Chapter 122
The secretary smiled and gestured with his hand after receiving the response. Deputy Director Gu glanced at Xia Juhua and took the lead to go into the room.
The leader bowed and asked the two to sit down, but Deputy Director Gu did not sit down first. Instead, he formally introduced Xia Juhua to the leader and listed some of her major achievements. Xia Juhua blushed when she heard this: Have I really done so many things? Why does it not sound like I did them?
This is what she thought, and after Deputy Director Gu finished his introduction, she also said: "Leader, these achievements are not my own credit, but are inseparable from the hard work of every member of our Ping'an Village Brigade and Production Team. If I were alone with my own hands, how could I have done so much work?"
The leader laughed again: "Come, come, sit down. Comrade Xia Juhua, don't be modest. Although these tasks cannot be completed by you alone, if there is no good leader like you, can the work points of Ping'an Village Brigade be increased, and can the grain distributed to the farmers be mainly wheat?"
Xia Juhua did not deny this. She also felt that if she could complete the repair of the canal and turn the land of the entire Ping'anzhuang Brigade into irrigated land in her lifetime, it would be a great achievement of hers, so she smiled and lowered her head.
Flowers bow their heads in a coy way, and rice ears bend their waists in a calm way. The leader appreciated Xia Juhua's silence very much. If a leader of his level praised her, most people would unconsciously show some pride even if they were suppressed. But Xia Juhua just smiled it off, as if her past achievements were just a thing of the past.
One can't help but wonder what her future goals are.
The leader also wanted to know, so he asked: "Comrade Xia Juhua, since the opening of the Expo, Ping An Village has received the most orders among all the exhibitors. Why do you think that is?"
Xia Juhua looked up at Deputy Director Gu and said with a smile: "Our Ping'an Village's order is also an order from Province L. This is the result of the hard work of our people across the province."
If time could go back, Deputy Director Gu would take back what he had said to Xia Juhua several times about how L Province was a whole. He would rather Xia Juhua not take his words seriously.
The leader looked at Deputy Director Gu with a smile, and then said to Xia Juhua: "I know that the farmers in your L Province are very hardworking, but what I want to know more is whether the members of your Pingan Village are satisfied with their current lives, whether they have any wishes for the future, and whether they are dissatisfied with the current distribution system."
Deputy Director Gu clenched his fists and sweat formed on his palms. He regretted why he had just told Xia Juhua to tell her the truth about what she knew: Can the hungry farmers be satisfied? Can the current leaders meet their wishes? The current distribution system was established by the old people. If Xia Juhua said she was not satisfied...
Deputy Director Gu didn't dare to think about the consequences.
If a leader like this had asked Xia Juhua these questions a year ago, she would have chosen to remain silent or to make a few high-sounding remarks. But now it is 1977, and the leader before her is not a member or follower of a criminal group, but a member of the group that is trying to restore order.
So Xia Juhua said under the worried eyes of Deputy Director Gu: "Leader, I will tell you the truth. As for the members of our Ping'anzhuang Brigade, I think they are still satisfied with their current life. After all, the land of our Ping'anzhuang Brigade has become irrigated land because all the canals have been repaired, and everyone's food has changed from corn, sorghum and sweet potatoes to wheat."
Deputy Director Gu sighed quietly, but Xia Juhua continued, "But the situation of other brigades in our Red Star Commune is known to me every time I attend a meeting in the commune. They don't have the convenience that our Ping'anzhuang Brigade has. Everyone's food is still mainly corn and sweet potatoes, and there is little sorghum - the yield of that thing is low, and it doesn't make sense to plant it. So the members..."
"Comrade Xia Juhua." Deputy Director Gu had to remind Xia Juhua, wanting her to know that the person sitting in front of her might not want to hear such words.
But the leader raised his hand, making it more obvious for Deputy Director Gu to remind her that he couldn't say it, but he still succeeded in stopping Xia Juhua from continuing. The leader glared at Deputy Director Gu with some dissatisfaction and said, "I invited Comrade Xia Juhua here today to understand the farmers' voices. Don't mix them up."
Seeing that Xia Juhua seemed frightened by Deputy Director Gu's shouting, the leader smiled at her kindly and said, "Go on, tell me everything you know. I was liberated early, so I don't really know much about the current situation in the countryside."
The so-called liberation refers to those who were overthrown in the early stages of the movement and then resumed their work. The name was different in different places, and only a very small number of people were liberated. The large-scale rectification and rehabilitation lasted from the demise of the criminal group to the early 1980s. Xia Juhua understood this.
Since the leader said that he was liberated early, then he must have been overthrown and sent down to the countryside in the early days of the movement, so he is more concerned about the real voice of the farmers, right? Xia Juhua thought secretly in her heart.
