Chapter 97 (1)
When Chen Qiu Sheng answered the women's questions in front of Xia Juhua, it was equivalent to Xia Juhua endorsing Chen Qiu Sheng. If any problems really arise in the future, the women can drag Chen Qiu Sheng to confront Xia Juhua.
Anyway, Xia Juhua is the captain of Ping'anzhuang Brigade, so how can she control Chen Qiu Sheng, a production captain?
It was with this mentality that the women left contentedly after receiving Chen Qiu Sheng's answer. Only Zhao Xianzhi and a few others were still reluctant to leave and surrounded Xia Juhua.
"Captain, please come to our house for dinner tonight." Zhao Xianzhi suddenly had an idea and invited Xia Juhua.
"If you want to come, just come to my house. Sister-in-law, you haven't been back to the old courtyard to eat for many years. Bring the children to my house for dinner tonight." An Baoling thought Zhao Xianzhi's idea was good and accepted it without hesitation.
Chang Xiancao chose to form a united front with Zhao Xianzhi: "Why go to the old house? It's just your old lady. If the captain goes there, he will definitely lose face. How can the captain be at peace? It's better to go to Xianzhi's house. I will join in the fun."
Xia Juhua quickly stopped them from thinking this: "I'm not going to anyone's house, so you should go back and make baskets. If you delay the order, I will punish you if Qiu Sheng doesn't."
Zhao Xianzhi pulled Chang Xiancao and walked quickly toward the yard while turning around and shouting at Xia Juhua: "You have to go even if you don't want to. Not only you, but everyone present has to go. If anyone doesn't go, I will stand on the street and curse you, so that you won't be the captain."
Faced with such threats, Xia Juhua was really helpless. An Baoling and the others urged her, "Sister-in-law, go ahead. We have wanted to treat you to a good meal for a long time. We all know how tired you are and how much you have worried about this year. We are not eating Zhao Xianzhi's food for nothing. Let's just split the bill. Whoever goes will get his own food."
In the end, Xia Juhua couldn't refuse the meal. Anyone who invited someone to his home for dinner at this time was really asking with the greatest sincerity. Even if it was just to have a bowl of porridge, Xia Juhua had to be there.
Unexpectedly, Li Changwang was driven away by Zhao Xianzhi to accompany Li Changman, and the children were also taken away by Li Changwang, leaving only Xia Juhua and a few other women at home. For the dishes, Zhao Xianzhi killed a chicken herself, Chang Xiancao fried a few eggs, An Baoling brought pickled meat, and Li Daya brought enough noodles for several people...
"Captain, I tell you, I admire you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to following you, I feel that my life has not been lived in vain." Zhao Xianzhi trembled as soon as he spoke: "Although I have never been scared in front of Li Changwang before, I have never felt so confident as I do this year."
Chang Xiancao and the others nodded, and An Baoling also said, "Sister-in-law, I used to think you were hard-hearted. You are capable, but to our mother-in-law... This year, when Sanzhuang got into trouble, I finally understood how you felt at the time. Don't blame me for being ignorant before."
If there was anyone in Ping An Manor that Xia Juhua was concerned about, An Baoling would definitely be at the top of the list. So after hearing An Baoling's self-blaming words, Xia Juhua didn't let her continue: "If you hadn't kept talking to me in the past few years, I might not have been able to make it through."
Li Daya said somewhat embarrassedly: "Sister-in-law, I am not good at speaking..."
Xia Juhua quickly shook her head: "We have been together for so many years, we all know each other's personality. You and Erzhuang have taken good care of us in those years."
But if Liu Erzhuang was the production team leader, Liu Hongling would not be able to become the production team accountant - on the one hand, Liu Erzhuang had never thought of letting the children in the production team learn to read in all these years, and on the other hand, he was the production team leader and Liu Hongling was not suitable to be an accountant.
Zhang Cuiping's eyes were red: "Captain, even though Chen Qiusheng is the production captain, I still feel at ease when you are the production captain."
