Chapter 171
Chang Qingshan looked at the former Captain Tang who had lost two pounds, and then looked at Tang Qijin who kept glancing at his sister. He suppressed his anger and said, "You can ask my father to go and plead for mercy. As long as Tang Qijin agrees to divorce Chunya, I will go by myself if my father doesn't go. Even if the captain doesn't agree, I will beg her to agree even if I kneel down and beg her."
Tang Qijin looked at Chang Chunya in disbelief: "You've caused such a big problem for our family, and you still want to divorce me?"
Chang Chunya now looked at Tang Qijin with a very calm gaze: "You are still pushing all the responsibilities onto me. Have you ever thought about why I can't live with you?"
Tang Qijin stiffened his neck and said, "It's because you despise the poor and love the rich. My father used to be the leader of the militia, and you cried and begged to marry me. Now that my father is no longer an official, you look down on our family."
Chang Qingling couldn't help but stepped forward and punched Tang Qijin: "You rely on your father to be alive every day, are you still a man?" How could his sister cry and shout to marry a bastard like him? It was his father who asked this and that to act as a matchmaker every day, so that Accountant Chang thought that their family valued Chunya and agreed to this marriage, okay?
Chang Qingling's punch and his doubts about whether Tang Qijin was a man completely broke up Chang Chunya and Tang Qijin's marriage. The two went to the commune to handle the divorce procedures the next day, but when Chang Chunya went to Tang's house to get his things, a conflict occurred again.
Captain Tang has become the former Captain Tang, and his wife is still detained in the police station. He has completely lost all sense of shame and only allows Chang Chunya to take her clothes, and refuses to allow the bicycle that came as a dowry to be pushed back to Ping'an Village.
Chang Qingshan and Chang Qingling, who followed the girl to get the things, directly punched the two old men. The two still held on to the rear rack of the bicycle tightly and shouted for help from the members of the production team.
Looking at the members who gathered around, Chang Chunya asked Mr. Tang two or three questions: First, was the bicycle her dowry? Second, when she went through the divorce procedure, did she return all the betrothal gifts that the Tang family had given to Tang Qijin? Third, was the dividends she had received from the production team in the past two years directly collected by Tang Qijin's mother?
The members who wanted to help Mr. and Mrs. Tang were ashamed of having thought of helping them. If the couple couldn't make ends meet, it would be understandable to withhold the dowry if they hadn't returned the betrothal gift. They had already returned the betrothal gift, but they still wanted to withhold the dowry. What was they doing? As for the dividend money, don't say that Chang Chunya ate the food of the Tang family, so it should belong to the Tang family. The dividends were the remainder after deducting the work points and food rations. Didn't everyone know?
The members just stood there, watching from afar as the Chang brothers pried open Mr. Tang's fingers one by one, and walked away with their sister.
Former Captain Tang looked at the members who stood by and did not help with hatred, and turned back home. However, Tang Qijin ran after the Chang brothers and sisters and asked, "When can my mother come home?"
Chang Qingshan said without turning his head: "When I get my sister's dividend, I will go to find the captain." Tang Qijin was left standing there in a daze.
After returning home, Chang Chunya fell seriously ill and was unable to go to work for five or six days. Xia Juhua went to see her once and knew that no one could persuade her. She could only let her recover slowly. She only told her about work: "Your father asked me to arrange a job for you at the instant noodle factory. Since you have learned it, you can't just finish it. You have to work hard for me for two years."
If you have something to do, just distract yourself. I believe Chang Chunya will be able to recover faster.
Chang Chunya looked at Xia Juhua in disbelief and asked, "Captain, can I still work at the instant noodle factory? Aren't you afraid that I will cause you trouble? Also, I'm divorced now, aren't you afraid that I will bring discredit to the instant noodle factory?"
This silly girl's heart knot is here. Xia Juhua gently patted her forehead and said, "What are you thinking? Who told you that divorce is shameful? It's not that you are sorry to the Tang family. It's their family who are torturing you. If you don't leave their family, they will torture you sick or crazy sooner or later."
