Xia Juhua knew why Wang Caifeng didn't want to give more to her parents' home. It was because they were all poor, and when they had something good, they would first think of their own little home. Although it was a bit selfish, Xia Juhua felt that it was better than moving all the things back to her parents' home even if it meant starving her son.
Feeling satisfied, Xia Juhua said generously: "It's not a whole bunch of noodles. I don't know if your mother will dislike it. Besides, you can't say that you gave it to your mother. You should have been with your father while Zhiquan's father was alive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have married you to Zhiquan. This little thing is my way of thanking them for raising a good daughter-in-law for me."
Wang Caifeng was about to cry. She felt guilty for always thinking about how to be lazy and do some work so that her mother-in-law could support her more. "Mom..."
Before she could say anything sentimental, Xia Juhua said, "Weigh out another ten kilograms, and Zhishuang will give five kilograms to each of your two uncles."
Of course Xia Juhua would not just send gifts to Wang Caifeng's parents' home and forget about her brothers. She first said she would send gifts to Wang Caifeng's parents' home, and she sent them out in her own name. Liu Zhiquan and his wife could still say that now she wants to send some noodles to her two brothers, isn't it wrong for the leader?
When Liu Zhishuang heard that his mother had entrusted him with the important task of delivering gifts to his uncle, he was overwhelmed with joy. He even felt that his mother shouldn't have given the gift to his brother's father-in-law - he didn't have a father-in-law now, but if he had one, his mother would have definitely given it to him.
I trust my mother so much.
Xia Juhua, who didn't know she was so trusted, came to the yard again in the afternoon. She saw that the yard, which was originally exposed in the open space, was surrounded by thick reed curtains on all sides, with a slit left on the side facing the street for the women who made mats to enter and exit.
Xia Juhua first walked around the reed curtain, pushing it from time to time, and found that although the curtain swayed a few times, it was not swaying badly, so she nodded with satisfaction. Just as she was about to go in to take a look, she heard a voice from Li Changwang's house: "Whose kid is this? If you push the curtain again, I will go out and beat you up."
Xia Juhua's face softened at the confident voice - she didn't expect that Li Changwang's family would still stay here in such a cold day.
"Who do you want to hit?" Xia Juhua asked before she even entered. After asking this, the corners of her mouth curled up. Since when did she start to be so willing to joke with Li Changwang's family?
Hearing her voice, Li Changwang's mother cried out and ran out: "Captain, you are here, please talk to them, I won't listen."
Xia Juhua heard her complaining, her tone was even more furious, and she was a little curious: If Li Changwang's family was so angry, they should have quarreled with others. She had just walked around and didn't hear any sound of Li Changwang's family quarreling with others. This was not Li Changwang's character.
But now was not the time to ask this question. Xia Juhua suppressed her doubts and followed Li Changwang's family through the reed curtain. She discovered that almost all the women in Ping'an Village who were able to work in the fields were inside.
"Didn't I tell you before I went to the commune that the weather was too cold, so let everyone register how many reed stalks they had picked up and then go home to weave mats?" Xia Juhua could only ask Li Changwang's family, why were so many people staying in the yard? What was going on?
Li Changwang's family had a lot to say: "I've told them and asked the accountant to help with the registration, but they just wouldn't listen. They said it wasn't cold at all with the reed curtains, and they even drove the accountant away. They're just wasting time here."
This was the task assigned to her by Xia Juhua. In Li Changwang's eyes, it was a manifestation of Xia Juhua's trust in her and a good relationship with her. How could she not want to complete it well?
Who knows why these women are so upset that they refuse to go home no matter what they say and want to stay here and freeze. Li Changwang's family wishes that God would send a heavy snowfall so that these women can have the feeling of having snow poured down their necks.
Things didn't go as planned. The heavy snow didn't fall, but Xia Juhua came. He realized that he hadn't done his job well. Finally, the voices in Li Changwang's house became nervous: "Captain, I really persuaded them. I almost took them home. But I'm alone..."
