With the experience of her previous life, Xia Juhua knew that it was better to rely on herself than on anyone else. She also knew that as long as she could keep Sun Hongmei under control, she would not only not dare to act like a demon again, but also have to curry favor with her mother-in-law.
Just like this morning, Sun Hongmei, who was clamoring to go back to her parents' home last night, got up obediently and made breakfast for the whole family?!
"Go, go, go back to your room." Xia Juhua waved her hand impatiently to hurry Liu Zhishuang and the other two away. "You wanted to marry her, but now you don't want her anymore. Think it over. If you think she's good again in a few days and insist on bringing her back, I can't stand that."
Why Liu Zhishuang had to marry Sun Hongmei, they both knew it in their hearts, and Xia Juhua also knew it in her previous life - it was Sun Guizhi who made Liu Zhishuang think that he had taken advantage of Sun Hongmei. After agreeing to get along with her, he was deceived by Sun Hongmei's appearance and thought she was a good person, so he got together. People at that time were not so frivolous. If men and women who had affairs were exposed, not only would the women be pointed out by others, but it would also be difficult for the men to marry a good woman.
Xia Juhua had figured out the situation long ago, so she gave the right to choose to Liu Zhishuang. Her son was still young, so it depended on whether he could figure it out. Xia Juhua watched Liu Zhishuang walking ahead with a strong attitude, and did not ignore Sun Hongmei's eyes that kept rolling.
A good night's sleep. Xia Juhua woke up when she heard some noise in the yard. She listened carefully and knew who was in the yard. She shook her head on the pillow and closed her eyes again.
Wang Caifeng didn't sleep well. She also heard the noise in the yard and pushed Liu Zhiquan: "Get up, have breakfast and go and ask others to leave together. Don't be like yesterday, when people were already at the door and you were still not ready."
Liu Zhiquan turned over and suddenly sat up, which startled Wang Caifeng. She was so angry that she also sat up: "You scared the child again."
"Is the second brother going to send Sun Hongmei back to her parents' home?" Liu Zhiquan's voice was not loud, and he was a little hoarse having just woken up, so Wang Caifeng had difficulty hearing what he was asking.
There was clearly only one person's footsteps in the yard, so Wang Caifeng spoke with disdain: "It shouldn't be that person. It seems that only Sun Hongmei was making noises."
Liu Zhiquan lay down again with peace of mind: "It's okay if we just send her back to her parents' home."
Wang Caifeng was unhappy: "She has caused so much trouble, and you are still not happy for the second brother to send her back to her parents' home?"
"If we send her back to her parents' home, can we get the betrothal gift back?" Liu Zhiquan muttered a question that Wang Caifeng had never thought about before, which stunned her.
Wang Caifeng has been annoyed by Sun Hongmei these past two days. She thinks her sister-in-law is a troublesome person. Even though she kindly reminds her, she refuses to change her clever temper. If such a person is sent back to her parents' home as soon as possible, life at home will be peaceful in the future. She has never thought about whether the betrothal gift can be returned.
When Liu Zhiquan asked this, Wang Caifeng couldn't help but think of the treatment Liu Zhishuang and Sun Hongmei received when they returned to their parents' home. She felt that it was unrealistic to want to get the betrothal gift back because of the old Sun family's tradition of asking for money. But if the betrothal gift was not returned, what would Liu Zhishuang do when he got married next time?
If Sun Hongmei was really sent back to her parents' home, Liu Zhishuang would not be able to remain single for the rest of his life and would have to marry again. By then, he would be getting married for the second time and if he wanted to marry a girl who was similar to him, the bride price could only be more than the first time, not less.
How could I have forgotten this? Wang Caifeng patted the quilt in frustration, and suddenly realized that Liu Zhiquan, whom she had always thought was stable, was more thoughtful than she thought. She looked at her husband with his head covered in the quilt with some ambiguous expression, and suddenly asked a question: "Have you ever thought about sending me back to my parents' home?"
Liu Zhiquan seemed not to hear, and turned over to cover his head more tightly. Wang Caifeng pouted at the bulging quilt, put on her clothes and was about to go out. When she reached the door, she remembered and said, "I have to sweep the yard. When Baoguo wakes up, you can dress him."
"Got it." Liu Zhiquan responded impatiently, and Wang Caifeng pouted even more: "I knew you were pretending to sleep."
