Chapter 66
Rural people work day after day. They have no holidays and have to work very hard every day to feed their families.
But on the day of Little New Year, when the whistle of Pingan Village sounded again, the members came to work with smiles on their faces, as if they were not going to work but had some happy event.
Not only did the members come out quickly and early, but also the elderly who were able to walk in each family, and the children who could not stand in one place and had to run around to declare their presence, all came out.
Because Captain Xia had someone notify everyone the night before that the Ping'an Village production team would be slaughtering the New Year pig today. Not only would everyone have to eat the slaughtered pig dishes together, but the production team would not assign any work to everyone in the morning, and all the workers would have a half-day break!
When do the old farmers get a half-day off, except when the weather is bad and they can't go to the fields or during the New Year? So when the whistle blows, everyone comes to watch the excitement as if they are watching a foreign spectacle, even if they are also one of the excitement.
The old people did not stand there for long, watching the strong men take the pigs out of the pig pen and tie them up, and after evaluating how much meat each pig could produce, they went home to wait for the slaughter of pigs. The children running around were too troublesome, and they were often scolded by their own parents, and whether they cried or not, they were all driven away.
The open space in front of the pigpen suddenly became empty, with only the pigs on the table howling from time to time.
Xia Juhua didn't dare to watch the pig being slaughtered, and was boiling water with a group of women to remove the pig's hair.
"Captain, stop occupying your hands. The water will be on soon." Li Changwang's, no, she should be called Zhao Xianzhi, had a smile on her face and refused to let Xia Juhua do any work.
Xia Juhua was also very sad. After she knew that the real names of Li Changwang and Li Changman were Zhao Xianzhi and Chang Xiancao respectively, she felt that she understood why these two people were always at odds with each other.
She wondered if she had been wrong to advise Zhao Xianzhi to get along well with Chang Xiancao.
After Zhao Xianzhi "turned over a new leaf", Chang Xiancao's transformation from being uncomfortable to being comfortable and then to deliberately suppressing Zhao Xianzhi was so fast that Xia Juhua didn't even have time to hit Chang Xiancao.
Speaking of these two people, they really don't blame each other. After Zhao Xianzhi stopped looking for trouble, Chang Xiancao almost forgot her last name and kept wanting to hit her with words. Zhao Xianzhi just told Xia Juhua not to do anything, and Chang Xiancao said:
"Oh, that's a really nice thing to say. If you really care about our captain, then you should do all the work by yourself as soon as possible. Otherwise, what if the captain cares about us and wants to help us?"
Zhao Xianzhi gritted his teeth, and then gritted his teeth again, and silently burned his fire without saying a word. Xia Juhua glanced at Chang Xiancao, and Chang Xiancao opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything else.
At first, when the women nearby heard Chang Xiancao beating Zhao Xianzhi, they wanted to join in on the joke, but when they noticed Xia Juhua's unhappy expression, they all lowered their heads and did their own work, and no one stepped forward to say anything.
The lively scene suddenly became quiet, and Chang Xiancao herself felt a little regretful. But she was not like Zhao Xianzhi, who could not afford to apologize to others. She was just fighting for work.
What else could Xia Juhua say? If one of the two could hold back, the peace could be maintained. However, she was very pleased that Zhao Xianzhi could hold back, and she didn't mind letting everyone know that she valued Zhao Xianzhi.
"Xianzhi, come with me and go to my house to get something." Xia Juhua called Zhao Xianzhi and went out first. Chang Xiancao looked at Xia Juhua's back, then looked at Zhao Xianzhi who had stood up, and swallowed the words on his lips.
After the two of them left, someone around Chang Xiancao said to her, "Why do you keep hitting her? It's making the captain's wife unhappy. I think Zhao Xianzhi has changed a lot these days. She greets you when she sees you, and she doesn't talk back when you say something. Don't make her angry one day and tell the captain about you."
