Chapter 69 (1)
Master Wu knew that Xia Juhua was thinking about distributing money to the women, so he reminded her of something before she left. He worriedly told Xia Juhua, "This time when you buy more reed stalks, you should wait until the production team has bought all of them before selling them to each household."
Xia Juhua understood immediately that Master Wu was worried that other production teams would find out that Ping'an Village members were buying reed stalks privately and would think of mixing their private mats with the public ones and selling them to the supply and marketing cooperative. If someone complained about it, it would be troublesome again. It would be better for the production teams to buy them all at once and each family could quietly pay for it.
Anyway, the county supply and marketing cooperative has already paid for the 350 seats at the price of RMB 2.70 per seat. The Ping An Village production team now has no shortage of money to buy reed poles!
However, the women who were weaving mats, especially the girls who were helping their mothers weave mats at home, were so eager to get the fruits of their labor immediately that they had already surrounded the production team.
Fortunately, Chen Qiusheng had the experience of dividing the money last time, and he had blocked the door with a table early, so the women didn't rush in. But the women kept chattering, and he counted the money again and again, but he wasn't sure if he had counted it correctly.
"Cui Ping, hasn't the captain come yet?" At this moment, his wife is still reliable. Of course, if the captain comes, he will have a backer, and Chen Qiu Sheng will not be afraid of anyone.
Zhang Cuiping was also jumping around outside the table anxiously: "Why don't you count the money quickly? It's such a small matter and you have to trouble the captain. It's just a small amount of money. How come you, an accountant, can't count it clearly?"
Zhao Xianzhi and the others followed suit, "That's right, it would be better for Qiu Sheng to be the accountant. At least she won't keep us waiting for so long."
"She didn't let you wait so long, but she still paid back all the money she deserved." Xia Juhua squeezed in and teased Zhao Xianzhi for having bad intentions.
When everyone saw Xia Juhua coming, they stopped circling the door and squeezed in to make room for her. Chen Qiusheng shouted as if he had seen a relative: "Captain, you're here, come in quickly."
Xia Juhua said angrily and amusedly, "There's no money of mine here, why would I go in? Are you going to give me some of Cuiping's money?"
In the middle of winter, Chen Qiusheng was so annoyed by the women's quarrel that he was sweating all over his forehead: "If you don't come in, we can't share the money."
How can it be impossible to divide it? It's not like we have to divide all the money. We just need to divide the mat money that has been registered earlier and compiled by each household at night. Xia Juhua glanced at Zhao Xianzhi, and Zhao Xianzhi immediately shouted at everyone: "Line up, line up. We have said so many times that no one can be left out. Why are you still pushing forward?"
"You've squeezed to the front, and you still have the nerve to talk about others." Chang Xiancao retorted to Zhao Xianzhi as usual, but turned back to help shout at everyone to line up quickly. Anyone who didn't line up would have no chance of getting paid.
"Li Daya, five tables, a total of thirteen dollars and fifty cents." Chen Qiu Sheng saw the women finally lined up in a twisting and turning manner, and called Li Daya, who was in the third place in the line, to collect the money.
Neither Zhao Xianzhi, who was at the front of the line, nor Chang Xiancao, who was at the second, thought there was anything wrong with Chen Qiu Sheng calling out to Li Daya instead of them - even if they were allowed to collect the money first, they would continue to stand in the first two positions. They couldn't really let the captain maintain order on his own.
But when they heard that Li Daya had received 13.5 yuan in one go, the two sisters-in-law took a deep breath and said, "So much?"
"Didn't Chen Qiusheng tell you that the supply and marketing cooperative is charging 2.7 yuan per table for the banquet? Daya's family made five banquets in total, so that's about the price."
"It's better to have daughters. Daya has two daughters to help weave mats. We can earn much more money than we do by ourselves."
It was rare that the two sisters-in-law were talking about the same thing, and both eyes were fixed on the money in Li Daya's hand. Li Daya was frightened by their gazes, and she didn't bother to count it again, and put it directly into her pocket.
