Just as mothers understand their own children, how can children not understand their own mothers? Li Daya was clearly sure that Xia Juhua would not find Liu Hongling's words offensive, so she started to learn wholeheartedly. Liu Hongling herself was no longer worried and continued to chat and laugh with Liu Hongcui while learning to weave mats. The room was filled with laughter again.
Xia Juhua was still very relaxed when she only taught Li Daya and her two daughters, but they had just learned the beginning, and they would have to consolidate the finishing and weaving of characters tomorrow night. This was enough to make Li Daya and her daughter thank Xia Juhua again and again, and Xia Juhua was almost unable to bear it.
Li Daya had never been such a polite person before. Xia Juhua knew in her heart that she felt that the Liu family owed her too much.
Fortunately, Xia Juhua taught Li Daya some lessons in the evening: by noon the next day, she had finished weaving the new mat in her hands. She would take the new mat to the supply and marketing cooperative to have Director Lin inspect it. If the supply and marketing cooperative approved it, the women of Ping'an Village could start weaving new mats according to the new pattern.
The result of the acceptance naturally made both parties happy. After Xia Juhua got Director Lin's guarantee that he would definitely purchase the goods, she also guaranteed to him that she would deliver the goods on time. She left the new mat at the supply and marketing cooperative and went home with satisfaction.
When passing by the hotel, Xia Juhua unexpectedly saw Liu Hongjuan standing at the door of the hotel, craning her neck to look inside. She was very puzzled: How could Liu Hongjuan, who was only eight years old, come to the commune by herself and stand at the door of the hotel?
However, Xia Juhua was not a curious person, and because of Liu Hongjuan's performances several times, she realized that the child had started to grow crooked from then on, so she simply walked past Liu Hongjuan as if she didn't see anything.
Liu Hongjuan also saw Xia Juhua and stared at her with undisguised hatred in her eyes. Xia Juhua felt as if she was being stared at by a young snake: although the snake was still young, it could not conceal the cold aura it released.
"Don't be so conceited. Your good days are over." Liu Hongjuan suddenly said this when Xia Juhua passed by. Xia Juhua, who knew her temper well, didn't even pause, and walked past Liu Hongjuan and continued to walk towards Ping'an Village. Before she took two steps, she heard Sun's voice: "Hongjuan, who were you talking to just now?"
Looking back, Sun was holding a small bundle in her hand, which was still emitting heat. Liu Hongjuan did not answer her, but stared at the bundle and asked: "Grandma, how many meat buns did you buy? Give me one."
"Bah, you lost money and still want to eat buns?" Sun's preference for boys over girls was extremely serious. He hugged the bundle and asked Liu Hongjuan, "Who did you talk to just now? Didn't I tell you not to talk to anyone casually when you go out? Otherwise, the beggars will beat you away. I won't look for you."
Liu Hongjuan turned and pointed in the direction of Xia Juhua, and Xia Juhua met Sun's eyes. What kind of look was that? Contempt, disdain, hatred mixed with inexplicable pleasure, which should not appear in the eyes of people who have lived under the same roof for more than ten years.
But she appeared alive, Xia Juhua couldn't help but shudder. Sun Shi spat at the air again: "Let's see how long she can jump around. Go quickly, your parents are still waiting for us in the Red Team."
It turned out that it was Sun who brought Liu Hongjuan to visit Liu Sizhuang and his wife. Xia Juhua was a little puzzled. Liu Sizhuang had been in the study class for several days, and Sun had been taking care of Liu Erzhuang at home. Why did she come to see him in person today?
Did she think that the pigs were being taken back to the production team and wanted Liu Sizhuang to get them back for her? Xia Juhua turned around and rejected her idea: Liu Sizhuang couldn't even take care of himself, how could he care about what was happening outside the class?
After all, the joy of having just made an agreement with the supply and marketing cooperative to prepare another 200 seats prevailed. After returning to Ping'an Village, Xia Juhua did not even go home, but went directly to the yard to announce the good news to the women.
