Chapter 143
Chen Lusheng knew the grudge between Xia Juhua and Sun very well, but he at least understood it to a certain extent. He had no intention of trying to smooth things over. Even though Sun had been working at the pig farm for several years, his work was still the same as when he first came, and he couldn't help at all. Why would he want him to smooth things over?
All he could do was point to the topic of pig transfer in the pen and say: "We raised a total of fifteen pigs this year. One was raised by the Agricultural Machinery Station, one was raised by the Agricultural Technology Station, and one was raised by the commune. The remaining twelve belong to our production team."
"The commune also asked us to foster the children?" Xia Juhua found that she really didn't know much about the Ping'anzhuang production team.
Chen Lusheng told Xia Juhua that the Pinganzhuang production team had raised more than 200 kilograms of fat pigs for several consecutive years, which attracted the attention of the commune. So the commune found Chen Qiusheng and asked the Pinganzhuang production team to raise a pig for the commune this year to be used as a welfare for the commune staff during the New Year. It was not that Pinganzhuang was asked to raise a pig for free, but it directly reduced the reserve fee for Pinganzhuang.
Raising fifteen pigs a year is not a small amount of work. Xia Juhua asked Chen Lusheng with concern whether his body could handle it. Chen Lusheng smiled and said, "I am an old farmer who works to eat. What's so hard to handle?"
"Although the team doesn't grow many sweet potatoes now, there are enough vines for the pigs to eat. Mix them with the wheat bran and furfural you bought, and they will grow fat quickly without me having to cut grass for them. I only need to cook for the pigs three times a day. The production team will assign someone else to build the pig pens, so I won't be tired."
Xia Juhua was very happy about Chen Lusheng's optimism: "It's better that you think so. But now the number of pigs raised is twice the task, Qiu Sheng should give you two more work points every day."
Don't just listen to the fact that he only got two extra work points a day. These are the work points of the Pinganzhuang production team. One work point is 26 cents, and two work points is 52 cents. In recent years, because Chen Lusheng has raised pigs well, the production team has already recorded his work days according to the cadre standard, and recorded a full 360 days a year. If he gets two more work points a day, he can get more than 100 yuan more.
Chen Lusheng was a little excited but also a little overwhelmed: "No need, last year the team gave me a pig's head alone, which was enough for our family to have a prosperous New Year."
Xia Juhua felt that she couldn't let those who worked honestly and didn't take credit suffer any loss, so she said firmly: "I'll discuss it with Qiu Sheng later and it's settled. You alone have supplied all the meat for the production team during the New Year, so it's only right that you get one more pig head."
Hearing her say this, Chen Lusheng stopped refusing and kept expressing his determination to Xia Juhua, saying that he would raise pigs well and strive to make this year's pigs fatter than last year's so that each member of Ping'an Village could get a few more pounds of meat.
Sun had been paying attention to the conversation between Xia Juhua and Chen Lusheng. When she heard Xia Juhua add two work points to Chen Lusheng's day, she felt like she was about to choke: since she came to raise pigs, she only recorded five work points a day, and if she didn't come one day, she wouldn't even record these five work points. How dare Xia Juhua add two more work points to Chen Lusheng's day in front of her?
Sun believed that as long as Xia Juhua spoke up, Chen Lusheng would definitely get the two jobs - now in the Ping'anzhuang production team or even the entire Ping'anzhuang brigade, is there anything that Xia Juhua can't decide?
She wanted to go up to Xia Juhua and ask how things could be so unfair, but she just stood up and sat down again: now she no longer had the courage to face Xia Juhua alone, and she knew very well in her heart that if she really asked her, she might lose her current five work points per day.
The reason was that when Xia Juhua showed her good intentions, she did not accept it and immediately reported Xia Juhua to the Red Team. Since then, Xia Juhua never looked at her again, let alone spoke a word to her.
Now that the Red Team has been disbanded, Sun, who was labeled a bad element by the Red Team, actually doesn't have to work at the pig farm. It's just that she herself is reluctant to give up the five work points every day.
