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 of them asked why. They both had a blind trust in their hearts. If Xia Juhua neither wanted 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 双." 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."
Wang Caifeng smiled at Xia Juhua, while Xia Juhua lowered her head to eat her last bite of rice. No one paid any attention to Liu Zhiquan. Liu Zhiquan had to turn his gaze to Liu Zhishuang, but Liu Zhishuang still remembered the grudge he had just given him, so he turned his head away.
The one who finally answered Liu Zhiquan was Liu Baoguo: "Mom said that she wants to be a kindergarten teacher and needs to learn to read. I have to learn to read too. If I learn more, I will be the first."
Was it not his fault that he was not worthy of knowing something that even three-year-old children at home knew? Liu Zhiquan fell into deep self-doubt.
Director Zhang of the Commune Revolutionary Committee was also in self-doubt. He looked at Xia Juhua, whom he had seen several times before, and felt that he didn't know her well. He asked uncertainly, "You said your production team wanted to buy a tractor from the Agricultural Machinery Station?"
No matter how uncertain she was, Xia Juhua responded to Director Zhang's questioning with a matter-of-fact look: "Yes. Our production team worked very hard for this pilot project. I thought that since it was a pilot project, we had to show some results to let everyone know. If our production team could buy a tractor, they would know that our pilot project was going well and the results were obvious."
Director Zhang thought to himself that he and Li Changshun were wrong. There was no way a team leader could stop Xia Juhua. With such audacity, she could even become the director of the County Revolutionary Committee!
"Comrade Xia Juhua, you must understand that the key to working hard is to work hard." Director Zhang had to remind Xia Juhua, who was beaming with joy.
The cold water did not dampen Xia Juhua's enthusiasm: "I know, the members of our production team have also worked hard, so that we can only reduce production by 20% in such a drought year. Our Ping'an Village production team not only does not have to eat collective relief rations, but can also hand in half of the public rations. This is the result of hard work. But others don't know the achievements of our production team. I have to let them know."
Just to let others know that your production team has achieved results, you dare to ask for a tractor? Director Zhang thought that Xia Juhua didn't seem to have a sudden idea, so he asked, "Why did you think of buying a tractor?" This thing is usually distributed by superiors according to the production tasks of each commune and brigade. No production team has ever dared to ask for a tractor.
Xia Juhua looked puzzled and said, "Didn't the old people tell us farmers to realize agricultural modernization when we were giving lectures before? I didn't know what agricultural modernization was at that time, but this year, when Technician Xue used a tractor to help our production team water and turn the soil, I finally understood what agricultural modernization was."
"Director Zhang, we have already achieved agricultural modernization. We cannot stop modernizing just because Technician Xue left. I thought that if the tractor belonged to our production team, then our production team's agricultural modernization would be preserved."
"So we have to buy this tractor, and we must buy the one that helped us realize agricultural modernization." Xia Juhua looked at Director Zhang with a firm face, like a revolutionary defending the fruits of his success.
Director Zhang was confused by Xia Juhua's specious theory and didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Comrade Xia Juhua, to realize agricultural modernization, it takes more than just a tractor."
"But with this tractor, our production team has realized agricultural modernization. The members all say that agricultural modernization is good." Xia Juhua refused to give in.
Director Zhang waved his hands helplessly at her: "Captain Xia, your production team's pilot project was directly decided by the county. The commune only knows that there is such a pilot project and tries to cooperate in normal work. Whether you want to prove the results of the pilot project or maintain the results of agricultural modernization, our commune cannot make the decision. You should report the situation to Deputy Director Qi."
Xia Juhua was very considerate of the commune and asked, "If I report the situation directly to Deputy Director Qi, will he think that our commune does not value our pilot project? It doesn't matter if I make an extra trip, I have a bicycle, but I am worried that it will have a bad impact on you, Director Zhang."
What did you say? Director Zhang looked at Xia Juhua in disbelief. Such words came out of the mouth of a rural woman who had just been a production team leader for a year. He didn't want to believe it, and he didn't dare to believe it.
Xia Juhua's face was full of uneasiness and real worry, and she looked like she was thinking about Director Zhang. Director Zhang sighed, picked up the phone on the table and made a call.
"Deputy Director Qi, Captain Xia of the Ping'an Village Production Team has informed me of the situation. I think her original intention was good, and she wanted to better carry out agricultural production. However, our commune has limited resources and is unable to meet her request. I would like her to report to you in person."
"It's not a big deal. Captain Xia has realized the advantages of agricultural modernization after a year of pilot work and wants to preserve the achievements of agricultural modernization in Ping'an Village."
