Chapter 64
Wang Caifeng looked at Chen Qiu Sheng in confusion: "Don't mention this to my mother, or she will think I don't want to help her." You can't learn a skill just by watching with your eyes. You can only be considered to have learned the skill when you get the hang of it.
Have you seen it? As expected of the captain's daughter-in-law, she has the same high level of ideological awareness as the captain, and has a heart that serves the members wholeheartedly. Chen Qiusheng thought so and said so to Wang Caifeng, completely forgetting that there were not only Wang Caifeng in the kitchen, but also several people including Liu Zhiquan.
After he left with the peanuts, Liu Zhiquan asked, "Did he bump into something?" Otherwise, why would he praise his wife so much?
Wang Caifeng was focused on the peanuts in the pot: "No matter if I bump into something or not, when mom comes back, you have to testify for me that I didn't mention the work points to him."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. We will all testify for you." Mantun and his friends have been eating the meals cooked by their sister-in-law these days. They feel that their sister-in-law really cares about them, and they all expressed their determination to Wang Caifeng.
Chen Qiu Sheng is a reliable person. Since he promised not to mention the matter of recording work points for Wang Caifeng to Xia Juhua, he really didn't mention it at all - mainly because he didn't have time to mention it, because Director Lin brought more than just an order for 400 seats this time.
Although Director Lin asked Xia Juhua and others not to call him Director as soon as they met - he only purchased for the deputy team leader after arriving at the county supply and marketing cooperative - Xia Juhua ignored him and continued to call him Director Lin.
Since she called him that, Chen Qiu Sheng would naturally follow suit. The most important thing was that Chen Qiu Sheng had to calculate whether the remaining reeds in the Pingan Village production team were enough to complete the task required by Director Lin. Of course, he had no time to talk about recording work points for Wang Caifeng.
Xia Juhua was also completely shocked by the number of 800 seats that Director Lin requested. When she heard that 200 of them would be seats with the word "happiness" (double happiness) in them and the other 600 seats would all be seats with the word "blessing" (fu), she had a concrete idea of the popularity of the two types of seats.
"Although this time the demand is large, there won't be many left in the county." Director Lin said to Xia Juhua with a smile, "The district needs 500 "Fu" seats and 100 "Double Happiness" seats at once, so there won't be many left in the county."
Xia Juhua certainly would not comment on how the county and regional supply and marketing cooperatives distributed the mats woven by Ping'anzhuang - it didn't matter who wanted them, as long as the price was right and the quantity was better - they said they were short of raw materials, but with the experience of purchasing reed stalks from other production teams last time, Ping'anzhuang did not have a problem of shortage of reed stalks.
"Then it's still the original price, right?" Xia Juhua didn't think it was embarrassing to ask about the price. After all, the women of Ping'an Village were so enthusiastic about weaving mats because they could see the cash. If the county supply and marketing cooperative reduced the purchase price due to the large quantity, then she would have to think about it.
Director Lin didn't think Xia Juhua should ask this, so he smiled and answered, "Because the quantity needed this time is large, the county supply and marketing cooperative hopes to have a good start. I have also reported to the leaders about your difficulties in procuring raw materials, so I will increase the price by 10 cents per seat."
Good news, great news. Even Chen Qiusheng's eyes lit up when he heard it - Cuiping was very tough in words, but she was really good at her job. Chen Qiusheng knew that, not counting the tasks she completed in the yard, they had three lucky mats in their own home.
"Qiu Sheng, go back and find Bao Ling and ask her for the new mat I made two days ago. Bring it to Director Lin to see."
When Director Lin heard that it was a new mat woven by Xia Juhua, his eyes lit up: "You've come up with something new?"
Xia Juhua nodded: "This time the pattern is Four Seasons of Peace. Director Lin, you know that I don't know how to read. I memorized these words after reading them many times."
