Chapter 114
"Director Zheng," Xia Juhua immediately became alert when she heard this. Without waiting for Director Zheng to say what she wanted to discuss, she said, "You can't let me fry peanuts anymore. Haven't you seen my daughter-in-law, who is busy working every day with a bulging belly? My son is already resentful of me."
Director Zheng pretended not to hear and said, "Captain Xia, do you remember that the district supply and marketing cooperative participated in an expo before? In the spring of next year, it will be time for another expo. The district supply and marketing cooperative wants to promote Ping'anzhuang's textile products as a main project. What do you think?"
Xia Juhua had never thought that the knitted products of a production team would be the main promotional item for the entire region to participate in foreign expositions. However, she knew that Pinganzhuang's knitted products were becoming more and more popular.
So I asked Director Zheng a question in a professional and confident manner: "Director Zheng, if we make Ping'anzhuang's woven products the main promotion project, then our current varieties will be a bit limited. I wonder if the district supply and marketing cooperative has any specific requirements?"
"There are less than three months left until spring. If there are any requirements, they must be raised as soon as possible. We must ask members to complete previous orders and compile samples according to the requirements of the district supply and marketing cooperative. And the sample cannot be just one. There must be at least 100 of each type."
When Director Zheng heard that Xia Juhua had agreed, he was so happy that his eyebrows were not covered with tears: "I don't have any specific requirements, I just want you to have more varieties, at least you have to come up with a few series of samples."
It was the same as saying nothing. Xia Juhua thought that she should go back to Zhaoxianzhi to discuss this matter with Zhang Cuiping and others. But she would not let Director Zheng off so easily:
"Director Zheng, we need to hurry up with the iron bucket. It will be too late after the Chinese New Year. And the cloth, you see, I only rode a bicycle here, so I can't take it back. If you want someone to send it to me, that would be great. I just don't have much money this time. Besides, our team members are busy making mats, making flour, and there is no time to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy oil, salt and other things..."
Director Zheng understood everything very well: "Captain Xia, don't worry, just go back and think about how to come up with new ideas, whether it's soaked cloth or daily necessities such as oil and salt. Our county supply and marketing cooperative is about to organize a rural service activity, and I have decided to hold it in your Ping'anzhuang Brigade. Tomorrow, our mobile service vehicle will arrive at the Ping'anzhuang Brigade. Don't forget to inform the members, and those who need it can go to your brigade headquarters to buy it."
Xia Juhua gave Director Zheng a thumbs up and said, "Director Zheng, you are a good leader who serves the members wholeheartedly. On behalf of all the members of Ping'an Village Brigade, I would like to thank you."
After that, the two smiled at each other, neither of them taking the other's words seriously. However, Xia Juhua still ran to find Director Lin and told him that the new powder from Ping An Zhuang had been leaked, and he should remember to ask his brother to pick it up today.
Director Lin has helped Ping'an Zhuang a lot over the years. Xia Juhua will not forget Director Lin, who was the first to discover the Ping'an Zhuang calligraphy just because Director Zheng has a good attitude now. Without Director Lin's decision to purchase a large number of Ping'an Zhuang calligraphy at the Red Star Supply and Marketing Cooperative, how could Director Zheng know what Ping'an Zhuang's textile products look like?
Since she was in the county town, Xia Juhua went to the bank and deposited her annual dividends and wages into her passbook: her dividends this year amounted to 936 yuan, plus the 10 yuan monthly subsidy as a team leader, which was another 100 yuan, for an annual income of just over 1,000 yuan. Even in the city, few people could compare with her - even if Xia Juhua put half of it into the Liu family's public fund as usual, she could still save another 500 yuan, not to mention the money she earned from helping to fry peanuts from time to time.
It's a bit scary to say it out loud at this time - the average monthly salary of a worker is more than 20 yuan now, and she earns the salary of several workers in a year.
