Chapter 108
Qi Weidong now runs to Ping'anzhuang to collect vermicelli as soon as the autumn harvest is over. He is almost like half of the people in Ping'anzhuang. Therefore, Chen Qiu Sheng, the production team leader, is very familiar with him. Zhang Cuiping and other people in charge of the mat-making team will directly ask Qi Weidong if they want to buy something, and they get along very well.
So when Xia Juhua heard that Zhang Cuiping wanted to mobilize the Chen family to raise chickens and sell eggs, the first thing she thought of was that Qi Weidong had come up with this idea. Then she looked at Chen Qiusheng's expression and knew that he had the same idea as her.
However, the current policy has been somewhat turning a blind eye to farmers secretly engaging in side businesses at home, so if Xia Juhua thinks that it is really Qi Weidong's idea, it is not a bad idea.
"If we want to raise more, then we can raise more."
"What's your excuse?" You are going to lead the entire production team to violate the policy, and you still have an excuse. Chen Qiu Sheng felt that only a great man like their captain could come up with such an idea.
"Of course, the Ping'an Village production team wants to continue to expand agricultural and sideline production to increase member and collective income. However, the production team does not have enough manpower and space, so it can only let members raise chickens on behalf of the production team. This will increase collective income and mobilize the enthusiasm of those members who can no longer do heavy work and can only stay at home to take care of their elderly."
No wonder Zhang Cuiping was so confident yesterday and asked to raise more chickens. Chen Qiusheng now suspected that it was not Qi Weidong but Xia Juhua who gave his wife the idea, otherwise how could his wife be so sure?!
"But don't raise too many children at home. Let's see how things turn out." Xia Juhua still reminded Chen Qiusheng: "You have to ask Cuiping and the others to be careful when they talk in the yard. After all, it won't just be people from Ping'an Manor who are here anymore."
"Well," Chen Qiusheng felt relieved when he saw Xia Juhua's support. He made up his mind and gave Xia Juhua a number: "Then let's raise ten each family and give it a try."
Xia Juhua was amused by him: "You got beaten up, and your family was allowed to raise five or six more chickens. It seems Cuiping still hasn't dealt with you well."
Chen Qiusheng looked at Xia Juhua with some embarrassment, and then he heard their captain say, "We don't have much experience in the first year, so each family should raise 30 to try it out. If anyone feels that it's too many and wants to raise fewer, that's fine."
Xia Juhua's last request was totally unnecessary. When the people of Ping'an Village heard that she agreed to let them raise more chickens, they were all so happy that they couldn't stop smiling. They were all thinking that if they raised a good number of chickens this time, they might be able to raise a few more next time. No one even thought about raising fewer chickens.
Of course, the communication of the matter was the same as that of the editing and leaking of powder. It was still Master Wu who notified the Liu family, Zhang Cuiping who notified the Chen family, and Chang Xiancao who notified the miscellaneous families. There was no need for the production team to hold a collective meeting to mobilize people - the people recruited from other teams were sitting in the yard, so what if they accidentally heard it?
The captain has already said that this matter cannot be done with fanfare, so of course they have to gain the benefits quietly.
It is not yet the time for hens to brood, and buying chicks will be a matter for the beginning of next spring. The most urgent task for Ping An Zhuang is to weave the mats and filter the flour.
That's right, even though Ping'anzhuang Brigade didn't plant many sweet potatoes this year, they still have some vermicelli to save: the grain stations in various communes have almost harvested all the public grain, and they all know that vermicelli is easier to store than raw sweet potatoes, and can be sold as food after the spring of next year. So they have already found Ping'anzhuang Brigade and asked them to help them save the vermicelli.
Even those brigades from other places that planted more sweet potatoes came to Ping'anzhuang Brigade and wanted them to help them with the leaching of sweet potatoes. However, they were ruthlessly rejected by the people from Ping'anzhuang Brigade: We get paid processing fees for helping to leaching sweet potatoes for various grain stations, but should we charge them for leaching sweet potatoes for other brigades?
Of course, some brigades were dissatisfied with Ping'anzhuang and even went to the commune to complain, saying that Xia Juhua and the Ping'anzhuang Brigade did not help their class brothers, but only cared about eating their own food, and watched their sweet potatoes rot in the cellar without even helping.