"What nonsense are you talking about? If Qiu Sheng hears you, he will definitely fight with you." Xia Juhua joked with Zhang Cuiping and then said, "Although I am the team leader, I still live in the Ping'anzhuang Production Team. If there is anything, we can talk about it when we meet."
The mood of several people was much better because of Xia Juhua's words. While eating, they talked about the changes of the women in Pingan Village. It was unexpected that the changes of the women in Pingan Village were really great:
First of all, women earn as much as men do. The key is that they can see the money on a regular basis, unlike men who have to wait until the dividends are distributed to see the money. This makes women speak more confidently at home, and even men going into the kitchen to cook is taken for granted. In the past, which woman would dare to think of men going into the kitchen?
Then, there are no conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in every family: no matter whether it is the mother-in-law or the daughter-in-law, they are all busy weaving mats and baskets, and they work together every day. After getting along with each other for a year, everyone knows clearly who does what and what kind of person they are. If there is anyone who wants to make trouble behind the scenes, there are eight pairs of eyes watching them, and no one with a little dignity will do that.
The biggest change is that the women have begun to learn to read, and because they know how to read, they attach importance to their children's learning. It is said that all the children who study under Liu Lizhu will go to the brigade primary school after the New Year. No family would stop their children from going to school because they want them to help with housework.
"They were attracted by the idea that Hongling could become an accountant just because she could read. Otherwise, some families would want to let their children go and earn work points right away." Zhao Xianzhi expressed her contempt for such people.
Xia Juhua knew how much disadvantages would befall those who could not read in the future, and she agreed with Zhao Xianzhi's viewpoint: "For children under ten years old, even if they work in the fields, if they can earn four work points a day, it's considered high. Besides, if they work in the fields too early, their bodies will be exhausted, and they will not grow tall in the future, and it will be difficult for them to find a wife."
Why are children born in the 1980s and 1990s taller than those born in the 1970s? In addition to better nutrition, a large part of the reason is that they started working late. Now, every member of Pingan Village has the conditions to let their children work two years later. We can't lose the big picture while gaining the small details.
Time passed quickly while they were chatting and laughing. It felt like they hadn't said anything when Liu Zhishuang knocked on the door. He smiled and said to Zhao Xianzhi who opened the door, "Auntie, you guys are too talkative. You're not going to work tomorrow? My mother said she's staying. It's getting dark and she can't see the road anymore. Let her go home with me first."
"Stop pretending to be filial. Your mother eats well and speaks well with me. Why do you come to pick her up now?" Because of Xia Juhua, Zhao Xianzhi was particularly fond of the Liu family, and she spoke very impolitely to Liu Zhishuang.
Liu Zhishuang shook his head a little embarrassedly, and said anxiously: "Auntie, there is something wrong in our family. My brother, sister-in-law and I don't know what to do. We have to let my mother go back and make a decision."
Since the Liu family had something urgent to do, Zhao Xianzhi couldn't keep Xia Juhua any longer, so several people sent her out together and asked Liu Zhishuang what happened at home. Liu Zhishuang glanced at Xia Juhua and said, "Mom, you will know when you go back and take a look."
When Xia Juhua got home, she understood why Liu Zhishuang didn't say it in front of others: as soon as they saw her coming back, Wang Caifeng and Liu Zhiquan started moving things from the east room to the main room, including eggs, noodles, brown sugar, all packed in basins, and even two old hens.
"Where did this come from?" Even though she had thought about it in her mind, Xia Juhua still asked with some disbelief.
Wang Caifeng said with some embarrassment and pride: "Before it got dark, Grandma Qi came with ten eggs, and then Old Master Dong brought some noodles, and then they kept coming from one family to another. We originally thought that it was rare for you to talk to someone and relax, so we didn't want to call you, but now there are more and more of these things, we are a little scared, so we asked Zhishuang..."
