Chapter 87
Li Changshun did not feel embarrassed about being exposed. Instead, he nodded in agreement and said, "Leader, you don't know that the wells in our brigade were only dug after Comrade Xia Juhua's guidance. At that time, she was busy with the affairs of Ping'an Village and had to help other production teams. If our brigade was prosperous, I would like to give her some subsidies."
The county director smiled and said, "Captain Li is right. As far as I know, the location of the well of the Xiajiazhuang production team was also determined by Comrade Xia Juhua."
"No, no," Xia Juhua waved her hands anxiously, "That's because I'm more familiar with the situations of these two production teams. Otherwise, how would a rural woman like me know where to dig wells?" She didn't want people to think that she really knew how to find directions. What if the leader asked her to dig wells everywhere?
Li Changshun also regretted what he had said. He looked at Xia Juhua with guilt and said to the district director and others, "It was all because I didn't make my words clear. I apologize to the leaders."
Fortunately, the leaders noticed Xia Juhua's embarrassed expression and did not mention the matter of her looking at the location of the well. Instead, they went to the pigpen of Ping'an Village together and found an old lady sitting in the shade and taking a nap, and another member was pouring food into the pig trough.
"Sun, is this how you accept supervised labor?" Li Changshun angrily yelled at the dozing Sun.
Sun was startled by the yelling, and she rubbed her eyes to see the people standing in front of her clearly. Only Xia Juhua and Li Changshun were people she knew, so she stood up quickly. I have to admit that even if she went to Liu Erzhuang's house from time to time to eat, Sun still looked very old after the class, and her situation didn't seem much better than that of the fifth master.
Without waiting for the district director to ask, Li Changshun whispered about the relationship between Sun and Sun Guizhi, and mentioned that Sun was also receiving supervised labor. Seeing that the district director looked unhappy again, Xia Juhua hurriedly said:
"Director, you can see that she is old and can't do much work. And although she and the couple are subject to supervised labor, she doesn't cause trouble, so the production team turns a blind eye to her."
Just because Sun didn't cause trouble, Xia Juhua felt that she could tolerate Sun's laziness. This female production team leader was too kind.
The district director was very moved by Xia Juhua's kindness: "Captain Xia, you can treat bad elements differently. Under your leadership, the Ping'an Village production team will definitely be able to get through this disaster smoothly."
When Xia Juhua thanked the leaders for their trust, Sun quietly retreated and started to chop sweet potato leaves for the first time. Xia Juhua didn't bother with her, and the leaders just looked at the piglets growing well in the pigpen and left.
After they left, Sun was still upset. Even though Li Changshun's words were half-complete, she still heard that Sun Guizhi had caused trouble again. Not only did Sun Guizhi cause trouble, she almost implicated her and Liu Sizhuang.
Fortunately, Sun Shi heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Xia Juhua's words that she was not going to be treated the same as Sun Guizhi. She didn't care at all about what kind of punishment Sun Guizhi would receive. Who made Sun Guizhi complain about the bad food every day and always wanted her to ask Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang for food?
If she could get food, would Sun still have to look at Li Daya's face when it was time to eat? !
Sun Guizhi kept reminding him of things that he already knew. Instigated by Sun Guizhi, Liu Sizhuang also felt that his mother no longer loved him. It would be strange if Sun Shi cared about Sun Guizhi's life or death.
Sun, who didn't want to care about Sun Guizhi's life or death, was met with an angry Liu Sizhuang: "Mom, what should we do? Sun Guizhi, that wasteful woman, has sued Xia Juhua again, and the leader said that she and I should go to the Red Team training class in the county!"
"What? She sued Xia Juhua, so why do you have to go to the remedial class too?" Mrs. Sun asked in confusion, looking at her beloved little son whom she had raised since childhood.
Liu Sizhuang didn't know how things turned out like this, and continued angrily, "How would I know? Mom, now while the leader hasn't left yet, go and beg Xia Juhua, tell her that I don't know what Sun Guizhi did, and ask her to tell the leader to keep me in Ping'an Village."
