Chapter 86

The county director and Uncle Qi tried hard to distinguish Xia Juhua from the group of people carrying water, but unfortunately they couldn't find her. They had to say to the district director: "Maybe she has been assigned other work in the production team. Director, why don't we go to the production team first and listen to Captain Xia's report?"

The district director's face showed little expression, and his voice was calm: "We have all arrived at the field. Let's go and say hello to the members who are working so hard to fight the drought."

Even though the district director did not show any unhappy expression on his face, Uncle Qi and the county director knew that the district director was dissatisfied with Xia Juhua.

Regardless of whether the leaders themselves sit in the office and listen to reports every day, they don’t want to see a small production team leader who does not work with the members but hides in the production team to "arrange" other work.

Uncle Lian Qi also felt a little resentful towards Xia Juhua in his heart. She was obviously a hardworking person, but she was discovered by the district director when she hadn't worked in the fields for a day. How could she have such bad luck?

In this way, no matter how much or how well Xia Juhua had done in the past, it would be discounted in the eyes of the district director. Uncle Qi was not afraid of anything else, but he was afraid that the county director would try to figure out the intentions of his superiors. If he wanted to do something biased towards the Ping'an Village production team in the future, he would block it. Since he was sidelined by a few people once, the county director had learned to keep his "position correct".

"Hey, comrade, aren't you tired of watering the fields every day?" The district director walked for a while before stopping a member who was carrying water and asked him if he was tired.

This member wore a straw hat with scattered flowers on the top, a white shirt and black trousers. He was not tall, and from his back one could only see the two buckets he was carrying, which were full of water. After he was carried down, he first transferred the shoulder of the bucket to the other, and the water in the buckets swayed gently between the two buckets, but did not spill out at all.

After the shoulder was changed, the member said impatiently: "If we don't water the fields, the crops will be planted in vain. What will we eat? We have to water the fields even if we are tired, in order to have something to eat in the fall."

Although the member's tone was unpleasant, Uncle Qi was delighted when he heard it and called out tentatively, "Captain Xia?" You are dressed too much like a man, and you are wearing a straw hat that is even more tattered than a man's. No wonder I didn't recognize you just now.

The member then pushed up his straw hat, revealing half of his face, which was red from the heat or tiredness. It was none other than Xia Juhua.

When she spoke just now, the district and county directors both recognized that it was a female comrade who was speaking. When they heard Uncle Qi call her Captain Xia, they understood Xia Juhua's identity even more clearly. The district director, who had just thought that Xia Juhua's tone was bad, smiled for the first time after getting off the car: "Captain Xia, you and the members have worked hard to fight the drought."

Xia Juhua pushed aside the straw hat that blocked her eyes and saw the person in front of her clearly. She quickly put the bucket on the ground, and casually placed the shoulder pole on top of the bucket. She smiled at the person who was speaking and said, "Hello, leader. I may say something unpleasant, but please don't take it seriously. The farmers rely on these crops. We have to work as hard as we can for the harvest. It doesn't matter whether it's hard work or not."

The district director had already extended his hand to Xia Juhua, his eyes constantly looking at her: her white cloth shirt had turned yellow, and it was unknown how many years she had worn it. The black trousers on her legs were inevitably rubbed with dirt from carrying water back and forth. She was doing the same work as the male members, so it was no wonder that she could not be distinguished from a distance.

However, Xia Juhua's eyes were clear and calm even when facing herself, the district director, and she did not look as panicky as the words she said.

What was Deputy Director Zhao thinking that he actually reported to him that this female production team leader, whose gender was almost ignored, had a special relationship with the county director and Deputy Director Qi?

If all production team leaders were as capable as the female one in front of him, the district director would wish that the county director and deputy director Qi would have a special relationship with them!

Xia Juhua had already quickly shaken hands with the district director, and was now greeting the county director and Uncle Qi: "Director, Deputy Director Qi, are you here to check on our production team's well digging? Please rest assured, our Ping'an Village production team has always been honest in their work and would never cheat. Just look at how everyone is carrying water, and you'll know that every well has water."

