Chapter 77 (1)
Could Xia Juhua tell Liu Zhishuang that she had learned to ride a bicycle in her previous life in order to pick up her grandson from school? While pedaling the bicycle as fast as she could, she said without turning her head: "Go tell Chen Qiusheng that no one who is not from Ping An Manor can use the pulping machine. If you want to use it, you have to pay five cents per pound."
Li Changshun's eyes almost popped out when he heard Xia Juhua's offer: "Xia Juhua, you are obsessed with money. Your production team has a lot of pulping machines, and they won't break down if you give them to others. Why are you still thinking of charging them? It's fine to charge them, 5 cents per pound, and they only make 1.5 cents per pound of sweet potatoes!"
Xia Juhua refused to give in: "Captain, is the pulping machine really indestructible? Does it cost money to replace the cutter? Does the time wasted count?!"
"Don't forget, four of the pulping machines in your production team were bought from other production teams." Li Changshun felt that Xia Juhua was too shrewd in her calculations.
Xia Juhua was amused by his righteous words: "Captain, have you forgotten why those production teams bought pulping machines for us? Besides, Technician Xue can make a pulping machine in one day. If other production teams really need it urgently, why don't they order it directly from Technician Xue?"
Li Changshun was speechless when asked by Xia Juhua. Could he admit in front of Xia Juhua that the financial resources of those production teams were not as rich as Pingan Village, and the vision of those production team leaders was not as good as that of Xia Juhua, a female production team leader, and they all thought that the pulping machine could only be used for this winter, so they did not want to waste money to buy more?
He couldn't say anything.
But Xia Juhua, who came to the brigade on a bicycle, would not leave silently just because Li Changshun was silent. She stood in front of Li Changshun, waiting for the brigade to give an explanation to the Ping'anzhuang production team.
Li Changshun felt that he could not explain to Xia Juhua, so he had to use a loud speaker to shout at the captains of the four production teams to the brigade headquarters, and then asked Xia Juhua to repeat the behavior of the members of each production team in Ping'an Village in front of them.
Xia Juhua looked at the leaders of the four production teams with a half-smile and said, "Now the people from the production teams have come to Ping'an Village and they are very tough in their words, but they are saying that the people of Ping'an Village are stingy. With such generous members, I think the production teams are not short of sweet potato seeds. Even if they are short of them, there are generous members who will give them out themselves."
I've heard that Xia is capable, but I've never heard him talk so well. The four production team leaders looked at each other, and none of them dared to say that they could get the members to produce sweet potato seeds.
Without sweet potato seeds, the planned land would not grow sweet potatoes, which was a major issue affecting the annual harvest. The leader of the third team gritted his teeth, smiled at Xia Juhua and said:
"Captain Xia, the members of our production team are not talkative. Please be magnanimous and don't bother with them. When I get back, I will tell them not to disturb Ping An Zhuang's leaking powder. We will also order two more pulping machines as soon as possible, and that should be enough."
Li Daniu puffed up his cheeks and dared not say anything under Li Changshun's glare. The captain of Team 4 nodded in agreement with the captain of Team 3, saying that his production team would go back and ask Technician Xue to order a pulping machine, and would not let the members go to Ping'anzhuangbai to use the pulping machine.
The captain of Team Five looked at the captains of Teams Three and Four, then looked at Li Daniu, and then nodded himself. It was unclear whether he nodded in agreement with the two production captains or with Li Daniu's use of silence to confront Xia Juhua.
Xia Juhua smiled at the captains of the third and fourth teams. Although her smile was cold, it was still a smile: "The two captains, come with me to Ping'an Village and bring back the people from your production team?"
Li Changshun couldn't believe that the man who had just spoken like a knife suddenly became so easy to talk to. He shouted at the silent Li Daniu, "Daniu, you also follow Captain Xia and go and take the people from your production team back."
Xia Juhua said as she walked out: "The people in Xiaozhuangtou are willing to pay a processing fee of five cents per pound of sweet potatoes. We in Ping'anzhuang can spare a pulping machine specifically for the members of Xiaozhuangtou." As for the captain of Team 5, since he wants to have the best of both worlds, then he should be treated the same as the people in Xiaozhuangtou.
