Chapter 107
Zhang Cuiping looked at the woman who came in with her with some dissatisfaction: "So-called literacy, that means you can write your own name and recognize a few simple characters, just to see how the basics are."
The word "foundation" was also uttered by Xia Juhua for the first time. After hearing it, Zhang Cuiping wanted to use it in every sentence, thinking it was very fashionable and sophisticated.
An Baoling smiled and said, "It's okay to give it a try, but you have to ask first if they are willing to weave in front of us. Just now someone was afraid that I would learn her craft, but I didn't dare to bear the reputation, so I asked them to go back."
The women who came in later had already sat on the futons. After hearing An Baoling's words, they secretly looked at the people who came in before them, wanting to know who was so ignorant.
Zhang Cuiping was delighted to hear this, and readily asked the people who came in with her: "Has anyone here ever woven mats or baskets before? If you're afraid that we might have to learn the craft, you can tell us directly." She glanced at everyone.
No one looked at Zhang Cuiping. All those who had just been confused by her test were cursing the person who was eliminated early. They looked at the reeds beside them, hoping that Zhang Cuiping would let them start weaving things as soon as possible.
Zhang Cuiping seemed to have heard everyone's thoughts. Seeing that no one was talking, she smiled and said, "Then start making it up."
It should be said that although the four production team leaders were a little selfish and arranged for people who were closer to them to come to Ping An Zhuang, they knew in their hearts that Ping An Zhuang would not want those who had no foundation at all. Therefore, there was no problem in the initial stage of these forty women, the only difference was the degree of intensity and the speed of progress.
Like An Baoling, Zhang Cuiping took some fresh reed skin after a few glances and started to weave the baskets with her fingers. The people who came to participate in the selection would secretly check on her and An Baoling's progress from time to time, and their initial feeling that Ping An Zhuang was too strict gradually changed.
They have their reasons for being strict. They come here to make money. How can they give you money for nothing? No wonder even Xia Juhua, who originally came up with the idea of weaving new mats, did not become the production team leader of Ping An Zhuang but became the team leader. Ping An Zhuang's work of weaving mats and baskets has not been abandoned, and the orders are booming and increasing.
Look at how capable An Baoling and Zhang Cuiping are. They can arrange the mat weaving work clearly without Xia Juhua. And Zhao Xianzhi and her sister-in-law Chang Xiancao, I heard that they are in charge of the collection and delivery of reed stalks for Ping'an Manor.
I wish I could be as capable as them someday.
Zhang Cuiping, who didn't know that she had been listed as a capable person by other women in the production team, nudged An Baoling with her elbow and whispered, "There are not many people who can teach basket weaving directly. Why don't we talk to Auntie Xiancao and teach them how to weave mats?"
An Baoling shook her head: "I don't know what the four production teams were thinking. They didn't choose a few girls to come over. Young people have good memories and are nimble, so they learn things faster. If they had learned earlier, wouldn't they be able to earn money for their families earlier?"
Zhang Cuiping thought she could figure out what was going on: "Auntie, you haven't figured it out yet. They are afraid that the girls from their own production team will take a fancy to the boys from our production team. How dare we let them come to Ping'an Village to weave mats every day?"
An Baoling also has two sons, but she is now thinking about making money by weaving mats, and she really doesn't think about this. After listening to Zhang Cuiping's words, she still finds it a little funny: "What's wrong with marrying into Ping'an Village? Our annual food and work points are only deducted by 1,500 per person, and the work points are twice as much as other production teams. If a girl marries here, she will fall into a blessed nest." Should she start to look for Zhijun?
Zhang Cuiping chuckled and said, "But we have to bring all the betrothal gifts that are famous in Ping'an Village back to my husband's family."
This was the trouble caused by Liu Zhishuang: although Liu Zhishuang gave Xiaoman 50 yuan as a betrothal gift that day and bought fabric for Chen Dongsheng and his wife to make new clothes, in order to let people know that he was not after the Liu family's money, Chen Dongsheng wrapped the 50 yuan in red paper in front of everyone on the wedding day and gave it to Xiaoman to take to her husband's house.
