Chapter 109
"Auntie..." Liu Zhiliang, who had been holding back his tears, suddenly had red eyes. Although he didn't know how far the County Revolutionary Committee was from the Armed Forces Department, the person Auntie was looking for was the deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee, and that person could be found easily. Ordinary people couldn't even enter the door of the County Revolutionary Committee.
It's not certain whether the other person is willing to see you, but you still have to make a trip for him. You don't know how many nice things you have to say to him and how many smiles you have to put on. It's the same for your own son.
The recruiting comrade naturally thought of what Liu Zhiliang could think of. He looked at the watch on his wrist and smiled at Xia Juhua: "Okay, I'll wait for you here."
Xia Juhua ran to the bicycle, unlocked it and got on. She got on too hastily and the bicycle twisted twice before it finally came off. The recruiting comrade looked curious and asked Liu Zhiliang:
"Didn't you say that your parents were arrested by the Red Squad and put in the study class because they framed your aunt? You don't hate her in your heart, and she never made things difficult for you because you were the son of the person who framed her?"
Liu Zhiliang had just pretended to look at Xia Juhua, but he had quietly wiped away the tears from his eyes. Now he said to the recruiting comrade with red eyes, "I don't hate Auntie. The people of Ping'an Village can live the life we have now, and everyone says that it is Auntie who brought us up well. She is such a good person, and my parents were wrong to frame Auntie. My Auntie never made things difficult for me. Although my parents framed Auntie, she treated me like her own son."
After hearing this, the recruiting comrade looked at Liu Zhiliang seriously and found that his eyes were clear and his tone was sincere. It was obvious that he said these words from the heart. He couldn't help but nodded secretly in his heart. He was really a child who could distinguish right from wrong. No wonder his aunt was so concerned about his future.
"The troops are not here to just eat steamed bread and sit there doing nothing. The training is tough every day. You may have to go to the battlefield someday. When you go to the battlefield, you will see blood." The recruiting comrade seemed to be advising Liu Zhiliang: "You are so young, I am afraid you can't stand the hardship."
Although Xia Juhua had just left on her bicycle, Liu Zhiliang's eyes were fixed on the gate of the Armed Forces Department. When he heard the recruiting comrade say that the army was tough, he turned around and said as a matter of course: "I know the army is tough, but if it's not tough, how can you develop good skills? How can you kill the Japanese on the battlefield?"
The comrade who was recruiting soldiers was amused by him: "We won't kill the Japanese devils now."
"But there are still the Russians and the American imperialists." Liu Zhiliang finally turned around and said to the recruiting comrade seriously: "We must fight against imperialism and revisionism, and soldiers must have skills."
Well, it seems that the ideological propaganda of the Ping'an Village Brigade is quite effective. Even the children at such a young age know who the enemy is. The recruiting comrade had an idea in mind, so he asked Liu Zhiliang to wait for Xia Juhua here by himself, and he went into the house to continue to observe others.
Liu Zhiliang suddenly became anxious: "Comrade leader, please wait a little longer. My auntie's words are the most trustworthy. She said she will be back in 20 minutes, and she will definitely be back." If you leave, who will my auntie go to when she comes back?
The recruiting comrade couldn't help but patted Liu Zhiliang on the head and said, "You know which room I am in. When your aunt comes back later, you can take her to find me."
Liu Zhiliang then watched the people enter the Armed Forces Department, and then turned his head to stare at the gate. He waited, but Xia Juhua didn't come back. He waited, but no one moved at the gate. Liu Zhiliang's patience was almost exhausted. If it weren't for his remaining rationality telling him that he didn't know where the County Revolutionary Committee was, he would have run out to find Xia Juhua himself.
"Zhiliang, where's your aunt?" After Liu Zhijun finished his physical examination, he saw that Liu Zhiliang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, with lifeless eyes and no one knew what he was looking at at the gate. The aunt who brought them for the physical examination was nowhere to be seen, so of course he had to ask.