Although staying in Pingan Village meant picking up excrement from every household and being stinky all day long, it was better than going to a training class. Liu Sizhuang, who had been to the training class in the commune, thought that the training class in the county would kill him.
After hearing this, Sun took a step back and said, "What good would it do if I asked her for help? She hasn't said a word to me since the family split."
"How could I not tell you, mother? Didn't you say that after Liu Zhishuang got married, she came to see you?" Liu Sizhuang was worried about his mother's memory.
Sun Shi had not forgotten that Xia Juhua had come to visit her, nor had she forgotten how she had treated Xia Juhua at that time. Perhaps it was that time that made Xia Juhua feel that there was no hope of repair, and that was why she ignored her and Liu Sizhuang's family.
That's right, in Sun's view, Xia Juhua's treatment of her and Liu Sizhuang's family was the same as if the Ping'an Village production team didn't have these people. It was this kind of neglect that made Sun dare not agree to Liu Sizhuang's request to ask Xia Juhua for mercy.
No matter if a person likes you or hates you, he will always pay attention to your affairs. But will Xia Juhua's disregard for herself change even if Sun cried her eyes out for Liu Sizhuang's family?
Deep down, Sun was a man who was very aware of the current affairs.
In the past, Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang had some expectations of her, and she dared to peel off a layer of skin from them to support Liu Sizhuang. When Liu Sanzhuang ignored even Sun Shi, she only dared to eat in the east room where Liu Erzhuang lived, and never mentioned asking Liu Erzhuang to take food to support Liu Sizhuang's room.
Similarly, she would not take the risk of offending Xia Juhua in front of Li Changshun for Liu Sizhuang. If Xia Juhua had not said that she was too old, Sun would have to go to the county town to study. If Li Changshun wanted to vent Xia Juhua's anger, she would come to him herself, which would allow her to be with Liu Sizhuang.
Therefore, Sun's response to Liu Sizhuang was silence again.
As the youngest son whom Sun had loved for many years, Liu Sizhuang knew Sun better than his brothers and sisters. Seeing that she had been silent, he had a good idea of her thoughts:
"Mom, are you really not going to take care of me anymore? Don't forget that Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang separated you from me. You have lived with me, and only I can take care of you when you are old."
Sun thought to herself that these days your family has been drinking wheat bran porridge every day, with at most some sweet potato leaves added to it. If I hadn't been shameless enough to go to Liu Erzhuang's house every day to eat, I would have starved to death. Why are you supporting me?
A coward raised by a coward can only be a coward. Sun, who was trying to protect herself, felt sorry for Liu Sizhuang. Apart from yelling at Sun for a while, he never thought of going to those big leaders to explain that he knew nothing about what Sun Guizhi had done.
Even if he thought of it now, it was too late, because Xia Juhua had already sent the leaders to the car, facing the raised dust, and waved vigorously towards the jeep.
"You can water the ground with peace of mind this time." Li Changshun put his hand down earlier than Xia Juhua and said this without thinking.
They were all in the same brigade and not far away. Technician Xue drove the tractor and followed Xia Juhua back and forth to the county town without deliberately hiding it from anyone. Li Changshun was not surprised to know that Ping'an Village bought diesel.
She smiled at Li Changshun and said, "What's the point of just watering the fields? There are plenty of jobs out there. No one can just sit at home and rest." She then deliberately acted viciously.
Li Changshun also laughed: "You people in Pingan Village are very tight-lipped. It wasn't them who told me. It was Director Zhang who told me that Deputy Director Qi approved diesel for your production team and asked me why I didn't go to him at that time."
Xia Juhua, who had just thought of a bunch of excuses for the members of Ping An Zhuang, felt that this was the most pleasing sentence Li Changshun had said in the past few days. She put away her vicious expression and put on a smile again:
"Captain, I'm not lying to you. I have a lot of things planned for them. I can't sit still."
Li Changshun asked unhappily, "Although the crops have grown, they still need to do farm management, such as weeding and weeding. What other work have you arranged for them?"
