Chapter 183
Yes, except for the completely invisible Sun and Liu Sizhuang, no one in Ping'an Village had a bad relationship with her. Even Liu Hongjuan, Liu Sizhuang's daughter, had been influenced by her two cousins to get closer to Xia Juhua in the past two years.
Zhao Xianzhi came over again and whispered, "We don't want to separate. No matter who we work with, it's better to work with you. Don't say you can't do it. You just need to sit in the office every day, do the heavy work and worry about it, and we will do whatever you say."
"So the Ping'anzhuang production team is not planning to contract production to households?" Secretary Zhang looked at Xia Juhua in surprise, who had told him a few days ago that he had to follow the superiors' policy.
This idea was changed too quickly.
Xia Juhua shook her head at Secretary Zhang, then nodded: "It's not that Ping'an Village doesn't contract production to households, but because of labor, it saves time and effort for everyone to farm with machines. We have established an agricultural cooperative factory, and all members work in the factory, so it doesn't count as a violation of the superior's policy."
It was indeed not a violation of the superior's policy, but at a time when everyone in the country was looking forward to having control over their own land, Pingan Village collectively established an agricultural factory, which was quite different from the crowd.
Aren't you afraid that others will label her as a bad person? Secretary Zhang looked at Xia Juhua with some concern. Uncle Qi, who had called Xia Juhua to the county committee office to hear her explain the situation in person, asked this question directly.
Xia Juhua was amused: "What can they accuse me of? Saying that I undermined the household contract responsibility system? I didn't stop others from dividing the land and contracting it to work. There was only one production team in Ping'an Village, and everyone wanted to continue to get rich together. What? The superiors still don't want the farmers to get rich? Even if someone accuses me, the worst that can happen is that I will quit as the team leader. They can still fire me and stop me from being a farmer?"
Of course not. The reason why the superiors implemented the household contract responsibility system was to make everyone busy filling their stomachs and to achieve common prosperity. Uncle Qi put aside his worries. Xia Juhua was right. As long as they got rich with their own hands and did not steal or rob, who could choose whatever they wanted?
However, he still reminded Xia Juhua: "Forget about the Pinganzhuang production team, because you said that you would soon set up several factories, and manpower is indeed a problem. Don't get involved with the remaining production teams."
Xia Juhua certainly did not get involved. Whether it was Li Changshun or Captain Niu, when they heard that the Ping'anzhuang production team was going to set up an agricultural factory, they came to her and asked if their respective production teams could join. But she had already refused: she had been tired enough of pulling several other production teams in the past few years, and from now on everyone should show their abilities.
As for the fact that they each found Sun Qinglin after they left and scolded him harshly, thinking that it was he who had been trying to haggle over trivial matters at the brigade meeting and had upset Xia Juhua, Xia Juhua pretended not to know.
Everyone has to pay for what they do. Sun Qinglin's performance at the brigade meeting really didn't make Xia Juhua like him: Sun Qinglin, who took over, knew best how the former captain of the fifth team lost his position. But he still became the same person as the former captain of the fifth team. It can only be said that the atmosphere of the entire fifth team has problems.
Fortunately, she won't have to worry too much about these people and things in the future - as for the captain, she doesn't plan to be the captain for just a few years. When someone is willing to take over this pleasant job of captain, she will let him take over, Xia Juhua thought happily.
Before I could finish my thought, I heard an angry voice knocking at the door: "Auntie, are you home?"
The gate was not even closed, how could he not be at home? As soon as Xia Juhua went out, she saw Qi Weidong, who looked angry, parking his motorcycle that he had gotten from somewhere.
"Why are you so angry? Is there something wrong with your business?" Xia Juhua couldn't think of anything else that could have made Qi Weidong lose his composure like this, other than problems with his business.
Even when his wife was having difficulty in giving birth, he was never so anxious.
