Chapter 111 (1)
Director Zhang looked at Xia Juhua seriously. Seeing her taking it for granted, he was amused: "Didn't you tell me at the beginning that your brigade had to work overtime to collect all the sweet potatoes from the grain station? Why do you want to collect your own food now? Besides, do you really not know or are you pretending not to know that privately purchasing grain is a crime of speculation. Even if the Red Team is disbanded now, you will still go to jail!"
Xia Juhua automatically ignored the first question and only answered the second one. She said that she knew what Director Zhang was talking about and said firmly, "So we are collectively purchasing grains for the brigade, not for me personally. This is a collective action, and collective action cannot be considered speculation."
Director Zhang could see that this man was determined to get the sweet potatoes - after dealing with him for such a long time, Xia Juhua knew Director Zhang's character well. Director Zhang dared to make such a request to him face to face. Didn't Director Zhang understand how righteous Xia Juhua's idea was?
The air in the office seemed to freeze as the two looked at each other. After a long while, Director Zhang asked, "You just want to collect enough food for your team?" Why didn't he believe it?
Xia Juhua was very diligent: "Of course, there are only a few people in our team, and we can't harvest much. Who can eat hot and sour noodles for a meal?" You'd better just pretend to be confused.
At this point, Xia Juhua's heart moved, and her eyes became a little erratic. Director Zhang was worried: "If you collect more, let me know..."
Xia Juhua suppressed her excitement and continued to shake her head: "Director, you don't know me well enough. I said I would collect enough food for my own team members, so I would not collect more. If other teams are worried that we will not have enough food for them, we can exchange it for other food."
"You dare to touch the reserve food?!" Director Zhang was really anxious.
Xia Juhua said repeatedly: "What are you thinking? I dare not touch the reserve grain. I just thought that since the members want to eat, they have to exchange their own grain. It's just that everyone's grain is put together, which is equivalent to a collective exchange. It's all the members' own grain, and the reserve grain will not be touched. Really, don't worry."
After Xia Juhua's repeated assurances, Director Zhang nodded slightly in doubt: "If I knew..."
"Don't move the stored grain and don't harvest more sweet potatoes." Xia Juhua looked determined and once again looked Director Zhang straight in the eye. She let him look at her without blinking, determined to make him believe what she said.
Director Zhang nodded doubtfully and said, "Then you can go and negotiate with other teams. If they have any questions, they can come to me."
This meant that they had agreed. Xia Juhua repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Director Zhang, who was understanding of the people's sentiments, on behalf of all the members of Ping'anzhuang Brigade, but was rudely kicked out of the office.
Riding all the way back to Ping'an Village, Xia Juhua asked someone to call Chen Qiusheng to her home and asked him, "How much food do we have in our production team's granary?"
Chen Qiu Sheng said in confusion: "There are a total of 1,000 kilograms of wheat. What's the matter, does the brigade need it?" If the brigade needed it, why did the captain call him home instead of telling him at the brigade headquarters?
Xia Juhua told him, "I just asked Director Zhang for permission to collect some sweet potatoes from other brigades. We don't grow sweet potatoes ourselves, and I estimate that the sweet potatoes in the grain station will be gone before the New Year, so we have to collect some ourselves in the future."
Chen Qiusheng and Director Zhang thought the same thing. They didn't think Xia Juhua just wanted to reveal the vermicelli that Ping'an Village ate. They asked, "Captain, do you want Xiao Qi to sell it for us?"
Xia Juhua smiled: "Vermicelli can only be sold at a good price before the New Year, so I want everyone to harvest sweet potatoes and add them to the sweet potatoes at the grain station. Otherwise, after the 15th day of the first lunar month, when it's time for spring ploughing, what are you grown men doing? You'll just stay at home and cook for your wives."
Chen Qiusheng understood it all at once and said with a smile, "This is a good idea. Although one pound of vermicelli can earn two pounds of sweet potatoes, it's still not as much as selling vermicelli myself. I'll tell everyone when I get back. By the way, you just asked about storing food, do you want to exchange other food for sweet potatoes?"
