Chapter 84 (1)
"Yes, yes, yes," Li Changshun said without any reluctance when Xia Juhua said that he could not follow him to watch other production teams dig wells tomorrow: "Your production teams are planting sweet potatoes at about the same time. Your production team's sweet potatoes should be transplanted, and the other production teams should hurry up with this matter as well."
After that, he called the captain of Team 3: "Niu Zhuang, Captain Xia said it's time to pull out the sweet potato vines. Has your production team made arrangements?"
Niu Zhuang answered straightforwardly: "Captain Xia said it's time to pull the sweet potato vines? Okay, I'll let them pull them tomorrow. By the way, Captain Xia, is there anything particular about pulling the sweet potato vines? Why don't you tell us now?"
If she wasn't afraid of being laughed at, Xia Juhua would hide in the sweet potato vines. What did Captain Xia mean by "it's time to pull up the sweet potato vines"? She was clearly saying that it was time to pull up the sweet potato vines of the Ping'an Village production team.
At this point, Xia Juhua had to admire herself. The Ping'an Village production team dug their wells early, and there was water everywhere. Not only could they irrigate the sweet potato fields, but other crops were also watered in turn. Although it was not as good as a year with good rain, it was ten times better than what Xia Juhua had experienced in her previous life, and she didn't have to worry about anything.
Otherwise, even if Xia Juhua was moved by Li Changshun's wholehearted consideration for the whole brigade, she could directly turn against Li Changshun, believe it or not.
Others didn't know that Xia Juhua wanted to quarrel with Li Changshun, but the news that it was time to pull the sweet potato vines spread like wildfire among the five production teams of Ping'an Village Brigade. Not only did the people of Ping'an Village get up early and pull the sweet potato vines, but the other four production teams also took action at the same time.
With deep well irrigation, the sweet potatoes of each production team are growing well, and members can pick some tender sweet potato leaves to take home every day. With the addition of tender sweet potato leaves, mixed with the bran bought by each production team last year, the taste is much better than eating bran alone (please forgive Xia Juhua, although she asked Liu Zhiquan to carry the bran home, she was too busy to try how to make the bran more delicious). The disaster in the entire Ping'anzhuang Brigade was much lighter than Xia Juhua remembered, and it was the only comfort for Xia Juhua's busy life.
Different from other production teams who mix half or even more than half of the tender sweet potato leaves and wheat bran into the porridge, except for a very small number of families in Ping An Village, most families only mix a quarter or less. The taste is not bad, and adding a little oil and salt makes it taste even better.
Among these very few families, there was the family of Liu Sizhuang, who had separated from Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang. Most of their food rations were taken away by the Red Team at that time. After the four people came back, they had no plan for what to eat. When other people had already mixed wheat bran into their food to fill their stomachs, they were still eating pure grains. Now everyone was still mixing wheat bran in the original proportion. They had to count the grains of rice every day before putting them into the pot, and add a large part of sweet potato leaves and wheat bran.
"Mother, why don't you go and borrow some food from my second brother and the others." Sun Guizhi begged Sun again. She had been drinking wheat bran porridge for several days and she no longer had any strength left.
Sun's face was as dark as water: "I'll go and borrow, but how can I have the nerve to borrow food from them? If your parents hadn't embezzled the money, I could buy whatever I want to eat now. Why would I have the nerve to borrow food from others?"
Speaking of her brother from her mother's family embezzling money, Sun Guizhi had been hearing rumors for the past six months: "Mom, you were the one who insisted on letting Si Zhuang take the money. Besides, we don't want to lose the money, right? Who would have thought that my brother would become like that? It must have been my sister-in-law who instigated it. Now the money won't be returned no matter what I say, what can I do?"
Sun Shi was unmoved. Anyway, when it was time to eat, she would sit on Liu Erzhuang's kang and no one could get her out. As for Liu Sizhuang's family, they had taken all her money and wanted her to borrow food, but it was impossible. Sun Shi had already discovered that as long as she didn't mention Lao Sizhuang's family, Liu Erzhuang would still tolerate her eating and drinking for free. As long as she mentioned Lao Sizhuang's family, even Liu Erzhuang would not open the door for her.