As soon as he saw Liu Zhijun, Liu Zhiliang felt like he had seen his backbone: "Brother Zhijun, my aunt said she went to the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee to ask where my parents are, but she has been gone for a long time and has not come back yet."
Liu Zhijun was stunned for a moment, and only after asking did he know why Xia Juhua went to the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee to inquire about Liu Sizhuang and his wife. His thoughts were similar to Liu Zhiliang's, but he still comforted him: "Don't worry, Auntie never does anything without confidence."
Indeed, Xia Juhua, who does not give up easily, thinks before she speaks, and would rather not say anything if she is not sure. Today was no exception, she did not come back alone pushing her bike, but followed by Liu Sizhuang and Sun Guizhi, whom Liu Zhiliang had not seen for more than two years.
If they had not followed Xia Juhua, Liu Zhiliang would have hardly recognized these two people as his parents: now the members of Ping'an Village have received more dividends, and they have the mood and ability to tidy up themselves. It's not to say that everyone doesn't patch clothes, but the patched clothes are all washed clean.
Liu Sizhuang and Sun Guizhi were still wearing the same clothes they were in when they were taken to the training center. I don’t know how many patches they had on them. Maybe they just wanted to throw away the old clothes, or maybe they just didn’t have the time. The dust and spots on their clothes made it hard to tell their original colors…
Even though it was just winter, they already had frostbite on their faces, red and black, looking scary. The most important thing was that they didn't dare to look anyone in the eye, even when they saw their own son, their eyes were evasive, and they would shiver uncontrollably when they heard someone talking loudly.
This made Liu Zhiliang, who was already resentful towards them, finally shed tears after holding back his tears for who knows how long: "Dad, Mom, why are you..." What happened?
Sun Guizhi finally saw her son, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't dare to scream at the top of her lungs as she did in Ping'an Village. She went forward to pull her son back, but when she looked at her rough and black hands, she rubbed them hard on her clothes twice, but still didn't have the nerve to pull him back.
Xia Juhua felt that now was not the time for them to reminisce. She had just looked around and didn't see the recruiting comrade, so she naturally asked Liu Zhiliang: "Where is that comrade? Why did he leave? I just checked the clock, it should be less than 20 minutes."
Liu Zhiliang then remembered the important matter and said to Xia Juhua, "Auntie, the leader said you are back and asked me to take you to see him."
"Then hurry up." Xia Juhua was anxious: "Maybe this also counts as time." Seeing that Liu Sizhuang and his wife had not caught up, she turned around and shouted at them: "What are you doing standing there, let's go." The two of them lowered their heads and followed quietly.
Liu Zhiliang found the office where the recruiting comrade was staying. Just as he was about to push the door open, Xia Juhua grabbed him and knocked on the door herself. After someone inside agreed to let him in, she opened the door and said, "Comrade, I'm back. I hope I didn't waste your time."
The recruiting comrade raised his wrist to check his watch. In fact, more than five minutes had passed. However, he smiled and said, "No, the time is just right." After that, he saw Liu Zhiliang leading two people in. The air in the room suddenly had a strange smell. He couldn't help but look at Xia Juhua strangely.
Xia Juhua explained to him that these two people were Liu Zhiliang's parents. She had just gone to the Red Team to pick them up. They would return to Ping'an Village to engage in agricultural production in the future. They were not class enemies and would not hinder Liu Zhiliang.
Listening to Xia Juhua speaking well of Liu Zhiliang without any expression, the recruiting comrade believed Liu Zhiliang's evaluation of Xia Juhua just now: If Xia Juhua did not really care about Liu Zhiliang, she would have done her utmost by just telling him about the current situation of Liu Sizhuang and his wife, and there would have been no need to bring anyone to him.
When the army recruits new soldiers, in addition to physical fitness, the political review is also very strict. Although everyone knows that those imprisoned in the Red Team's study classes are not necessarily those who have done evil, Liu Sizhuang and his wife are obviously not among those "not necessarily".
