Xia Juhua's heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled down. She relaxed her whole body and almost lost her balance. If Wang Caixia hadn't helped her, she would have fallen flat on her butt. But Xia Juhua still had a smile on her face:
"Really? That's great. I feel relieved when you say that. Please rest assured, I will hurry up and fry the peanuts when I get home. No need for the day after tomorrow. You can just ask Caixia and the others to come and help the day after tomorrow."
Xia Juhua was so happy that she moved up her delivery time by one day. Her worries were real, and her smile after being relieved was also brilliant. The director saw it clearly and felt that this rural woman in front of him was really a real person.
No matter what era it is, everyone is willing to deal with real people, especially Xia Juhua, who came to report the loss because she was worried about the supply and marketing cooperative. She ran so hard that sweat was dripping down her neck, but when she heard that nothing was wrong, she didn't complain, which made the director like her even more.
The director waved his hand and said to Wang Caixia, "Since Comrade Xia is here, you can take her to each group. I remember there are some processed items. If Comrade Xia needs them, give them to her."
It was another good thing like this. Xia Juhua was a little hesitant to accept it: "Well, Director, I was in a hurry to go out and I didn't bring any money. I won't bother Caixia."
So Comrade Xia is a good comrade indeed. The director continued to smile and pretended not to notice Wang Caixia's little action of pulling Xia Juhua's collar, and walked away to deal with other things.
Wang Caixia finally had the chance to complain to Xia Juhua: "Do you know what we are dealing with? Just say you don't have any money. It's rare that our director asks for it. I'll buy whatever you want for you, and you can just pay me back when I go to your house to get some peanuts."
Xia Juhua turned her head and was pulled to the grocery counter by Wang Caixia. She listened to her explaining the director's intentions to the salesperson in a vague way, and looked at the things that the salesperson took out from under the counter with her eyes wide open.
Xia Juhua had seen so many things in her life that she would not be shocked by a few bags of brown sugar. But now, if rural people want to buy brown sugar, they have to dig a door, steal a hole, and ask someone for help. The supply and marketing cooperatives actually have to deal with it.
Wang Caixia didn't hear Xia Juhua say whether to buy it or not for a while. She turned around and saw her expression and couldn't help laughing. She nudged her with her elbow and asked in a low voice: "How is it, do you need it?"
Of course she needs it. Not to mention that Wang Caifeng had to eat brown sugar eggs during her confinement, even if she couldn't use them all and kept them as gifts, it would be a big favor - many of the things in Xia Juhua's cabinet were not bought when they were needed, but bought when they could be bought, so that she wouldn't be at a loss when she wanted to use them.
Moreover, Xia Juhua has made up her mind that she can't be like her last life and not socialize with anyone in the village, but get along with people she gets along with. If you want to get along well with others, you can't save on favors. Brown sugar is a very good gift whether it's for milk production or for visiting the elderly.
So Xia Juhua, who was awakened by Wang Caixia's elbow, nodded to the salesperson and asked, "How many kilograms can I buy?"
The salesperson smiled, carefully checked that no one was paying attention to the three of them, and said softly, "The director has spoken. You can buy two kilograms."
Compared to the amount of brown sugar the salesperson had put out, two pounds was not much. Xia Juhua did not think the salesperson was deliberately not selling it to her, but thanked him sincerely. She did not say much, and her words were somewhat poor, but you could hear the sincerity of her thanks.
The salesperson was very polite because Wang Caixia came with the director's words. After hearing what Xia Juhua said, he smiled even more deeply, bent down under the counter and took out five more handfuls of noodles:
"This is not from our supply and marketing cooperative. I bought it from the grain station for my relative. If you need it, take it first and I'll buy it for him."
Hearing that the salesperson had exchanged them for someone else, Xia Juhua glanced at Wang Caixia and saw her nod slightly. She thanked the salesperson again and accepted the five bunches of noodles without hesitation.
It was indeed Wang Caixia who gave her the money, but it was only enough for two kilograms of brown sugar - Wang Caixia came to work normally, and the money in her pocket was for buying some processed products from the supply and marketing cooperative, so she didn't bring much.