Between filling other people's stomachs and filling his own stomach, Sun chose the latter without hesitation.
"Mom, I saw Old Man Dong carrying grain out of the production team's granary today." After returning to Ping'an Village from class, Liu Hongjuan, who had always had little sense of existence, suddenly said this to Sun Guizhi.
"What did you say?" Sun Guizhi jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on: "Old Dong was carrying food out of the granary. How could he carry food out of the granary?"
Sun Guizhi was almost jealous to death: their family drank porridge made from wheat bran and sweet potato leaves every day, but Xia Juhua actually had food to prepare for her granddaughter's full-month celebration. Although each person only drank a bowl of vermicelli soup, there were so many people, how much vermicelli would she need?
Not to mention drinking it, just smelling the soup, the sour and spicy taste is appetizing.
Sun Guizhi really just smelled the odor, because Xia Juhua did not invite Liu Sizhuang's family at all - she only invited members who helped Wang Caifeng produce milk during her confinement period, and she only invited one person from each family. Liu Sizhuang's family did not help Wang Caifeng produce milk, so Xia Juhua did not invite anyone, right?
Sun Guizhi, who was so angry, walked back and forth in front of Xia Juhua's house several times. None of the people who saw her blamed Xia Juhua for not being able to handle things and not even inviting her, the fourth grandmother, to celebrate her granddaughter's full month.
There were even two women who had spoken to Sun Guizhi before, who, when they saw her, turned their heads towards the yard at the same time, pretending not to see her.
What made Sun Guizhi even angrier was that the sour and spicy aroma was everywhere in the old courtyard. It turned out that Li Daya and An Baoling thought that Xia Juhua's hot and sour rice noodles were delicious, so they went home and learned to make a portion for the whole family.
They just did it, but they didn't even think of giving a little taste to the fourth room!
Of course, Sun's bowl was not missing. Liu Sanzhuang now just pretended that Sun did not exist, but Liu Erzhuang still asked his mother to come to the east room to drink hot and sour noodles together. Sun, who had eaten and drunk enough, completely forgot that she was now living with Liu Sizhuang's family, and did not think of asking for a bowl for each of Liu Sizhuang's family members.
Damn it, where did these people get all those vermicelli? Sun Guizhi couldn't understand why her own sweet potato team didn't have any at first, and when they came out of the class, they had already gone bad, but Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang actually had more vermicelli than they could finish!
Of course, vermicelli tastes better than bran, and Sun Guizhi also wants to drink hot and sour vermicelli. After returning to the production team for a while, Sun Guizhi slowly found out that the people in the production team had missed out on vermicelli for the whole winter. Now every family has enough of this thing, which made her even angrier.
Their own sweet potatoes were rotting in the cellar, but Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang's families never thought of turning them into vermicelli for them. Are they not human beings?!
With such anger and jealousy, Sun Guizhi couldn't help but explode the moment she heard Liu Hongjuan say that Old Dong carried grain out of the granary: "No, I have to ask Xia Juhua why she gave grain to Old Dong but didn't care about the life and death of my brother-in-law's family."
As she spoke, she took off her torn apron, rolled it up viciously and held it in her hands, then opened the door and wanted to look for Xia Juhua. Before she took two steps, her clothes were pulled by someone. She turned around and saw that it was her own son Liu Zhiliang who had not spoken to her since he came back.
"Why are you pulling me in? Even if you don't recognize your brother-in-law, we are still members of the production team. If others have food to eat, we have to eat too. If our whole family starves to death, Xia Juhua will be the one to bear the consequences."
Liu Zhiliang looked at his own mother with cold eyes: "Mom, you, my grandma, and my dad are now under labor supervision. Besides, Auntie gave bran to the people in the production team, and she also gave some to our family." What reason do you have to ask them? It's just a labor supervision, and no one would find fault if they didn't give you bran.
