Chapter 131
Zhao Xianzhi's words made Li Hongliang and Lin Junqing, who were already feeling guilty, blush. They kept apologizing to Zhao Xianzhi and others, and repeatedly stated that they just wanted to take care of Xia Juhua instead of forcing her to work on the hospital bed.
Zhao Xianzhi didn't give him any face at all: "We are here, and the captain's two nieces are here, so it's more convenient to serve. You two should go back to the guesthouse and have a rest. When our captain is better, we will discuss it with you, okay?"
Xia Juhua was moved and a little amused: "Xianzhi." She stopped Zhao Xianzhi from saying, "My illness is really none of your business. The doctor said that I will be fine after two days of intravenous infusion. It is not as serious as you said."
Seeing that Zhao Xianzhi wanted to say something, Xia Juhua quickly changed the subject: "These two comrades are the leaders of the place where the volunteers are serving. We were talking about the new recruits in Ping'an Village and forgot the time."
Yes, that's right. Xia Juhua didn't know whether the news would leak out before the instant hot and sour noodles were supplied to the troops, so she found a ready-made excuse for Li Hongliang and the others to appear, and smiled and said to An Baoling:
"Both comrades have met the Volunteers. Why don't you ask them how the Volunteers performed?"
How could An Baoling not want to know how her son performed in the army? Even if Liu Zhijun had written to her family, she was afraid that her child would only report the good news and not the worries. When Xia Juhua told her that Li Hongliang and her husband had met Liu Zhijun, her eyes lit up.
Xia Juhua introduced the two parties, and let An Baoling take Li Hongliang and the other two to ask Liu Zhijun about his situation in the army in great detail. If An Baoling and Zhao Xianzhi joined forces, the two comrades in the army would be no match for them.
Zhao Xianzhi had been dealing with Xia Juhua for such a long time that he naturally realized that Xia Juhua was trying to ease the atmosphere, so he stopped targeting the two soldiers and started asking about Xia Juhua's experience of attending the expo.
This was the first time in two lives that she had traveled far away, and Xia Juhua had a very deep impression of it, and she spoke very clearly about it. Especially when she talked about how popular Ping An Zhuang's textiles were, how many orders they had signed, and how much money they could make, Zhao Xianzhi was so happy that she almost clapped her hands.
When it came to the news that Pingan Village would be electrified and that a combine harvester would be in place before the autumn harvest, the women couldn't help but start talking: "If we have electricity in Pingan Village, won't we be able to turn on the lights like people in the city? I heard that the thing will light up when you pull it, and it's very bright, and it doesn't produce smoke or irritate your eyes."
"There's also a combine harvester. Those men will be delighted when they hear about it. Now we have seed drills for spring ploughing, which saves them a lot of effort. If there's a combine harvester, they can harvest the wheat just by lying at home."
"No, we can't let them get away with it that easily. After harvesting the wheat, we have to let them plant corn. Didn't Technician Lin say that wheat and corn can be interplanted? Let them do it."
"Don't plant corn. We have late sweet potatoes. Let them harvest the wheat and plant sweet potatoes. It's just the right time to harvest the sweet potatoes and then leak the flour." Chang Xiancao was a man of few words. With just a few words, he arranged the men's work for the whole year clearly.
Xia Juhua looked at the women who were discussing the matter heatedly and felt sad for the men in Pingan Village: How had they offended the women so much in the past few years that the women couldn't bear to see them being a little more relaxed?
However, Xia Juhua believed that the men in Pingan Village had endless potential, and intercropping was not impossible as long as it could increase income. However, the most urgent task now was to improve the hot and sour rice noodle quickly.
Li Hongliang and his partner were frightened by Xia Juhua's fainting. Even though Xia Juhua had driven all the people from Ping'an Village back and strictly ordered that no one should visit her anymore, they still refused to discuss the issue of hot and sour noodles with her in front of her bed. In order to prevent Xia Juhua from speaking, they simply hid at Qi Weidong's place and did not show up in the hospital.