However, the salesperson in the food department told Wang Caixia to bring it to her in the afternoon, and winked at Wang Caixia. Xia Juhua pretended not to see the eye contact between the two, and after leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, she was still thanking the salesperson to Wang Caixia.
Wang Caixia whispered to her, "If you want to thank someone, thank our director. Xiao Chen wants to be promoted, so she listens to our director the most. She has good eyesight, so she must have seen the director talking to you several times."
Xia Juhua finally understood the trick and said with a smile, "I don't thank her or the director, I just want to thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known the director, and I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of him."
Isn't it cheap? Other farmers had to work very hard to buy some brown sugar, but the supply and marketing cooperative actually "processed" the goods after they arrived. This made Xia Juhua, who was worried when she came, return home with a blessing in disguise.
Wang Caixia was also amused by her. Just as she was about to say something, she heard a noise coming from the street. She looked closely and found that it was a few Red Team members who had tied up several people and were walking towards them, cursing all the way.
Wang Caixia didn't recognize the people tied up, but Xia Juhua was very familiar with them. They were Liu Sizhuang and his wife, as well as their son and daughter. The last person to follow was Liu Erzhuang, who looked depressed. Fortunately, Liu Erzhuang was not tied up. It seemed that he followed because he wanted to hear how the Red Team would deal with Liu Sizhuang's family.
Liu Erzhuang also saw Xia Juhua standing with Wang Caixia. He opened and closed his mouth, lowered his head and walked past the door of the supply and marketing cooperative with the Red Team with a red face.
Wang Caixia whispered, "I wonder whose family was unlucky enough to be targeted by the Red Squad and the whole family was arrested."
Xia Juhua looked at the crowd walking away and said in the same voice, "It's not unfair for this family to be arrested. They are my youngest brother-in-law's family."
Wang Caixia looked at Xia Juhua a little embarrassedly, and then she realized belatedly: "Weren't you kicked out by your mother-in-law's family a long time ago?"
So rumors and the truth are quite different. Although Wang Caixia had been to Ping'an Village, Xia Juhua had not told her about her family affairs in detail, and Wang Caifeng did not have time to tell Wang Caixia.
Now Wang Caixia actually said that she was kicked out by her mother-in-law. It must be because of what she said to Sun Guizhi at the door of the hotel. Who knows how many people passed it on to this conclusion. However, Xia Juhua did not think this conclusion was bad. She said with some helplessness:
"The one who followed without being abducted was my second uncle. He and my third uncle's family have been secretly helping us three mothers over the years. The ones who were abducted were the fourth brother's family. Last night, the fourth brother chopped the third brother's head off. The third brother's wife was not convinced and reported him to the commune. That's when the Red Team went to our Ping'an Village to arrest people."
As for the fact that Liu Sizhuang took his wife and children to his father-in-law's house in the middle of the night, Xia Juhua did not say anything. It was not because she wanted to save face for Liu Sizhuang's family, but because she felt there was no need to say it - as long as she saw Liu Sizhuang's family being dealt with by the Red Team, Xia Juhua was very happy.
Wang Caixia had indeed heard the rumor that Xia Juhua had quarreled with her sister-in-law in front of the hotel. Because Xia Juhua was the protagonist and she had made special inquiries in detail, she knew that Liu Sizhuang's wife was no good. She heard that Liu Sizhuang had broken his own brother's head, and thought that the couple deserved it.
The two talked a few more words about this and agreed on the time when Wang Caixia would go to get the peanuts. Then Xia Juhua returned to Ping'anzhuang with a relaxed mood, carrying the brown sugar and noodles wrapped in a borrowed bag.
After returning home, Xia Juhua felt hungry. She ate two cakes in one breath and rested for half an hour before she started frying peanuts again with full energy - that's her personality. If she doesn't agree, she won't agree. But if she promises to do something, she will do her best to complete it.
