Chapter 57

The adults discussed how to divide the money, and Liu Baoguo was held down by Wang Caifeng without saying a word. Now that his grandmother had stopped talking and his mother was only concerned about the money in her hands, Liu Baoguo became restless and sat on the edge, patting the kang mat again and again, trying to attract the attention of Xia Juhua or Wang Caifeng.

After taking pictures for a long time without success, Liu Baoguo's face turned red with anger. He exerted force from his buttocks, jumped up with his upper body, and accurately grabbed the money that Wang Caifeng had counted again and again with his little hand.

Wang Caifeng didn't dare to fight him head-on, fearing that the money would be torn, so she coaxed Liu Baoguo to let go. If a child grabs something and lets it go so easily, he is no longer a child. Liu Baoguo kept shouting for money, but he refused to let go.

Xia Juhua stuffed the remaining money into her pocket and said to Wang Caifeng, "Come on, let him take it for a while. He's a little money-grubber, too."

Who doesn't love money? Liu Zhishuang had recovered from his excitement and was happy to see Liu Baoguo and Wang Caifeng fighting for money. He said, "Mom, I heard that Zhao Tiedan is still helping others to leak powder and can make 20 cents a night. How about I also leak powder for others for a few days?"

"You should handle your own affairs. I will tell you one thing, you are different from Zhao Tiedan. The three of them have never helped anyone except taking advantage of the villagers, and no one has helped them. But when we built our house and when you married Sun Hongmei last time, several families in the village helped us."

Life is about the comings and goings of people. If someone has helped you before and you ask for money when you help them, do you have the nerve to ask for money? You must be crazy.

Liu Zhiquan and his wife divided 25 yuan in one night. They were very happy in their hearts. They asked Xia Juhua heartlessly: "Then I will ask around in the next few days. If anyone needs help, I will go and lend a hand to repay you for all the years of kindness."

Xia Juhua said those words to Liu Zhishuang because she didn't want him to take away Zhao Tiedan's job. In detail, Xia Juhua had been working hard with her two sons since they moved out of the Liu family for more than ten years. How could she owe anyone a favor?

However, since Liu Zhiquan had this intention, Xia Juhua naturally would not stop him. She only told him not to help others and let it affect his family's affairs, and then she ignored whether Liu Zhishuang was looking at Liu Zhiquan with an accusing look.

"Let's all go to sleep. The production team has to slaughter pigs tomorrow and send them to the purchasing station. The supply and marketing cooperative also has to come and pull the woven mats. We have to get up early." Xia Juhua yawned.

Liu Zhiquan and the others all stood up, knowing that what their mother said was right, that there would be more things to do as the year drew to a close. But they were willing to follow their mother, because being so busy and tired would make life more hopeful, right?

The members of Ping An Village also feel that their days are becoming more and more promising.

Early in the morning, without Chen Qiu Sheng blowing the whistle, the nine people who were arranged yesterday to go to the purchasing station to deliver the live pigs today came to the pigpen. Including Chen Qiu Sheng, there were ten people in total. The plan was that two people would carry the live pigs directly to the purchasing station.

Xia Juhua also arrived. Seeing that Chen Lusheng was still feeding the pigs their last meal, she did not feel sorry for wasting that little bit of feed - now that it had gone into the pigs' stomachs, it could still be counted as a portion at the collection station, so it was worth it.

After the pigs had eaten their fill, Chen Qiu Sheng and his team happily drove the pigs out of the pen one by one, tied up their hooves with the hemp ropes they had prepared long ago, put them on a shoulder pole, and carried them away.

The pig pen suddenly became deserted, with only two pigs lying in their kennels grunting. The pig raised by Sun had grown a little fatter, but it was still smaller than the pig in the other pen.

Chen Lusheng was cleaning the pig manure outside the pen and said worriedly, "It's only ten days before the Chinese New Year, and these pigs..."