"I just can't stand her." Chang Xiancao also had a lot to say: "Why does the captain like her so much? Isn't it just because she is good at flattering people?" The captain had let her handle the matters of notifying people with different surnames several times. Why should he let Zhao Xianzhi be in charge of managing people?
Zhao Xianzhi was now feeling very happy. What if Chang Xiancao beat her again? The captain still trusted her the most and always took her with him when he went home to get things. Could she, Chang Xiancao, do that?
But looking at the two large basins of eggs that Xia Juhua brought out at once, Zhao Xianzhi wished that it was Chang Xiancao who accompanied the captain home: Although every family in Ping'an Village raises a few chickens, no family can store so many eggs. These eggs were clearly brought by the members to nourish the captain.
"Captain, what are you going to do with all these eggs?" Zhao Xianzhi's voice was a little stuttering.
Xia Juhua said as if it was a matter of course: "Just stir-fry it. Aren't we all going to eat pig slaughter food together today? Add a dish to make everyone happy together."
Zhao Xianzhi wanted to tell Xia Juhua that if everyone knew that they had delivered the eggs themselves, they would definitely not be happy. However, during this period of time, it became her habit to obey Xia Juhua. Even though she was unwilling in her heart, she still picked up a basin of eggs and followed Xia Juhua to the yard of the production team.
"Captain, this is inappropriate." Halfway through the journey, Zhao Xianzhi thought of a reason: "The pig offal and pig bones used for slaughtering pigs are all from the production team, and everyone feels at ease eating the production team's products. But how can you expect people to swallow your own food?"
"You don't like scrambled eggs?" Xia Juhua asked casually while walking without even stopping.
Who doesn't like scrambled eggs? Let alone fried eggs, even boiled eggs can only be eaten a few times a year by adults, and children will cry about it because they don't like it, but they are reluctant to cook it, okay? Zhao Xianzhi felt that the captain was deliberately not wanting her to speak, so she pouted and kept silent.
Chang Xiancao got furious when he saw the eggs brought by Zhao Xianzhi and Xia Juhua: "Zhao Xianzhi, what's on your mind? You just bring the eggs when the captain asks you to. You don't feel bad that they are not your own. Why don't you bring your own eggs? This is for the captain to nourish his body. Aren't you afraid that they will go down your ribs if you eat them?"
Xia Juhua put down the egg and tapped her arm while saying, "Xiancao, stop talking. Xianzhi has been very accommodating to you these past two days. You are her sister-in-law, and you can't take advantage of her because she can't talk back and bully her."
Chang Xiancao was not happy: "Okay, I won't use words to hit her anymore, but you have to take back the egg, Captain. The production team is eating slaughtered pigs, why should you contribute anything?"
"Why are you angry again?" Xia Juhua felt that the angry Chang Xiancao had an inexplicable sense of humor: "To be honest, these eggs were indeed given to me by everyone. But how could I not know how difficult it was for everyone to save these eggs from their mouths? Just like what you said, I saved them from everyone's mouths and ate them all by myself, so I have to swallow them."
"It just so happens that today is not only the day our production team kills the New Year pig, but it is also Master Wu's birthday. I thought I might as well lend a flower to him and take out the eggs, so that I, as a junior, can serve Master Wu a birthday dish."
"Sister-in-law, it's my grandfather's birthday, how can I let you contribute to the dishes? If we have to contribute, it should be our families." Liu Erxi's wife Li Zhaodi was not happy and stood up to speak for Chang Xiancao.
However, no matter how much they said, they could not resist Xia Juhua's determination. In the end, she used her new tricks to "threaten" the women, and finally she drowned out the voices of opposition.
There were no more voices of opposition, but the women gathered together and started to grumble. Some went home to get some potatoes, others brought some cabbage, some brought vermicelli, and some brought dried mushrooms...
Xia Juhua watched the women carrying things from her home bit by bit like mice moving house, but with smiles on their faces, and did not say anything to stop them. Why should she stop them? Was she the only one allowed to contribute to everyone, and no one else was allowed to add bricks and tiles?