Li Daniu suddenly became anxious: "Why should our production team..."
Xia Juhua turned around suddenly, her eyes sharper than ever before: "Captain Li, you also mentioned your production team. It seems that you know that we have two production teams. As I said before, pulping machines are not indestructible, and knives are not free. If the people in your village may break something, why don't you pay the wear and tear fee first?!"
Li Daniu was speechless, just like Li Changshun who was stumped by the question just now.
After saying that, she left the brigade headquarters without looking back, pushed her shiny bicycle, and tried to get on it. Li Changshun would never let her go like that, so he grabbed the back rack of the bicycle and pulled Xia Juhua's body sideways, narrowly avoiding falling down with the bicycle. Fortunately, she let go quickly, and she did not fall down with the new bicycle when it fell to the ground.
Li Changshun had never expected that his pulling would lead to such consequences, and was speechless for a moment. Li Daniu stepped forward to help Xia Juhua pick up the bicycle, blushing and saying:
"Captain Xia, the captain wanted to stop you because he was worried about our two production teams. It was not intentional. I know that our members were wrong in this matter. I will follow you to call everyone back."
Xia Juhua looked at him calmly, then looked at Li Changshun, whose face was red. She felt sorry for him. With pity for Li Changshun, Xia Juhua sighed and said, "Captain Li, it's not that I'm unreasonable. If the people of Ping'an Village really wanted to hide it, would they be so careful to teach your people to reveal the powder?"
"But you can't trample on the people of Ping An Village just because they are easy to talk to, right? We let them use the pulping machine out of kindness, but it's our duty to use it first for the members of our own production team. It's better for everyone not to lose all their kindness."
Li Changshun sighed heavily and said to the four production team leaders, "Captain Xia is right. Each production team should lead the members to produce based on their own abilities. They cannot take advantage of the fact that they are a brigade and push their limits."
"I used to think that the members of a brigade should not be so poor that they can't even afford to eat, nor so rich that they have to eat dry food every day. But look at how the people in Ping'an Village celebrate the New Year. They spend day and night making rice balls and weaving mats. What do your members do during the New Year? They all lean against the wall and bask in the sun!"
The four production team leaders all lowered their heads and followed Xia Juhua's bicycle obediently to Ping'an Village. Even Li Changshun limped behind.
Before arriving at the Ping'an Village Production Team Headquarters, they heard a quarrel. Xia Juhua's brows finally wrinkled together. She glanced at the four team leaders and went to the place where the quarrel took place first.
The ones who were arguing with others were Liu Daxi and Liu Erzhuang. They brought several Ping'an Village members with them and protected the pulping machine tightly behind them. The people they blocked kept bumping into Liu Daxi and his friends with their bodies, trying to break through their defense line.
Li Daniu saw that the person in front was a member of the small village. His face turned red and his voice was frighteningly loud: "Li Dali, what are you doing in Ping An Village?!"
The man named Li Dali was about the same age as Li Daniu. When he heard Li Daniu's voice finally stopped, he turned around and saw that it was his production team leader. He immediately became proud:
"Captain, you came at the right time. The people in Ping'an Village are so unreasonable. I just wanted to use their pulping machine, but they wanted to charge me money, and even charged a high price. Today I just don't believe this evil. If not, no one should use it. I must go to the commune to sue them, Ping'an Village!"
Li Daniu stepped forward and kicked Li Dali: "You still want to go to the commune to sue him, why didn't you tell him to sue when you learned how to leak powder from him! You don't believe in evil, but I don't believe in evil either. Go ahead and sue him. If you win the lawsuit, I will help the people of Ping An Village to go to the study class."
Li Dali, who had just been kicked, was stunned: "Captain, it's the people from Ping An Village who are bullying the newbies."
