Chapter 78
Sun Guizhi felt something was wrong when she hadn't seen her son for so long. She asked Sun, who was lying motionless on the kang, "Mom, do you think that since we were not at home, no one in the two rooms took care of my son and forced Zhiliang away?"
As soon as Sun Guizhi opened her mouth, she labeled everyone as a bad person. So the saying that one's mind determines one's vision is not for nothing.
Seeing that they had not come out of the house to serve the meal, Li Daya, who was urged by Liu Erzhuang to bring the meal over, happened to hear what Sun Guizhi said. She went into the house angrily and put the meal on the top of the cupboard, only to find that it broke with a bang.
Li Daya didn't even care about the porridge spilling out, and pointed at Sun Guizhi and asked, "Your family was arrested and sent to a study class. Who told us to take care of your children?"
"Well, you didn't say a word. Liu Erzhuang thought that he couldn't write two Liu characters with one stroke. He and Liu Sizhuang were brothers from the same mother, so he couldn't let your child go hungry. As a result, your Liu Hongjuan, who didn't learn good things but had to learn how to frame others, also went to the training class, leaving Liu Zhiliang alone at home."
"Baoling and I take care of the food and clothing every day, but you think we've driven people away. Tell me, did we hand the child over to the Red Team like your brother did?"
It was rare for Li Daya to speak such words, and her voice became so sharp that it could pierce into one's heart. Liu Sizhuang saw that his wife had offended his second sister-in-law as soon as she came home, so he went up and slapped Sun Guizhi in the face.
He thought that he had slapped Sun Guizhi, and when Li Daya saw that Sun Guizhi was beaten because of her words, she should at least stop him, or let him not be angry with Sun Guizhi. He could just go down the stairs and say a few good words to Li Daya, and the matter would be over.
Unexpectedly, Li Daya directly scooped out a bowl of the rice she had just brought, put it on the edge of the kang and told Sun to eat. She took the rest out the door and turned back to say only one sentence: "It is our duty to honor our mother, but Liu Sizhuang, you are only Liu Erzhuang's brother, it is not Liu Erzhuang's turn to honor you."
Even Li Daya was still not satisfied. When she met Xia Juhua in the afternoon, she complained: "Sister-in-law, how can there be such a shameless person?"
Xia Juhua felt that the Sun family's mischief was within her expectations, so she shook her head and said, "Let them make noises on their own, just pretend you didn't hear anything. You see, Baoling doesn't need to be angry about this. By the way, where is Liu Zhiliang?"
Where could Liu Zhiliang go? The moment he saw the four figures of the Sun family appear on the street, he ran to the firewood pile at the west end of the village and dived into a small hole that someone had dug out, wishing that no one would ever find him again.
For several months, Liu Zhiliang had imagined various scenarios of his parents and grandmother returning to Ping'an Village, but none of them were so vicious. He was a little relieved that it was Liu Hongjuan who was taken away by the Red Team instead of him, but he also felt a little regretful:
That day he heard his sister urging his grandmother to go to the commune to report Xia Juhua in exchange for his parents. If they could have been stopped, would his grandmother have avoided the same suffering for several months?
From the beginning to the end, Liu Zhiliang never regretted pushing Liu Hongjuan to the people of the Red Team - this sister was as troublesome as his mother, always thinking about bringing bad luck to others, as if she would gain a lot if others were unlucky.
The result is often that others are not in trouble but they themselves are, and then they start crying and making a fuss, thinking that others shouldn't bother with them, as if they are innocent.
How did he end up with such a mother and sister? At first, Liu Zhiliang hoped that the grandsons would return to Ping'an Village because his grandmother loved him the most and kept all the good things for him, unlike his second and third mothers, who shared the food equally among the children in the family and no one was allowed to eat more.
In the past few months, Li Daya and An Baoling were worried that the family members would be exhausted, so they thought of ways to make something good for everyone. Liu Zhiliang took turns eating at the two families, and sometimes he thought, how nice it would be if he was the son of the second or third mother.