Although everyone had always shown an inexplicable trust in Xia Juhua, they still couldn't help but cheer a little when they heard the confirmed news, and they were all eager to start weaving the mats immediately.
Xia Juhua calculated that it took a dozen people around them ten days to weave the original 200 mats. Now there are almost twice as many people in the yard as before, so more than 30 people can finish the work in seven or eight days.
This calculation still takes into account the time that the novices need to learn on the job. By the time this batch of mats is finished, the novices will be able to weave mats independently, and it will also be the time for each family to get busy with the New Year.
Just right, nothing will be delayed.
Xia Juhua had a debt in her heart, and so did the women. Hearing that Xia Juhua still asked the experienced people to teach the newbies carefully, the newbies all smiled and said nice things to their "master", wishing they could compile their parts for the "master".
Who told them that when they came, they would take away the original mat weaver's job - they could earn ten days' work points, but now they can only earn seven days' work points at most, and they have to spare time to teach themselves how to weave mats. If you don't say good things, and come to a petty "master", and say a few words less about the key steps, and the mats you weave are not up to standard, then don't even think about weaving mats next time.
Xia Juhua looked at the different expressions of the women in the yard, and knew what was going on. She whispered a few words to Li Changwang's family, who smiled, nodded at her, and shouted to everyone:
"Captain, we can't give the same work points to those who are already good at it and those who are new to it. We can do it quickly, and we have to teach the new learners how to do it. I won't do it if we give them the same work points."
"Yes, the new learners are so slow at weaving. I can weave two mats while they can weave one."
"If I didn't teach while I was weaving, I could have weaved three mats."
"Just brag. If the captain could make it up, I'd believe him, but you..."
The original weaving staff all agreed with Li Changwang's opinion, while the new learners were all embarrassed. Xia Juhua discovered an interesting phenomenon: the old people standing next to the new learners did not say anything, but only those who did not have new learners standing next to them spoke loudly and clearly.
"Well, I understand what you are thinking. How about this? The original mat weavers will still get six work points a day, but the number of mats they have to weave will remain the same, one mat must be woven in two and a half days. And if someone asks you about it, you can't just say that you weave mats yourself and won't teach others."
Being able to keep the six work points was what the original mat weaving women had always hoped for, so they all agreed. Xia Juhua then looked at the new learners and said, "You have never learned how to weave mats before, so this time you are practicing and learning the craft. So you can only get four work points a day, and you must make sure you weave a mat well within three days. If you fail to do so, your work points will be deducted. What do you think?"
The new learners didn't have any objections, and Li Daya was the first to say, "Okay, no objection. We didn't get any apprenticeship money when we learned the craft from you, so it's good enough to just give us work points."
With her words, those who had some ulterior motives in their hearts also narrowed their eyes: In the past, if you wanted to learn a craft, you had to be filial to your master, and then you had to do so much work for him for free. Now, not only can you learn it yourself, but you can also teach it secretly to your daughter or your mother's family at home. No matter how you look at it, you are getting an advantage.
Since no one had any objection, in order to improve efficiency, we simply made some division of labor, that is, separating the people who made mats and the people who broke the reeds. The people who made mats focused on making mats, and the people who broke the reeds focused on breaking the reeds.
The principle of practice makes perfect applies everywhere. With this division of labor, the speed of weaving mats and breaking reed skins has increased a lot. In one day, more than a dozen people have woven most of a new mat. At this speed, it is easy to finish a new mat in two days.
The increase in speed has also boosted the enthusiasm of the women. When they heard the whistle for the end of work, they were reluctant to leave and all looked as if they were eager to work all night.
Xia Juhua had no choice but to chase them away herself: "Okay, 200 mats are enough for you to weave. I will also think of some new patterns, and I guarantee that you will be bored with weaving. Now get off work, otherwise your men will come to me to ask for people, and I won't be able to resist."