Xia Juhua said, "It's rare that there hasn't been much rain this year, and half of the Xihe River is dry. I want everyone to bring some mud back to make some adobe bricks." The river mud can be used to make adobe bricks, and the bricks made after drying in the sun are finer and firmer than those made from dry soil. The aquatic plants inside can naturally reinforce the adobe bricks, which is like killing two birds with one stone.
"What's the point of taking off those adobe bricks? Our brigade doesn't even have a brick kiln." Li Changshun said with some regret.
However, Xia Juhua's eyes lit up: "There is a brick kiln in Xiawo Brigade." How could she have forgotten this? Remember, you must remember it. When the spring breeze blows again, let Xia Long and Xia Hu boldly contract the brick kiln. At that time, construction will be carried out everywhere. Why would she be afraid that Xia Long and his brothers would not be able to make money and live a good life?
Thinking of this, Li Changshun couldn't stand the smile on Xia Juhua's face: "How many adobe bricks can your production team produce? Without the Xiawo Brigade, can they open kilns for you?"
Xia Juhua confidently calculated the cost for Li Changshun: Even though the classroom where Liu Lizhu teaches the children has been repaired, if bricks can be made, of course all the adobes will have to be replaced.
The yard also had to be fenced with bricks, leaving doors and windows to build fire walls, so that the women would not freeze when weaving mats in winter. After Xia Juhua finished speaking, she smiled mysteriously at Li Changshun and said, "Captain, think about it, if our production team built a few rooms specifically for drying sweet potato starch, if everyone leaks starch again this winter, wouldn't the whole family not have to squeeze on the same kang?"
According to this calculation, even if the Xiawo Brigade fired four or five kilns, let alone one brick kiln, it would not be enough for Ping'an Village.