This sentence was like a needle piercing a balloon that had been blown up big, and Sun Guizhi's anger instantly disappeared. Now, except for Liu Zhiliang, all the people in the fourth room should be subject to labor supervision, but considering Liu Hongjuan's young age, Chen Qiusheng did not assign her any work and let her run around the village.
However, Liu Zhiliang felt that it was not a good thing for Liu Hongjuan to run around like this. Last time, she was running around and found out that her second mother was learning to weave mats from her eldest mother. She also instigated her grandmother to report to the Red Team. Today, she came home to learn to speak again. Who knows what kind of trouble she will encounter next time.
Liu Zhiliang believed that if Liu Hongjuan encountered this, she would not learn from the lessons she had learned, and would continue to do what she did now, instigating her mother or grandmother to make trouble so that everyone would know about it. What good would it do to her family if they knew about it?
There will be no benefit at all. Since Liu Zhiliang was found in the firewood pile that day, he has been thinking about the consequences of his family's actions against Xia Juhua. He concluded that not only did they not gain any benefit, but their situation became worse and worse.
He was extremely frustrated that he was only twelve years old. If he was older, he would be able to leave this home far away, or at least move out and live on his own, and no longer be mixed up with these people who refused to live a quiet life.
As for how he would survive after moving out, Liu Zhiliang somehow felt that with Xia Juhua around, the Ping'anzhuang production team would not let a twelve-year-old child like him die.
Xia Juhua didn't know that she had given Liu Zhiliang such confidence. She was looking at the little basket in her hand and asked, "Did you make this up?"
The people being asked were sisters Liu Hongling and Liu Hongcui and Chen Xiaoman. Their faces flushed with excitement as they asked, "Auntie (Captain), do you think our story is okay?"