She is so pitiful. The captain will not think that he is incapable of doing things, and he will not have to take care of these women in the future. I don't know when Li Changwang's family has positioned themselves in the position of managing women in Ping'an Village.
Xia Juhua could hear the uneasiness in Li Changwang's family and looked at her with sympathy. No wonder she was called captain instead of Mrs. Liu. She must have used herself to pressure the women a lot in the past half day.
Unfortunately it didn't work.
"Isn't it cold for everyone to stay here?" Xia Juhua couldn't figure it out, so she had to ask. What she didn't want to hear was a chorus of praise. All the women said they were not cold, saying they had never thought that weaving mats could also have reed curtains to block the wind, and that it was quite warm for everyone to huddle together.
But are you sure you can make a good mat by squeezing them together?
Since no one wanted to go home, Xia Juhua took the opportunity to say a few words: "I went to the supply and marketing cooperative today and have already discussed with them. Tomorrow we can pick up the woven mats. I have also thought of a new idea. I will start weaving when I return from the canal repair work. If the supply and marketing cooperative thinks it is feasible, we will weave another 200 mats before the New Year. Can everyone finish it?"
"Yes, as long as we can earn work points, we can compile 400 sheets."
"Captain, when are you going to teach me your new tricks? I've been waiting for a long time." Someone started to speak the truth, and Xia Juhua then realized why everyone stayed.
Li Changwang's family was so angry that they started yelling, "If the captain didn't want to teach you, he wouldn't have taught you the new tricks for the first time. You guys are so petty, and everyone you see has their own selfish motives, right?"
Everyone was so dumbfounded by Li Changwang's scolding that they couldn't even lift their heads. Xia Juhua patted her on the shoulder and said, "Okay, since everyone is willing to work together, then stay in the yard. It happens that we don't need to make new mats this afternoon, so you can find the people who used to make mats and each of them can take a few people to teach the newcomers how to start and finish."
When the leader of Li Changwang's family heard that Xia Juhua still entrusted the task of finding people to him, he nodded happily. But when he heard that he had to teach the newcomer how to start and end the job, he stopped laughing: "Captain..."
"What's the matter?" Xia Juhua was puzzled as to why Li Changwang's family was so embarrassed over just a message. "If you have something to do, just go and do it yourself. I can ask Zhaodi to find someone."
They actually asked Sun Zhaodi to find someone, that was not acceptable. Li Changwang's family gritted their teeth and shook their heads, saying in a low voice: "Captain, we all learned our skills from the elders, are we willing to teach them to outsiders?"
Don't teach? Xia Juhua's face became serious: "Don't tell others, are you willing to teach?"
Li Changwang's family had a difficult choice between preserving their craft and becoming someone Xia Juhua trusted. His face wrinkled before he gritted his teeth and said, "I am willing."
That's all. Xia Juhua continued to tell her seriously: "No matter who says they don't want to teach others, just tell them that I don't want to teach them new tricks either."
Yes, after the captain came up with a new trick, he taught everyone how to do it without any fighting, and he still had to teach other tricks. Why can't these women teach the newcomers?
Li Changwang's wife patted her chest loudly and told Xia Juhua to go back to her own business. She would be in charge of the teaching and would make sure the newcomers learned quickly.
Xia Juhua also told her to find a few careful people to pick out as many dark-colored reed stems as possible, just like last time. That way, those who didn't need to learn or teach in the afternoon could peel the reed skins first. In addition, she had to find someone to check the woven reed mats again and count them, so that when the sales agency came to pick them up tomorrow, they would not find any problems and delay the acceptance.
After Xia Juhua went to find Chen Qiusheng, Li Changwang's family realized that half a day was not enough to complete the tasks Xia Juhua had mentioned! When Liu Erzhuang was the production team leader, everyone made mats according to their own progress. Why was it that when it came to Xia Juhua, it was as if someone was behind her with a whip to urge her?
