Chapter 95
"Fifth Master, Qiu Sheng, I think after we pay the public grain, we will not distribute dividends to the members for the time being." Xia Juhua said to Fifth Master Chen Qiu Sheng with a serious face, looking at them with shining eyes.
The two were puzzled. Based on their understanding of Xia Juhua over the past year, she was a person who wanted to give all the good things to the members as much as possible. After paying the public grain, there was public grain money, which was the bulk of Ping An Village's income in previous years. Why did she suddenly say that she didn't want to share it with everyone?
But neither of them asked why. They both had a blind trust in their hearts. If Xia Juhua didn't want to distribute dividends to members, there must be a reason they didn't know - this year's dividends for Ping An Village members were already much more than last year, enough for everyone to have a good year.
Don't forget, there are nine fat and big-eared pigs in the pigsty.
Xia Juhua was also thinking about the pigs: "Tomorrow I will stop by the purchasing station to ask if they will accept the pigs if I hand them over now. If they do, I will hand over the pigs as well. Firstly, this will save some feed. Secondly, it will give Lu Sheng a break. He has been busy all year and Sun Shi can't help at all. Thirdly, I want to save some money to see if I can buy the tractor driven by Technician Xue from the Agricultural Machinery Station."
What?
Wu Ye and Chen Qiu Sheng both thought they had misheard: "You want to buy a tractor, but our brigade doesn't have any. How can they sell one to a production team? Aren't tractors allocated by the higher-ups?"
Xia Juhua was also unsure: "How about I go to the commune and ask Director Zhang when I pay the public rations? Didn't they say that our production team is working hard as a pilot? Since it's a pilot, shouldn't we be given some benefits?"
She was determined to get this done - a tractor would be of great use to the current Ping'an Village production team. In addition to plowing and watering the soil, it would save a lot of effort when transporting things, and Xia Juhua couldn't help but be tempted.
Wu Ye really didn't mean to discourage Xia Juhua: "Even if we can buy the tractor, it has to burn diesel. That thing consumes a lot of fuel. Where can we get diesel?"
Xia Juhua gritted her teeth and said, "If we have a pig pen, are we worried that we won't be able to buy pigs?"
Seeing her firm attitude, Wu Ye and Chen Qiu Sheng were silent. These two people had also benefited from the tractor. If they said they didn't want Ping An Manor to use the tractor, it would be a lie. Xia Juhua asked Chen Qiu Sheng how much money the production team had now.
Chen Qiusheng opened his mouth and said, "In addition to the reserve fund, when distributing dividends, you said you were afraid that the production team would suffer if something went wrong, so you set aside 500 yuan, and you haven't touched it since."
This is not a small amount. You have to know that when Xia Juhua took over as the production team leader, the surplus of the Ping'anzhuang production team was less than 350 yuan. In one year, the income of the members has nearly doubled compared to last year, and the remaining money of the collective is also more than 100 yuan more than last year. Xia Juhua feels that her year's work has not been in vain.
Since it’s not in vain, just keep doing it!
Having made up her mind, Xia Juhua felt full of energy. She even began to wonder who should drive the tractor after it was bought.
This is not the time before the summer chrysanthemums took medicine in the last life. There are no repair shops everywhere. Tractor drivers not only have to drive it away from the original place, but also have to know how to repair some simple problems, otherwise the tractor they buy will become a decoration.
In addition, Xia Juhua's expectations for the tractor were not just to drive it away to transport things. She also needed to know how to load and unload the plow tractor that Technician Xue left behind to plow the soil, and how to pump water to irrigate the soil.
This makes it difficult to choose people.
"Mom, what are you thinking about? Why don't you eat the vegetables?" Wang Caifeng watched worriedly as her mother-in-law put her chopsticks into the sauce bowl again. She couldn't help but remind her: "Didn't you tell us not to eat anything too salty?"
Xia Juhua put away her chopsticks after hearing this. She looked at everyone at the table looking at her and smiled, "Nothing. I just can't make up my mind about something."