Both Hongling and her sister came with their mother to collect the money. When they saw their mother putting the money into her pocket, they couldn't tell whether they felt disappointed or thought it was as it should be, and the smiles on their little faces were a little faltering.
"Daya." Xia Juhua, who had been watching Li Daya receiving the money, had to remind her. Li Daya smiled at her and said, "Sister-in-law, I didn't forget. I'll give them both some money when we get home." The looks of Zhao Xianzhi and her two sisters-in-law were so scary that Li Daya didn't dare to give the money to her daughters-in-law right away.
After hearing Li Daya's promise, Hongling and the other girl looked at each other and saw the same excitement in each other's eyes, and they were both happy. The other girl pulled her mother's sleeve, reminding her mother not to forget her promise.
Promises made before seeing the money and fulfilling them after seeing the money are two different concepts. Many mothers felt that they had agreed too quickly and promised too much. Xia Juhua saw their thoughts and said while watching Chen Qiusheng handing out money:
"Don't feel bad about giving some money to the children. If the children weren't there to help you clean the house and cook, would you be able to weave mats in the yard with peace of mind?"
The faces of the women who were worried about the money turned red. Xia Juhua simply explained to them: "If the yard was not so small, I would have asked the girls to go to the yard to weave mats. Think about it for yourselves, is it more cost-effective to let the girls go to the yard to earn work points, or to let them work for you at home and weave mats for cash."
"Captain is right." Xia Juhua's number one supporter Zhao Xianzhi was the first to stand up and say, "If Daya didn't have the help of two girls, Hongling and Hongcui, at home, would she be able to hand in five seats at once?"
Who doesn't have some tricks in mind? They can figure out that it's more cost-effective to let the daughter weave mats at home and get cash. So the women started discussing Xia Juhua's favorite topic in front of her: "Captain, do you think the supply and marketing cooperative can sell cloth to us without cloth coupons?"
Xia Juhua was somewhat sure about this, but she couldn't say for sure. She could only give everyone a warning: "The supply and marketing cooperative may have some processed cloth. Since it is processed, it is possible that there will be some dirt on it, or a small cut or something. If someone brings it, no matter who touches it, you can refuse, but you are not allowed to complain in front of them."
The cloth without coupons was cheaper than the cloth from the previous two days. Anyone who complained was a fool. The women who received the money did not go home. Instead, they gathered together to discuss what kind of jacket they should make for their daughters, preferably one that could be worn all year round.
The girls listened to their mothers' discussion, pursing their lips and blushing with excitement. They were all at a very beautiful age, but it was hard for their families to have enough food to eat, so where did they get the money to make new clothes for them? It's not that they had never made new clothes, but they looked exactly like their mothers', and when they wore them, they looked several years older.
Now that they made money by making their own mats, the captain not only persuaded his mother to give him her share, but also came up with the idea of making new clothes for the girls. Every girl would go to the production team room from time to time to take a look, hoping that the captain would come out and talk to them.
Except for Liu Hongling and Liu Hongcui, the girls were not familiar with Xia Juhua. In the past, they heard most about how Xia Juhua had to do heavy physical work like the men and how her life was too hard. Now, they heard most about how Xia Juhua had ideas and a smart mind, and how she led the women to make money, surpassing the men in the production team.
A woman who outshines all men is something that is impossible for the girls to learn from words and deeds, so they really want to see Xia Juhua up close and see how she is different from their own mother.
If, just if, they learn more from Xia Juhua, will they be able to outsmart men one day? Then after they get married, they won't have to be as careful with everyone in their husband's family as their mother said, but can be the masters of their own house.
Please forgive these innocent girls, the oldest of them is less than 20 years old, and the youngest is only 11 or 12 years old. When they just started to remember things, the movement had already begun. After the resumption of classes, their families never thought about sending them to school. For rural children, a five or six-year-old girl should be able to feed chickens and sweep the yard, and a teen should learn to cook and take care of younger brothers and sisters, so that the adults can go to work with peace of mind.