At that time, everyone praised Chen Dongsheng's actions. Even when the young men in Ping'an Village got married again, the relatives who wanted their daughters to hold their heads high in their husband's family after marriage were embarrassed to leave any betrothal gifts, and just like Chen Dongsheng, they stuffed red envelopes into the daughters' hands in front of everyone.
Gradually it became a new custom in Ping An Village.
An Baoling smiled secretly: "Don't tell me, I really won't have to worry about the dowry for Man Zhijun and his family to marry a wife in the future."
Before she could finish her words, someone outside called out, "Baoling, the captain is looking for you."
An Baoling put down the work in her hands and said to Zhang Cuiping, "Wait for me to call Hongcui." After Hongling became an accountant, Hongcui also gradually became more skilled. Now she is in charge of the group of girls. Of course, Zhang Cuiping nodded in agreement.
An Baoling went out to ask and found out that it was not Chen Qiusheng who was looking for her, but her sister-in-law Xia Juhua. And she was not asked to go to the brigade headquarters, but to go directly to her home. This made An Baoling a little uneasy. After entering the hospital and seeing Xiaoman with a slightly bulging belly, the first thing she said was: "Why did your mother come back so early today?"
Xiaoman's face was much rosier than before she got married. Because of her pregnancy, she walked and talked even more slowly. She smiled at An Baoling and said, "Mother didn't say anything. Third Aunt, please come in and sit down."
Xia Juhua really didn't know what to say, her heart was in turmoil: the commune had sent down a batch of conscription quotas, and Ping'anzhuang Brigade would be allocated twenty, and each production team could select four children to participate in the physical examination.
But Xia Juhua remembered clearly that in a few years, that is, during the service period of this group of children, a self-defense counterattack war with the ungrateful country would break out in the south, and no one could predict whether these children would participate in the war.
Everyone knows that defending the country is glorious, but everyone is worried when it comes to their own children. Unfortunately, the commune only informed them of the quota, and did not say where the recruitment was to be conducted, so Xia Juhua had no choice but to call An Baoling.
This is □□'s biological mother, she has the final say.
"This is what happened," Xia Juhua told An Baoling about the military enlistment quota and said carefully, "Zhijun himself told me several times that he wanted to join the army. But I thought I had to discuss this matter with you anyway."
"That's great." An Baoling slapped the edge of the kang and said, "We haven't come to Pingde County to recruit soldiers for several years. I'm afraid that Zhijun is over the age limit. He has mentioned it to me several times. Sister-in-law, please sign him up."
Xia Juhua opened her mouth, swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth, and thought of a new reason: "What if when the volunteer soldiers come back from military service, all the good ladies have been married off?" She didn't know where exactly they were going to serve, so she couldn't create a tense atmosphere.
An Baoling said nonchalantly, "He is willing to go out and explore, why worry about his wife? He has taken all the good things." Seeing that Xia Juhua still looked thoughtful, An Baoling whispered, "Sister-in-law, it's not that I am careless, I also want Zhijun to go out and see some new things, just in case the troops can stay."
All rural families who send their children to join the army have more or less had the same dream as An Baoling. Seeing that she had made up her mind, Xia Juhua nodded and agreed to give Zhijun a place. An Baoling was so happy that her eyes wrinkled together: "Sister-in-law, when Zhijun becomes successful, if he dares not respect you, I will break his legs."
If the volunteers go to the battlefield in the future, just don't blame me. Xia Juhua said in her heart, and sent An Baoling to the door, and saw Xiaoman had already started busying herself in the kitchen.
"Why are you cooking at this time?" Xia Juhua came back early and didn't spend much time talking to An Baoling. It was not even half past ten yet, so it was too early to cook.
Xiaoman poked his head out of the kitchen, called out "Mom" before saying, "Zhishuang said that the Xiakuo Brigade would ask him to transport a few loads of bricks this afternoon, and they would have to be loaded onto trucks at noon. I thought I'd prepare dinner early so he could have a bite before leaving."