Qi Weidong, who was taking things down from the motorcycle, rolled his eyes at Xia Juhua, went into the house angrily, threw the things directly under his feet, and looked like he didn't want to talk to anyone.
Xia Juhua felt even more strange and poured him a glass of water. Fortunately, the water was still taken. After he drank two sips, Xia Juhua asked again: "Why do you have a nose that is not a nose and eyes that are not eyes? Who offended you?"
Qi Weidong snorted: "Auntie, you are really not fair in doing this."
What did I do that has anything to do with being dishonest? Xia Juhua reflected deeply. She had been busy with the work of the brigade and Ping'an Village recently, and hadn't seen this guy for a few days. Qi Weidong had always been the one to arrange their cooperation outside. She was just the one who paid and got the dividends. Why did he accuse her of being dishonest right away?
She was not a person without temper, so she asked directly: "How am I not honest? Is it that the vermicelli factory did not supply you enough goods, or is it that the instant noodle factory is withholding your goods and not shipping them?" These were the only two possibilities she could think of.
Qi Weidong was so angry that he was panting: "Auntie! Others have divided up their land, why don't you divide up your Pingan Manor? With your personality, if you don't divide up your land, you will stay in Pingan Manor and you won't care about our partnership at all? Are they plotting against you and forcing you to continue working for them without dividing up the land? Who is it, auntie, tell me and I'll go find them. You won't let me have a rest for two days."
"I'm telling you, auntie, the black market has almost become a white market now. There are stalls every day and no one cares. The street outside the black market is getting longer and longer, selling all kinds of things, just like making money. With such a good opportunity to make money, why are you still staying in Ping'an Village every day? Who cares if they divide the land or not? Let's go to the county town, Chengping, and the provincial capital to make money!"
So this is why he accused me of being dishonest. Then Xia Juhua said, "Are you worried because you're afraid that I won't be able to leave Ping'an Village?"
Qi Weidong nodded hurriedly. He had long understood that now was the best time to make a fortune - a new order was being established, and everything was ready to be rebuilt. He could make money by doing anything.
Xia Juhua smiled and said, "Just because I can't leave Ping'an Village doesn't mean my ideas can't leave Ping'an Village, don't you think?"
Qi Weidong, who was originally angry, had sparkling eyes. Only three-tenths of his anger was real, and the remaining seven-tenths was used to provoke Xia Juhua. Now that he heard her say she had an idea, he naturally wanted to listen carefully.
Xia Juhua had already thought about what Qi Weidong was going to do now - the agricultural and trade market from his previous life. Although it was a year too early, it was not impossible to do it. Moreover, if it was done, it would also be Uncle Qi's political achievement. It was not impossible for him to get promoted again. Then they could even open the agricultural and trade market in Chengping area!
No, even if Uncle Qi doesn’t get promoted, Qi Weidong can still go to Chengping District to build an agricultural market!
After hearing her plan, Qi Weidong's excited expression collapsed: "Auntie, it would be great if you don't worry about Pingan Village. If we can discuss it together at any time, you come up with ideas and I run errands, not to mention the agricultural market, we can even open a department store."
Xia Juhua's eyes lit up just like Qi Weidong's: "If we still have money, why can't we open a department store?" Then the supply and marketing cooperatives will no longer be the only ones dominating the market, and ordinary people won't have to look at the faces of the sales clerks.
Qi Weidong was tempted. He counted the money he had and thought that it was either not feasible or the location was difficult to choose: there were only a few buildings in the county town, and the supply and marketing cooperative was just a two-story building. If he wanted to build a department store, it would naturally have to be taller and bigger than the supply and marketing cooperative to be able to surpass it.
"The construction team that Ping'an Village and Team 3 are going to set up can't just stay in the village and build houses for people. They have to move out slowly. I was thinking of looking for you in a couple of days and asking you to find two people who can read the blueprints for them. If we can get the land, let the Ping'an Village construction team build houses for us!"