Since they are needed for household chores, which parent would think of sending them to school? Therefore, their vision is narrow and their thinking is simple. The farthest thing they think about is what kind of family they will marry into in the future.
Now Xia Juhua has shown them a different style from what they were taught before. Although they cannot say it out loud, they all feel that being a woman like Xia Juhua is more exciting for girls than just thinking about marrying into a family with good conditions.
It seemed that the team leader really wanted everyone to learn to read, so the production team gave Liu Lizhu special work points so that he could teach the children to read.
The innocent girls were not without thoughts, they also knew how to please others. So when all the women received their money and went back to weaving mats in the yard, Xia Juhua, who was finally able to leave, was stopped by the girls headed by Liu Hongling.
"Auntie." When Liu Hongling was learning to weave mats from Xia Juhua, she didn't think the auntie was difficult to approach. But now that she was instigated by the girls to call Xia Juhua, she felt inexplicably nervous.
Fortunately, Xia Juhua had a good impression of her two hardworking and capable nieces. When she heard Liu Hongling calling her, she stopped and looked at her nieces with a smile, waiting for her to tell the reason why she was stopping her.
Several girls behind her poked Liu Hongling in the back, asking her to hurry up and speak out their request. However, Liu Hongling felt that what she was about to say might cause trouble for the old lady, and she didn't know how to open her mouth.
