Chapter 117
Director Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "Let's count it as our Pingde County Supply and Marketing Cooperative."
Deputy Director Xue shook his head again: "We are a regional supply and marketing cooperative. It doesn't matter who places the order. It should be counted as the regional supply and marketing cooperative. The deposit you paid to Ping'an Village in the early stage will be reimbursed by the regional supply and marketing cooperative with materials. Captain Xia, we have decided to increase the deposit for textile products today. Director Zheng will send it to you."
Director Zheng sighed somewhat disappointedly and said, "I will obey the organization's decision."
Deputy Director Xue's smile widened: "Director Zheng, considering that you have been working diligently in the supply and marketing system and are familiar with the local specialties, the regional supply and marketing cooperative has decided that this time you will supervise the quality of Ping'anzhuang's textiles and lead the team to participate in the selection of the provincial supply and marketing system."
Let Director Zheng be responsible for supervising the quality of Pinganzhuang's textile products, and let him lead the team to participate in the selection of the provincial supply and marketing system, doesn't that mean...
Director Zheng himself was a little afraid to ask Deputy Director Xue, and he was eagerly hoping that he would say something more certain. But Deputy Director Xue seemed to have not seen Director Zheng's eager eyes, and turned his eyes to the woven fabrics on the table.
Xia Juhua lowered her rating for Deputy Director Xue in her heart and asked on behalf of Director Zheng: "Deputy Director Xue, Director Zheng is also responsible for the county supply and marketing cooperative. If he is allowed to lead the team to participate in the selection, he will have to be away for several days. What will happen to the county supply and marketing cooperative?"
Deputy Director Xue finally turned around, looked at Director Zheng with a half-smile, and held out his hand to him: "Comrade Zheng Baogang, the regional supply and marketing cooperative has decided to transfer you to be the head of the sales department. From now on, we will fight side by side."
The surprise came too suddenly for Director Zheng to accept. He looked at Deputy Director Xue in disbelief, shook his hand hesitantly, and asked a silly question: "Deputy Director Xue, are you kidding?"
The director of the sales department of the regional supply and marketing cooperative. How many directors of county supply and marketing cooperatives would be willing to be an ordinary cadre just to work in the regional supply and marketing cooperative? Deputy Director Xue actually said that he would be the director of the sales department as soon as he arrived?
Xia Juhua felt that she should protect Director Zheng's image and not let Deputy Director Xue think that Director Zheng was useless - now more than half of Ping'an Village's orders were given by the regional supply and marketing cooperative. The more stable Director Zheng's position in the regional supply and marketing cooperative was, the greater the benefit to Ping'an Village.
In particular, Deputy Director Xue announced the news to Director Zheng only after arriving at Ping'an Village, which tied the Ping'an Village weaving team and Director Zheng together.
Xia Juhua finally understood and unconsciously raised Deputy Director Xue's rating. Then she smiled and said to Director Zheng, "Director Zheng, you are so happy that you are confused. Deputy Director Xue is such a big leader, how could he joke with you about such a serious matter?"
Deputy Director Xue glanced at Xia Juhua, then continued to shake hands with Director Zheng and said, "Director Zheng, you will have more and more dealings with Captain Xia in the future, so you can't keep getting confused."
Director Zheng looked at Xia Juhua with shining eyes. He truly felt that although Xia Juhua was just a rural woman, she was the noble person in his life: the first time he ordered the fried peanuts from Pingan Village, he became famous in the regional supply and marketing system. The second time he ordered their signature dishes, he had already made a name for himself in all county-level supply and marketing cooperatives. The third time...
Now he was able to be transferred to the regional supply and marketing cooperative, all thanks to Xia Juhua and the weaving products of the Ping'anzhuang production team. From now on, she would be his, Zheng Baogang's benefactor!
Xia Juhua was frightened by Director Zheng and said to him with a forced smile: "Director Zheng, I was just joking with you. I didn't mean that you were really confused."