With so much money kept at home, Xia Juhua thought it would be more economical to put it in the bank and earn interest. The money she deposited last year matured two days ago, so it was a good opportunity to put it all together and renew the deposit.
After carefully putting away the new deposit slip, Xia Juhua smiled at the bank staff at the counter and left, but she caused quite a stir in the bank: more than 4,000 yuan, who among the people present could take out 400 yuan? Even though they sit in the bank every day, few families can take out 400 yuan in savings, and they have already saved more than 4,000 yuan!
The interest alone is several hundred yuan, and now it is being combined with Xia Juhua's other money to earn more interest.
Everyone was wondering what this woman doing and how she got so much money. She didn't look like a city girl in her clothes, but she went to the bank to save money at the end of the year, which made people suspicious.
"Do you think she's a hidden bad guy or something?"
"Or maybe it's speculation. How else could they have so much money? Should we report this to the leadership?"
"What's the point of responding? You only know her last name and where she's from. If you report her, where can you find her?"
Yes, now deposits do not require real-name registration, and even identity documents are not needed. As long as you have money and a private seal, you can deposit money into the bank. When you withdraw money, you can just bring your passbook and private seal.
Xia Juhua, unaware of the sensation she had caused in the bank, saw that it was still early, so she simply went to the black market herself, without looking for Qi Weidong and the others, in order to buy some meat to take home for a better meal.
"Don't sell it to her, don't sell it to her." Li Lin's angry voice soon came from behind him. Xia Juhua turned around and slapped him: "You kid, I want to buy some meat and you won't let anyone sell it to me."
"Auntie," Li Lin winked at the butcher and took Xia Juhua away, "Why are you buying meat by yourself when you're already here? If you want to buy meat, I'll take you there."
Xia Juhua didn't approach them just now because she was afraid that if she said she wanted to buy something, they would sell it to her for free or for less. Now that she had been discovered by Li Lin, she followed him and asked, "I'm wearing a scarf and a hat, how did you recognize me?"
Li Lin laughed: "Auntie, Brother Zhiquan bought this scarf from us. We are the only one who sells it in the entire black market." It was still the same khaki color as always.
Unexpectedly, she was exposed by the scarf her son bought. Xia Juhua had no choice but to tell Li Lin: "I want four pig trotters, a pig elbow, and a few big bones. Are they available?"
"It's hard for others to buy it, but you can't buy it if you want it, auntie. Don't worry, I won't sell it to you at a loss, otherwise Brother Qi will come back to settle the score with me."
You are selling without losing money, but you are not looking to make money either, right? Xia Juhua thought about it and found her current relationship with Qi Weidong and the others a little funny: when they first started dealing with each other, both sides wanted to take advantage of each other as much as possible.
But now, she was afraid that the other party would suffer a loss, so she would give as much profit as possible. However, Xia Juhua knew in her heart that this was just to show that she was buying things for her family. If she was buying for the Ping'an Village Brigade, these guys would dare to ask for a lot from her.
"Auntie, this time you get on the bike from the front. I've tied the basket securely for you to make sure you don't fall off on the way." Li Lin reached out and pulled the rope that tied the basket, then said to Xia Juhua with assurance.
Xia Juhua didn't bother to be polite with him: "Okay, let's go home with Xiaoqi to eat hot and sour rice noodles. This time, Auntie will make it with bone soup for you."
Li Lin naturally agreed with a smile, and watched Xia Juhua ride away before returning to the black market to continue his business. Xia Juhua returned home smoothly, and saw Xiaoman and Hongcui still frying peanuts, and Qi Nai was taking care of two stoves by herself, so she hurried over to take over: "Qi Nai, you take a rest, I'll take care of it."
"No, no, you just came back, go back to your room and rest for a while, you don't have to worry about these little chores at home." When Seventh Grandma saw Xia Juhua, her old face smiled like a chrysanthemum: "Look at how busy you are all day, you must be so tired, the whole team is counting on you."