A collective can never go far by relying on the dedication of one person. Only when all members of the collective consciously consider the collective and contribute their own strength to the collective, the collective will be more cohesive.
Only a cohesive group can withstand hardships and not be crushed when facing storms!
The men who did not participate in the pig slaughter had already built six simple stoves, and some of the families who volunteered to provide pots had already installed the pots on the stoves. Firewood was put into the stoves, and soon they started to crackle, and the water in the pot gradually began to steam...
The pigs had been killed, and boiling water was poured over them. The butcher quickly removed the hair, and soon the white strips of pig appeared in front of everyone. The onlookers couldn't help but take a deep breath. When the butcher finished cutting up the pig's head, many people urged Chen Qiusheng: "Hurry up and weigh it, hurry up and weigh it."
Only after weighing can we know how much meat the two pigs have produced and calculate how many ounces of meat each person can get.
Unfortunately, the two pig heads took up more than 30 kilograms, and the offal took up another 40 kilograms. So there were only 225 kilograms of pork that could be distributed to the members, not including the bones!
Xia Juhua, who had experienced an era of material abundance, was of course dissatisfied when she heard this number. However, the members of Ping'an Village were not too disappointed. They went to the debtors who were not entitled to any meat. According to the work points, each person could get 3 taels of meat, which was not a small amount for several production teams nearby.
Before distributing the meat, Xia Juhua said to everyone, "Who doesn't eat dumplings during the New Year? Here's what I'm thinking. Uncle Dong and his seven families should each get a pound of meat. As for the work points they owe, they can make up for it next year. What do you think?"
