Chapter 60
Needless to say, it was because Liu Zhishuang and Liu Daxi were too obvious in the black market, and their real purpose was discovered by someone with ulterior motives. Wu Ye and Xia Juhua did not blame Liu Zhishuang and the others - they were just authentic farmers, and they dared to go to the black market to inquire about the market, which was much better than others.
"Okay, you've been running around all day. Your aunt has left some food for you. Go and have a bite." Master Wu knocked on his tobacco pot and asked Liu Daxi to take Liu Zhishuang to their house for dinner.
Liu Zhishuang felt that he had messed up and was too embarrassed to eat at Wuye's house: "No need, Grandpa, our family has left some food for me."
The Fifth Master snorted softly: "Your mother always eats at my place. Who in your family leaves food for you? You don't even have a wife."
Wu Ye rudely drove away Liu Zhishuang and Liu Daxi, then turned to Xia Juhua and said, "Ask Qiu Sheng to come over."
Chen Qiu Sheng has now become the spokesperson for the Chen family. He is careful and comprehensive in considering issues. He is indeed a good candidate for consultation. Xia Juhua naturally agreed and went to find Chen Qiu Sheng in person.
After listening to Xia Juhua's message, Chen Qiusheng did not directly express his opinion, but asked inquiringly: "Fifth Master, what do you think?"
"You say what you want." Master Wu sucked on his pipe.
Chen Qiusheng paused for a moment and said, "Then let me tell you. Now everyone in the village knows that we want to sell the vermicelli, so we have to do it. Since there are people selling sweet potatoes, we can give them 70% if the quantity is large, so we can buy as much as we can. As for the vermicelli, it would be best if we can sell it all at once. If we really can't sell it all at once, let Zhishuang try to sell it slowly."
"Can he do it alone?" Xia Juhua still didn't quite believe Liu Zhishuang. It was true that her son was smart, but he wasn't very good at judging people or having a long-term vision.
Chen Qiusheng smiled: "What's wrong with that? We're not trying to get him to sell as much as he wants." Seeing Xia Juhua looking at him, Chen Qiusheng grinned at Xia Juhua: "There's another person who wants to trade sweet potatoes with Zhishuang."
Wu Ye's eyes lit up and he looked at Xia Juhua. Xia Juhua also understood that the person who had 20 to 30 kilograms of vermicelli in his hand was the key: Liu Zhishuang had just been to the black market twice, and people asked him if he would leak vermicelli, and dared to say that he would provide sweet potatoes for Liu Zhishuang. That person either knew something about Liu Zhishuang or was testing him.
Thanks to Liu Zhishuang's mission today, which is to inquire about the price, I dare not make an independent decision, otherwise I will be tricked by others with just a few words.
Xia Juhua asked worriedly: "What if Zhishuang takes the vermicelli to sell, will people think that I am stealing his business and making trouble for Zhishuang?" Her son is a worry-inducing person and he is her own, so Xia Juhua still doesn't want anything to happen to him.
Wu Ye shook his head and said, "If Zhishuang only brought five or six kilograms of vermicelli at a time, that person would be tempted by him. If he brought thirty kilograms at a time, that person probably wouldn't do that."
Yes, few people in the city know how vermicelli is made. The person who asked the question about the vermicelli leaking should be considered an expert. He probably has either participated in the vermicelli leaking or has come into contact with people who have done so. The person said that he exchanged sweet potatoes for vermicelli with Liu Zhishuang. The possibility of him participating in the vermicelli leaking is not high. It is more likely that he has seen it when buying vermicelli from others.
If Liu Zhishuang brought less vermicelli every day, people would think he was just doing it for fun, and would just sell it, which would not affect other people's business. But if Liu Zhishuang brought 30 kilograms of vermicelli to the black market every day, people would be restless.
He himself was also a swindler in the black market, and it would be no good for him to report Liu Zhishuang. Therefore, if he didn't want to be influenced by Liu Zhishuang in his transactions, the best way was to prevent Liu Zhishuang from appearing in the black market again, or to prevent him from selling vermicelli if he appeared in the black market. The most direct way was of course to cooperate with Liu Zhishuang, and at that time, Ping An Zhuang could take the initiative.