As Sun Zhaodi and Xia Juhua were walking home, she smiled and said to her, "Sister-in-law, I think you are different now."
Xia Juhua paused for a moment, with no expression on her face: "What's the difference? Do you think I talk too much?"
"No, that's not the case." Sun Zhaodi said cheerfully, "You talk a lot more now than before, but every word you say is to the point. You laugh more than before, and many people who didn't dare to talk to you before now dare to joke with you."
Talking about her love of laughing, Xia Juhua admitted: "Maybe I have become more open-minded. My life is more comfortable than before. People have to be open-minded. Once they are open-minded, all the worries are no longer a problem."
After Sun Zhaodi finished sighing about Xia Juhua, she sighed about herself: "I don't know when I can live a life like you, sister-in-law. Oh, I'll have to wait until the third son gets married. Only when they all get married, I can relax as a mother."
After saying this, he suddenly remembered that although Xia Juhua's youngest son had married once, he was already divorced, so he said embarrassedly: "Sister-in-law, I am not..."
"I know." Xia Juhua knew that Sun Zhaodi was a little timid. If she didn't speak up right away, she would be worried and unable to sleep tonight. "As they say, every family has its own problems. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. We can't live with them for the rest of our lives."
Sun Zhaodi nodded, not knowing whether she had heard it or not. Xia Juhua did not want to go into details - in the previous life, Sun Zhaodi's three daughters-in-law had often quarreled with each other, but Chen Dongsheng was a man of few words but very firm in his work. When his daughter got married, he directly divided the family property among his three sons, and he and Sun Zhaodi lived quite well.