When she went out, she saw Xia Juhua pushing the door open. Wang Caifeng hurriedly greeted her. Xia Juhua hummed, looked at the kitchen and didn't move, and went to the backyard toilet. Wang Caifeng thought about what Liu Zhiquan said and followed her to the backyard.
Xia Juhua asked in surprise: "You also need to go to the toilet, then you go first."
I don't want to go to the toilet. Wang Caifeng asked weakly: "Mom, do you really want Zhishuang to send Sun Hongmei back to her parents' home?"
It turned out that she was being asked this question. Xia Juhua didn't want to take the blame. She shook her head and said, "It's not like I'm living with her. Zhishuang can do whatever he wants."
Wang Caifeng was anxious: "How can we follow Zhishuang's temper? At first, you didn't agree with their marriage, and Zhishuang was acting up, but you finally followed Zhishuang's wishes. If Zhishuang is determined to send Sun Hongmei back to her parents' home, she will be married for the second time. Who would be willing to marry a second-married man if people know about it?"
Xia Juhua was in no hurry to go to the toilet. She looked at Wang Caifeng with a serious look in her eyes: "Do you think so?"
Wang Caifeng nodded vigorously: "Zhishuang is also my brother. He can't figure it out for the time being. As his brother and sister-in-law, we must think more about him."
I hope you really want Liu Zhishuang's best interests. Xia Juhua asked noncommittally, "So you are not angry with Sun Hongmei anymore?"
Wang Caifeng lowered her head: "How can family members hold grudges overnight? I am the sister-in-law, how can I really be on the same level as my brother's wife?"
"Okay, in the future you sisters-in-law will spend more time together than with me, your mother-in-law. As long as you feel good about it." Xia Juhua really went to the restroom this time, leaving Wang Caifeng alone outside to ponder her mother-in-law's words.
From the moment Xia Juhua in the bathroom heard Sun Hongmei go to the kitchen to cook, she knew that Liu Zhishuang would not send Sun Hongmei back to Sunjiazhuang. There was no need to ask the reason. The newly married couple went back to the room alone to discuss things, and any result was possible.
If Sun Hongmei didn't even have this little ability, Liu Zhishuang wouldn't have been forced to marry her.
I had said before that no matter what the couple came up with, she would not care. Xia Juhua certainly would not pull Liu Zhishuang aside to ask him why he changed his mind after just one night.
The whole family finished their meal as if nothing had happened. Xia Juhua stood up and took out the food for Wang Caifeng's lunch. She ignored Liu Zhishuang who was looking at her and seemed to be hesitant to say something, and went out to work.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out of the house. But before she could finish her breath, Chen Dongsheng's wife, Sun Zhaodi, came out from next door, and Xia Juhua had to swallow her anger back - Sun Zhaodi was also from Sunjiazhuang, and it seemed like she and Sun Hongmei had the same ancestor, but they were five generations apart.
However, Sun Zhaodi is different from Sun Guizhi and Sun Hongmei in that she is a gentle person and usually smiles at everyone she sees. She rarely gets angry with anyone. When Xia Juhua applied for a homestead from the brigade, she did so because Sun Zhaodi was less troublesome and Chen Dongsheng was honest. It was a relief to have such a person as a neighbor.
"You're going to work too." Sun Zhaodi also saw Xia Juhua and took the initiative to greet her, which was no different from how she had seen Xia Juhua before.
Xia Juhua nodded: "Well, you've eaten. Are you going to work today?"
Sun Zhaodi didn't expect Xia Juhua to answer her. She was stunned for a moment before she said, "I've eaten. But I have to go to work. If I don't go to work, there's nothing to do at home."
Having said this, the two of them walked together naturally, and gradually met several women who were also going to work. No matter who saw Sun Zhaodi and Xia Juhua walking together, they would be stunned for a moment, and then join the team going to work together.
Not everyone has the virtue of not gossiping like Sun Zhaodi. After Li Changwang's family walked for a while, he told Xia Juhua why Sun Shi had been making trouble yesterday: "What's wrong with your young daughter-in-law? I don't know who is far away and who is close. If it's her, I don't think you can keep her."
Xia Juhua looked at Li Changwang's family, sighed and said nothing, and slowed down her pace, as if she wanted to stay away from Li Changwang's family. Who knew that Li Changwang's family was so tactless that he had to approach Xia Juhua, asking as he approached: "Dad Zhuang, it's not easy for you to raise two children, you can't let your son forget his mother after getting married."