Of course there is another possibility, that is, that person is directly using Liu Zhishuang to rob his fellow robbers. Xia Juhua thought about it and denied it again: at this time, those who dare to sell things in the black market have someone supporting them behind them. On the contrary, they will not be like those who really can't make a living and take risks at every turn.
"Then let Zhishuang try it first?" Xia Juhua asked Master Wu.
After hearing this, Master Wu narrowed his eyes and said, "Don't let Zhishuang go alone. In addition to letting Daxi accompany him, ask someone to carry some extra vermicelli for them. Don't go to the black market together. Just stay away and wait."
Xia Juhua had to admit that old ginger is still spicy.
At dawn the next day, Xia Juhua got up and dressed Liu Zhishuang up: he wore an old cotton jacket with cotton showing through it, cotton trousers with patches on top of patches, smeared a little dust on his face, and put on an old felt hat left by Liu Zhishuang's father in his early years, which made Liu Zhishuang look like a man in his forties.
"Mom, isn't this a little too scary?" Liu Zhishuang didn't need to look at his face, he could guess what he looked like just by looking at his clothes.
Xia Juhua slapped him in the face and said, "You are going there to sell things, not for a blind date. Just don't let people recognize you." After that, she was still worried and told him, "Be smart. If you see others running, run quickly, no matter whether they are really running or not. Just throw the vermicelli on the ground, and if someone asks, just say you want to buy some things for the New Year, okay?" As long as both the person and the goods are not arrested, there is room for debate.
"Mom, you've said this several times." Liu Zhishuang looked at his mother and laughed. He wondered if his mother was really getting old and was nagging more than before. But he was willing to listen to his mother nagging like this.
Xia Juhua pretended to be impatient and said, "If it didn't concern the vermicelli of the whole village, I wouldn't bother to say anything to you."
Liu Zhishuang listened and smiled, pretending that he didn't hear the worry behind the rejection.
Xia Juhua was indeed very worried, and was a little absent-minded when weaving mats. She dismissed all the women who came to ask her for advice with a few words. Gradually, the whole yard became quiet, and everyone weaved mats silently, looking at each other from time to time, with worry in their eyes.
"Captain, if there is something wrong at home, you should go back first." Li Changwang's family couldn't stand the silence anymore, so they walked up to Xia Juhua and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
It can be said that Li Changwang's family has changed a lot during this period. When talking to people, they no longer have to find faults in others to make them unhappy, and their relationships with women have eased a lot.
Especially the relationship with Li Changman's family, which makes people angry and funny: when Li Changwang's family has to talk to Li Changman's family, it is obvious that she still dislikes the other party, but she always pinches her nose and forces a smile, and calls sister-in-law before speaking.
Li Changmanjia had told the women he was close to more than once that whenever Li Changwangjia spoke to her like this, she felt uneasy and wanted to agree to whatever she said immediately just to avoid seeing Li Changwangjia's uncomfortable smile.
Xia Juhua didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this, but even though things seemed peaceful on the surface, they were still peaceful. Li Changwang's family had done such a thing, could Xia Juhua still say that they were wrong?
Now all the women in the courtyard tacitly acknowledged that Li Changwang's family was Xia Juhua's spokesperson. Even An Baoling, Xia Juhua's sister-in-law, had no objection.
There was no way. Who could have made Li Changwang's family so shameless? They didn't even try to hide the fact that they wanted to be the gun in Xia Juhua's hand, shooting wherever they pointed, even if they didn't point at the target. An Baoling asked herself if she couldn't do it, so why did she object?
Just because the Liu family had wronged Xia Juhua several times and they were willing to turn against them, but now they still took them with them wherever they did things, Li Daya and An Baoling were already very content - even though it was the Sun family and Liu Sizhuang's family who had wronged Xia Juhua, didn't they still live in the same yard?