Okay, how can I not like this beautiful blue?
The basket in Xia Juhua's hand was also made of reed bark. The girls felt that the reed bark was too thin to hold heavy things, so they stacked two layers of reed bark together, leaving the smooth side exposed. The resulting basket was clean and bright inside and out.
The most important thing is not the thought put into the materials, but the baskets made by the girls. They are not in the shape of dumplings with a long middle and curled ends as they usually see, but one is round, one is gourd-shaped, and one is oval.
三個小藍子個個都只有半尺大小，提梁也被細心的編成麻花形狀，看上去光滑的象工藝品，而不象老百姓日常用的東西。夏菊花覺得自己兩輩子都沒見過這麽精致的藍子，現在竟然被幾個小姑娘給編出來了。
眼前幾個一直由大人教着編席的小姑娘，她們是怎麽想到編這種形狀藍子的？
被問的人中，劉紅玲跟大娘的關系最親近，回答起來一點兒壓力也沒有：“現在我娘她們不編席了，仙枝嬸子還說那些葦杆放時間長了發黃沒用了。我們覺得那都是生産隊花錢買來的，白堆着可惜了的，就想編成藍子試試。”
孩子，你知道你們試出來的東西有多珍貴嗎？夏菊花再次打量着手裏精巧的藍子，心裏感嘆着這要是過個十來年，怕不是能出口掙外國人的錢。
夏菊花可記得上輩子看電視的時候聽過，有一個村子的人就是憑着這樣的小藍子小草帽，掙外國人的錢過上了好日子。
“那你們是咋想到編成這個樣兒的？”夏菊花到底沒忍住，問了姑娘們自己最關心的問題。
劉紅玲笑了：“多虧了力柱叔，他晚上教我們認字的時候，見我們有時候不好好聽，就教給我們畫畫……”說着說着聲音就小了，因為劉紅玲想起來，大娘當初為了讓她們去認字，還跟自己娘說過好話呢。
現在自己當着大娘的面承認自己沒好好學認字，劉紅玲臉都快燒起來了。
夏菊花注意點跟劉紅玲想的不一樣：“你力柱叔還會畫畫呀，我還真不知道。”
劉紅翠沒姐姐想的多，頭點的跟小雞叨米似的：“有時候我們想看力柱叔畫畫，故意裝不愛認字，他就給我們畫了。”
陳小滿拉了拉紅翠的衣角，眼睛悄悄盯着夏菊花。見夏菊花又打量那幾個小藍子，松了一口氣，細聲細氣的問：“隊長，你說我們編的藍子，供銷社能收嗎？”
對于自己影響了姑娘們，讓她們不管有啥好東西頭一個想到的是換成錢，夏菊花一點兒也不內疚——年輕的姑娘們知道用自己的勞動掙錢，讓自己能買點喜歡的小東西，有啥可不好意思的？
她笑着向陳小滿點頭：“等我明天去供銷社問問，要是公社供銷社不收的話，我就去縣裏給你們問。”這麽好的東西，哪怕現在不能掙外國人的錢呢，也不該白白放着落灰。
現在各生産隊打井的事兒已經告一段落——在有生産隊的井沒打出水來，不得不賠了材料錢後，好些生産隊都不敢再打井，那四個生産隊更是把夏菊花指出的地方打出水後，就沒敢嘗試別的地方。
地裏紅薯秧已經扯過一遍，社員們見天挑水澆地，澆的夏菊花心疼，正想着自己去公社農機站問問，能不能從他們那裏買點兒柴油，用薛技術員的拖拉機往出抽水，澆起地來又快又省力。
反正是去公社，帶上姑娘們編出來的小藍子上供銷社問問不算個事兒。不過夏菊花心裏另有一件事兒要問姑娘們：“要是供銷社要的話，量肯定小不了，你們幾個編不完咋辦？”
劉紅玲三人笑的跟三朵鮮花一樣：“大娘，你咋糊塗了呢。要是供銷社收的話，當然不能只有我們三人編。咱們編席的人學起來這個，可比沒編席的人快多了，肯定誤不了供銷社的訂單。”
聽聽。姑娘們耳濡目染，連訂單這樣的新名詞，都能脫口而出了。
夏菊花沒忍住，刮了紅玲的鼻子一下：“大娘不是怕這花樣是你們想出來的，舍不得教給別人嘛。”
突如其來的親近，讓劉紅玲覺得新奇又留戀，臉更紅了：“大娘你當初編出新花樣來，哪樣沒教給我娘她們。我們都知道，別的生産隊的人看了咱們的席，也有學會的。可他們都是自己編上一張兩張的，人家供銷社嫌少不肯零碎着收。”
“要是我們光憑自己編的話，不就跟別的生産隊編席一樣，量上不去人家不要？”劉紅玲越說越覺得自己有道理，臉上放出自信的光來：“要是咱們生産隊的人都學會了，那量又比別的生産隊大，供銷社還是只收咱們的，多好。那些葦杆也有用處了，生産隊的錢也沒白花。”
