Chapter 85
Uncle Qi couldn't continue. He couldn't bring himself to say that Ping'an Village had to reduce its output when he knew that with the diesel, they could get a harvest that was no worse than in previous years.
Xia Juhua didn't understand, but Technician Xue did, and asked carefully, "Director Qi, is there a leader coming to inspect the disaster relief efforts?"
Director Qi looked at Technician Xue deeply and nodded silently.
Xia Juhua looked at Technician Xue in confusion. Seeing that Uncle Qi had no intention of explaining to Xia Juhua, Technician Xue could only speak out his own inference:
"If a leader came to inspect the disaster relief work, the Ping'an Village production team would be too conspicuous. If the county revolutionary committee only took the leaders to inspect the growth of crops in Ping'an Village, the leaders would make a wrong judgment on the grain production of the entire county, and even affect the distribution of relief grain in the entire county."
Uncle Qi slammed the table, heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Comrade Xiao Xue is right. The director has already gone to the district to attend a disaster relief meeting, so I'm worried that he will then promote Ping An Zhuang, which he worked so hard to pilot, to whitewash the situation."
Xia Juhua didn't understand what it meant to whitewash the truth, but she had seen fraud as early as the late 1950s.
"How about we not transport diesel today?" Xia Juhua felt her heart bleeding when she said this.
It would be a shame to throw away the diesel that we got with great difficulty.
"Captain Xia." Technician Xue also felt sorry for them. "Let's take the diesel back and use it after the leader's inspection. Although the crop yield will decrease a little, it can at least help to save some crops."
Having worked with the members of Ping'an Village for half a year, Technician Xue deeply understood how much hardship and suffering everyone had endured, and he was also reluctant to give up the diesel that he had worked so hard to obtain.
Uncle Qi was amused by Technician Xue's words, and the heaviness on his face disappeared without a trace: "Comrade Xue, it's not good for you to teach Captain Xia how to fool the leaders in front of me, right?"
Technician Xue smiled at Uncle Qi without any pressure: "If it were any other leader, I certainly wouldn't dare to do that, but Director Qi is always thinking about the farmers. If I don't tell the truth, I'll be fooling Director Qi."
It was not until they were on their way back to Ping'an Village and saw the crops hanging down again that Xia Juhua asked Technician Xue again: "Technician Xue, when the leaders went to Ping'an Village, did they really not see what the crops on the road looked like?"
Technician Xue couldn't answer this question. He could only pretend that he was concentrating on driving the tractor and didn't hear it, and safely delivered Xia Juhua and the diesel back to Ping'an Village.
Wu Ye and Chen Qiu Sheng knew what Xia Juhua had done in the commune and the county town, but they did not expect her to come back so late. When they finally saw her, they noticed that Xia Juhua did not look well, and they became worried.
Master Wu thought that Xia Juhua was disappointed because she couldn't buy diesel, and he advised her with some concern: "It's okay. Even if there is no diesel, our old farmers have plenty of energy. If we get up earlier and go to bed later, we can water the fields."
The production team suddenly had eight more wells, and each well produced a large amount of water, which was something that we had never dared to think about before. With a well, there is water, and with water, the land can be irrigated. In 1942, when we wanted to irrigate the land, the river dried up, but the people of Pingan Village survived.
Chen Qiu Sheng had already seen several oil cans in the tractor, so he was more puzzled than Wu Ye. He looked at Technician Xue in confusion, trying to see from his face why Xia Juhua was unhappy.
Unfortunately, Technician Xue's expression was not much better than Xia Juhua's, which made Chen Qiu Sheng regret not going to the county town with Xia Juhua.
"Qiu Sheng, ask someone to unload the oil to the production team first. After unloading, come to Fifth Master's house and we will discuss something." Xia Juhua felt that she still had to persuade Fifth Master first, so she asked Chen Qiu Sheng to arrange people to unload the diesel.