夏菊花看出她的為難，靜靜的看着劉紅玲。她的目光有一種安撫的力量，劉紅玲終于開口了：“大娘，我們能不能也跟着力柱叔一起學認字？”
好事呀。夏菊花很肯定的點頭：“能呀，為啥不能。不是說誰家的孩子去學認字都行嗎，晚上你力柱叔上課的時候，你們自己去聽就行了。”
劉紅玲的頭慢慢低下了：“大娘，你能不能跟我娘說說，我和紅翠白天肯定好好編席，晚上讓我們兩個去跟力柱叔學認字。”
夏菊花看向全都一臉希冀看着自己的姑娘們，心裏明白了。還是錢鬧的。現在供銷社把每張席的價格提高了兩毛，會讓婦女們更加瘋狂的編席，除了她們自己編以外，已經學會編席的姑娘們，更成為了各家掙現錢的主力軍。
雖然在夏菊花的要求下，婦女們都承諾這次會分給姑娘們一張席的錢，可為了下次能賣出更多的席，她們會要求在家的姑娘們抓緊每一分鐘編席。
這樣一來，別說是晚上跟着劉力柱去認字了，只怕姑娘們原本那點兒可憐的休息時間，都會被擠占的一點兒不剩。
“你們都會編雙喜席嗎？”夏菊花突然問劉紅玲。
劉紅玲點點頭：“嗯，大娘你雖然只教給我編福字席，可是雙喜席就是跟福字席的字不一樣，多看幾遍我也能編出來。”
“隊長，我會編雙喜席。”孫招弟的姑娘陳小滿低聲說：“我能教給紅玲編雙喜席。”
陳小滿跟她娘的性子一樣，同樣有些膽小，在人前不怎麽說話，就算是在家裏也沒什麽存在感，做為鄰居的夏菊花隔着院牆，就沒聽過幾次她的聲音。
現在小滿能主動說教劉紅玲編雙喜席，夏菊花真是挺意外的：“是小滿呀。我們家房子剛起來的時候，你才剛會走，現在都能幫着你娘編席了。”
陳小滿沒想到夏菊花會跟自己說這麽多話，腰身不由的挺直了些，卻沒有接夏菊花的話，沖着她微笑一下就低下有些發燙的臉蛋。
夏菊花沒再說什麽，拉着劉紅玲的手往場院走。姑娘們不明就裏的跟了兩步，看明白夏菊花的方向，漸漸停了下來。
聽到身後腳步聲停了，夏菊花回頭沖姑娘們招招手：“跟上，都跟上，咋停下來了呢。”
劉紅玲也向紅翠和幾個跟她關系好的姑娘招手，小聲告訴她們，只要她大娘想做的事兒一定能成，讓她們只管放心跟着夏菊花走。
本就報着向夏菊花學的心思，姑娘們只猶豫了一下，就都跟着夏菊花來到場院。遠遠聽到婦女們鬥嘴的聲音，夏菊花不得不承認，不讓姑娘們來場院裏編席是正确的：
這些娘們一高興起來，嘴上就沒把門的，想說啥說啥，好些話真不适合姑娘們聽。
為了不讓姑娘們尴尬，夏菊花遠遠就叫了一聲：“趙仙枝。”
場院裏的鬥嘴聲瞬間消失，然後是哄堂大笑的聲音，接着趙仙枝就從葦牆裏急急忙忙跑出來，邊跑邊問：“隊長，你找我有事兒？”
夏菊花示意她看看自己身後的姑娘們，才說：“孩子們知道你們在場院裏編席，天寒地凍的比她們在屋裏編席辛苦多了，想着來看一看。裏頭有地方吧？”
趙仙枝看了姑娘們一眼，沖夏菊花擠擠眼睛：“有，孩子們來了又不占啥地方。”說着側身讓夏菊花等人進去。
兩個人說話的聲音都不小，婦女們全都擡頭等着呢。見裏頭有自己閨女，還都問一聲：“你們咋來了，這兒這麽冷，看看就行了，一會兒快點回家做飯知道不？”
親眼看到自己的親娘大冬天只坐一個蒲團，頭頂露着天，冷風不停的從上面灌下來，親身感受着場院裏的寒冷，好幾個姑娘的眼圈紅了：“娘，還是我來場院裏編席，你在家編就行了。”
被叫的婦女沒想到姑娘這麽知道心疼自己，又是感動又有點兒內疚，一疊聲的讓閨女快回家，場院裏編席是有定量的，不是她們能完成得了的。
看着好幾對母女湊到一起說親近的話，安寶玲湊到夏菊花跟前，沖她豎起大拇指：“嫂子，你這招太厲害了。”
夏菊花輕聲說：“厲害啥，不讓閨女們知道她娘掙工分不易，不讓當娘的知道閨女是自己貼身小棉襖，為了幾張席錢娘兩個離了心，那才叫丢了西瓜撿芝麻。”
