Chapter 68
Li Zhaodi was in a state of panic, Xia Juhua felt uneasy as well, and the other women in the yard wished that Director Zheng was asking them.
Because Li Zhaodi was too honest, she would never tell a lie, even if she kept half of what she said. So Xia Juhua quietly asked Zhao Xianzhi, Chang Xiancao and others to tell the weavers how many hours it would take to weave the mats, and everyone tacitly did not inform Li Zhaodi.
I was afraid that if she got nervous, people would find out that she was lying.
But the first person Director Zheng asked was Li Zhaodi, and he kept observing her reaction. Li Zhaodi rubbed the corners of her clothes, pulled her collar, raised her head and quickly glanced at Director Zheng. After a while, she asked Xia Juhua: "Captain, is it because I am slow at making mats that you don't want me to stay and make mats?"
After saying this, Li Zhaodi's eyes turned red with anxiety: "Captain, I know this time the task is heavy, I must weave well, if I can't finish weaving in the yard, I can take it home and weave it, okay? Please let me stay and weave the mats."
Li Zhaodi kept answering Director Zheng's questions, but emphasized that she would learn to weave patterns and speed up the progress. Unfortunately, her language was poor, and she only said a few words of assurance, which were not interesting at all after listening to them for a long time.
Xia Juhua explained to Director Zheng somewhat embarrassedly: "Director Zheng, the members of our production team only know how to work every day. They have never seen the world and don't know how to talk. I'm sorry to embarrass you."
Director Zheng is an amiable leader. Even though she didn't get the clear answer she wanted from Li Zhaodi, she still understood it because she was afraid that she would be sent home if she made up an answer too slowly.
Director Zheng kept a gentle smile on his fair face: "I understand, I understand. This member must be worried that she can't participate in the sideline production and is afraid. Captain Xia, you can't really stop her from weaving mats just because I asked a question and she didn't answer it well."
"That's impossible." Xia Juhua assured Director Zheng quickly: "Zhao Di's hands are a little slow, but look at the mats she weaves, they are dense and smooth, and the edges are gathered tightly and smoothly. Such mats can be laid for seven or eight years without the edges coming apart."
As if he believed what Xia Juhua said, and as if he wanted to comfort Li Zhaodi, Director Zheng actually picked up the mat that she had half-woven, carefully observed the pattern on it, and asked casually, "How long have you been weaving this mat?"
"Ah?" Li Zhaodi understood the question this time and looked at Director Zheng in confusion: "I started editing it the day before yesterday."
Two days have passed since the day before yesterday, and only half of the mats have been woven. Director Lin reported that each woman wove one mat every three days, which was indeed a little slow. Xia Juhua breathed a sigh of relief. She would not tell Director Zheng and his group that Li Zhaodi had only started weaving the mat the afternoon before yesterday. Yesterday, everyone in Ping'an Village had a holiday, so Li Zhaodi did not weave a mat for a day.
"That's because we're not editing fast enough." Director Zheng put down the mat in his hand and started walking away, asking, "Captain Xia, at this speed, it might be difficult to complete the order for 800 mats."
Xia Juhua said confidently, "Don't worry, Director Zheng. Since Lin, Team Leader Lin, told me last time that the county supply and marketing cooperative might order seats for our production team, our members have been making seats. After Team Leader Lin left the day before yesterday, we took inventory and found that we have already made 350 seats. Moreover, the members have said that they will not go back to their parents' homes for the New Year this year and will all stay in the production team to make seats. We will definitely not delay the task assigned to us by the supply and marketing cooperative."
"It's so cold, can you hold on?" Director Zheng was concerned about the health of the members. He happened to walk in front of Zhao Xianzhi, so Xia Juhua didn't need to answer, Zhao Xianzhi had already spoken:
"Don't worry, leader. We are not afraid of freezing. As long as we have reed stalks, the supply and marketing cooperative will accept the mats we make. We will make as many mats as you want even if we have to stay up all night."