Yes, the children of Erniang and Sanniang are not favored by grandma, and they can't get any of grandma's good things. But their parents are capable, and their two sisters make money by weaving mats, and they also go to learn to read from Liu Lizhu at night. Can his parents and sister do it?
Why couldn't my parents be like the second and third uncles, working honestly in the fields to earn work points? Why couldn't my mother be like the second and third aunts, taking care of her own family's affairs, instead of instigating grandma to ask for things from the other two families?
Liu Zhiliang couldn't figure it out. He only knew that the cousins from the two families looked down on his family and thought that his family was always taking advantage of them because of his grandmother. But could his grandmother always help his family take advantage of him?
My family was captured by the Red Team, and the second master and the third mother immediately separated from my grandmother. My grandmother must have cried as usual, but when I returned to Ping'an Village, the family was still divided.
It can be seen that if people don't want grandma to take advantage of them, grandma won't be able to take advantage of them at all, so how can their family live? When Liu Zhiliang thought of this, he didn't feel any light in his heart. He knew that his parents couldn't earn enough work points to feed the whole family.
Will I end up like my parents in the future? Liu Zhiliang vaguely understood in his little head that he would not have a good life if he lived that way. But how could he have a good life?
As he was thinking, Liu Zhiliang fell asleep.
He fell asleep in the firewood pile, but Pingan Manor was in turmoil: Sun Guizhi waited for Liu Zhiliang left and right but he didn't show up. Li Daya took the meal away without leaving any for Sifang, which made Sun Guizhi even more angry and she lost her mind. Liu Sizhuang didn't even try to stop her, as she ran to the yard and found Xia Juhua and howled.
The content of the howling was that Li Daya and An Baoling did not keep a good eye on Liu Zhiliang and forced her son away. Now they are missing and she must make Xia Juhua, the production team leader, give her an explanation.
Xia Juhua thought that the Sun family members would definitely not calm down after returning to Ping'an Village, but she didn't expect that Sun Guizhi would calm down so quickly. The cause was Liu Zhiliang, whom she had just discussed with Li Daya.
If she hadn't been the production team leader, it would be nonsense for Xia Juhua to say that she could be Sun Guizhi. But now she is the production team leader, and no matter how young Liu Zhiliang is, he is still a member of the production team, so she can't just ignore him.
But before that, he could have stopped Sun Guizhi from crying and stopped her from putting the blame on Li Daya and An Baoling: "How much money did Daya and Baoling take from you to have them look after your child? Is Liu Zhiliang three years old this year? Does he have to have someone following him around every day?"
"Sister-in-law, you are not only my sister-in-law, you are also the production team leader, you can't be biased." Sun Guizhi's useless provocations for several months were not wasted at all: "Zhiliang is also your nephew, you can't just ignore his life and death just because you are close to these two."
Xia Juhua impatiently called Chen Qiusheng over and said, "Tell someone to look around the village and go to Liu Lizhu's place to see if Liu Zhiliang is attending the class."
Chen Qiu Sheng first rejected Liu Zhiliang's statement in class: "That kid just wants to play every day and can't sit still at the pillar." Then he blew the whistle to call people.
The members who were checking the emergence of sweet potato seedlings with technician Lin came over and heard that it was Sun Guizhi who couldn't find her son and wanted everyone to help look for him. They started to complain: "The teenager doesn't even have to do some work, but runs around all day. He is like his father, like his son."
Liu Sizhuang, who was also somewhat worried about his son, heard the complaints from others and his face became hot for a rare moment. He stepped forward and slapped Sun Guizhi again: "You spendthrift woman, how can you die if you don't make trouble?"
This slap did not make everyone less resentful. They dispersed unwillingly, shouting Liu Zhiliang's name in and out of the village. No one cared about Sun Guizhi who was knocked to the ground.
Cry on purpose, anyway, if Sun Guizhi doesn't cry, then Sun Shi will cry, this is a perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. Everyone in Pingan Village thinks so. Hurry up and find this little brat Liu Zhiliang, so that we can get down to business.