Xia Juhua was not so worried: "Let's kill a pig on the 23rd day of the 11th lunar month, and the whole village will celebrate the New Year together." There is a custom in the village to eat slaughtered pig dishes. It is in line with the occasion to eat a bowl of hot slaughtered pig dishes together on the 23rd day of the 11th lunar month.

"That's fine." Chen Lusheng rubbed his hands, smiled at Xia Juhua and said, "Captain, thanks to you, my family is helping to weave mats every day, and next year we can get more pork."

Chen Lusheng was in poor health and could not breathe after working in the fields. He also had a small child. He was the only one in the family who earned work points, so they were in debt. Even though he fed pigs all year round, the family would not get much pork every year if calculated by work points.

But the next year was different. He heard that the county supply and marketing cooperative would look for production teams to order reed mats, and his wife could continue to weave them. Although his wife could only weave one mat in three days, the team leader checked and set his wife's work points at five per day.

Even though it was not as much as others, it was already a great breakthrough for Chen Lusheng's family, allowing him to imagine how much more pork his family would get next year.

Xia Juhua understood what he meant, smiled and said, "You have taken such good care of the pigs in the production team over the years. The whole village should thank you. It is only right that you can get more pork next year."

After chatting for a while, Xia Juhua went home to eat. Seeing that Liu Zhishuang was not there, she naturally asked Wang Caifeng: "Where is Zhishuang? Why did he disappear without even eating?"

Wang Caifeng didn't want to keep the secret for her brother-in-law: "He followed the pig dealer to the county."

Went to the county? Xia Juhua frowned, and Wang Caifeng quickly told her what she had seen: "After you left, Zhishuang left with his wheat, saying that you had promised him that you would let him go to the county to exchange the wheat for coarse grains when you delivered the pigs."

Did I say that? Xia Juhua thought about it and didn't remember much. But since the wheat was for Liu Zhishuang, Xia Juhua didn't plan to care about it. Let him do whatever he wants.

Seeing that her mother-in-law did not ask any more questions, Wang Caifeng glanced at Liu Zhiquan secretly and found that the man was still eating his bowl of porridge. She felt angry but suppressed it. When Liu Zhishuang was carrying food out, Wang Caifeng asked him to wait for her mother-in-law or go to discuss it with her, but Liu Zhishuang refused to listen.

I had hoped that Liu Zhiquan, as the elder brother, could talk and persuade Liu Zhishuang, but Liu Zhiquan didn't say a word and didn't let me ask more questions. Is it okay not to ask more questions? Wang Caifeng could see these days that her mother-in-law wished she could grow eight hands to go to her house to collect food.

No matter why, Wang Caifeng felt that she should follow her mother-in-law's way. But Liu Zhishuang actually wanted to take the grain out for no reason. Even though her mother-in-law said that Liu Zhishuang had the final say on the wheat, Wang Caifeng felt that she should at least tell her mother-in-law, instead of carrying the grain out when she was not at home.

At that moment, Wang Caifeng actually felt sorry for her mother-in-law, but she couldn't say it out loud.

Xia Juhua would never have thought that one day Wang Caifeng would feel sorry for her. She put down her job and went to the production team again, calling An Baoling and several people from Li Changwang's family to check the woven mats together.

The mats were laid out separately. There were 200 mats woven collectively, and there were 52 mats woven by the women themselves during overtime at night! Xia Juhua looked at the 52 mats and asked Li Changwang's family, "Who woven them all? Did you remember them?"

Li Changwang nodded and said, "I'll remember it. This time we have discussed it among ourselves, without bias or direction. Let's each sell one seat first. It's easy to remember."

It was easy to remember, but how could she explain the extra seats to the supply and marketing cooperative? Xia Juhua's worries were solved when Director Lin arrived.

"Director Lin, why did you come here in person today?" Xia Juhua was a little surprised and greeted Director Lin, Wang Caixia and Mr. Che with a smile.

Director Lin and Wang Caixia were both smiling, and it was Director Lin who spoke first: "Today is my last time working for the commune supply and marketing cooperative. From now on, I will work for the county supply and marketing cooperative."