Xia Juhua just smiled when she heard this. Liu Zhishuang had taken on such jobs many times over the past year. In the beginning, other brigades paid Liu Zhishuang's one-day work points to the Ping'anzhuang Brigade in addition to the gas money. But when the work points of Ping'anzhuang were announced last year, everyone felt that they were at a loss.
The work points of the Ping'an Village production team were too high. Liu Zhishuang had to record ten work points a day, which was two yuan and sixty cents.
So now, apart from the gas money that everyone pays to the team, the rest is paid directly to Liu Zhishuang according to the car and the distance traveled, and he then hands it over to Ping An Zhuang. It sounds like other teams are taking advantage, but in fact Liu Zhishuang is not at a disadvantage.
He didn't just make one trip a day, sometimes he made two or three trips - although other brigades were also allocated tractors this year, they were still a minority after all. A tractor could carry more things than ten carts. It would not be noticeable on a short trip, and it would be too much for people to push the carts on a long trip, and it would also take a lot of time.
This resulted in Liu Zhishuang not being able to eat on time every day. Fortunately, Wang Caifeng now works in the production team kindergarten. After becoming pregnant, Xiaoman, like when Wang Caifeng had Lele, was only responsible for preparing three meals at home, allowing Liu Zhishuang to have a bite of hot food in time.
Xia Juhua did some calculations in her mind. After the autumn harvest, Liu Zhishuang drove every day and must have made a lot of money. So she smiled and asked Xiaoman, "Do you have enough money to build the house?" If so, build the house quickly and move out.