Even Xia Juhua was embarrassed to accept such an exaggerated statement: "We all earn our living by our own efforts, so there is no need to expect anything."
Grandma Qi pursed her almost toothless mouth and said with a frown: "If it weren't for you, would we be able to eat those five kilograms of flour in peace? If it weren't for you, would we old people be able to wear new cotton clothes?"
The last thing that Seventh Grandma mentioned was a treatment that Ping'anzhuang Brigade gave to the five-guarantee households last year: the brigade collectively had money, and could also buy processed products from the supply and marketing cooperative. After Xia Juhua and several other brigade cadres discussed it, they made a new cotton-padded jacket for each of the five-guarantee households, which moved the five-guarantee households so much.
At that time, Xia Juhua had done the math in her heart: there were only a dozen or so five-guarantee households in the entire brigade, and a new cotton-padded jacket for each of them would cost no more than four yuan, which would not have any impact on the collective financial output, but would allow the five-guarantee households to have a good winter.
So after hearing what Grandma Qi said, Xia Juhua said, "That was made last year. It's not new if I wear it this year."
"What are you talking about?" Grandma Qi didn't like to hear this: "Three years new, three years old, everything is new in three years."
Well, that's how the older generation calculated it, so Xia Juhua didn't argue with her. She took out the meat she bought and said to Qi Nai and Hong Cui, "Eat it all tonight before you leave."
Hongcui would occasionally stay for dinner because she had to fry peanuts in the evening, and she was not polite to Xia Juhua. However, Qi Nai felt that she had taken advantage of Xia Juhua too much, and she refused to stay. Xiaoman smiled and slowly said to Qi Nai: "Qi Nai, you should stay, otherwise my mother will have to send Baoguo to deliver it to you. He is so young, it would be so painful if he broke the bowl."