Director Zheng was very moved and nodded to Zhao Xianzhi. After watching the mat weaving for a while, he was taken to the production team by Xia Juhua.
Chen Qiu Sheng had already heated up the house, so that people who came in from the cold outside shivered and felt warm immediately.
Director Zheng said with emotion: "The members have suffered so much for their sideline production."
Xia Juhua neither nodded nor shook her head, and spoke the truth: "Don't be afraid of you making fun of me, Director Zheng. This is the first time in many years that members have seen people pay directly with cash. Although the cash won't reach their hands, it may be counted as work points for them."
"In the winter of previous years, women had little work to do and could only sew at home to make ends meet. Men had work to do in the fields and earned more work points than women, so if they were not satisfied with their wives, they would either scold or beat them."
"But this year, the women in our production team can earn as much work points as the men by weaving mats. When they go home, the men can even help to light the fire, so it's even harder to beat or scold them. Everyone feels that they never dared to think about such a life before, and they all hope to continue weaving mats."
Director Zheng couldn't help but recall the scene in the yard where Li Zhaodi kept begging Xia Juhua to let her stay and weave mats. He felt that he knew why the woman was so afraid of being kicked out of the yard at that time.
So he asked the question Xia Juhua had been waiting for: "Captain Xia, I heard that you give each woman six work days?"
Xia Juhua nodded this time: "Yes, six a day. Director Zheng, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. I'm also a rural woman. I know that men and women are equal now, but women have to suffer a little at home because they earn less work points. I think, if women can earn as many work points as men..."
Director Zheng, a good and considerate leader, fully understood Xia Juhua's idea and even admired her for having such an idea and realizing it. So he took the initiative to find a reason for Xia Juhua:
"Our new society advocates equal pay for equal work, and women hold up half the sky. In the city, male and female workers are paid the same. Captain Xia, you dared to make such an attempt in the countryside, and you are responding to the call of your superiors."
Xia Juhua was a little embarrassed by Director Zheng's praise, and she asked Director Zheng to drink water. Director Lin came to Ping'an Village this time, and he had always been in charge of Director Zheng and didn't say anything. Now he spoke: "Captain Xia did this, not only responded to the call of the superiors, but also solved the problem of shortage of local varieties in our supply and marketing cooperative."
Director Zheng nodded repeatedly: "Xiao Lin is right, it has indeed solved our problem. That's right, Captain Xia, we have also learned about the situation of our production team's mat weaving just now. The working environment is too harsh. In order to complete the task, the members have suffered so much and voluntarily gave up going back to their parents' homes. Our supply and marketing cooperative is very grateful."
As long as the price per seat goes up, expressions of thanks can be put on hold.
Xia Juhua would not be bought by a flattering word, and quietly looked at Director Zheng and waited for the next step. Fortunately, Director Zheng's on-site inspection was only to confirm the production capacity of Pingan Village, and the general plan had already been discussed in the county:
"Of course, our county supply and marketing cooperative cannot let the majority of members suffer in vain, so we have decided to increase the purchase price of each double happiness and blessing table to 2.70 yuan from now on."
Director Zheng paused for a moment, and as expected, he saw the surprise in Xia Juhua's eyes, and continued in a good mood, "Captain Xia, considering the time cost, the supply and marketing cooperative has decided to purchase your new Four Seasons Peace Seat at a price of three yuan and one cent. Do you think it's okay?"
"Time cost?" Xia Juhua's surprise had not yet faded, but her eyes were already confused by the new word that Director Zheng had come up with. This confusion greatly increased Director Zheng's sense of superiority, and he patiently explained to Xia Juhua:
"To put it simply, the time cost means that it takes you two days to make a blessing mat, but three days to make a four-season peace mat. But the production team has to record the same work points for you every day. Doesn't it take more work points to make a four-season peace mat than a blessing mat?"