The district director did not hear Deputy Director Zhao's report on the well digging yesterday, and Uncle Qi just talked about it in general terms. Now of course he wants to get to the bottom of it. After hearing the county's arrangements, the district director, who has some understanding of the situation in Pingde County, said to the county director in a heavy tone:

"Your county's drought relief work was arranged in a timely manner and the measures were very effective, which is good. But the well-drilling situation is not ideal. The situation of other production teams is not as optimistic as that of Ping'an Village, right?"

The county director and Uncle Qi had the same heavy expression on their faces: "Yes, Director, you have seen along the way that the production teams later dared not dig wells. Originally, the production teams close to the river could still carry some water to irrigate the land, but now the water from the Xihe River is no longer allowed to be used for irrigation. We must first ensure that people and animals have drinking water."

The district director nodded, turned around and asked Xia Juhua: "Captain Xia, how is everyone's food in your production team now?"

Xia Juhua pointed to the members who were pulling sweet potato seedlings in the field, with a hint of pride on her face and a hint of joy in her voice: "Director, look, it's time to pick the tips of the sweet potato leaves now. I'll let everyone mix them with wheat bran to make porridge, and add some regular food. There are no households in Ping'an Village that are short of food now."

In Pingan Village, where the crops were growing better than those of other production teams, the production team leader was proud that no household had run out of food. Everyone felt bad after hearing this. The district director asked, "Does your production team have enough bran? Have other production teams already run out of food?"

Xia Juhua knew everything: "Before the New Year, our production team, led by the team leader, bought some wheat bran because the grain station had surplus grain and we were afraid that we would have nothing to feed the pigs this year. But now who cares about the pigs? Our production team members collectively decided to distribute the wheat bran to the members first. I don't know about the situation of other production teams because I have been watering the fields all the time." Later, the pride in Xia Juhua's voice disappeared, and it was so low that people had to listen sideways to hear it.

The district director knew it as soon as he heard it, but he dared not say it. The district director's expression became even more serious. The county director and Uncle Qi both knew that the order to collect the surplus grain was issued by the district, and the surplus grain collected was not in the district's grain warehouse.

The district director's eyes never left the busy people in the distance. He saw that the people carrying water did not all go to the same well, but went to different wells in an orderly manner to carry water, so there was no queue at one well. The members who were pulling sweet potato vines all carried baskets on their backs and carefully put the sweet potato leaves they picked into the baskets.

Xia Juhua thought that the district director had seen enough, so she glanced at the county director and asked carefully, "Director, the sun is too strong, why don't you go to the production team and take a rest for a while?"

The district director gladly accepted such a sincere invitation. Xia Juhua called Chen Qiusheng over, briefly introduced him to the leaders, and then asked Chen Qiusheng to continue organizing the watering. She led the leaders across the ridge and ditch to the village entrance.

The fifth master was sitting on an abandoned millstone under an old locust tree, his face facing the direction of the farming field. When he saw Xia Juhua coming with some people who were obviously dressed differently from farmers, he sat up from the millstone and smiled cautiously at the newcomers.

The leaders were all kind people, and were especially tolerant of an elderly man who was obviously unable to work: "Old man, why don't you rest here? The sun is so strong, why don't you stay at home?"

"Oh, I'm worried." Fifth Master frowned, "It's too dry. If we rely on people to carry water to irrigate the fields, I'm afraid they won't be able to do it. It's more reassuring to have them watching from here." Then he asked Xia Juhua, "How many acres of land have you irrigated today?"

Seeing that the leader had no intention of speaking, Xia Juhua answered Fifth Master herself: "Today I watered the wheat fields and have watered nearly thirty acres. Fifth Master, you should go home before the fields get damaged by the sun."

The district director asked, "Old man, are you here every day to watch them water the fields? How many people in your family work?"