Deputy Director Xue suddenly laughed loudly twice and said to Xia Juhua, "Captain Xia, you don't have to worry about Director Zheng's transfer to the regional supply and marketing cooperative having any impact on the sales of your Ping'an Village textiles."
Director Zheng finally suppressed his excitement and expressed his determination to Deputy Director Xue and Xia Juhua: "Don't worry, Deputy Director Xue. I am very familiar with the quality and variety of Pinganzhuang's textiles. I will definitely try my best to introduce their products in the provincial selection and strive to allow all Pinganzhuang's products to participate in the expo."
Deputy Director Xue took back his hand and asked Director Zheng: "Because you are going to be transferred to work in the region, someone has to take over as director of the county supply and marketing cooperative. Although Pingde County needs to consider it as a whole, our regional supply and marketing cooperative still has the right to make suggestions. Director Zheng, do you have any candidates to recommend?"
Xia Juhua slowly left the room. This was an internal matter of the supply and marketing cooperative, so she had better not listen to it, lest the news leak out somewhere in the future, she couldn't explain it clearly.
Deputy Director Xue and Director Zheng bit their ears for a while, and when they came out, their faces were very calm. Xia Juhua was about to invite them to sit in the house for a while, but Deputy Director Xue took the initiative to say to her: "I heard from the boy from Yuan Chao that the hot and sour noodles made by Captain Xia taste good. Can I try it today?"
Aid Korea? Xia Juhua looked at Deputy Director Xue in confusion, wondering who the Aid Korea he just mentioned was. Why did Deputy Director Xue sound like they both knew this Aid Korea?
The annoying thing was that Deputy Director Xue had no intention of reminding her and waited leisurely for Xia Juhua's reply.
Xia Juhua's reaction was still very fast. Even though she hadn't figured out who she knew who was a big shot like Deputy Director Xue, she still had a big smile on her face: "Leader, you are too polite. My cooking skills are just to fool your stomach. You are used to eating delicious food, so I think it tastes better than other things after I season it a little."
As he said this, he turned around and looked at Chen Qiu Sheng, and found that Chen Qiu Sheng was squeezing his eyes hard and pointing his finger at the powder room.
Xia Juhua's mind raced, and she suddenly thought of someone. She asked tentatively, "Deputy Director Xue, are you and Technician Xue..."
"Yuan Chao is my cousin's son." Deputy Director Xue glanced at Xia Juhua nonchalantly and said, "That kid was sent to Pingde County during the riot because I was here and could take care of him. Who would have thought that he was as stubborn as a donkey and asked to come to Hongxing Commune on his own initiative? I couldn't do anything about him."
Xia Juhua was stunned by what Deputy Director Xue said. She knew that Technician Xue's family was not simple, but she didn't expect that he had someone in Chengping District. She had never heard him mention it before.
No wonder Technician Xue could say whatever he wanted and do whatever he wanted when he was in the Red Star Commune. It turned out that he had an idea in his mind - even though his family was implicated, he still had other capable relatives to back him up.
"I really didn't expect this." Xia Juhua sighed unconsciously.
Deputy Director Xue's smile was no longer a polite one, but a smile from the heart: "Yuan Chao told me that when he was in the Red Star Commune, he was taken care of the most by Captain Xia, and he had the deepest feelings for your family. The other day, that kid called me and said that he ate the hot and sour noodles you mailed him, but they were not as delicious as the ones you make now."
Xia Juhua had just given Deputy Director Xue a low score in her heart, but now she was really embarrassed to answer him, and her smile was a bit awkward: "Technician Xue has been a great help to us in Ping'an Village. If it weren't for the pulping machine made by Technician Xue, our production team's powder leakage room would not have been able to operate. We are all relying on Technician Xue's help, and we can't say that we are taking care of him at all."
Deputy Director Xue, who had experienced too much in the officialdom, could tell whether the person in front of him was sincere or not. More importantly, he knew his cousin very well. The kid had a strong sense of right and wrong and was a bit demanding of others. If Xia Juhua's family had not been recognized by him for their character, he would not have left for so long and specially called to ask him to help the family if he had the chance.