Xia Juhua brought the two people back directly from the Red Team and explained to them in person that they would re-participate in agricultural production. This was to tell the recruiting comrades that these two people were no longer a stain on Liu Zhiliang.
To be honest, the recruiting comrades all admire Xia Juhua's magnanimity.
It is refreshing for a person to vent his anger for a short time, but it does not mean that everything is over after venting his anger. For example, Liu Zhiliang in front of us, knowing that his parents entered the study class because of framing Xia Juhua, has been praising Xia Juhua all the time, and his words are full of gratitude to her. This is what makes people admire him.
Look at Liu Sizhuang and his wife again. Do they still dare to say no to Xia Juhua? They don't even have the courage to look her in the eye.
The most important thing is that Xia Juhua really found the person within 20 minutes (although it took a few minutes longer, and the recruiting comrade might have automatically ignored the fact that she found the person and brought him to her in such a short time). Not only did she find him, she also brought him to him, which shows that she is a capable person.
A truly capable person is respected wherever he goes. The recruiting comrade was also moved by Xia Juhua's character and said to Liu Zhiliang: "Go for a physical examination. If your physical condition does not meet the requirements, you will not be accepted."
It turned out that his initial questioning of Liu Zhiliang was just a preliminary political review, not a physical examination as Liu Zhiliang thought. Of course, the recruitment should be carried out in the village, but after seeing Xia Juhua's ability, the recruiting comrades felt that this step could be omitted: Liu Zhiliang was obviously deeply influenced by Xia Juhua, and he had a spirit of not admitting defeat. Such a child could not be wrong.
A young man who is capable, resilient and unwilling to admit defeat is a good candidate for military service. For a promising young man, age is not a factor that cannot be ignored.