Xia Juhua nodded in understanding: "Yes, that's the reason. I've already told Team Leader Lin that if the Four Seasons Peace Seat is priced the same as the Fortune Seat, we won't make it. It's a waste of time if we can't make it."
Director Lin looked at Director Zheng helplessly, then he said, "Captain Xia, why are you wasting your time? Director Zheng said that the Four Seasons Peace Seat is 3.10 yuan per seat. If you have any other difficulties, you can also raise them. Our supply and marketing cooperative can also find a way to help solve them."
No matter how ruthless a leader is, he would never bow to a rural woman. Director Lin's words were just right - if Director Zheng had not been optimistic about Xia Juhua's Four Seasons Peace Feast, he would not have come to Ping'an Village for an inspection during the busy New Year.
An investigation is an investigation, but the county supply and marketing cooperative cannot fall down. It has always been the farmers who begged the supply and marketing cooperative to purchase local products. How can the supply and marketing cooperative take the initiative to extend an olive branch to the farmers?
Even if the mats had been delivered, people should feel that the supply and marketing cooperative was doing so out of love for the fruits of farmers' labor. But how could Xia Juhua, a rural woman, say that weaving mats for the supply and marketing cooperative was a waste of time?
The county supply and marketing cooperative has already given a guarantee to the regional supply and marketing cooperatives that 800 new reed mats will be supplied on time! The content of the guarantee is far more than the existing two patterns. The region is also optimistic about the four-season peace mats, and hopes to get no less than 800 in the next step.