"You are the daughter of our Ping An Manor. If you are bullied and go back to Ping An Manor, everyone will feel sorry for you and no one will laugh at you. As for what the other people say, you don't live with them and you don't eat their food, so let them say whatever they want. If they dare to say it to your face, just slap them in the face and tell me, and I will bring people to vent your anger."
Chang Chunya had been holding back tears since her divorce, but when Xia Juhua said she was the daughter of Ping An Manor, she burst into tears and cried, "If it weren't for... if it weren't for their family... being so, so bullying, and... forcing me to give... the wages I earned at the instant noodle factory to... to them, I wouldn't have asked for a divorce..."
She had not been able to spend a penny of her dividends for the past two years, and was even required to hand over her wages for working at her mother's house. This was the last straw that broke the camel's back for Chang Chunya. Now that she talked about it, although she was still crying, she felt a lot more relieved and open-minded.
Li Xingfang, who was hiding under the window, said to Accountant Chang, "It's better to cry it out than to hold it in." But her own tears began to fall.
Accountant Chang wiped his face fiercely and said to his wife, "In the future, if Chunya looks for someone else, besides her own willingness, she must also ask the captain to help check."
Li Xingfang nodded in agreement, her heart filled with gratitude towards Xia Juhua: just like a lady, when she heard Xia Juhua say that the lady was the lady of Ping An Manor, Li Xingfang felt confident.
Chang Chunya, who had been persuaded by Xia Juhua, became visibly more energetic and returned to work at the instant noodle factory the next day. When An Baoling saw her, she patted her arm gently and said, "Why haven't you come to work these days, kid? Aren't you afraid that you'll break my old arm?" She looked like she had no idea that Chang Chunya was divorced.
Not only An Baoling, half of the workers in the instant noodle factory are female workers. Normally, they love to gossip about their parents, but when it comes to Chang Chunya's divorce, no one said a word. They just quietly helped her share the burden while working.
Chang Chunya suddenly had a feeling that she was not only the daughter of the old Chang family, but also the daughter of Ping'an Manor. All the people in Ping'an Manor cared for her silently as if she were their own child.
With gratitude to everyone, Chang Chunya worked harder and more thoughtfully, and soon took on the position of head of the seasoning preparation team of the instant noodle factory, and An Baoling was able to return to the weaving team.
In An Baoling's words, even though the instant noodle factory was also owned by Ping'an Village, she had left the weaving group and felt unmotivated at work every day. She also had to quarrel with Zhao Xianzhi every day to find the work interesting.
A forced melon is not sweet. Xia Juhua could do nothing with An Baoling and could only let her pack her bags and return to the weaving team. She also had to send her back to the weaving team in person as An Baoling requested.
I have to send her back. An Baoling said, "If I go back by myself, people will think I can't do the work of the weaving group and I'm being sent back. Zhao Xianzhi will laugh at me. It will be different if you send me back, sister-in-law. Once you send me back, she will know that I have successfully completed the task and am being sent back by welcome."
Is there a difference between the two? Xia Juhua didn't see it, but she naturally had to give face to An Baoling, who moved wherever she was needed. The two sisters-in-law chatted and laughed and returned to the weaving group.
As soon as Zhao Xianzhi saw An Baoling, she shouted, "Everyone, come out and take a look. The traitor dared to return to the weaving team."
Li Daya, Zhang Cuiping and others all ran out, and couldn't help but smile when they saw An Baoling. Then they saw Xia Juhua following behind An Baoling, and they were even more delighted to hold her hand tightly and not let go - Xia Juhua's focus is now on the instant noodle factory, and she can't come to the weaving group for ten days or half a month.
Even though they knew that she let them manage the weaving team because she trusted them, they still wanted to be closer to her. Now that they had met her, they couldn't let her go easily. They had to talk to her nicely.
"It's still more fun for us to be together. We can say whatever we want and do whatever we want." After drinking the water poured by Hong Cui, An Baoling let out a long breath. If there was a sofa instead of a wooden chair behind her, she would probably have a "Ge You paralysis".