Xiaoman paused while cooking, carefully raised her head to check her mother-in-law's expression, and whispered, "Mom, I don't want to move out."
"Nonsense again." Xia Juhua brainwashed her daughter-in-law: "Think about it, Zhishuang makes a lot of money every day now. If you live together, you have to pay half of that money. If you move out, you can save all the money, eat whatever you want, buy whatever you want, and life will be much easier."
小滿本來說話就慢，懷孕後又加了個更字，聽了夏菊花的話後好半天沒說話，夏菊花都以為自己洗腦成功了，她才慢悠悠的開口了：“娘，我現在想吃啥也能吃啥，想買東西你也随着我。”根本不象別的婆婆，一見兒媳婦添點東西，能唠叨半年。
本來有些得意的夏菊花，目瞪口呆的看着說完就不聲不響看着自己的小兒媳婦，那眼神幹淨的跟水洗過一樣，一看說的就是心裏話。
夏菊花不知道自己該說啥了。小滿見婆婆臉色不好，以為她生自己的氣，還是小聲慢悠悠的說：“娘，我還想再跟你學兩年，你別嫌我累贅。”
咋就成了自己嫌她累贅了呢？夏菊花不知道小滿是哪兒得出的結論：“我啥時候嫌你了，就是想着讓你們趁年輕，過幾年輕手利腳的日子。天天一大家子混在一起，你們買東西多花多少錢。”
小滿那叫一個感動呀：“娘，你別這麽說。保國和樂樂都是好孩子，他們吃不了多少。志雙能掙，不怕的。”
得了，又是洗腦失敗的一天。夏菊花看了小滿一眼，沒啥可說的，自己出院去場院了。劉志雙回家的時候才十一點，小滿已經給他撈好了面條，澆上了厚厚的鹵汁。
劉志雙把手裏的網兜遞給媳婦：“齊哥那兒進了不少蘋果，你嘗嘗好吃不。要是好吃下回我給你買。”
看着網兜裏紅豔豔的蘋果，小滿嘴裏不自覺的分泌出了唾液，她不好意思的悄悄咽下，才說：“多貴呀，可別再買了，我嘗嘗就行。”說是這麽說，手早已經不受控制的掏出了一個，拿水洗洗就塞進了嘴裏。
劉志雙一邊自己禿嚕着面條，一邊看着媳婦大口大口吃着蘋果，覺得這才叫過日子呢：“難怪娘說懷孕的人，得多吃水果呢。你看你現在臉都比以前白了。”
小滿看看自己手裏的蘋果，用目光把網兜裏的數了數，掏出一個來給他洗了說：“那一會兒你帶着，裝車的時候自己吃。”
“我又沒懷孕，吃這個幹啥。”劉志雙連忙把蘋果放到桌子上，說啥也不肯裝兜裏。
小滿吃蘋果的速度就慢了下來，一會小聲跟劉志雙商量：“保國和樂樂還小呢，一人給他們一個？”
劉志雙樂了：“給呗，還用商量？我拿的時候就帶着他們那份呢。”
小滿趕緊往院子裏看了一眼，見婆婆沒回來，才又小聲說：“娘今天又問我咱們蓋房子的事兒了，想讓咱們搬出去。”
劉志雙一聽眼睛就立了起來：“你惹娘生氣了？”
小滿頭搖的可不慢：“沒有，我就是想着讓你吃口熱乎的，所以做飯早了點兒。娘今天正好回來跟三嬸說事兒，看到了就問我咱們錢攢的咋樣了，要是夠了就蓋房子搬出去。說是想讓咱們趁着年輕，過兩年輕手利腳的日子，省得買東西多花不少錢。”
劉志雙這才松了一口氣，對小滿說：“娘這是偏心咱們呢，也是怕咱們老是貼補大哥他們，嘴上不說心裏有疙瘩。可是小滿，你說實話，願意自己搬出去過日子嗎？”
小滿連連搖頭：“我覺得跟着娘過日子，心裏才踏實，想想得自己過日子心裏就打憷。我不想搬。”
劉志雙就點頭贊成媳婦的話：“娘心疼咱們，咱們也不能不心疼娘。大哥家現在負擔重，要是咱們再搬出去的話，娘一個人補貼大哥家，那得多累。你在家娘回來還能吃口現成的，要不回來她得自己做飯，還得幫着大哥一家子做飯吃。”
“嗯，娘都累了一天了，自己再做飯肯定對付。”小滿點頭向劉志雙表決心：“你放心，我挺喜歡保國和樂樂的，他們吃點兒用點兒我都不放在心上。”
這下劉志雙樂了：“是不用放心上，你男人都能給你掙回來。”手裏有錢，侄子侄女吃點兒喝點算個啥。想着就從兜裏掏出兩塊錢遞給小滿：“看，下午拉東西的錢，收好了。”
“咋這麽些，你不是買蘋果了嗎？”小滿不是頭一次接錢，不過還是覺得錢不少。
