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. Xia Juhua didn't think that this was enough to teach Li Daniu a lesson: "Just now I said that the members of Xiaozhuangtou seem to be very generous and have no shortage of sweet potato seeds from Ping'anzhuang. Captain Li didn't object either. Captain Li, you saw and heard it, right?" Hearing that when farming, talk less.
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 stop, 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...
自此平安莊才算得了清靜，安下心來漏自己的粉，編自己的席。趙仙枝沒有辜負夏菊花的期望，自己找到劉大喜，問清楚上次都是從哪幾個生産隊收的葦杆，也不怕路遠，自己走着去那幾個生産隊聯系一回，又帶着安寶玲一起看了一回葦杆質量，才定下從哪個生産隊收葦杆，各收多少。
就連保守漏粉的秘密，趙仙枝都想到了，把收葦杆的地點定到了村頭的路邊，哪個生産隊送來葦杆，直接在那裏過稱算錢，拿上錢的人趕緊走，誰也不許進平安莊。
有人想打着要口水喝的借口進平安莊？你沒見算錢的桌子邊上就有兩個暖壺，桌子上還擺了好幾個粗碗，就在這裏喝，熱水管夠。你說不夠喝？沒事，陳拴柱跑回村裏提兩壺開水，連五分鐘都用不了，你不能連五分鐘都等不起吧。
就這麽嚴防死守着，直到收夠了編席用的葦杆，愣是連一個外生産隊的人都沒放進平安莊，足夠讓所有人對趙仙枝刮目相看。
夏菊花更覺得自己讓趙仙枝當編席隊的組長是選對了人，因為她自己實在沒精力管場院席的事兒，她有更重要的事兒要處理。
公社農技站的一位林技術員，真的被張主任派來幫助平安莊種紅薯了。所以在這個時候就派人來，是因為農技站認為，別看現在天氣還冷着，卻已經可以進行紅薯種挑選和育苗了。
開始聽到林技術員的話，夏菊花表現的似信非信。除了時間太早外，還因為平安莊現在抽不出人來，跟着林技術員學習他嘴裏的育苗技術。
所以明明上輩子聽說過先進的種植方法，夏菊花也要做出猶豫的樣子，把育種時間往後拖一拖，又不能讓人覺得她完全不信，免得将來态度轉變的太快，讓人難以接受。
平安莊的人摸不着夏菊花的實底，有信林技術員的，也有不信林技術員的，分成兩派天天碰着面要說道兩句。可也就是兩句話的工夫——人人家裏都等着漏粉呢，碰面都是在絞漿機前，等着輪到自己絞紅薯的時候，趁着前面的人沒絞完，大家才有時間議論幾句。
等前頭的人搬着自己絞好的紅薯漿走了，後頭的人忙着裝紅薯進絞漿機，哪兒還顧得上再說話？
薛技術員跟林技術員都在公社裏工作，總有碰面的時候，知道林技術員是個一心想着增加糧食産量的老實人。正因為是老實人，只知道埋頭幹活，不會喊口號也不會巴結領導，所在在農技站并不得重用。
不受重用的人，就得哪裏苦累哪裏去，所以林技術員才出現在平安莊生産隊。薛技術員見夏菊花不太相信林技術員，導致林技術員只在平安莊住了一晚上就不得不回了公社，覺得自己應該為林技術員說一句公道話，跑來找夏菊花：
“夏隊長，你咋讓林技術員回公社了呢？”
夏菊花還沒見過薛技術員這麽着急過，沒回答他的問題，反問道：“咋啦，林技術員不應該回公社嗎？”
薛技術員更急了：“你不知道，林技術員在農技站，有點兒受排擠。他剛來平安莊一天就回去，那些人不知道怎麽說他呢。”