Wang Caifeng saw that her mother-in-law had gone to the commune and her face did not look as bad as before she went to the old house. While watching the fire for Xia Juhua, she asked, "Mom, I heard that the Red Team caught Sun Guizhi and the others. Were you there to see them in the commune?" Maybe her mother-in-law went to the commune specifically to see Liu Sizhuang's family making fun of themselves, otherwise why would she be so happy when she came back.
Xia Juhua smiled and said, "I saw it. Not only Sun Guizhi and Liu Sizhuang were arrested, but also their family members Zhiliang and Hongjuan were arrested." At this point, Xia Juhua herself felt strange: "Why did the Red Team arrest them both?"
Logically speaking, after Liu Sizhuang beat the man up and ran away, Sun Guizhi taking him back to her parents' home could be considered as protecting him. However, Liu Zhiliang and Liu Hongjuan were both teenagers, so the Red Team should not have arrested them as well.
Moreover, Liu Erzhuang was with them. No matter how much he disliked Liu Sizhuang and his wife, he had to plead with the Red Team on behalf of Liu Zhiliang and Liu Hongjuan. And what about Sun Guizhi's family? Would they just watch the Red Team take away two half-grown children?
Yes, the people in the Red Team were not very reasonable, but Liu Zhiliang and Liu Hongjuan were old enough, and if someone spoke up for them, the Red Team would not really take their anger out on the two half-grown kids. They were busy beating up bad elements every day, and it would be noisy to catch two half-grown kids crying and shouting.
Xia Juhua's face grew increasingly heavy. She wondered if she was too happy too early. The Red Team was able to capture Liu Zhiliang and Liu Hongjuan. They were extremely unreasonable. Could she take the words of the director of the supply and marketing cooperative seriously? Could she really continue to fry her peanuts?