Li Daniu finally understood why Xia Juhua was so angry just now, and he got even angrier: "They are bullying newcomers. The things belong to them. It is a favor for them to give them to you, and it is their duty not to give them to you. You don't talk to them nicely and are bullying them. If they don't stop you, who else can they stop?" He threw Xia Juhua's words to Li Dali verbatim.
After hearing this, Li Dali became depressed and quietly retreated behind Li Daniu. The other three team leaders each called their own production team members and explained to their members face to face that the Ping An Village members had been very kind to them, and they should not take advantage of them just because they were so kind.
Then the four production team leaders apologized to Xia Juhua and took their members back with their sweet potatoes. Li Changshun's old face turned red and purple, and only after the four production team leaders left did he return to his normal self.
Hearing that Li Shun had come to Ping'an Manor, the Fifth Master came out of his yard again and wanted to invite him to his house to drink some water, but was rejected by Li Changshun: "Old man, I don't have the face to drink the water of Ping'an Manor."
The Fifth Master thought that Xia Juhua had said something unpleasant at the brigade headquarters and had offended Li Changshun. He smiled broadly and said, "The Dazhuang family is still young. How can we, as elders, argue with her?"
Li Changshun shook his head: "Thanks to Xia Juhua coming to the brigade headquarters to find me today, I realized how excessive those production team members were. This is not Pingan Village's fault. It's all because I shouldn't have gotten used to those rascals in the first place."
The four production team leaders who had already left with their respective members...
Since then, Pingan Village has finally found peace and quiet, and can concentrate on making their own rice and making their own mats. Zhao Xianzhi did not disappoint Xia Juhua's expectations. She found Liu Daxi herself and asked which production teams the reed stems were collected from last time. She was not afraid of the long distance and walked to contact the production teams herself. She also took An Baoling to check the quality of the reed stems, and then decided which production team to collect the reed stems from and how much each team should collect.
Zhao Xianzhi even thought of keeping the secret of the powder leakage. He set the place for collecting the reed stalks at the roadside at the entrance of the village. Whenever a production team delivered reed stalks, they would weigh them and calculate the money there. Those who took the money would leave quickly, and no one was allowed to enter Ping'an Village.
Someone wants to enter Pingan Village under the pretext of needing a drink of water? Didn't you see that there are two hot pots next to the counting table, and there are also several rough bowls on the table, just drink here, there is plenty of hot water. You say it's not enough to drink? No problem, Chen Shuanzhu ran back to the village to get two pots of boiling water, it won't even take five minutes, you can't even wait five minutes.
He kept guarding the place so strictly until he had collected enough reeds for weaving mats, and he did not let even one person from the outside production team into Ping'an Village. This was enough to make everyone look at Zhao Xianzhi with new eyes.
Xia Juhua felt that she had made the right choice by letting Zhao Xianzhi be the leader of the mat-making team, because she herself did not have the energy to take care of the mat affairs in the courtyard, and she had more important things to deal with.
A forest technician from the commune's agricultural technology station was really sent by Director Zhang to help Ping'an Village plant sweet potatoes. The reason why they sent people here at this time is because the agricultural technology station believes that even though the weather is still cold, it is already possible to select sweet potato seeds and grow seedlings.
Xia Juhua was half-believing when she first heard what Lin said. Besides the time was too early, Pingan Village couldn't spare anyone to follow Lin to learn the seedling raising technology he was talking about.
So even though she had heard about advanced planting methods in her previous life, Xia Juhua still acted hesitant and postponed the breeding time. At the same time, she couldn't let people think that she didn't believe in it at all, lest her attitude change too quickly in the future and make it difficult for people to accept.
The people in Pingan Village had no idea of Xia Juhua's true colors. Some believed in Lin's technicians, while others did not. They were divided into two groups and would talk to each other every day. But it was only a few words - everyone was waiting for the powder to leak at home. They would meet in front of the pulping machine, waiting for their turn to pulp sweet potatoes, and they would have time to talk a few words while the people in front of them had not finished.
After the person in front carries away the sweet potato pulp he has made, the people behind are busy loading the sweet potatoes into the pulper and have no time to talk.