Therefore, those who returned to Ping'an Manor with Xia Juhua were not just the twenty-one young men who had initially passed the physical examination, but also Liu Sizhuang and his wife Sun Guizhi, which immediately caused a sensation in Ping'an Manor.
那兩口子是誰，那可是見不得夏菊花好，找各種理由誣陷她，幾乎把夏菊花逼到絕境的劉四壯、孫桂芝！夏菊花竟然把他們給領回來啦，是不是覺得自己好日子過得太久了，想給自己找點不自在？
就連孫氏看到劉四壯兩口子，心裏也覺得堵得慌：這是她兒子兒媳婦嗎，分明是兩要飯的。你要飯走遠點也行，非得回來給她添堵幹啥。
不得不說，劉志亮這兩年對孫氏的影響挺大，加上沒有劉四壯兩口子挑事兒，劉二壯和李大丫對孫氏還是挺照顧的，就連劉三壯跟她的關系也緩和了點兒，讓孫氏不願意打破已經平靜慣了的生活。
好在劉四壯兩口子在學習班裏真是吓破膽了，尤其是紅小隊等于解散了，他們在那裏連吃飯都不知道該去找誰，真快去要飯了。所以一進老院，當着看熱鬧的人就一齊給夏菊花跪下了：“嫂子，我們以前不是人，以後再也不敢了。”
劉志亮也想給夏菊花跪下，被她一把拉住了，對着地上的劉四壯兩口子只有一句話：“要不是為了志亮，我不會去接你們兩。以後你們心疼兒子，就別給他拖後腿，要是不心疼兒子，我也只能幫他這一回。”
平安莊的人一下子聽明白了，夏菊花不是原諒了劉四壯兩口子，而是為了劉志亮才把人領回來的。他們就說嘛，隊長不是爛好人，就劉四壯兩口子這樣的，沒點原因能領他們回來？
好些人暗下決心，隊長沒有那個時間和精力時時看着劉四壯兩口子，他們可得替隊長把兩人給盯住了，要是他們再敢犯老毛病，那就別在平安莊生活了。
不止外人這麽想，晚上劉二壯和劉三壯兩家人，都來到夏菊花家，不過來了都沉默着，也不說有啥事兒。
夏菊花知道他們不好開口，自己先說了：“志亮是個要強的好孩子，這兩年是咋過來的咱們都看在眼裏呢。我不想耽誤孩子，不想讓孩子因為那樣的爹娘，一輩子讓人低看了。”
劉二壯擡頭看了夏菊花一眼，嘴角動了兩下終究沒說啥。安寶玲是心直口快的人，見二大伯子和自家男人都不說話，她說：
“嫂子，我來也沒別的，就是想問問要是申請宅基地的話，多長時間能給批下來。”
夏菊花見劉三壯并不反駁安寶玲的話，反而跟她一樣急切的看着自己，就說：“想申請宅基地還不快，不過現在可不是蓋房子的好時候。”都快上凍了，蓋出來的房子能結實嗎？
安寶玲就笑了：“能批下來就行，我是想着冬天事兒少點，能脫點坯就脫點坯，最好把磚和瓦燒出來。”
他們兩口子都認幹，志/軍和志國兩兒子也都已經掙工分了，這兩年平安莊的工又分一年比一年高，他們想要直接蓋瓦房。
劉志雙一聽就來勁了：“三嬸，你要着急就把我脫的土坯先拿去用，我那兒還有打好的瓦片呢，你也都拉去吧，我不着急蓋房子。”
被兄弟搶了先的劉志全一聽，竟然問起李大丫來：“二嬸，你們是不是也想蓋瓦房，我那也有脫好的土坯和瓦片，你們拿去使吧。”
夏菊花簡直被這兩兒子氣的哭笑不得，你們就那麽不願意自己出去蓋房子嗎？
劉二壯也被劉志全的問話搞的臉一紅，剛想開口反駁，李大丫說話了：“志全，謝謝你想着二嬸，不過我們想春耕後再蓋房，一冬天也夠你二叔和志福他們脫土坯了。”
得，劉二壯的話徹底被憋回去了，夏菊花只好幹笑一下問：“磚瓦好說，木頭都準備好了沒，那可不好買。”
“要不我咋來找嫂子呢。”安寶玲看都不看劉三壯，直接說：“聽說志全他們的木頭是小齊幫着張羅的，要是小齊下回再來的話，嫂子你能不能幫我帶個話？”
劉志雙剛想再開口往出讓木頭，被親娘一眼給瞪得不敢吭聲了，眼睛卻不老實，一個勁的向安寶玲使眼色。
安寶玲覺得好笑，她知道夏菊花想在劉志雙結婚的時候，就把兩兒子分出去的事兒。結果兩兒子土坯也脫了，瓦片也打了，木頭也買了，就是不肯去申請宅基地，氣的夏菊花一點辦法也沒有。現在見劉志雙又在跟他娘耍心眼，能不樂嘛。
再一想老院裏頭的亂帳，安寶玲就樂不出來了：都是婆婆帶着兒子兒媳婦過日子，一邊是兒媳婦們巴不離得越遠越好，兒子們默許。一邊是兒子想法子不搬，兒媳婦們對婆婆比對親娘還言聽計從，對比太過明顯，讓人不得不想想為啥。
管他為啥呢，安寶玲都決定了，她以後就當嫂子這樣的婆婆，自己有本事掙錢，把養老錢攢足足的，真到動不了那一天，也不會讓兒子覺得白伺候自己一回。同時注意不插手兒子兒媳婦咋相處，就不信她的兒子兒媳婦，還會跟自己一樣，巴不得離婆婆十裏地遠。