A person with a narrow mind might think, living in the same courtyard, what are Sun's family and Liu Sizhuang's family doing? How could Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang's families not know about it? Even if they didn't know, could they keep an eye on them and prevent them from committing suicide?
Moreover, Liu Erzhuang has appeared now. Did he speak human language when the Red Team came that day? Although he is now also showing off like the men in the village, and sometimes helps secretly, he is not standing in front of everything like before. What does Xia Juhua think?
Fortunately, Xia Juhua is a broad-minded person and has never argued with Liu Erzhuang. Could it be that they can be arrogant just because they are broad-minded? Do they really think they are a dish? Therefore, Li Daya and An Baoling have arranged shifts for their children and do nothing else but keep an eye on Liu Zhiliang.
As long as you open your eyes, you won't let that kid have the chance to act alone, and there will be someone to "accompany" him wherever he goes. Liu Zhiliang is disgusted? Why are you so ungrateful? Isn't it because your parents are not at home and they are afraid that you will be scared alone, so Second Mother and Third Mother kindly let your brother and sister accompany you?
So without Xia Juhua knowing, Li Daya and An Baoling had already suppressed Liu Zhiliang, the "unstable factor", to ensure that no one from the Liu family would report Xia Juhua to the Red Team.
Although they didn't think of using this incident to show off to Xia Juhua, they still cared about her. After hearing Li Changwang's family persuade Xia Juhua to go home and rest, Li Daya and An Baoling followed suit, and the surrounding people echoed her.
Xia Juhua really had a hard time weaving mats, so she stood up and said, "Then I'll go discuss something with Master Wu first. You guys should get off work on time. It takes more than one day to weave the mats."