With these five work points, she could exchange them for food for a year. If she didn't have them, Sun believed that Liu Sizhuang and his wife would not use their work points to exchange food for her. And the old-age rations that Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang gave her every year were added by Liu Sizhuang to his family's food bag.
Why did she have to side with the youngest son, Liu Sizhuang, and offend the rest of her sons and their wives? Now, Liu Sizhuang and his wife are just like her, doing the dirtiest and most tiring work, but they only get basic work points, and can't get much money except for food - the couple also have to pay Liu Hongjuan's food work points.
If the Ping'anzhuang production team had not had a higher work point value in the past two years and their food had not been changed to wheat, Sun felt that she would not be able to eat more than two meals of white flour steamed buns throughout the year.
But the families of Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang, who lived in the same courtyard, could always have a meal of meat every ten days or half a month. The aroma penetrated into people's noses through the cracks in the door, making Sun feel that the white flour steamed buns in her hand were no longer fragrant.
Could she continue to scold Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang for being unfilial as before, and ignore the fact that her own mother secretly ate meat? No, even if she scolded herself until her voice was hoarse, the two families would not come out to look at her, and no one would gather at the gate to watch the excitement.
What else does scolding people like that do other than making yourself so angry that you can't eat?
What Sun knew better was that both Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang's families had already applied for homesteads from the brigade, and had already prepared the adobe bricks and tiles. It was just that they didn't have time now. When they had time, the two families would build new houses and move out of the old courtyard without hesitation.
Only she and Liu Sizhuang's family will be left in the old house.
In the past, Sun wished that only she and Liu Sizhuang's family would live in peace in the yard, but now she dared not think about how dilapidated the yard would be with only the four of them left - now the yard is cleaned up by Liu Erzhuang's family from time to time, and it is still a little crowded in front of the main house. When they move out, the yard will be so crowded that there will be no room to move anywhere.
Sun was lost in thought and didn't know when Xia Juhua left the pig farm. Xia Juhua really didn't think it was necessary to say hello to Sun - some people are not to be beaten or scolded to vent your anger, and living a better life than her and leaving her far behind is a better way to vent your anger.
Xia Juhua couldn't even think of venting her anger towards Sun at this moment. There were too many things that needed her attention. If Sun didn't appear in front of her, she would not even remember this person.
Now she was going to visit all the production teams in Pinganzhuang to see how the chickens were being raised. The situation in the other production teams was not as good as that in Pinganzhuang. The three teams were still doing well, with more than 20 chicks running around pecking at the leaves in each chicken pen, and some hens were nesting. It would not take long for each family to have 30 chickens.
The situation in the small villages was not so good. Every family had their own hens and chicks in their nests. They only raised a few chicks at a time. Li Daniu's family raised thirty chicks, while the rest of the families had less than twenty at most.
Teams 4 and 5 were even worse, with only about 15 or 16 adult chickens, including those in previous years. Xia Juhua didn't say much about this, and when she met several production team leaders who heard that she had been to their respective production teams, she only asked superficial questions such as why there were so few chicks, whether the old hens were not nesting, and whether they were fed enough.
The other three production team leaders except Captain Niu were all feeling unhappy: others had pointed out the way to them, and their own production teams failed to implement it, so they could no longer blame others for not giving them a hand.
However, the members of the cooperative have their own concerns. They are afraid that if they raise too many pigs, they will be labeled as capitalist, and they cannot force others to raise pigs.
Captain Niu said to Xia Juhua very calmly: "Once Master Wu's batch of chicks are hatched, we will have enough chickens in our production team. Then we won't have to worry about eggs or stewed chicken. I will definitely send the fattest chicken in our family to the captain."
Xia Juhua was always tolerant of Captain Niu, and upon hearing this, she quickly told him, "That won't work. County Magistrate Qi has said that we must hand over all the chickens to the purchasing station by the end of the year, and they won't lower our prices. So we can't eat any of them ourselves, and you all have to remember this."