原來是這麽回事兒，夏菊花放心了：“有啥好說的，現在還不到種地的時候，平安莊條件差，林技術員留在平安莊，吃也吃不好、住也住不好。等到開始春耕的時候，我們生産隊派人請他去，農技站的人還能再說他？”
“可現在離春耕還有一段時間，等你去接林技術員的時候，他說不定都在農技站幹不下去了。”薛技術員知道，農技站雖然只是一個公社的小單位，可也有不少人想要擠進去。
得通過擠掉別人進農技站的，除了家裏有點兒能量，就是自己會溜須拍馬的，哪如林技術員這樣的人水平高不怕吃苦，還一心替農民着想。
夏菊花也意識到了問題的嚴重性——她只想着平安莊漏粉兒重要，忘記對一個農業技術員來說，如果不被農民認可的話，回到單位會面臨什麽。
“得了，快把你拖拉機開過來。咱們兩個現在就去一趟公社，把林技術員的生活用品拉來。”夏菊花現在跟薛技術員很熟悉，說話也不象剛開始的時候那麽客氣生疏：“去了就說林技術員走後，才想起來林技術員一個人帶不了那麽多東西，就接他一趟。”
這樣一說，林技術員就不是在平安莊呆不住，才回到農技站，而是要回去收拾一些生活用品帶到平安莊，要準備在平安莊紮根。
事情的确象夏菊花想的那樣，他們一行來到農技站，說是來接林技術員帶着生活用品回平安莊的時候，那兩個圍着林技術員陰陽怪氣的人臉都綠了，瞪了夏菊花他們好幾眼。
直到坐到拖拉機的車鬥裏，林技術員還不敢相信自己的處境發生了這麽大的變化：“夏隊長，以後真讓我長住在平安莊嗎？”
夏菊花十分歉意的說：“林技術員，都是我考慮的不周到，才讓你受了委屈。你可別跟我這個農村老婆子一般見識。等回了家，我好好給你做頓飯賠不是。”
“不用，夏隊長，你能來接我已經讓那些人不敢小看我了，我還得謝謝你呢。”林技術員有些木讷的說，心裏還回味着夏菊花說的到了家那幾個字。
開着拖拉機的薛技術員樂呵呵的對林技術員說：“你不用跟夏隊長客氣，我還想沾你的光吃頓好的呢。”
林技術員想起薛技術員從來過平安莊後，就很少在公社看到他的身影，開始相信，平安莊對他們這些別人眼裏不起眼的技術員，是真心的歡迎，要不也不會讓薛技術員樂不思蜀，心裏最後一點兒怨氣也消失得無影無蹤。
一路上，夏菊花又把自己心裏是相信林技術員，可是現在平安莊的重心還在漏粉兒和編席上，騰不出人手來跟林技術員搞科學種植的情況，都跟林技術員說了。
薛技術員臉上的笑容更深了：“我就說夏隊長不是不相信科學的人，咋開始不留下林技術員呢。夏隊長你放心，林技術員能理解，也一定能幫着你們生産隊的作物增産的。”
唉，就算再科學的種植，也得老天下雨才行。夏菊花心裏嘆了一口氣，臉上還跟薛技術員一樣樂呵着，請林技術員多包涵。
林技術員并沒有因為夏菊花一開始沒處理好，就趁機拿捏一把，反而很快找到了自己的定位，那就是先給薛技術員幫忙，等平安莊能抽出人手後，再帶着人搞種植。
好在平安莊人漏粉越來越熟練，各家騰出專門的屋子烘澱粉後，進度也快了很多。全平德縣所有公社糧站儲存的紅薯，最終平安莊生産隊就漏了十七萬斤，剩下的四個生産隊漏了各有八九萬斤。
粉條拉走的那天，各糧站都是帶着加工費來的，當場就把各生産隊的加工費給付清了。夏菊花看着社員們笑着數錢的樣子，剛開始還跟着笑，後來就笑不出來了：
忙活了快三個月，平安莊每家除了保住生産隊分的紅薯，又多了近百斤粉條外，每家掙到的加工費還不到四十塊錢。對了，還可以加上教了別的生産隊社員漏粉時，每天記的十個工分。
其實跟生産隊分紅相比，并不算多。可是大家竟然如此高興，夏菊花心裏都有點兒替平安莊人不值了。
“你別拿大家掙的錢跟你炒花生掙的比。”五爺不知道什麽時候出現在夏菊花身邊，把夏菊花神情的變化看在眼裏，把她心裏想的也猜了個八九不離十：
“往年冬閑的時候，大家說是出在生産隊上工，可一天壯勞力才能掙六個工分，婦女們幾乎一個工分都掙不着。這回大家除了掙到現錢，手裏還多了糧食，是多少年都不敢想的事。”
被五爺一提醒，夏菊花重新意識到，現在農村最不值錢的就是勞動力，只要能掙到現錢，大家就會覺得比記在工分本上的工分有價值。