Director Lin and Chen Qiu Sheng nodded secretly after hearing this. They all knew that the words "double happiness", "blessings" and "four seasons of peace" appeared in large numbers and should have appeared before the movement. Almost ten years had passed, but Xia Juhua still remembered them and even wove them into the reed mat. Her dedication was evident.
Chen Qiu Sheng even thought he knew why the captain was so anxious when she heard that the children in Ping'an Village did not go to school. The captain herself had benefited from knowing how to read, and with her selfless character, she naturally hoped that all the children could get this benefit.
Xia Juhua, who was selfless, was still discussing with Director Lin how to solve the problem of the possible shortage of reed stalks. Chen Qiusheng had already brought the mat back. Spreading it on the table, the white reed mat had the words "four seasons of peace" woven into the four corners. Because of the different characters, it was more lively than the mat with the word "Fu", but it was not as exaggerated as the "double happiness" mat. Overall, it looked better than the first two mats.
Director Lin has already made a judgment in his mind that once the Four Seasons Peace Mat is handed over, Ping An Village will have to make this kind of mat for a long time.
"Captain Xia, you have to guarantee that this kind of seats will only be provided to the county supply and marketing cooperative." Director Lin wanted to get Xia Juhua's guarantee as soon as he opened his mouth.
Xia Juhua understood how popular the Fu character banquet was from the fact that Director Lin took the initiative to raise the price. She nodded and shook her head, and said under Director Lin's somewhat anxious gaze:
"Director Lin, you can see that each character in the Four Seasons Peace Seat is different. It takes too much time for everyone to compile it, and the production team will have to give everyone more work points."
This is indeed a practical problem. Director Lin thought for a moment and said, "I'll take this seat back first. Is that okay? I'll report it to the leader and see what he says."
How could Xia Juhua not understand Director Lin's difficulties? She only said what she knew: "In the past, I could weave a double happiness or blessing mat in two days. But this four-season peace mat took me three and a half days to weave. I am considered quick, but it takes most members at least three days to weave a double happiness or four-season peace mat. They haven't started learning the four-season peace mat yet. I estimated that, not counting the time when they just started learning, it takes them four and a half to five days to weave a mat."
"Qiu Sheng, how much is one work point in our production team this year?" Xia Juhua smiled at Director Lin a little embarrassedly: "When the dividends were distributed, I was still an ordinary member. I got whatever the team gave me. I forgot."
Chen Qiusheng was stunned: Captain, you are lying. My wife clearly needs to weave one mat in two days in the yard. She told me that you can weave one mat in a day!
But could he dismantle Xia Juhua's platform? Would he dare to dismantle Xia Juhua's platform? He could only honestly say, "This year, our production team's wages are 1.1 yuan per worker, and the women weaving mats in the yard are recorded as six hours a day."
Director Lin naturally knew that it was impossible for the production team to distribute all the money from making reed mats to the members. He had never heard of a production team like Ping'anzhuang that could give the women six working days in the winter, which meant that except for the money from making reed stalks, the rest was given to the women who made the mats.
So he nodded in understanding: "Okay, I will report your actual situation to the leader. Captain Xia, do you still have someone organizing the meeting now?"
Xia Juhua understood what he meant and said frankly, "When Director Lin came to arrange the mats last time, he promised me that the county supply and marketing cooperative had an order for 400 mats. I thought that since everyone has nothing to do, and we have the reeds you helped us collect, I decided to let everyone make mats with the word 'Fu' on them."
Director Lin, who was flattered a little, heard that Ping'an Village had never stopped making mats, and asked with great interest: "How many mats with the word "Fu" on them do you have now?" If he could send some mats with the word "Fu" on them to other regions before the New Year, he would be kicked out of the county supply and marketing cooperative.
"Probably about 300." Xia Juhua had never really counted them. She mentally calculated the existing mats in the yard and the ones woven by the women at home before giving Director Lin a number.
This was enough to make Director Lin happy. He couldn't sit still in the production team and had to go to the yard to see it in person. When he stood in the yard and looked at the women weaving mats, he understood why Xia Juhua had just emphasized to him that it took time for women to weave mats.