Xia Juhua congratulated them immediately, and then Director Lin said, "As for the position of the production team, don't worry. Comrade Caixia will be responsible for it in the future."

This time Xia Juhua was really surprised: "Caixia?"

Director Lin smiled even more happily: "Well, Comrade Caixia is a hard worker. When I returned to the county, I recommended Comrade Caixia to my superiors as the person in charge of the commune. She will be the deputy director of our supply and marketing cooperative in the future. You need to support her work more."

"That's great!" Xia Juhua didn't care about the difference between director and deputy director. She was happy for Wang Caixia from the bottom of her heart. She held Wang Caixia's hand and shook it: "I have to curry favor with Deputy Director Wang in the future. If there is anything good, Deputy Director Wang should think more about our Ping'an Village Production Team."

Wang Caixia felt a little embarrassed by her teasing: "Director Lin is making fun of me, and you are joining in the fun."

"How can this be considered as inciting a commotion?" Xia Juhua was really happy for Wang Caixia. In the past life, it was not until the mid-to-late 1980s that the supply and marketing cooperatives gradually withdrew from the historical stage. In these ten years, why couldn't Wang Caixia, the deputy director, be transferred to the county supply and marketing cooperative like Director Lin?

It doesn't matter whether the adults leave the rural environment or not, as long as the children can have a good starting point.

Director Lin also smiled and said, "How can this be a joke? If you hadn't known Captain Xia, such a good position as Pingan Village wouldn't have been handed over to our supply and marketing cooperative. So you have a good vision and deserve to be the deputy director."

Speaking of mats, Xia Juhua happened to say to Director Lin, "Director, I have something to trouble you with. The women in our village heard that the supply and marketing cooperative had helped solve the problem of raw materials, so they were so enthusiastic about making mats that they made 52 extra mats. Do you think we can take them all away today?"

Wang Caixia looked at Director Lin, her eyes as nervous as Xia Juhua's. Director Lin looked at the two of them and smiled, "Why can't they be taken away together? Deputy Director Wang, have you forgotten that the county supply and marketing cooperative wanted to slam the table in order to share the mats of Ping'an Village with us?"

Xia Juhua let out a sigh: "Director Lin, I'm sorry to trouble you so much." She was not really ignorant of human nature. It was clearly agreed that there were 200 tickets, but suddenly there were 52 more, a full quarter more. If she took this back, Director Lin might be criticized.

旁邊的王彩霞竟然也長出了一口氣，堅定的對林主任說：“拉是能拉回去，林主任咱們可得說好了，現在你還是紅星供銷社的主任呢，這五十二張席得全留在紅星供銷社。”

夏菊花看看這個，又看看那個，她怎麽覺得自己有點兒聽不懂了呢？

林主任看出夏菊花的不解，好心的替她解惑：“縣供銷社前次上地區評比的時候，不止拿了雙喜字的席，還把福字的席一塊帶去了。兩張席都受到地區供銷社的好評，不過相對來說還是福字的席更受歡迎，畢竟雙喜字的席年輕人用合适，對別人來說就有點兒不……”

“縣供銷社就想着一鼓作氣，盡快把席銷到地區。因此昨天縣供銷社來人，希望你們這一次編出來的二百張席，都交到縣供銷社去。”

王彩霞緊張的看着林主任：“昨天說好給縣供銷社一百五十張，就是一百五十張。林主任，你可不能因為自己馬上到縣供銷社報到，就不管紅星供銷社的死活。”

明知道王彩霞說的有些誇大其詞，林主任更是佯裝憤怒的說這五十二張席是平安莊生産隊額外編出來的，不在那二百張席的訂單之內，夏菊花還是很緊張的看着兩人有來有往的就五十二張席的歸屬問題往來了幾回。

最後的結果是縣供銷社財大氣粗，拿走其中的三十張，剩下的二十二張，留在紅星供銷社。

終于等到兩人商量好了，夏菊花才笑着勸：“兩位領導，你們放心，現在我們平安莊的原料充足，社員們的幹勁也是十足。只要你們有要求，我們生産隊一定保質保量的完成任務。兩位領導不要為了這麽點兒小事兒傷了和氣。”有錢掙，賣給誰都是一樣的，能多賣當然更好。