Great! It's my own place, my own building, I can build it however I want. Qi Weidong had no reason to disagree and promised to find someone after I go back. If possible, I will spend a lot of money to poach people from Ping An Zhuang Construction Team.
"You have to have the skills and a good character." Xia Juhua reminded him: "If you think you know a lot of words, that you are a citizen who looks down on farmers, that you feel wronged by the Ping'anzhuang construction team, and that you can't get along well with everyone, don't hire him." Xia Juhua was not without requirements.
Qi Weidong thought this request was normal - since the construction team had to make money together, they had to be united internally. If a person who looked down on his colleagues joined the team, it wouldn't take long for the construction team to become a mess, and they wouldn't be able to build any good houses.
Qi Weidong came in angrily, but left happily. What a good idea to open a farmers' market. Those people make money from the price difference. When the farmers' market is opened, he will make money from those people who make money from the price difference. There are gains and losses in making money from the price difference. As long as he gets the land and builds a solid house, he can continue to make money for many years.
There are also regions and provincial capitals where he builds houses and fences off land before others expect it, and the money he earns...
Qi Weidong didn't dare to think about it, but he didn't slow down at all. He found Uncle Qi and talked him into a fight. Uncle Qi was worried about the people who set up stalls everywhere in the county. He was very supportive when he heard that his nephew wanted to gather these stalls together so that everyone could set up stalls in an orderly manner. After discussing with the county leadership team, they decided to build the agricultural and trade market on the west side of the county.