Technician Xue and Technician Lin both worked in the commune and often met each other. Technician Lin was an honest man who only cared about increasing grain production. However, because he was an honest man who only knew how to work hard and didn't know how to shout slogans or curry favor with leaders, he was not given a high position in the Agricultural Technology Station.
Those who are not valued have to work hard wherever they are needed, so Technician Lin appeared in the Pingan Village production team. Technician Xue saw that Xia Juhua did not trust Technician Lin very much, which led to Technician Lin staying in Pingan Village for only one night before having to return to the commune. He felt that he should speak a fair word for Technician Lin and ran to Xia Juhua:
"Captain Xia, why did you let Technician Lin return to the commune?"
Xia Juhua had never seen Technician Xue so anxious before, so she did not answer his question but asked, "What's the matter? Shouldn't Technician Lin go back to the commune?"
Technician Xue became even more anxious: "You don't know, Technician Lin is a bit excluded in the Agricultural Technology Station. He just came to Ping'an Village for one day and then went back. I don't know what those people said about him."
So that's what happened. Xia Juhua was relieved: "What's there to say? It's not time to plant the crops yet. The conditions in Ping'an Village are poor. If Lin Technician stays in Ping'an Village, he won't be able to eat or live well. When the spring ploughing season starts, our production team will send someone to invite him. What can the people at the Agricultural Technology Station say about him?"
"But there is still some time before spring plowing. By the time you go to pick up Technician Lin, he may not be able to work at the Agricultural Technology Station anymore." Technician Xue knew that although the Agricultural Technology Station was only a small unit in the commune, many people wanted to squeeze in.
Those who have to squeeze out others to get into the agricultural technology station, either have some power at home or are good at flattery. They are not like technician Lin, who is highly skilled, not afraid of hard work, and always cares about the farmers.
Xia Juhua also realized the seriousness of the problem - she only thought about the importance of safety and forgot what an agricultural technician would face when he returned to the unit if he was not recognized by the farmers.
"Come on, drive your tractor over here. Let's go to the commune right now and bring Technician Lin's daily necessities." Xia Juhua is now very familiar with Technician Xue, and she is not as polite and unfamiliar as she was at the beginning: "When we get there, just say that after Technician Lin left, we remembered that he couldn't carry so many things by himself, so we picked him up."
With this said, it turned out that Technician Lin was not returning to the Agricultural Technology Station because he could not stay in Ping'an Village. Instead, he was going back to pack up some daily necessities and bring them to Ping'an Village, preparing to put down roots in Ping'an Village.
Things were exactly as Xia Juhua had thought. When they arrived at the Agricultural Technology Station and said they were there to pick up Technician Lin to take some daily necessities back to Ping'an Village, the two men who were surrounding Technician Lin in a weird way turned green in the face and glared at Xia Juhua and the others.
Even when he got into the tractor, Technician Lin couldn't believe how much his situation had changed. "Captain Xia, are you really going to let me live in Ping An Village permanently?"
Xia Juhua said apologetically, "Technician Lin, it's because I didn't think carefully enough that you got hurt. Don't bother with a country girl like me. When we get home, I'll make you a good meal to make up for it."
"No need, Captain Xia, the fact that you came to pick me up has already made those people dare not look down on me anymore, I have to thank you." Technician Lin said a little dully, still thinking about the words "I'm home" that Xia Juhua said in his heart.
Technician Xue, who was driving the tractor, said to Technician Lin cheerfully, "You don't have to be polite to Captain Xia. I want to take advantage of you and have a good meal."
Technician Lin remembered that he had seldom seen Technician Xue in the commune since he came to Ping'an Village. He began to believe that Ping'an Village really welcomed technicians like them who were insignificant in the eyes of others. Otherwise, Technician Xue would not have been reluctant to leave. The last bit of resentment in his heart disappeared without a trace.
Along the way, Xia Juhua told Technician Lin that she believed in his heart, but Ping'an Village's focus was still on leaking rice flour and weaving mats, and they had no manpower to work with Technician Lin on scientific planting.