真是會過日子的好姑娘。夏菊花再摸摸劉紅玲的頭發，把劉紅翠看的眼熱：“大娘光疼我姐。”
夏菊花哈哈笑的前所未有的暢快，手從劉紅玲的頭轉移到劉紅翠的頭上：“你姐說的對，大娘當然疼她。你就是不愛說話，下回別讓你姐說，你跟大娘說，大娘也疼你。”
陳小滿看着被摸順毛的小姐妹，心裏羨慕可咋也說不出跟劉紅翠一樣的話，默默的看了一會才強把自己的眼神移開。
想到做到的夏菊花，第二天又坐着拖拉機去公社，一路上小心把三個小藍子用一個大藍子裝着，上頭還蓋着一層包袱皮，讓薛技術員好奇的看了一眼又一眼。
兩人先到農機站，站長聽說平安莊又想買柴油，臉上的苦澀都快能擰出汁來：“夏隊長，我們農機站是得到了領導的指示，要全力保證你們平安莊的農業生産。可薛技術員開的拖拉機，等于歸平安莊一個生産隊用，有的大隊已經有意見了，現在你又要……”
夏菊花連忙安慰站長：“站長你誤會了，我知道咱們農機站挺照顧我們生産隊的，所以這次的柴油我們出錢買。”平安莊編葦席、漏粉條集體都掙了錢，那錢能節省大家的勞力，夏菊花還是願意出的。
可站長臉上還是挂了兩條苦瓜：“可咱們農機站一年的柴油供應是有定量的，如果都賣給你們，別的拖拉機還跑不跑？”
夏菊花沒話說了，還得檢讨一下平安莊給農機站添的麻煩，最後從車鬥裏拿出早就準備好的粉條悄悄留給站長，才要坐拖拉機去供銷社。
站長看着事兒沒辦成卻掏了粉條的夏菊花，心裏十分過意不去，給她出主意：“你不是跟農林局王局長的關系不錯嘛，不如去縣城一趟找農林局，他們的柴油指标比我們多。”
想起那個比縣革委會主任還白胖的王局長，夏菊花不覺得他跟自己關系不錯。不過為了讓社員們省點兒力氣，她覺得自己有必要跑一趟縣裏。
去縣城之前，夏菊花出現在了供銷社，把三個小藍子給王彩霞看一眼：“你覺得這東西咋樣，要是行的話我們生産隊後剩下的葦杆就有用處了。”
王彩霞也沒見過這麽精巧的藍子，愛不釋手的看了又看，才把藍子還給夏菊花：“真好看。你這腦子就是聰明，這麽好看的藍子都能編出來。”
夏菊花自豪的說：“這藍子可不是我編出來的，是我們生産隊幾個小姑娘想出來的樣子。”
“你們生産隊的人都這麽巧嗎？”王彩霞更感嘆了：“也是，要不巧的話也不能人人都學會編席。不過這東西說實話盛不了什麽東西，也就能當個擺設。可現在大家連肚子都填不飽呢，誰有閑錢買這個。”
被王彩霞前幾句話說的眉開眼笑的夏菊花，好象被人當頭給了一棒子那麽難受，她光想着藍子好看，卻忘了現在大家要的是實用。
今天來公社樣樣不順，夏菊花也沒心情跟王彩霞說閑話，又說了幾句就要往縣城去想辦法。王彩霞看出她不好受，笑着說：“咱們供銷社收上來的土産也得往縣供銷社交，你還不如直接去縣供銷社問問。再說這樣的東西我也不好給你定價，縣供銷社說不定還能給定個好價錢。”
現在的王彩霞，還不知道不出三年，她就為自己今天的決定後悔的直拍大腿，單純的只想安慰夏菊花。
話都是好話，夏菊花心裏還是有些難受，勉強沖王彩霞笑了一下讓她別在意，自己坐到薛技術員身邊的副駕駛位置上。
薛技術員剛才也進供銷社裏涼快來着，把那三個小藍子都看在眼裏，現在并不着發動拖拉機，而是向夏菊花說：“夏隊長，你這幾個藍子多少錢，要不賣給我得了，一個我給你一塊錢。”
夏菊花被他說樂了：“薛技術員，嬸子知道你怕嬸子難過，可也沒有讓你往裏搭錢的理兒。我去上縣裏問問，不行的話就讓紅玲她們先別編了。”
薛技術員急了：“夏隊長，我真不是怕你着急才要買這幾個藍子，是真喜歡。”
夏菊花仍沒把他的話往心裏去，催着他發動拖拉機——今天生産隊給那五十畝玉米澆水，要不剛上過的化肥就浪費了，等明天又得給小麥澆水，早買到柴油大夥就能早省一天的力氣。
知道夏菊花脾氣的薛技術員想着，夏菊花不肯把藍子賣給自己，他回平安莊可以找劉紅玲買，放心的發動拖拉機向縣城開去。
一路上地裏莊稼的情況，看的夏菊花分外揪心：雖然農林局下了通知給各生産隊解決打井材料，因為打不出水來各生産隊得賠材料錢，所以并不是所有生産隊都有勇氣嘗試。
沒井又離河遠的地裏，莊稼長的蔫頭耷腦，玉米葉子旱的打卷，紅薯藤還沒有平安莊的一半長，連地頭的野草都快發黃發蔫，跟平安莊地裏綠油油的莊稼相比仿佛不是同一片土地種出來的。
“一直在平安莊呆着，都覺不出今年天旱，可往出一走，我就覺得今年的收成怕指望不上了。”開着拖拉機的薛技術員，如同夏菊花肚子裏的蛔蟲一樣，向她感嘆着。
夏菊花跟着嘆了一口氣，沒說話。她也沒想到在自己的推動下，平安莊能如此順利的渡過這次天災。可是整個承平地區這麽大地方，只有一個平安莊順利渡過天災，真的是好事兒嗎？
不敢往下想的夏菊花，只盼着老天爺看在農民們這麽掙命，趕緊下一場透雨吧，這樣不光所有的土地都能有點兒收成，平安莊也不會那麽顯眼。