"How about you eat first, and then go to Fifth Master's house to ask after you finish eating?" Liu Zhiquan knew that his mother was willing to discuss things with Fifth Master, so he gave her this idea.
Xia Juhua shook her head: "Nothing has been decided yet. I've already told Fifth Master about it. Why does he have to worry about it for nothing?" After saying that, she lowered her head and continued to eat her meal.
Liu Zhishuang thought a lot and asked, "Why don't you tell us, mom? What if we can give you some advice? Even if we can't, you won't feel depressed if you talk about it."
That made sense, so Xia Juhua told him about her worry that no one would be able to use the tractor after she bought it. Liu Zhiquan's reaction was similar to that of Wu Ye and Chen Qiusheng: "Will they sell it to us?" That was not a bicycle. If Qi Weidong helped her find the industrial ticket, she could buy it with her own money.
Liu Zhishuang's eyes lit up: "Mom, if you buy the tractor, can I drive it? I used to stay with Technician Xue and saw how he worked on the tractor. And Technician Xue also introduced me to a few people from their agricultural machinery station. If I don't understand something, I can find someone to ask."
Xia Juhua looked up at him with some suspicion and asked, "Why didn't I know that Technician Xue introduced you to someone at the Agricultural Machinery Station?"
Liu Zhishuang laughed: "Mom, how old am I? Can I tell you about all the people I know outside? Besides, it was only those few times when Technician Xue and I went back to the commune to refuel diesel. I was thinking that the people at the Agricultural Machinery Station were not nice, so I invited them to have a few meals together."
This is something Liu Zhishuang could do, but what Xia Juhua wanted to ask was: "Where did you get the food coupons to treat people to a meal?" There was no shortage of food at home, so what did Liu Zhishuang use to exchange it?
Seeing his mother's suspicious look, Liu Zhishuang knew what she was thinking. He quickly said, "It's not just me who invited them. I paid the money and Technician Xue provided the food coupons. The comrades at the Agricultural Machinery Station also provided food coupons once."
"How can we let Technician Xue provide us with food coupons?" Xia Juhua said with some nostalgia, "Technician Xue has helped Ping'an Village a lot. He has brought his monthly rations to eat at our house and Master Wu's house. His food coupons are not abundant either."
Liu Zhishuang smiled mysteriously: "Mom, Technician Xue is a little blunt in his words, and seems like he doesn't know how to deal with things. But he is actually quite capable. Many people from other communes secretly ask him for help, and he only asks for some food coupons, so Technician Xue has no shortage of food coupons for a few meals."
Xia Juhua really didn't know about this. After hearing what Liu Zhishuang said, she quickly said to Liu Zhiquan and Wang Caifeng: "Just listen to it, don't tell anyone."
Wang Caifeng nodded naturally: "Mom, don't worry, I'm at home taking care of the child every day. When someone comes to visit us, they just talk about the child and nothing else."
Liu Zhiquan was too lazy to even say a word. He just kept working and no one wanted to talk to him.
Liu Zhishuang was afraid that his mother would forget his request, so he asked again: "Mom, do you think it's okay for me to drive a tractor in the future?"
Xia Juhua looked at him distrustfully, "Just knowing how to drive is enough? You have to remember how much work the tractor does and how much oil it burns in a day. You can't even recognize a few words, how can you remember it? If there are still things you don't understand, the comrades at the agricultural machinery station will tell you once or twice, and you can't ask them the third time about the same problem? Don't you have to write it down yourself and come back to look at it slowly?"
"Mom," Liu Zhishuang once again suspected that he was not his biological son. "I have been learning Chinese characters with Uncle Lizhu every night these days. I have learned nearly a thousand characters. Most characters are not difficult for me. If you don't believe me, ask my sister-in-law. Yesterday, my sister-in-law forgot how to write the word Xia, and I was the one who told her."
Wang Caifeng, who was named, nodded and testified: "Zhishuang told me. He has a better memory than me and knows more words than me."
Xia Juhua went to see Liu Zhiquan who was having dinner: "They both went to learn to read, what about you?"