“所以我才說嫂子你厲害。”安寶玲有些羨慕的看着被兩個閨女一邊一個抱着胳膊的李大丫說：“最有福氣的就是二嫂。雖然二哥犟了點兒，可是人家有兩知道心疼人的閨女。”
夏菊花難得調侃了她一句：“你現在生個閨女也不晚。”
安寶玲鬧了個大紅臉，低頭編席不理夏菊花了。夏菊花笑笑站直身子，沖着婦女們問：“都跟閨女親熱夠了沒有？要是親熱夠了，我有點兒事兒得跟你們說說。”
“隊長，你說吧，你說啥我們都聽。”張翠萍沒等趙仙枝開口，搶着表态，氣的趙仙枝瞪了她一眼，看到的人就笑。
姑娘們哪兒見過這樣的嫂子、嬸子們？一個個跟着抿嘴。她們想到夏菊花接下來會說的話，緊張的看着她。當娘的發現閨女的緊張，還勸她們：“沒事，咱們隊長說正事的時候好板臉，可人最好不過了。以後在街上碰着隊長，要主動打招呼叫大娘，知道不？”
夏菊花接着說她的：“剛才我正好碰着閨女們，知道她們好些人都在家裏幫着你們編席。正好這次供銷社要的席多，還急。我就想着，福字席還是咱們在場院裏編，雙喜席就讓閨女們在家裏編去，你們覺得咋樣？”
大家都知道供銷社還要二百張雙喜席的事兒，可編福字席編的正順手，所以場院裏大家編的仍是福字席。聽夏菊花要讓姑娘們在家裏編雙喜席，沒閨女幫忙的婦女忙問：“隊長，那我們晚上在家裏編的席，還收嗎？”
“收呀，咋能不收。就算縣供銷社不要，咱們公社供銷社巴不得你們多編點兒呢。”
聽說不耽誤收自己額外編的席，自然就沒有反對的意見。夏菊花這才接着說自己的打算：
“不過也不能天天拘着閨女在家裏編席，這麽大的閨女眼看着要出門子了，也得讓她們認幾個字。晚上讓閨女們都跟着劉力柱認字去。翠萍，你也去。頭天劉力柱教的是啥你都記下來，第二天先問問，哪家的閨女沒學會，就不用她再編席了。”
啥？婦女們面面相觑，不明白閨女認不認字跟編席有啥必然聯系。夏菊花用自己早就想好的理由跟大家解釋：“剛才我問紅玲會不會編雙喜席，招弟家的小滿就會。可見年輕人的腦袋比咱們腦袋靈，學啥都快。”
“我想着讓閨女們多認幾個字，說不定下次她們自己就能琢磨出新花樣來，省得咱們一直編這三個花樣，人家供銷社總有不想收的時候。”
好象是這麽一個理兒，張翠萍看着夏菊花，總覺得有哪兒不對勁。其他人不如張翠萍想的多，都被夏菊花畫出的那張大餅給誘惑了：要是自己閨女也能跟隊長似的想出新花樣，所有人都得圍着自己學編席，那場面……
“隊長，今天我就讓小滿去跟力柱學認字。”
“可不是咋地，學認字又沒壞。，要是閨女将來找的婆家遠，還能往家裏寫信呢。”
“對，聽說人家城裏招工的，都要認字的，不認字的一個也不收。”
慢慢的，話題又被扯遠了，姑娘們想不到自己想破頭沒辦法的事兒，隊長三言兩語就給解決了，有點兒不敢相信的問：“隊長，我們真能編出新花樣嗎？”
夏菊花就給小姑娘們打氣：“等你們編熟了，就知道花樣都是自己想出來的。認的字多了，哪些字編上去好看，你們也就自己會分辨了。不過現在可不能急，得先把二百張雙喜席給我編出來。”
最後的話，夏菊花是故意虎着臉說出來的，姑娘們呀了一聲，跟着就小聲的笑了起來。紅玲更是放開李大丫的胳膊，抱住夏菊花的：“大娘，你放心吧，我們保證完成任務。”
調皮的丫頭。夏菊花滿意的拍了拍紅玲的手，笑着對婦女們說：“你們可都聽見了，閨女們都保證能完成任務，你們呢，能不能按時完成任務？”
“能！！”婦女們的聲音可比紅玲一個人的聲音大多了，吓得正好走在葦牆外頭的陳秋生和劉大喜一激靈：“隊長這是又跟那群娘們說啥了？”
劉大喜的嘴角不由扯開來：“不管說的是啥，反正是好事。”
可不都是好事兒嗎？第二天林主任又帶着供銷社的馬車出現在了平安莊，帶來了十把暖壺、十個臉盆，還有一百來尺的各色花布。
暖壺和臉盆都是全新的，被幾家想娶媳婦的一搶而空。花布的外邊不同程度的有點兒髒，可下一回水保證能洗得掉。平安莊的婦女們沒挑沒撿，不管分到誰頭上都高高興興的付過錢就走。