She seemed to be encouraged. She glanced at Deputy Director Gu and spoke again: "In fact, we farmers have very simple wishes. We just want to have enough food and drink, have some extra money to eat meat dumplings during the Spring Festival, and make new clothes for the adults and children at home. That's enough."
Is this wish simple? It is very simple. Is it easy to realize? It is not easy. The huge population base and the backward industrial and agricultural productivity made the leaders feel heartbroken after hearing Xia Juhua's wish, but they were temporarily powerless.
He signaled Xia Juhua with his eyes to continue speaking, and also signaled Deputy Director Gu with his eyes not to interrupt.
The leaders at this time should have realized that the situation in the countryside and even the whole country has reached a point where change is necessary. So if they speak to the farmers themselves and give them a chance to understand the farmers a little, can they avoid taking detours and let the spring breeze come earlier?
With this in mind, Xia Juhua spoke more fluently: "In our Ping'anzhuang Brigade, we have more water for the land, and the comrades from the Agricultural Technology Station teach us how to farm scientifically, so the yield has increased a lot. In addition to paying enough public grain, everyone has more food rations, and many girls from other brigades are willing to marry into our brigade."
Xia Juhua did not highlight the Pinganzhuang production team too much. After all, the production team was too small for the leadership. If Xia Juhua had not participated in the expo, the team would not have been included in the leadership's inspection.
Seeing the leader nod, Xia Juhua smiled and said, "I think our Ping'an Village Brigade is having a good time now, and feels it's OK. We cut reeds and weave things together, and we sieve the sweet potatoes we grow into powder, which is easier to store and increases our food supply. By the way, we also help the grain stations throughout the county to sieve the harvested sweet potatoes into powder. Director Zhang of the County Revolutionary Committee praised our Ping'an Village for its contribution to the entire county."
"Oh?" The leader was obviously very interested in the method of preserving sweet potatoes by turning them into powder, and asked Xia Juhua to tell him about it. Xia Juhua then told him about how Ping'an Village had used all its resources to help all the grain stations in the county turn their sweet potatoes into powder, thus reducing the losses caused by the drought. Finally, she said with regret:
"It's just that our brigade now has irrigated land, so it's a pity to use it to grow sweet potatoes. Except for those who pay the public grain, we don't plant much, and the starch that leaks out is also small. Otherwise, I want to bring the sweet potatoes to the expo and invite international friends to taste our hot and sour noodles."
Do you think you can bring any exhibits to the Expo if you want? Deputy Director Gu simply ignored Xia Juhua and let her express her regrets to the leader.
Although the leader felt sorry for Xia Juhua, his question was very sharp: "Are there no scoundrels or people who don't work hard and just want to get by in your team? Are they distributed the same way as the members?" During the years when he was sent down to the countryside, he had seen many scoundrels in the production team. They were always involved in petty thefts and had corrupted the atmosphere of the entire production team.
Speaking of this, Xia Juhua couldn't help but be proud: "No. I dare say that there is not a single second-rate person in the five production teams of our Ping'an Village Brigade." Speaking of this, she thought of the three Zhao Tiedans and couldn't help but smile:
"There were a few of them, but once they were caught, someone would be watching them if they didn't work. If they wanted to slack off, all the old people in the village would stand behind them and scold them. Leader, you don't know that the old people in Ping'an Village have high prestige, and no one dares to talk back when they scold them."
"At first, there are old people watching from behind, so the lazy people have to work. But when they see the profits from the powder leak and the benefits of working, they themselves wish they could have powder leaks every day so that they can work hard." Xia Juhua was so excited that she started to talk nonsense.
Fortunately, the leader's focus did not seem to be on dividends. He asked: "The elderly in your Ping'an Village are very conscious and cooperate very well with the work of your team." There are always a few elderly people in many rural areas who take advantage of their age to bully others. The elderly in Ping'an Village are very different.
Xia Juhua smiled a little embarrassedly: "We in the brigade take care of the elderly a little. Every year, the elderly over 65 years old are given an extra five kilograms of white flour, which is ground flour. And the five-guarantee households are given new clothes for the four seasons every three years. The elderly feel that the brigade takes care of them, so they are willing to make the brigade better. The members also think that they will get old one day, so they have no objection to the brigade taking care of the elderly."
No wonder. The leader and Deputy Director Gu looked at each other. This was something Deputy Director Gu did not understand.
Deputy Director Gu himself was also shocked. The Xia Juhua he knew was the Xia Juhua who participated in the exhibition and the capable Xia Juhua described by Section Chief Zheng, not the Xia Juhua who was actually doing more practical things as the team leader.