Liu Zhiquan looked at Xia Juhua innocently: "Mom, I have to look after Baoguo and Lele at night."
Well, Xia Juhua didn't think she had asked the wrong question: "You were with Zhishuang during the day, why don't you ask him?"
If his mother had not been beside him, Liu Zhiquan would have punched Liu Zhishuang: Why are you so rude? When your mother didn't have an idea, instead of just telling you the truth, you kept asking, and now you finally asked him.
Seeing that Liu Zhiquan didn't say anything, Xia Juhua didn't let him go: "You are the one who knows the least words in the family now. When Baoguo goes to school and asks you about words he doesn't know how to write, and you can't say it, you will be embarrassed."
Liu Baoguo, who was also named, said proudly: "I will admit it. I will also write Liu Baoguo, Liu Zhiquan, Wang Caifeng, and Xia Juhua."
Wang Caifeng's face flushed, and she stammered as she explained to Xia Juhua: "Mom, I just had nothing to do at home, so I taught Baoguo to recognize two words. He wanted to learn to write, so I thought, I have to let him know who are the people in the family..."
Liu Zhishuang understood that he would not get the answer he wanted from his mother tonight, so he turned to Wang Caifeng and said jokingly: "Sister-in-law, why didn't you tell Baoguo about my name?"
Liu Baoguo's eyes widened and he said, "I can write 雙." Then he said to Xia Juhua with a look of disdain, "Grandma, my second uncle and my dad are only one character apart, you don't have to write them all out."
"Yes, you don't have to write everything down." Xia Juhua was delighted to hear that Liu Baoguo could read. "Learn from your mother. Once she has taught you, you will know how to teach other people's children."
When Wang Caifeng heard that her mother-in-law not only did not pursue her, but also promised her that she could go to the place called kindergarten in the future, even though Liu Zhiquan's face turned black, he couldn't hide the smile on his face. Fortunately, he could still say modestly: "Mom, I can't recite that poem yet."
"Learn slowly. Sometimes the loudspeakers play old people's poems. Just learn from them and teach them to the children."