可惜自己現在還沒辦法跟這兩貨分家呀。夏菊花算一算兩兒子兜裏的錢，好象離蓋房子單過還有好大距離，不禁有些哀怨的看着捧着碗禿嚕粥的兩個兒子，把劉志全和劉志雙看的心裏一驚：娘越來越奇怪了，總是這麽看他們心裏也有壓力好不好。
好在夏菊花的哀怨來的快去的也快，等李大丫又帶着兩閨女來學編席的時候，已經過去了，幾個人邊教邊編說說笑笑，連劉保國都跟在一旁玩鬧，家裏又是一片和樂。
可惜很快這和樂就被噼裏啪啦的拍門聲給打破了，夏菊花頭一個動作就是捂住自己的胸口：拍門聲太急了，她又被吓出一身冷汗。
劉志雙頭一個跑出去開門，一邊開還一邊問：“誰呀，想搶錢是咋着，這麽砸人家的門？”
等開門一看來人，劉志雙的聲音就卡在脖子裏出不來了——拍門的足有六七個，人人袖子上都戴着紅袖箍，正是公社的紅小隊。
“夏菊花呢，有人舉報她私拿集體財産。”夏隊長一馬當先沖進院子，一把把劉志雙推開。
夏菊花都蒙了，怎麽三天兩頭有人舉報她，她招誰惹誰了？
老實人也不是沒脾氣的，夏菊花穿鞋出屋的時候臉色不是一般的不好看，劉志全和王彩鳳看了都上前想扶她，被夏菊花一把推開了：“夏隊長，這次又是誰舉報我，舉報我什麽？”
夏隊長見正主出來了，臉上帶着些玩味的譏笑：“我也不知道你咋得罪了這麽些人，天天有人舉報你。我們紅小隊收到舉報，說是你這個生産隊長，竟然帶頭拿了生産隊的葦杆給自家編席，當然得來看看。”
呵呵，夏菊花是真的冷笑了：“行，夏隊長你随便看。我們生産隊是接了供銷社繼續編席的任務。因為時間緊任務多，所以把生産隊全體婦女都動員起來了。有些婦女第一次學編席，為了不耽誤生産，提出拿一些葦杆回家練習。不管是誰拿了葦杆，我們生産隊的會計都做了登記，第二天要交回生産隊的。”
“而我自己，”夏菊花拍了拍自己的胸口：“一根葦杆也沒拿回家。這個，全生産隊的婦女都可以給我做證！”
此時的夏菊花，跟以前夏隊長接觸時都不一樣，她全身上下散發出的氣勢十分堅定，讓人不由的相信她說的話。夏隊長嘴角的譏笑消失了，帶上一些鄭重：“夏隊長，你看我也不是非得要跟你為難，有人舉報了我們來查一下，你沒犯錯誤的話不是也洗清了嘛。”
“話是這麽說。”夏菊花一步不讓：“可是這三天兩頭就查一回，擱誰也受不了吧？我被人誣陷也不是一回兩回了，這回要是還是被人誣陷，夏隊長你說怎麽辦？”
夏隊長臉上有些氣惱，可因為前兩次确實沒有抓住夏菊花的把柄，現在夏菊花表現的又太理直氣壯，他的心裏也沒底，只好說：“如果舉報人又是誣陷你的話，那我們紅小隊一定不會放過。”
行，夏菊花也不想放過這個人——讓婦女們拿葦杆回家練習，只有在場院裏編席的人和陳秋生知道，舉報的人應該也出在那些人當中。
想想有人當面跟自己陪笑臉說好話讓自己教會編席，回頭就去紅小隊舉報自己，夏菊花心裏就膈應的想吐。
紅小隊的夏隊長沖跟來的人一擺手，幾個人一起進了正房。剛才李大丫跟着夏菊花一起看來的是什麽人，屋裏只有劉紅翠和劉紅玲姐兩個，看到兇神惡煞一樣闖進來的紅小隊，兩小姑娘吓的驚呼了一聲，站在原地不知道自己該怎麽辦。
夏隊長一眼就看到鋪在炕上編了一半的席子，拿起來打量一下，總覺得跟自己平時見到的席子不太一樣，沖着外頭喊了一句：“夏隊長，你這編席子的東西是哪兒來的？”
夏菊花聽到他的聲音走了進來，臉上一絲表情都沒有的向他解釋：“這是我們家裏分的高粱稭破成篾片編的，可不是拿的集體的葦杆。”
說着，把破到一半的高粱稭遞給夏隊長。
夏隊長雖然當了好幾年的紅小隊，可全家人都在農村讨生活，高粱稭和葦杆還是能分清的，掂着高粱稭，他罵了句粗話後，對夏菊花說：“看來真是有人誣陷你。”
夏菊花只看着他不說話，夏隊長在這樣的目光下，竟有一種自己被人識破的感覺，不由把帳都算到了舉報人的頭上：“夏隊長，你不就想知道是誰舉報的你嗎。行，我告訴你，舉報你的人說是你的婆婆，還帶着劉四壯那個剛被你領回來的丫頭，要不我能信她？”
“不可能，她們瘋了嗎？”叫出聲的是李大丫。她不是不相信紅小隊隊長的話，也不是覺得孫氏和劉紅娟幹不出這樣的事兒，而是想不明白她們這麽做，能得到什麽好處！
損人不利己都不帶這麽幹的。
夏隊長只看了李大丫一眼，就把目光重新放到夏菊花的臉上，他倒是想看看夏菊花聽說劉紅娟跟着一起舉報她，會有個什麽反應。