知道自己又不自覺的把掙錢相對容易的上輩子，跟現在的生活對比起來，夏菊花不會讓自己沉迷下去，跟五爺商量：“大家夥累了幾個月，我想也給他們放上兩天假，讓他們好好歇歇。”
五爺笑了：“場院裏的人忙活的比他們時間還長呢，聽說你給漏粉兒的人放假，還不得反了天？”
對這一點夏菊花一點兒也不擔心：“五爺，你也太小瞧我們婦女的心胸了，她們聽說自家男人能歇歇，肯定都替他們高興。就是這些放假的最好自覺點兒，自己歇在家裏也給媳婦做點兒現成飯吃，別讓媳婦在場院裏忙活半天，還得回家伺候他們。”
“隊長，真給我們放假呀，那你也帶我們去縣城逛嗎？”手裏有了現錢，男人們也敢想逛縣城的事兒了。
問話的是陳冬生，被五爺用煙袋杆子扒拉到了一邊：“就你這臉都洗不幹淨的，還想逛縣城？沒聽菊花說，快回去給你媳婦做晌午飯去。”
五爺的煙袋杆才有多大勁，陳冬生卻故意裝得被扒拉了個趔趄，身子往邊上一歪：“五爺，這回我可做不了飯了，非得帶上老婆孩子上你家吃上幾頓不可。我可知道，你家兒媳婦、孫媳婦，天天調着樣給你做好吃的，我也跟着享兩天福去。”
劉大喜上前給了他一脖摟：“現在都是我給我爺做飯，你不怕難吃就來。”
劉大喜沒說假話，現在婦女們每天忙着編席，在廚房漏粉的男人們不會貼餅子，可順手煮個粥還是會做的，等媳婦回家炖個菜，沿菜鍋貼上一圈餅子，全家的飯也就好了。
別看只是簡單煮個粥，已經讓平安莊的婦女們、尤其是家裏沒有閨女的婦女們滿足的不得了，話裏話外都念着夏菊花的好。
為啥男人們煮了粥，婦女們倒念着夏菊花的好，還用問嗎——不是夏菊花把男人們都圈到廚房裏漏粉兒，還能指望他們煮粥？！
夏菊花正好趁着男人們都在，把給他們放三天假的事兒說了，還大方的同意願意去縣城的男人，可以找陳秋生報名，到時生産隊請薛技術員用拖拉機送大家一趟。
不過薛技術員的拖拉機是公社農機站的，平安莊不好白用，跟婦女們去縣城一樣，柴油錢都由平安莊生産隊出。而且也不是三天跑三趟，而是跟婦女們那時一樣，只去兩回。
自覺已經摸清夏菊花脾氣的男人們不幹了，非得說夏菊花對婦女們太好，歧視他們男人——場院裏的婦女加上閨女們才多少人，拖拉機兩趟當然能裝得下。
可平安莊的男人們就是拖拉機跑三趟都拉不全，哪能跟婦女們一樣只去兩回。
夏菊花很理直氣壯的說：“我自己就是婦女，當然要向着婦女們。”
好吧，平安莊的男人們沒話可說了，難道他們能告訴夏菊花，一直以來他們都因為夏小夥的外號，忽略了夏菊花是女人的事實？
都怪夏菊花太能幹了，不管是聯系編席還是漏粉兒、以及找來絞漿機那麽好用的機器，那是一個女人能幹成的？大男人也幹不了這麽好，是不是？
不管嘴裏怎麽報怨，當天下午平安莊的街上并沒有出現閑逛吹牛的男人。如果你湊近一家院門仔細聽，還能聽到一陣陣或高或低的鼾聲。
這是勞累了幾個月的平安莊男人們，補覺時發出的聲音，他們已經多久沒這樣酣暢淋漓的睡一個好覺，怕是自己都記不清了。
而薛技術員的拖拉機，只跑了一趟縣城就沒人再坐了——相對于熱衷買東西的婦女們，男人不是必須品，是想不起來自己應該買啥的。而家裏的必須品，上一次夏菊花帶着婦女們逛了兩天縣城，早已經買完了，那男人們還去縣城做什麽。
不如在家裏結結實實好好睡兩覺。
在大家的鼾聲中，草悄悄的冒出黃綠色的嫩芽，柳樹枝也慢慢的泛出黃綠色，陳秋生嘴裏上工的哨子，吹的嘟嘟響，把睡神附身的男人們，從各家吹了出來。
夏菊花站在生産隊的院子裏，先把場院裏的婦女們點了下名，見人都齊了就讓趙仙枝帶走去編席，自己留下來向男人們宣布今天的任務：
“這幾天大家都歇過來了吧？那就跟着林技術員一起，把紅薯種先選出來。”說着把林技術員重新鄭重介紹給了社員們。
聽說真的要跟林技術員學種紅薯，原本認為夏菊花不信任林技術員的那些人小聲嘀咕兩句，仍乖乖跟着早覺得夏菊花信任林技術員的人一起，拍了兩下巴掌，表示自己緊跟着生産隊長，同樣信任林技術員。
林技術員不是話多的人，把自己的要求簡單說了一下，就讓陳秋生領人把平安莊留的紅薯種搬到生産隊來。可他簡單的話，卻讓種了一輩子紅薯的平安莊人開鍋一樣議論開了：