林主任有些驚訝的跟夏菊花說：“夏隊長，咱們平安莊的婦女同志們覺悟很高呀。”要是別的生産隊，怕是為這一點兒髒要講價，要争論憑啥賣給自己不賣給別人。
夏菊花也覺得臉上挺光彩：“嗯，我們生産隊的社員都是識大體顧大局的。”
這話就有點兒不好接了，畢竟林主任帶來的布，花色都是時下最流行的，還比供銷社往出賣便宜了五分錢。
好在跟夏菊花打交道的時間長了，兩人也算是老熟人，林主任不介意跟她開個玩笑：“我看平安莊最識大體顧大局的，就是夏隊長了。對了，你怎麽不挑點兒布？”
夏菊花不好說自己家每人一身新衣裳的布都已經備齊了，只說：“還是先讓社員們先挑吧，我要是想買布的話，找彩霞就行。”
自己還真是忘了王彩霞，林主任一笑翻過這個話題，問：“你編的新席，王副主任還沒看過吧，不怕她埋怨你？”
夏菊花悄悄對林主任說：“我讓人給公社編了五十張，就是還沒編完呢。等她來找我算帳的時候，直接把席往她面前一擺，她還好意思埋怨我。”
見夏菊花有了應對的法子，林主任笑了：“不管咋說，我也是紅星供銷社出來的，當然希望紅星供銷社能越來越好。”
“對了，你們生産隊的原料問題，是怎麽解決的，用不用縣供銷社出下面？”再希望紅星供銷社好，林主任還是關心平安莊的席能不能按時編完，對原料問題十分關心。
夏菊花表現的胸有成竹：“放心吧，應該沒什麽問題。”
的确沒什麽問題。劉大喜幾個人在五爺的安排下，把周圍幾個大隊都走了一遍，剛透露出平安莊想收葦杆的意思，就被人拉住不放，生怕他們看不上自己生産隊的葦杆。
就連平安大隊另外四個生産隊長，聽到風聲之後都去找過李長順，還想把自己生産隊的葦杆賣給平安莊。李長順恨不得一巴掌把幾個人拍出大隊部，沖着幾個人就是一頓罵：
“你們還好意思讓我去找夏菊花！上回賣給人家葦杆後，你們說的是啥，自己都忘了？就算自己忘了，別人還記着呢，我沒那個老臉再去給你們講情。”
李大牛有些不服氣的說：“我們也沒說啥嘛，夏菊花咋那麽小氣，要不說老娘們成不了大事兒呢。”
“夏菊花成不了大事兒。”李長順被李大牛的言論氣樂了：“人家成不了大事兒，卻能不買你們生産隊的葦杆。你能成大事兒，就自己想辦法把生産隊的葦杆給用了，別在那堆着讓人鬧心。”
李大牛一下子蔫了。三隊隊長有些不甘心：“大隊長，當時就是大家心裏有點兒不痛快，也沒說啥太過頭的話。”
“人家替你們解決葦杆的問題，還拿出現錢來，你們不說聲好，也不能說啥吃肉喝湯的混帳話。人家平安莊吃你們的肉了？”李長順看了三隊隊長一眼：“我知道那天你沒說啥，人家夏菊花心裏也清楚。你自己去找找夏菊花，她不是一杆子把人打死的人。”
三隊隊長聽了若有所思，另外三個紛紛纏着李長順，希望他跟上次一樣替大家想辦法。李長順已經被夏菊花拒絕了一次，說什麽也不肯再出面。
他說的很清楚，要是想繼續把葦杆賣給平安莊，那就自己去給夏菊花賠個不是，以後對人家也客氣點兒。這讓幾個大老爺們怎麽放得下臉兒？
李長順管他們是不是放得下臉兒，哦，你們的臉是臉，他李長順的臉就不是臉了是不是？！
忙着跟陳秋生一起，查看各生産隊送來葦杆質量的夏菊花，還真不知道大隊部這一場官司，直到三隊隊長突然出現在她面前，她還以為自己看錯了。
“陳隊長，找我有事兒”
來者是客，夏菊花自然不會一碰面就給三隊隊長難堪。何況上一次三隊隊長是替平安莊說了公道話的，所以夏菊花對他十分客氣。
三隊隊長有些局促的說：“夏隊長挺忙的哈，要不等你忙完了再說？”
夏菊花已經明白三隊長的來意，直接問：“陳隊長也是為了葦杆的事兒來的吧？”
三隊長幹脆咬咬牙承認了：“是，夏隊長你也知道，我們生産隊秋天的時候葦杆沒少割，可現在供銷社的席收得少，都白堆在那裏。社員們費了那麽大勁，我看着也心疼。聽說你們生産隊又收葦杆了，就想過來看看，能不能把我們生産隊的葦杆再送過來些。”
夏菊花有些為難的說：“陳隊長，按理說我們生産隊應該先收咱們大隊的葦杆。可是上次你也聽到了，我們出了錢還不落好，要是我一個人聽到也就算了，偏偏聽到的社員不少，大家都挺有意見的。”