The fifth master nodded and said, "I can't rest assured if I don't see him. All the children in the family have gone their separate ways, and I'm the only one left."

The district director's face turned serious and he asked Xia Juhua, "How do you ensure the elderly's livelihood?"

Xia Juhua said hurriedly: "Although the Fifth Master and his sons have separated their family, every family is filial and takes turns to cook for the Fifth Master every day. However, the eldest grandson's family takes care of him more than the others."

The district director was still worried: "Are there many elderly people like this in your production team? Are they all taken care of?"

Xia Juhua nodded and shook her head: "Fifth Master wants to live in peace and quiet and doesn't want to live with his son. But Uncle Dong and Seventh Grandma are both widows and have basically lost their ability to work. Every year, the production team gives them food according to the minimum standard. There are also four families with patients. There are few people who earn work points but many children. The heavier burden is debt. But I believe they will not owe work points to the production team this year."

Are you so confident? The district director looked at Xia Juhua with some disbelief, and she introduced how she organized women to weave mats in the winter, and how women from families who didn't earn much work points could also weave mats. The district director nodded repeatedly, "Captain Xia, your production team not only pays close attention to agricultural production, but also does a good job in this sideline production."

He shook hands with Master Wu, and they walked towards the production team. To enter the village, they had to pass the cowshed, where several old cows were lying in the shade, lazily wagging their tails.

The district director asked, "It takes so much effort for the members to carry water, why don't they let cows pull water?"

Xia Juhua followed the leader to the cowshed, explaining that the crops had already grown, and it would be inconvenient to turn the oxcart around in the fields, and she was also afraid that the cows would run around and ruin the crops.

正說的起勁，一道影子向着幾個人沖了過來，靠近後往地上一跪，抱着區主任的大腿就不撒開，嘴裏嚎着：“領導呀，青天大老爺，你可得給我們一家子做主，夏菊花是要逼死我們一家子。我們已經連續吃了半個月麥麸煮紅薯葉子啦，這要吃死人呀。”

聲音夏菊花很熟悉，舉動夏菊花也見識過。可以說認識孫桂芝這麽長時間，她今天的舉動是夏菊花最能接受的一次：向領導告狀好呀，說他們一家子半個月只吃紅薯葉子和麥麸更好。

心裏再滿意，夏菊花臉上是十足的惴惴不安：“孫桂芝，你這是幹啥呢，快點兒起來，別把領導的衣裳蹭髒了。”說着自己伸手去拉孫桂芝。

聽說自己可能蹭髒領導的衣裳，孫桂芝心裏也很不安。可是不想繼續喝紅薯葉子煮麥麸粥的念頭占了上風，她死死抱着區主任的大腿就是不撒開。

區主任應該沒受過這麽熱烈的“歡迎”，臉上跟五爺說話時的笑容不見了，低頭向孫桂芝說：“這位社員同志，你有什麽委屈先起來再說，你這樣攔着我，咱們也沒法解決問題不是。”聲音倒是還很和善。

被這和善的聲音鼓舞着，孫桂芝真的松開了區主任的大腿，站起來拍了拍自己屁股上頭的土。縣主任的齊小叔都焦急的看着夏菊花，想不明白平安莊生産隊竟然還有對夏菊花這麽不滿的人。

夏菊花一臉無辜的看着孫桂芝，等她拍完了才說：“孫桂芝同志……”

“你先不要說話，讓這位社員同志說。”區主任很威嚴的沖夏菊花擺了擺手，想先聽聽孫桂芝嘴裏的夏菊花，跟齊小叔說的夏菊花有什麽不同。

可算是有人要聽自己的委屈了，孫桂芝一肚子話噴薄而出，從自己一家子咋被紅小隊抓起來，回到平安莊後紅薯咋爛的沒人幫着他們漏成粉條，再到全村人現在都有糧食摻進紅薯葉麥麸粥裏，只有他們一家子光喝紅薯葉子麥麸粥，把苦水倒的一幹二淨。