"A son grows up and is no longer under the control of his mother." Xia Juhua seemed to have no choice but to say something after being asked by Li Changwang's family.
The women who were walking together were all of similar age, and several of them were also mothers-in-law. Xia Juhua's words reminded them of their own little beasts who openly or secretly took their daughters-in-law's words as imperial decrees, and they all sighed.
Hearing their sighs, Xia Juhua knew that she had achieved her goal today: women in their early forties are the main force of gossip in the village. Women of this age are both the daughter-in-law of the mother-in-law and the mother-in-law of the daughter-in-law. No matter whether the daughter-in-law is making trouble or the mother-in-law is looking for trouble, they can find common language.
Whoever arouses their sympathy first will occupy the high ground of public opinion. If Sun Hongmei wants to spread the news of her "evil deeds", less than half of the people will believe her.
"Hey, why are you still following us?" Li Changwang's family was trying to get Xia Juhua to talk. When they arrived at the production team yard, they found that Xia Juhua was standing with a group of women waiting for work. They asked in confusion, "Aren't you assigned to work with those men?"
Xia Juhua shook her head. From the moment she knew she had lived a new life, she had made up her mind that she would make money, but she would not work so hard as she did in her last life, and would not care about her health for the sake of making money. She knew that the policies would get better and better in the future, and there would be many ways to make money. Now that she had a healthy body, she could make money happily in the future.
既然到老了誰也靠不住，那就得把自己的身子骨養好了，免得早早一身病痛讓人更加讨厭——久病床前無孝子，上輩子她見過癱在床上，被兒女指着鼻子罵不快點死的老人，那才真是想死都沒辦法。