Xia Juhua nodded: "We don't think wheat is rare now, but half of the rations of other brigades are sweet potatoes. The New Year is coming soon, if they want to change to wheat, then let them do it." Who doesn't eat a few dumplings during the New Year?
Xia Juhua not only said this to Chen Qiusheng, but also to several other production team leaders. Now Team 3 was determined to follow Ping An Village's footsteps. When they heard that they could exchange vermicelli for cash, they were eager to follow.
Xia Juhua was not so polite to Li Daniu and the other three. "You all know what this is about without me having to tell you. If you hadn't come to me every day that year, wanting Zhiquan to join your production team to collect vermicelli, and complained every time he was late, I wouldn't have wasted my energy on you. I could have fried a few more pots of peanuts at home, and I could have made more money faster than exchanging vermicelli."
The four production team leaders could only nod their heads. They all knew what Xia Juhua meant by this, and promised to explain it to the members after returning to the production team. This was their own decision, just like that year. It was their personal behavior. Not to mention Xia Juhua, it had nothing to do with anyone in the team.
After hearing the guarantee, Xia Juhua finally smiled: "How to exchange sweet potatoes with other grains? You can discuss the quantity. Your production team can't exchange more and our production team can't exchange less. I have promised Director Zhang that we will only collect enough sweet potatoes for our members to eat."
The fifth team leader laughed and said, "There are more than 2,000 people in our team. Each person needs to eat at least 30 to 50 kilograms of food a year. What's the harm in collecting a little more?"
The fourth team leader asked: "Captain, does the agricultural machinery station still make pulping machines? I think our production team doesn't have enough."
"You can just go to the Agricultural Machinery Station and ask. Aren't you all familiar with those technicians?" Xia Juhua felt that matters dealing with the Agricultural Machinery Station should be left to the production teams themselves. Who knows if she goes there, whether the Agricultural Machinery Station will ask her to fry peanuts again.
Now that she hadn't finished frying the peanuts from the county supply and marketing cooperative, Wang Caixia had already started to order 1,000 kilograms. The director of the noodle factory had been replaced by Section Chief Chen, who had sold her noodles the first time. He had also asked Wang Caixia to tell him that he also wanted Xia Juhua to help fry 1,000 kilograms of peanuts before the New Year, to be distributed as employee benefits...
There is also Qi Weidong. That guy sent 2,000 kilograms of peanuts without even saying hello. Xia Juhua doesn't dare to take on any more work.
Hearing the disdain in Xia Juhua's tone, the production team leaders all became obedient: they just felt that if Xia Juhua stepped in, the work of the agricultural machinery station would be done quickly and in a timely manner, and it was not that they really could not solve the problem themselves.
Xia Juhua couldn't stay in the brigade any longer, so she told Accountant Chang that she had to go home to fry peanuts, and wanted to go home without any guilt. But Deng Chunlin was about to knock on the door, and when he saw Xia Juhua coming out, he looked a little embarrassed.
"Have you guys arranged your return home?" Xia Juhua held out her hand to him. "Who will be the first to leave? How many days will they be back? Who will stay on duty during the Spring Festival?"
Deng Chunlin couldn't produce a leave application or a shift roster, and he mumbled, "Captain, everyone wants to spend the Spring Festival at home. We've been arguing for a few days but haven't come to any conclusion. Do you think the team can..."
Xia Juhua smiled: "I remember that it was you who told Captain Li that the educated youth should manage the educated youth. Now that Captain Li has just retired, it would not be good for me, the new captain, to interfere." They can arrange things however they want. With this mediation, there will be continuous mediations until all the educated youth have left. Xia Juhua, who is determined to run a large collective industry, does not want to get involved in the chaos of the educated youth - the chaos will increase as time goes by. Do you really think she doesn't know?
"Captain, how can you be so indifferent to the educated youth? We are all here to help the farmers build..." Deng Chunlin's voice became smaller and smaller as he spoke angrily. He noticed that the smile on Xia Juhua's face had disappeared, and a sarcastic expression appeared on her seemingly calm face, so he could not continue.