頭一回覺得自己不會說話的薛技術員，跟夏菊花一路沉默的先到了縣供銷社——在公社受到的兩次打擊，讓夏菊花一時沒緩過神來，只想先跟相對熟悉一點兒的林主任打交道，免得被王局長拒絕後，自己會沒心情來縣供銷社。
“夏隊長，你今天咋有空來縣裏了？”林主任一見夏菊花，笑的眼睛都快見不着了：“馬上就到中午了，咱們要不先吃飯吧？”
夏菊花搖頭：“我一會兒還得去農林局一趟，你給我看看這東西咱們供銷社能不能收，要是不能收的話，我們生産隊剩下的葦杆可就白糟蹋了。”
林主任見她态度堅決，也就拿起三個藍子看了起來：“東西是好東西，也費了心思，不過這東西不實用，收也收不了多少，怕是價錢也給不上。”
夏菊花聽了怕給林主任添麻煩，忙說：“要是為難就算了，你別為了這個犯錯誤。”
林主任笑了：“行，要不你等我一會兒，我去問問主任？”
這事兒能不讓林主任做主最好，夏菊花就怕他為了還自己前次找齊衛東幫忙的情，不管不顧的把藍子給收了，到時讓人抓到把柄。
如果問鄭主任就不一樣了，鄭主任跟夏菊花只是合作關系，夏菊花沒有那麽大的心理負擔。
沒一會兒鄭主任竟然跟林主任一起來到辦公室，進門就沖夏菊花親切的笑：“夏隊長，你又給我們供銷社提供新産品了。我看這藍子挺費心思，不知道你們能不能跟葦席一樣大批量生産。對了，要是能改變一下顏色，那就更好了。”
被打擊了一上午的夏菊花有些發愣，聽鄭主任這意思不光想收藍子，還想大批量的收？
她試探的問：“鄭主任，我知道這東西不大實用，要是收了你們不好處理，那就……”
“咋會不好處理呢。”鄭主任笑眯眯：“省裏現在正要找些有地方特色的東西參加博覽會，你們這東西來的正好。”
博覽會？夏菊花沒大聽懂，求助的看向林主任。林主任就給她解釋，國家現在雖然對外交往不多，還是有一些友好國家的，在最南方的一個城市，要舉辦一次博覽會，與這些友好國家進行交流。
可是承平地區所在的省，同樣是一個農業大省，總不能送一些玉米、小麥去參加博覽會，所以給各供銷社都下達了任務，要求他們盡量發掘一些有特色的産品。
本來林主任也接到了任務，可他拿到藍子的時候并沒往博覽會上想，拿給鄭主任的時候，才被提醒這樣帶有當地特色的東西，說不定能要省裏的選拔中嶄露頭角。
“夏隊長，是這樣。”鄭主任鄭重的向夏菊花說：“這三種藍子，每一個定價八角錢，你看行不行？要是行的話，每一種我們供銷社先訂一百個，等地區有消息之後再說？”
夏菊花終于找回自己的舌頭：“行，咋能不行呢。”一張葦席貴的才三塊三毛錢，得用多少葦杆？編一張葦席的葦杆，足夠編上六七個藍子的，咋算都是一筆劃算的買賣。
不過夏菊花有些擔心的問：“鄭主任，你剛才說改顏色，可這葦皮不好上色，要是上油漆的話……”上輩子大家都煩油漆味，裏頭好象有對身體不好的東西。
鄭主任繼續親切的笑，眼睛看向林主任。林主任就說：“夏隊長，其實你們可以試着把破好的葦皮用顏料泡變色後再編，那樣不就能改變顏色了嘛？”
對呀，夏菊花拍了拍自己的腦袋，不好意思的對兩人說：“這段時間光忙着打井種地，我腦子都不好使了。林組長，咱們供銷社有染布的顏色沒？”
這說幹就幹的性格，很讓鄭主任滿意，決定染布的顏色由供銷社提供，過個三五天由林主任去平安莊看染色後的效果。
夏菊花不得不開口把林主任去平安莊的時間往後推了幾天，因為現在天雖然熱了起來，可葦皮要泡幾天才能把顏色浸透，還得試過才知道。
對于她如此謹慎的态度，鄭主任更加滿意，覺得自己跟夏菊花的合作，還真不用操心。心裏滿意了，鄭主任态度更親切了，非得邀請夏菊花中午一起吃飯，再去農林局。
人家領導說話的水平更高：“現在去農林局，估計他們也該下班了，你還得在外頭等着，不如吃了飯之後再去，要不餓着肚子等人的滋味太難受了。”
“那也不用麻煩鄭主任了。”夏菊花還是推辭：“我是坐我們公社農機站拖拉機來的，薛技術員還在外頭等着呢。”
于是最後一起吃飯的就變成了四個人，鄭主任在飯桌上還囑咐夏菊花，平安莊生産隊社員既然有編東西的技術，那就不要只局限于編藍子，要是能在地區選拔之前編出更好的花樣，可以直接送到縣供銷社來。
吃飽了的夏菊花，應的很有底氣，去等王局長也很有耐心。可惜辦事兒光有耐心是不夠的，本來就因為經費被征用怨氣從生的王局長，哪兒肯賣柴油給夏菊花？
他白胖的臉板的平平的，聲音不高不低，語氣不陰不陽的說：“夏隊長，這柴油可不屬于打井材料，我們農林局也沒有多餘的指标給你們生産隊。”
哪怕早知道是這個結果，夏菊花還是很失望：社員們大太陽地底下挑着水桶，往返近一裏地才能澆幾棵莊稼，這個王局長坐在辦公室裏張嘴就把他們的希望給抹殺了，難道他不是吃糧食長大的？
心有不甘的夏菊花，臉上沒有初見時的笑意，直接向王局長說：“對不起王局長，我本來以為咱們農林局是為農民服務的，才大着膽子來試一試。沒想到農林局只為農民服務打井材料，給你添麻煩了。”
說完頭也不回的出門，心裏想着，看你還能蹦跶幾天，等春風吹來的時候，你這樣巴結着造反派的人有好日子過才怪呢。
她走的痛快，王局長卻氣的把水杯都摔了：一個農民，竟然敢諷刺他堂堂局長！他要，他得，他想……