After hearing this, Li Daniu asked, "Does County Chief Qi also know that our Ping'anzhuang Brigade raises chickens?" Does that mean that the county will not criticize the Ping'anzhuang Brigade for this, or else it will not allow the purchasing station to purchase the chickens from the Ping'anzhuang Brigade.
Seeing that he understood, Xia Juhua just nodded and said nothing else - it was a little too late to understand now. Even if you hatch and raise chicks until the end of the year, they will still be half-grown. Not to mention laying eggs, even if you hand them over to the collection station, no one may want them.
The three production team leaders were also very angry and wanted to open the heads of their team members to see what was inside. When they were told to raise more chickens, they all cheered for it, but now they have to back out.
Now, the chickens of Ping An Zhuang have grown for a month, but their chicks are still nowhere to be seen. When the chicken purchasing station collects chickens at the end of the year, the income will be much less than that of Ping An Zhuang, and those people will have to complain again.
Then let them call.
The three production team leaders have made up their minds and feel that they should make it clear to the members that none of the paths pointed out by Xia Juhua are deceiving them. If they don't follow her, they will only be able to watch the people of Ping'an Village live a good life.
Xia Juhua didn't want to know what they were thinking. After she got a grasp of the chicken farming situation, she focused on packaging the hot and sour noodles. The troops had coordinated a full range of materials, so it was not difficult to mix the seasoning. The difficult part was operating the plastic sealing machine to automatically package the seasoning.
Fortunately, Technician Xue was there, and the laminator was able to work normally after just a few tries. After the power was connected, the spices were automatically divided into small bags, and several hundred bags were packed in less than an hour. Xia Juhua was very happy: "This is too convenient. In the past, I sealed the bags by hand, and it took several nights to seal only 100 bags."