“也就是說，你丈夫打傷了人還帶着你們一家子跑了，你們自己把錢交給你娘家哥哥又被紅小隊沒收了？”領導就是領導，哪怕孫桂芝說話前後順序混亂，為了增強說服力不時掉兩滴眼淚導致話語不清，區主任愣是聽明白了前因後果：

“然後紅小隊讓你們進學習班學習，開春回生産隊接受勞動監督，生産隊象對其他社員一樣，按人頭分給你們家麥麸，你們也同樣可以從地裏掐紅薯葉子煮粥，是不是？”

問到最後，區主任的聲音再次威嚴起來，大熱的天把孫桂芝吓了一哆嗦：明明區主任是按着她說的又重複一遍，咋她聽起來象是自己不大占理的樣子？

明明應該是領導聽了自己的哭訴，馬上嚴厲的批評夏菊花，是好讓她幹不成生産隊長，至不濟也得讓夏菊花開了生産隊的糧倉，讓自己背些糧食回家才對。

惶恐不安的孫桂芝吱吱唔唔說不全話，夏菊花抱歉的向領導解釋：“主任，都怪我工作做的不好，沒有安排人對孫桂芝的勞動情況進行監督。可是剛才地裏的情況你也看到了，大家都在忙着澆地抗旱，實在抽不出人來監督她。再說牛圈裏就幾頭啞巴牲口，我就想着……”

區主任嚴肅的向夏菊花說：“既然紅小隊把監督勞動的工作交給了你們生産隊，你們就應該做好。既然她沒有人監督不好好勞動改造，那就讓她跟着去挑水澆地——那麽多社員同志都在，我還不信監督不了一個壞分子。”

孫桂芝傻眼了，她是想告夏菊花讓她被批評，最好當不成生産隊長，這個領導現在咋要讓自己去挑水澆地呢？

跟挑水澆地相比，打掃打掃牛棚喂喂牛，除了味道差了點兒，輕省多了好不好。

“領導呀，你可不能被夏菊花騙了，她就是看不得我們一家子好，報複我們家呀。”孫桂芝又想低頭抱區主任的大腿，不過同樣的招數被區主任躲開了，沒有得逞，夏菊花則擋在了區主任的前頭，防止孫桂芝接着去抱領導的大腿。

見區主任沒被自己的話打動，孫桂芝幹脆從夏菊花當年咋從老院分家單過說起，直到說出她兒子娶了自己的娘家侄女卻又跟孫紅梅離婚，把孫紅梅一輩子都給害了：“這樣的害人精，就見不得人家好，咋配當生産隊長。”

所有人都同情的看着夏菊花，難怪這位女生産隊長幹活這麽拼命，如果她沒有點韌勁的話，平安莊現在有抗旱，能進行的這麽順利嗎？

沒錯，在三位領導的心裏，平安莊的抗旱是順利的，他們來的路上并沒有全程閉眼，都看到了一路上莊稼的長勢，再看平安莊地裏莊稼的樣子，心裏不是沒比較的。

有了比較，再看看眼前不停訴說夏菊花不是的孫桂芝，就格外讓人生厭。區主任大聲對夏菊花說：“夏隊長，對于這樣的壞分子，你們生産隊要是沒有能力監督的話，就繼續交給紅小隊吧。”

已經傻眼了的孫桂芝，聽到紅小隊三個字，面如土灰的坐在地上起不來了，看向夏菊花的目光裏露出哀求。

夏菊花看了一眼狼狽的孫桂芝，有些為難的說：“主任，紅小隊辦學習班，不讓帶麥麸……”所以不是我不想送，我是心疼生産隊的糧食。

縣主任聽了說：“那就送到縣紅小隊去，讓縣紅小隊給她安排勞動加以監督，掙出自己一天吃的糧食來。”

孫桂芝吓的叫了起來：“嫂子，我再也不敢告你的狀了，我不去紅小隊，哪兒的學習班也不去。”