But she was still willing to be Xia Juhua's whip. Li Changwang's family shouted loudly: "Sun Zhaodi, take the three people who used to weave mats and teach the newcomers how to start and finish. Baoling, you are careful, take a few people..."
Xia Juhua did not go far, she stood under the reed wall and listened for a while before coming to the production team. When Chen Qiusheng saw her coming in, he asked hurriedly: "Captain, how is it, when will the supply and marketing cooperative come to clear the table?"
Xia Juhua took out the money that had been in her pocket and said, "Someone will come to invite us tomorrow, and they have already paid."
"So straightforward?" Chen Qiu Sheng took the money and asked doubtfully. His men counted quickly, and the more they counted, the more his smile twitched: "Now, if the villagers have any problems, they will not be afraid to borrow money from the production team."
Those who needed to borrow money from the production team because of problems were those who could not borrow money from other families, and they often owed money. The so-called debt owed money means that the family had many people but few laborers, and the work points earned were not enough to exchange for food for the whole family. However, when distributing food, they could not really not give food, so they could only owe the production team work points, that is, owe the production team money.
These families are often the ones most likely to get into trouble - there are no serious illnesses in the family, or there are a few lazy and indolent people. The farmers who are willing to go to the fields and work with the team, although it is hard work, can always earn their own food.
At the time of the handover, Chen Qiu Sheng had already explained the situation to Xia Juhua. Although there were only 94 households in Ping'an Village, seven of them were in debt, and they owed the production team a total of more than 630 yuan.