Xia Juhua had to receive an IV drip, so she couldn't go to Qi Weidong to arrest anyone. This was a good opportunity for her to tell her two sons and daughter-in-law the good news about going to the supply and marketing cooperative.
At first, when they heard that they could go to the supply and marketing cooperative to eat commercial grain, Liu Zhiquan and Liu Zhishuang's eyes lit up, which made Xia Juhua very relieved: Happy is good, happy they can move to the provincial capital and the region as soon as possible, who cares where they go, it is a good thing for these two people to leave her.
Unexpectedly, Liu Zhishuang's eyes lit up for a moment, but then he said a refusal: "Mom, let big brother go. I will stay in Pingan Village. You can't be alone."
Liu Zhiquan's face darkened: "What are you talking about? You should go. I'm the eldest, and it's my responsibility to take care of mom in her old age."
"I am also my mother's son, and I should also take care of her. Big brother, think about Baoguo and Lele. Whether they go to the provincial capital or the district, both children have city hukou and can go to school there. Isn't it better than going to primary school in Pingan Village?"
"Isn't Xiaoman going to give birth too?" Liu Zhiquan thought Liu Zhishuang was just making excuses: "No matter whether Xiaoman gives birth to a boy or a girl, she still has to go to school in the city."
"Then the child has to wait until he is six or seven years old to go to school?" Liu Zhishuang said with all his heart: "My child can wait for six or seven years, but Baoguo can't. Lele will have to go to primary school in just over two years."
Xia Juhua was annoyed by their quarrels: "One of you two is worth it. I don't need you to support me in my old age. I can still make ends meet. As I said before, I can still move and take care of myself."
Wang Caifeng was fed up: "Mom, do you know how scary it was the night before last? If no one was around, no one would know where you fell, and you would have been frozen stiff the next day."
Xia Juhua looked at Wang Caifeng strangely: "Caifeng, do you have the same idea as Zhiquan?" The one who most wanted to move to the city in her previous life was Wang Caifeng.
Wang Caifeng nodded repeatedly: "Mom, I'm going to tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Even if Zhiquan goes to the provincial capital or the region, I have to stay with you. Not only me, but Lele can't leave grandma either."
Xiaoman nodded and said, "I won't go either. I can't leave my mother. Let Zhishuang go by himself."
Xia Juhua looked at this one, who didn't seem to be lying, and then looked at that one, who looked sincere. She couldn't help but sigh to herself: "What nonsense are you talking about? The child's household registration is with the mother. If you two don't go, what will happen to the children's household registration?" (The household registration policy at the time was that the child's household registration followed the mother, unlike now, where the child's household registration can follow the father, mother, or grandparents)
Don't look at the years after 2000. Urban hukou has lost its appeal, and rural hukou can no longer tie farmers to the land. But Xia Juhua clearly remembers that until the early 1990s, there were still many farmers who were willing to spend thousands of yuan to help their family members get urban hukou.
If for no other reason, many local companies require local city household registration when recruiting workers.
Now that Wang Caifeng and Xiaoman both say they don’t want to go to the provincial capital or the region, doesn’t that mean that Liu Baoguo and his siblings have lost a lot of opportunities in the past twenty years?
Therefore, Xia Juhua's attitude was tough, that is, whether they were willing or not, the Liu Zhiquan brothers had to solve the issue of urban household registration with their family.
The solutions are right in front of us. All we have to do is agree to go to the supply and marketing cooperative and we can start working on it right away.
Liu Zhishuang said unhappily: "Mom, do you think this will separate us?"
Xia Juhua felt that she had underestimated her son, and her face became serious: "What good will it do me to separate you? Isn't it because I want you to take root in the city while I am still useful, so that they won't have to work hard in the future? No matter what, urban residents can buy commercial food every month, but farmers can only wait for relief food when disaster strikes."