So Deputy Director Xue didn't care whether Xia Juhua was embarrassed or Director Zheng was surprised. He just walked towards the street by himself, urging Xia Juhua to lead the way for him, and kept asking Technician Xue about his life in Ping'an Village.
Xia Juhua still has a say in this topic. She pointed out Fifth Master's house to Deputy Director Xue and said, "When my eldest daughter-in-law gave birth to Lele, Technician Xue moved to Fifth Master's house for a while and got along well with the old man."
He pointed to the fields at the far end of the village and said, "Technician Xue was willing to use his brain to help us make a plow for turning the soil. Hooking it to a tractor turns the soil very quickly, which made the members very happy. From now on, we can save a lot of trouble when farming. Even though Technician Xue returned to Beijing, he still thought about our Ping'an Village and sent me the drawings of a sowing machine. The comrades at the Agricultural Machinery Station helped us make it, and using it saved us a lot of trouble."
Every parent likes to hear others praise their children. Although Deputy Director Xue is only the uncle of Technician Xue, he was not discouraged when he heard that his nephew was assigned to a small commune agricultural machinery station. Instead, he was recognized by the farmers and did not hide his satisfaction and happiness at all: "That kid has been a violent person since he was young. He has caused a lot of damage to our family."
Xia Juhua naturally protects Technician Xue: "People say that naughty boys are good and naughty girls are clever. Children are naughty and have strong hands-on skills. Look at how capable Technician Xue is now."
Hearing her unconsciously maintaining Technician Xue, Deputy Director Xue smiled even more happily. He had just visited the powder leakage room, and now he walked towards the yard of Master Wu. After entering the house, he talked with Master Wu for a long time, and thanked Master Wu for taking care of Technician Xue, and then returned to the Liu family with Xia Juhua.