Director Zhang didn't even ask Xia Juhua to go to the commune for a confrontation. He directly told their respective teams back: "The Ping'anzhuang Brigade helped the grain station leak flour. they not teach you or did they not teach you carefully?" You just want others to work for you for free. How can you be so shameless?
Xia Juhua knew that Director Zhang had scolded the other team leaders, so she ran to the commune to thank him: "Director Zhang, it's not that our Ping'anzhuang team doesn't want to help. You know that a commune grain station has hundreds of thousands of kilograms of sweet potatoes. We members can't finish them even if we work from dawn to dusk."
Director Zhang thought it was a little funny. Was it worth her making a special trip for such a small matter? He couldn't help but be a little wary. Based on his experience of dealing with Xia Juhua, this person would not come to visit for no reason.
Sure enough, Xia Juhua was still the same Xia Juhua. She smiled and said to Director Zhang: "Director, Technician Xue wrote to me and said that there is a seed-sowing machine that is especially suitable for us to grow wheat. But the road is too far, so he can't send the finished product to me. But Technician Xue said that if our agricultural machinery station has the drawings, we can make the product. He has already mailed the drawings to me."
Director Zhang nodded in understanding and said coolly: "Then let the Agricultural Machinery Station do it for you."
Xia Juhua looked at Director Zhang, then at the documents on the desk, and then at Director Zhang again. Seeing that he had no intention of giving her a chance, she had no choice but to speak up: "Director, you see, I'm just a rural woman, and I don't know how to deal with people. How can I dare to go to a place as big as the Agricultural Machinery Station? They won't give me face, right?"
Are you ready? A rural woman like you who doesn't know how to deal with people, wouldn't it be a headache if there were two more of them? Director Zhang looked at Xia Juhua unhappily, picked up the phone and dialed out. After a brief conversation with the person on the other end of the phone, Director Zhang put down the phone and looked at Xia Juhua intently.
Only when Xia Juhua felt nervous did Director Zhang sneer and say, "It's not like the Agricultural Machinery Station is eating your fried peanuts for free. What's wrong with you frying some for them?" No wonder she didn't dare to go to the Agricultural Machinery Station but came to cause trouble for him.
Xia Juhua replied with a righteous look on her face: "Director, you also know that the Agricultural Machinery Station has helped our Ping'an Village Brigade a lot. I said I would fry peanuts for them for free, but the stationmaster insisted on paying me. How could I accept their money? I might as well say that I don't have time to fry peanuts."
Director Zhang was convinced by Xia Juhua for coming up with such an excuse, but he still gave her a reassurance: "The Ping'an Village Brigade can maintain such a good relationship with several units because of your efforts. Both I and Deputy Director Qi know this in our hearts."
"So don't worry, fire the person if necessary and collect the money if necessary. No matter who frames you, Deputy Director Qi and I will be at the forefront."
Xia Juhua, feeling reassured, smiled shyly: "Then I will take over the job at the Agricultural Machinery Station?"
Director Zhang waved his hands at her impatiently: "Go quickly, they are waiting for you over there."
Xia Juhua turned around and left. When she reached the door, she remembered something and turned back to ask, "Director, do you know where the soldiers are recruited this year?" During the meeting, only the recruitment targets were communicated to each brigade, but no specific service was given. Xia Juhua still wanted to ask clearly, because Liu Zhijun was determined to join the army, and he came to her several times.
Director Zhang was puzzled when she asked this: "Your two sons are already over the age limit, why are you asking this?"
Xia Juhua sighed and said, "My nephew really wants to join the army, so I just asked."
Director Zhang didn't care and told her that the Northwest Military Region was recruiting soldiers. Xia Juhua felt relieved and delivered the drawings sent by Technician Xue to the Agricultural Machinery Station. She also took the opportunity to accept the task of frying 500 kilograms of peanuts.
"Auntie Xia, I'll take you home." Xiao Zhao recognized that it was Xia Juhua who walked to the door, and hurriedly called her to stop, insisting on taking her back to Ping'an Village. Even though Xia Juhua said that her bicycle was parked at the door, he insisted.