As one of the first batch of educated youth to arrive at Ping'anzhuang Brigade, Deng Chunlin knew very well how the contradiction between the educated youth and Ping'anzhuang Brigade arose and how it became increasingly serious. He himself played an indispensable role in this.
Xia Juhua glanced at him with disdain. She thought this boy looked fair and clean and looked a bit like a scholar. How come he didn't have any scholar's backbone at all?
"I still say the same thing. Just arrange your shifts and bring in your leave requests, and I'll approve them. If not, then just stay and celebrate the New Year. Anyway, you're going to settle down in the countryside, and you want to make great contributions, so use this time to think about what you can do." Xia Juhua said coldly, then pushed her bicycle and went home.
Now the Liu family no longer had to hide their peanuts, they were all openly displayed in the kitchen or in the west room of Xia Juhua's main house. Not only were the people from the Ping'an Village production team not surprised, but even the people from other production teams knew that it was because their team leader fried the peanuts so well that none of the brooms they pulled out were thrown out, allowing them to get the cash smoothly.
In the past, the useless sorghum seedlings could now be exchanged for money. Did you dare to imagine that?
So in everyone's heart, they all wished that the aroma of fried peanuts would waft from the Liu family yard every day - the more peanuts their team leader fried, the closer the connection with other units, and the more the members of the Ping'anzhuang Brigade would benefit.