李常旺家的可不滿意夏菊花只搖頭的回答，輕輕推了她一下：“問你呢。你咋還是這個悶性子，昨天聽你跟老劉太太說話，還以為你轉性了呢。”
這回夏菊花終于開口了：“我今天就跟着你們做活，以後再下地，也跟你們做一樣的。”
“啥？”聽到夏菊花決定的婦女，都覺得太陽打西邊出來了。夏菊花是誰，那可是平安莊乃至十裏八村人人稱道的夏小夥，竟然不跟那些男人們幹一樣的活，重新回到廣大婦女隊伍了？！
夏菊花苦笑了一下：“我想開了，以後都不再為了工分拼命了。反正兩個兒子都養大了，媳婦也給他們娶到家了，以後的日子得他們自己過，我還能一直給他們賣命？”
“是這個理兒。”李常旺家的真是啥話都能接：“兒媳婦要是好的，你多替他們攢點家底也不白受累。可是你們家那個小兒媳婦……”
夏菊花連忙沖她擺手：“孩子們過得好就行。”
她都這麽說了，別人也不能非得當着夏菊花的面罵孫紅梅，可是人人心裏的一杆稱，好幾個同樣當婆婆的人，心裏已經想好中午回家怎麽敲打自己家的兒媳婦了。
安寶玲正好也來上工，見夏菊花一直跟婦女們在一起，也走過來和她說話：“昨天我回娘家了，要不咋也攔着老太太不讓她去鬧騰你。”
夏菊花昨天還納悶安寶玲咋一直沒出現，聽她說回娘家了，不由問：“你咋不年不節的回娘家？”生産隊雖然沒多少活了，可一天下來也能記六七個工分，會過日子的字寶玲，一般不會有工分不掙回娘家。
“嗐，”安寶玲嘆了口氣：“還不是我娘家侄媳婦跟我嫂子生氣，連我娘都氣病了，讓人捎信叫我回去。”
家家有本難念的經，安寶玲的娘家侄媳婦也不是省油的燈，夏菊花不關心人家婆媳之間為啥生氣，只問：“你家嬸子好了吧？”
安寶玲搖了搖頭說：“家裏亂成一個蛋似的，她天天看着能好得了？這家要是不分的話，難好。”
竟然鬧到了分家的地步，婆媳矛盾看來是難以調和了。夏菊花一向不會勸人，只能泛泛的說：“那你多勸嬸子想開點兒。”
李常旺家的一直聽着呢，見夏菊花還有心勸別人，笑了一下說：“勸人好勸，勸自己才難呢。你要不是對兒媳婦寒了心，今天咋非要跟着我們一起幹活。”以前的夏小夥，有掙十個工分的活，決不做掙八個工分的事。
安寶玲有些擔心的看向夏菊花，夏菊花沒事人一樣沖她搖了搖頭，在別人眼裏頗有幾分強顏歡笑的意思，安寶玲只能跟着嘆口氣。
李常旺家的想要再說兩句，劉二壯已經開始分配今天的活兒，誰都要聽聽今天有沒有新活計，閑話也就此打住，夏菊花無聲的松了口氣，饒是安寶玲自己也一肚子心事，看到她肩膀不由的放松下來，都想樂。
自己這個大嫂子，還跟以前一樣不願意跟人打交道，現在跟這些好講是非的婦女在一塊，得有多不自在。這麽不自在，她還要跟嘴快的婦女一起幹活，可見真被孫紅梅傷了心。
沒時間多想，任務已經分派下來了，婦女們現在的主要任務還是編葦席。
這是沿河生産隊的一項傳統副業，算是占了地利的便宜：湙河的一條支流經過了紅星公社，兩岸年年長滿葦草，每到秋收後，沿河的生産隊都會把葦草割下來，組織婦女們一起編葦席，再統一賣給供銷社，收入能占到全年收入的三分之一。
平安莊同樣沾這個光，年底一個工分才能算到一毛二分錢，那些不沿河的生産隊，一個工只有七八分錢，還得是好年景。
夏菊花跟安寶玲坐在一塊編席，李常旺家的坐在她們不遠，坐下後隔着人還笑着打趣夏菊花：“你往常都是跟着男人們割葦子，會編席嗎？”
安寶玲聽不慣她打趣人，知道大嫂不是會回嘴的人，就替夏菊花說：“我嫂子會不會我不知道，可她幹活利索是誰都知道的。就算是現學，也不會四五天才編一張席。”
李常旺家的一下子閉嘴了——安寶玲說的那個四五天才編一張席的人，就是她。其實婦女們編的都不算快，要是自己家用的話，有個一天半就能編好一張席。可是給生産隊編，怎麽也得兩天兩天半才編好，而李常旺家的，一張席編四天多是常事。
要是李常旺家的幹活是把好手，還能反駁安寶玲兩句，誰讓她幹活慢呢？
李常旺家的嘴上不說話，心裏恨恨的想，編席的誰都不快，夏菊花又是頭一回編，會不會起頭收邊還兩說呢。她就等着，到時候夏菊花麻爪的時候，安寶玲會不會放下自己手裏的活，去幫着夏菊花。
說嘴誰不會，安寶玲真不顧自己的工分幫夏菊花，她才服氣。
她就是覺得夏菊花難得跟婦女們一起幹活，又是個說啥都一聽一過的性子，深了淺了不會跟自己急眼，才拿她打個趣，誰知道就出來一個安寶玲。
帶着這種心理，李常旺家的一邊編着自己手裏的葦席，一邊盯着夏菊花的動作，一會兒就看直眼了：夏菊花的動作太娴熟，細長的葦杆在她手裏就象有生命一樣，一根根順頭順尾的由着她擺弄。