"Besides, Baoguo and Lele are both good at studying, and Xiaoman will be good children for you two. If we don't provide such good children with a good environment, they will be delayed. Mother can only go this far for you, and she asked for it with a thick face. If you all say you don't want to go, then isn't mother's face wasted?"
Now Liu Zhiquan and the others were silent. Only Lele grinned at Xia Juhua with her little white teeth when she heard her grandma say her name.
It can be said that among everyone in the room, including Liu Baoguo who was absent due to school, Xia Juhua was the most tolerant towards Lele. When she saw Lele smiling, she couldn't keep a straight face and waved to the little girl directly.
When Lele came to see Xia Juhua the first day, she cried because she was lying in bed receiving an IV. These past two days, when she saw Xia Juhua getting an IV in her hand, she stopped crying, but she was still moving very carefully.
Seeing Xia Juhua waving at her, the little girl ran over, carefully touched her grandmother's finger where the IV was being administered, and said, "It hurts, don't touch it."
Xia Juhua asked her, "Le Le, do you want to live with your parents in the city, where you can turn on the lights and watch movies every day?"
Lele had no idea what the movie was about, but she had turned off the light in the ward countless times in the past few days. She happily pointed at the light bulb above her head with her tender fingers and said, "Turn on the light, turn on the light every day."
"You see, it's different for children if they have experienced it or not. Although they can pass the exams if they study hard in the future, they will have more confidence when they go out if they have experienced it in advance." Xia Juhua never forgets to brainwash her son and daughter-in-law.
Liu Zhishuang said gloomily, "Mom, you always say to take the exam, but who would still want to take the college entrance exam now?"
Silly son, you will know whether you can enter university in October this year. Xia Juhua looked at Liu Zhishuang with dissatisfaction: "I attended the Expo this time and met people from many countries. I couldn't understand a word they said. But I could understand them through translation. I asked and found out that they learned translation in college."