The fifth master nodded and said, "Sure, it's fine. It doesn't matter whether the work points are compensated or not."
陳秋生也說：“我也覺得工分補不補都行，說實在的，老董叔他們一年到頭也沒閑着，就是幹不了重活才掙不下工分。今年冬天他們幾家不是也有人跟着編席，現在也跟着大家漏粉兒，來年肯定不差這點兒工分。”
兩個大姓的主事兒人都這麽說了，雜姓人裏頭趙仙枝早早捅咕着自家男人讓他表态。不光趙仙枝，常仙草幾個一直編席的也同時給自家男人施加壓力。于是雜姓的聲音即整齊又響亮：“同意，不用補工分。”
因為歷年都是欠帳戶分不上肉的七戶人家，往年都是在殺豬菜做好，別人打完後才最後出現，所以現在還不知道今年生産隊要分給他們一家一斤豬肉。
等各家的當家人被找來之後，聽說夏菊花的決定，老董叔和七奶兩位老人家淚窩子淺，馬上就流着淚說啥也不肯要這斤豬肉：“我們現在都靠着大家夥養活，哪兒還好意思分大家的肉。”
夏菊花拉着七奶的手勸她：“七奶，咱們平安莊這麽老些人，一人少吃一口就省出你們幾家的來了。”
趙鐵蛋倒覺得自己占了便宜，還想跟夏菊花确定一下：“隊長，這可是你們非得分給我們肉，不是我們硬要的。這工分來年真不用補是不是？”
趙大狗一把把他爹拉到身後頭：“隊長，我爹是高興糊塗了，他不是不想補工分。你放心，來年我跟二狗兩個一定好好下地。你要是不放心，現在我出錢買肉也行。”
近一個月漏粉的經歷，讓從來沒有人管過教過他靠自己力氣吃飯光榮的趙大狗，心理發生了很大變化。他每天不數一數自己掙的錢、稱一稱自己掙的糧，都有一種不真實的感覺。等數明白手裏的錢越來越多，糧也越來越多，趙大狗覺得他爹那一套得過且過的理論行不通。
得過且過是能活下去，可活不好呀，娶不上媳婦呀。他才幫人漏了多長時間的粉，手裏掙了六七塊錢，還換了十來斤糧食，以前敢想嗎？
以前不敢想的事兒現在做成了，他爹卻要得罪連給他出主意的陳秋生都佩服的夏菊花，趙大狗能如他爹的願才怪呢。
老董叔直接給了趙鐵蛋一下子：“你都不如個孩子。”
夏菊花看着人高馬大快二十五歲的“孩子”趙大狗，笑着說：“這回不用你出錢買。等來年這時候，你要是再掙不下工分，可就沒有你們家的份了。”
趙鐵蛋剛想說啥，就被趙二狗把嘴捂住了，他唔唔的說不出話來，趙大狗卻鄭重向夏菊花保證：“行，隊長，老少爺們都在這兒聽着呢，我趙大狗要是做不到，以後都不好意思再吃平安莊的殺豬菜。”
趙仙枝一聽不願意了：“你光讓老少爺們給你做證，是不是瞧不起你嬸子大娘們？你信不信，你嬸子大娘們不高興，今天你吃不上殺豬菜不說，來年還沒人給你介紹媳婦。”
人群哄的一聲被逗笑了，趙大狗紅着臉不知道該說啥好。夏菊花趁這工夫沖陳秋生使個眼色，陳秋生向早等着的劉大喜喊了一聲：“分肉！”
早已經端着盆或藍子等着的社員們，一個個排好了隊。老董叔和七奶等幾家欠賬戶，還想如往常一樣往最後排，卻被夏菊花叫住了，示意陳秋生最先給這幾家分肉。
而趙鐵蛋一家，則被夏菊花毫不留情的趕到最後一個——他們爺三個都是壯勞力，結果掙的工分連口糧都不夠，要不是想着別落下一個人，最後的一斤肉都不想分給他們。
趙鐵蛋還想争辯一下，被兩個兒子拉的死死的：“爹，你要是再鬧咱們就別要這斤肉了。說實話，這肉吃下去我都覺得臉上燒得慌。”趙大狗很有氣勢的看了親爹一眼。
趙鐵蛋被看蔫了，連隊尾都不排了，扭頭就往家走：“你要是敢不要這斤肉，以後咱們三就各過各的。”
他們爺三的小插曲，沒有人注意到，大家都在盯着一塊塊被切下來的肉上呢。殺豬匠分肉很有經驗，每一刀下去都跟陳秋生報出來的數差不多，往往會少一星半點兒的，就用一小塊骨頭補齊。
骨頭其實早已經被剔的很幹淨，上頭沒幾根肉絲。可是大家接過骨頭的時候仍然樂呵呵的，紛紛說可以跟酸菜炖到一塊，也香着呢。
五爺一直跟夏菊花站到一起，看着井然有序領肉的社員，感嘆的說：“往年別說少的用骨頭補上，就是差一錢也得吵吵一頓。”
夏菊花看得開：“不管咋說，今年大家手裏好歹松快了一點兒，真想吃肉的話也有錢去公社副食站買點兒，才不計較這一錢兩錢的肉。”
“菊花呀，我聽說你還給我加菜了？”五爺更加感嘆的看向夏菊花，以前社員們誰也沒想過拿東西給生産隊長補身子，更別提從自己家裏拿出東西來，湊到一起放進生産隊的殺豬菜裏。