Xia Juhua asked helplessly: "Who sent what? Did you remember everything?" The same thing happened to everyone last year. This year, Wang Caifeng and the others were careless at the beginning, and when they wanted to refuse, it was obvious that they could no longer stop.
Liu Zhiquan said in a solemn voice: "Caifeng and Zhishuang remember it."
Liu Zhishuang handed over two pieces of paper with the names of the people and the gifts written on them in pencil. The handwriting was not very pretty, but it was very clear, and there would not be the same problem as last year where he remembered things in a confused way.
Seeing that her mother-in-law was just looking at the list without saying anything, Wang Caifeng asked with some concern: "Mom, are we going to save these for Master Wu's birthday? Will we add more dishes for everyone?"
Xia Juhua shook her head: "No, I can't add more dishes to Fifth Master this time. I used to be the production team leader of Ping'an Village, and the people from the production team ate all the food they sent, which was like meat rotting in the pot. But now I am the leader of the Ping'an Village Brigade, not only the people from the Ping'an Village production team look after our family, but also the people from the other four production teams."
Wang Caifeng herself felt that when her mother-in-law suggested adding more food to the Fifth Master's meal last year, everyone in the production team contributed their own food. They all gathered together to eat and chat. The scene was lively and nostalgic, and she wished that it would happen again this year.
Wang Caifeng had more than one or two people who shared the same idea, so the next day Chen Qiu Sheng blew the whistle and asked everyone to hold a meeting before going to work. Then everyone found out that the so-called meeting was Xia Juhua bringing her family, and they were asked to take back the things they had given to Xia Juhua according to the list, and no one wanted to accept it.