When Li Changshun heard Xia Juhua mention the powder leak, his eyes lit up: "If those production teams..."
夏菊花頭搖得波浪鼓一樣：“大隊長，人家夏窪大隊肯替我們生産隊開窯，我都得讓人家記起我給夏家莊看井的情兒，才好意思開口。可是那幾個生産隊……”有啥好處到人家夏窪大隊了，人家還給他們也開一窯？
“而且我想過了，人家給燒窯憑的是技術，我一天就按着人家原來掙的給現錢。”夏菊花索性把話給說破了，別以為自己真的只用過去的事兒拿捏夏窪大隊。
說到這兒夏菊花晚加慶幸，縣主任和齊小叔讓農林局解決了打井材料問題，要不光是買磚，就得花平安莊不少錢，還沒地方買去。
夏窪大隊也是，放着一口窯還有會燒磚的社員，愣是不說開窯燒磚。如果他們燒的話，能換回多少農業物資呀。就算不換物資，掙現錢不是更好嗎？
李長順看着夏菊花變了幾變的臉，提醒她說：“夏窪大隊現在也就你那個沒出五服的三堂叔會燒磚了，舊時候他不給地主當過把頭，開始的時候讓人給鬥的不輕，怕是不肯輕易給你們燒磚。”
不用李長順再往下說，夏菊花也知道讓夏窪大隊替平安莊燒磚的難度不小：磚窯可不象家裏的柴火竈，那東西得燒煤，還不是燒一星半點兒，開窯就不能停。
從縣城拉回柴油的夏菊花，信心十足的沖李長順點頭：“我覺得等到秋天的時候，他會給我開窯的。”
是我，不是平安莊，夏菊花就有這個信心，因為她給夏家莊指出了七口水井的位置，只要夏家莊今年收成比別的生産隊高，社員們都會知道那收成是誰帶來的。
夏菊花的三堂叔也不例外。
帶着這樣的信心，第二天平安莊的生産就做出了調整：劉大喜帶着十個社員跟薛技術員輪流澆地；陳秋生、劉二壯、劉三壯帶一百五十個人，在林技術員的指導下鋤地；劉志全、劉志雙兄弟兩個則帶三十個壯勞力，從湙河裏推回河泥來，打土坯。
婦女們現在除了紅薯拉秧的時候去幫下忙外，剩下的時間都在編藍子：經過試驗，葦皮要浸泡三天才會徹底改變顏色還不脫落，還得晾上一天半才能九成幹。全幹的葦皮變脆容易折，九成幹的編起來又省力又好定型。
編過席的婦女們，學起編藍子來果然很快，如果不是試驗染色浪費了時間，怕是現在供銷社的訂單都能完成了。更讓夏菊花吃驚的還是七奶，她老人家沒跟着大家一起編藍子，而是自己用紅、黃、綠三色，編出了一只大公雞！
黃色的雞頭上頂着鮮豔的紅冠子，下頭用本色葦皮配着紅色，漸漸變成鮮紅的雞身，然後是高高翹起的綠色尾巴，配色十分突兀又分外和諧，一編出來就被婦女們傳了個遍。
正好到了林主任來平安莊看成果的時候，這只大公雞可比已經變了顏色的小藍子讓林主任滿意多了：“夏隊長，我自己就能做主，這樣的公雞你們再編一百只，兩塊五毛錢一只，咋樣？”
夏菊花十分為難的看了一眼七奶，老人家自己編出來的公雞，她不能強迫她教給所有的人。可博覽會的時間早就定下來了，區供銷社要參加省裏的選拔也早定好了時間，這麽短的時間內，七奶一個人編不出一百個來。
“那三塊錢咋樣？”林主任以為夏菊花覺得價格太低不劃算，自己看着手裏的公雞也覺得兩塊五少了點兒：明顯這東西即費時間又費心思，平安莊光計工分都不知道得記多少出去。
“行，三塊就三塊吧，隊長。”七奶突然說話了，還對看過來的夏菊花點了點頭。
夏菊花等林主任走了才不好意思的說：“七奶，這是你自己想出來的。”
“那字席不是你想出來的，還是藍子不是紅玲她們小姑娘想出來的？你們都能教給大家，你七奶就得自己藏着掖着？”話裏帶着責怪，聽上去卻令人心熨燙的想掉眼淚。
趙仙枝輕輕拉了夏菊花一下，笑着向七奶說：“七奶，這幾天你就在這兒教我們編公雞，你老人家的三頓飯我包了。”
“那可不行，七奶牙口不好，咬不動你們家的貼餅子，我晚上得給七奶下面條吃。”張翠萍笑嘻嘻的問七奶：“我說的對吧七奶？”
對啥對？七奶看看等着自己答案的趙仙枝和張翠萍，抿了抿掉了好幾顆牙的嘴說：“把你們狂的，這話在村裏說說就行了，可不行出去亂說。別的生産隊都快斷糧了，你們還嫌貼餅子硬，不怕人家聽了打你們。”
別管外人聽了打不打吧，反正不一會兒的工夫，七奶十天內的飯都有着落了，為了讓她老人家答應，夏菊花連七奶要是不去各家吃飯，就不讓大家學咋編公雞的話都說出來了。
“唉，”七奶擦了擦眼角的淚花，沖夏菊花說：“你說你這心咋這麽軟呢。象我這樣的人，在舊時候只能自己等着餓死了。可你天天讓人去看看我，我編的席你還把錢都給我。好不容易我想起過去編的花樣，能教給你們說明我還有用呢，我高興着呢，哪兒好意思再吃你們的飯。”
夏菊花跟着心酸起來：“七奶，快別說這樣的話，誰還沒老的時候，要是到老了誰也不管誰，那日子過得還有啥意思？”還不得都跟自己上輩子似的，自己喝藥？
那只編好的公雞被林主任當場帶回縣城，要給鄭主任看，七奶傷心一會兒就重新拿染好色的葦皮編新的。