It was too cold. From the laughter they heard before entering the reed wall, they could tell that the women were very enthusiastic about weaving mats, but enthusiasm alone could not resist the cold. Unfortunately, inside the reed wall were only reed mats and reed poles, both of which could not be exposed to open flames. The women weaving mats had no other means of keeping out the cold except to wear as thick clothes as possible.
It was already the coldest time of the year, and besides the reed walls that swayed from time to time in the wind, there was nothing above our heads. Director Lin saw many women blowing air on their frozen hands from time to time, rubbing them and continuing to weave mats, and her eyes actually turned red.
"Captain Xia, I didn't understand the situation before and the price I gave Wei Xi was too low." Director Lin said guiltily, "This time I will report the situation in detail to the leader, and if possible, I will ask the leader to come to Ping An Zhuang."
What? Xia Juhua could understand the first sentence, but the second sentence was a little confusing: "Please ask the leaders to come? Director Lin, tomorrow is the Little New Year. Our production team will kill the New Year pig tomorrow, and we may have to eat the pig slaughtering dishes together. If many leaders come..."
Please forgive Xia Juhua, a rural woman whose horizons have not yet been opened. Even if she lives her whole life, the highest-ranking official she has come into contact with is Director Zhang of the commune revolutionary committee. Therefore, she cannot imagine what benefits the leaders of the county supply and marketing cooperative will bring to Ping'anzhuang when they come to inspect it.
She was only worried that if many leaders came, she would not be able to use pig offal to entertain them. She would have to eat meat, and good meat. If the leaders ate more, the Ping An Zhuang members would have less meat to share.
