Chapter 154
When Liu Zhishuang heard what Xia Juhua said to Xiaoman, he quickly explained to his mother: "Mom, you don't know that to make a phone call to the village, you have to queue up at the post office. An An, that brat, cries as soon as he enters the room. Many times, he comes out after a short while. Otherwise, Xiaoman would have to call Ping An Village every day."
Xia Juhua said, "Why don't you wait outside with An An in your arms until Xiao Man finishes his call?"
Liu Zhishuang had no way of answering his mother's questions, but Xiaoman felt that her mother-in-law was still the same as when she was at home, always thinking of her. She couldn't help but smile, and felt that wherever her mother-in-law was was home, and the thoughts of missing Ping'anzhuang had disappeared a lot.
He couldn't reason with his mother, Qi Weidong and the other two didn't agree to go out for dinner, and Liu Zhishuang couldn't convince anyone, so he had to run into the kitchen himself, quickly prepared the vegetables, cut the meat into shreds, minced the garlic and onions, lit the fire and started cooking the noodles.
Then I heard a "sizzle" sound in the kitchen, which was the sound of scallions and garlic being put into the pan, then the sound of cracking eggs, the sound of pouring water into the pot, and then the sound of water boiling. A moment later, Liu Zhishuang had brought a large bowl of noodles and placed it on the dining table in the small living room.
Liu Xi was stunned: "Zhi Shuang, did you make this?" It smelled quite nice, the noodles were clean white, the vegetables were green, the shredded meat was visible, and the plump poached egg was intact.
However, Liu Zhishuang found Liu Xi's surprise a bit strange: "Didn't you see me go into the kitchen just now? Xiaoman and my mother were busy cleaning up, they didn't even go into the kitchen." If it wasn't me who did it, then who did it?
"But..." Liu Xi looked at Liu Zhishuang who was skillfully putting noodles into bowls and still found it incredible: "When did you become so good at cooking?"
Liu Zhishuang said nonchalantly, "We moved to the district, and there are only Xiaoman and I at home. When she is too busy, we can't always rely on An'an to cook, right? If I don't cook, the whole family will go hungry. Cook twice more, and she will be able to cook everything."
Xia Juhua wanted to laugh when she heard this. She looked up and saw Xiaoman looking at Liu Zhishuang with a smile on his face. So she didn't tease her own son. Instead, she said to Liu Xi, "Zhishuang is right. Whoever says that only women should go to the kitchen to cook? The house doesn't belong to women alone. Whoever has time should do it."
Liu Xi's surprise turned to Xia Juhua. He was always deep and couldn't help asking, "Sister-in-law, Xiaoman asked Zhishuang to go to the kitchen. Don't you think she didn't serve Zhishuang well?"
Xia Juhua still thinks that Liu Xi should be criticized for his rigid thinking at such a young age: "Why do you think Xiao Man is wrong? Do you think that Xiao Man has to take care of the children at home temporarily after coming to the region, and Zhi Shuang is the one who earns the salary to support the three of them, so he should be the eldest grandfather when he comes home?"
"Liu Xi, I'm telling you, you can't say this in front of other girls in the future, otherwise you won't be called a wife. You men think that women are blessed when they take care of children at home, protected from the wind and rain? Children eat and sleep at irregular times, and need someone to accompany them when they wake up, or they cry and make a fuss, and fall and bump into things when they are not seen. Will you feel distressed when that happens? Will you have to quarrel with your wife?"
"Anyway, I would rather work in the fields than look after the kids all day. If you don't believe me, ask Zhishuang if he thinks so."
Liu Xi felt that his worldview was shattered, and he looked at Liu Zhishuang, and found that Liu Zhishuang was nodding in agreement: "Don't say I watched him all day, once Xiaoman went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth, I watched this kid for a long time, and he made me so annoyed that I wanted to leave him alone at home, and I went to work."
"Come on, stop talking. The noodles are going to clumping together." Xia Juhua invited everyone to eat, but An An followed suit and started scratching at the table. Xiao Man had no choice but to carry him to the big room that served as the living room to play, and only took her over to eat after Liu Zhishuang finished eating.
