Chapter 161
Xia Juhua said to everyone seriously: "It was my suggestion to build an instant noodle factory. When the troops learned about it, they also hoped that we would build it. But we can't count on the troops - they bought asphalt for our road and solved a large part of our funding. It's not appropriate to ask them to pay again."
"There is not much money in the brigade account now. When the production teams pay the reserve fund at the end of the year, there will be only about 2,000 yuan. I am afraid that it will not be enough to build an instant noodle factory. Of course, I am willing to invest all the money in the instant noodle factory. But this is my personal opinion, not all members think the same way."
Li Changshun heard this and said, "I don't care what others think. If you think it's a good idea to invest in the instant noodle factory, then I won't take back my share of the money and will invest in the instant noodle factory with you."
Liu Liqun, Chen Qiusheng and Captain Niu all agreed with Li Changshun that they would do whatever Xia Juhua did. Li Daniu thought for a moment and said, "I have also invested my own money in the instant noodle factory, but I have to go back and ask for the opinions of the members of our production team."
The fourth captain, Sun Qinglin, and Li Daniu had similar ideas, and the final result was that Accountant Chang had to work harder to calculate how much money each family had left.
The instant noodle factory hasn't even chosen a location yet, and Li Changshun and his colleagues are worried that members will want to take their money back - who wouldn't want to have more money in their hands? If that happens, the funding gap for the construction of the instant noodle factory will be even bigger.
Everyone's eyes turned to Xia Juhua again.
Xia Juhua and Li Changshun looked at each other and said, "Then each production team should go back and ask for the opinions of the members. As I said before, whether to refund the money is up to the members' willingness. No one should be afraid of losing face and force the members to get their money back."
Seeing that the production team leaders all nodded, Li Changshun asked, "Speaking of building an instant noodle factory, two kilns of bricks have already been fired in Xiajiazhuang. Should we choose a good location and use the current manpower to slowly build the wall?"
So, taking advantage of the fact that everyone was there, they walked out of the brigade headquarters and looked for a place to build a factory. In fact, Xia Juhua thought that the educated youth site was not bad. The surrounding area was spacious, and the few rooms inside were built when the first batch of educated youth went to the countryside. They were not too old and could be used as warehouses after the factory was built in the future.
The location is only a few steps away from the brigade headquarters and close to the asphalt road, making it convenient for both the purchase and shipment of raw materials. There are more than five mu of private land next to it, which is enough to build a small instant noodle factory. Even if we want to expand the scale in the future, the space between the land and the educated youth point will be enough.
But there are still educated youth living there, so it’s not easy to just move them out.
Seeing that she was staring at the direction of the educated youth site, Li Changshun asked, "Do you also like that place?"
Xia Juhua nodded: "It's a pity that there are still people living there. If there were no one living there, we could enclose their private plots inside. Wouldn't it be a nice square place?" The private plots for the educated youth back then were all marked out by Li Changshun. They were poor land that did not produce much food, so it was not a big deal to enclose them to build a factory.
Li Changshun thought for a moment and said, "Isn't there news that the educated youth are going to return to the city? Let's build the outer wall first and enclose their houses. It's just a matter of having one more door for them to live in. When the policy is really implemented, they can leave and use the houses as soon as they leave, without delaying anything."
Otherwise, Li Changshun has been the team leader for so many years, and he is able to think in a unique way. Xia Juhua thought it was feasible - after all, the bricks had just started to be produced, and the sweet potatoes in the field were about to be harvested. The baked bricks could be transported over, and those who were free could slowly build the wall, while the rest of the people could harvest the sweet potatoes, so there would be no mistakes.
While they were discussing, Deng Chunlin ran out from the educated youth camp and greeted Xia Juhua: "Captain, you are back. You may not know that when you were away for the past few days, we educated youths..."
It seemed that he wanted to plead for the educated youth, so Xia Juhua interrupted him directly: "How are you studying now? Isn't the college entrance examination coming soon? You have all got your admission tickets, right? How about it, are you confident?"
How can you be sure of it? The college entrance examination has been suspended for ten years, and there are fewer restrictions on registration this time. Who knows how many people will sign up across the country? Who dares to say that he is sure of it? Don’t think that before Deng Chunlin signed up, he thought that he would soon become a college student and then a national cadre.
Only when he really picked up the book to review did he realize that when he was in school, he was only concerned with showing off and participating in sports. He also went to the countryside for such a long time, working with hoes and shovels every day, and what little he had learned had been returned to the teacher without him realizing it.
Not to mention that he would definitely pass the exam, it would be good if he could walk out of the exam room smoothly without being scared when he saw the questions. So he thought he should ease the tension with the Pinganzhuang Brigade cadres. If he failed the exam, continuing to live in Pinganzhuang would be a way out. Although the news of educated youth returning to the city was flying everywhere, he had to stay in Pinganzhuang Brigade until the policy was implemented.