It's no wonder she said this. The truth is that the women in Pingan Village are so obsessed with weaving mats that they can't wait to start weaving as soon as they open their eyes, and it would be best if they don't even have to sleep - the temptation of getting cash after weaving mats is too great, and no one can withstand this temptation.
說要跟五爺商量事兒，夏菊花還真不是搪塞大家，她真的來到了五爺家，發現老頭也正在屋裏轉圈子，雖然還不時的嘬一口煙袋，可是煙袋鍋子早不冒煙了，他都沒有發現。
心裏都着急呀。這不，沒一會兒工夫陳秋生也跑來了，三個人誰也沒心思說話，可什麽話也不說又不大合适，就說起來年開春種地的事兒。
五爺有些懊惱的說：“還說種啥呢，往年這時候地裏的雪都有半尺厚了，可今年剛蓋住地皮，這墒情種啥都白費。”
“那也得種呀。”夏菊花不得不打起精神來：“都說人勤地不懶，不種更不得了。再說還有公糧呢，不種拿啥交公糧。”
五爺氣的敲打煙袋鍋子：“地裏任啥不長，就是逼死了也交不上。”
“五爺，說氣話沒用。”陳秋生大着膽子勸老頭兒：“咱們可以把該交公糧的糧食都下種，到時候長成什麽樣咱們随大流兒。至于別的地，那就盡可能多的種能抗旱點兒的，說不定還能的點兒收成。”
夏菊花眼前一亮：“紅薯就抗旱呀，還比別莊稼的都好伺弄。”
最主要的是，平安莊現在人人會漏粉，生産隊安排多種紅薯，不會有社員覺得奇怪。至于大隊那頭，光看李長順非得給各生産隊買麥麸就知道，他也擔心來年的天時不好，只會對平安莊的種地安排睜一只眼閉一只眼。
沒辦法，現在就講究一個集體生産，就連地裏種什麽，都是上級下達指标，種一輩子地的老農民反而沒啥發言權。
能多種上些紅薯，已經是最大的變通了。
五爺和陳秋生都點頭：“行，種紅薯好。那東西雖然抗旱，可是雨水多點兒也不怕。就算是別的糧食打的少點兒，咱們還能漏粉。要是粉真能賣出去……”
說來說去，還得是粉能賣得出去，真能賺到錢。
好在平安莊的地足有幾百畝，光計劃着種多少麥子、多少玉米高粱夠交公糧，還能騰出多少地來種紅薯，也耗費了三人不少時間。
等計劃完了，劉志雙和劉大喜、陳樹生三個人終于回來了。陳樹生就是那個額外多背了三十斤粉條、接迎劉志雙兩人的，黑市裏究竟是個什麽情況他不清楚，所以主要彙報的還是劉志雙，劉大喜在旁邊給他補充。
情況不是一般的喜人！
快過年了，縣城裏的人準備年貨早，去黑市的人比以往更多，粉條已經固定到了五毛五一斤的價格。劉志雙他們到了黑市不到一個小時，自己背的三十斤粉就全賣光了，劉大喜不得不去找陳樹生把備貨拿出來賣。
也是在劉大喜出去拿粉條的時候，那個原本黑市裏粉條最多的賣家，又找到了劉志雙，直接提出他可以把劉志雙手裏的粉條都收購了，價格就是五毛五一斤。
劉志雙雖然心動，還是沒忘了親娘的囑咐，搖着頭說他手裏的存貨不多，自己小打小鬧的賣一賣，賺兩個過年錢就行了。
那人見劉志雙說不通，也沒多糾纏，繼續賣自己的東西——人家跟劉志雙不一樣，手裏不光有粉條還有別的貨，就連各種布都有不少。不過他一直觀察着劉志雙，自然也把劉志雙仍然打聽紅薯價格的舉動看在了眼裏。
等劉大喜又背着三十斤粉條出現在黑市，那個人的臉色就變了，幾次向劉志雙他們的地方邁出腳，又都收了回去。等劉志雙他們又一次把粉條賣光，才在黑市出口堵住了兩人。
“兄弟，我剛才跟你商量的事兒，你想的怎麽樣了？”
劉志雙納悶的說：“我不是都說了嗎，就是想掙兩個過年錢。手裏的這點兒粉條剛夠自己賣，就不麻煩大哥了。”
“別呀。”那人臉上挂着笑，聲音卻有些發冷：“我看兄弟來咱們地界時候不長，所以有些規矩不大懂。要是兄弟真是小打小鬧，哥哥我也就當年看不見了。可是你這賣了還有，賣了還有，說是小打小鬧就說不過去了吧？”
學到這裏，劉志雙故意抹了一把自己的額頭：“娘，你是沒見着，當時我的冷汗就下來了。”
夏菊花白了他一眼：“快說，賣什麽乖。”
自己想得到親娘的表揚，就那麽難嗎，明明早晨出門的時候，還那麽擔心自己，難道是擔心自己背的三十斤粉條？
劉志雙無奈的往下學：“當時我就按娘教的跟他說，大哥你是做大事兒的，兄弟這點粉條跟大哥你的那些貨比，可不就是小打小鬧嗎？我們一家子都指着這點兒粉條活命呢，賣了是為了多買點紅薯填肚子。”
“那人聽了聲音倒沒那麽吓人了，還怪我不早說。他說可以用紅薯換我的粉條，不是六斤半換一斤了，是七斤換一斤。”
說完，劉志雙佩服的看着親娘：“娘，你咋知道這麽一說他就用紅薯換咱們的粉條了？”