他什麽也做不了。
夏菊花只是一個農村婦女，一個小小的生産隊長，他就算是當着農機局的局長，也不能開除一個農村婦女，難道他能讓她不種地？
縣革委會主任、副主任的态度都在那兒擺着呢，王局長就算想使手段讓夏菊花當不成生産隊長，也得等縣革委會主任副主任先忘了這個農村婦女的存在再說。
哪怕剛出門就聽到摔杯子的聲音，夏菊花也沒回頭：平安莊的水井都打完了，口口出水，這個王局長想給她小鞋穿也找不到借口。她也再沒啥事求到王局長了，還受他的氣？
可是事兒沒辦成就是沒辦成，夏菊花的沮喪明明白白寫在臉上。薛技術員跟她打了這麽長時間的交道，還從來沒見夏菊花這麽沒精神過，他印象裏不管遇到啥事兒，夏菊花都在拼命想辦法解決，而不是一看就要認輸的架勢。
“夏隊長，既然都來縣城了，要不咱們去找找小齊，他在縣裏認識的人多，說不定能想出辦法。”薛技術員看不得夏菊花沒有鬥志的樣子，給她出主意。
找小齊，那還不如找老齊！
夏菊花心想，要不是平安莊社員冬天漏粉漏虧了身子，她能現在心疼大家不舍得讓他們挑水澆地——往年又不是沒澆過。
社員們為啥大冬天一天沒歇的漏粉兒，都是齊小叔找的事兒，現在要補償社員們，齊小叔難道不該出份力嗎？
此時的夏菊花忘了齊小叔是怎麽讓農林局給平安莊出打井材料的——那材料又不是只給平安莊一個生産隊的——只想着既然平安莊給齊小叔解決了難題，齊小叔也該幫平安莊解決困難。
Uncle Qi, who didn't know that Xia Juhua came to see her with the idea of taking it for granted, asked after listening to Xia Juhua's request: "How much diesel do you think your production team needs to ensure that the grain production reaches the normal year's output?"
That's too much, Deputy Director Qi. Don't you know the rainfall situation this year? You still want to achieve the output of a normal year. We should be thankful if we can produce more summer chrysanthemums than we did with seeds.
Fortunately, Xia Juhua had recovered from the anger she had just received from Director Wang, so she was still polite when speaking to Deputy Director Qi:
"It's probably impossible to reach the production volume of a normal year. Even if we irrigate, our eight wells can't irrigate all the more than 500 acres of land. People and livestock still need to eat. The only thing we can do is to get some harvest from the crops. There is no hope for the autumn harvest."
Most of the production teams in Pingde County have almost lost hope for the autumn harvest. Uncle Qi stared at Xia Juhua without saying anything. Xia Juhua thought for a moment and said, "I don't know how much diesel fuel is burned to pump water for a day. I heard from Technician Xue that..."
Uncle Qi asked, "Has Technician Xue arrived?" He remembered that it was him who came to the county with Xia Juhua last time.