"See?" Xia Juhua taught on the spot: "When An'an gets upset, Xiaoman can't even eat. If Zhishuang doesn't help, she will be hungry and full every day, and her body will be worn out. If Xiaoman is weak, An'an will have no milk to drink and will have to drink milk powder. Where can you get milk powder?"
Liu Xi had almost digested the shock before eating the noodles, and now agreed with Xia Juhua's point of view: "It's not easy." Thinking of how he had just asked Xia Juhua in front of Xiaoman whether she would dislike this daughter-in-law, he felt that he was rash and said to Xiaoman embarrassedly: "Xiaoman, I was too surprised just now, and what I said was not nice, please don't take it personally."
Although Liu Xi is one year younger than Xiao Man, from Liu Zhishuang's point of view, Xiao Man should still call him Sixth Uncle. It's just that they are all about the same age, and except for New Year's greetings, they usually just call each other by their names and no one takes it seriously.
Normally, he didn't take it seriously. In name, Liu Xi was still Xiao Man's elder. Now, hearing him apologize to her solemnly, Xiao Man felt a little embarrassed:
"We just talked about that, it's nothing. Don't say you were surprised, remember the first time my father went into the kitchen to cook porridge, Shuanzhu and I were also shocked. Only the men in Ping'an Village think that going into the kitchen is not a big deal. The rest of the men in the production team are just like what you said when they go home, they act like masters and won't even help if the oil bottle falls over."
Qi Weidong, who had been silent, had a thoughtful expression. Xia Juhua didn't want to ignore him, so she joked with him, "Did you learn it? You should practice cooking well in the future, and it will be easier to find a partner."
Qi Weidong was suddenly called out, and he was a little confused: "Why would I look for a wife?"
Bewildered, he turned into Liuxi again: "How old are you and why haven't you found a wife? By the way, aren't you older than Zhishuang? Now Anan can crawl, why haven't you talked about a wife yet? Is it that the girl really dislikes that you can't cook, so she doesn't like you?" It seems that after returning, he has to learn how to cook.
Xia Juhua didn't expect Liu Xi's skill in mending the knife was so high, and she laughed out loud.
The time on the train passed very slowly. Fortunately, I bought a sleeper ticket, so I could lie down and sleep when I was bored. Although the train was shaking violently and the sound of the wheels hitting the rails was very harsh, Xia Juhua still slept soundly after getting on the train.
It had been a long time since she had been so relaxed and done nothing, and fell into a deep sleep, Xia Juhua herself had forgotten. Now she only felt that her whole body was relaxed and heavy, lying on the narrow bed without wanting to move.
Liu Xi always remembered Wu Ye's request to take good care of Xia Juhua on the way. Seeing the lights in the carriage come on, he came over and called her: "Sister-in-law, get up and eat something before going to sleep."
Xia Juhua then reluctantly opened her eyes: "What time is it? You guys eat first."
Liu Xi insisted: "You have slept for the whole afternoon, you should get up and eat something, otherwise you will not be able to sleep at night."
Xia Juhua stood up helplessly, put her hair back, and found that it was dark outside the car window. She stood up lazily and smelled the pungent smell in the car, mixed with a little food smell.
Looking around, I saw some people eating eggs and munching on biscuits on the small chairs beside the aisle of the carriage. There were also a few people who were obviously dressed as cadres and brought a roasted chicken on the train. Several people took turns drinking from a bottle of wine.
There was only their small compartment and nothing happened. Qi Weidong sat on the shop opposite and glanced at Xia Juhua before turning his gaze to the window.
There are six bunk beds in a small compartment. Xia Juhua and Qi Weidong are in the two lower bunk beds. Liu Xi is unlucky as he lives in the upper bunk bed on Xia Juhua's side. There is no one in the two middle bunk beds and the other upper bunk bed. He may have to get on the bus at the next stop.