Xia Juhua deliberately put on a stern face and asked, "In the instant noodle factory, I didn't allow you to speak?"
"How can it be the same? I'm the team leader in the instant noodle factory. I have to set an example for the new workers and be serious, otherwise they won't listen to me." An Baoling continued to lean back in her chair happily, calmly telling about her "frustrating" life in the instant noodle factory.
Zhao Xianzhi couldn't bear to see her arguing with Xia Juhua, so she shook her chair and said, "It's as if you're not the leader of the weaving group. I'm telling you, Cuiping is busy shipping now and can't take care of group three. You have to take over for me."
An Baoling wailed and insisted on taking a few days off before taking on the position of team leader of Group 3, but was ruthlessly suppressed by her sisters-in-law Zhao Xianzhi and Chang Xiancao.
Xia Juhua and An Baoling felt similar, both of them felt relaxed from the inside out after returning to the knitting group. However, time passed too quickly and there were too many things to do, so she couldn't let herself enjoy her leisure time.
The first month of 1979 was the most stressful month for Xia Juhua. She had no time to prepare New Year's goods for the coming New Year. Instead, she kept going in and out of the warehouses of the vermicelli factory and instant noodle factory, calculating the quantity of shipments and silently anticipating the arrival of that day.
Her emotions not only infected the workers of the two factories, but also made Chen Dongsheng, the director of the vermicelli factory, and Chang Chunya, the director of the instant noodles factory, very nervous. They didn't know why Xia Juhua was so strict about the shipments, and even when there were no shipments, she stayed in the warehouse to count the inventory over and over again.
“大隊長，志全他們是不是快回來過年了，要不你回去看家裏有啥要收拾的沒有？”陳冬生看着眼底一片黑影的夏菊花，有些心疼的想法讓她回家歇歇。
不想夏菊花直接搖頭：“還歇啥歇，這些天部隊的訂單又來了多少？”
事關部隊的訂單，都裝在陳冬生的腦子裏：“前天來了兩千箱，昨天訂了三千箱。也是啊，這部隊去年訂方便面訂得多，酸辣粉只要了前年的一半。今年咋一下子多了這老些。”
“不管多多少，先可着部隊的訂單出貨。別人的訂單，能出的出，不能出的給他們賠定金。”夏菊花做出這個決定一絲猶豫都沒有。
陳秋生悄悄咧了下嘴，也就大隊長敢說這樣的話。要知道自從去年部隊酸辣粉的訂單減少之後，剩下的一半被推入了市場，那可不是一般的掙錢！
首先來向粉條廠下訂單的就是齊衛東，給出的價格是一袋四毛。