Since everyone was so enthusiastic, Xia Juhua naturally would not refuse. She put her bicycle in the tractor and sat in the passenger seat. She chatted with Xiao Zhao all the way and soon saw the shadow of Ping An Zhuang.
"Auntie, your niece is an accountant?" Xiao Zhao suddenly asked this question, which stunned Xia Juhua. It took her a while to realize that he was talking about Hong Ling.
The big and small guys suddenly asked about the little girl. Xia Juhua couldn't help but be alert: "Well, she is still a prostitute, but I don't know how long she can last. Her mother is going crazy because of her partner."
It was no longer Xia Juhua's principle to quietly give in after being beaten passively. She now believed in taking the initiative, so she spoke without any pressure.
Xiao Zhao then asked, "Is their family's condition very high? Why haven't they found anyone after more than a year?"
Xia Juhua glanced at Xiao Zhao, thought for a moment and then said, "It's not that our family is well off, it's that Hongling wants to find someone who is educated and capable." After saying this, she still looked at Xiao Zhao out of the corner of her eye.
Although Xiao Zhao's eyes were fixed on the road, his face was getting redder and redder. Xia Juhua had an idea in mind and asked Xiao Zhao where he was from, how many people there were in the family, what they did, why he hadn't found a wife at such an age, whether his family was anxious or urged him to get married...
Xiao Zhao told her everything in detail, but he was a little hesitant about the last two questions. Xia Juhua didn't ask any more questions, as if they were just chatting. When she reminded him, Xiao Zhao realized that he had almost passed the road, so he quickly turned the car around and finally sent Xia Juhua home.
Now that everyone was here, of course they had to eat before leaving. Xia Juhua felt sorry for Xiaoman who was pregnant and had difficulty moving, so she directly called Hongling to help her second sister-in-law cook. However, when Hongling saw Xiao Zhao, her face turned red.
The meal was easy to make and eaten quickly, but the problem was seeing her off after the meal. Xiao Zhao kept talking about this and that, but he didn't mention leaving. Could Xia Juhua still be so angry? She could only say to Hong Ling, "It's getting late. You've been busy all day. Go back and rest. Otherwise, your mother will be worried."
Hongling walked slowly towards the door. Xiao Zhao was a little anxious, but Liu Zhishuang, who was tactless, asked him: "Brother Zhao, last time you said you had someone you liked, did you ask someone to propose marriage? How was the result?"
Hong Ling, who had just reached the door, turned around abruptly. Seeing Xia Juhua looking at her in confusion, she realized that she had lost her composure and hurriedly turned away.
"Hongling!" Xiao Zhao called out, but didn't stop her. He looked at Xia Juhua for help, but she was teasing Lele to learn how to speak, and didn't even glance at him. Xiao Zhao stood up anxiously, not caring what others did, and chased after her.
It took him more than half an hour to come back, with a smile on his face, and he was obviously in a good mood.
Liu Zhishuang looked at him and asked, "Have you made yourself clear?"
Little Zhao Chong nodded at him, then said to Xia Juhua: "Auntie, I didn't know what Hong Ling was thinking before, and I didn't dare to tell you, so, I really didn't mean to hide it..."
Xia Juhua said very calmly: "You have to talk to Hong Ling's mother about this. I can't make the decision for Hong Ling." Then she asked Liu Zhishuang to take Xiao Zhao to the old courtyard to find Li Daya, and asked him to tell An Baoling that the Northwest Military Region was recruiting soldiers this time, which was separated from Pingde by half of China.
Liu Zhishuang came back soon, but his face looked a little strange. Xia Juhua naturally asked, and Liu Zhishuang did not hide it from his mother: "Mom, when I was talking to Auntie just now, Zhiliang heard it and told me that he also wanted to join the army."
"Zhiliang wants to join the army. How old is he? He will be only sixteen after the New Year." He is still under the age of sixteen. To be recruited into the army, one must be eighteen years old or above.
Liu Zhishuang was obviously touched by Liu Zhiliang: "My aunt and I told him that he was too young and that we couldn't have him. But he said that he couldn't rely on his parents and that he had to find a future on his own. But what other options did farmers have besides joining the army? He even cried when he said that, and I felt very depressed."