Didn’t you see that the team leader brought a tractor two days ago and brought back two trucks of wheat bran for each production team? It was because the team leader was roasting peanuts for the noodle factory again this year, so the factory was willing to sell it to them.
How much white flour can be sifted out from those two truckloads of wheat bran!
Even though each production team received more wheat this year than in previous years, everyone has not forgotten the feeling of being stuffed by wheat bran during the most difficult year, and everyone has a deep affection for wheat bran.
尤其是六十五歲以上的老人們，可都記着自己分到的那三斤黑面呢。也是從那一年開始，各生産隊每年都給六十五歲的老人額外補貼三斤白面，今年更是增加到了五斤。
不過夏菊花現在顧不上炒花生的事兒，她要把自己在公社萌生出的想法付諸實驗：
上輩子物質豐富之後，夏菊花是見識過方便面的，那東西吃時間長了，會覺得聞到味就沒胃口，可剛開始在農村出現時，可是只有心疼孩子的人家，才偶爾給買一包吃的好東西。
那裏頭要讓夏菊花看，也沒啥難的，就是把調料包起來密封是個問題。所以當時跟張主任說起，人不能天天吃酸辣粉的時候，夏菊花就想到能不能在方便面還沒大行其道的時候，先把方便酸辣粉給推出來。
于是回家放下自行車，夏菊花難得地走進了漏粉房，發現全村一半的男勞力們，都在這個大院子裏忙活着呢。
六臺絞漿機那裏就有好幾十號人，裝紅薯的、看着絞漿機的，随時準備換容器的，把盛滿漿的大盆搬進烘幹房的，配合的十分默契。
而烘幹房門口熱鬧，裏頭也沒安靜多少，因為送紅薯漿的、來挂粉烘幹的人絡繹不絕。固定在烘幹房的也有十幾個人，負責不時的察看一下澱粉澄清情況，再檢查一下挂着的成品幹燥情況。
最熱鬧的還是漏粉那邊，一字排開的六口十二人大鍋前，支起了架子，架上巨大的漏勺是特意請做絞漿機刀具的老師傅做的，每個上頭都有人端着大盆往裏倒調好的紅薯澱粉。
糊狀的澱粉通過漏勺，慢慢成細圓條狀注入一直燒開的鍋裏，稍微凝固兩分鐘，就被人撈出來，細心的挂到早準備好的細木杆上。一根細木杆挂滿，馬上有人接過來，飛快的走到烘幹房，挂到早準備好的架子上。
一把把粉條，就這樣漏成了。
雖然倒澱粉糊和撈粉條都是力氣活，可大家臉上都笑呵呵的，不時相互打趣着，好半天都沒人發現夏菊花。她只好找到劉志全所在的竈前，叫了一聲：“志全。”
一開始劉志全還以為自己聽錯了，擡頭一看親娘竟真的站在自己面前，不由嘴咧的大大的，笑着問：“娘，你咋來了呢。”
大家這才發現隊長的到來，紛紛跟夏菊花打招呼，問她過來有啥事。夏菊花在沒試驗成之前，不想讓太多的人知道，只把劉志全拉到一邊說：“一會兒你們這鍋再出粉的時候，你別挂起來晾，團成這樣的一團，知道不？”把自己想要的大小、形狀都一一交待給了劉志全。
這讓劉志全有些為難：“娘，要是一出鍋就團成一團的話，怕是得坨成一個疙瘩，吃的時候可就不好泡了。”
“你不會想想辦法讓它不坨。”夏菊花覺得大兒子的腦子就是不行，咋能剛聽到要求不試試，就跟自己講困難的？
“那行吧，我想想辦法。”一見親娘生氣，劉志全馬上慫了，改口改的那叫一個快。夏菊花沒好氣的囑咐他：“你們這一鍋你自己一個人試就行，別耽誤了別人漏粉兒。”
親娘呀，你不覺得你這要求有點兒高嗎？劉志全看着親娘離開的背影，很後悔今天自己做了漏粉的活計，要是他在烘幹房，他娘就不會給他下達這種不可能完成的任務了吧。