Liu Zhiquan then realized that he didn't understand what his mother and his wife said to each other: "Lele is still young, you just need to teach Baoguo well."
王彩鳳抿嘴看着夏菊花笑，夏菊花則低頭吃自己最後一口飯，誰也沒搭理劉志全這個茬。劉志全不得不把目光轉向劉志雙，偏偏劉志雙還記着他剛才瞪自己的仇，也把頭扭到一邊。
最後回答劉志全的是劉保國：“娘說，她要去當幼兒園老師，得認字，我也得認，認多了我就是第一名。”
不認字在家裏連三歲孩子都知道的事兒，自己都不配知道了嗎？劉志全陷入了深深的自我懷疑之中。
同樣陷入自我懷疑的還有公社革委會張主任，他看着眼前見過好幾面的夏菊花，總覺得自己不大認識似的，不确定的問：“你說你們生産隊想買農機站的拖拉機？”
心裏再沒底，夏菊花面對張主任的質疑都一臉理所當然：“對呀。我們生産隊不是大幹苦幹的試點嘛，我想着既然是試點兒，就得做出點兒成績來讓大家知道。要是我們生産隊能買上拖拉機，他們能不知道，我們這個試點兒搞的不錯，成績很明顯。”
張主任暗想，自己跟李長順都想錯了，夏菊花哪裏是一個大隊長能擋的住的，這憑這敢想勁，她都能當縣革委會主任！
“夏菊花同志，你要清楚大幹苦幹的落腳點，是在苦幹上。”張主任不得不提醒眼前眉飛色舞的夏菊花。
冷水并沒有澆滅夏菊花的熱情：“我知道呀，我們生産隊的社員也苦幹了，才能在這麽旱的年景埋在只減産了兩成。我們平安莊生産隊，不僅不用吃集體的救濟糧，還能上交一半的公糧，這就是苦幹的結果。可別人不知道我們生産隊取得的成績，我得讓他們知道知道。”
就為了讓別人知道你們生産隊有成果，你就敢一個生産隊提出買拖拉機？張主任咋看夏菊花咋不象突發奇想，不由問：“你咋想起買拖拉機的？”這東西一般都是上級按着各公社、大隊的生産任務配發的，從來沒有一個生産隊敢說買。
夏菊花做出一臉不解的樣子說：“以前搞宣講的時候，不是說老人家要求咱們農民得實現農業現代化嘛。那時候我不知道啥是農業現代化，可今年薛技術員幫着用拖拉機幫助我們生産隊澆水、翻地，我才知道啥叫農業現代化。”
“張主任，我們都已經實現農業現代化了，可不能因為薛技術員一走，又不讓我們現代化了。我想着要是拖拉機是我們生産隊的，那不就把我們生産隊的農業現代化給保住了。”
“所以這個拖拉機我們要買，還一定要買幫助我們實現了農業現代化的那臺。”夏菊花一臉堅定的看着張主任，很有革命者扞衛自己成功果實的架勢。
張主任被夏菊花似是而非的理論繞的哭笑不得：“夏菊花同志，實現農業現代化，不是只有一臺拖拉機就行的。”
“可有了這臺拖拉機，我們生産隊就是實現了農業現代化，社員們都說農業現代化好呢。”夏菊花寸步不讓。
張主任無奈的沖她擺手：“夏隊長，你們生産隊這個試點，是縣裏直接定的，公社只是知道有這麽一個試點兒，平時工作上盡量配合。你想證明試點的成績也好，想保持農業現代化的成果也好，咱們公社做不了主，你還是向齊副主任反應情況吧。”
夏菊花非常替公社着想的問：“我要是直接向齊副主任反應情況，會不會讓齊副主任覺得，咱們公社不重視我們這個試點？我多跑一趟路倒沒啥，有自行車呢，就怕對張主任你的影響不好。”
你說啥？張主任不敢置信的看着夏菊花，這樣的話竟然是從一個剛當了一年生産隊長的農村婦女嘴裏說出來的，他不想相信，也不敢相信。
夏菊花臉上的忐忑是明顯的，擔憂是真實的，全是一副為張主任考慮的樣子。張主任嘆了一口氣，拿起桌子上的電話撥了出去。
“齊副主任，平安莊生産隊的夏隊長向我反應了一點兒情況，我覺得她的初衷是好的，是為了更好的進行農業生産，只是我們公社的物資有限，對她的要求無能為力，想讓她當面向你彙報一下。”
“不是什麽大事，就是夏隊長經過一年的試點兒工作，體會到了農業現代化的優勢，想保住平安莊的農業現代化成果。”
“啥成果？”張主任從順着電話線看了夏菊花一眼，裏頭揶揄的意味太過明顯，夏菊花只好扭頭看張主任報刊夾上夾着的幾份報紙。
張主任又對着電話說：“就是我們公社農機站的薛技術員，今年一年不是都在幫助平安莊生産隊搞農業生産嘛，夏隊長認為她們生産隊靠着薛技術員的那臺拖拉機，實現了農業現代化。”
領導，你諷刺人的時候，是不是等我出去再說？夏菊花的目光停在當天的一張報紙上，上頭有一個頭戴草帽、神采飛揚的女社員，坐在一臺拖拉機上，臉上笑容十分燦爛。
真好呀，女拖拉機手。夏菊花把報刊夾輕輕拿起來，小心的放到張主任面前，還用手指點了點那位笑得燦爛的女拖拉機手，好讓他一眼能看到。
那個神采飛揚的女拖拉機手，一看就是幹慣了農活的人，一定不是哪個農機站的職工。別的地方連女拖拉機手都有了，平安莊生産隊還不能買上一臺拖拉機了？！
正說得起勁的張主任聲音停頓了一下，對電話那頭說話的語速都加快了：“是，好的齊副主任，我這就通知夏隊長立刻到縣革委會向你反應情況。”說完直接放下電話。
“夏隊長，你們生産隊買拖拉機後，誰開？”
“張主任，你同意讓我們生産隊買下農機站的拖拉機啦？”
張主任決定還是少跟夏菊花對話的好：“剛才你也聽到了，齊副主任要求你立刻去縣革委會向他彙報情況。彙報的時候，記得把問題都向領導反應清楚，也要把自己生産隊可能面對的困難想全面。”