Technician Xue's smile deepened: "I was wondering if Captain Xia didn't believe in science, so why didn't he keep Technician Lin? Don't worry, Captain Xia, Technician Lin understands and will definitely help your production team increase crop yields."
Alas, even if the planting is scientific, it still needs rain. Xia Juhua sighed in her heart, but on her face she looked as happy as Technician Xue, asking Technician Lin to be more tolerant.
Technician Lin did not take advantage of Xia Juhua's poor performance at the beginning, but found his position quickly, which was to help Technician Xue first, and then lead them to engage in planting after Ping'an Village could spare some manpower.
Fortunately, the people in Pinganzhuang became more and more skilled at leaking starch, and after each family set up a special room to dry starch, the progress was much faster. Of all the sweet potatoes stored in the grain stations of all the communes in Pingde County, the Pinganzhuang production team eventually leaked 170,000 catties, and the remaining four production teams leaked 80,000 to 90,000 catties each.
On the day when the vermicelli was taken away, all the grain stations came with processing fees, and the processing fees of each production team were paid on the spot. Xia Juhua watched the members counting money with a smile, and she laughed along at first, but then she couldn't laugh anymore:
After nearly three months of hard work, each family in Pingan Village not only kept the sweet potatoes distributed by the production team, but also gained nearly 100 kilograms of vermicelli. The processing fee earned by each family was less than 40 yuan. Oh, and you can also add the 10 work points you earned every day when you taught other production team members how to leak vermicelli.
In fact, compared with the production team's dividends, it was not much. But everyone was so happy that Xia Juhua felt a little sorry for the people of Ping An Village.
"Don't compare the money everyone makes with what you make from frying peanuts." Master Wu appeared beside Xia Juhua at some point in time. He saw the change in Xia Juhua's expression and guessed what she was thinking:
"In previous years, during the winter break, everyone said they had to work in the production team, but a hard day's work could only earn six work points, and women could hardly earn any work points. This time, in addition to earning cash, everyone also had extra food in their hands, which was something they hadn't dared to think about for many years."
After being reminded by Master Wu, Xia Juhua realized again that the least valuable thing in rural areas now is labor. As long as they can earn cash, everyone will think it is more valuable than the work points recorded in the work point book.
Knowing that she had unconsciously compared her previous life, when it was relatively easy to make money, with her current life, Xia Juhua would not allow herself to indulge in it. She discussed with Master Wu: "Everyone has been exhausted for a few months. I think we should give them two days off so that they can have a good rest."
Wu Ye smiled and said, "The people in the yard have been working longer than them. I heard that you gave the people who leaked powder a day off. Isn't that outrageous?"
Xia Juhua was not worried about this at all: "Fifth Master, you underestimate the hearts of us women. They will definitely be happy for their husbands when they hear that they can take a break. Even those who are on holiday should be more conscious and cook some ready-made meals for their wives when they rest at home. Don't let the wives work hard in the yard for a long time and then have to go home to serve them."
"Captain, are you really going to give us a holiday? Will you take us to visit the county town?" With cash in hand, the men dared to think about visiting the county town.
The person who asked the question was Chen Dongsheng, who was pushed aside by the Fifth Master with a pipe: "You can't even wash your face, and you still want to go around the county town? Didn't you hear what Juhua said? Go back and make lunch for your wife."
How powerful was the pipe of Fifth Master? Chen Dongsheng pretended to be pulled and stumbled, leaning to the side: "Fifth Master, I can't cook this time. I have to bring my wife and children to your house for a few meals. I know that your daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law prepare delicious food for you every day. I'll go and enjoy the blessing for a few days."
Liu Daxi stepped forward and hugged him: "Now I cook for my grandfather, if you don't mind the food being unpalatable, come and eat."
Liu Daxixi did not lie. Nowadays, women are busy weaving mats every day. Men who are busy in the kitchen leaking flour do not know how to make pancakes, but they can still cook some porridge. When the wife comes home to stew a dish, she can stick a circle of pancakes along the pot, and the whole family's meal will be ready.
