入，不管是春耕還是秋收都省力不少，不必如往年一樣，那兩季得全生産隊能動的人都下地拼命，社員們都巴不得自己媳婦，跟平安莊的婦女一樣掙現錢呢。
“那一個月給多少錢？”五隊長覺得，工資還是得當着夏菊花的面問清楚才踏實。
陳秋生笑了一下：“頭一個月是學技術，給發六塊錢。從第二個月開始，技術合格的，每兩天半編一張席或是每天編三個籃子的定量，能完成每月十五塊錢。能再多編出來的，就按多編出來的單算錢。”
其實按各生産隊的工分值來算，這份工資并不算太多，但是它穩定呀：哪個婦女都不能保證自己一個月一天工不誤，更不能保證生産隊有足夠活分配到自己頭上——冬閑的時候男人們都得貓冬，平安莊的婦女卻要編席編到臨過年才放假。
要不平安莊憑啥一個工分值合到兩毛六！
“那咋挑人，一個生産隊挑多少？”五隊長的問題層出不窮。
陳秋生并不覺得麻煩，耐心的給他解釋：“每個生産隊十名，要不地方太窄了坐不下。不過這十個人，我可不敢保證都能留下，合格不合格我說了不算。”
想到趙仙枝和張翠萍嚴格的要求，夏菊花不由一樂，她完全相信陳秋生這個說了不算，是發自髒腑的心裏話。
別的生産隊長卻有些不相信，四隊隊長終于開口了：“你是生産隊長，安排個人去編席，說了還不算？”糊弄誰呢。
陳秋生這回沒解釋：教編席的又不是他，到時候這些人就知道趙仙枝和張翠萍的厲害了。
真當他的日子過的容易呢，要不是齊衛東悄悄送到平安莊那一車車紅薯，後來各糧站收上紅薯後，也找到平安莊請他們漏粉兒，他這個生産隊長都不見得當得成呢。
你去平安莊看看，還有老爺們敢大聲說話的沒有，還有老爺們敢沖媳婦動拳頭的沒有，還有老爺們敢随随便便自己就給閨女訂親的沒有？！
再沒有比平安莊老爺們更憋屈的男人了。
陳秋生有些興災樂禍的看着興致勃勃議論着咋選人的四個生産隊長，心想着你們現在高興吧，想辦法把自己媳婦都塞去學編席吧，等你們媳婦跟平安莊的婦女們，學會咋對付男人，可別怪自己沒提前給你們打預防針。
完全不知道陳秋生想法的四個生産隊長，回生産隊後已經開始頭疼了，他們發現平安莊一個生産隊只招十個婦女，簡直給自己出了一個大難題：
現在的生産隊，差不多都是一姓或是兩姓人聚居在一起，有幾戶雜姓也早因為嫁娶，大家親戚套上了親戚，你說讓誰去不讓誰去？
難怪陳秋生把頭一道選擇權留給他們，這小子從一開始就沒安好心。
不管安不安好心吧，生産隊長們誰也不敢硬氣的對陳秋生說，他們不選，平安莊想招人就自己來選。
那是把好事往外推呢。
四個生産隊長都知道，如果他們真跟陳秋生這麽說了，那小子絕對敢真不從他們生産隊招人，而把名額分給另外三個生産隊。
想找大隊評理，夏菊花還能不向着陳秋生嗎？說不定這主意就是夏菊花給陳秋生出的呢。
最終他們還是把十個名額都分配出去了，裏頭有多少是親戚，有多少是他們自己家裏頭的人，趙仙枝不管，她對所有來報道的婦女問的頭一個問題是：“誰認字？認識多少，正經上過學的有多少？”
四十名婦女裏只有十幾個年輕點兒的舉起手，聲明自己認字。張翠萍就把這十幾個人帶到一邊，自己考起人家都認多少字來——很遺憾，十幾個人裏沒有一個正經上過學的。
趙仙枝還有第二個問題問剩下的二十幾個人：“誰在家編過席或是籃子？”
婦女們面面相觑了一下，慢慢都舉起了手。安寶玲過來把大家領到了紅翠她們那個屋子裏，一人發了一個蒲團，一把葦杆：“都別害怕，你們先編一下我看看基礎咋樣。”
不是讓自己過來學編席的嗎，咋先讓自己編起來了？有人不滿的嘟嚷一句：“你們平安莊是不是想學我的手藝？”
安寶玲笑眯眯沖人一樂：“要是怕我們偷學手藝，那你就別編了。”
那人本以為安寶玲好說話，不想她接着就來了一句：“回家吧，要不以後天天在一起編席，我們把你的手藝給學去了咋整。”
“我，我不是那個意思，我就是……”聽說讓自己回家，說話的人慌了。她是五隊隊長的叔伯弟媳婦，五隊隊長的親娘親自說情，才得到了一個名額，哪肯回去，連忙向安寶玲解釋自己剛才不是懷疑安寶玲，只是怕……
安寶玲還是笑眯眯的：“沒事，我們都知道誰要是有了手藝，都怕別人學去。你自己本來就會編席，來平安莊也學不着啥，不如自己回家編席掙的多。”