"Captain, I didn't really give this to you. I gave it to you as a birthday treat for Master Wu."
"Yes, yes. We still have to celebrate Fifth Master's birthday. I was afraid I would forget, so I saved it at your house first and we can just take it to the stove together when the time comes."
One person said this, and two people said this. Xia Juhua had to frown: "I appreciate everyone's kindness, but I really can't accept this. If you want to add dishes for Master Wu's birthday, just send them over on that day."
“你們想想，要是我收一個雞蛋或是一把挂面，以後大隊裏遇到啥事兒，我替平安莊說話的話，那四個生産隊的人，會不會覺得，我是拿了平安莊人的東西，才替平安莊說話的？”
趙仙枝雖然沒參與昨天送東西的行動，卻覺得夏菊花帶平安莊人忙活一年，讓大家的日子肉眼可見的越來越好，收點兒東西不算個啥：“他們願意咋想咋想，大不了你別幹那個大隊長了。”
“胡說。”聽到消息的五爺，在劉大喜的跟随下過來了，正好聽到趙仙枝又鼓動夏菊花不當大隊長，不由沉下臉先把趙仙枝鎮唬住：“她不當大隊長，那兩臺拖拉機能成平安莊大隊的？沒了拖拉機，來年你們又得自己翻地，用肩膀挑水澆地，那累你們願意再挨一遍？”
夏菊花一個沒注意，讓五爺把她不得不當平安莊大隊長的原因給說了出來，把平安莊生産隊的人都聽愣了，接着好幾個婦女的眼圈都紅了：她們隊長太不容易了，為了不讓平安莊的人挨累，她自己得挨更多的累！
“是我讓菊花為難了，我老婆子先把自己的東西拿回去。”七□□一個站出來，慢慢走到擺東西的桌子前頭，向王彩鳳說：“彩鳳呀，七奶昨天拿的是十個雞蛋。”
王彩鳳數出十個雞蛋遞給七奶，向老人家微微彎了彎腰，五奶一笑：“以後你婆婆忙，要是兩孩子鬧，你一個人看不過來，就給五奶送過來。七奶別的不能幹啦，帶帶孩子還行。”
王彩鳳再向七奶笑一下，見別人跟着過來，低頭看紙上寫的人名後頭的東西，小聲告訴劉志全是啥，劉志全就把東西拿出來，遞給來人。
五爺看着劉家人有條不紊的配合，向站在自己身邊的夏菊花說：“你說的對，人還得認字。你看這麽些人這麽些東西，志全兩口子一點兒不亂的都發回去了，以前不認字的時候可做不到。”
夏菊花看到劉力群遠遠走過來了，知道他是來找自己的，笑着對五爺說一句：“要不我咋說讓大家都盡量認點兒字呢。五爺，劉隊長過來了，我得去大隊了。”
“去吧，都答應人家了，還能不去？生産隊這邊你放心，有我和秋生呢。”五爺也看到了劉力群，沖他點了點頭放夏菊花離開。
劉力群來找夏菊花，是李長順見到上工的點兒了，夏菊花還沒到大隊部，怕她還對當大隊長有抵觸，特意讓劉力群來找一趟。
沒想到看到平安莊人一個接一個從劉家人手裏領東西，劉力群自然要問問是咋回事兒，夏菊花就将情況簡單的說了一下。
劉力群聽了很感慨的說：“平安莊社員心裏感謝你呢。其實那幾個生産隊的社員也都念着你的好，以後工作上不會給你出難題。”
但願吧。夏菊花心裏盼着各生産隊真不出啥狀況，人跟着劉力群來到大隊部，李長順和常會計已經在等着她了。錢好點兒，大隊的東西也好點兒，交接工作沒啥難的，不到半天就完成了。
“菊花呀，接下來你想幹點兒啥，各生産隊該幹點兒啥？”李長順笑的一臉慈祥。
夏菊花自己也不是沒想過，就說要到各生産隊走走看看，了解了解情況。李長順想了想對劉力群說：“我腿腳不好，你跟着菊花一起去吧。”
夏菊花和劉力群都譴責的看着李長順，他就使勁捶自己受過傷的腿。夏菊花兩人有啥法子，各自推了自己的自行車，先上小莊頭。
常會計等兩個人出了大隊部的院門，才問：“大隊長，你說我們丫頭跟劉志雙的事兒，還有指望沒有？要是沒指望的話，我就給丫頭張羅別人了。”