咋知道的，先告訴他自己是光腳的不怕他穿鞋的，再告訴他自己賣粉條是為了換更多的紅薯，人家一直混黑市的，自然聽得懂！
夏菊花鄙視的看了一眼劉志雙，咋樣，小聰明不夠使了吧？不過她更關心的是：“現在紅薯多少錢一斤了？”
“有賣八分五的，也有還賣八分的，不過買的人不多。都快過年了，誰家不買點兒好東西還買紅薯。”劉志雙不以為然的說。
五爺追問：“要的量大呢，能到七分嗎？”
劉大喜接話說：“能，我看要的再多點兒，說不定能講到六分五。畢竟現在買的人少，紅薯死沉死沉的，帶着太顯眼，誰也不願意老搬來搬去的。”
夏菊花和五爺、陳秋生對視了一下，又問：“那個人說沒說他姓啥，家是哪兒的，問沒問你們是哪個莊的？”
“他說他姓齊。”劉志雙想了一下說：“就說自己是縣城人，沒說家住哪兒。也問了我們是哪個莊的，我們沒敢說實話。”
你們都不敢跟人家說實話，人家跟你們說的也不一定是真的。夏菊花上輩子倒是知道，縣城裏早在八十年代初就有一個做買賣做得挺大的，還自己開了一個農貿市場，好象是姓齊。
如果真是那個人的話，倒也說得通為啥上輩子政策剛剛松動，人家就能拿出大筆資金做買賣，還能開得起農貿市場。
就是現在不能确定，劉志雙說的人跟夏菊花上輩子聽說的是不是同一個人。哪怕是同一個人，值不值得信任仍是未知數。
直到現在，重活一回的夏菊花，才發現自己把事情想的有些簡單了，生意真不是這麽容易做成的。回想一下，都是自己跟供銷社幾次打交道太過順利，連帶着挂面廠的路鋪平的也太順，讓她忘記這兩個地方終歸是正規單位，最多是不跟自己打交道，态度惡劣一點兒。
黑吃黑什麽的，正規單位不會做也不屑做，可是黑市的人還真不一定。
自己咋就認為只有吃不上飯的人才黑吃黑，劉志雙他們搶了人家的買賣，就是從人家碗裏搶飯吃。
唉，自己上輩子的見識還是太少了。
夏菊花越想越後怕，更後悔自己早早讓人通知了全村的人。現在已經騎虎難下，不往出賣粉條都不行了。這時五爺偏偏問：“大壯家的，你覺得呢？”
夏菊花久久沉默，粉條肯定要賣，已經通知村裏人不能失信是一方面，想多換點兒紅薯回來捏在手裏是更重要的原因。
她咬咬牙，說：“明天我想跟着志雙他們去一趟。”
“不行。”五爺和劉志雙幾乎是同時開口，五爺搖着頭沒往下說，劉志雙卻沒那麽多顧忌：“娘，你不能去。我一個大小夥子，有人突擊檢查我扔下東西就能跑。可你……”
陳秋生也說：“隊長，你不能去，生産隊都指望着你呢，你要是出點兒啥事兒，隊裏怎麽辦？”紅小隊幾次要抓你投機倒把的把柄，你都忘了？
正說着，劉七喜跑了進來：“爺，村口來了個人，騎着自行車，打聽咱們生産隊今天誰上縣城了。”
“啥？”夏菊花等人一聽都愣了，五爺忙問：“那人多大歲數，長得啥樣？”
“有三十來歲吧，城裏人咱們也看不準。穿着軍大衣，眼睛不大，一說話一樂，就是那樂讓人看着挺別扭的。”
劉志雙和劉大喜對視一眼，問劉七喜：“是不是左邊眉毛上有一小塊疤？”
劉七喜點頭。
夏菊花不由看了劉志雙幾人一眼，現在埋怨他們不小心，一路回來讓人跟上都不知道沒啥用，而是這個人見還是不見的問題。
“大喜，你去把人帶到我們家去。”夏菊花打定主意，賣粉條的想法是她起的頭，怎麽說也不能連累了五爺和陳秋生。
五爺猜出她的想法，直搖頭：“不用，就帶到我們家來就行。都進了平安莊了，我還怕他一個小年輕？”
It's not a matter of whether or not to be afraid. He dared to come to Ping An Zhuang alone, and said that there were no people following him but he just didn't show up. Who would believe it?
Xia Juhua smiled, asked Liu Zhishuang to stand up and go home with her, and said as they walked: "Fifth Master, you just relax and wait for good news." She spoke confidently, and her steps were brisk, as if she was not worried at all.
Liu Daxi looked at the Fifth Master for help. When he turned around, he saw Xia Juhua taking Liu Zhishuang out of the house. He didn't bother to wait for the Fifth Master's reaction and ran out with them.