劉志雙就有些得意：“齊哥晚上想讓我給他拉兩趟紅薯，要給我錢我沒要，就要了他兩個蘋果。”
那是兩個蘋果嗎，分明是一大網兜好不好？就算是一大網兜蘋果，小滿還是更心疼自家男人：“可別太晚呀，也別跟着裝車。”
劉志雙一個沒忍住，在媳婦頭上摩挲了兩下：“別人的車不管裝，齊哥的還能不搭把手？”如果他判斷沒錯的話，晚上齊衛東也虧不了他。
想給小兒媳婦洗腦，卻被理解為偏心小兒子的夏菊花，現在正跟趙仙枝張翠萍她們一起，看要招人編出來的東西。趙仙枝邊看邊慶幸：“虧了想到是試試她們會不會，沒多拿葦杆過來，要不得糟蹋多少東西。”
夏菊花只好勸她：“誰也不是天生就會破葦皮的，咋也得練個幾天才能上手。”
趙仙枝還是心疼：“你可不知道，現在那些人多精，一起說好了對付我一個，都想着漲價呢。”
“那四個生産隊？”夏菊花覺得不太可能。
趙仙枝也否定了這個說法：“不是，他們還是三分錢十斤，是別的大隊。一個個都把葦杆當寶了，非得要漲一分錢。也不想想，要不是咱們生産隊收他們的葦杆，他們就得堆着漚肥。”
對此夏菊花也很無奈——平安莊大隊近湙河的地方就那麽多，今年各生産隊都是收了葦杆就送到平安莊來。可訂單在那兒擺着呢，根本不夠用，趙仙枝就得到別的大隊收葦杆。
前兩年還巴結着平安莊想賣葦杆的生産隊，見趙仙枝今年這麽早找上門來，覺得拿捏一把的時候到了，張口就要漲價，難怪趙仙枝現在看葦杆跟看黃金差不多了。
“你也別急，那些人想漲價就讓他們想去。湙河又不是只流經紅星公社。等志雙他們兩個不忙了，你讓他們開拖拉機帶你跑遠點兒，還怕收不上葦杆來？”
趙仙枝看向夏菊花的眼神裏，除了崇拜再沒別的含義：“要不我咋願意啥事兒都跟你說呢，我自己就沒想到。那你回去跟志雙說一聲，讓他們哪天有空了來找我。”
聽着趙仙枝高聲大嚷流露出的信息，正等着宣布結果的婦女們，看向夏菊花的目光也變了又變。她們都知道天旱的時候夏菊花帶着大家打井，才讓平安莊整個大隊都有了收成，也知道這兩年，因為夏菊花一直堅持請農技站的技術員來指導種地，才讓平安莊大隊的小麥，比別的大隊多打出不少糧食。
可她們沒想到夏菊花平時主意就來得這麽快，這麽狠：那些等着漲價的大隊，葦杆一定沒少割，就等着賣給平安莊好好賺一筆呢，可平安莊改去更遠的地方收，他們的葦杆咋辦？
總不能真堆着漚肥——那葦杆是天生天長的，可沒自己長腿跑到各生産隊去，還不是得給社員記着工分才割回去的？工分值再少，那也得按工分給社員分紅。各大隊的葦杆賣不出去，對生産隊來說就是一筆虧本買賣。
到時候就不定是誰求着誰了。
能來平安莊的婦女們，跟各生産隊長的關系都不遠，腦子更不慢，要不也不能搶到名額。一個個都明白了其中的厲害，心裏都暗下決心，回去得跟自己生産隊隊長說說，可得事事都聽大隊長的，要不人家一個主意，他們生産隊落不着好還挑不出理去。
有了這個打算的婦女們，先就把自己吓唬住了，趙仙枝說讓誰跟着學編席誰就學編席，說讓誰跟着學編籃子，一句不滿都沒有。
“那行，你們先忙着，我回家了。”夏菊花見招人挺順利的，起身就走。可惜陳秋生剛打聽到她來場院了，正走在門口等着她呢，送夏菊花出來的趙仙枝還打起他：“隊長，你咋不進去找大隊長呢，是不是昨天又讓翠萍給收拾了？”
陳秋生竟然紅了臉，一副心虛膽顫的樣子往場院裏看了一眼，沒看到張翠萍的身影才松了口氣，小聲對夏菊花說：“隊長，我想跟你商量點兒事。”
看來還真是被收拾了，夏菊花邊跟着他往生産隊走，邊琢磨着陳秋生辦錯了啥事兒，讓張翠萍急眼收拾人的，不過沒問出口——連兒子媳婦咋相處，她現在都裝看不見，別人家的事兒更不想摻和。
等到生産隊坐定了，陳秋生給夏菊花倒了杯水，主動把事兒說開了：“隊長，昨天晚上翠萍跟我說，家裏想多養兩只雞。我怕給生産隊添麻煩，就沒同意，她就……”
夏菊花聽了好笑：“添啥麻煩，現在罪惡集團者都倒臺了，你看紅小隊還四處亂竄着找事兒嗎？他們就怕別人找他們算帳呢。沒人天天扒着牆頭看，誰知道你們家養了幾只雞。”
"No, Captain, you don't know how brave Zhang Cuiping is. She doesn't want to raise more chickens for herself, but wants our Chen family to raise more chickens together, and then collect the eggs together to sell to Xiao Qi."