Director Lin understood Xia Juhua's concerns, and still said with a smile: "Then let's wait until the day after tomorrow. I think the leaders will be willing to come."
How else could Xia Juhua refuse? There seemed to be no other way except to agree.
不過林主任的到來，又給夏菊花帶來了一項新活計，那就是要統計一下現在平安莊已經編出了多少席。別的不說，先把婦女們在家裏編好的席交給縣供銷社，就可以讓所有平安莊的家庭過一個好年了。
當然，所有的家庭，并不包括一家三個光棍的趙鐵蛋家就是了——反正趙大狗這段時間不光自己幫人漏粉，還帶着他兄弟趙二狗，兩個人每天都能掙四毛錢，這日子也比往年強多了。
因此夏菊花對趙鐵蛋家一點愧疚也沒有的點算着各家存席情況，不得不佩服平安莊的社員尤其是婦女們，太能吃苦了。
明明在場院裏低頭編一天的席，已經很辛苦，可是每名婦女，自家也至少也拿出了兩張福字席。而象李大丫家這樣家裏有閨女，還學會了編席手藝的，更是直接拿出了五張席。
“大丫，我可跟你說，這五張席不管孩子們編了多少，該給她們的錢你得給她們。”夏菊花讓陳秋生登記好各家送來多少席，不放心的囑咐李大丫。
跟着李大丫一起來交席的紅翠興奮的看看親娘，又看看大娘，慢慢低下了頭——編席的時候李大丫已經跟兩個閨女說過了，她們兩個哥哥都要娶媳婦，編席賣錢都得存着給他們做彩禮。
就算大娘說讓親娘分給她和紅玲編席錢，怕是親娘也不會同意。
不想李大丫一口就答應下來：“行，嫂子你都說了，那我就一人分她們一張席錢。”五張席裏她自己只編了一張半，剩下的都是兩個閨女編的。
紅翠不敢相信自己的耳朵，聽到大娘說：“這就對了。孩子們還能在家裏呆幾年，要是在娘家的時候都不讓她們過幾天舒心日子，等嫁人了自己操持個小家，這輩子活的就太累了。”
親大娘，這絕對是自己的親大娘！紅翠想不出別的言語，只有這麽一個念頭。
何止是紅翠，別的聽見夏菊花話的婦女，也都是一臉感觸：誰沒有過當姑娘的時候，那時在娘家的日子也苦，可面對自己的親爹娘親兄弟，再小心翼翼也比進了陌生的婆家自在點兒。
“隊長，我也給我家閨女分一張席錢。”
“還有我。”
“孩子都知道幫咱們在家編席，是不能光為了兒子虧待了閨女。”
平安莊的姑娘們，誰也沒想過只是夏菊花的幾句話，就讓日後莊子裏重男輕女的情況得到大大的緩解，她們現在，都沉浸在平生頭一次用勞動掙到錢的喜悅之中。
夏菊花也很喜悅呀——不數不知道，一數吓一跳說的就是夏菊花。連上場院裏大家每天的定量，平安莊現有的福字席就高達三百四十張，等于把林主任後加的二百張福字席任務提前完成了！
自己高興，夏菊花也願意讓大家跟着高興，把林主任說的每張福字席要提高一毛錢的事兒說了出來。平安莊的婦女們再一次沸騰了，別看一張席只多了一毛錢，可她們相信，跟着隊長編席的任務會源源不斷，那還是一毛錢的事兒嗎？
“不行，我手裏那張席快該收邊了，我去編完再下工。”李常旺家的頭一個反應過來，轉頭就往場院跑。好幾個婦女跟着都往場院趕，她們手裏的席同樣都到了收邊的時候。
現在多編出一張席來，明天供銷社就能多拉走一張席，生産隊就能多得一張席的錢。別看生産隊的席不能見現錢，可是錢放在生産隊，跟留在供銷社之間，平安莊的婦女們自然選擇它放在生産隊。
就是這麽有大局觀！
哪怕還沒到收邊的婦女們也站不住了，等陳秋生一登記完自己家的，向跟來的閨女們承諾也會分她們一張席的錢，都匆匆回去編席了。
夏菊花看着最後一個人的背影，嘴角不由上揚，一扭頭發現五爺正背着手笑呵呵的看着自己。
“五爺，你什麽時候來的？”夏菊花不知道老人家在這兒站了多長時間，怕他身體受不住，跟着他往家走。
五爺的煙袋鍋子別在腰上，雙手倒背着慢慢走，邊走邊說：“大壯，菊花呀，”頭一次叫夏菊花的名字，老頭兒還有點別扭，自己咳嗽了一聲才說：
“你可讓平安莊的爺們開眼界了。”也讓他這個老頭子跟着開眼界了，所以五爺覺得至少夏菊花，值得他不再叫大壯家的而是叫菊花。
夏菊花被五爺說的有些不好意思：“五爺，我這不也是事趕事被逼的沒辦法，才不得不一樣一樣做下去。”
有多少人也被事兒趕着，卻除了報怨或是說一句沒辦法，就當沒事兒發生，什麽也不做？以前平安莊不是不割葦杆編席，也不是沒有娶進來的媳婦娘家會漏粉兒，可是管過別人家嗎？