Just now, when he saw the cadres of the brigade and production team standing outside the educated youth site and pointing and talking, Deng Chunlin ran out immediately, just to let Xia Juhua and other brigade cadres know that he was different from most of the educated youth and was still willing to get along with the brigade cadres.
Who knew Xia Juhua would ask such a heart-warming question as soon as they met, which made Deng Chunlin's face turn pale and he didn't know how to respond. Xia Juhua didn't care about his facial expression at all and told him:
"Since you're here, I just want to tell you something. I heard that there have been some conflicts between the educated youth and the members of the commune recently, so the brigade decided to add a wall outside the educated youth site to protect the educated youth. Please tell everyone not to have other ideas."
Deng Chunlin was skeptical about this statement: "How high should it be built? Do we need the help of the educated youth? This is to add protection measures for us. I think we educated youth should also get involved."
It would be best if all educated youth had to participate, and it didn't matter whether their work points were recorded or not. This would make Hu Zhongshan and others have no time to read, and that would be the result Deng Chunlin wanted most.
Xia Juhua still couldn't see his little calculation: "No, the production teams will be harvesting late sweet potatoes soon, and it will take time to burn all the bricks, so we won't delay everyone's review time. Otherwise, if some educated youth really missed their review because of the baseboard and failed to get into university, the team can't bear this responsibility."
Didn't I tell myself some time ago that if I delayed their college entrance examination, I would never forgive Ping'anzhuang Brigade? Now I'd better stop making trouble - the educated youth can't even do farm work well, and have never built a wall. If they really do it, they will just be working in the mud and pushing bricks. Ping'anzhuang can do these things themselves.
Deng Chunlin was a little frustrated by Xia Juhua's rejection. He wanted to fight for it again, but was scared by Xia Juhua's words and dared not say anything: "If you insist, let's go to the educated youth site together to solicit the opinions of the educated youth. If most of the educated youth agree to join us in building the wall, then we can let them participate."
Deng Chunlin looked at Xia Juhua who said this calmly and didn't know how to respond: the experience he learned during the movement was that leaders like to cultivate one or two confidants in secret, and then use these confidants to incite others to achieve their own goals.
Xia Juhua in front of him insisted on putting everything out in the open and asking for everyone's opinions on everything. Would Deng Chunlin dare to bring the brigade cadres to the educated youth site to solicit other people's opinions?
Impossible! Now he has no prestige among the educated youth. Even though he knows that most of the educated youth are like him and can’t read any books, he dare not say it to their faces. Even if they can’t read books, it doesn’t mean they have given up the hope of the college entrance examination. If you say that it’s useless for them to read books, isn’t that a clear sign of looking down on them?
You look down on others, and you expect them to agree with you? !
Deng Chunlin, who was rarely self-aware, stammered a few words and reluctantly returned to the educated youth station. A moment later, Hu Zhongshan came over again and greeted Xia Juhua in the same way: "Captain."
Xia Juhua nodded to Hu Zhongshan, who had a good impression on her, and asked him in the same way: "How is your review going? Are you confident?"
"I can't say I'm completely sure, I can only say I tried my best. By the way, I haven't had time to thank you yet, Captain. The review materials you sent from Beijing were of great help to me and Li Youguang. If we can achieve any results, it is definitely inseparable from your help. Captain, is there anything I can do for you now?"
Look, this is the difference between Deng Chunlin and Hu Zhongshan. No matter what happens, the former wants to pull in all the educated youth to enhance his own influence, while the latter only focuses on things within his ability and will not drag everyone into it.
Xia Juhua smiled and shook her head at him: "There's nothing you can do. Just study hard and try to get into college this year."
Watching Hu Zhongshan walking away, Li Changshun asked in confusion: "Among these educated youth, only you and Hu Zhongshan have smiling faces. What's the difference between you and others?"
He didn't believe that Xia Juhua would show kindness to an educated youth for no reason.
Xia Juhua still had a smile on her face: "This child is a person who knows how to be grateful. If we make friends with such a person in advance, maybe he can become a helper to Ping An Manor in the future?"
Li Changshun did not agree with Xia Juhua's idea, but when he thought about the times he disagreed with Xia Juhua, the final results always proved that Xia Juhua was right, so he felt that he could wait and see. Now the most important thing was to choose a good location for the instant noodles factory.
The educated youth site was set aside separately and did not occupy any of the production team leaders' land. The production team leaders were very satisfied and unanimously agreed with Li Changshun's opinion, which was considered to have determined the site. The next step was to slowly build the perimeter wall and then wait for the results from Engineer Xue.