林主任、王彩霞：你勸的是不是晚了點兒？

不管怎麽說，林主任調到縣供銷社，王彩霞升了副主任，都是喜事兒，夏菊花拿出十二萬分的誠意要留兩人吃中午飯。

就看在額外多出五十二張席，兩人都利落結現錢的份上，這頓飯也得留！

林主任連連搖頭：“夏隊長，其實最該說感謝的是我。我知道你是個實在人，多餘的話就不說了，只要你們平安莊能一直編出這麽好的席，以後吃飯的機會多着呢。等你以後到縣供銷社的話，我請你吃縣裏的飯店。”

王彩霞也不肯留：“我得回去盯着點兒，要不林主任趁我不在，別人不知道情況把席都拉到縣裏去，我可追不回來。”

話說到這份上，夏菊花除了讓王彩鳳快點兒給兩位領導和車老板兒一人裝上二斤炒花生，再多的感謝話就說不出口了，只能一個勁的向人家保證，自己會監督着平安莊編席的質量，還會盡快再想出別的花樣來。

王彩霞笑嘻嘻的對她說：“你要是想出新花樣來，可得頭一個拿到咱們紅星供銷社，不能直接拿給林主任。咱們可是親戚，知道不？”

夏菊花笑着向她點頭，直到供銷社的車走遠了，才轉身回到生産隊的院子。

“隊長，供銷社真給結的是現錢？”李常旺家的不知從哪兒跳了出來，高聲大嗓的把人吓一跳。

想着生産隊帳本上重新有了餘錢，吓一跳心裏也是高興的，夏菊花笑咪咪沖李常旺家的點了點頭：“對，結的現錢。”

“那咱們自己編的席？”李常旺家的還有些不敢相信，畢竟大家晚上熬夜編的席，可不在人家供銷社的計劃之內。

夏菊花仍然笑咪咪：“也是結的現錢。”

賣什麽關子呢？夏菊花自己手裏握着五六百塊，見到供銷社給結的六百多塊錢都高興的合不攏嘴，憑什麽不讓編席的人馬上高興一下？她給李常旺家的回答，都是明确得不能再明确的答案。

看吧，李常旺家的嘴都快咧到耳朵邊上去了，連招呼都沒跟夏菊花打一個，連跑帶颠的往場院邊的葦牆邊飛奔，連跑還邊嚷嚷：“結錢了，供銷社給咱們結錢了。”

剛出來的陳秋生無奈的看着李常旺家的背影，問夏菊花：“隊長，你就讓她這麽高聲大嚷的四處亂傳？”

夏菊花一臉笑容的問：“為啥不讓她喊？供銷社把現錢給結了，你不高興？”

高興，怎麽不高興。一個會計看到帳上有了餘錢，能不高興嗎，總比對着空空的帳本犯愁強。陳秋生跟着笑了：“也是，那裏頭還有我媳婦的錢呢。”

“嗯，”夏菊花臉上的笑一直在：“那就還不快點兒把錢分出來，一會兒她們就該找你要錢了。”

“哎喲，我把這茬忘了。要是讓這幫娘們等着，她們敢撓我滿臉花。”陳秋生跟剛才李常旺家的一樣，火燒屁股似的跑回屋裏，先端桌子把門口堵上，才放心的去數錢。

婦女們聽說結了現錢，能讓陳秋生把錢數消停了才怪。也就一兩分鐘的工夫，葦牆留出的門就被人大大的推開，婦女們三三兩兩的結伴走了出來。

看得出來，每個人的心裏都很着急，可是腳下的步子都在努力矜持，誰也不想讓別人看出自己心急。不光不想讓人看出來，相互間還勸着：“你走慢點兒，着啥急，那錢還能跑了是咋着。”

“可不是，隊長說結現錢就一定結現錢，誰的也差不了。”