夏菊花的反應就是松了一口氣——不是場院裏編席的人就好，要不她下次真的不會再教人新花樣了。
對于夏菊花的反應夏隊長是不滿意的：“夏隊長，現在證實你婆婆和那個丫頭是在誣陷你，人可就不能留在平安莊了，我們得把人帶到學習班去。”
“好。”夏菊花平靜的點了點頭：“夏隊長你們應該知道劉四壯家在哪兒吧，要是不知道我帶着你們去。”
李大丫看着自己的兩個閨女輕輕搖頭，一句情都不想讓她們給孫氏和劉紅娟求。求什麽情，那兩人今天能舉報夏菊花，明天就能舉報她李大丫。劉紅翠姐兩個天天被孫氏罵賠錢貨，跟她并沒有什麽感情，見親娘搖頭，誰也沒說一句話。
劉志全在外頭聽到夏菊花要給紅小隊帶路，有些不安的沖屋裏說：“娘，天黑了，還是我帶着紅小隊的同志們去吧。”
夏菊花卻說：“不用，你去不方便。我是平安莊生産隊的隊長，社員出了問題我應該在場。”
說完，率先出了屋子。紅小隊的幾個人又一次無功而返，表情難得讪讪的跟着出了屋。一行人由夏菊花打頭，紅小隊跟在身後，李大丫娘三個和劉志雙墜在最後，深一腳淺一腳走在漆黑的街上，不知被誰家的狗聽到了，汪汪的叫了起來。
“夏隊長，到了。”夏菊花看着緊閉的院門，一面向紅小隊隊長說，一面看向跟在後頭的李大丫。黑暗裏看不清李大丫的表情，夏菊花知道她一定是憤怒的。
就跟自己心裏的怒火一樣，恨不得現在用力砸門的那個人是自己。
出來開門的是劉二壯，一見紅小隊隊長整個人都愣了：“夏隊長？”你們咋又來了？
夏隊長嘴角歪着給劉二壯一個冷笑：“你娘去紅小隊舉報夏隊長私拿集體財産，我們剛才搜過夏隊長的家，根本沒那回事兒，你娘是誣陷夏隊長。對于誣陷革命群衆的壞分子，我們紅小隊絕不姑息，當然要馬上把壞分子抓回紅小隊教育。”
劉二壯又恨不得當時被劉四壯打的對外界毫無反應的人是自己了，咋就攤上這麽個娘，咋就不能消停的過日子？
他心裏跟李大丫想的一樣，那就是舉報了夏菊花，對親娘有什麽好處，難道紅小隊還會獎勵她？
孫氏顯然也聽到了紅小隊的拍門聲，出來正好聽到了紅小隊隊長說的話，整個人都呆了：“夏菊花就是私自拿了集體的財産，這兩天李大丫都上她們家學編席去了。要是沒有葦杆，她們使啥編。夏隊長，你可別被夏菊花騙了，這個娘們最會騙人了。”
見她出來，紅小隊幾人推開礙事的劉二壯，直接把孫氏的兩個膀子擰到身後，疼的她媽呀了一聲。剛想哭嚎，紅小隊隊長說話了：“老太太，你當我們紅小隊是好糊弄的呢，連高粱稭和葦杆都分不清？”
“高粱稭？”孫氏不信：“夏菊花會拿自己家的高粱稭教給李大丫，不可能，一定是她們一起騙你們呢。”
“還有那個小丫頭呢？”紅小隊隊長沒心情聽孫氏胡扯，直接問劉紅娟在哪兒。劉紅娟劉志亮這幾天都跟孫氏住在一起，也是跟她一塊出的屋。
聽到紅小隊跟孫氏的對話，劉紅娟早已經躲到燈影裏，劉志亮卻在這時候推了她一把，她趔趄兩步出現在衆人面前。紅小隊才不管她年紀大小，跟對待孫氏一樣擰着她兩個膀子背到身後，等着他們隊長的命令。
“綁起來。”夏隊長一臉陰沉的看着讓他再次丢臉的孫氏和劉紅娟，向紅小隊下了一道命令。
"Captain Xia, Captain Xia," Liu Erzhuang had to stand up at this time: "You see, my mother just doesn't understand the situation. She is old and talks nonsense, and Hongjuan is a child who knows nothing. She is just keeping her grandmother company. They really didn't mean to..."
"Liu Erzhuang, do you dare to stop the Red Team from catching bad elements?" Captain Xia did not give Liu Erzhuang any face. He himself had lost face in front of Xia Juhua today and he didn't know how to pick it up. Why should he give Liu Erzhuang this face?