平安莊當然不能坐等薛技術員的回複，今年還是要人工收晚紅薯。好在夏窪大隊能賣給平安莊的土坯，騰出了人手，各生産隊的紅薯順利收回倉庫。
一算産量，竟與去年的紅薯産量基本持平，畝産達到了兩千一百五十三斤，讓每名平安莊的社員都樂開了花：林宏亮在回部隊之前就已經跟平安莊大隊說好了，不管他們産多少晚紅薯，部隊都按五分錢一斤收購。
照這個價錢一算，一畝晚紅薯又給社員們增加一百塊錢的收入，還省了他們儲存和運輸的人力和時間，上哪兒找這麽好的事兒去？
也因為有了晚紅薯能直接送進粉條廠的例子在，讓社員們更認識到，有一個廠子能給大家帶來多少利益，竟然沒有一名社員要把集資款收回去，都要投進方便面廠的建設上來。
夏菊花借此，向隊幹部們提出了齊衛東想投資方便面廠的意圖：“小齊說了，這些年他跟着平安莊大隊一起掙錢，算是半個平安莊人。上次修路沒聽到消息也就算了，這次建廠，他想和平安莊人一起投資，也給平安莊出一份力。”
見大家聽完自己的話後，還把目光放在自己身上，一個發表意見的人也沒有，夏菊花連忙提醒隊幹部們：“你們自己是咋想的就咋說，可別光看我。對這事兒我不發表意見。”
李長順問常會計：“你算沒算建方便面廠，總共得需要多少錢？”
常會計拿出自己的小本子，邊翻邊說：“我大概攏了一下，是按照粉條廠算的話，光是蓋廠房的話花不了多少錢，打出一萬塊錢的水泥、鋼筋錢，再打出四千塊錢的磚瓦錢，剩下得算上四千塊錢的人工錢。這麽算的話是一萬八千塊錢，集資錢倒是夠用了。”
“可是裏頭的機械一樣沒算，粉條廠的時候一套機器合到一千五百塊錢左右，方便面廠的機械，咋也不能比這個少吧？再說還得進原料呢，都得要錢。”
帳頭挺明白，就是常會計說光蓋廠房花不了多少錢的語氣，多少有點欠揍：一個一年連五百塊錢都掙不上的人，說一萬多塊錢是沒多少，咋那麽讓人手癢癢呢？
夏菊花沒深究常會計的語氣，目光再次轉向大家：帳就擺在這兒呢，只用集資款的話肯定不夠。大隊倒是可以向公社申請，動用一下提留款，可啥時候能批下來，是個未知數，很可能耽誤廠子的建設。
李大牛有些擔心的看李長順：“咱們同意小齊投資不管用吧，要是公社知道了不同意咋辦？到時候咱們把人家的錢花了，拿啥退給人家呀。”
李長順覺得張書記那兒反而不是問題：“我也覺得小齊要是投資是好事兒，錢多了咱們多上兩套設備，多進點原料不都行嗎。明天我上公社去問問張書記，要是公社沒意見的話，我覺得還是讓小齊參加投資的好。”
劉力群跟着點頭：“這幾年多虧了小齊，咱們才能建起粉條廠來，人家現在主動投資，不收下的話說不過去——以後咱們的粉條、雞蛋、甚至酸辣粉、方便面往出賣，不還得通過人家小齊。”
陳秋生不用說，從夏菊花開口問的時候，就一直在點頭。接下來的時間，只要是同意齊衛東投資的人說話，他還是點頭，很讓人擔心他今晚回家，脖子會不會疼。
人家李長順也是個行動派，第二天就讓李大牛帶着去了公社，得回的消息是不支持也不反對。李長順被他說得一頭霧水，自己拿不準主意，只好來找夏菊花商量。
夏菊花倒覺得張書記的态度沒毛病：這事兒人家就沒法表态。同意吧，現在都還是集體經濟，齊衛東個人投資算咋回事？不同意吧，別說還有齊小叔在，就算是沒有齊小叔，只說平安莊現在的資金缺口，就沒法彌補。
所以最終的決定權，還得看平安莊的。
李長順聽了夏菊花的分析，低頭尋思了一會說：“你究竟是個啥意思，同意不同意小齊投資？”
“我當然願意讓小齊投資。”只有李長順在，夏菊花還是敢說實話的：“別的不說，将來方便面會有一種海鮮口味的，裏頭的調料就需要小齊幫着采購。”所以不接受他的投資，原料都成問題。
李長順若有所思的點點頭：“你這回帶回來的東西，是不是就是人家小齊出的錢？”
聽他如此誤會，夏菊花順口答音：“是，花了四千一百五十塊錢。那個賣貨的已經跟小齊協商好了，下次去的話直接找他就行。”
“還沒定死的事兒，人家小齊就掏了這麽些錢，再不要人家的投資，就是揣着明白裝糊塗了——咱們大隊現在才幾個錢，不想要人家的投資，付人家的貨款都不夠。”
夏菊花也點了頭：“除了這些海貨的貨款以外，還有一點是方便面還是要主供部隊，咱們可能仍是收點加工費。一時半會兒的，見不到回頭錢。不用他的投資，咱們機械都買不回來。”