Even though it was just a simple dish of porridge, it already made the women of Ping'an Village, especially those who did not have any daughters at home, extremely satisfied. They kept praising Xia Juhua in their words.
Why do the women praise Xia Juhua when the men cook porridge? Is there any need to ask? If Xia Juhua hadn't locked the men in the kitchen to make food, how could they be expected to cook porridge?!
Xia Juhua took advantage of the fact that all the men were there and told them about giving them three days off. She also generously agreed that the men who wanted to go to the county town could find Chen Qiu Sheng to sign up, and then the production team would ask Technician Xue to take everyone there with a tractor.
However, Technician Xue's tractor belonged to the commune's agricultural machinery station, so it was not easy for Ping'anzhuang to use it for free. Like the women going to the county town, the diesel money was paid by the Ping'anzhuang production team. And he did not make three trips in three days, but only two trips, just like the women did at that time.
The men who thought they had figured out Xia Juhua's temper were not happy with this and insisted that Xia Juhua was too nice to the women and discriminated against them, the men - there were only a few women and maids in the yard, and the tractor could certainly fit them all in two trips.
But the men in Pingan Village couldn't even pull the whole thing with a tractor three times, so how could they go only twice like the women?
Xia Juhua said confidently: "I am a woman myself, so of course I should stand by women."
Well, the men in Ping'an Village had nothing to say. Could they tell Xia Juhua that they had always ignored the fact that Xia Juhua was a woman because of Xia Xiaohuo's nickname?
It's all because Xia Juhua is so capable. Whether it's contacting the mat editor or leaking the flour, or finding such a useful machine as the pulping machine, is that something a woman can do? Even a grown man can't do it so well, right?
No matter how much they complained, there were no men wandering around bragging on the streets of Ping An Village that afternoon. If you approached a courtyard door and listened carefully, you could hear bursts of snoring, some loud and some soft.
This is the sound made by the men of Pingan Village when they are catching up on sleep after months of hard work. It has been so long since they had such a sound sleep that they probably can't even remember how long it has been.
Technician Xue’s tractor only made one trip to the county town and no one took it anymore. Compared with women who are keen on buying things, men are not necessities and cannot think of what they should buy. As for the necessities at home, the last time Xia Juhua took the women to visit the county town for two days, they had already bought them. So what are the men doing in the county town?
It’s better to have a good sleep at home.
Amid the snoring of everyone, yellow-green buds quietly sprouted on the grass, and the willow branches slowly turned yellow-green. Chen Qiu Sheng blew the whistle in his mouth, which made a loud sound, blowing out the men possessed by sleep from their homes.
Xia Juhua stood in the yard of the production team and first called out the names of the women in the yard. When she saw that everyone was present, she asked Zhao Xianzhi to take them away to weave mats, while she stayed behind to announce today's tasks to the men:
"Has everyone had a rest these few days? Then follow Technician Lin and select the sweet potato seeds first." He then solemnly introduced Technician Lin to the members again.
When they heard that they really had to learn how to grow sweet potatoes from Technician Lin, those who originally thought that Xia Juhua did not trust Technician Lin grumbled a few words, but still followed the people who had long felt that Xia Juhua trusted Technician Lin and clapped their hands twice, indicating that they followed the production team leader closely and also trusted Technician Lin.
Technician Lin was not a talkative person. He briefly stated his request and asked Chen Qiusheng to lead people to move the sweet potato seeds left in Pingan Village to the production team. However, his simple words caused the people of Pingan Village, who had been growing sweet potatoes all their lives, to start a heated discussion:
"When we grow sweet potatoes, don't we plant the potatoes with sprouts directly into the ground? Why does this technician say to grow seedlings first? What does growing seedlings mean?"
"Yes, isn't raising seedlings to make sweet potatoes grow leaves? Why not plant them directly in the ground? If you think there are too many sprouts, can't you just pinch off the extra ones?"
Technician Lin listened to everyone's words, opened his mouth several times but didn't say anything, just looked at Xia Juhua as if asking for help. Xia Juhua knocked on the table: "Technician Lin talks about scientific planting, his method saves seeds, and the sweet potatoes grow big and more, you just do whatever he tells you to do."