Xia Juhua nodded quickly and went out to bring in Technician Xue. Technician Xue did not feel restrained by his leader and answered the question clearly: "There are 537 acres of land in Ping'an Village. It would take at least one and a half tons of diesel to water it once."
Uncle Qi showed his first smile after seeing Technician Xue: "Young man, you have a big appetite. Are you planning to set an ambush for Ping'an Manor?" He was afraid that Xia Juhua would ask for too much, but he didn't expect that the new guy might have an even bigger appetite than Xia Juhua.
Deputy Director Qi, who is in charge of agriculture, knows clearly that a maximum of one kilogram of diesel is used to water one acre of land. To water the more than 500 acres of land in Ping'an Village, half a ton is more than enough. But this guy actually asked for a ton. He must have regarded him as an official who sits in the office and does his job without any knowledge.
Technician Xue smiled and said, "Deputy Director, you also know that Ping An Village is a long place, so there must be losses in the process. I have included all the losses in my calculation."
You calculate the loss by doubling it, how can you be so good at math?
"Captain Xia, as the deputy director, I am not only in charge of Ping'an Village. What if other production teams knew that I approved diesel for you and they all came to ask me for money? Besides, the diesel quotas in various places in the county are very specific. I have to find a way to squeeze it out of others for you."
Uncle Qi began to complain to Xia Juhua. Technician Xue silently rolled his eyes in his heart. It was not until Uncle Qi told Xia Juhua to go to the county agricultural machinery station to get diesel that he spoke up: "Director Qi, we still need water pipes to water the land."
Uncle Qi's hand trembled as he was writing the note. Seeing Xia Juhua showing a pleased smile to Technician Xue, he took some effort to finish writing the note.
When Xia Juhua had nothing to do, she learned a lot of words from Liu Lizhu and managed to catch up with her uncle Long Fei.