這麽一說，七奶也就不再堅持說走，不過還是趕夏菊花回屋歇着。夏菊花囑咐小滿炒完這一鍋就別再炒了，騰出鍋來她要炖肉。
雖然對劉家來說，炖肉已經不是過年才能吃到，可有肉吃還是讓人興奮的，紅翠笑嘻嘻的說：“大娘，今天我給你打下手，我娘老說我炖的不如你炖的好吃。我非得看看，到底哪兒還沒學對。”
夏菊花答應着自己真回了正房，上炕打開炕櫃，把放錢的小包拿出來，數了數自己剩下的現金，兩千二百二十塊錢，如果讓別人聽到，怕是得吓一跳。
這錢不是夏菊花自己的，而是全家人分紅的一半，去了日常花費剩下的。夏菊花心裏算了算，整個平安莊生産隊，能跟他們家一樣有這些剩餘的，估計超不過三戶去。
不過那幾戶都是一家子所有錢都放在大家長手裏，而夏菊花手裏的錢，卻是只收了大家一半的分紅——不管是王彩鳳小滿兩個炒花生的錢，還是劉志雙自己開拖拉機掙的錢，夏菊花早都讓他們自己收着了。
她手裏的這些錢，還巴不得快給他們分掉呢——她算是看明白了，她手裏這些錢，如果不是劉志全兄弟兩個蓋了房子搬出去，是別想分掉。
現在夏菊花沒空想咋讓那兩混玩意搬出去，她還得跟趙仙枝她們商量編織品的事兒呢。
“娘，要不我去把仙枝嬸子叫來得了。”劉志全見親娘連香噴噴的豬蹄都沒啃兩塊，就想放下碗出找人，自告奮勇的就要去叫人。
紅翠也說：“大娘，我馬上就吃完了，等我回去就把我娘和我三嬸叫來。”
七奶也說：“忙啥，我一會兒跟你一起去。”
可不是，頭一個大公雞可就是七奶編出來的，夏菊花覺得自己真是數錢數的一身幹勁，倒把腦袋給數糊塗了：“行，你們也消停吃你們的。吃完飯了志全去叫你仙枝嬸子、還有翠萍，紅翠去叫你娘和你三嬸，志雙去叫你仙草嬸子。”
雖然她讓大家消停吃，可劉志全兄弟和紅翠都加快了吃飯的速度，洗碗的活更被王彩鳳直接搶到手了：“你快回家喊二嬸她們吧，小滿也回屋歇一會兒。”
七奶邊跟夏菊花一起回正房，一邊羨慕的說：“你看你這兩兒媳婦，讓你教的多好。小滿也過門兩三年了，誰聽說過她們姐兩紅過臉？”
夏菊花心說我要是會教兒媳婦，上輩子還至于把自己給憋屈成那樣？這輩子她的心思根本都沒往家裏用，想的最多是給自己存點養老錢，對于孫子孫女也只盡自己當奶奶的心意，不想人人都說她是個好婆婆，會教兒媳婦。
啥叫陰差陽錯，夏菊花的體會可是越來越深了。
突然她想起來件事，忙對剛把常仙草找來的劉志雙說：“你還得開拖拉到各生産隊去一趟，通知他們明天縣供銷社要下鄉服務，要大隊部賣生活用品，讓他們通知社員，有需要的就到大隊部買去。”
常仙草一聽眼睛亮了：“真的，那可太好了。隊長，他們這回有啥處理品不？”
跟着夏菊花一起買東西買習慣了的常仙草，問的那叫一個一針見血。夏菊花當然不會瞞着，正好可以讓劉志雙通知別的生産隊一聲，明天供銷社可能帶些被雪水浸過的布來，有不在意的可以多帶點兒錢。
說話間趙仙枝和張翠萍也已經來了，當時就說：“有啥在意的，雪水浸了又不是油浸了，回家洗一洗啥也不耽誤。我今年都跟李常旺說好了，得給孩子們一人做身新衣裳。本來還想麻煩小齊呢，這回可省不少錢。”農村存一身衣裳的布票不容易，可找齊衛東的話，不要布票就能買來，平安莊生産隊的人已經很習慣和他打交道了。
常仙草就問趙仙枝：“你們家要一人做一身呀，是光做單的，還是連棉的一起做？”
趙仙枝笑了：“前年去年緊了緊手，人人做了身新棉衣，今年還做？美的他們。”
“你可得了吧。”常仙草不慣着她：“這話你在村裏說說得了，要是出去說，別的大隊的人，又得講咕咱們平安莊了。”
“讓他們講咕去。”趙仙枝根本不當一回事：“咱們這些婦女，帶着姑娘們一起沒白天沒黑夜的編東西，自己掙的錢穿兩件新衣裳咋啦。我還就稀罕咱們生産隊的姑娘們，一個個穿的立立整整的，看着就體面。”
真不是趙仙枝自誇，平安莊的姑娘們也就是天天忙着編東西出不了村，要不走到哪兒都得讓人多看兩眼——正是□□九的好年齡，穿的再整齊幹淨，自己掙錢又添了自信，看上去跟別的大隊灰頭土臉的姑娘就是不一樣。
現在平安莊的小夥子們，眼睛都盯着自己生産隊的姑娘，對外隊的連相看都不願意相看，不就是因為平安莊的姑娘們根本不比城裏姑娘差嗎？