夏菊花，只有這個夏菊花，她就管了，還越管越好！
見五爺久久不說話，夏菊花只好笑着問：“五爺，咱們去看看那兩頭豬？剛才林主任把我吓了一跳，生怕他明天帶一堆領導過來，那還不得吃去半頭豬呀。”
五爺忙問咋回事兒，夏菊花一長一短的把林主任想帶着縣供銷社的領導來平安莊，卻被她推到後天的事兒說了一遍。
氣的五爺又去摸自己的煙袋鍋子：“當初林主任在公社的時候，你跟他打交道不是打的挺好的嘛，怎麽這時候就犯胡塗了。”
不知道自己犯了啥胡塗的夏菊花，有點兒愣症的看五爺，老頭兒都想把自己剛才給她的評價收回來：“人家是不是看了咱們人編席，才說要帶領導來的？那是人家同情咱們編席不容易，想讓領導看過之後給咱們提高一下定價呢。這要是一張席給咱們提個一毛兩毛的，頂領導吃多少肉？！”
“可林主任已經告訴我，每張福字席給提一毛錢。我新編的席還沒定價，可我也告訴他我都得編三天，我一天可是十個工，怎麽着一張席也得給三塊錢吧。”
你把占完便宜就扔說的這麽順溜，林主任知道嗎？五爺狐疑的看了夏菊花一眼，見她是真心疼生産隊的那兩頭豬，五爺還能說什麽？
等見到明天就要進全體社員肚子裏的豬，五爺算是知道夏菊花為啥連一口肉也不願意讓外人吃了：平安莊五百多人，這兩頭豬加起來能出三百斤肉就不錯，豬血、下水、骨頭做成殺豬菜，裏頭得加上大量的土豆、粉條，才夠全平安莊人一人分上一小碗。
要是這兩頭豬再大點兒就好了。五爺看着圈裏大小各異的兩頭豬，就不能不想起孫氏那個敗家老娘們，要不是她克扣了豬飼料，那頭豬少說應該多出十斤肉！
同樣在罵孫氏的，還有遠在孫家莊的孫紅梅一家子。不是孫家人怎麽重情義，快過小年了想起孫氏帶着劉四壯家三口子仍被關在學習班，同情他們或是想去給他們送口吃的。而是紅小隊再次光臨老孫家，是被孫氏給舉報了。
起因十分簡單，紅小隊眼看着明天就過小年，也不願意再看着那些只需要教育一下的壞分子，放出風聲來可以讓壞分子交些罰款，都不用隊幹部來接就能自己回家。
經過這麽十多天的受教育生涯，孫氏一刻也不願意在學習班呆了，忙讓劉四壯快點兒把錢拿出來交罰款。劉四壯早在半夜跑去孫家莊的時候，就把錢交給孫紅梅的爹也就是他大舅子保管着，哪兒拿得出來？
象孫氏這種占便宜沒夠的人，對同類總是分外敏感的，一聽就明白老孫家打的是什麽主意。她先把孫桂芝臭罵了一頓，再把老孫家祖宗十八代翻出來咒上一回，就逼着孫桂芝讓人給她哥捎信快送錢來。
自從親哥哥把自己的兩個孩子一齊推給紅小隊，孫桂芝再想向着娘家說話也說不出口，更清楚別說現在只是讓人給她哥捎信，就是她自己跪到門口求，親哥都不會給她一分錢。
話是難說出口，可孫桂芝在孫氏和劉四壯不停的打罵下，也不得不說出來，把孫氏直接氣的背過氣去了。等孫氏醒過來還了得？
舉報，必須向紅小隊舉報老孫家一家子！這才有了紅小隊再進孫家莊，直接抄了老孫家的一幕。
不是要錢，是真的抄家！誰讓孫家人把一分錢看的比磨盤還大，紅小隊剛到的時候一口咬定自己家沒收劉四壯一分錢呢？
那就把生産隊會計叫來，問問孫家過去一年分紅了多少，再把他們家所有東西和錢都抄出來，對着算是不是該他們家該有的。
這一算本來還有些同情老孫家的孫家莊人，誰也不替他們向紅小隊求情了：孫家莊去年的工分值只有九分，老孫家一家子一年的工分四千六百二十個，去了換糧食的三千個工分，手裏滿打滿算能有一百五十塊錢。
結果不算東西，光是錢，紅小隊就抄出了四百二十五塊六毛錢！
As for Sun Hongmei's father crying that the extra money was the betrothal gifts for her three sisters, the Red Team members were amused: "It's been so many years since the Four Olds Campaign, and you still dare to accept betrothal gifts. That's the result of feudal remnant thinking. It seems that the people really did not report your family wrongly. You should all go to a class and learn a lesson!"
Captain Xia smiled and stepped on Sun Hongmei's father's back and asked him, "How much do you sell your daughter for?"