"What results?" Director Zhang glanced at Xia Juhua along the phone line. The mocking meaning in his expression was so obvious that Xia Juhua had to turn her head to look at the newspapers clipped in Director Zhang's newspaper holder.
Director Zhang said into the phone again: "It was Technician Xue from our commune's agricultural machinery station. He has been helping the Ping'anzhuang production team with agricultural production all year. Captain Xia believes that their production team has achieved agricultural modernization with the help of Technician Xue's tractor."
Leader, when you make sarcastic remarks, do you wait until I leave before you speak? Xia Juhua's eyes stopped at a newspaper of that day. On it was a female member wearing a straw hat and looking very cheerful. She was sitting on a tractor with a very bright smile on her face.
That's great, the female tractor operator. Xia Juhua gently picked up the newspaper clip and carefully placed it in front of Director Zhang. She also pointed at the smiling female tractor operator with her finger so that he could see it at a glance.
The energetic female tractor operator was obviously used to farm work and must not be an employee of an agricultural machinery station. Other places have female tractor operators, so why can't the Pinganzhuang production team buy a tractor? !
Director Zhang, who was speaking vigorously, paused for a moment and even spoke faster to the person on the other end of the phone: "Yes, okay, Deputy Director Qi, I will notify Captain Xia to report the situation to you at the County Revolutionary Committee immediately." After that, he hung up the phone.
"Captain Xia, after your production team buys the tractor, who will drive it?"
"Director Zhang, do you agree to let our production team buy the tractor from the Agricultural Machinery Station?"
Director Zhang decided to talk less with Xia Juhua: "You heard it just now. Deputy Director Qi asked you to report the situation to him immediately at the County Revolutionary Committee. When reporting, remember to report all the problems to the leadership clearly, and also think comprehensively about the difficulties that your production team may face."
Hearing that Director Zhang finally gave advice to the Pinganzhuang production team, Xia Juhua finally showed an embarrassed expression on her face: "Director Zhang, thank you so much. I dare not say that I thank you on behalf of the Pinganzhuang production team, but I can guarantee that if our production team can really buy a tractor, production can be taken to a higher level."
"Not only your Ping'anzhuang production team, but the production of the entire Ping'anzhuang brigade must be taken to a higher level." This is what Director Zhang said when Xia Juhua was about to leave the office.
After hearing some things many times, the listener will no longer be as sensitive as the first time he hears them. Xia Juhua was the same. She thought Director Zhang said this for Zheng Zhong, and even turned around and nodded to Director Zhang.
Of course, Xia Juhua was reassuring herself of what she had said, and to Director Zhang, it was just Xia Juhua agreeing to what he said next.
Since he had been promised, Director Zhang picked up the phone without any psychological burden and called Deputy Director Qi's office again, reporting into the phone: "Deputy Director Qi, I have just talked to Xia Juhua, and she agreed to take the agricultural production of the entire Ping'anzhuang Brigade to a higher level."
Therefore, after listening to Xia Juhua's high-sounding speech about how Ping'an Village had already achieved agricultural modernization and that only by purchasing tractors could the achievements of agricultural modernization be preserved, Deputy Director Qi asked: "If you were asked to take over Li Changshun's job now, are you sure you can make the entire Ping'an Village Brigade as prosperous as the Ping'an Village Production Team?"
cannot!
Xia Juhua's eyes widened, not caring that the person in front of her was the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee, and her voice rose a few centimeters: "Don't think like that, Deputy Director Qi. Our production team's purchase of a tractor has nothing to do with the entire Ping'anzhuang Brigade. The money was all woven piece by piece by the members of our Ping'anzhuang production team, and watered by buckets of water."
Deputy Director Qi told Xia Juhua the benefits of being a team leader with a serious face: "The team leader's ten work points per day are still recorded in the production team where he is registered, so you don't have to worry about your future dividends. In addition, there will be a subsidy of five yuan per month, which is sixty yuan a year. It is equivalent to you earning twice as much money."
Xia Juhua knew this a long time ago. She shook her head with a determined look on her face and said, "Deputy Director Qi, I have lived in Ping'an Village for more than 20 years. I know everyone's temper and what they want. I lead everyone in the direction they want, so everyone listens to me. I don't know the people in those production teams, and no one listens to what I say. I really can't do it."
Deputy Director Qi still said very seriously: "Comrade Li Changshun has repeatedly told Director Zhang that he will support your work. If you become the team leader, he will not let you go immediately. He will do the work of the other production team leaders."
"But there are only so many weeds growing along the Xihe River, and the women in Ping'an Village can complete the orders from the regional and provincial supply and marketing cooperatives. Other production teams have also learned how to grow sweet potatoes and flour. I have nothing more to teach them, so they just need to do what they did this year."
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.
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