常仙草都不想理自己這個妯娌了，不過她不得不佩服趙仙枝的本事：光看場院外頭堆的那兩大垛葦杆，就能知道趙仙枝這個秋天為啥黑了不少——編席組天天消耗葦杆，還能存下兩大垛葦杆，跟趙仙枝秋天的時候，帶着劉志雙把整個湙河沿岸的生産隊都跑遍了，有着直接的關系。
“人都齊了沒？”夏菊花等她們說笑告一段落，才笑着問了一句，眼睛看着從一開始就跟着她編席的婦女們，裏頭的笑意藏也藏不住。
“隊長，你就說找我們有啥好事兒吧。你放心，只要是你說的，頭拱地我也給你辦成了。”趙仙枝就差拍胸脯了。
夏菊花便将地區想把平安莊的編織品，做為一個專項參加博覽會的事兒說了：“……我覺得這對咱們編席組是好事。這兩年咱們的訂單都沒斷過，不就是上次參加博覽會的結果？”
幾個人紛紛點頭，七□□一個問：“系列是個啥東西？”
夏菊花上輩子聽過幾次這個詞，雖然心裏較不太準，不過大體意思還能說兩句：“就是同一種東西，比如你編的那個公雞一類的，連公雞帶母雞加上小雞崽，可以算一個系列，把十二屬相編出來，也能算一個系列吧。”
聽她一說，張翠萍連連咂舌：“十二屬相，那玩意可不好編，得泡多少顏色的葦杆呀。”
夏菊花聽了，連忙在自己準備好的小本子上記上買顏料幾個字，又示意別人接着說。大家就議論起來，席子咋搞成一個系列，小籃子得有幾個造型，還有後來試出來的筆筒又得編幾個花樣……
都快十點半了，才算商量好，席子就按福、壽、喜、平安幸福、快樂如意五種算一個系列，每種編上一百張。
小籃子則定下葫蘆、南瓜、辣椒形狀按大中小三號各編一百個。
筆筒就按現有的圓、方兩種中號的各編一百個算了，這個訂單最少，應該是喜歡的人不多。
至于公雞系列，七奶覺得編一窩雞和十二屬相，都挺好，承諾她自己先琢磨幾天，看哪一種好編，等琢磨明白了再教別人。
夏菊花就想起自己上輩子見過的幾樣挂飾來，說：“還有一種我覺得可以試試，就是編些小辣椒、小茄子、玉米、胡蘿蔔的樣子，都染上顏色，一串串編到一起，肯定好看。”
她的提議是沒有人讨論的，大家都覺得照着做總沒錯。不過夏菊花決定，這幾樣東西她要自己親自上手，要不別人編的四不像就白耽誤工夫了。
如此就定下了六個系列，夏菊花覺得應該夠了。時候不早，大家都要回去歇着了。七奶先站了起來：“菊花呀，小滿和紅翠那兒你得再找個人給她們燒火，我這幾天就不過來了。”
“行，七奶你不用管了，明天仙枝想着讓人給七奶把葦皮送過去，別讓七奶自己大冷天跑一趟。”
對于手下管着百十多個婦女的趙仙枝來說，這根本不算啥事，張嘴就應了下來。不光是七奶那裏，就連夏菊花這兒，第二天沒等吃完飯，也有人早早給她送了好大一抱破好的葦皮。
夏菊花就問送葦皮的李招弟：“仙枝她們都去場院了，咋這麽早呢？她跟你們說今天供銷社的來大隊賣東西沒，你不去買點？”
李招弟一頭霧水的說：“趙組長一大早就把老人兒都給喊去了，說是讓我們試驗啥新産品，沒聽她說供銷社的來賣東西呀。”
這個趙仙枝。夏菊花讓李招弟等她一會兒，自己三口兩口扒拉完飯，跟着一起到了場院。一進門，就聽到趙仙枝中氣十足的分活呢：“孫招弟你帶着這些人，還編原來的訂單，寶玲你帶着這些人，編筆筒，翠萍你帶着這些人，編……”一樣一樣，安排的井井有條。
Xia Juhua didn't bother to tell her about the visitor from the supply and marketing cooperative today, and stood aside to let her do what she wanted. Zhao Xianzhi seemed quite calm and composed, and there was no trace of the angry look she had when she first encountered trouble.
So don't look down on rural women. They just started on a smaller stage and at a lower level. In time, if they are put on the same stage and starting point, those who look down on rural women may not be able to outlast them because of their ability to endure hardships and work.