The location of the place was also what Qi Weidong had in mind, because Ping'an Village was just to the west of the county town and there was a smooth road connecting them. Goods from Ping'an Village could be transported here smoothly, and goods from other places could also be transported here smoothly.
The Pinganzhuang construction team had just been formed when they received an order from the agricultural market, which surprised Li Changman: "Captain, are we really that good?"
Xia Juhua nodded affirmatively: "Although this is your first time to build an agricultural and trade market, it is actually simpler than building a house. It only requires three walls, a flat ground, baseboards, upper beams, and roof tiles."
明明知道肯定不會如夏菊花說得那麽輕松，李常滿就是覺得聽了之後自己底氣足了不少，笑呵呵的說：“那我得去夏家莊找夏龍說說，讓他多給我準備些磚了。”
夏窪大隊的磚廠聽說包給了夏家兄弟，李常滿當然知道應該去哪兒買磚。至于夏家磚廠燒出來的磚不合格，那不存在：這兩年夏窪大隊用的磚都是夏滿囤、夏滿屋兩兄弟看火燒出來的，質量好着呢。
建築隊副隊長牛家駒（牛隊長）有些不安：“李隊長，我帶的人是還留在村裏蓋房子，還是跟着你去縣城蓋農貿市場？”
“一半一半吧。”李常滿知道，剛組建的建築隊，一定不能因為小小有農貿市場離心，笑呵呵的說：“你帶的那二十幾個人，我看至少有十個成手了，就接着留在村裏蓋房子，剩下的人跟着去農貿市場打下手。”
見牛家駒面帶不解，李常滿向他解釋了一下：“隊長都說了，蓋農貿市場比蓋房子簡單，不用考慮隔間和住人的問題，有個框架就行。村裏蓋房子，咱們自己人得住一輩子，不用成手怕出事。”
覺得有理的牛家駒，同意了李常滿的想法，對那些嘲笑自己一個生産隊長，反而給平安莊的一個普通社員當副手的人，心裏嘲笑了回去：
平安莊的普通社員？有本事你來跟這個普通社員比比，人家的胸懷可比你們這些只看眼前的人寬多了——建築隊有啥事，李常滿都會拉着他一起商量，做出決定也會告訴他為啥這麽決定，一點也不因是正隊長，就覺得自己只要聽招呼就行。
只是聽說小齊除了要在縣城蓋農貿市場，承平地區和省城也要蓋，建築隊怕是得招人。平安莊還能招進來的人不多了，是不是從三隊招人、招多少，牛家駒得好好琢磨琢磨。
不能招那些心大的，免得因為建築隊裏三隊的人多，便生出想取代平安莊的心思來——小齊能把訂單給平安莊建築隊，可不見得同樣給不由平安莊人掌控的建築隊。
夏菊花請薛工程師打聽的電子孵化器也有消息了，現在反而是種蛋成了當務之急。好在包産到戶之後，社員們養雞的定額無形之中取消了，平安莊交收購站的成雞數也随之一輕。
可以留下足夠的公雞，種蛋還是能保障的。就是随着雞、豬養得越來越多，污水處理不得不提到議事日程，排污廠的修建迫在眉睫。
因有那年高規格參觀團的到來，向湙河排污治理工作，得到了地區到流經各縣的重視，上游流下來的水是清澈的，平德縣只要治理好自己這一段就好。
夏菊花便給劉志全、劉志雙打電話，讓他們去打聽一下地區或是省城有沒有建排污廠的現成經驗：說是建排污廠迫在眉睫，相比後來的養殖場，平安莊這個規模還是太小，建起來應該沒有那麽困難。
就在她等待消息的時候，竟收到了軍報記者張天明的來信，随信郵來的是一張邀請函，請她到南部戰區做報告，講一講她是如何數年如一日擁軍的。
夏菊花拿着邀請函有些發蒙：“咋還讓我做報告呢，都是人家從戰場上下來的戰士們做報告，我幹的那點事有啥可講的？”
陳秋生想到了另一個問題，看着印得很精致的邀請函問：“是不是咱們平安莊的戰士有上前線的？”
夏菊花心裏咯噔一下：“你一說我心裏慌得很。我要是去問寶玲心裏更得畫魂，你讓翠萍側面問問。志亮可是三四個月沒給我寫信了。”
也是這些日子忙得人分不出心思，否則夏菊花不會注意到劉志亮幾個月沒來信。陳秋生聽了心又往下沉了沉，說：“年前五隊有兩個孩子退伍了，都進了酸辣粉廠，要不把他們叫來問問？”
夏菊花想想搖了搖頭：“不用，特意叫人來問，多心的不定咋想。你說這些孩子也是，退伍又不是啥丢人的事兒，咋還窩在家裏不出門呢。”