The rumbling tractor drove towards the production team. Master Wu asked in even greater confusion: "Didn't we buy the diesel? Why aren't you happy?"
Seeing people coming and going on the street constantly greeting her, Xia Juhua did not immediately answer Fifth Master's words, but first told Liu Hongling who came to ask for information: "Your Lanzi County Supply and Marketing Cooperative can accept it. Come to my house in the evening and I will talk to you in detail."
When Liu Hongling saw Xia Juhua and the Fifth Master walking together, she was very tactful and didn't ask any questions. She just smiled sweetly at Xia Juhua and walked away with Hongcui and Xiaoman who had come with them.
"They are all good children who are willing to endure hardships." The fifth master sighed as he watched the girls run away lively. The worry in his heart about Xia Juhua's face also disappeared for the most part.
Seeing that they were not far from Master Wu's yard and there were no one around, Xia Juhua said, "I'm afraid that not only will they have to suffer for a while, but our members will also have to suffer for a few days."
"What's there to be afraid of about suffering? Being able to eat enough is better than anything else." Fifth Master waved his hand indifferently, thinking that Xia Juhua was making a fuss out of nothing.
Look, these are the farmers. Their demands are always so humble.
Xia Juhua looked at the old face of the Fifth Master and told the truth: "But I don't want everyone to suffer so much."
The Fifth Master sighed, "Everyone knows that it's good to take a rest, but if you really take a rest, you'll become useless. What's the point of counting your fingers every day like me? Look at you, you're more tired than anyone else every day, but seeing that everyone has food and drink in such a dry day, aren't you happy in your heart?"
Seeing that Xia Juhua was silent, the Fifth Master smiled and said, "Not only are you happy, but everyone in the production team is happy too. This is worth it. People in Ping'an Village have to suffer a little, but farmers in the whole county can get more relief food. Even if they don't know that it was our contribution, don't you feel comfortable?"
Xia Juhua replied silently in her heart, feeling that she was persuaded by the Fifth Master. After all, the members of Pingan Village only had to carry water for a few days before the leader's inspection, and endured a little hardship. After the leader's inspection, Pingan Village could still use diesel to pump water for irrigation. In fact, it was much better than other production teams that had no water to carry when they wanted to irrigate the land.
Just like what Fifth Master said before, it would not be a bad thing for Ping'an Village if other production teams could get more relief rations so that they wouldn't have to envy Ping'an Village's good harvests.
Xia Juhua, who had figured it out, gave Fifth Master a shy smile and said, "Fifth Master, I understand. When Qiu Sheng comes later, you can tell him. I'll go back and talk to Hong Ling and the others about the basket weaving."
Master Wu didn't know about Hong Ling's story of making up a beautiful blue cloth. After hearing what Xia Juhua said, his face lit up with joy: "Well, these girls have learned to read from Li Zhu in vain. I think they are much better than those brats. Go quickly and don't keep them waiting anxiously."
Hongling and the others were sensible, waiting in the yard to tease Lele, who was old enough to be carried out of the house, without any anxious expression on their faces. When they saw Xia Juhua coming back, they smiled and told her how Lele had just smiled at them, or how seriously she sucked her little fingers, as if they came here just to amuse Lele.
Xia Juhua figured it out and was in a good mood, chatting with the girls about all sorts of things, but she didn't take the initiative to talk about the result of going to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Hong Cui is two years younger after all. After telling Lele's funny story, she looked at Xia Juhua's face again and again, as if she wanted to ask something but didn't dare to. She was so adorable.
A few girls helped to hold the baby while Wang Caifeng put the rice in the pot. When she came out and saw her mother-in-law teasing a few people, she couldn't help laughing: "Mom, give Lele to me. Hongling and the others may have something to ask you. They have been waiting for you for a long time."
Xia Juhua then handed Lele to Wang Caifeng and said to Hongling and the others, "Go and call your mother, your Aunt Xianzhi, and Sister Cuiping. We have to wait until they get here before we discuss this matter."