一袋酸辣粉四毛，這是個啥概念？一袋酸辣粉裏的粉團才三兩重呀，成本最多九分錢，再加上調料與人工，一袋的成本超不過一毛五！陳冬生聽到齊衛東給出的價驚了一下，想問他方便酸辣粉這麽值錢嗎？
要不是跟齊衛東打交道的時間太長，陳秋生很懷疑齊衛東是不是要放長線打垮粉條廠了——先用高價誘導粉條廠加大生産，取得粉條廠的信任之後，用資金出了點問題拖後兩天付款，然後自己卷着酸辣粉跑路，粉條廠血本無歸，只能關門大吉。
好在夏菊花及時制止了陳冬生的猜想，告訴他齊衛東已經找到了下家，就是他來回采購海貨坐的那列火車，人家已經給齊衛東出到五毛五一袋的價格。
那小子只要自己坐車的時候把方便酸辣粉往車上一送，一袋就賺一毛五分錢，一箱五十袋，一次成百箱的送上火車，你說齊衛東只出個運輸費，就賺那麽多，還用得着打垮平安莊的粉條廠嗎？打垮了粉條廠，他自己上哪賺錢去。
陳秋生在些羞愧的承認，自己想的太多了，到頭來發現自己是想的太少了——齊衛東把酸辣粉推銷到火車上，就等于替他們在全國打了個gg，訂單天南地北的飛到平安莊粉條廠，陳秋生終于知道編織組人在家中坐，訂單天上來是啥感覺了。
随着訂單一起到來的，還有通過縣供銷社轉到平安莊帳戶上一筆筆訂金——此時的采購仍是各地供銷社負責，他們與縣供銷社相互轉帳容易，林主任也樂意給平安莊大隊行這個方便。
夏菊花在收到頭一筆定金時就告誡過陳秋生，既然收了人家的定金，就要按時按量給人家供貨，平安莊粉條廠不能出現收定金壓貨或不供貨的事兒。
可是今天夏菊花自己否定了以前的告誡，讓陳秋生意識到，夏菊花對部隊供應太重視了，這不正常。
陳秋生試探着說：“大隊長，咱們給社員集資的利息，可就指着那些訂單呢，如果不能按時交貨，除了賠定金外，也沒錢給大家付利息呀。”
集資的利息，的确是一個難題。去年之所以沒給大家支付，是因為集資的時候已經說好，頭一年是沒的利息的。那時是一九七七年，七八年不付利息說得過去，現在已經是七九年了，還不支付就失信于人了。
雖然現在才是一月份，可夏菊花覺得，今年方便面廠同樣很難賺出利息錢。
一個領導者，最重要的就是得到手下人的信任，否則再想安排人做事兒的話，就沒有人聽了。夏菊花在心裏算了算自己銀行的存款——去年一年她在粉條廠、編織組、方便面廠都有工資，加上大隊長每月的補貼，每個月有近二百塊錢的收入。加上年底平安莊生産隊的分紅，存款重新達到了五千六百塊。
修路時平安莊大隊共集資九萬零三百塊，一年利息是四千五，她的存款支付社員一年百分之五的利息，能頂一年。
于是對陳秋生說：“社員的利息，不行我自己先墊着。”
陳秋生眼神一縮，大隊長寧可自己墊付利息，也要保證優先部隊供應，絕對有啥他不知道的秘密。可他試探一次也就夠了，剩下的夏菊花不想說，他也不刨根問底，只說：“大隊長，我們家的利息不着急，你就算墊也不用給我。”
夏菊花一樂，她咋把自己那五千塊錢集資的事兒給忘了。如果真是自己墊付利息付給自己的話，不是拿自己左兜裏的錢放到右兜嘛，別人知道還不得笑掉大牙。
不過陳秋生的态度她很滿意，重重向他點頭：“如果來年還是這種情況的話，說不定我真得跟你借錢付大家的利息呢。”
陳秋生自然不會說自己家沒錢——都是一個生産隊的，夏菊花更是大隊長，他們一家子的收入是多少，她心裏門清。如果不是信任自己，夏菊花也不會說向他借錢的話——直接向夏菊花表态：“只要給我留出蓋房子的錢，剩下有多少你用多少。”
別怪陳秋生還想給自家留一手，誰讓經過又一年的辛苦勞動，收獲滿滿的平安莊生産隊社員，蓋磚瓦房已經成風。劉二壯、劉三壯家那邊，已經又起了二十幾個新院子，一水的青磚青瓦，正房廂房齊全，連院牆高矮都一至。
這二十幾個新院子，都沿着入村後略窄的柏油路筆直修建，沒有一家牆是裏出外進的，家家修了同樣寬窄的大門，都是齊衛東給采購的镂空鐵門，看上去比老院子笨重的木門又結實又美觀。
最招人愛的是，那些院子離柏油路也就四米遠，哪家修好了院子，便到生産隊登記領回點水泥，在自己家與柏油路間鋪出一小段水泥路，直接通進院子，出來進去連泥地都不有踩了。
哈，這還是農村嗎？每每走在那條街上，陳秋生都覺得比縣城裏的街道還規整氣派，巴不得自己家也趕緊建上一座。
可惜他即是平安莊生産隊長，又是粉條廠廠長，每天從睜眼忙到天黑，哪還有時間和力氣脫土坯打瓦片？就算現在夏窪大隊那邊可以買到土坯瓦片，也得他有時間去買不是？
想到這兒陳秋生笑嘻嘻的對夏菊花說：“大隊長，劉二壯家房後的宅基地，你可得給我留好了，別劃給別人。”
“你說晚了，趙大狗已經要下了。”夏菊花不留情的打破陳秋生的美夢：“他們後頭一排，就只剩下李常旺家隔壁還有塊空地了，再想要就得更後一排了。”
“李常旺家隔壁，那不就是趙仙枝家隔壁嗎？”陳秋生有理由相信，夏菊花是故意這麽說的。他都不敢想象，自己家與趙仙枝家做了鄰居之後，那日子還咋過嘛。
看看李常旺天天連句硬話都不敢說，他覺得如果跟趙仙枝做鄰居的話，他離那一步也不遠了。夏菊花不理他如何感嘆人生多艱，囑咐他盯好部隊的供應後，轉身去了方便面廠。
“對，每一箱都要額外放一半的調料包，別怕麻煩，每三種調料包單獨裝進小塑料袋裏封好。”常春芽正指導着包裝組的女工們，一聽就是在給部隊的方便面箱裏加料。