If Xia Juhua were to say, Liu Zhiliang did not look like the son of Liu Sizhuang and Sun Guizhi. No one knew what had happened to those two in the county over the past two years, but Liu Zhiliang actually did as he said at the beginning and lived obediently with Sun and Liu Hongjuan.
His age was there, and Chen Qiu Sheng, as the production team leader, was reluctant to use him as a laborer. It just so happened that Sun Shi was just a decoration in the pig farm, so he simply arranged for Liu Zhiliang to work as an assistant to Chen Lu Sheng.
Originally I just wanted to give him a reason to record his work points, but Liu Zhiliang would run to cut a basket of pig grass every morning as soon as he got up, and after dinner he would go to clean the pig pen and help Chen Lusheng feed the pigs.
Whenever he had a little free time, Liu Zhiliang would take Sun and Liu Hongjuan to cut grass for pigs or pull sweet potato vines. The pigs of Ping'anzhuang Brigade have been so fat in the past two years, and even the most picky people would have to say that Liu Zhiliang has contributed to it.
Chen Qiusheng and Wuye saw all that Liu Zhiliang did, and after discussion, they gave Liu Zhiliang eight work points a day. In addition, Sun Shi, who he led, had to follow him to cut grass for the pigs, so the production team also gave Sun Shi five work points a day, which was enough for the three of them to have food for a year.
Even Liu Hongjuan, who didn't know how he taught her, was no longer as quick-tempered and disdainful as before. Every day, she went to and from school with Liu Lizhu like other children in the production team, and even helped her brother cut grass for the pigs when she got home.
Chen Qiusheng and Wuye watched Liu Zhiliang single-handedly make Sun and Liu Hongjuan right, and thought that the production team didn't need Liu Hongjuan's help, so they gave her work points based on the baskets she produced, and the three of them could also get a share of the profits when the annual dividends were distributed. In addition, Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang couldn't really ignore Sun, and they were the ones who covered the clothes for the three of them.
So the life of that family of three was certainly much worse than that of other families, but considering Liu Zhiliang's age, one can't help but say with admiration that this is a good branch growing from the roots of a rotten tree.
That's why Liu Zhishuang felt upset after Liu Zhiliang cried, and Xia Juhua felt the same way after hearing it.
"No, he's too young." Even if there had been no war between the Southern General and the White-Eyed Wolf Country, Xia Juhua would not have agreed to Liu Zhiliang joining the army at such a young age.
"Auntie." Speak of the devil. As soon as Xia Juhua finished speaking, Liu Zhiliang's voice of calling for help was heard outside the courtyard gate.
Liu Zhishuang glanced at his mother, then went to open the door for Liu Zhiliang. After a while, he led Liu Zhiliang in with his head lowered.
"I say no." Xia Juhua made her attitude clear before Liu Zhiliang could speak: "You are too young. Even if the brigade signs you up, the recruiter won't take you with them."
"Auntie, now my grandma and Hongjuan know how to work, I want to go out and explore by myself. Besides, Brother Zhijun is with me, we can take care of each other." Liu Zhiliang's eyes were still red, but he raised his head firmly and reasoned with Xia Juhua.
Xia Juhua paused, watching Liu Zhiliang's stubborn argument: "Why does one have to be of a certain age to join the army? It's not impossible for young people to kill the enemy on the battlefield. There were little red devils in the past, and I'm much older than them now."
"Have you ever thought about what will happen if you leave and your parents can't find you when they come back?" Xia Juhua couldn't explain to Liu Zhiliang why the group required soldiers to be at least 18 years old, because she herself was not very clear about it, so she could only tell him the reality.
Liu Zhiliang said confidently: "When I sign up and they agree to take me, I will go to the county town to find them and tell them clearly that I want to join the army of my own accord and that my grandma and Hongjuan can support themselves. When I earn my allowance, I will mail it back to let my grandma and Hongjuan live a good life. Even if they return to the production team, they cannot get the money."
He had thought everything through, what else could Xia Juhua say? She could only take Liu Zhiliang with her to hit the wall.