Not only can this money not be repaid in the near future, but the production team may have to borrow money again - winter and spring are the seasons when chronic diseases flare up, and if the illness is serious, it must be treated, and treatment costs money.
夏菊花頭都大了：“那七戶裏頭，我知道老董叔、光棍叔和七奶肯定得吃救濟，趙華山、劉力柱、陳路生他們三家子都有病人。剩下趙鐵蛋他們家，一家三個大男人，咋整的沒一個認幹的呢？”
當個聽吆喝的社員多好呀，當上生産隊長竟然還得操心別人家為啥不下地幹活，夏菊花後悔自己當初說試試了。
陳秋生倒比她樂觀：“怕啥，他們各家的事兒大隊也都知道，咱們生産隊年年給他們申請救濟，來年春天再有救濟糧，別人家也不稀得和他們争。”
問題就在于明年春天可能沒有救濟糧。生産隊雖然給欠帳戶分糧，也不能真跟有工分換的人一樣，分給七家的口糧都是按着餓不死的标準，所以這七家的口糧，會比別人家支撐的時間更短。
只能寄希望于挂面廠的麥麸了。夏菊花越想越覺得時間緊迫，匆匆到渠上看了看，見劉二壯帶着大家夥幹的熱火朝天，二話沒說推起土來。
“嫂子，你咋又推上土了呢。”劉二壯見夏菊花一來就推土，上前想攔住她。夏菊花讓了讓沒讓開，順手把推車給了劉二壯，問：“上午給你們送姜湯了沒有？”剛才光想着把錢交給陳秋生，忘了問李常旺家的了。
劉二壯樂呵呵的說：“送了，聽說今天的姜都是各家湊的。”
夏菊花點了點頭，她自己家的那點姜确實熬不了幾回，有人願意湊一點更好。她問：“這渠還得幾天完事？”
“還得個十來天吧。”劉二壯看着大夥一刨一個白印，把工期往後算了幾天。
“正好，等修渠結束了，也到了殺年豬的時候，希望豬争氣點兒，這幾天再長幾斤肉，一家好歹多分二兩，給大家夥好好補一補。”夏菊花得給社員們鼓勁。
聽到殺年豬，劉二壯高興的跟着點了點頭，不過他有更關心的問題：“嫂子，你們今天給四壯送糧食，紅小隊真說要關他二十天？”放出來可就到年根了，劉四壯家能來得及準備過年的東西嗎？
劉二壯可不認為分了家，劉四壯家沒有過年東西，他娘就能放過自己。
回來的時候劉大喜已經跟夏菊花說過劉四壯的情況，所以她沒藏着：“要是劉四壯兩口子在裏頭還不老實，興許得留在學習班過年。”
“咋着，他們在學習班還不老實？”劉二壯對劉四壯兩口子的作死能力也是服氣了。
夏菊花也想不明白，劉四壯能躲到孫氏身後占了這麽些年便宜，應該是個有眼力見的，咋到了學習班倒認不清自己算哪頭蒜了呢：
“孫桂芝不是舉報我投機倒把嗎，人家供銷社給我證明了。結果等我們走了之後，他們兩口子又說供銷社收了我的好處才給我做證明的，又說紅小隊包庇我，處事不公平。所以紅小隊的人很生氣，不知道什麽時候能放他們出來呢。”
“艹——”劉二壯不由的罵了句粗話，才發現在嫂子跟前說這話不合适，臉一下子紅了：“嫂子，我是太生氣了。”
誰聽了誰不生氣？也就是人林主任氣量大，今天夏菊花見他的時候連提都沒提，還要跟平安莊再訂新席。換一個氣量小的試試，以後還肯跟夏菊花打交道才怪呢。
“你自己知道就行了，老太太那兒你心裏有點數。”夏菊花真心同情劉二壯，可也沒有更好的辦法讓孫氏不作妖。
劉二壯牙咬的咯吱響：“我們都分家了，我就是當哥的，管不了他一輩子。”
夏菊花點了點頭，要是劉二壯能一直堅持住，孫氏也能消停點兒。她的事兒還多着呢，又拜托劉二壯繼續盯着修渠，重新回到場院來。
場院裏婦女們都在忙着，好幾個人頭碰頭的圍在一起，是跟着學編席。安寶玲幾個已經找出一堆顏色金黃的葦杆，單獨珍惜的放在一邊，每多找出一把來，都引來高興的笑聲。
還有幾個人在專心的破葦皮，夏菊花就找了個莆團，坐到破好的葦皮邊上，拿起幾根葦皮開始起頭。
一開始只是破葦皮的人發現夏菊花的到來，見她開始動手編席，也沒出聲，只是一眼一眼的看她怎麽編。等發現夏菊花飛快的起好頭，臉上都露出佩服的神情來：別人起頭都先拿葦皮左比右比，得算長度算方向。
夏菊花起頭，拿起葦皮就開始，完全沒有算計的過程，起好的頭卻嚴密緊實，幾根葦皮象是知道自己該去哪兒似的，你壓我我壓你，很快結成短短的“7”字，一個個大小勻稱整齊，看上去十分愛人。
“誰幫我破幾片黃/色的葦皮。”夏菊花見頭起的差不多了，才擡頭沖破葦皮的人笑着問。
兩三個人站起來往安寶玲她們那邊走，生怕自己晚了一步讓別人搶了先。李常旺家的一聽夏菊花要黃/色的葦皮，馬上明白她要開始編新花樣的，不管不顧的嚷嚷：“劉嫂子，你可別光教她們幾個不教我們。”一下子整個場院的婦女都停下自己手裏的活，向夏菊花所在的方向看了過來。