婆婆沒做到嫂子這份上，光嫌乎兒媳婦不孝順，咋那麽大臉呢。
想着心事的安寶玲，被夏菊花一句話點醒了：“志/軍他們走的日子雖然沒定下來，不過該給孩子準備的東西，你也得準備了。”蓋房子是長遠規劃，可送兒子參軍卻是眼前的事兒，耽誤不得。
本來對兒子當兵十分支持的安寶玲，此時完全被的近在眼前的離愁支配了：“嫂子，你說我給他準備點啥合适，咱們平安莊都好幾年沒出過當兵的了，也不知道啥東西部隊能用得上。”
“部隊衣裳被子都發，你就給他再做身新衣裳，讓孩子休息的時候，能有件換洗的衣裳就行。還有牙膏啥的零碎，也給他買齊了——聽說部隊不讓随便出門，別讓孩子到時候沒用的。”
安寶玲連連點頭，再說起話來就有些心不在焉，李大丫見了也不再多坐，一會兒就率先說要回家看着點兒自己家的東西。
這話一點沒背着劉二壯兄弟，劉三壯沒啥反應，劉二壯的老臉就是一紅：“瞎咧咧啥呢，志福他們不是還在家呢嗎？”哪用得着防賊似的。
李大丫跟安寶玲對視一眼沒說話，兩人申請宅基地蓋房子的心可是更堅定了。
等人走了，不等夏菊花發火，劉志雙就找到了轉移親娘注意力的話題：“娘，你說志軍和志亮要是當兵走，我們還用給他們添點啥不？”好歹被人叫了這麽些年哥，相處的都不錯，兩人這一走還不知道啥時候回來呢，應該有點表示。
這還真是個問題，不過夏菊花自己心裏早有了主意：“給添啥也不如給錢實在，有了錢他們缺啥少啥都能自己買，省得咱們在家裏給預備了，部隊不讓用也白搭。”人家部隊不管使啥都是統一的，講的就是一個正規。
劉志雙故意埋怨她說：“那剛才三嬸問的時候，你咋還讓她預備那些東西呢？”
夏菊花就嘆了一口氣：“兒行千裏母擔憂，母行萬裏兒不愁。你三嬸現在光想着志軍要離開家，不給她找點事做，她那心更定不下來。”
得了，連母子差別都出來了，這嗑還是別唠了。有些心虛的劉志雙見好就收，站起來就想拉着小滿回屋，夏菊花能放過他：“明後天你有空了去夏家莊問問你三舅爺，他要是不忙，就把你們兩人的磚和瓦片給燒出來。”
劉志雙忙說：“我三舅爺忙着呢，現在他們那個磚窯天天都不帶停的。”說完連媳婦也顧不上，一個箭步就跑出門去了。
王彩鳳也笑嘻嘻拉着劉志全往出走，還不忘請婆婆早點歇着，省得明天起來沒精神。
夏菊花很想告訴她，自己現在就被氣的沒啥精神了，叫住王彩鳳後問的卻是：“今天縣農機站的人問到齊副主任那兒，也想炒點兒花生，你能騰出功夫來不？”
王彩鳳笑的更燦爛了：“那還能沒工夫，不睡覺也得給人家炒出來。再說不是還有小滿呢，讓她給我搭把手，掙了錢我們姐兩一家一半。”
“嫂子，我也就能幫你燒燒火，不用分錢。”被劉志雙抛下的小滿，現在就跟在王彩鳳和劉志全身後，慢悠悠的表明自己的立場。
夏菊花聽不下去了，擺手讓他們都快走，省得自己越聽越來氣——你們表現得妯娌和睦，是讓她心軟放棄分家的想法嗎？做夢。
從來不做白日夢而是直面現實的夏菊花，第二天在大隊部裏沒能動窩：跟安寶玲一樣擔心孩子的新兵家屬們，全都跑來咨詢，想知道自己該給新兵們帶點兒啥，才能即讓他們不忘了家，還不違反部隊的規定。
Xia Juhua, who couldn't come up with an answer, finally gave them an idea that wasn't really an idea: "When children are away from home, what do they miss the most? Isn't it the food at home? Why don't you each bring them some vermicelli, which is leaked from our Ping'an Village Brigade. It is definitely different from those made elsewhere. When the children miss home, let them go to the kitchen to ask for some seasonings, soak some and make a bowl of food for themselves. Isn't that more effective than anything else?"
It must be said that this idea sounded quite reliable, especially when it came from Xia Juhua's mouth. Everyone agreed with it and said that they must teach their children how to make hot and sour noodles within a few days so that they can eat their fill and not miss home.