葦刀也被夏菊花使的得心應手，輕輕一頓一拉，一根葦杆就被從中間破開，幾下的功夫，夏菊花身邊就出現了幾根粗細相同的葦片。
這一手不光鎮住了李常旺家的，也鎮住了同樣想看夏菊花笑話的婦女們——編葦席是個技術活，除了起頭收邊外，就數破葦片讓人頭疼。
幹慣的人還好，頭一回幹的人別說把葦片破的粗細均勻，不割幾回手流幾回血，都不能把一根葦杆完整的破開。
安寶玲替夏菊花說話的時候，完全是出于對妯娌的維護，見夏菊花竟然真的幹的又快又好，笑的聲音可不小：“嫂子，你是不是在家練過，咋破的這麽好呢。”
別人也紛紛點頭，夏菊花擡頭說了一句：“以前我們家的席子，都是我自己編的。”
聽到的人都不說話了，就連李常旺家的都想起那時自己剛成親不久，眼看着夏菊花背着一個大包袱，身後跟着兩個半大孩子，娘三個一步一挪的去了生産隊的窩棚。
她們只背了包袱，沒有炕席。
那幾年娘三個在生産隊的窩棚裏是怎麽睡的，又是什麽時候，夏菊花才自己編了炕席，鋪在窩棚用木板湊和成的床板上？李常旺家的不知道，她光知道平安莊的冬天冷的很，不燒火炕的話，哪怕板子上鋪了炕席，也暖和不到哪兒去。
“這些年真難為你了。”李常旺家的真心實意覺得夏菊花不容易了——好不容易兩個兒子都娶了媳婦，小兒媳婦偏偏是孫桂芝的娘家侄女，現在看那作派跟孫桂芝沒什麽兩樣，以後夏菊花的日子也省心不到哪兒去。
“過一天算一天吧。”夏菊花的聲音沒有什麽起伏，手裏的動作也沒停頓，好象說的是別人的事兒一樣，聽起來反而讓人心裏格外發酸。
“那個，我剛才……”李常旺家的覺得自己剛才不該拿夏菊花打趣，等于是往夏菊花的傷口上撒鹽。安寶玲有些不敢相信自己的耳朵，自己竟然聽出李常旺家的有給大嫂道歉的意思，可真是太陽打西邊出來了。
大嫂會不會原諒李常旺家的呢？安寶玲看向仍然在破葦片的夏菊花，發現她的動作依然那麽沉穩，沒有回應李常旺家的意思。
而李常旺家的竟然沒覺得自己受了冷落，還在不懈的找着話題，有時候夏菊花感興趣或是覺得沒有什麽不能說的，也會回應一句半句，就足以支撐李常旺家的繼續說下去。
這還真是一個願打一個願挨，安寶玲心裏好笑，手下動作也不慢，接着編自己昨天起好頭的葦席。
“嫂子，供銷社有人找你。”劉二壯突然出現在編葦席的場院，說出的話讓編葦席的婦女都擡起頭來。
夏菊花愣怔了一下，才想起昨天在供銷社時主任說的話，沒想到今天就有人來找自己。昨天經過的事兒太多，夏菊花自己都把主任的話給忘了。
她的模樣，就是突然聽到不可思議消息的人的反應，婦女們就失去了問她的興趣。問什麽，夏菊花能知道答案嗎？她本來又是一個話不多的人，問也問不出啥來，還是省省力氣編席。
安寶玲跟着站了起來，她想起夏菊花前兩天一直在家裏給供銷社做棉被，以為出了什麽差錯，想跟着夏菊花一起去見供銷社的人，要是那人找夏菊花的麻煩，她好歹能幫着說幾句話。
劉二壯見兄弟媳婦跟着站起來，沖她搖了搖頭，說：“人家就找嫂子一個，你別跟着去了。”供銷社的人拉了不少東西過來，看到的人越少越好。
夏菊花安撫的拍了拍安寶玲的胳膊：“沒事，應該是彩鳳的堂姐，前兩天我能接供銷社做被子的活，多虧了她。”王彩鳳這兩天表現的不錯，夏菊花有意在別人面前把她跟孫紅梅區別開。
安寶玲聽說是王彩鳳的堂姐，果然對王彩鳳評價上了一個臺階，跟向她打聽的婦女說：“是志全媳婦的娘家姐姐，來看我大嫂來了。”
有人信安寶玲的話，就有人覺得她沒說實話，大家等着隊長給一個說法——好好的上着工，半道上突然走了，隊長會怎麽給他嫂子記工分？
等劉二壯再回到編席的場院，大家才知道安寶玲的消息真不完全準确，來的人的确是王彩鳳的堂姐，也的确是來看夏菊花的，卻不僅僅是看夏菊花。
人家給夏菊花帶來了一份幫着供銷社炒花生的活計。所以夏菊花已經跟隊長請了假，今天做的活也不用生産隊給她記工分了。
如果夏菊花今天還跟着男人們一起上工，劉二壯不會來場院解釋，誰讓夏菊花頭一天跟婦女們一起幹活，就遇到這事兒了呢。
如果他不來解釋一下，不等到下午上工，夏菊花跟婦女們合不來，或是她做不了女人的活計才只能跟着男人們一起幹活等傳言，就會傳的平安莊人都知道。
劉二壯當生産隊長，對婦女們傳閑話的本事再了解不過，夏菊花好不容易得了個掙錢的門路，他可不能讓這些婦女們給吵吵黃了。
昨天老劉家已經夠對不起夏菊花的了。哪怕劉二壯知道夏菊花不會把孫氏兒的錯怪到他跟李大丫頭上，心裏還是覺得是自己沒勸住娘，沒能鎮住劉四壯和孫桂芝，才讓他們有機會找夏菊花的麻煩。