得，需要拉關系的時候，自己又成了劉嫂子。夏菊花沖李常旺家的搖着頭說：“我也是頭一回編，還不知道能不能編成呢。等我編成了就會教給大家。”
你說自己頭一回編的時候，眼睛能不能看着手裏的席子，手能不能不動的那麽快？那樣的話說服力真的更強。
李常旺家的不管不顧的擠到夏菊花身邊，被破葦皮的婦女瞪了好幾眼也不在乎：“我覺得劉嫂子你頭一回就能編成。我心靈，看一遍就能學差不多，等我學會了就幫着嫂子你教別人。”
李常滿家的聽不下去了：“就你能，這麽能咋不自己想幾個花樣教教我們呢。”
“李嫂子，你咋跑這兒來了呢，我那個頭起的對不對，咋編出來的是歪的呢？”剛才跟着李常旺家的學起頭的人也跟過來了，一邊說着李常旺家的，一邊拿眼睛不時的瞟向夏菊花正編着的席。
李常旺家的頭也不回的說：“等我一會兒學完了，連新花樣一起教給你們。”
“嫂子，你看這幾根葦杆行不行？”安寶玲聽說夏菊花要用黃/色的葦杆，親自拿了十幾根過來讓夏菊花自己挑。夏菊花只要用不同葦杆顏色把顯出來，見安寶玲拿來的根根粗壯，點了點頭說：“行，你替我破出來吧。”
去要黃葦杆的就有些不高興，可話是夏菊花說的，葦杆還在安寶玲手裏，她們也不能從安寶玲的手裏直接搶過來，幹看着安寶玲心安理得的坐到夏菊花身邊，一邊破着葦皮，一邊近距離看夏菊花編席。
甚至夏菊花還有空兒和安寶玲拉家長：“老三這幾天怎麽樣了，他一個人留在家裏行呀？”
提起這個安寶玲就沒法心平氣和：“不行能咋整，我也不能天天守着他，我們娘三個也得吃飯不是。嫂子，要我說還是你省心，帶着孩子起身就走，誰也說不出你啥來。”
“又瞎說。”夏菊花連忙制止安寶玲說下去，這要是讓孫氏知道了，還不得說安寶玲巴望着劉三壯死呀。安寶玲苦笑一下：“嫂子，你不知道看着三壯給東西就吃，不給他自己都不知道餓的樣子，我心裏多難受。”
婦女們同情的看着安寶玲，這些人或多或少都受過婆婆的氣，對安寶玲的話很有同感，七嘴八舌的安慰起她來。夏菊花也勸她：
“好歹還有那麽個人讓你伺候着，志軍志國進屋能叫聲爹，這一家就是全的。再說這不比剛回來的時候好多了，那時候別說給飯吃，我看跟他說話他都聽不見。”
“咱們隊長越來越會說話了。”李常旺家的不甘寂寞呀，找到機會就想誇夏菊花兩句：“人都說手一分嘴一分，以前我還不知道是什麽意思，現在看看咱們隊長，可不就是手一分嘴一分。”
夏菊花頭疼的看了看李常旺家的，問：“你看了這麽半天，學會了沒有？”
啥？李常旺家的一低頭，發現剛才自己光顧着聽安寶玲和夏菊花說話，再找機會誇獎夏菊花，竟沒發現夏菊花已經不知不覺編好了兩角上的福字。
“劉嫂子，你說你這腦子是咋長的，手是咋練的，咋都這麽巧呢。這兩字的方向還不一樣，你是咋編出來的。”李常旺家的妄圖用驚嘆，掩蓋自己沒有學會的尴尬。
夏菊花都無奈了：“你快去給我教她們起頭吧。要是今天有一個沒學會起頭或是起的不合格的，明天我就不教你了。”
人人都聽出夏菊花是在跟李常旺家的開玩笑，婦女們跟着七嘴八舌頭的起哄，李常旺家的自己也不急眼，還好意思跟夏菊花說：“劉嫂子不教誰也得教我，要不你不在的時候，誰替你看着這些娘們不偷懶。”
The women all shouted and quit, and together they started to criticize Li Changwang's family. If they were to ask who had done the least amount of work that day, it would definitely be Li Changwang's family - everyone else was in charge of their own tasks, but she had to run around to make arrangements first and then check the progress, so she really didn't do enough work.
Li Changwang was a little anxious, afraid that Xia Juhua would misunderstand her, and she defended herself loudly: "Captain, I really didn't slack off. You have to believe me. You arranged all the work for me."
The answer to Li Changwang's family was another round of laughter from everyone.