When they heard that they were going to find their own mother, Hong Ling and the others did not get impatient because of the runway. Instead, they happily agreed and walked out of the courtyard quickly. Wang Caifeng looked at their backs and said with some envy: "Life at your mother's house is really good."
Xia Juhua held out her hand to Lele for her to play with, and said to Wang Caifeng, "That's right. When you get married in two years, you won't be so relaxed anymore."
Wang Caifeng disagreed again: "That depends on what kind of family they marry into. For example, my family is no worse than when I was at my parents' home. The food and clothing are better than when I was at my parents' home."
This flattery was not very technical, Xia Juhua just pretended not to hear it. Wang Caifeng had something else to say: "Mom, what do you think about me learning to weave baskets from Hongling? Mom, you are busy at home and outside now, I definitely can't go to work in the fields for a while. Baoguo doesn't need anyone to follow him now, and Lele can't crawl yet, so there's no need to worry. I can learn to weave baskets without affecting my work at home."
Just forget it. Xia Juhua glanced at her daughter-in-law and couldn't help but think of her previous life when she had only one child and kept the adults busy. Now Wang Caifeng actually felt that it was too idle for her to take care of two children alone?
It is true that the environment shapes people.
"Is there not enough housework?" Xia Juhua reminded Wang Caifeng, "Baoguo is about to get too old to stay at home, and Lele has to be held immediately when he starts crying. You also have to find time to cook three meals, which is busy enough. Besides, the bamboo strips look soft, but they can cut people quickly. What if they cut the child?"
Wang Caifeng said somewhat disappointedly: "But mother, you, Zhiquan and Zhishuang earn work points every day, and I'm the only one eating idle meals at home. I feel very unhappy." What if her mother-in-law dislikes her for this? There are many such examples in her mother's production team. Her mother even instructed her before she left.