燒火的留柱悄悄跑到門口，正見夏菊花出漏粉房的大門，回身小聲沖劉志全說：“大哥，隊長已經走了。剛才她讓你幹啥，咋把你愁成這樣？”
劉志全能不愁嗎，別看現在平安莊漏出的粉條得用千斤計數，可對農民來說，每一粒糧食都是他們汗珠子掉地上摔八瓣種出來的，浪費一點兒都心疼。
可親娘卻讓他試驗咋把粉條團起來晾幹，要是坨了不是浪費了？人家糧站送來的紅薯有數，要交出去的粉條也得對上數呢。
跟劉志全在同一口鍋前漏粉的人都聽到了劉志全的煩惱，雖然活計沒停，可大家說笑的聲音都沒有了，一個個轉着腦筋想咋達到夏菊花的要求。
沒有一個人覺得夏菊花不該提出這樣的要求。在平安莊生産隊的社員樸素的認知裏，已經形成了不管夏菊花提出什麽樣的要求，都一定有她的道理這種觀念。
現在他們要做到的，就是咋完成她交下來的任務——可別說隊長只說讓劉志全一個人試驗，他們跟劉志全在一口鍋前漏粉，那隊長交下來的任務必然有他們的份！
“我記得我媳婦擀面條的時候，都是往面條上撒點粉，面條就不沾了，你們說咱們也撒點澱粉上去行不行？”有人提出了想法，大家就分出兩人來跟劉志全實驗。
很快就個辦法就被否決了——撒上澱粉雖然不容易粘，往剛出鍋的粉條上撒粉，想撒均了太考驗人，隊長肯定不想這麽費時費力。
又有人提出跟吃過水面一樣，粉條出鍋後直接過一遍涼水，一試還是以失敗告終——激過涼水的粉條馬上發硬，很難繞成夏菊花要求的團形。
……
交待了任務就走人的夏菊花，回有就見小滿滿頭大汗的又在炒花生，等她炒完一鍋，夏菊花就接過手來，勸小滿回屋裏歇一會兒：“你現在雖然過了頭三個月，可也不能太大意了。這是頭一胎，累着了不是玩兒的。”
小滿擦了擦汗，紅撲撲的臉上全是笑：“娘，我不累。”炒一鍋就是兩塊多錢的收入，一邊想着自己最後能賺多少錢一邊揮動鏟子，不知不覺一鍋就炒完了，哪能覺得累。
夏菊花好氣又好笑：“別光想着掙錢，你們年輕不覺得，等到了我這個歲數就知道了。”
小滿一下子緊張起來，本來慢悠悠的語氣也急促了：“娘，你哪兒不舒服，快回屋躺着，我這就去叫大夫。”說着還想搶夏菊花手裏的鏟子。
夏菊花輕輕讓過說：“我沒不舒服，就是提醒你才這麽一說。倒是你，快回屋歇着吧。”
小滿連忙搖頭：“我把西竈點起來，用它跟娘一塊炒。兩人一起說話，更不累了。”
夏菊花好笑的搖頭，邊炒着花生邊說：“咱們家的花生太多了，就你一個人炒得炒到啥時候。”
“嫂子下班，也幫着我炒呢。”小滿生着火，等着鍋熱。
“她也就晚上能炒一會兒，白天都是你一個人炒，還得做三遍飯。得找個人幫忙才行。”夏菊花看着一地的花生袋子就犯愁，掙錢是掙錢了，可掙錢的過程太累人了。
小滿安慰婆婆：“有時候七奶也過來幫我燒燒火。”
對呀，夏菊花覺得自己可以找個人過來，別的不幹，就幫小滿燒燒火，也省的她竈上竈下兩頭忙活。小滿一聽就搖頭：“娘，人家看時間長了，把手藝學去了……”七奶當然不存在這個問題，她一個孤老婆子，學了也沒用。
這還真是一個問題。不管是王彩鳳還是小滿，兩人都是從掌握火候開始，看了一段時間就敢下手試了。夏菊花卻沒放棄這個打算，她可記着呢，別看炒貨不起眼，上輩子就有人憑着小小的炒瓜子，成了當地首富。
于是吃完晚飯，夏菊花出現在了老院，李大丫一看忙叫一聲：“嫂子，你咋來了？”
正房和西廂房的門同時打開，安寶玲和一臉忐忑的孫桂芝都走了出來。跟安寶玲大大方方往屋裏讓人不同，孫桂芝的眼神溜溜瞅瞅往人身上飄，就是不敢主動說一句話。
夏菊花也是真不想理她，讓安寶玲回屋幹自己的事兒去，她來是找李大丫商量點兒事。
安寶玲不見外的說：“你們兩有啥事要背着我，我可不幹，非得跟着聽聽不可。”說着就自己先進了東廂房。李大丫抱歉的對夏菊花笑了一下，往裏讓她：“嫂子，你也快進屋，這天一天比一天冷了。”
劉二壯早已經站在門邊等着呢，剛想叫人發現進來的是安寶玲，後頭跟着的才是夏菊花，忙打了一聲招呼：“嫂子，這麽晚過來，有事兒？”
夏菊花點點頭，跟他打完招呼後，就接受劉紅玲和劉紅翠的問候，南屋志福和志貴兩也過來了。