問題是現在供銷社都不願意收散席了，葦子杆又都讓平安莊收來，她上哪兒找葦子杆編席，編出來又賣給誰掙現錢？！
不管那個婦女先是道歉後頭撒潑，安寶玲就是一句話：“回家吧，要是手藝外傳了你家裏人也得怪你，那我們多不落忍。”
連撒潑都鎮不住安寶玲，那個婦女不得不在別人開始破葦皮的時候，灰溜溜走了。她心想着自己回了五隊，就跟隊長好好說說，平安莊根本不是誠心招人，他們就是想偷學別人的手藝，被她揭穿惱羞成怒才把她趕回去的。
不想五隊長聽了之後，當時就跟帶叔伯弟媳婦來的親娘炸了：“人家想學她的手藝？她手藝那麽好，供銷社咋不給她下訂單，天天上門來收她編的席呢。人家平安莊就想看看去的人有沒有基礎，好知道從哪步開始教，那也不對了？”
五隊長親娘從來沒見兒子發這麽大的火，膽有些虛的說：“那跟她說清楚不就行了，咋還把人給攆回來了呢，一點兒面子也不給你這個生産隊長。”
“人家憑啥給我面子？”五隊長太會看地風向了，活的比誰都明白：“是咱們求着人家分口飯吃，不是人家求着咱們幫忙。”
“那，要不讓小文去？”親娘覺得浪費一個名額怪可惜的，向五隊長提出了替代人選。
五隊長被親娘給氣樂了：“娘，你是我親娘。要是她，”指指被說得啞口無言的叔伯弟媳婦：“要是她一點也不會，教也教不出來，人家還能同意換個人。現在她是懷疑人家要偷學手藝，我再送個人過去，人家給我一句擔不起偷手藝的名聲，你兒子咋有臉再去平安莊，又咋從平安莊走回來？！”
叔伯弟媳婦臉上青一陣紅一陣，一聲都不敢吭，心裏後悔自己嘴快，就算回來了也該悄悄在家裏躲兩天，不應該想着讓五隊長替自己出頭。
在平安莊丢臉生産隊知道的人不多，可隊長親娘剛才跟她來的一路，問起來的人可不少——那十個名額太招人眼熱，誰去誰不去生産隊的人都記着呢——她為了博得隊長親娘的同情，可沒少跟別人說平安莊的不是。
明面上那些人都跟着說平安莊要求太多，可背後不見得咋笑話她失去一個名額呢。說不定以後生産隊再有啥好事兒，隊長也不會再想着他們家了。
Over at Ping'an Village, An Baoling was waiting for the women to finish their weaving work, but she was also not idle. She had a handful of reed bark at hand, and with her ten fingers flying, she had woven half of a basket in a short while.
It was more of a small decoration than a basket. It was too small to hold anything, but the shape was something the women in other production teams had never seen before. They then understood why An Baoling had the guts to send the woman back - they had never seen anything she had woven before, and even if she had woven it in front of them, they would not have seen how it was done. So why did they need to steal her craft?
Soon Zhang Cuiping brought over the dozen women who said they could read. Andingling asked them, "How are they? How many of them can learn to weave mats?"