Liu Sizhuang didn't expect that no one would pay attention to his slap. His face was pale and ugly. Seeing that only Xia Juhua was looking at him, he approached her a little embarrassedly and said, "Sister-in-law, you see, I just came back from the training class. I don't know what work the team has assigned me."
The last study session actually cured Liu Sizhuang's laziness? Xia Juhua looked at him with some disbelief and said, "You know that you have to accept labor supervision when you come back, so you can't slack off like before."
Such merciless words came out of Xia Juhua's mouth, who had always given in when she suffered a loss. Liu Sizhuang was surprised again, and his face became even more embarrassed: "Sister-in-law, I know everything."
"It's all right to know. No matter what the production team assigns you to do, you will agree, right? Also, from now on, just call me captain. If someone hears me calling you sister-in-law, they might think I didn't draw a clear line between us and am intentionally protecting you."
There was no way to chat anymore. Liu Sizhuang glared at Xia Juhua, and turned around and walked home without even looking at Sun Guizhi who was still sobbing on the ground. He had thought about going home to talk to his mother about how Xia Juhua dared to act like a production team leader in front of him, but halfway through the walk, he remembered that since Xia Juhua and her two sons separated from the old courtyard, his mother had never taken advantage of Xia Juhua.
"Found it, found it." Liu Qixi and Chen Shuanzhu shouted as they ran, "Captain, Liu Zhiliang fell asleep hiding in the firewood pile and didn't hear us calling him. Brother Qiu Sheng has called him back."