Before entering the courtyard, we smelled the aroma of fried peanuts. Deputy Director Xue smiled and said, "Although we haven't tasted the hot and sour rice noodles made by Captain Xia, we have eaten a lot of sugar-coated peanuts."
Xia Juhua looked at Deputy Director Xue in silence, wanting to remind him not to be so brazen in saying that he had taken advantage of the public. But thinking about Deputy Director Xue's job, she swallowed her words.
恰好小滿炒完了一鍋，夏菊花就讓她停手騰出鍋來，自己拿出前幾天熬的豬骨湯，動手給客人調起酸辣粉兒來。
冬天青菜少，夏菊花自己在西屋用木槽種了點兒韭菜、香菜，本想着過年時包餃子用，今天就放了些在湯裏，香氣一下子提升了好幾個層次。
“難怪援朝老惦記着，吃起來确實又香又暖和。”薛副主任吃下一碗粉後，給出了這樣的評價。不過他也有些遺憾：“要是能随時吃上就好了。”
夏菊花就把自己做的方便酸辣粉拿出來，演示給兩位領導看。因為有現成的骨頭湯，粉條也是改進後的細粉兒，調料包也增加了油包，比起上次齊小叔和張主任他們來時，泡的時間大大減少不說，泡出來也不再清湯寡水。
“這個不錯。”薛副主任和鄭主任兩人分吃了一袋，很感觸的說：“夏大隊長，這個東西你們可以想辦法多生産些，我覺得應該可以賣得出去。”
夏菊花就說出了自己的難處，主要還是調料保鮮和包裝的問題。薛副主任聽說她已經寫信問薛技術員了，點頭說：“問他也行。那小子現在的單位，經常給部隊提供技術，說不定能幫上你的忙。”
聽他這麽一說，夏菊花就十分擔心了：“那我給他寫信問技術，會不會違犯保密規定啥的？”
薛副主任連連搖頭：“援朝心裏有數，該告訴你的他告訴你，不該告訴你的他不會說。”自己家裏的教育，他還是很放心的。
夏菊花總算放心了，恭恭敬敬把兩位領導送走，又跟七奶帶人編起活計來。
另外小莊頭和四、五生産隊長幾天不見夏菊花在大隊部露面，一打聽才知道平安莊編織組又接了大訂單，心裏癢癢的呀，湊到李長順家裏嘀咕開了：“大隊長已經不是平安莊生産隊隊長了，咋還老給平安莊做活呢。”
李長順聽不得這個，義正詞嚴的問：“現在大隊長的工分，是不是還記在平安莊生産隊，她幫着平安莊有啥不對的？”
“可咱們粉條廠也不能放着不管了呀。”五隊長還有些不服氣。
李長順聽了更不耐煩了：“地方都劃出來了，該定的東西人家夏菊花也定了。現在地凍的一刨一個白點兒，她天天在大隊部幹坐着，那地就能化了是咋着？”
知道李長順現在不願意人說夏菊花不好，三個隊長都蔫了。李長順恨鐵不成鋼的說：“你們也不想想，上次平安莊編出來的席參加了一次博覽會，你們跟着多賣出多少葦杆去？”
“還有，現在平安莊大隊的人想買點兒啥東西，人家供銷社都想辦法給采購來，還不是沾了平安莊生産隊的光？你們種地用的化肥，供銷社是不是最先給平安莊大隊調配？”
一個個的不知足。
明白自己生産隊沾了夏菊花的光是一回事，可平安莊沾的比他們多多了，就是格外讓隊長們不舒服的地方。李大牛嘟嚷了一句：“那也不能光平安莊的收入上去了，我們四個生産隊幹看着。”
“你們紮的掃把、炊帚不是賣出去不少了嘛，接着紮呀。”別人說的話李長順還沒這麽生氣，李大牛一說他的火就騰騰的：“還有粉條，你們自己掙了多少錢，心裏沒點兒數？再說人家平安莊，不是還從各生産隊都招了五個人呢。看不過人家掙錢，自己咋不想想法子，光想拉着人家也不掙錢，啥心思？！”
提起粉條掙的錢，三個生産隊長更無話可說——明面上大家都在給各糧站漏粉，可以他們漏粉的速度，早該漏完了，現在卻還有紅薯可以漏，全仗着劉志雙、牛衛國兩個每天晚上悄悄送紅薯到各生産隊。
“你們看看人家牛隊長，咋不跟着你們一起來瞎叫喚？有那工夫自己在家裏多漏點粉兒，是不是還多掙兩毛錢？！都給我滾回去。”李長順最後的陳詞就是讓三人快滾，要不他怕自己忍不住一人給他們一腳。
三個生産隊長灰溜溜走之前，李長順惡狠狠的對他們說：“心都給我放正點兒，想想現在平安莊大隊的好日子是誰領着大夥過起來的。誰要是想背後搞點兒捅刀子告黑狀的事兒，想想自己生産隊那些老家夥們，能不能饒得了你們。”
“大隊長，我們心裏有數，就是想着讓夏大隊長把好事兒也往各生産隊分一點兒。”五隊長眼神有點兒閃爍的說。