"What do you want to eat?" Now that she was awake, Xia Juhua couldn't help but start making preparations.
Qi Weidong grabbed Liu Xi's hand as she was trying to get some dry food, and said to Xia Juhua with a smile on his face, "Auntie, I didn't bring anything. I'm just waiting to eat your hot and sour rice noodles."
He didn't believe Xia Juhua would be willing to eat dry food for two days after sitting on the train for such a long time, so he thought she would definitely bring some hot and sour noodles.
After hearing this, Liu Xi stopped trying to take out the eggs: they have been making instant hot and sour noodles in Ping'an Village for such a long time, and no one has tasted the finished product, so of course he wants to try it too.
Unexpectedly, Xia Juhua said, "We're not having hot and sour noodles today. I brought something else good for you to try." As she said that, she took out three packs of instant noodles from her bag.
Qi Weidong took the instant noodles and saw that the packaging was similar to that of the hot and sour rice noodles, except that the words "Xia Xiaohuo Hot and Sour Rice Noodles" were replaced with "Xia Xiaohuo Instant Noodles". He couldn't help but ask, "Auntie, is this your new product?"
Xia Juhua nodded: "Yes, but it has not been mass-produced yet, and I don't make much. If it weren't for the fact that the train ride is too long and the chili in the hot and sour noodles makes you get a sore throat, you wouldn't be able to eat it this time."
Qi Weidong and Liu Xi suddenly understood why they couldn't eat it - it was probably like the members of Ping'an Village couldn't eat instant hot and sour noodles now, so instant noodles must also be supplied to the troops.
At this time, people who went out were used to bringing their own large aluminum lunch boxes. Each small compartment in the sleeper car was equipped with a hot pot. Xia Juhua instructed Liu Xi to get some hot water, put the instant noodles into three lunch boxes, poured in the seasoning and oil packets, and then asked the other two: "Are you eating pork or shredded chicken?"