Well, now that Xia Juhua has spoken, no one has stopped talking. But when the members follow Technician Lin's instructions, they feel unsure: in previous years, when they planted sweet potatoes according to the old method, it was around mid-April, but now it's just mid-March and everyone is asked to grow seedlings. Can the sweet potatoes really grow well?
Fortunately, with Xia Juhua's reputation in Ping'an Village as their endorsement, even if everyone had doubts, they still planted the sweet potatoes in the fields under the guidance of technician Lin, and covered them with reed mats removed from the yard to keep them warm and prevent the ground air from freezing the planted sweet potatoes.
The more Master Wu looked at it, the more uncertain he felt: "Chrysanthemum, in previous years we planted about 100 mu of sweet potatoes, and the sweet potatoes for seeds were 2,000 kilograms. This year we want to plant 300 mu of sweet potatoes, but the forest technician only has 1,500 kilograms for seedlings. Is it possible?"
Xia Juhua had not yet told Fifth Master that the 1,500 kilograms of sweet potato seeds also included the seedlings of those production teams. Now that he asked about it, she could only vaguely say, "Technician Lin said that his planting method saves seeds and can save us food."
It hadn't rained since the beginning of spring, and Master Wu was so worried that he was almost in his throat. He thought that Xia Juhua had told the forest technician that they were afraid of drought this year, so the forest technician wanted to save as much sweet potato seeds as possible for Ping An Village to survive, so he didn't ask any more questions, but instead asked another question:
"The farming season is about to begin, why hasn't the Red Team allowed us to go pick up your mother-in-law and the others?"
After hearing the Fifth Master's question, Xia Juhua felt a little guilty: some time ago, she was afraid that Sun Shi and others would return to Ping'an Manor and discover the secret of the continuous leakage of powder in Ping'an Manor, and then report it to the Red Team. Xia Juhua asked Liu Zhishuang to find Qi Weidong. Since then, the Red Team seemed to have forgotten the existence of Ping'an Manor and did not even send a single step to Ping'an Manor.
Sun and the others had been in the Red Team's training class for four months, and it was time to return. Xia Juhua could only nod and say, "How about I go ask the team leader?"
The fifth master pretended not to notice Xia Juhua's momentary silence, and walked home while saying: "Well, ask. Your mother-in-law is too old to be relied on. Liu Sizhuang and his wife are both strong workers. They always live in the study class and don't participate in the production team's labor. What basis does the production team have to distribute food to them in the fall?"
Xia Juhua was so hesitant that she didn't laugh out loud. She just pursed her lips in the end. Fifth Master also grinned: "Go find that old guy Li Changshun quickly. The production team leader of Sunjiazhuang has already looked for him several times."
It turned out that it wasn't that Fifth Master suddenly had a kind heart and thought of Sun and the others, but that the production team leader of Sun Family Village had looked for Li Changshun, and it was estimated that Li Changshun had also looked for Fifth Master, so Fifth Master just mentioned it to Xia Juhua today.
Since the Fifth Master had said so, Xia Juhua really rode her bike to the brigade headquarters. When Li Changshun heard her purpose, his brows furrowed: "I don't know what the Red Team is thinking. They haven't notified us yet. If we go to pick them up directly, will they let us bring them back?"
"Captain, I don't want to have anything to do with the Red Team anymore." Xia Juhua acted as if she was afraid of the Red Team: "Why don't you go find Director Zhang of the Revolutionary Committee? If he can say hello to the Red Team, they won't refuse to release us, right?"
With the director of the commune's Revolutionary Committee stepping in, the Red Team, whose funds were still in the hands of the commune, had long lost the courage they had in the past to overthrow everything, and actually allowed Li Changshun to take the four members of the Sun family directly back to Ping'an Village.
As the leader of the Ping'an Village production team, Xia Juhua had no choice but to take over the four unrecognizable people from Li Changshun: the clothes of the four people could no longer be seen in their original colors, and in front of the members who had generally started to change into woolen clothes, the heavy cotton clothes made them almost invisible.