“都回自己屋裏去吧。”李大丫見屋裏人多得擠不下，直接把兩兒子又趕走了。夏菊花就說：“你們是真得起房子了，就算紅玲馬上結婚走了，家裏也住不開。志福都該看媳婦了。”
李大丫就想起那天劉志全向她推銷磚坯瓦片的事兒來，笑着打趣夏菊花：“我倒是想起，可磚坯瓦片還不夠呢，要不把志全的先用着？”
安寶玲也接話說：“我也能把志雙的接手了。”
“你們兩行了吧。”夏菊花沒好氣的看兩人一眼，自己也憋不住想笑：“那兩混小子也不知道咋想的，非得賴上我了，死活不申請宅基地。你們兩家要的那兩塊，他們要申請的話，還能有你們的份？”
劉二壯和劉三壯的宅基地已經批下來了，方方正正的三分地，雖然把村口可離路近，出行很方便，将來一修路，直接可以把窗戶擴大做個小賣部。
夏菊花早看中了那兩塊地方，奈何兒子不申請，她幹着急也沒法——一家子的戶口都在一起呢，劉志全兄弟不出面，戶口分不開，沒法申請宅基地。
當然夏菊花也可以憑借自己大隊長的便利，硬把戶口本變成三本，可還是那句話，人家本人不申請，光變戶口本有啥用？
自覺占了大嫂便宜的李大丫和安寶玲就不說話了，一邊抿嘴笑一邊等着夏菊花說明來意。夏菊花來不是為別的，就想問問紅翠想不想去給小滿燒火。
紅翠本想說，自己現在天天得到編席組帶着姑娘們編東西，李大丫已經張嘴就替她應下了：“咋不想，她二嫂挺着肚子是忙活不過來，她搭把手是應該的。”
紅玲就把嘴嘟起來了：“大娘現在光疼紅翠不心疼我了，是不是覺得我嫁得遠，孝敬不着你了？咋光讓紅翠去不讓我去呢？”把本來有些不願意的紅翠聽的一愣，嘴邊的話都咽回去了。
夏菊花笑着點點她的腦門：“天天生産隊的帳還不夠你算的，你哪有時間幫你二嫂去。不象紅翠，編席那至不濟還有你翠萍嫂子看着呢。”
說完看向紅翠說：“你二嫂肯定不會讓你白忙，炒一鍋花生分你五毛錢。”
“不，不，不，”紅翠聽了連連擺手：“我咋能分二嫂的錢呢，我願意給二嫂幫忙去。”
李大丫也說：“嫂子，你這是要讓小滿教紅翠手藝呢，她還敢要錢？”
紅翠至此才明白過來，為啥她娘張口就替她應下，而她姐說大娘不疼她了。
“親是親，錢是錢。”夏菊花對此十分堅持：“別看先跟着燒火，可泡花生、搬搬擡擡的紅翠都得幹，一鍋分五毛不多。”
一鍋分五毛聽起來不如編席記工分，可架不住小滿一天可不是炒一鍋就完了。最主要的是李大丫說的，紅翠可以把炒花生的手藝學到手，那是多少錢都買不來的。
沒見夏菊花他們那院子，天天香氣都不散嗎，還不是因為夏菊花的手藝好，教出來的兩個兒媳婦炒出來的跟她一脈相承。
多少人家有了手藝，都是傳兒媳婦不傳閨女，就怕閨女帶到婆家去。何況劉紅翠還不是夏菊花的親閨女，只是侄女呢！
所以劉二壯都開口了：“嫂子，紅翠她們姐兩編席的手藝就是你教的，認字也是你辦了識字班才學到的，現在又要讓紅翠跟着小滿學手藝，我們要是再收錢的話，成啥人了。”
不過夏菊花說出口的話，從來沒有再收回去的時候，最後連威脅不讓紅翠去幫忙都用上了，才算把事兒敲定了。
直到小滿來幫忙的第四天，劉志全才一臉喜色捧着個盤子回來了，沒進廚房就喊：“娘，你來看看，這是不是你想要的東西。”
夏菊花手裏正炒着花生呢，當然得炒完這一鍋再撤火。劉志全卻等不得，自己找進廚房來了：“娘，我覺得這回行了。”說着把盤子舉給夏菊花看。
盤子裏是三小團已經半幹的粉條，跟以往長條的不同，每團都順條順绺的蜷在一起，絲絲粉條十分分明。夏菊花讓劉志全拿起一團來，轉着給她看了遍。
很好，底下也沒有坨了的地方，開水泡上一陣子就能放調料了。夏菊花滿意的點頭：“就是這個意思，不過粉條有點兒少了，咋也得夠一碗的量。”
只要找對了方法，粉條團大小還是個事兒嗎？劉志全得到親娘的認可，高興的兩眼放光：“娘，這就行了？”
“行啥行，還差得遠呢。”夏菊花手上不停，嘴也不停的問：“這麽做費不費事，比挂着晾占不占地方？”
“就是多一道團的工序，不費啥事。”劉志全故做不在意的說：“要是做幾個架子放上扁篩，比挂着晾省地方。”
夏菊花若有所思的點點頭，又給大兒子分派了新的任務：“你去縣城找小齊，跟他說我想要幹淨的塑料袋，裝點心的那種，得厚一點兒，大的小的都要。”