Director Zheng may not know the speed of the Pingan Village women's mat weaving, but Director Lin, who has been dealing with Xia Juhua, still has some idea in his mind. Director Lin's understanding of Xia Juhua's desire to increase the price of reed mats is different from Director Zheng's verbal understanding.
平安莊婦女們編席的條件，的确是太辛苦了。農民能掙到點兒現錢的心，的确太迫切了。夏菊花想帶着全平安莊的人過好日子的心情，林主任一路看下來太明白了。
林主任剛才的話明面是是在替鄭主任解圍，實際上是在暗示夏菊花有什麽要求的話，可以當着鄭主任的面提出來。比跟他一個小小的采購組長提，有用得太多。
以林主任對夏菊花的了解，她應該能聽明白自己的暗示。
夏菊花的确聽懂了，臉上的笑十分真誠：“三塊一一張席，一張席生産隊能掙三毛錢……行。鄭主任你放心，編完這八百張席我們就開始編四季平安席。”
鄭主任臉上神情剛松動了一下，夏菊花臉上的笑卻收了起來：“就是眼看着要過年了，大家不可能一直編席，也得忙活忙活過年的事兒。唉，鄭主任你不知道，我們農民別的不愁，就是愁手裏有錢沒票，想買的東西也買不到。”
一句話成功的讓鄭主任的眉頭又收攏到了一起，看了林主任一眼才問：“那社員們都想買些什麽東西？”
“對鄭主任你們來說也不是什麽稀罕東西，就是有些人家想娶媳婦，需要個暖壺臉盆啥的，還有想着過年給閨女做件新衣裳。”可能夏菊花覺得這麽點兒小事，還要向縣供銷社的主任說，十分不好意思，最後的聲音幾乎低的聽不見。
鄭主任的本來緊繃着的心情猛地放松了。對農民來說買暖壺臉盆都需要工業票，那東西想淘換起來千難萬難。可對縣供銷社來說，雖然也算緊俏，可還是能均出十個八個來的。
至于布，那就更不用提了，哪級供銷社不會收到運輸過程中弄髒或是劃破一點兒的“處理布”？反正都要處理了，處理給誰不是處理呢。
鄭主任和藹的笑了：“林主任，這事兒你記一下，咱們供銷社不能只想着讓社員替咱們完成任務，也應該為社員分憂。具體平安莊生産隊需要多少物資，能不能均出來，咱們回縣裏再定。夏隊長，你覺得這樣行不行？”
行，當然行。夏菊花剛才說出暖壺和臉盆這兩樣，完全是想着有棗沒棗打三杆子，落腳還在布上。現在連暖壺和臉盆都有可能解決，她臉上洋溢的笑收都收不住。
“又給供銷社的同志們添麻煩了，我代表婦女同志們感謝鄭主任。”她學着上輩子看電視裏頭的樣子，站起來想給鄭主任鞠個躬，卻被人躲開了：“夏隊長，咱們可不興這一套呀。”
雖然沒接受夏菊花的鞠躬，可鄭主任的心情明顯是愉悅的，由着林主任和另外一個工作人員一起把平安莊現有的葦席清點、結帳，才笑眯眯的跟夏菊花告別。
人家拿着現錢來結帳，還要賣給平安莊不要票的物資，夏菊花哪兒能讓人這麽走，說什麽也要留鄭主任一行人吃了午飯再走。
鄭主任十分無奈的推辭：“下次，下次一定在平安莊吃飯。今天實在不行，我們既然來了紅星公社，怎麽也得到公社供銷社看看，要不供銷社的同志們還以為我對他們的工作不滿意呢。”
夏菊花只好懇求的看向林主任：“林組長，你看你來了平安莊幾趟，都是連口飯都不吃就走。今天好不容易鄭主任這麽大的領導來我們生産隊視察，你可不能再把你那一套用到鄭主任身上。”
一席話即誇了林主任也捧了鄭主任，連帶着陪鄭主任一起來的工作人員也笑起來，覺得平安莊這個女隊長雖然有點兒農民的小狡黠，總體來說人還是實在的。
推讓之間，李長順的聲音突然在生産隊的院裏響起來：“夏菊花，你在生産隊呢，聽說縣供銷社的領導來了？”
夏菊花猛地想起，縣供銷社領導要來平安莊這麽大的事兒，自己竟然忘記跟李長順這個大隊長彙報，不由心虛的應了一聲：“大隊長，我在呢。”連忙往出走，想迎接一下大隊長。
李長順自己已經一瘸一拐的進來了。鄭主任見一個傷了腿的人竟然做了大隊長，有些奇怪。林主任機靈的湊到他耳邊，把自己了解到的李長順的經歷快速說了一下。
原來是老革命。鄭主任主動上前伸出手：“是平安大隊的李大隊長吧。你好，我是縣供銷社的鄭強。”
李長順一把握住鄭主任的手就不松開了：“鄭主任，你來我們大隊視察這麽辛苦，可不能不吃飯就走，那太讓我們過意不去了。”
面對熱情的老革命李長順，鄭主任很給面子的又把自己的理由說了一遍，保證自己下次再來一定先去大隊見李長順喝酒，喝高興了再來平安莊。
見實在留不住人，李長順提出可以用大隊的馬車替供銷社把席送回縣城，熱情的讓鄭主任連拒絕的話都說不出口了。
夏菊花見李長順一來就占據了主動，一聲不吭的裝自己不存在。可真能裝得下去嗎？李長順每跟鄭主任或是林主任說一句話，都會看夏菊花一眼，看的她心裏發毛好不好。