"Think about technicians Xue and Lin, and Hongling's boyfriend, Xiao Zhao. Haven't they all been to school? Aren't they faster than you at operating machinery? And they can grow more food than you do."
“眼看着咱們國家跟外國交往越來越多，需要的翻譯還不得越來越多？都不上大學，光指望現在的幾個翻譯能夠使？”
“所以你等着吧，大學肯定得重新招人，到時候咱們樂樂也學外國話，奶奶再去博覽會，就讓我們樂樂做翻譯。”
長篇大套的一席話，別說劉志全他們幾個聽傻了，就連剛走到門口要探望夏菊花的人，也跟着聽得連連點頭：“夏菊花同志，你對咱們國家的發展，信心很足呀。”
大家往門口一看，說話的人是省供銷系統顧副主任，地區供銷社薛副主任明顯是陪同，而平德縣陪着他們一起一起來的除了齊小叔外還有林主任。
“顧副主任，你是來平德調研的嗎？你工作那麽忙，咋還來看我，實在太耽誤你的工作了。”夏菊花說着就想下地，被顧副主任制止了：“你還輸液呢，別起來，別起來。”
說完看向劉志雙兄弟，問夏菊花：“這是你兩個兒子吧。不錯，一看就是能幹的。咋樣，你想好讓哪個兒子去省城了嗎？”
夏菊花先用眼神盯住劉志全兄弟，防止他們當着顧副主任說出不想去供銷系統的話——人家讓自己到供銷系統，自己沒答應，卻不計前嫌的同意劉志全兄弟上班，如果這兩貨再說不去，那就妥妥的不識擡舉了。
以後平安莊的編織品還得通過供銷系統接訂單呢，給人留下這樣的印象還行？
她瞪完兒子後，才給了顧副主任一個笑臉：“想好了，大的跟你去省供銷系統，小的到地區供銷社。就是他們都拖家帶口的，得收拾兩天才能報到。”就獨斷了，咋地。
顧副主任也笑：“不着急。你身體不養好了，就算他們兩去報到，我們也不接收。昨天聽薛副主任彙報你一回平安莊就病倒了，程主任馬上派我來探望你。”
“程主任說了，你這一次病倒，是為了全省人民參加博覽會才累病的，讓我務必把他的心意轉達到，請你好好養病，你兒子供銷系統一定會安排好。”
夏菊花咋聽顧副主任這話，咋跟齊小叔那天說她被病魔打倒差不多，可人家顧副主任是省供銷系統領導，也就是博覽會期間大家合作過，并不算熟悉，夏菊花不能跟怼齊小叔一樣張口就來，只好苦笑一下平複自己的心情。
齊小叔也想起那天兩人的對話，笑着對顧副主任說：“主任你放心吧。夏菊花同志這感冒馬上好啦，所以不讓她出院，就是想借這個機會給她調理一下身體——她年輕的時候身子太虧，現在不開始調理的話，再來個感冒還得被打倒。”
夏菊花都想翻個白眼，最後還是硬生生忍住了，嘴裏說：“我說昨天除了輸液之外，還喝上苦藥湯子了呢。”
薛副主任便說：“良藥苦口，調理身體的話還是得中醫。不過齊主任，你們縣裏的大夫行嗎，不行我就把夏菊花同志接到地區，請個老中醫給她開個方子。”
齊小叔一聽這是想搶人呀，就是一樂：“給夏菊花同志調理身體的這位高大夫，他父親抗戰的時候帶着一家子從京城回平德縣避難，在縣裏開了個藥鋪，那時連地區的人都坐馬車來找高老先生看病呢。
“局勢一直動蕩，高老先生他們一家就留在平德縣沒回京城，也算是我們平德縣百姓的福氣。可運動初期他父親被沖擊，急怒攻心去世了，他就發誓言再也不給人看病。”
“可別人的水平我也信不過，就自己拜訪了高大夫，他聽說給夏菊花同志調理身體，才同意出手的。”齊小叔有些得意的看了夏菊花一眼：“不過要不是我親自上門拜訪，人家也不會給這個面子。”
顧副主任遠在省城也就算了，薛副主任工作後一直在地區，還真聽說過高先生父子的大名，問：“不是聽說高先生下放後，誰也不知道他的去向了嗎，你咋把人找到的？”
齊小叔頗有些得意的說：“當年咱們誰不知道人家高老先生救人無數，可那些人瘋了一樣把人家的鋪子砸了、金貴的藥給搶了、還給老先生扣上反動權威的帽子，就算老先生去了也不放過高先生。”
“那時侯我還是個愣頭青，就出手幫了高大夫一把，把他放到我老家村子裏。我們村人心齊，別看我們家人都出來了，可高大夫這些年也沒受啥罪。”
他說得輕描淡寫，可聽的人心裏還是驚濤駭浪：在人人瘋狂的時候，敢出手相救一個人人喊打的人，出手的人還在部門工作，一旦被人發現，可不是一個愣頭青能解釋得了的。
這就難怪他一出面，發過誓不看病的高大夫，就同意了。不過薛副主任還是有些奇怪：“有你的面子就夠了，你剛才咋還說是夏菊花同志，高大夫才同意出手呢？”
齊小叔就看着夏菊花笑：“前年咱們鬧旱災，夏菊花把粉條技術毫無保留的教給想學的人，保下多少人家的紅薯？那時候一把粉條就能讓人活下來，高大夫自己也是受益者。”