憑什麽找夏菊花的麻煩呢？人家娘三個好好過自己的日子，不求老院的人幫襯，分家後沒吃過老院的一口東西，咋還有臉說人家不孝順呢。
劉二壯想不通，李大丫更想不通，所以昨天她不光沒跟着孫氏她們一起去找夏菊花的麻煩，還在孫氏和孫桂芝灰溜溜回家之後，說了不好聽的話。
劉二壯知道，孫氏一直不喜歡李大丫，可他覺得李大丫說的沒錯，就由着李大丫說下去。不想孫氏對劉二壯眼睜睜看着李大丫對自己大放厥詞，氣得不行，不敢往死裏罵指望養老的二兒子，孫氏竟指揮孫桂芝打李大丫。
孫桂芝竟然真敢對李大丫動手！李大丫肯定不讓她打着自己，結果說不上兩敗俱傷吧，反正今天李大丫不肯上工了。
她對劉二壯說：老太太眼裏只有一個兒子兒媳婦，以前沒動手她也就忍了，現在孫桂芝一個當兄弟媳婦的想打嫂子，她可不能忍。
天天下地掙工分的人還要挨打，那還掙什麽工分，幹脆跟孫桂芝一樣在家裏白吃飽養好身子，免得下次打架的時候吃虧。
劉二壯能說什麽？他什麽也不能說，甚至心裏想着，自己這一房是不是也該跟大嫂一樣，從老院裏分出來。他不是頭一次想從老院分出來單過，以前他只是想想就自己把自己勸着放下了，這一次卻怎麽也勸不了自己。
娘怎麽能讓孫桂芝打他媳婦呢，當時劉二壯覺得娘想打的不是他媳婦，而是他。娘可真心狠。
劉二壯在不由想起夏菊花帶着兩個孩子，連點口糧都沒有搬出老院的情景。那時的娘就心狠，這麽多年從來沒變過。正因為娘的心狠，劉二壯更覺得對不起夏菊花，也更不想讓人把她好不容易得到的活攪黃了。
夏菊花倒不知道劉二壯替自己擔着心，她對自己眼前的兩麻袋花生米很滿意。花生多點兒好呀，多了才能多掙錢。何況王彩霞已經跟她把主任的意思交待清楚了，一斤生花生米只要出八兩熟花生，供銷社就可以接受。
夏菊花覺得供銷社主任不是自己懂行，就是向別人打聽過了，一般來說一斤生花生，火候拿捏的好，的确可以出八兩熟花生。
可是他卻忘了，他讓夏菊花炒的不是普通的熟花生，而是糖霜花生，不能和普通花生似的炒那麽幹，失水少就壓份量，加上糖的重量，其實一斤可以出八兩五。
不過夏菊花沒實在的向王彩霞和盤托出——別人不知道炒貨中的竅門，正是夏菊花自己吃飯的本事。
“娘，供銷社啥時候要炒好的花生，你一個人忙不過來，我幫你吧。”王彩鳳也看着兩麻袋花生兩眼放光，心裏對婆婆佩服的五體投地。
村裏不是沒別人會炒糖霜花生，可誰能象婆婆一樣炒一次，就接了這麽掙錢的活計！一斤一分五，一天炒上一百斤，就比編葦席掙的多一倍。
這兩麻袋足足有四百斤，聽堂姐的意思要是縣供銷社也認可婆婆的手藝，還會再送更多的花生過來。所以她不光得幫着婆婆把眼前的花生炒好，最好能把手藝學到手！要是她能學會，好處還用說嗎？
夏菊花不用看也知道王彩鳳心裏又打算盤了，直接拒絕她：“你得帶着保國，自己還是雙身子，可受不了這個累。”真當炒花生是輕巧活兒呢，這可不是炒上一斤二斤自己家吃。
哪怕夏菊花對孫子們已經沒有什麽期待了，也沒到非得讓一個孕婦幹重活的地步。王彩鳳只當夏菊花不想教自己手藝，嘴裏還在哀求：“娘，保國都這麽大了，別人家的孩子都能自己玩兒了。我肚子裏的這個也已經快五個月了，穩當着呢。”
咋有人聽不懂別人的關心呢？夏菊花奇怪的看了王彩鳳一眼：“你真想幫忙？到時候有個啥事兒，我可沒法跟志全交待。”
“能出啥事兒。”王彩鳳一口咬定自己能幹好：“再說志全昨天晚上又跟我說了，娘這些年不容易，讓我別仗着有了身子，就凡事都推給娘。”這個時候當兒媳婦的話不管用，得把婆婆看重的親兒子舉到前頭。
夏菊花不想勞累孕婦，是上輩子孫媳婦有孕之後，全家人都快把她供起來了，這才下意識的覺得孕婦金貴。既然王彩鳳自己覺得能幹活，她也不能掃了人家的興。
當然打水洗花生米、用水稍微泡一下花生之類的活不能讓王彩鳳做，夏菊花分給她的任務就是燒火。就這王彩鳳已經挺高興的了——炒貨嘛，火候的大小可是關鍵。婆婆一上來就讓自己燒火，不是信任自己，想實心實意把手藝教給自己是什麽？！
娘兩個配合着，等孫紅梅下地回來，已經炒好了兩大鍋，夏菊花覺得能有個百十來斤。王彩鳳坐在板凳上燒火，不是不烤的慌，肚子不是不憋屈，可她心裏高興呀，見到孫紅梅回來了，主動跟她打了個招呼：“紅梅回來啦。”
孫紅梅這半天可不好過。孫家莊不靠湙河，所以她沒學過編葦席，只能跟另外一些同樣不會編席的人一起，起地裏的玉米栅，也就是割完玉米稭後留在地裏的玉米根部。