她真不是故意不向大隊彙報的，哪怕鄭主任他們已經拉着席走遠了，她還是得向李長順聲明這一點。
“是不是故意的，你都是沒向組織彙報，是嚴重的無組織無紀律行為。”李長順很嚴肅的給出自己的評價：“這種行為，應該在全體幹部會議上做出深刻檢查。”
夏菊花老老實實的點頭，只有一個問題：“大隊長，口頭檢查行不行，我不會寫字。”
李長順被她噎了一下，沒好氣的看了她一眼：“你們生産隊那個劉力柱，不是開始教孩子認字了嗎？”
夏菊花幹巴巴的咧了一下嘴：“讓劉力柱教孩子們認字，是因為好些孩子才七八歲，幫家裏幹不了什麽活還四處亂跑，不如圈到一塊學幾個字省得家裏大人操心。再說，他總共教孩子們認了兩天字，我也沒跟着學呀。”
“大壯家的，”李長順突然語重心長的說：“你雖然只是平安莊生産隊的隊長，可也是平安莊大隊的人是不是？總不能你們生産隊過得紅紅火火，別的生産隊連年都過不去。”
來了，從李長順突然出現在生産隊，夏菊花就知道這句話會出現在耳邊。因此她表現的十分淡定：“大隊長你太擡舉平安莊了，我們生産隊也就比別人多賣出去幾張席，那葦杆還是跟別的生産隊買的。”
我們可沒光顧着自己，別的生産隊堆着沒用的葦杆，在我們這兒全都換成錢了，現錢！
李長順知道自己多少有些強人所難，可誰讓別的生産隊長沒能耐，想不出讓社員增加收入的法子來呢？所以他只好厚着一張老臉，替那幾個生産隊向平安莊讨人情：
“你們上次買的葦杆都快用完了吧，是不是還需要跟別的生産隊買葦杆？他們幾個生産隊的葦杆還多着呢，現在各生産隊都不太忙，幹脆讓他們明天給你們送來。”
葦杆平安莊自然需要，可上次那四個生産隊送葦杆的時候，除了三隊隊長外都沒啥好話，夏菊花并不想再收他們的葦杆：
“大隊長，按理說你都安排了，我們應該繼續收兄弟生産隊的葦杆。可是上次他們來送葦杆的時候，前腳拿了錢，後腳就一起議論說平安莊占了他們的便宜。這回，就別再讓平安莊占他們的便宜了吧。”
肉眼可見的，李長順的老臉紅了。夏菊花明白他的苦心，知道他想讓幾個生産隊的社員都能過好。從李長順身上，夏菊花甚至看到，上輩子自己努力想讓兩個兒子都過好日子的影子。
可是願望是美好的，占便宜的人是不是領情跟願望是兩碼事兒。被占便宜的一方願意不願意一一直吃虧下去，更不是搞平衡的人能左右得了的。
“這幾個兔崽子，他們是想反天呀。”李長順恨恨的罵了一句，背着手就要走。夏菊花有些不忍心，快走兩步追上他，小聲說：“大隊長，我不是要跟大隊對着幹。實在是李大牛他們幾個就在我們生産隊院裏說，被我們社員聽見了，大家心裏都不痛快。”
李長順理都沒理夏菊花，拐着一條腿走得飛快。
換成夏菊花，她也沒什麽臉呆在平安莊，可是看着李長順一瘸一拐的背影，夏菊花也沒有什麽高興的感覺。
不是覺得自己得罪了李長順心裏不安，怕他給自己小鞋穿——李長順能做這麽長時間的大隊長，哪怕是運動來了也沒有被打倒，與他的人品得到所有人的認可是分不開的。
夏菊花只是有些懷念那個帶着幾個生産隊長一起去給供銷社送表揚信的李長順。
哪怕再懷念，如果李長順再提出讓平安莊收購其他生産隊葦杆的話，夏菊花還是會拒絕的：做了好事兒得不到感謝也就算了，還被人罵就過份了。
After hearing Li Changshun's reaction, the Fifth Master slammed the tobacco pot hard and said, "The Xihe River is so long, and it's not just our brigade that cuts reeds in the fall. Tomorrow I'll ask Daxi and the others to go around asking the production teams. How can no one be willing to sell?"
Xia Juhua also felt that other production teams would actually prefer to exchange the reeds that took up space for cash, so she nodded in agreement with Master Wu. Master Wu saw that she couldn't sit still, so he waved his hand at her with a smile, "Go to the production team quickly, those women must be waiting impatiently."