他可是看見好幾個摳門婆婆，有說有笑的跟着兒媳婦一起從家拿東西，那可都是兒媳婦多煮一粒米，都要跺腳罵半年的人。
可現在她們主動拿家裏的東西出來，哪怕只是家家都有的土豆或白菜，也足夠讓五爺震驚的了。
夏菊花可不想獨占功勞：“五爺，可不光我一個人給你加菜。你在咱們平安莊德高望衆的，大家夥都想沾沾你的喜氣呢。”
“德高望衆，我算什麽德高望衆。”五爺把煙袋鍋子點上：“今年大家為啥這麽高興，人人心裏都有數呢。你放心，別人五爺不敢保，可劉姓的人，五爺還是敢跟你保證，都是有良心的人。”
剛說完，就看到了這些天明顯沉默寡言的劉二壯，五爺的話說不下去了。
夏菊花也看到了劉二壯，悄悄把昨天劉志雙去老孫家拿回錢的事兒跟五爺說了：“五爺你有空也勸勸二壯，他這麽實心實意孝順老人是沒錯，可老太太把他們掙的錢都貼補了老四家，也不知道還能不能從紅小隊手裏要回來。”要不回來的話，劉二壯還要一直養着他們嗎？
“呸！”五爺重重的往地上啐了一口：“今天我過生日，不想理這個是非不分的東西。”
“可不是，我也是忙糊塗了。”夏菊花也覺得今天大家都這麽高興，自己不應該提老劉家的事兒。可是劉二壯打不起精神來，李大丫幾個人也都是強撐着笑臉，夏菊花還是有些不忍心。
劉二壯不是沒看到跟五爺一起說話的夏菊花，可他覺得自己沒臉上前跟兩個人說話。說什麽？誇夏菊花僅用了兩三個月的時間，就讓平安莊變了樣兒？還是求夏菊花快點兒去公社，把孫氏幾人從學習班接回來？
不管是哪一樣，他都說不出口。
他自己做了十來年的生産隊長，能不知道生産隊這個最小的生産單位，其實一天到晚雞毛蒜皮的事兒并不少，淨是東家多占了一壟自留地，或是西家媳婦拔了東家的蔥的破事？
當時夏菊花被推舉成生産隊長的時候，劉二壯還想着自己好歹當了多年的生産隊長，在社員中有點兒威望，能給嫂子搭把手的時候，自己絕不會冷眼看熱鬧。
誰知道就出了親娘舉報夏菊花的事兒，還是因為他媳婦閨女跟夏菊花學編席去舉報的。那時劉二壯恨不得沒有那個親娘。
可真能當沒有親娘嗎？那是生他養他的人，在他面前哭的撕心裂肺，他真狠不下心來當不認識。因此李大丫還狠狠跟他吵了一架。
對親娘的失望與對夏菊花的愧疚疊加在一起，讓劉二壯好長一段時間緩不過神來。等他緩過神來，夏菊花已經教會了平安莊所有男人漏粉，帶着婦女們賣出一批葦席又接了新訂單。
整個平安莊的社員都跟打了雞血一樣，天天累的要死還沒有一個人抱怨，完全不象劉二壯當生産隊長的時候，下地幹活得全程盯着，要不就有人磨洋工偷懶。
劉二壯是失落的。他自以為的威望都建立在生産隊長那個職位之上，現在平安莊的人提起隊長兩個字想起來的都是夏菊花，就象劉二壯沒當十來年的生産隊長一樣。
聽，這就有人在叫：“隊長，殺豬菜都炖好了，啥時候開席呀？”
夏菊花征詢的看了一眼五爺，五爺磕磕煙袋，笑咪咪的看夏菊花。
“肉都分完了吧？”夏菊花看看光光的肉案子，仍問了一句。得到肯定的答案，她沖着大家的擺手：“走，給五爺過生日去。”
一大群人簇擁着五爺和夏菊花，一起向着生産隊的院走去，劉二壯跟在最後頭。
殺豬菜年年吃，可一下子擺出六口大鍋來還是頭一次。往年大家都是把自家該分到的菜裝進盆裏，帶回家慢慢吃，今年竟發現自己帶來的盆有點兒不夠用。
"Why are there still fried eggs?" Many people looked at the golden fried eggs and smelled the aroma of chopped green onions, and asked the person who was serving the food in confusion.
The one who cooked the scrambled eggs was Zhao Xianzhi. She was worried that others would take advantage of Xia Juhua's kindness, but she couldn't say it out loud, so she had to do it herself. Her face was flushed and her voice was loud:
"Today is Master Wu's birthday. The captain prepared eggs for Master Wu himself. I wish Master Wu good health and longevity!"