Before I could figure it out, someone called out at the gate, "Are you home, dear? Hongmei, come out quickly. Your mother and I are here to see you."
Xia Juhua and Wang Caifeng were both stunned. Because Xia Juhua was frying peanuts and couldn't stop, she had to respond loudly: "Who is it? I'm busy here." Then she motioned Wang Caifeng to go out and take a look.
沒等王彩鳳走出廚房，正在睡覺的劉保國被喊醒了，哇的一聲哭了起來，王彩鳳就有點着急，步子邁的大了點兒，差點絆到門檻上，幸虧扶着門框站穩了。夏菊花沒法，趕緊往出撤火，來人已經自己走到廚房門前了。
“親家，你這是炒啥呢，咋這麽香呢。我就說我們紅梅是個有福氣的，要不咋能嫁這麽好的婆家。”說話的人自說自話，夏菊花也認出來人正是孫紅梅的爹娘，一邊繼續往出撤火一邊說：“親家來啦，我這兒馬上就好。”
孫紅梅的娘嘴裏說着不急不急，人已經自來熟的進了廚房。她也不用人讓，自己伸手就想抓鍋裏的花生。竈下剛才還有火，花生雖才半熟可溫度不低，孫紅梅的娘被燙了一下，不甘心的收回手。
眼看着香噴噴的花生就是吃不到嘴，孫紅梅的娘說出來的話很是陰陽怪氣：“咋就親家你和大侄媳婦媳婦在家呢，我們紅梅呢？”
夏菊花還不知道孫紅梅的娘，跟孫桂芝那可真是親姑嫂，挑事的本事誰都得服。聽她這麽一問，心知來者不善，幹脆晾一晾她，直到把火撤完了才站起身來說：“紅梅下地去了，親家找她有事兒呀。要是急事那就得去地頭找她。”
“喲，這大冬天的紅梅咋還下地呢，平安莊還真是跟我們孫家莊不一樣。”孫紅梅的娘把嘴撇的瓢似的：“咋就讓我們紅梅下地，大侄媳婦不用下地？”
夏菊花無語的看了孫紅梅的娘一眼，連正房都沒往裏讓，就跟他們兩口站在院當間，冷冷的說：“我大兒媳婦下了一年的地，掙的工分換了口糧分了紅，又眼看着快生了，我就讓她在家歇着了。”
咋地，我自己家的事還不能自己做主了？
孫紅梅的娘愣了一下，覺得眼前的夏菊花跟小姑子說的不太一樣。按小姑子的說法，閨女的婆婆是個只知道幹活，有啥話都憋在肚子裏的人，如果非得跟人理論的話，也會想了又想才說。
怎麽剛才說的話這麽順溜，裏頭還帶着骨頭呢？什麽掙的工分換了口糧分了紅，意思就是自己閨女沒口糧沒分紅呗！
孫紅梅她爹也聽出夏菊花對他們家的不待見，臉上堆起笑來說：“親家，我們家老婆子就是心疼閨女，說話沒個把門的。紅梅既然嫁到你們家，自己下地掙工分換口糧都是應該的。”
“親家說的沒錯。”夏菊花好象把孫紅梅她爹的話聽進去了，附合着說：“要說舊社會講什麽嫁漢嫁漢，穿衣吃飯。可現在都是新社會了，老人家都說婦女能頂半邊天，紅梅就算是嫁進我們家，也要聽老人家的教導。”
說完，夏菊花先自己在心裏感謝了一下村頭天天念語錄的大喇叭，要不她早把這些詞給忘脖子後了。
孫紅梅的爹也愣了，他剛才着重說孫紅梅嫁進了劉家，就是想用“嫁漢嫁漢穿衣吃飯”套住夏菊花，不想人家把這句話先說出來，還用老人家的話反駁他。
老人家的話能有錯嗎？！孫紅梅的爹醒過神來只能點頭贊同夏菊花的話。見他點了頭，夏菊花才笑了一下，不過收的很快，接着就是三人相對沉默。
夏菊花是有意不再問孫紅梅爹娘來的目的——剛才一見面她已經問過了，你們不說那我就不再問，由着你們保密好了。
她能沉得住氣，孫紅梅的爹娘心裏有事兒，等不得。見夏菊花一直沉默，孫紅梅的娘自以為隐蔽的挖了她一眼，又使勁瞪了自家男人一眼。
孫紅梅的爹被瞪之後，清了清嗓子，開口了：“親家，我們來呢是想打聽打聽，四壯他們一家子是怎麽回事，咋紅小隊還跑家裏抓人去了呢？”
原來是為這個來的。夏菊花很不解的看孫紅梅的爹：“他們一家的事兒，我不知道呀。紅梅和志雙成親之前你們不就知道，我們大房早跟老院分開單過了，十來年都不走動了。”
孫紅梅的爹再次無話可說——一般人不都是家醜不可外揚，在親家面前裝出家庭和睦的樣子嘛，咋閨女的婆婆一點兒也不怕自己看不起他們家？
孫紅梅她娘急了，嗓門都尖利起來：“親家你這話說的就不對了。就算你再分出來單過，志雙也是老劉家的根，打斷骨頭還連着筋呢，咋能出這麽大的事兒一點也不上心呢？”
“我兒子挺上心的，昨天半夜還跟着把他三叔送到縣醫院去了。”夏菊花還是那麽淡淡的說：“對我們娘三個好的人，我兒子自然上心。”