After hearing this, Xia Juhua let the two of them continue to play at the village entrance. Without even looking at Sun Guizhi who was lying on the ground with her mouth open in shock, she went back to the production team to discuss the spring ploughing with Technician Lin.
Technician Lin really has a lot of ideas in his head. Many of the technologies that Xia Juhua only heard of in the 1980s are now mastered by him, but he has not had time to test and promote them yet.
夏菊花相信，如果不是今年天旱，按照林技術員說的法子，不管是玉米還是小麥，種下去都能高産。夏菊花已經試探着問過林技術員，在北部平原種蓖麻的話，能不能行。
林技術員給出的是肯定答案，種是肯定能種的，可是因為蓖麻不能吃，在以填飽肚子為目标的年代，沒有哪個生産隊願意大規模種植。所以蓖麻的種子不好找，只有野地裏不知從哪兒刮來或是鳥帶來的種子長出那麽幾棵。
等夏菊花拿出自己從庫底子裏挑出的幾十粒種子，林技術員當成寶貝一樣看了又看，确認都是能發芽的好種子，才說：“夏隊長，你不知道這蓖麻油的用處可大着呢，可惜你的種子太少了，要是多的話賣蓖麻可比賣……”
林技術員說不下去了，他想起現在農民種地，為的不是經濟效益而是按上級要求，首先得完成公糧任務。
不過夏菊花還是挺高興的：“要是這樣的話，我想把這些種到我們家的自留地裏，也不為了現在就賣蓖麻籽，多留點兒種，将來多了用杆子漚成麻搓點兒麻繩好用。”要給夏龍熬蓖麻根水治風濕，就不用說了。
夏菊花知道過不了幾年，生産隊的地就要包産到戶，自己在自留地裏每年增加一點兒蓖麻種植，包産到戶的時候就能在承包的地裏大面積種植，到時往出賣蓖麻籽、賣麻繩……
肯定比種小麥掙錢。
現在還不是種蓖麻的時候，不過已經到了翻地的時間。農機站經過一冬天的鋪墊，又有張主任打招呼，已經默認薛技術員是平安莊的一名編外社員，由着他開着拖拉機天天到平安莊報道。
薛技術員就過上了每天晚上回農機站把油箱加滿，第二天一大早再把拖拉機開回平安莊的日子。
他不光把拖拉機開到平安莊，還把農機站處于試驗階段的犁一并拉到了平安莊，來後跟林技術員兩個鼓搗一下，拖拉機鬥就換成了耕地犁，然後兩人在陳秋生的帶領之下，到當天需要耕的地塊。
當然不能只是他們兩個人，平安莊的男社員們帶着新奇、扛着鐵鍬早等在地頭上呢：犁地可以用拖拉機，可把翻出來的土拍碎，薛技術員制出的犁現在還做不到，包括打垅之類都要人工才成。
就這也足以讓平安莊的社員們滿足了：往年翻地全靠人一鍬一鍬的撅，深淺還不均勻，現在只是拍打一下土塊，比人翻的又快又均，省多少事兒！
正因為有拖拉機的加入，才把場院裏編席的婦女們解放出來，不用跟着翻地而是安心的編席，可把她們給美壞了，一個個商量着輪班請薛、林兩位技術員到家裏吃飯。
薛林兩位都了解平安莊的情況，哪兒好意思一直到社員家裏吃飯，從紮根平安莊的頭一天起，就把自己一個月的定量糧拿到了夏菊花家，聲明兩個人都在夏菊花家裏搭夥。
可惜沒搭幾天，也就是平安莊的地将将翻完，王彩鳳的閨女就出生了。家裏一個子多出一個月婆子和一個小奶娃，兩個人不得不從劉志雙的西廂房搬到五爺家，夥食由劉大喜的媳婦常桂花接手。
夏菊花得了孫女自然高興，不管哪個社員送了什麽東西給王彩鳳下奶都沒拒絕，說好了等孫女滿月的時候請大家吃飯。
王彩鳳的娘家媽來給閨女送奶，聽說親家要給外孫女辦滿月，驚訝的問王彩鳳：“你婆婆說的是真的還是假的，一個丫頭片子還用得着辦滿月？”
王彩鳳連忙沖親娘擺手：“娘，你快小聲點兒，你可不能丫頭長丫頭短的，得叫樂樂。我婆婆最不願意聽人說丫頭片子啥的，對孫女親着呢。”
可不是親嘛，生了個丫頭還叫樂樂，心裏真那麽樂嗎？王彩鳳的娘想着自己都笑了一下：“你婆婆還真是跟別人不一樣，誰家不想着多要個孫子。我還怕你生了丫頭她不高興，可我看她給樂樂準備的東西，就象從頭到尾就盼着是孫女呢。”