聽到張主任最終還是替平安莊生産隊出主意，夏菊花臉上終于出現了不好意思的表情：“張主任，太謝謝你了。我不敢說自己代表平安莊生産隊的人感謝你，可我敢保證，如果我們生産隊真能買成拖拉機，生産還能上一個臺階。”
“不光是你們平安莊生産隊，整個平安莊大隊的生産都要上一個臺階。”這是張主任在夏菊花将出辦公室門的時候，說的一句話。
好些話聽的多了，聽的人就不會再如第一次聽到那麽敏感，夏菊花也是一樣。她以為張主任是為了鄭重才這麽說的，還回頭向張主任點了點頭。
于夏菊花當然是在對自己說的話再次做出保證，對張主任來說就當夏菊花答應了自己後面說的那句話。
既然答應自己了，張主任一點心理負擔都沒有的拿起電話，再次撥通了齊副主任辦公室，對着電話彙報：“齊副主任，剛才我已經跟夏菊花談過了，她同意帶着整個平安莊大隊農業生産都上一個臺階。”
所以，齊副主任在聽完夏菊花關于平安莊已經實現了農業現代化，只有購買拖拉機才能保住農業現代化成果的高論之後，問一頭一句話是：“如果現在讓你接李長順的班，你有把握把整個平安莊大隊搞得跟平安莊生産隊一樣紅火嗎？”
不能！
夏菊花眼睛瞪得老大，顧不上自己面前是縣革委會副主任，聲音都提高了幾分：“可不能這麽想呀齊副主任，我們生産隊買拖拉機跟整個平安莊大隊沒什麽關系，那錢都是我們平安莊生産隊社員一篾片一篾片編出來的，一挑水一挑水澆出來的。”
齊副主任一臉嚴肅的告訴夏菊花當了大隊長之後的好處：“大隊長每天的十個工分，還在本人戶口所在的生産隊記，所以你不用擔心自己将來分紅情況。另外每個月會有五塊錢的補貼，一年算下來又是六十塊錢。相當于你一個人掙了兩份錢。”
這一點夏菊花早就知道，她一臉堅定的搖頭：“齊副主任，我在平安莊生活了二十多年，對所有人的脾氣都清楚，知道大家想要的是啥，就帶着大家一起往想要的方向奔，所以大家才聽我的。那幾個生産隊的人我都不認識，說出來的話也沒人聽，我真幹不了。”
齊副主任仍然十分嚴肅的說：“李長順同志多次向張主任表示，會支持你的工作。如果你做了大隊長，他也不會馬上放手不管，其他幾個生産隊長的工作都由他做。”
“可湙河邊長的葦子就那麽多，地區和省裏供銷社的訂單平安莊的婦女就能完成。還有種紅薯、漏粉別的生産隊也都學會了，我沒啥能再教給他們的了，他們自己還按着今年的幹就行。”
Xia Juhua couldn't understand why she had to be the team leader since those production teams had already learned everything they needed to learn and the Ping'anzhuang production team that wanted to learn more couldn't be taught.
Deputy Director Qi finally smiled: "Look, you know what you have done. Even if you don't become the team leader, other production teams will follow the Ping'an Village production team and some of them will learn incompetently. It would be better for you to become the team leader directly and correct all the incompetent parts of their learning."
Xia Juhua quickly searched for reasons in her mind why she could not be the team leader, and then she heard Deputy Director Qi say: "Before you came, I had already reported the Red Star Commune's ideas to the director. The director thought that you could realize the importance of agricultural modernization and had a high level of awareness. As long as you realize it, you will be able to do everything with twice the result with half the effort."
Why don't you say that the more courageous a person is, the more productive he is? Xia Juhua felt that both Deputy Director Qi and the county director had made a mistake in choosing the person, and that she was not the right person for the job, so she still refused to nod.