They could actually choose the flavor, so Liu Xi looked at Qi Weidong, meaning that he should choose first. Qi Weidong trusted Xia Juhua very much, and thought that anything she brought out would definitely not be unpalatable, so he said, "I can eat any flavor."
This time, Xia Juhua only brought two flavors, and gave each of them one of the crispy ones, while she chose the shredded chicken one. As soon as the hot water was poured into the lunch box, the oil bag and seasoning were washed away by the water, and the overbearing aroma spread all at once, and the people in the nearby cubicles couldn't help but sniff.
夏菊花已經把飯盒蓋扣上，香氣便消失了，好象剛才隔壁聞到的是幻覺。直到夏菊花覺得面應該泡好，再一次打開飯盒蓋，隔壁的人才發現，自己剛才聞到的不是幻覺，而是實實在在的一種從未聞過的香氣。
那幾個就着燒雞喝酒的人，脖子轉來轉去，想知道香味的來源。隔壁有人已經把頭探到夏菊花他們的隔間，發現飯盒冒着熱氣，随熱氣一起出現的是讓人想嘗上一口的香氣。
“大姐，你們這是哪兒買的，剛才沒見你們去餐車呀？”有人忍不住，問出了聲。
整個車廂裏都安靜下來，等着夏菊花的回答。夏菊花也不藏着掖着，直接說：“是我從家裏帶着路上吃的。這火車一開就是兩天，光啃幹糧受不了，只能自己想這麽個笨辦法。”
聽到回答的人，看向自己手裏的食物，誰也沒有說話。吃燒雞的人中有一個大聲問：“從家帶來的，是你們當地的做法兒嗎？聽你們的口音，也是L省的，難道是我聽錯了？”
齊衛東一笑，說：“你沒聽錯，我們就是L省的。”
“不可能。”那人是個較真的性子，語氣裏還帶着一絲上位者的優越感：“L省的地方我都走遍了，從來沒見哪個地方的吃食，做得這麽香。”
六喜與夏菊花對視一眼，誰也沒有說話，由着齊衛東回答說：“我們就是承平地區的，你去過？”
那人放下啃到一半的雞爪子，搖晃着走到夏菊花他們的隔間前，邊看着六喜大口大口往嘴裏塞面，邊咽了一下唾沫說：“承平地區我當然去過，我還在平德縣工作了一段時間呢。我在的時候平德縣小麥産量都不高，可沒見人做過這種面條。”
拿水一泡就香得饞人的面條，還曲裏拐彎的，別說見，聽都沒聽說過。
齊衛東更得意了：“沒見過就對了。前兩年大家白面吃得都少，自然舍不得做。現在總算産量提高了一點，就有心思把東西做得好吃點了。”
說完，他也開始吃起面來。那人又咽了一口唾沫，那絲優越感飛到了爪窪國，陪着小心問夏菊花：“大姐，你們帶得多嗎，我跟你們換點行不行？”
人家已經明确提出想換，夏菊花就不能裝不知道來意了，有些為難的沖那人搖了搖頭說：“不好意思，我們三個人呢，帶的将夠自己吃，沒法跟你換。”
出門坐車，大部分人都是自帶口糧，現在誰家吃的也不富餘，夏菊花說帶的不多，并不難理解。加上齊衛東和六喜兩個大小夥吃得狼吞虎咽，那人覺得自己不可能達成所願，又看了夏菊花兩眼，讪讪的回了自己的鋪位。
人是回去了，心卻留在夏菊花他們這邊一小半，剩下的坐車時間，對車廂裏的所有人來說，幾乎都是一種折磨了：接下來的一天多時間裏，夏菊花與齊衛東兩個把紅燒肉與雞絲口味的換着吃了又吃，還不時商量是不是加雞蛋，或是用不用多加一份調料，那香氣一次又一次沖擊着全車廂人的味覺。
後來齊衛東悄悄對夏菊花說：“嬸子，你把包袱讓六喜拿到上鋪去吧。我咋覺得那些人看你的包袱，眼神不對呢？”
他沒有誇大其辭，自從吃了第一頓方便面後，他們的隔間總有人路過，每個路過的人都會深深的看上幾眼，哪怕他們三個不吃東西也一樣。
夏菊花被齊衛東的表情逗笑了：“又胡說，人家坐卧鋪的，都是有身份的人，還能因為點吃的就動手搶？”
搶是不可能搶的，問也同樣是要問的。那個最先來跟夏菊花搭話的人，老跑來跟夏菊花聊天，句句不離方便面。夏菊花被他纏得心煩，幹脆告訴他，這東西就是她自己試出來的，別人都不會做，因為用料太講究，工序太繁瑣。