哪怕自己當時說了公道話，三隊長還是覺得臉上發熱：幾個大老爺們背後講咕人，不管說啥都不地道。
見三隊長面露失望，夏菊花想到他是難得的明白人，便有些不忍心。叫過陳秋生小聲嘀咕了兩句，才向三隊長說：
“陳隊長，你看這樣行不行。我們已經收的差不多了，最多只能再從你們生産隊收五千斤。不過得讓秋生跟着你去看看你們生産隊葦杆的質量，要是達不到要求我們不能收。”
雖然三隊的葦杆不止五千斤，可是三隊長還是感激的直點頭：“行，你們要葦杆是為了編席，是得好好看看合不合格。”
陳秋生看着越堆越高的葦垛，問：“那明天我去你們生産隊？”
三隊長就有些急切的說：“明天我讓人趕牛車接你。”
陳秋生樂了：“咱們兩個生産隊才離得多遠，還用你派牛車接我。”
眼看着三隊長路都比來時有精神，陳秋生有些不解的問：“隊長，不是說咱們大隊的葦杆都不收嘛，你咋又同意收三隊的葦杆了？”
夏菊花搖着頭說：“三隊長是個明白事理的人，咱們生産隊也不能把人都得罪光了。将來在大隊有什麽事兒開個會啥的，不能連個幫着說話的人都沒有。”
陳秋生不由佩服的點了點頭：“還真是，我都沒想到将來大隊有啥事兒，還得幾個生産隊到一起商量。”
也不怪陳秋生想不到，實在是這兩天他面對的都是送葦杆人的笑臉，還有一句句誇獎，難免會讓人以為從此平安莊的前路都是一馬平川，再沒有磕磕絆絆了。
小到居家過日子，大到生産隊，哪兒有什麽一馬平川的日子，都是磕磕碰碰着往前過。至少現在看來，平安莊的日子還真是讓人羨慕。
場院裏婦女們恨不得一個人長出四只手來，好快點把供銷社的任務完成，跟夏菊花學習新花樣。姑娘們在家裏也沒閑着，各自找說得來的夥伴，湊到一起編雙喜席。
以往冬閑站到牆根下，兩手揣進袖筒裏吹牛的男人們，一個人影也見不着，個個在自家廚房裏漏粉漏得想吐，卻沒有一個人願意離開竈臺。
就這麽掙命似的幹了六七天，第二批粉條終于陸續晾起來，平安莊的人集體松了一口氣——好在沒耽誤過年加菜。
眼看着還有兩三天就過年，平安莊與往年相比，幾乎沒有什麽節日氣氛。現在男人們松了一口氣，自然想到該買些過年的東西——他們還有一項艱巨的任務，那就是初二的時候，代表媳婦回丈人家。
劉志雙終于找到機會跟親娘說話了：“娘，咱們過年還買點兒肉嗎？”
生産隊殺豬的時候，劉家一共分了一斤半肉，剛夠包頓餃子的。家裏今年來錢的路子不少，劉志雙覺得自己可以要求多吃兩頓肉。
累了這麽些天，夏菊花也覺得自己家應該過個好年，不過有點兒擔心：“現在去買肉，能買着嗎？”
劉志雙自有打算：“我想去黑市找找齊哥，別人買不着，他肯定能買到。”
想着平安莊新漏出來的粉兒，夏菊花覺得劉志雙可以去找一下齊衛東——那小子自從把布送來之後，就再也沒出現，總讓夏菊花覺得有點兒不對勁。
因此夏菊花點頭同意了：“你悄悄問問你二嬸和五爺他們，看他們要不要肉。要是要的話，就幫着他們帶點兒回來。”
劉志全聽了忙說：“娘，志雙一個人怕是背不了多少，我跟他去吧。”
夏菊花看了他一眼，點頭同意了。畢竟劉志全初二要去丈人家，得帶點兒拿得出手的東西。現在夏菊花無比慶幸自己把一部分分紅讓兩兒子自己拿着，要不給劉志全丈人家買東西，已經沒有丈人的劉志雙，心裏一定會有想法。
When Liu Zhiquan and his brother, along with the dusty Qi Weidong, appeared in front of Xia Juhua, Xia Juhua did not care about the feelings of her two sons and asked Qi Weidong repeatedly:
"What's wrong with you? It seems like you haven't slept for several days?"