The four of them all looked very timid, no matter who they were talking to, they didn't dare to look anyone in the eye, and their voices were so soft that they could hardly be heard. If someone's voice was a little louder, their bodies would tremble.
Adults' behavior only makes people feel relieved, and Liu Hongjuan's performance makes people sigh. But is this performance a real reaction or a pretense? Xia Juhua doesn't want to speculate too much. In her heart, as long as the Sun family members stop making trouble, Xia Juhua can just pretend that they don't exist, just like when they were still in the study class.
However, brothers Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang could not act like Xia Juhua and pretend that the Sun family did not exist. The two brothers welcomed the Sun family members into their home. No matter how reluctant Li Daya and An Baoling were, they had to heat up some hot water so that they could wash their bodies, which they had never washed in the past few months in the study class.
When she got home, Sun's waist was much straighter than when she was on the street. After washing, she asked Li Daya if she had prepared the meal, as they were all hungry. Li Daya glanced at Liu Erzhuang and said nothing.
Liu Erzhuang said with his head down: "Mom, today is your first meal since you came back. Daya has already prepared it. We have already separated, so let's eat our own food from now on."
"What's the matter, you little bastard, do you want to starve your mother to death?" Sun yelled at Liu Erzhuang.
Liu Erzhuang glanced at his mother and lowered his head again: "Mom, we split up. At that time, Sanzhuang's family and I only took last year's grain. The previous dividends are all in your hands. If you still say that we are starving your mother to death, then we can go to the brigade or the commune to seek justice."
"You..." Sun, who had just returned from the commune study class, was afraid to hear the word "commune". She had secretly sworn in the study class that she would never come to the commune again in her life. How could she go to the commune with Liu Erzhuang to seek justice?
Sun was even more afraid that Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang would mention the dividends from previous years, because the dividends were brought to Sun's village by Liu Sizhuang and were confiscated by the Red Team. The Sun family members who were released from the study class by the Red Team did not get the money before leaving.
She couldn't go to the commune, but if she went to the brigade, Sun knew she wouldn't get any advantage. She knew exactly what Li Changshun's attitude was towards her. Sun couldn't imagine how she ended up like this. She slapped her thigh and wanted to sit on the ground and cry. Li Daya saw her intention and spoke:
"Mom, you haven't washed the clothes you just took off yet. If you sit on them and make them dirty, will you have anything else to change into?"
Sun couldn't sit still, so Liu Sizhuang stepped forward pitifully and said, "Second brother, I didn't expect that my eldest brother-in-law was such a bad person that he actually embezzled all our money. I heard that the Red Team got all the money back from my eldest sister-in-law's family. Why don't you talk to my eldest sister-in-law and ask her to get our money back as well?"
In the past, if Sun Guizhi had heard a man say that her own brother was not a human being, she would have argued with Liu Sizhuang. But this time, Sun Guizhi did not react at all and just waited anxiously for Liu Erzhuang's reply.
Li Daya didn't even want to look at her brother-in-law. She glared at Liu Erzhuang and said, "Don't you have to grow seedlings with Technician Lin this afternoon? If you don't eat now, you won't be able to catch up."
When Liu Erzhuang heard this, he hurried back to his room to eat, leaving Liu Sizhuang alone. Liu Sizhuang hoped that Xia Juhua would help him and ask for money from the Red Team, but naturally, no one heard it.
Liu Erzhuang at least asked Li Daya to cook a meal for him. Except for Liu Sanzhuang who showed up when picking up Sun Shi, the rest of Liu Sanzhuang's family went back to the west room after entering the house. No one showed up again, and they all treated them as a few strangers in the yard.
Liu Sizhuang and the others looked at each other in bewilderment, but no one paid any attention. Sun wanted to call for help, but Liu Sizhuang stopped her: "Mom, we are so thankful that we can come back. Please stay quiet for two days."
Sun could still accept Liu Erzhuang's indifference, but Liu Sizhuang's words were like a needle stabbing Sun's heart, making her collapse.
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