“咱們種紅薯，不都是把帶芽子的薯，直接種到地裏，這個技術員咋說先育出苗來，育苗到底是啥意思？”
“對呀，育苗是不是就是讓紅薯長出葉子來，那咋不直接種到地裏呢，要是嫌芽子多，直接把多餘的芽子掐掉不就行了。”
林技術員把大家的話都聽在耳中，嘴張了幾張沒說出什麽，只看求救一樣看着夏菊花。夏菊花敲了敲桌子：“人家林技術員講的是科學種植，他的方法又省種，紅薯長的又大還多，讓你們怎麽幹你們就怎麽幹。”
得了，有夏菊花發話，議論的人沒了，可按照林技術員的指揮幹起來，社員們總覺得心裏沒底：往年按照老辦法種紅薯，都是在四月中旬左右，可現在剛剛三月中，就讓大家育苗，這紅薯真能長好嗎？
好在有夏菊花在平安莊的威信背書，大家就算是有疑問，仍然在林技術員的帶領下，把紅薯種育到地裏，上頭蓋上了從場院裏撤下的葦席保溫，防止還沒上來的地氣把種下的紅薯凍壞了。
五爺越看心裏覺得越沒底：“菊花，往年咱們種一百來畝地的紅薯，做種的紅薯就得兩千斤，今年咱們想種三百畝紅薯，這林技術員用來育苗的才一千五百斤，能行嗎？”
夏菊花還沒告訴五爺，這一千五百斤紅薯種裏頭，還包括着那幾個生産隊的苗在裏頭，現在聽他問起，也只能含糊着說：“林技術員說了，他種植方法省種，能給咱們省出糧食來。”
開春後一直沒有下雨，五爺提着的心都到了嗓子眼。以為夏菊花跟林技術員說了怕今年會有旱災，所以林技術員要替平安莊盡可能多的省出紅薯種糊口，就沒再往下問，反而提出了另外一個問題：
“眼看着就開種地了，紅小隊咋還不讓去接你婆婆他們回來呢？”
聽五爺一問，夏菊花有點兒心虛：前段時間怕孫氏等人回到平安莊，發現平安莊源源不絕漏粉的秘密，再鬧着去向紅小隊舉報，夏菊花讓劉志雙找了齊衛東一趟。自那之後，紅小隊仿佛忘了平安莊的存在一樣，連個腳蹤都沒往平安莊送。
算下來孫氏等人在紅小隊的學習班足有四個月了，的确到了該回來的時候。夏菊花只能點頭說：“要不我去找大隊長問問？”
五爺只當自己沒看到夏菊花一瞬間的沉默，邊往家走邊說：“嗯，問問吧。你婆婆那個歲數指望不上，劉四壯和他媳婦兩個，可都是壯勞力，總在學習班住着不參加生産隊的勞動，生産隊秋天憑啥給他們分口糧。”
夏菊花聽了好懸沒笑出聲，最後只抿了一下嘴，五爺自己也咧了下嘴：“快去找李長順那個老東西吧，孫家莊的生産隊長已經找過他好幾回了。”
原來不是五爺突然大發善心的想起孫氏等人，而是孫家莊生産隊長找過李長順，估計李長順也找過五爺，所以今天五爺才順口跟夏菊花說。
既然五爺已經說了，夏菊花還真騎上自行車去了趟大隊部，李長順聽了她的來意，眉頭都皺到一塊了：“紅小隊也不知道是咋想的，到現在也不給咱們通知，要是咱們直接去接人，能讓咱們接回來嗎？”
“大隊長，我是一點兒也不想跟紅小隊打交道了。”夏菊花做出怕了紅小隊的樣子：“要不你去找一下革委會的張主任？他要是能跟紅小隊打個招呼的話，紅小隊不會不放人吧。”
有公社革委會主任出面，經費還掌握在公社手裏的紅小隊，早沒了當年打倒一切的硬氣，竟然就讓李長順直接把孫氏四口帶回了平安莊。
做為平安莊生産隊隊長，夏菊花不得不從李長順手裏把那四個已經看不出模樣的人接收下來：四個人的衣服都已經看不出本色來，在普遍已經開始換上絨衣的社員面前，厚重的棉衣把人壓的快找不到了。
四個人的神情都十分畏縮，不管跟誰說話都不敢與人對視，聲音也細的幾乎聽不到。別人的聲音稍微大一點兒，他們的身子就會跟着哆嗦兩下。
大人這樣只讓人覺得解恨，劉紅娟表現出來，就讓人有些唏噓了。只是這表現是真實的反應，還是有做樣子的成份，夏菊花不想過多猜測，在她心裏，只要孫氏幾個不再做妖，夏菊花完全可以裝他們不存在，就跟他們還在學習班時一樣最好。
劉二壯劉三壯兄弟卻不能跟夏菊花一樣，當孫氏不存在。兄弟兩個把孫氏幾人接進家，李大丫和安寶玲兩個再不情願，也得燒好熱水，讓他們洗洗幾個月來在學習班從沒洗過的身體。
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.