However, Xia Juhua was certain that the recruiter would not take Liu Zhiliang away, and let Chen Qiu Sheng select people in Ping'an Village as he pleased. On the day of the physical examination, she personally brought 21 young men to the county armed forces department.
That's right, her idea was to let the recruiter personally reject Liu Zhiliang without wasting Ping'an Village's quota - Liu Zhiliang was right in saying that for farmers, it was very difficult to get a chance to join the army, and she couldn't deprive others of the opportunity just because Liu Zhiliang was her nephew.
Liu Zhiliang didn't think Xia Juhua was just trying to please him. He knew very well in his heart that if he hadn't used hard work in the past two years to clean up everyone's impression of his family, he wouldn't even have the chance to go for a physical examination.
So when the recruiter frowned at him, Liu Zhiliang kept talking: "Leader comrade," the old lady seemed to greet her superiors in this way: "Don't look at my young age, but I am determined to fight for the revolution. I am not afraid of hardship or suffering. I just want to protect the country."
Seeing that the recruiter's brows did not relax, Liu Zhiliang's eyes could not help but redden: "My parents are in the Red Team study class, and there are only me, grandma and sister at home. It's not that I don't want to support them. Now our production team's work points are high, and they can exchange their own work points for food. If I become a soldier and get an allowance, I can also buy cloth for them to make new clothes, and I can let them live a good life..."
In the end, Liu Zhiliang didn't know what he was saying. He just felt that he had to tell the leader about his family's situation, his desperate situation, and his bleak future, so that he would take him away only if he felt sympathetic towards him.
Xia Juhua and other brigade officers who led the physical examination could not go in, and they stood anxiously in the yard waiting for news. If the young man from their brigade came out with a happy face, they would feel relieved, but if the child came out with a gloomy face or even red eyes, they would have to think about how to comfort him.
Xia Juhua was more confused than others, because she wanted to give her children more options, but she was also worried about their future. When she saw that there was a comrade in military uniform following Liu Zhiliang, Xia Juhua felt even worse.
"Comrade, it's not that our brigade wants to add to your workload. It's just that the kids are too determined to join the army, and there are practical circumstances..." The first thing Xia Juhua did was to apologize.
It was a bit unkind of her to bring someone who was obviously underage for a physical examination, so she had to apologize first.
The recruiting comrade was confused by Xia Juhua's apology as soon as they met, and waved his hands repeatedly and said, "You are the captain of the Ping'anzhuang Brigade, and you are also Comrade Liu Zhiliang's aunt, right?"
Xia Juhua's face flushed to her ears, and she stammered as she explained, "Comrade, I didn't help Zhiliang through the back door just because he's my nephew. It's just that he was too determined, and I was afraid of hurting him..."
"Don't get me wrong, I just want to know about Liu Zhiliang's family situation. He said his parents are in the Red Team's study class. Now that the Red Team has been disbanded, why are they still in the study class?"
Xia Juhua was really stumped by the question: "I don't know about this either. In the past, the people who entered the study class had to wait for the Red Team to notify us before they could be taken back to the production team. We have not received any notification, so we don't know what their situation is."
"Then who knows their situation?" the recruiting comrade asked in a friendly manner.
Xia Juhua thought about it for a while before she gritted her teeth and said, "Deputy Director Qi of our County Revolutionary Committee should know."
I'm sorry, Uncle Qi, but now Xia Juhua really can't think of anyone else who can explain the situation of Liu Sizhuang and his wife.
The comrades who were recruiting soldiers had never expected that two ordinary farmers who had entered the Red Team study class would actually be involved in the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee. The look in their eyes when they looked at Liu Zhiliang changed.
Liu Zhiliang once again hoped that the lady in front of him was his biological mother, but it was just a delusion. It made his eyes slowly dim, and his whole body became as soft as if all his bones had been taken out.
Xia Juhua couldn't bear to see a good branch drooping, so she said to the recruiting comrade quickly, "Comrade, wait a moment. I'll go ask Deputy Director Liu Sizhuang and his wife about their current situation. Half an hour, no less than 20 minutes, do you think it's okay?"
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