“你——”孫紅梅的娘眼睛都氣紅了：“他爹，咱們今天算是白來了，沒想到紅梅嫁進這麽不通人情的人家。走，咱們去老劉家打聽打聽去，我還就不信了，姓劉的能都跟她這麽沒人味。”
“你說誰沒人味呢？”王彩鳳剛把劉保國哄不哭了，想着家裏來客了，還是孫紅梅的娘家爹娘，自己當大嫂的應該替她招待一下，就抱着劉保國出來了。沒承想自己想的挺好，別人可不都跟她一樣想處好關系，正好把孫紅梅她娘說的話聽到耳朵裏。
從孫紅梅嫁進劉家以來，王彩鳳有了對比發現自己婆婆真不賴，處事又公正，又心疼劉保國，又能掙錢，現在正是對夏菊花除了感激還佩服的時候，哪兒聽得了人說婆婆的壞話？
孫紅梅的娘當着面說婆婆沒人味，王彩鳳能忍着她才怪呢：“要說別人，也得先看看自己家幹的是啥事。姑爺三天回門，大包小裹的帶着回門禮去了，結果就給喝一碗稀粥，自己閨女也得回婆家才能墊補一口，那才是沒人味呢。”
沒等孫紅梅的娘有什麽反應，夏菊花倒是看了王彩鳳一眼，看到她臉脹得通紅惡狠狠的看着孫紅梅她娘，心裏不是不感慨的：上輩子王彩鳳也沒少出去講咕自己，這輩子一開始同樣有小算計，現在竟然主動替自己說話，真讓夏菊花想不到。
夏菊花沒想到，孫紅梅的娘也沒想到自己家招待姑爺回門的事兒，這麽當面讓人揭了出來，還是被閨女的妯娌說出來的，老臉難得的紅了。
紅梅這個死丫頭，自己都告訴她了回婆婆家別說自己家怎麽招待姑爺的，怎麽還讓劉家人都知道了呢？她也是處過妯娌的人，當然知道這樣的事兒，婆婆還可能看在兒子的面上替兒媳婦遮掩一下，妯娌卻不會。
她要是拿到妯娌這樣的把柄，肯定會天天拿話敲打人。
，閨女的妯娌也不是省油的燈。
孫紅梅的爹臉已經黑了，氣恨恨的舉起巴掌要打媳婦——個死婆娘，不會說話就裝啞巴得了，自己上門求人倒先把人罵了，下頭的話還怎麽說出口？
他的巴掌舉起來了，夏菊花和王彩鳳就那麽看着，誰也沒開口勸。孫紅梅的爹只好不輕不重的把巴掌落到媳婦的後背上，繼續賠着笑臉說：
“那個親家，侄媳婦，都消消氣。這死娘們說她嘴上沒把門的，她還賽臉了。你們別跟她一般見識。既然你們早分出來單過了，不知道那頭的事兒也正常，等紅梅回來了我讓她去打聽打聽。”
紅梅可是你們家的媳婦，到時她出去打聽的話，外人一定當成是你們家讓打聽的，你還能說自己跟老劉家不走動不走動，還那麽關心老劉家的事兒幹啥。
他想的挺好，夏菊花卻沒有讓他如願的打算——對孫家一家人，加上一個孫氏，一次次跳出來給自己添亂，夏菊花早就煩了，現在孫紅梅的爹一邊說話一邊眼珠子亂轉的樣子，夏菊花敢肯定，上輩子他也是孫紅梅背後的軍師之一。
所以夏菊花的口氣更淡了：“那恐怕不行。孫紅梅前幾天鬧着要回娘家，我讓志雙送她回去的時候，她又哭又求的不肯回去。那時她就答應我，為了不被送回娘家，以後都不跟孫桂芝走動。”
“要是讓她出去打聽孫桂芝的事兒，算是走動還是不走動呢？要是算走動的話，可跟紅梅答應我的不一樣。親家，你們是想接着紅梅回娘家嗎？”
“不可能。”孫紅梅的娘顧不得剛才被拍的那一巴掌，被人踩着尾似的嗷一聲叫了起來：“那是我們紅梅的親姑姑，你咋能說出不讓她跟她姑姑走動的話。紅梅他們結婚，還是她姑姑做的媒呢。再說，我們紅梅那麽懂事兒，要不是讓你們欺負狠了，她咋能想回娘家。”
“哦，我知道了，就是你這個當婆婆的太偏心，大冬天的把大兒媳婦留在家裏養着，天天讓我們紅梅這個小兒媳婦下地幹活，她妯娌還老拿話磕打她，我們紅梅受不了這份氣，才想回娘家的。”
She screamed so loudly that some people outside the courtyard stopped and looked through the crack of the door, wanting to see what had happened in the Liu family, which had always been very peaceful. Xia Juhua didn't care if there were people outside the courtyard watching the excitement or how loudly Sun Hongmei's mother screamed, she just watched her jump up and down calmly.
Sun Hongmei's father frowned, as if Xia Juhua hadn't finished what she had just said. He opened his mouth to ask his daughter-in-law to stop shouting, but he couldn't stop her from going crazy.