對于退伍兩個青年的心情，陳秋生還是有些理解的：一起當兵二十一個人，十九個都留在部隊轉了志願兵，只有他們兩個退伍回家，心裏覺得不自在，覺得自己被人比下去了挺正常的。
好在平安莊有兩個廠子，給他們安排個工作沒問題，又是在部隊訓練過的，據他這幾個月的觀察，兩個小夥子現在适應的挺好，以後當個班組長沒問題。
現在不是考慮那兩個孩子的事，夏菊花得決定自己去還是不去。想了想她給齊小叔打了個電話，聽到那頭不如以往爽朗的笑聲，夏菊花心裏突然更沒底：“去呀，這是咱們平德縣的光榮，你盡管去，等你去南部軍區做完報告回來，想着給縣裏的幹部群衆也做一場報告。”
你可饒了我吧。夏菊花心裏默默說了一句，嘴上應着：“那行，那我就去一趟。對了齊書記，你看你能不能跟張書記說一聲，平安莊大隊長得找人代一下，不能我一走了大隊的活沒人張羅。”
齊小叔在電話那頭還在笑，聽起來倒不象剛才勉強：“你也別難為張書記了。他跟我說你都找過他幾次，想不幹大隊長了，我覺得還是別做夢比較好。”
聽聽，你聽聽，這是一個當縣委書記應該說出來的話嗎？夏菊花輕輕扣下電話，不管放電話瞬間，話筒裏不滿的喂喂聲。
結果電話馬上又打了回來，齊小叔先是不滿的抱怨了幾句，才告訴夏菊花，這一次南部軍區在承平地區，不止邀請了她一個人，一同邀請的還有承平地區宣傳部長和平德縣宣傳部長。
說起來那兩位跟夏菊花也算熟人，上一次正是他們陪着軍報記者來平安莊采訪的。夏菊花聽後卻并沒覺得輕松，而是問：“齊書記，我們平安莊的孩子們，是不是……”
齊小叔在電話那頭輕聲嘆了口氣：“應該已經上去快兩個月了，到了該換防的時候。”
聽明白了的夏菊花，心裏沉甸甸的，咋放下的電話都不知道。她明白自己這次一定要去，還要盡快去，最好讓平安莊的孩子們，下了戰場第一眼見到的就是她。
可是有兩位由副轉正的宣傳部長同行，啓程的時間定在了兩天後。夏菊花沒有心情跟前幾次出門一樣，交待大隊或是各個廠子的事兒，一門心思的在家裏準備吃的東西。
聽說這一次是坐飛機去，飛機可以托運，那她能多帶點東西，讓遠離家的孩子們，多吃上兩口家鄉的吃食：
留着下種蛋的公雞和母雞，殺了，鹵了，鹽加重一點應該壞不了。十只雞，一個孩子半只夠解饞了吧？
糖油糕，炸得松軟金黃，用油紙包好，單獨拎着，不跟別的東西放在一起，壓不壞吧？
熏肉，皮肉燒得發紅變褐，透過肉皮似乎能看到軟爛的肉，拿到塑封機包裝一下，也能放幾天。再烙上幾斤大餅，就是正宗的熏肉大餅。
對了，再帶上自家下的大醬，給孩子們抹到餅上，以前在家時孩子們肯定沒吃過幾回，這次讓他們吃個夠。
至于鞋墊，她自己做好的幾雙，再去七奶那兒拿幾雙，咋也得給每個孩子帶兩雙才行。
送行的齊小叔等人，看着夏菊花那個大大的包袱，沒有一個人埋怨她不該帶太多東西，兩位部長甚至上前一人拎了一邊，替她拎起包來。
一路上夏菊花都是沉默的，哪怕因為暈機吐得天昏地暗，她也沒發出太大的聲音。直到下了飛機，看着部隊來接的領導中，有見過一面的張記者，才用嘶啞的聲音問出頭一句話：“我們平安莊的孩子們，都撤下來了嗎？”
張記者向身後看了一眼，一位明顯是領導的同志向他點了點頭，他才說：“是，都撤下來了。夏大隊長帶了這麽些東西，不是來給我們做報告的，是來慰問的吧？”
聽着他故做輕松的話，夏菊花心又是一沉，覺得天昏地轉的站不住身子，被平德縣李紅林部長扶了一把才沒倒，聲音更低的問：“都好好的？”
張記者沉默了，無論如何他都不能再輕松的向夏菊花說：好好的。
他的沉默夏菊花接收到了，沒有再提其它的問題，随着大家一起上車、趕路、下車，看起來越來越平靜，竟然沒再暈車。
兩位宣傳部長對視了一眼，一齊看向夏菊花那個大大的包袱，又看看張記者。
張記者扭頭看向窗外。
車子在軍營前停了下來，有士兵上前檢查，夏菊花看着全副武裝的戰士，心裏想的是，平安莊的孩子們，曾經也如此武裝過。
駛進軍營，年輕的身影随處可見，更可以聽到炸雷一樣的口號聲、命令聲，聽上去陌生又親切。一路沉默的夏菊花，眼睛舍不得離開那些年輕的身影，她想把這些身影都記在腦海裏。
"Comrade Xia Juhua, welcome, welcome to the model of military support who has been silently supporting the front line." The troop leader shook hands with Xia Juhua cordially. She shook hands back and couldn't help but look behind the leader. There were also young figures behind the leader, but they were not the children of Ping'an Village.