“他說夏菊花是胸有大愛之人，這樣的人得有個好身體，好有更多的時間和精力給大家辦好事。要不說人家高大夫醫者仁心呢，八杆子打不着的人都上心着呢。”
聽他最後還不忘記貶低自己一下，夏菊花都不想拿正眼看齊小叔。不過她也不是沒有疑問的：“我也沒見有人給我號過脈，他就敢給我開方子？”
王彩鳳總算想起來了：“娘，你住院的第二天晚上，是有個人來給你號過脈。那時候你突然燒起來了，我還以為人家是為發燒來的，又穿着醫院的白大褂，就沒跟你說。”
顧副主任覺得自己象在聽傳奇故事，遲疑了一下問齊小叔：“那高大夫既然給夏菊花同志看病了，是不是以後都會出診？”
齊小叔直接搖頭：“其實在我們村的時候，誰有個頭疼腦熱的高大夫也給看，不過總是說自己不是看病，是幫人去邪，整的神神叨叨的。也就是我們村裏人沒有壞心的，要不光他說去邪，就夠進學習班的。他是不是還出診，以啥名義出診，誰也說不好。”
你想找人看病，人家說給你去邪，這病你還敢看嗎？
夏菊花聽了又好笑又感嘆，顧副主任已經想起自己今天不是來聽故事，而是來探望夏菊花的，于是笑着說：“既然有高大夫給夏菊花同志調理身體，那我們就不用擔心了。夏菊花同志，你可得好好聽高大夫的安排，藥再苦也得堅持喝完。有了好身體，才能更好的幹革命工作不是？”
夏菊花自然感謝領導的關懷，不過想着領導既然來了，那有些事兒還是可以說一說的：“顧副主任，不知道電的事兒，省供銷系統替我們協調的咋樣了。你不知道，我們平安莊現在太需要用電了。”
顧副主任就看向齊小叔，結果人家正研究他給夏菊花帶來的營養品，沒發現顧副主任“深情”的目光。顧副主任覺得，自己算是知道夏菊花為啥主意那麽多了：有啥樣的領導，就有啥樣的下屬嘛。
“你放心，明天你們地區供電局就開始從平德縣給平安莊接電，聽說材料與人力都是省供電局特批的，也不知道這回咋這麽利索。”
夏菊花也有些疑惑，還是齊小叔開口給大家解疑：“是不是部隊出面協調了？那天李宏亮在我辦公室打電話，好象說了平安莊通電的事兒。”
顧、薛兩位副主任還不知道平安莊咋又和部隊扯上了聯系，聽齊小叔介紹才知道，夏菊花所以急着從地區趕回來，就是為了跟部隊的同志見面，而平安莊的産品，很快就會供應部隊。
兩位主任吃驚的看着夏菊花，沒想到她不言不語的又要幹大事兒了。供應部隊呀，這是多大的光榮。就算是不賺錢，有了供應部隊的名頭，還怕以後平安莊的産品沒人買嗎？
顧副主任反應快，馬上對夏菊花說：“夏菊花同志，你們的産品如果部隊接收不完的話，省供銷系統可以負責銷路。”
薛副主任和一直沒機會說話的林主任，看向顧副主任的眼睛裏都帶上了刀子。這也就是上級單位領導，否則他們都要問問：當着他們本地供銷社的面挖牆角，還要不要臉？！
夏菊花還沒回答呢，齊小叔已經替她說了：“顧副主任，這個恐怕不行。平安莊大隊的生産能力有限，原材料也有限。他們的産品恐怕供應部隊還不夠呢。”
顧副主任自然有些失望，不過沒有人會跟部隊争東西，帶着些遺憾說：“夏菊花同志跟我聊天的時候說過，平安莊現在都是水澆地，種紅薯有些可惜。要是面粉也能做到酸辣粉那麽方便，原料問題就好解決了吧？”
It is so convenient to make hot and sour noodles with flour, so it is OK. Xia Juhua originally wanted to make hot and sour noodles because she wanted to launch hot and sour noodles before instant noodles. Now that hot and sour noodles are available, instant noodles can also be considered.
However, in her previous life, Xia Juhua didn't know how instant noodles were made, and she didn't know how many attempts it would take to succeed. She wouldn't make a big fuss and let everyone know about it before she accomplished something.
Seeing that Xia Juhua didn't say anything for a while, everyone thought she was tired, so Deputy Director Gu and Deputy Director Xue stood up and wanted to say goodbye to her. Xia Juhua then remembered that she still had something to ask Deputy Director Gu, so she hurriedly said:
"Deputy Director Gu, there is one more thing I need to trouble you with."