夏菊花在旁邊邊看邊學，幾乎是跟七奶一起編完的：編一只公雞竟然比編藍子費不了多長時間，手快的一天就能編出來一個。
等林主任知道平安莊生産隊婦女們的手速時，已經是五天之後的事兒，他本以為自己只能帶一半訂單到區供銷社，不想平安莊生産隊給了他一個大大的驚喜。
“夏隊長，你們這些天都沒休息好吧？”林主任認為速度這麽快，肯定是平安莊生産隊婦女同志們點燈熬油才編完的。
夏菊花的眼睛确定熬的通紅，不過跟林主任想的不一樣，她這是為了劉四壯兩口子熬紅的。
因為昨天夜裏，縣紅小隊的人突然出現在平安莊，直接拍開劉家老院的門，要把劉四壯兩口子抓去學習班。
領導走後幾天沒有動靜，夏菊花還以為縣主任當時只是随口答應區主任，過後就把劉四壯兩口子抛到腦後了，咋也沒想到紅小隊搞起了突然襲擊。
大半夜的孫桂芝哭嚎的整個平安莊人都聽到了，夏菊花這個生産隊長不得不起來看看是咋回事。等到了老院，劉四壯兩口子已經被紅小隊用粗麻繩給捆好了，四房放糧食的地方再次被打開，翻的亂七八糟的空口袋被扔的到處都是。
劉志亮和劉紅娟兩個躲在牆根底下一聲不敢吭。以前劉四壯出點兒啥事，都沖到前頭替他擋着的孫氏，站的離劉志亮兄妹遠一點兒，同樣跟雨打了的小雞子一樣，瑟瑟發抖着一聲不出。
劉二壯和劉三壯倒是都站在院子當間，劉三壯一如既往的一言不發，只站在那給劉二壯壯膽，劉二壯則試圖讓紅小隊放過劉四壯。
夏菊花見李大丫、安寶玲和幾個孩子都沒出來，暗暗松了口氣，讓非得跟着的劉志雙靠邊，自己來到紅小隊面前。
“你們這是？”她得先問問來的是公社紅小隊還是縣裏的紅小隊。
打頭的一個就着手電筒打量了一下，問：“你是夏隊長吧？”
夏菊花點了點頭：“我是平安莊生産隊的夏菊花。”
“嗯，縣革委會了解有人破壞平安莊生産隊的抗旱工作，讓我們把壞分子帶到學習班加強教育。”聽說真是夏菊花，打頭的人臉色不好，語氣還算客氣。
夏菊花指了指一地糧食口袋說：“那天主任說劉四壯兩口子進學習班的話，不用帶口糧。而且他們家還有一位老人和兩個孩子，你們把他們的糧食都帶走了，他們仨吃啥。”是不是得生産隊給他們想辦法？
劉二壯看向夏菊花的眼神裏都是感激，東西廂房的門同時開了，李大丫和安寶玲一同走了出來。夏菊花沖她們使了個眼色，不讓兩人靠前：紅小隊又不是啥講理的人，萬一覺得誰眼神不對一起帶去學習班，夏菊花就該心疼了。
跟夏菊花說話的紅小隊，不屑的看了地上的糧食口袋一眼說：“就他們家那點兒麥麸，求着我們拿我們也不稀得拿。夏隊長，這兩人好歹也是你們平安莊生産隊的，你總不能真看着他們進了學習班，連飯都吃不上吧？”
餓死還省着禍害人呢。夏菊花看了劉四壯兩口子一眼，劉四壯一見有人出頭就慣常裝死狗，孫桂芝卻以為自己看到了希望：“嫂子，我下回再也不敢了，你讓他們別抓我們。”
Xia Juhua looked back at the Red Team indifferently: "This is the situation in our production team. The food we were given last year is almost gone..."
"Xia Juhua, you are slandering the great achievements of the collective." The Red Team suddenly shouted, which scared Xia Juhua. She couldn't figure out which of her words was slanderous.
The Red Team proudly grinned at Xia Juhua: "With a collective leader, do you dare to say that the members' food is almost gone?"
Saying that you are unreasonable is a compliment, right?
Xia Juhua waved her hand at Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang and said, "You two, open your own warehouses and let the Red Team comrades see how much food you have. Liu Zhishuang, go get everyone in the production team to get up, open the warehouses and let the Red Team comrades see if I am lying."