"Why are you not working hard? Besides, how can you think you are idle? The two children are not yours alone. They are so small that they need someone to look after them at home. These are your children, Zhiquan and you. If you don't look after them, you have to stay at home to look after them, or you have to carry the children to work. Then you will see whether he can still earn ten work points a day or not."
“再說，家裏的活兒你幹了多少，我們仨才幹了多少，沒你在家把飯做熟了，我們不吃飯有力氣去掙工分，還是自己在外頭累個半死，還得自己回家做飯？”
“所以你不是吃閑飯的，相反要沒有你這家才亂套呢。你記着，你在家裏幹的活兒，一點兒也不比我們上地掙工分差就行了。”夏菊花見王彩鳳愣愣看着自己，最後有些惡狠狠的對她說。
上輩子她見多了男人因為掙工分多，就嫌棄在家操持家的媳婦吃閑飯、動不動就沖媳婦揚拳頭，現在平安莊這種事兒幾乎絕跡，可夏菊花想起來還是一肚子氣。
“哎呀隊長，你這話就應該在開大會的時候，跟那些男人都說說。”趙仙枝站在院門口，顯然已經來了一會兒，并且把夏菊花剛說的話都聽見了。
去找趙仙枝的陳小滿，看夏菊花的眼神裏都是崇拜，她覺得只有隊長這樣比男人還能幹的女人，才敢說的這麽理直氣壯——多少年來大家都認為家裏的活就該是女的幹，她們明明每天比男人累，還常被罵吃閑飯的。
可隊長說家裏的活不是女人一個人的，就連孩子也應該是兩個人一起看！
彩鳳嫂子也太有福氣了，有這麽一個通情達理的婆婆，還這麽能幹。自己要是有隊長一半，不，一少半也行，就再也不擔心以後的生活了。
陳小滿是這麽想的，趙仙枝則直接說出口了：“你這樣的婆婆可是打着燈籠都找不着，誰嫁進你們家都是上輩子燒高香了。”
王彩鳳一直沒說話，可她的眼神也一直跟着夏菊花，生怕婆婆一會就從自己眼前消失了一樣。懷裏的樂樂被抱緊了不舒服，唔唔兩聲撇嘴要哭，才把王彩鳳給驚醒了：“娘，樂樂好象鬧覺了，你們說話吧，我哄她睡覺去了。”說着快步走回東廂房，在進屋後才敢把眼角的淚擦掉。
趙仙枝看着王彩鳳匆忙進屋的背影沖夏菊花說：“她咋這麽好命呢。”
夏菊花沒好氣的給她一句：“我找你有正事兒呢，你光說彩鳳幹啥。”
當然是正事兒重要，等人都來齊了，夏菊花就告訴大家供銷社訂了三百個藍子，每個給八毛錢的事兒。不過也說了，供銷社希望能讓葦皮變成別的顏色，染布的顏色能不能同樣染葦皮，還得試過才知道。
李大丫是見過兩閨女編藍子的，聽說那不到半尺的小藍子竟能賣到八毛錢，先感嘆了一句：“供銷社可真有錢。”那藍子又不能盛東西又不能吃，竟然花八毛錢買，有錢沒處花了吧？
張翠萍關注的是：“紅玲，那藍子好學嗎，多長時間能編一個？”要是好幾天才能編一個出來，記工分的話就不劃算了。
紅玲笑着說：“我們都是剛開始編，不順手，那個葫蘆形狀的一天也能編一個，紅翠和小滿她們那兩個簡單，半天就能編出來。”
劃算！
趙仙枝按捺不住，接着紅玲讓她快點兒教給大家編藍子，被夏菊花給制止了：“不管咋編，都得先把葦皮給破出來，然後再試試幾天能染好色，幾天能晾幹，泡過的葦皮脆的話還得想法子。”
李大丫開口了：“就算是泡過的脆了，咱們也能趁着沒幹透的時候就編，等編好了再晾幹就行了。”
也是個法子。幾個人湊到一起商量了好半天，最後讓人發愁的是場地問題：就算今年雨水少，可來年呢，冬天呢？還有太陽一天比一天毒，坐在大太陽地底下編藍子，用不了多長時間就把人曬幹了。
“不行咱們跟冬天一樣，編點兒葦簾子，找幾根木頭撐着頂起來，跟屋頂一樣不就不怕曬了。”趙仙枝很心疼原來的葦牆，冬天場院再需要的話還得重編。
可是張翠萍不同意：“那得用多少葦杆，能編多少藍子呀。”現在的葦杆都能染成別的顏色，就算本身發黃點兒也沒關系，她可舍不得用來編葦簾子——跟把錢鋪在頭頂有啥區別！
李大丫難得打趣地說：“秋生是咱們生産隊的會計，把媳婦都教的這麽會算帳啦。”
大家笑過之後，又想到了一個法子，那就是可以用玉米稭和高粱稭代替葦杆編成簾子，效果應該同樣好。