薛技術員看着夏菊花只是笑，他不相信夏菊花不明白機器生産起來的便利，否則也不會一直給自己定目标，機器改造了一個又一個。
不過他很快發現了一個問題：“嬸子，人家生産的東西，都有一個商品名稱、商标啥的，上頭寫着産地或是生産廠家。現在粉條廠既然要大批量投入生産，你們是不是也得考慮一下這個問題？”
對呀，夏菊花有些懊惱的看着塑封好的酸辣粉，對薛技術員說的同時也在安慰自己：“這些是供應部隊的，暫時不用那東西。不過往後還真得把袋子上印上商标，省得別人買到了還不知道是誰生産的。”
如何給平安莊的酸辣粉設定商标，夏菊花在配制調料的時候，不停的琢磨，卻一點眉目也沒有，反而由酸辣粉的商标，想到了編席組那邊是不是也需要一個商标——再過幾年，市場經濟開始之後，假冒産品層出不窮，有個商标還有維權的可能，沒有商标的話，連維權都做不到。
別管維權成不成功，至少能拿出一個态度震懾一下那些假冒的人。
自己一個人想不明白，夏菊花便在第一批酸辣粉運出之後，召集人開會，大家一起讨論商标問題。參會的不止有大隊和各生産隊的幹部，連趙仙枝幾個人編席組的骨幹都參加了。
對于一輩子光種地，最近兩年才生産葦席和粉條的農民來說，大家對商标這個概念都是一臉蒙，被夏菊花強烈要求參會的薛技術員，不得不給大家解釋：“大家都吃過大折兔奶糖吧，是不是一看包裝就知道那是大白兔不是別的糖？上頭的大白兔三個字還有那只長耳朵兔子，就是它的商品名和商标。”
平安莊生産隊來參會的人還好點兒，他們都吃過夏菊花帶回來的大白兔，可其他人還是一臉蒙，讓薛技術員解釋不下去了。
夏菊花想到了一個大家都知道的東西：“你買自行車的時候，是不是在紅旗或是飛鴿裏要挑一挑，紅旗和飛鴿就是商品名，車把下頭的那面紅旗和鳥，就是商标。”
懂了，買一輛屬于自己的自行車，是這個時代所有人的夢想，這麽一舉例子大家都明白是咋回事兒了。于是趙仙枝頭一個開口：“我們的席子就叫平安莊牌，讓人都知道席是我們平安莊的婦女編的。”
陳秋生搖頭不同意：“全國叫平安莊的地方多了，誰知道你那個平安莊是哪個省哪個地區的。”
趙仙枝有些不服氣，李長順對她說：“要我說你們那席還不如叫半邊天。你不天天說婦女能頂半邊天嘛，叫半邊天的話別人就都知道是婦女們編的。”
安寶玲倒覺得光叫半邊天體現不出平安莊來，提議叫平安莊半邊天，被大家七嘴八舌的否定了——名字太長就不容易讓人記住。
夏菊花想了想說：“我也覺得叫半邊天不錯。”
她一說不錯，安寶玲幾個馬上沒意見了，看得幾個大隊、生産隊的幹部好懸沒笑出聲來：你們既然是這個态度，那還來參加讨論幹啥，直接讓夏菊花一個人來不就得了。
編織品的名字定好了，接下來就得定酸辣粉兒的商标。大隊和生産隊的幹部們有了，誰也不開口，都拿眼看夏菊花。
她被看的直發毛：“都看我幹啥，編織品叫半邊天，酸辣粉兒總不能叫整片天吧？”那不是給酸辣粉起名字，是平安莊大隊集體作死。
李大牛說：“編席的事兒還能說是平安莊婦女們一起幹的，叫半天天正合适。可漏粉也好、做酸辣粉也好，都是你一個人的主意，也是你教給大家的，商标是不是得帶出你來。”
夏菊花連連擺手：“那可不行，哪有商标用個人名字的。”
“咋沒有。”李長順覺得李大牛今天算是說到點兒上了，連連點頭：“早年間的臭豆腐、燒酒、點心，不少都是用人名當名號的。就叫夏菊花酸辣粉。”
“不行不行。”夏菊花十分抗拒的說：“誰知道将來啥人買酸辣粉，一個個都叫我的名字，光想想我都覺得別扭，我不幹。”
趙仙枝幾個都起哄，人人覺得李長順說得不錯，哪怕類比的東西有點兒不盡如人意她們也不在乎了，非得說要是酸辣粉不叫夏菊花，那就是有人想冒夏菊花的功勞。
此時夏菊花跟大隊、生産隊的幹部們的思想，終于同步了，那就是真不應該讓趙仙枝幾個參加讨論，讓她們幾個一叽喳，她反對的聲音都沒人聽了。
劉力群見夏菊花的确十分抗拒商标叫夏菊花，咳嗽一聲說：“要不叫夏小夥？反正只有咱們平安莊的人知道那是你的外號，外頭的人可不知道。人家叫夏小夥，還以為是說哪個小夥子呢。”
同志，你可是大隊的民兵隊長，說這話是認真的嗎，不怕以後穿小鞋？
不想趙仙枝幾個又叽喳着覺得這個名字不錯，即能讓知情人記住酸辣粉是夏菊花想出來的，又不用讓夏菊花有太重的心理壓力。
最主要的是，現在幾乎沒有人再叫夏菊花的外號，大家一提起來還覺得怪親切的。
所謂少數服從多數，哪怕夏菊花說叫夏小夥自己心理壓力也挺大，卻一點兒浪花都沒掀起來，夏小夥的名字就定下了。
她索性賭氣提議，酸辣粉的商标就用一個中年農村婦女的頭像上去，這樣商标和商品名出現反差，說不定還能引起大家買的興趣呢。
不想大家一片叫好，夏菊花再想反悔也沒人理她，幾個人商量好，由陳秋生去找劉力柱，讓他畫一幅頭像出來。
劉力柱也是一個辦事利索的人，沒用一天時間已經把頭像畫好了。交上來一看，夏菊花覺得還是有自己的影子，不過劉力柱死活都說自己畫的時候，一點兒也沒想過夏菊花長啥樣。