對于親娘一時一個想法，劉志全已經能很好的接受了，把東西一放就去推自行車，連問個為啥都懶得問。
小滿沒覺得有啥，紅翠看得直新鮮：“大哥可真聽話，志福現在我娘讓他幹啥，他都得先蹦兩蹦。”
“那是打的輕。”夏菊花故意做出一副惡狠狠的姿态，小滿就笑，慢慢悠悠的請夏菊花認清一個事實：“娘，我可沒見你打過大哥和志雙。”
“那是我打他們時候過去了。”夏菊花要保持住自己的威嚴，就是這份惡狠狠的表象，有沒有人信可是兩回事了。
下午齊衛東就跟着劉志全一起來平安莊了，當然帶着夏菊花需要的塑料袋，大大小小的都有，由着夏菊花挑出她認為合用的。
“嬸子，你這是要幹啥？”齊衛東見夏菊花把調好的調料，小心倒進一個小塑料袋裏，又把小塑料袋的口對齊，小心的折過來把一根小鐵片放到中間，湊近蠟燭輕輕一烤，竟然把調料封到了塑料袋裏，不由吃驚的問。
夏菊花又拿了十幾顆炒花生（沒挂糖霜的那種），還有切得碎碎的鹹菜，同樣封到了一個小塑料袋裏。接着她拿過早準備好的小紙條，在上頭寫下了日期，才算完全搞定了。
“我要試試，這些調料這麽放能放幾天不變味。”夏菊花總算有時間回答齊衛東的問題了。
齊衛東還是不解呀：“這有啥好試的，你天天在家，想吃就現調，那味多正。”辣椒油放時間長了容易有一股哈喇味，能好吃？
夏菊花搖着頭說：“所以我才想試試。”要是有上輩子那種脫水的技術就好了，還能放點兒菜在裏頭。不過夏菊花都想好了，她有功夫了，要寫信問問薛技術員，看京城現在有沒有這種技術。
齊衛東還是不明所以，等聽說夏菊花想試着做出方便攜帶，吃的時候只用開水泡發就行的酸辣粉，心裏那是大寫的服：“嬸子，你這腦子還是別當大隊長了，以後咱們兩合夥，我都聽你的，肯定賺大錢。”
就等你這句話呢。夏菊花一點不跟他客氣：“我記着你這話了啊，等啥時候我不當大隊長了，你不跟我合夥我就找齊副主任告狀去。”
以前齊衛東沒少這麽跟夏菊花開玩笑，不想今天她竟有點頭的意思，可把齊衛東高興壞了：“嬸子，你啥時候不幹，提前告訴我一聲，我把錢預備足足的等着跟你大幹一場。”
夏菊花卻不再繼續這個話題，只讓他把自己剛用的塑料袋多準備一點兒：“多少錢跟我說，不過可別賺嬸子太多錢。”
要到這個時候，夏菊花才想起，跟上輩子塑料成為白色垃圾時不一樣，現在的塑料還是好東西——供銷社賣點心，大部隊都得用油紙或是紙盒包。
她想按上輩子方便面那樣先把酸辣粉推出來，成本上不見得合算。不過既然試了，咋也得有始有終，所以齊衛東問她需要多少的時候，大塑料袋她要了二百個，小塑料袋則要了四百個。
“娘，你這究竟要弄啥？”劉志全實在憋不住了，問了一句。
夏菊花想了個理由說：“志/軍和志亮他們當兵一走那麽老遠，我怕他們想家，想着弄點現成的酸辣調料，他們吃了就跟在家一樣了。”
劉志雙同樣不解：“走的時候不是讓他們都帶了粉條嗎，我聽說走之前各家都教過咋調了。”
本來就因為成本可能太高，自己試驗面臨失敗上火的夏菊花，一下子急了：“都是些大小夥子，那麽幾天能學成啥樣？他們一走牽着好二十一家的心呢，大隊弄點東西慰問一下他們，不行嗎？”
難得見夏菊花發火的齊衛東，站出來打圓場：“嬸子，他們就是不知道想問問，沒說不讓你弄。你放心，這塑料袋包在我身上，保證不賺嬸子你一分錢。”
你不賺錢人家賣塑料袋的不得賺錢嗎？夏菊花把三人都趕出屋去，自己默默想別的辦法。
辦法得想，別的事兒也不能停。夏菊花眼看着紅翠已經能很好的掌握火候，又開始張羅起平安莊大隊收紅薯的事兒來。
與別的在隊聯系時，有人問出了張主任同樣的問題，那就是你們不是說沒時間替我們漏粉嗎，咋現在又收起紅薯來了？以前不想替我們漏，是不是怕我們占你們的便宜？
Xia Juhua explained one brigade after another and stopped going to the third brigade: When you wanted the Ping'anzhuang brigade to help leak the powder, didn't you ever think of making them work in vain?