剛才孫桂芝的哭叫聲音太大，已經把留在生産隊的婦女們都招了過來，不過是看着領導們都在，才沒人上前怼她。現在聽她還有臉求夏菊花，趙仙枝沖着她就吐了口唾沫：“不要臉的玩意，要不是隊長年前買了麥麸，你們一家子現在早餓死了，還有臉告隊長的狀。”

張翠萍連忙拉住要上前給孫桂芝兩下子的趙仙枝，沖着看過來的領導笑了一下。別人也有跟着罵孫桂芝的，也有勸人別罵免得給夏菊花添麻煩的，總之沒有一句是同情孫桂芝的。

誰是誰非根本不用再問，區主任嚴肅的向縣主任說：“夏菊花同志要組織農業生産，不能讓她分心。這件事交給你們平德縣處理。”

縣主任剛要點頭，那頭趙仙枝不甘的嚷了一句：“孫桂芝他男人也不是啥好東西，今天她敢告狀，說不定就是兩口子商量好的。要是只帶走孫桂芝，她男人在生産隊搞破壞咋辦？”

這種可能不能說沒有，卻微乎其微。夏菊花不由看了趙仙枝一眼，趙仙枝憤憤不平的說：“隊長你拿人家當一家人，可人家天天在背後給你捅刀子，這都是第幾回了。咱們生産隊事事都指望着你帶頭呢，可為他們一家子你，分了多少心。”

明白了，全聽明白了。區主任又看縣主任一眼，雖然沒說話縣主任也領會了精神，沖着他微微點了點頭。領導們就不再看坐在地上的孫桂芝，叫夏菊花繼續帶着自己參觀平安莊。

“夏隊長，”區主任為自己最初要聽孫桂芝說話有點兒內疚，重新和藹的問夏菊花：“你們生産隊的婦女同志們都不下地抗旱嗎？”

夏菊花就向他解釋，并不是婦女們逃避勞動，而是她們現在要完成縣供銷社編藍子的任務，這任務關系到區供銷社參加博覽會。

“我也不知道博覽會是幹啥的，不過縣供銷社這麽相信我們生産隊，婦女同志們哪怕少記點兒工分，也願意完成這項光榮的任務。”

為啥說勞動人民可愛，就因為他們太樸實了，哪怕犧牲了自己的利益，也把集體榮譽放在第一位。區主任十分感動的要跟過來圍觀的婦女們握手，剛才還大喊大叫的趙仙枝臉都紅了，不知道自己該咋辦好。

夏菊花只好說：“大家都沒咋出過門，不知道城裏的禮數。”

和藹的領導把想握手的手舉高，向婦女們揮動兩下說：“同志們辛苦了。”

可以平安莊的婦女見識太少，一個個紅着臉只會說不辛苦——編藍子跟編席一樣會有現錢拿，還能坐在棚子底下不被太陽曬，比起澆地來真的不算辛苦。

不知道婦女們心裏咋想的區主任，對這樣發自內心的回答分外滿意，沖着縣主任說：“既然平安莊的社員同志們為了集體利益做出犧牲，平德縣和縣供銷社，可以考慮适當的給一些補貼嘛。”

不很了解情況的縣主任頻頻點頭，了解大部分情況的齊小叔選擇沉默。

Xia Juhua herself chose to remain silent. We have been working so hard to carry water these days, isn't it because the leader is coming to inspect? Otherwise, once the tractor is running and the water pipes are connected, we can just send a few people to watch. We have worked so hard, the leader should give us some subsidies.

Li Changshun, who just got the news, limped over and heard the leader say that they would give subsidies to the women in Pingan Village. He hurriedly said, "Captain Xia doesn't have much time to weave the baskets herself, otherwise she would weave faster and better than others."

Xia Juhua looked at Li Changshun in disbelief, unable to believe that these words came out of his mouth. The surprised expression was too obvious for the district director to fail to see. After asking about Li Changshun's identity, he smiled and asked, "Comrade Captain, it seems that you are standing up for Captain Xia."