This made him feel ashamed - his understanding was too one-sided. If the leader had not asked in detail, he would not have known that the elderly people in the countryside who leaned against the earthen walls and put their sleeves in to bask in the sun to keep warm in winter could play such an important role.
The leader recovered quickly and asked Xia Juhua the most important question again: "Are you, the members of Ping'an Village Brigade, satisfied with the current distribution system?"
Xia Juhua looked at Deputy Director Gu, who didn't look at her. Then she looked at her leader, and could feel his concern even when he lowered his head. So she gritted her teeth and said, "I think the members of our Ping An Village are quite satisfied with the current distribution."
"That's right." The leader responded softly, and it was unclear whether he was satisfied or dissatisfied with Xia Juhua's answer.
Deputy Director Gu also didn't know whether he should be relieved or regretful. He couldn't say what he regretted.
Unexpectedly, Xia Juhua did not finish her words: "Well, leader, I told you not to get angry, and don't let others smear me. The allocation of our Ping'anzhuang brigade is a little different from other brigades."
The leader and Deputy Director Gu were both stunned. No one asked any questions, but there was doubt in their eyes: What's the difference?
Xia Juhua was not one to keep people in suspense. Since she had started, she would continue to speak the truth: "Just now, the leader asked us why there were no second-rate people in Pingan Village. I said it was because they saw the benefits of working and actually got paid. This money is not only the year-end bonus you leaders wanted, but also the processing fee we got from the grain station for helping it to leak flour."
"This processing fee is paid directly to the members by each production team according to the principle that whoever leaks the powder gets it. It is not included in the dividends. It includes the things made by our Pingan Village mat weaving team. The quota is one mat every two days, and two roosters a day. As everyone becomes more skilled, the average woman can weave a mat in a day and a half, and it is not difficult to weave three roosters a day."
"The surplus, after deducting the money we spent on buying reeds, was directly distributed to the women in the weaving group, and they were given work points every day. Because everyone could get cash immediately and see the results of their work in a timely manner, everyone was quite satisfied with the distribution system of Ping An Village."
The leader straightened his upper body, which had been leaning on the back of the chair. Deputy Director Gu opened his mouth unconsciously, but he did not find the opportunity to stop Xia Juhua from speaking, and had to follow the leader to listen to such a bold distribution system.
“Aren’t you afraid that some members will be dissatisfied, for example, those who leak less fans or edit things slowly, who get less money than others, and report you to the commune or county?” The leader discovered another problem that needed attention.
Xia Juhua smiled again: "Leader, I just said that many girls from other teams want to marry into Pingan Village. Why? Because Pingan Village is getting richer and richer, and life is getting better and better. With such a good life, everyone wants to continue living there. If anyone wants to report it, he has to think about whether his family can still live in Pingan Village."
"I was reported and got stabbed. If someone else becomes the team leader, will the watered fields be used to plant wheat? If flour is leaking, will you still let everyone leak it? Even if it is leaking, will you still charge processing fees and distribute it directly to members? You can still make up things, but now I will reward anyone who comes up with a new idea. Will the next team leader still be able to reward them? Will you still dare to distribute the money that exceeds the quota to everyone?"
"Gradually, everyone has become the same no matter what they do, good or bad. Who do they hate the most? Who are the ones who suffer the most?" Xia Juhua's expression at this time was so confident: "In order to live a better life than now, no one will let those with ulterior motives succeed."
Xia Juhua didn't say how to prevent the informer from succeeding, but thinking of what she had just said about the role of the elderly people in each production team, the leader and Deputy Director Gu had an idea in their minds.
"Well," the leader seemed to be infected by Xia Juhua's confidence: "You said it very well, and your method is also very good. In a brigade with thousands of people, there is not a single second-rate gangster. Everyone works hard to earn what money they can, improves their lives through labor, and can properly take care of the elderly and five-guarantee households in the production team. Your approach is worthy of recognition."
The leader said the last sentence to Deputy Director Gu, to remind him not to cause trouble to Xia Juhua when he returned. Deputy Director Gu smiled bitterly in his heart: With the orders that Ping An Village won at this Expo, he would not cause trouble to Xia Juhua. Otherwise, if those orders could not be completed, it would be the country that would cause trouble to him.
After the leader saw Xia Juhua and the others enter the room, he glanced at the secretary who had been silent the whole time. The secretary stood up and said to Deputy Director Gu and Xia Juhua, "Deputy Director Gu, Comrade Xia Juhua, please keep confidential what the leader learned from Comrade Xia Juhua today, so as not to cause any trouble to Comrade Xia Juhua."