反正現在方便面除了她之外，還沒聽說誰會做過，夏菊花不介意先把它的身價擡高一下。
那人聽得頻頻點頭：“我就說嘛，我在平德縣沒見過這種吃法。要說是你自己琢磨出來的，那就對了。大姐，你想沒想過，可以把你做方便面的技術交給國家，那你可立了大功了，國家也會表揚你的，說不定還能登報呢。”
夏菊花聽了眼神微微一收，齊衛東已經警惕起來，看向那人的目光跟刀子一樣了：“我嬸子就是為了我們路上吃着方便，自己費心琢磨點吃的，這也得上交給國家？我咋沒聽說過呢。咱們國家沒這種規定吧？”
那人要想繞着彎子給夏菊花一點壓力，不想被齊衛東直接戳穿了，自己反而鬧了個大紅臉，連連向齊衛東說明，他就是這麽一說，沒有別的意思：
能坐卧鋪，還是三個人一起坐卧鋪的人，誰知道是啥來頭？這三人裏頭，齊衛東一看就是常在外走動的人，說不定這三張卧鋪，就是他搞到手的。
所以那人敢拐彎抹角給夏菊花壓力，齊衛東一開口他就慫了，不好再套夏菊花的話，灰溜溜回自己鋪位上去了。
六喜暗暗把齊衛東說話時的表情和內容都記到心裏，自己小聲跟夏菊花說：“嫂子，那人是不是打方便面的主意。他都知道咱們是平德縣的了，還說自己在平德縣工作過，要是讓人找咱們的麻煩咋辦？”
沒等夏菊花回答，齊衛東在邊上嘁了一聲：“在平德縣想找嬸子的麻煩，就算是在承平地區，你問問有人能找得成嬸子的麻煩不？”
他的聲音沒有刻意放低，半個車廂的人都能聽到，那個剛回自己座位的人不由看了自己的同伴一眼，發現大家都在側耳聽着夏菊花那個隔間的動靜。
确切的說，是在等着聽夏菊花咋回答。
遺憾的是，他們仔細聽了老半天，也沒聽到夏菊花是咋說的，不知是她根本沒說話，還是說話的聲音太小大家沒聽清。
哪怕沒有的到夏菊花的回答，在他們隔間前晃動的人明顯見少，路過的人也都匆匆而過，絕對的目不斜視。
夏菊花覺得這些人有些可笑，齊衛東那麽誇張的說法，他們竟然都信了，說不定腦子裏還補足了一場自己可能仗勢欺人的大戲呢。
都怪夏菊花太厚道，遇到的領導們也都是一心為本部門或是地區着想的好領導，就忽視了大亂之後的人心，正是最不穩定的時期，人們相信的不是自己的本領，而是誰認識什麽人，誰能辦得成什麽事兒。
所以他們不僅不覺得齊衛東誇大，反而覺得夏菊花藏拙太深：這人打扮的其貌不揚，可拿出來的東西前所未見，手腕子上還帶着一塊亮晶晶的手表，坐着難買的下鋪，說她沒有點能量，誰信？
沒有人打擾的時間，夏菊花樂得好好休息，直到離羊城還有不到兩個小時的時間，她才開始收拾自己的行李。就在這時，一個穿着鐵路制服的人，來到他們的隔間前，站在那裏看着夏菊花幾人收拾。
如此明顯的目标，夏菊花他們想忽視都難，齊衛東承擔起對外交往的責任，擡頭看向站着的人，問：“列車員同志，你找我們有事兒嗎？”
鐵路制服一笑：“你好，我是本車的列車長，來了解一下大家對本次列車服務，有沒有什麽意見？”
這話夏菊花他們不敢當真，人家列車長自己也只是一說，并沒有真的征求意見，而是繼續看夏菊花幾個收拾行李。
齊衛東見他不走，不屑的扯了一下嘴角，對着列車長真提起意見來：“列車長同志，那我就給你提個意見吧。咱們這還是卧鋪車廂，後半程開水都保證不了，是不是應該改進一下？”
這有點出乎列車長的意料，他有絲不自然的解釋：“咱們列車除了卧鋪車廂外，都嚴重超員，用水的人太多了，後半程經過的車站又少，補水不大及時，可能讓同志們覺得不便，我們下次争取改進。”
夏菊花已經把自己的行李收拾完了，擡手看了看表，還有一個來小時就能到站了。終于要結束兩天多的旅程，哪怕列車長的回答言不由衷，夏菊花覺得齊衛東也不必跟他較真。
一個小時之後，大家是否還能見面都是未知，較真有啥用，憑白破壞即将在羊城大展身手的心情。
列車長在夏菊花看表後，自己也看了一下手表，腳往隔間裏挪一下。見齊衛東得到夏菊花的暗示，低頭開始收拾自己的東西，而不是再把精力放在自己身上，便不客氣的在夏菊花身邊坐了下來。
“這位大姐，列車馬上就要到羊城了，我就不跟你客套了。我聽列車員說，你們帶了一種面條，用水泡泡就香得不得了。我就有一個不成熟的想法，能不能耽誤你一點時間，把面條的做法，教給我們餐車的工作人員，這樣以後旅客們再出行，就能在餐車買到……”
Qi Weidong suddenly raised his head, without a smile on his face: "Comrade conductor, how much money are you going to spend on my aunt's cooking?"
He started by asking for money, which stunned the conductor: "Spend money to buy it? Comrade, did you misunderstand?"