“要不你跟小齊說說，就算是他投資的話，也不能占大頭，畢竟地是咱們平安莊的，人也都是咱們平安莊的。”
自然不能讓齊衛東占了大頭，還有集資的一萬八千塊錢呢，那可是全體平安莊社員一分一毛湊出來的。夏菊花認可了李長順的話，重新召集大隊幹部開會時，就把她跟李長順兩個人的想法，以及為啥這麽想說給大家聽。
得知公社并不反對，夏菊花和李長順又都同意齊衛東投資，本來就很心動的隊幹部們，很快統一了意見：由夏菊花與薛工程師聯系，預估一下一套機械的價格，确定方便面廠的總投資後，再與齊衛東具體談他投資多少的事兒。
薛工程師那邊很快回話，由于方便面廠的機械更接近于全自動生産，所以造價比粉條廠逐個機器改進貴得多，一套機械造價接近四千塊錢。聽到這個數字，可把大家驚了一下，覺得幸虧同意齊衛東投資，否則怕是連一套機械都買不起，那還建啥方便面廠。
随着一窯一窯的磚出爐，陸續運回平安莊，知青點外廠房的圍牆地基已經開挖，加之薛工程師在電話裏已經告訴夏菊花，機械很快就能制造完成，大概一個月後就能出廠，加上托運的時間，再有一個半月咋也能運到平安莊。
到時他還會随機械一起到平安莊，仍然負責調試與人員培訓，讓夏菊花提前把操作人員挑選出來。
得到這個消息，方便面廠的建設就要加速了——時間已經不知不覺到了十一月，中斷十年的高考即将重新走上歷史舞臺，哪怕是平安莊大隊，也不能不感受到它的威力。
知青點的知青們，對自己門前壘牆充耳不聞，瘋狂的抓緊最後時間複習着，連內部的不和諧聲音都消失了，都在等着決定自己命運的那場考試的到來。
考慮到知青們手頭都不富裕，眼看着不管考上還是考不上，都将與平安莊說再見，夏菊花特意帶着一籃子自家雞下的蛋，到知青點慰問了一下他們。
對此有的知青感動，也有的知青覺得她是臨時抱佛腳，夏菊花都不放在心上：她現在最希望的就是知青點人去樓空，別說是幾個雞蛋，哪怕是讓她給這些知青買回家的車票，她都願意。
等到知青們參加完考，回到知青點的時候，才發現周邊的圍牆竟然壘好了，卻還有不少磚瓦堆在遠處的牆角下。大家都惦記着自己的成績，沒想起來問問這些磚瓦是幹啥用的。
李大丫和安寶玲妯娌兩個，卻在這天晚上來到夏菊花家裏，想問問她，自己家能不能開始請夏家莊幫着燒磚：“前段時間那邊天天給大隊燒磚，我們不好問。現在那邊院牆也壘完了，我們是不是能燒了？”
夏菊花便問兩家的土坯是不是都準備好了，瓦片打了多少，兩個人全都自豪的告訴夏菊花，別說土坯與瓦片，就連大梁和椽子，也都幹得透透的，就等着一邊燒磚一邊打地基。
等着磚一燒好，地基也挖好了，就可以直接開蓋。
聽兩人如此急迫的想脫離開老院，夏菊花有些好笑的問：“就算是房子蓋好了，裏頭也得修飾一下，大冬天的，水泥也不愛幹，能住人嗎？”
安寶玲覺得自己一天也等不得：“能早一天是一天，水泥不愛幹，我天天把炕燒熱點，烘着不就行了。要是能在自己的新房子過年，那才真叫過年呢。”
李大丫沒說話，可點頭的動作告訴夏菊花，她的想法跟安寶玲是一樣的。夏菊花便隔牆叫拴柱，現在就去夏家莊一趟，問問能不能騰出窯來給這兩家燒一下。
打發走了拴柱，李大丫兩個一邊跟夏菊花說話，一邊等着拴柱回來。
Xia Juhua asked, "Do you build your house right away, including the annex, or do you build it slowly after you move in?"
An Baoling said, "Since we are going to start digging, we might as well build it all up and then build a strict gate to watch the four solstices."
Li Daya nodded again: "Our two families can share a wall. Even though we are near the entrance of the village, we don't feel lonely."