不過夏菊花想的就多了點：“這麽四處露風的，冬天在裏頭編席太冷了。等過段時間男人們閑下來，讓他們多脫點兒土坯，把場院結結實實壘圈牆出來，最好跟蓋房子似的留出門和窗戶，大家冬天能少糟點兒罪。”
沒人覺得夏菊花說的不現實——經過一冬天的集體勞動，婦女們都愛上了大家湊到一起編席時，你看看我、我比比你的感覺，又能一起說說東家長西家短的話，比在家裏自己編席的憋悶強太多了。
所以從頭到尾，都沒有一個人提出大家可以把葦杆帶回家裏編藍子的話。她們是一個集體，當然要一起完成任務。
要一起完成任務的婦女們，心更齊了，把自己家裏沒燒的玉米稭、高粱稭送到生産隊的時候，一點兒都不心疼。生産隊也沒白要大家的稭杆，每一家都分了一斤麥麸裏篩出的白面做為補償，讓本來有些微詞的男人們老實閉了嘴。
他們早就發現了，隊長自己是女的，所以心裏偏向女的，還偏的十分不怕人發現，他們有啥辦法？
沒辦法的男人們，天天還在重複着挑水澆地的活計：天旱太陽大，三天不澆水地裏就張嘴了，總不能看着辛辛苦苦種下去的莊稼，都耷拉腦袋不是。
莊稼，可是農民的命呀。
就在平安莊的社員們為了莊稼掙命的時候，兩輛鄉下很少見的吉普車，悄悄停在了村西頭，頭一輛車剛開始減速，後頭的車已經停下，後車門迅速從裏頭打開，夏菊花如果在旁邊的話，就能認出開門下車的，正是她在齊小叔辦公室見過一次的縣革委會主任。
另一邊的車門也打開了，下來的是齊小叔。他眼看着主任快跑兩步，等頭車停穩就帶着笑把副駕駛的車門打開，微笑着沖裏頭的人說：“張主任，平安莊生産隊到了。”
齊小叔清楚，此張主任不是紅星公社的張主任——今天紅星公社根本沒得到通知，那個張主任不知道地區革委會主任來視察的事兒。直到張主任慢慢邁下車，齊小叔正好走到了跟前，即沒搶了縣主任的風頭，也沒怠慢了區主任。
“這個生産隊的莊稼，長的還不錯嘛。”張主任如同一路上都閉着眼睛一樣，眼裏只看到了平安莊一半挺硬一半打蔫的莊稼。
縣主任剛想點頭，齊小叔已經不懂事兒的接話了：“他們生産隊的社員聽招呼肯吃苦，哪怕天再旱也每天挑水澆地抗災，別的生産隊就沒有他們這個便利條件了。”
“他們生産隊有啥便利條件嗎？”區主任不管誰接了自己的話，都被引起了興趣。
齊小叔這才察覺自己搶了縣主任的話，帶着求原諒的目光看向縣主任，沒馬上回答區主任的問題，想把風頭繼續留給縣主任。
縣主任心裏把齊小叔罵了兩句，才不得不向區主任笑着說：“齊副主任是我們縣主抓農業生産的，對基層的情況了解的很全面。”
聽他這麽說，齊小叔才接着向區主任介紹情況：“平安莊生産隊近湙河，每到冬閑的時候就按照縣裏統一安排大修水利，水渠灌溉面積比別的生産隊多一成。今年旱情剛發生的時候，他們生産隊隊長又帶着社員自力更生打井抗旱，據我了解的情況，他們一共打出了七口澆地用井，一口人畜用井。”
“主任您看，”齊小叔指着地裏不停穿梭的社員說：“自從井裏出水後，平安莊的社員就每天挑水澆地，所以我說他們生産隊的條件比別的生産隊便利。”
“原來是這樣。”區主任若有所思的點了點頭說：“我昨天聽你們趙副主任彙報說，縣農林局不是給各生産隊都調配了打井物資嗎，怎麽只有平安莊生産隊能打出井水來？”
所謂的趙副主任，同樣是縣革委會副主任，與齊小叔這個實幹派不同，人家是靠造/反當上縣革委會副主任的，和另外幾個同樣手段走上崗位的人一起，恨不得把縣主任給架空了。
他們的确把縣主任架空過一段時間，不過工作能力跟造/反水平并不成正比，各項工作都落後的平德縣，同樣不是上級願意看到的，那幾個人才不得不慢慢把權利重新讓渡到縣主任等人手裏。
可讓渡後又不甘心，小動作一直不斷，就比如區主任昨天才到平德縣，趙副主任昨天已經向區主任做過彙報了。啥時候在哪兒彙報的，縣主任和齊小叔一無所知。
This caused the two people's eyes to collide quickly, and the county director spoke with some helplessness: "The female captain of the Ping'an Village production team is much more careful than the male captain. She usually pays close attention to the growth of crops..."
After hearing this, the district director remained calm: "That's why they say women hold up half the sky. The old man's words are all true. By the way, who is the leader of the Ping An Village production team?"