Xia Juhua's original psychological price was that the Ping'anzhuang Brigade would come forward collectively and the price of a pound of sweet potatoes would be four cents at least. She didn't expect that they would actually raise the price and offered a price of six cents per pound as if they had agreed beforehand.
She rode her bicycle directly to the county town to find Qi Weidong and said to him, "Auntie, I still need your help with this matter."
Qi Weidong laughed after hearing what Xia Juhua had said. "Those brigades must be crazy. Auntie, you have helped them so much, and you still don't deserve it? Come on, I will definitely take care of this for you."
Xia Juhua told him with some concern: "Don't let anyone find out."
Who is Qi Weidong? He had sneaked into the village to collect food more than once or twice. Almost every production team had his regular customers. Even those who had connections with him in the black market had a lot of sweet potatoes. That night, they quietly delivered 10,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes to the Ping'anzhuang production team.
It wasn't silent, as Liu Zhishuang had brought the sweet potatoes back with a tractor. But since Liu Zhishuang started using the tractor, the gate of Xia Juhua's house had been rebuilt so that the tractor could be parked directly in the yard. In addition, Liu Zhishuang often hauled things for the various teams, and it was common for him to come back late, so the members of the Ping'anzhuang weighing team were no longer surprised by the sound of the tractor in the middle of the night.
However, after everyone was notified to transport the sweet potatoes, they all understood what was going on. No one discussed it much and mixed the sweet potatoes into the pile of sweet potatoes transported from the Loufenfang Grain Station - with Chen Qiu Sheng and Hong Ling around, there was no need to worry about the accounts being unclear.
The other four production teams also received extra sweet potatoes, and it looks like more will be delivered continuously. Everyone is very happy.
All the members of Ping'anzhuang Brigade were more excited than Qi Weidong: the sweet potatoes that were transported later and the vermicelli that were made would eventually be sold through him. The price he paid to Ping'anzhuang Brigade was 45 cents per pound, and he was confident that he could sell it for 60 cents or even higher.
The two team leaders who had been contacted by Xia Juhua could no longer sit still in their own brigades - their brigades grew a lot of sweet potatoes, and one-third of the members' food supply came from that stuff, and the members were all resentful.
I originally thought that since Ping'anzhuang Brigade didn't plant much sweet potatoes this year, I could say a few words to Xia Juhua and then have the commune put some pressure on them, so that Ping'anzhuang Brigade could help turn the sweet potatoes into powder and also ease the resentment of the members.
Unexpectedly, the Ping'an Village Brigade didn't give them face and directly said that they would give flour to each grain station and didn't have time to take care of their affairs. They went to the commune to complain, but Director Zhang spitted in their face. They were furious, so when Xia Juhua came to them to collect sweet potatoes, they couldn't help but say a few more words.
Who would have thought that Xia Juhua would not buy it and rode away on her bicycle. As soon as she left, the two team leaders felt a little regretful: in addition to the Ping'anzhuang Brigade, there were more than just their two brigades in the whole commune. If other team leaders agreed to Xia Juhua's proposal, the members of their brigades would know about it and they would be in trouble...
They can only persuade themselves in their hearts.