王彩鳳看着閨女身上細棉布做的小套衫，還有手上套的小手套、腳上穿的小虎頭鞋，臉上的笑根本藏不住：“嗯，我也覺得是。”以前誰家剛下生的孩子，不是撿上頭孩子的舊衣裳穿，只有婆婆給閨女準備了新衣裳，還過了好幾遍水呢。
“你可得知道惜福。”王彩鳳的娘都羨慕自己閨女了：“你生了閨女，坐月子又是雞湯又是小米粥還有豬蹄啃，別人生兒子都沒你吃的好。要不奶能下得這麽快。”
王彩鳳再次點頭，她心裏早想明白了，跟着婆婆吃得好穿得好還不用受氣，幹啥要惹婆婆不高興。
可偏偏就有人要讓夏菊花不高興。劉志全的親姑姑，也是孫氏唯一的閨女劉小丫，聽說侄子添了閨女，終于回了一趟娘家，想給侄媳婦下奶，結果是含着一泡眼淚來到夏菊花家的。
對于唯一的小姑子，夏菊花等于是看着她長大的——夏菊花嫁進老劉家的時候，劉小丫剛六七歲，已經開始被孫氏支使着給劉四壯洗衣裳了。
夏菊花看不過眼，自己洗衣裳的時候順手幫着搓一把，才讓劉小丫有個喘息的時間。小孩子本能的知道誰對他好，何況農村孩子懂事兒的早，劉小丫跟大嫂的關系是最好的。
可惜跟大嫂的關系再好，也擋不住有一個拿閨女當草的親娘。劉小丫剛十六的時候，孫氏就早早給她定了親，為的是得了彩禮給劉四壯找媳婦。
按說老院好幾個壯勞力，一年分紅不少，根本不至于用劉小丫的親事給劉四壯換彩禮。不過是孫氏覺得丫頭就這一個用處，能多得點兒好處就多得點兒好處。
出嫁前的劉小丫，到窩棚裏對着大嫂哭了好久，夏菊花能有啥辦法，只能勸她嫁人之後好好過自己的日子，娘家這邊不用總惦記着。
劉小丫很聽大嫂的話，每年只在初二的時候回一趟娘家，帶的年禮即不比別人多也不比別人差啥，孫氏和孫桂芝誰也挑不出禮去。
不過她每次回來，都會找機會見大嫂一面，還想塞錢給夏菊花，都被夏菊花拒絕了——劉小丫的男人比她大了六七歲，人挺老實認幹，就是呆的生産隊不行，一個工分只有八分錢。劉小丫過門後連着生了三孩子，那日子過的可想而知。
夏菊花都能想象得出，為了準備給王彩鳳下奶的東西，劉小丫得犯多大的愁。所以看她兩手空空含着眼淚進院，以為她是為了自己沒帶東西急的，一把拉住她的手帶進了正房，笑着問：“咋還掉上眼淚了，怕我不給你飯吃？”
“嫂子——”劉小丫忍着的眼淚終于掉下來了：“娘咋越老越胡塗了，現在是一點兒道理也不講了。我聽說彩鳳生孩子，高高興興帶只雞來給她下奶，誰知道娘……”
把劉小丫帶來的東西扣下的事，孫氏幹出來一點兒心理負擔都不會有，夏菊花連跟她治氣的勁都提不起來，完全能想到她是咋說劉小丫的：
無非就是心裏惦記着別人不惦記親娘，聽說親娘進了學習班都沒去看一眼，還有閑心給生了個丫頭片子的侄兒媳婦下奶。
能想得到的事兒，就不值得生氣。夏菊花拉着劉小丫的手安慰她：“這麽些年你還不知道她是什麽樣，跟她生氣不值得。回頭我跟志全兩口子說一聲，不是你這當姑的不記得他們，誰讓他們攤上這樣的奶奶了呢。”
說完怕劉小丫還惦記沒拿東西上門的事兒，問她：“家裏糧食還夠吃不，你們生産隊開始種地了沒？”
說起家裏的日子，劉小丫的臉上就現出點兒笑意來：“家裏三個孩子都能幫上點兒忙兒啦，湊合能對付。我們那兒離山近，他爹悄悄在山裏多開了片荒，我也在那裏養了幾只雞。”
說到雞又心疼起來：“本來正好給彩鳳下奶的，可……”
劉志全兄弟聽說姑姑來了，都進屋來想跟姑說兩句話，正好聽到姑姑心疼雞，劉志全忙說：“姑你不用惦記她，我娘可沒少給她準備好東西。”
劉志雙也笑着問：“姑你咋沒把表弟帶來呢，等種上地他們更沒工夫過來了。”
看着兩個侄子對自己沒啥隔閡的說笑，劉小丫的心裏更敞亮了點兒，笑容都加深了：“他們倒是想來，不過生産隊不好請假，還得幫着你姑夫忙活點兒山裏的活兒。”
剛才劉小丫說在山裏開地的事兒，劉家兄弟兩個都聽見了，小聲問過劉小丫他們生産隊在山裏開地的人不少，還是小聲囑咐她，回了老院不能多說，免得讓有心人聽去舉報了，劉小丫就得罪整個生産隊的人了。
聽兩個兒子正兒八經的囑咐他們姑姑，夏菊花心裏好笑又安慰：平安莊為漏粉兒保密，把這兩也給鍛煉的謹慎了不少。
Liu Xiaoya said angrily, "Why would I go back to that courtyard? I'll stay with your mother tonight, but I have to go back early tomorrow."