由于玉米稭即能燒火又能喂牲口，所以割的時候大家盡量貼着地，玉米栅留的很短，露出地面的只有短短的一小截。現在玉米栅已經一點兒水份都沒有了，幹幹的豎在地裏，鐮刀割過的地方形成鋒利的斜面，不小心踩上的話，能直接把鞋底穿透。
而且起玉米栅并不是從地裏刨出來就完了，還得把根部包裹的泥土敲掉，當然是敲的力氣越大越幹淨。生産隊評工分就是按每人刨的數量和敲的幹淨程度，評五到八個工分不等。
孫紅梅半天才刨了三分地，離一天一畝地的任務還遠着呢。回來一看夏菊花和王彩鳳兩個一邊說着話，一邊在廚房裏幹活，心裏十分不得勁，有心想說幾句酸話，想想現在自己的處境又不敢說，一口氣憋的臉都綠了。
見王彩鳳竟然笑着跟自己打招呼，孫紅梅覺得她就是在向自己炫耀：自己灰頭土臉的弄了一身塵土，她卻坐在竈前烤火，還好意思跟自己笑！
夏菊花只看了孫紅梅一眼，就把她的心思摸得七七八八，不過她早想好了不摻和兩個兒媳婦的事兒，認真的把最後一點兒花生盛到盆裏，當沒發現孫紅梅沒有回應王彩鳳的招呼。
“奶，奶，吃，吃。”劉保國見夏菊花終于停下來，覺得她能搭理自己了，連忙流着口水向她讨吃的——廚房裏的味道劉保國很熟悉，這些天他的米糊裏就有。
Xia Juhua was amused: "Oh, your mother and I were busy for so long that she forgot about you. Look at the dirt you are covered in."
Wang Caifeng didn't mind Sun Hongmei ignoring her. She felt that her sister-in-law looked smart, but in reality she was a little confused. Seeing that her mother-in-law didn't care about her, she didn't know how to step down when she took the initiative to give her a chance. How smart could she be?
So Wang Caifeng followed Xia Juhua's words and picked up her son: "That's right, this is really dirty, I'll go back to the house and clean it up for him."
Xia Juhua nodded, lifted the lid on the other side of the pot and began to scoop out the porridge - there was no need to watch the fire while cooking the porridge, it would be cooked while the peanuts were being fried. While scooping out the porridge, Xia Juhua thought that Wang Caifeng wanted to give Sun Hongmei a warning, but now it saved her the trouble.
Only then did Sun Hongmei realize what a mistake it was for her to ignore Wang Caifeng just now, because her mother-in-law wouldn't even look at her, and it was too uncomfortable to be ignored.
She couldn't go on like this. Sun Hongmei felt that she had to let her mother-in-law see how capable she was, so that she wouldn't instigate Liu Zhishuang to send her back to her parents' home behind her back.