Qi Weidong said angrily: "It's just that I haven't slept for a few days." As for why he didn't sleep for a few days, he didn't say.
Xia Juhua was not the type to ask questions, so after asking Qi Weidong if he hadn't eaten yet, she went to the kitchen and made a large bowl of hot and sour noodles, and also brought the cakes that the family had prepared in the evening so that the three of them could fill their stomachs first.
While eating, Liu Zhishuang showed Xia Juhua what he had brought back: 25 pounds of pork, 5 pounds of hindquarters and 5 pounds of pork belly were for the Liu family, and the other two elbows and 5 pounds of pork belly were for Master Wu and Li Daya. The other two elbows were for Liu Zhiquan to take to his father-in-law's house as a New Year gift.
In addition, Liu Zhiquan bought a ready-made jacket for Xia Juhua, and Liu Zhishuang bought a pair of black trousers for his mother.
Two white-striped chickens and ten kilograms of apples were the New Year gifts Qi Weidong gave to Xia Juhua. Xia Juhua wanted to refuse, but Qi Weidong had already raised the big bowl in his hand and said, "Auntie, dear auntie, your nephew has something to ask of you, so please accept it."
Qi Weidong wanted to ask her for help? Xia Juhua was a little unconvinced: "You are a big businessman, what can you ask your aunt for help?"
"Don't mention it." Qi Weidong finished his hot and sour rice noodle in two or three mouthfuls, looked at Xia Juhua with a face full of resentment and said, "It's all because of the vermicelli. Didn't I ask my aunt to change the vermicelli for me? I thought we couldn't sell that much in the county, so I shipped some to the region."
You are really brave. No wonder there was a saying when the business was first opened: the brave will die of their courage and the timid will die of their hunger. The fact that Qi Weidong was able to make such a big business in the end has a lot to do with his boundless courage.
"You transported such a large amount of vermicelli to other places, and no one checked you on the road?" Xia Juhua was a little worried. If someone checked Qi Weidong, there was no guarantee that they would not find Ping'anzhuang.
Qi Weidong smiled: "We have... don't worry, auntie, no one is checking me. It's just that when the vermicelli was delivered to the district, there was not enough to share, and many people blocked me from returning to the county town, otherwise I would have come to see auntie earlier."
"It was just a coincidence that Zhishuang came here. If he had come to see me yesterday, I would not have returned from the district yet."
That was really a coincidence. Xia Juhua still felt that she and Qi Weidong had already settled their financial affairs, so she couldn't accept such a large New Year gift from him: "Even if you made money from selling vermicelli, that's your ability. I can't accept this New Year gift."
"No, auntie, if you don't accept it, I will be embarrassed to ask for it later." Qi Weidong insisted on asking Xia Juhua to accept the gift, and then he glanced at the Liu brothers who were still eating hot and sour noodles.
He had dealt with Liu Zhishuang several times, but this was the first time he had met Liu Zhiquan. Xia Juhua did not explain to him and waited quietly for his next words.
Qi Weidong seemed eager to make money. Seeing that Xia Juhua had no intention of avoiding her two sons, he asked directly, "Auntie, how many vermicelli can you get?"
Summer Chrysanthemum