Deputy Director Gu also stood up with Xia Juhua, assured the leader that he would keep the secret, and asked the leader to rest early, then took Xia Juhua to their residence.
The leaders and the exhibitors from various provinces did not live in the same building. Deputy Director Gu also lived separately from Xia Juhua and her friends. However, Deputy Director Gu still sent Xia Juhua to the floor below where she lived and solemnly warned her: "Don't mention the allocation system of your team in front of others. Even when you return to the team, you must remind the members again and be careful not to leak the news."
How could Xia Juhua not pay attention to this, so she nodded very quickly, which surprised Deputy Director Gu, who was used to Xia Juhua's non-cooperation in the past two days: "Comrade Xia Juhua, the leader asked you to keep it a secret in order to protect you, the members of the Ping'an Village Brigade."
Xia Juhua nodded again: "Thank you for your concern, and thank you for your reminder, Deputy Director Gu. Our Ping'an Village Brigade will pay attention to it."
Deputy Director Gu didn't know what to say for a moment, so he just nodded to Xia Juhua and walked towards the building where he lived.
As soon as he left, Section Chief Zheng rushed out from the building: "Captain Xia, are you okay?"
Faced with such sincere concern, Xia Juhua was a little moved and smiled at him: "It's okay, the leader just asked about the situation of our Ping'an Village Brigade, and I reported it to him truthfully, what can happen?"
"I'm glad you're okay." Section Chief Zheng, who had been worried since Xia Juhua and Deputy Director Gu left, let out a sigh of relief: "Then you should go wash up and have a rest, because you have to go to the expo tomorrow."
During the next few days of the exhibition, Xia Juhua was still busy. Thanks to Deputy Director Gu's kind reminder that night, she began to like people from other regions. If she came across something that international friends needed but Chengping did not have, she did not mind introducing it to other regions.
By the penultimate day of the exhibition, all the products Xia Juhua brought had been sold out, and the reed barks she brought had also been woven. She could finally take a breath and sit down to rest.
Chief Zheng was afraid that she would be bored, so he asked, "Captain Xia, if you have nothing to do, why don't we go to the booths of friendly countries?"
Yes, the Expo not only has booths from various provinces in China, but also many products from friendly countries. Although most of the countries that are friendly with China at that time are also not rich, it is worthwhile to come to the Expo to see foreign products.
Xia Juhua stood up and said, "I'll go by myself. You still have to look after the booth."
Chengping District brought not only woven products, but also other products. They have signed many orders in the past few days. Now, international friends still come to see the exhibits after hearing about them. Maybe they can sign orders again. Section Chief Zheng was reluctant to leave, so he agreed to let Xia Juhua visit the exhibition by herself.
"Don't go too far. Remember where our booth is and don't get lost. Remember, the booth of friendly countries is located along this road. Turn right at the end and walk to the end again, and you will see it. Do you remember?" Section Chief Zheng instructed with some concern since Xia Juhua could not go with him.
Xia Juhua thought that although the exhibition area was quite large, she would not be unable to find her booth. Even if she really couldn't find it, she could ask the staff and find her way back to the guesthouse. So she didn't take Chief Zheng's words seriously and walked away.
Because the L Province booth was so popular with international friends in recent days, exhibitors from various provinces also came to their booth to learn from them. Most of them remembered Xia Juhua, the big sister who could weave handicrafts. So every time Xia Juhua passed a booth, someone would greet her warmly and invite her to sit at the booth of their own province.
Xia Juhua, who was anxious to see the foreign products, responded to everyone's greetings with a smile, but did not enter any booth. She quickly followed the route Chief Zheng told her and headed towards her destination.
The road was winding and it took more than twenty minutes to walk before we saw the booths that were slightly different from the booths of the provinces. Xia Juhua's eyes lit up: this must be the booth of the friendly countries.
As Xia Juhua approached a booth, someone called out in surprise in stiff Chinese: "Xia, it's really you."
Xia Juhua had to look up, and when she saw the person who was speaking, he smiled. She really remembered this person. It was none other than the friend from Country G who had come to the L Province booth to look for the rooster the day before. Xia Juhua remembered that she had even shaken hands with him.
"Hello." Knowing that this friend knew a little Chinese, Xia Juhua greeted him directly.
The international friend smiled a little silly: "Xia, come to our booth, take a look around." Then he enthusiastically led Xia Juhua to his country's booth and handed something to Xia Juhua: "Cashews, taste it, it's delicious."
The curved fruit is light brown, something Xia Juhua had never seen before in her life. She took one and put it in her mouth with some doubt. It was hard and crunchy when she bit it. After chewing it a few more times, she could taste the fragrance her friend had mentioned. Xia Juhua couldn't help but ask, "Is this raw or cooked?"
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