“你不信誰還不信隊長？要不是隊長讓咱們買葦杆……”

“你要死了，啥話都敢說，那是咱們社員思想覺悟高，替生産隊買原料，咋是隊長讓咱們買的呢。”李常旺家的當然走在隊伍最前頭，聽到人說買葦杆，回頭疾言厲色的沖人就喊開了。

那個說話的人臉脹的通紅，身邊的人還馬上跟她拉開了距離：“真不怪常旺家的說你，好心當成驢肝肺。”

“就這嘴，比常旺家的還松呢，等回娘家的時候還不知道說啥呢。”

那人想向大家解釋自己不是故意的，卻沒有一個人聽，急的眼淚都快出來了。擡頭一看，夏菊花就在前頭笑咪咪的聽大家說話呢，忙快走兩步：“隊長，我真不是有意的，就是心裏太高興了。你放心，下回這話就是爛到肚子裏，我也不說了。”

見她急的紅頭脹臉的樣子是發自內心，夏菊花警告的看了李常旺家的一眼，說：“誰還沒有高興把話說快了的時候。不過常旺家的說的對，這事沒人知道，咱們能悄悄給孩子們掙件衣裳錢。要是別人知道了，大家可就掙不上這個錢了。”

一席話說的婦女們都安靜下來，那個說錯話的更是賭咒發誓自己以後做夢都不會再說，其他人跟着警醒了不少，一起向夏菊花保證起來。

夏菊花點點頭，讓大家都排好隊，別一窩蜂似的擠在門口。陳秋生感激的看了隊長一眼，按着交席的順序，開始一個個念起名字來。

李常旺家的一向好抓尖，交席是頭一個，領錢也是頭一個。她把兩塊五毛錢攥的緊緊的，生怕一陣風給吹跑了似的。夏菊花看她那緊張樣，笑着問：“你們家今年分紅不少呀，你還在意這兩塊五毛錢？”

“這可不一樣。”李常旺家看着手裏的兩塊五毛錢，就跟看兩萬五似的：“隊裏分紅，我們一家人都有。現在這錢，可是我一個人掙的。”

雖然李常旺家的沒太明說，夏菊花還是聽明白了她的意思：生産隊的分紅，只要出工總能得工分。可是編席的錢，是婦女們利用休息的時間，一葦皮一葦皮編出來的，男人們是掙不到這個錢的。

同樣領完錢的婦女見李常旺家的跟夏菊花說話，也都圍了上來，竟然都跟李常旺家的一樣，舍不得把錢放進兜裏，全都牢牢捏在手心，不時的看上一眼。

“行了，都別稀罕了。”夏菊花知道大家心裏高興，畢竟多少年來都是男人比女人們的工分記得多，現在婦女們突然有了男人沒有的掙錢門路，心情完全可以想象。

可是光高興葦皮成不了席子，夏菊花認為該說的話可以趁機說清楚：“高興一會兒就行了，大家還得接着編席。咱們今天的席送出去，我覺得明後天縣供銷社就該來訂新席了。”

“咱們不知道供銷社讓什麽時候交貨，現在能多編點就多編點兒，要不趕上過年，你們是編還是不編？”

“編！”婦女們整齊的喊了一句，那聲音洪亮的，把夏菊花驚着了：“不怕你們男人嫌棄你不顧家？”

婦女們紛紛搖頭，不顧家？自己天天在場院裏編完席回家接着編，還不是想讓家裏多點兒收入？要是這樣男人還敢嫌棄她們，那行，他們來編席呀！

并不在場的平安莊男人們……

After all the women had received their money, Chen Qiusheng said to Xia Juhua with lingering fear: "Captain, have you noticed that the women in our village are all going crazy? Not to mention others, the one in my family now makes mats after dinner and doesn't even rinse the bowls."

After he finished speaking, he realized that he had let the cat out of the bag. Under Xia Juhua's teasing gaze, he silently put the table back in its place, ran away dejectedly, and said that he would go to each house to see if those men who leaked powder in the kitchen had leaked all the powder.