李長順看他的眼神裏帶着刀子：“今天既然是你們三來找我，那要是有人告黑狀了，我就當是你們仨幹的。”看的五隊長頭低下去，久久擡不起來。
李大牛有些疑惑的看了李長順一眼，在四、五隊長離開後，他沒跟着走，而是問李長順：“六叔，你剛才咋那麽看着五隊長呢？”不當着別的生産隊的人，李大牛一直這樣稱呼李長順。
李長順從鼻子裏哼了一聲：“我最煩背後下刀子的人。我問你，今天是不是五隊長找你，你才跟他一起來找我的？”
見李大牛點頭，李長順使勁用瘸了的腿給他一腳：“吃八百擔豆子不嫌豆腥氣的玩意。你那腦子是擺設呀，他讓你來找我、你就一起來？你咋不想想，我都不當大隊長多少年了，你們遇到事兒還來找我，讓人夏菊花聽說了心裏咋想？”
李大牛脫口而出：“夏菊花不是小心眼的人。”
“你們就仗着人家不是小心眼的人，可着勁想占便宜是不是？”李長順看着李大牛，很替他着急的說：“你能當這麽些年的生産隊長，是咋當下來的呢？人家心眼再大，這種事兒多了心裏不膈應的慌？以後你要再敢跟五隊長摻和，別說我讓小莊頭人另選生産隊長！”
一心在七奶家編挂飾的夏菊花，不知道李長順替她壓制下了五隊隊長的不滿，問來找她的陳秋生：“供銷社送來的定金，你都存起來了？”
陳秋生雖然是會計出身，可還是頭一次一次性拿那麽多錢——近兩萬塊錢呀——現在想想都覺得心有作悸：“存上了。隊長，下次你跟供銷社說說，結尾款的時候我去供銷社拿吧，好直接存到銀行裏。要不我自己真不敢拿那麽老些錢去銀行。”
夏菊花笑着給他出主意：“下回你去的時候，讓翠萍給你找身舊衣裳，打不少補丁的那種，再把錢放到破布口袋裏，別抱着，就往身後一背，誰也想不到那裏頭是錢。”
真有你的，這樣的招兒都能想出來。陳秋生跟夏菊花開玩笑：“隊長，你去銀行存錢是不是都這麽存的？”
夏菊花堅決不承認：“我家那點兒錢還用存？”
陳秋生不在意的說：“我明天得把我們家的錢存上去。我存錢去才知道，一年利息不少呢，比在家裏擱着劃算。隊長你存不，我順便幫你也存上？”
夏菊花有理由相信，陳秋生這是在試探自己，就不搭理他這個茬，直接問：“你找我有事兒呀？”
陳秋生點頭：“這不是又快到小年了嘛，我想問問咱們大隊今年年豬還一塊交不，另外今年你們這麽忙，小年那天還一起給五爺過生日不？”
“過，咋能不過呢。一年全生産隊的人就湊這麽一頓飯。再說今年咱們不是又多養了一頭豬嘛。”夏菊花毫不猶豫的說：“正好大家漏粉的漏粉，編席的編席，都累了這麽長時間了，放半天假也不耽誤啥事。”
陳秋生聽了點頭應下，又說：“今年咱們養的豬比規定的多出來六頭，我想着是不是找找小齊……”
夏菊花這回搖頭了：“你不如讓翠萍悄悄問問大家，想不想多買點兒肉過年。咱們農民也沒有肉票啥的，那豬讓小齊處理，還不如各家自己多吃點兒呢。”
多出來的豬不可能全都分給社員，如果誰家想多吃肉的話，以比副食站賣的價格低點給社員，倒是個好法子。
等陳秋生去找張翠萍的時候，七奶就擔心的問：“前幾天我還聽翠萍說，來年各家都可以多養幾只雞，要是養的多了，人家不說呀？你可得小心着點兒，現在村裏可不光是咱們平安莊的人了。”
夏菊花忙安慰她說：“其實還是生産隊的副業，只不過現在騰不出人手來，所以得分散到各戶幫着隊裏養。到時候雞蛋、雞還得生産隊統一交到供銷社呢。再說也會跟那幾個生産隊說，他們想養的也可以一起養。”大家都在一個起跑線上了，誰也別說誰。
七奶一聽放心了：“行，只要別礙着你就行。你可得好好的。”
夏菊花心裏十分感動，跟七奶拉起別的家常來轉移老人家的注意力，好讓老人家別替她擔心。
如此忙碌到小年，五爺的生日熱熱鬧鬧的過了，各生産隊的粉兒也都漏的差不多了，只有平安莊編席組還不得閑。
Women are so busy that they can’t take care of their families. In the past, if there were daughters in the family, they could do some housework, but now the daughters are busy weaving and can’t take care of the housework.
Even though the food had been changed to wheat, and the amount of pork purchased and distributed was several pounds more than in previous years, there was no smell of fried meatballs or the sound of chopping stuffing in the whole village. The men could no longer sit still, and gathered together to look for Chen Qiu Sheng.