夏菊花自己又不會畫，只能勉強采用。
部隊給協調來的外包裝袋是米黃色的，看上去十分幹淨。夏菊花按照自己記憶裏方便面包裝的樣子，讓劉力柱在正面斜着寫下“夏小夥酸辣粉”幾個美術字，上方正中放上頭像，感覺挺像樣。
背面則把産品的生産時間、保質期、用料都标明，盡量向上輩子的方便面包裝看齊——這些都是她記得的方便面包裝的樣子，想必現在都還沒有出現，不會有人告她侵權啥的。
設計好了，咋把這些印到塑料袋上成了一個難題。最終夏菊花在薛技術員的提醒下，不得不求助地區的薛副主任，由他幫着聯系了一個印刷廠。
在包裝袋印刷期間，平安莊的粉條廠仍在有條不紊的建設之中，大梁都已經風幹好了，只要瓦片燒好便能直接上梁鋪瓦。
第一批供應部隊的酸辣粉反饋也傳回了平安莊，絕大部分是正面的表揚，也有一部分提意見的聲音：試吃的同志們，很多都要求調料可以再鹹一點利于存放，還有要求辣椒多一些的。
這些對夏菊花來說不是難事兒，只要稍微調整一下配方就可以了：最初制做調料的時候，夏菊花受了上輩子看到的養生節目的影響，有意識的減少了鹽的比例，卻忘了此時的人們，因為副食品少，大都口味比較重。
于是第二批送到部隊的酸辣粉兒，即調整了口味，也換了包裝。一開始部隊首長看到時，還以為東西不是平安莊生産的，差點派林宏亮跑一趟平安莊核實情況。
好在有細心的同志看了包裝的背面，見上頭把食品的用料、成份、生産日期和保質期都标的清楚，生産廠家也寫明是平安莊粉條廠，都十分驚奇：現在的糧食還十分緊缺，平安莊的酸辣粉竟然标出了保質期，難道到日子沒吃的話，真的要把好好的東西都扔掉嗎？
電話一下子打到了平安莊大隊，夏菊花聽到這個問題有些張口結舌，向着話筒那邊解釋：“粉條保存的時間長，外頭又有塑料袋包着，放個一年半載的沒啥問題。主要是裏頭的調料包，油包和辣椒油包放時間長了，怕變質，把人吃壞了。”
電話那頭明顯松了口氣：“夏菊花同志，謝謝你的嚴謹啊。你這麽一說我們就放心了。”
夏菊花心裏一動，向電話那頭保證：“粉條真的可以多放一段時間，不放調料也就是口味差一點，不過填一下肚子還是沒問題的。”
對面沉默了一下後，又向夏菊花道了聲謝，詢問下一批酸辣粉啥時候能生産出來。夏菊花便告訴對方，再有十天左右，平安莊粉條廠就能投入生産，酸辣粉的産量可以成倍擴大。
“那平安莊現在的紅薯還夠用嗎？還有你們印刷包裝袋花了多少錢，下次酸辣粉運來的時候，好一并結帳帶回去。”對方又問了一個問題。
Xia Juhua thought for a moment and said, "If we expand production, we can probably produce for another ten days or so. But the sweet potatoes will be ready soon. I'll send people out to harvest them now, and we should be able to continue production."
"Okay, we got it. I'll let Comrade Lin Hongliang tell you the specific issues." After the other party spoke to Lin Hongliang for a few words, the voice came back to Lin Hongliang. In the end, Lin Hongliang's opinion was that Xia Juhua should focus on the production of hot and sour noodles, and the sweet potatoes would still be coordinated by the troops.
Xia Juhua suddenly felt that time was running out. Every day, she urged the vermicelli factory and the printing factory, and also urged Technician Xue to find a way to solve the problem of dehydrating cooked meat and vegetables. Technician Xue was so worried that he wanted to run back to Beijing overnight.
Master Wu didn't need Xia Juhua to urge him. After the chicks were hatched, he came to her and told her proudly, "A total of 292 chicks were hatched this time."