這也是夏菊花與林宏亮商量過後，想出的不是辦法的辦法：部隊訓練量加大，拉練增多，對方便面的需求加大了不說，有些戰士還反應調料吃着沒味了。其實就是人出汗多後，對鹽分的需要增加，才會覺得口味不夠重。
反應的只是一部分人，為了照顧另一部分不需要加重口味的人，夏菊花他們想出了額外加調料包的法子，增加了不少工作量。林宏亮主動提出，要把每袋方便面的加工費，增加到兩分錢。
為了讓部隊沒有心理負擔，夏菊花同意了他的提議，不過也要求只有這些額外加調料包的方便面如此，以後不需要增加調料包的，還按一分錢一袋收加工費。
林宏亮是知道酸辣粉推入市場之後的售價的，也就知道夏菊花這番話後，平安莊将做出更大的犧牲。可他除了鄭重向夏菊花敬個軍禮之外，此時無法也不能向她表示更實際的感謝。
對于林宏亮的軍禮，夏菊花覺得受之有愧：她只是一句話的事兒，可是平安莊社員要跟着一起做出犧牲。所以這一年來，她又擴大了各戶養雞的數量。
七七年一戶養三十只雞，賣雞蛋與成雞，給每戶社員額外帶來近兩百塊錢的收益。大家看到了希望，養雞的積極性更高，四、五兩隊因養雞少得利小的社員，後悔的直拍大腿，七八年家家養了五十來只，要把去年的損失彌補回來。
As they had too many chickens, Xia Juhua was worried about chicken plague, so she contacted the agricultural technology station and forced every household to vaccinate their chickens. Although some members did not understand, if the chickens did not get vaccinated one day, Xia Juhua would definitely show up at home the next day. After three or five days, all the chickens had been vaccinated.
It was this shot that prevented the chicken plague that was rampant in Pingde County from bypassing Ping'an Village. The family also made a fortune because of the increase in prices of eggs and adult chickens after the plague. This year, some caring families are already planning to raise hundreds of chicks from it after the spring.
The losses inside the dike were compensated by the losses outside the dike. With the increase in income from raising chickens, the wages of the people working in the three factories did not decrease, and the dividends of the members who stayed to farm also increased. Therefore, although the members of Ping'an Village made some sacrifices, it was still within everyone's acceptable range. No one complained about anything, and when they saw Xia Juhua, they smiled as if they were looking at the God of Wealth.
The same is true for the female workers in the instant noodle factory - since they started working there, the voices of both their mothers-in-law and the men have become softer. This is all thanks to Xia Juhua, who set up the factory and hired them to work. It would be strange if they didn't smile when they see her.
Chang Chunya, who was also smiling like a flower, asked crisply, "Captain, you are worried about us again and came to check the warehouse in person."