說起這個李長順心裏也沒底：“誰知道夏工作是咋想的，我跟她側面提了幾次，她都說看劉志雙自己的意思。”
常會計聽了直嘬牙花子：“這可咋整。我早跟我們家丫頭說過了，看她那意思也挺中意劉志雙的。現在夏菊花偏當了大隊長。我聽說平安莊生産隊隊長換成了陳秋生，會計是劉紅玲，她兩兒子一個都沒幹。”
“她那人謹慎着呢，才不會幹讓人說嘴的事兒。”李長順越想越覺得劉志雙跟常春芽的事兒懸：“在平安莊生産隊她都避嫌，你們一個大隊長一個大隊會計，這事兒你回家還是好好跟丫頭說說吧。好小夥子多着呢，那個劉志雙是二婚，也不算多好。”
繼夏菊花和劉力群之後，常會計也用譴責的目光看李長順了。
夏菊花和劉力群現在已經到了小莊頭，正在聽李大牛說着小莊頭的情況：“我們生産隊就一百零三戶，九百七十七個人，帳上有一百二十多塊錢。今年的工分值你們也都知道，沒法跟平安莊比。”
誰能跟平安莊比呢？劉力群家在四隊，也随着李大牛的話有些羨慕的看了夏菊花一眼。夏菊花覺得壓力有點兒大，忙問個問題轉移兩人的視線：“那這段時間大家都幹啥呢？”
“還能幹啥，”李大牛指着在地裏勞作的人們說：“我們生産隊現在就是把地裏的茬子刨出來，平地呢。過幾天大隊開始安排修渠就接着修。”
夏菊花聽了點頭問：“你們的麥麸都篩過了，篩出多少面來，那面準備咋用？”
說起這個李大牛臉上露出點兒笑模樣：“大隊長，你還別說，我們真從裏頭篩出了一百五十斤面來。都放在生産隊的糧倉裏呢，好些人吵吵着想讓分了。大隊長，你們平安莊是咋分的？”
還想分？夏菊花只能搖頭：“我們去年篩出來的就沒分，今年的也不準備分。一個生産隊百十戶人家，一家才能分多少？今年篩出來的準備還給六十五歲以上的老人一人分三斤，剩下的放到生産隊手裏，來年遇到啥事兒能拿得出來。”
光給六十五歲以上的老人分？李大牛覺得有點兒不靠譜：“那別人有意見咋辦？”
夏菊花不解的問：“憑啥有意見，他們自己沒老的時候，還是覺得自己活不到六十五？誰沒有老的那天。老人們吃苦受累了一輩子，集體給點兒照顧咋啦。”
別說李大牛，劉力群都聽住了，聽完後好一會兒反應過來，向李大牛說：“我覺得大隊長說的有道理，誰還沒個老的時候，讓老人過年吃頓餃子還有意見的人，還算個人嘛。”
夏菊花忙說：“我們平安莊的人沒啥意見，老人們也都挺樂呵。不過一個生産隊有一個生産隊的情況，你們生産隊咋處理那些面，還是你們自己商量。”
“還商量個啥。”李大牛直接拍了一下大腿：“誰有意見沖着我來，我還就不信了。”說完發現自己太激動了，向夏菊花笑了一下又問：“大隊長，你們平安莊今年啥時候漏粉兒，漏出來的粉條都自己留着吃嗎？”
夏菊花就一本正經的板起臉來：“當然是自己吃，漏粉不就是為了防止來年青黃不接的時候糧食不夠吃嘛。”
行，你嘴嚴。李大牛看了沒說話的劉力群一眼，沒往深了問，想要等哪天單獨見夏菊花的時候，好好探探她的底——去年糧站都找平安莊漏粉了，他們自己漏的粉真是全都自己吃了？
“大隊長，還有個事兒，聽說你們生産隊的孩子都認了不少字了，你看我們生産隊……”李大牛今天的問題太多，恨不得夏菊花個個都能給出答案。
夏菊花還真有話回答他：“平安莊給劉力柱每天記十個工分，他積極性可高了，白天晚上不歇着，教了大人教孩子。你們生産隊以前不是也有上過初中的人嗎，趁着冬天不忙的時候教孩子們認認字，省得開春大隊小學辦起來，孩子們上學跟不上。”
李大牛聽了一咧嘴：“咱們兩個生産隊離這麽近，再說小莊頭也沒有那麽大房子盛下那麽老些孩子。”
夏菊花臉上的表情一絲不變：“沒有那麽大的房子，就蓋呀。我們平安莊的社員夏天那麽熱的天，天天頂着太陽脫坯，不光把孩子們上課的地方蓋出來了，還蓋了場院和漏粉房呢。現在雖說天氣冷了點兒，還不挨曬呢。”
劉力群咳嗽了一聲，提醒夏菊花現在她已經是整個平安莊大隊的大隊長了，最好別提起平安莊生産隊就一臉自豪。李大牛心裏也不得勁：“我不是沒有你想的周到嘛。現在脫坯多難幹，來不及蓋了。”
夏菊花就轉頭去看小莊頭地裏幹活的人，大家都在低頭刨茬子，刨出來後還得在鋤頭把上把土敲掉，最後或挑或推的弄回生産隊。
平安莊的茬子早已經分到各家了，小莊頭的地看上去才刨了一半，夏菊花就有些不解：“今年你們生産隊到底種了多少紅薯？”平安莊茬子收的快，就是因為玉米、高粱種的少好收拾。
李大牛想起這個又後悔：“我們種了一百六十畝。”
那就難怪了，各個生産隊的土地都差不多是五百多畝，平安莊開春的時候一下子種了三百多畝紅薯，足足比小莊頭多了一倍。
夏菊花能說的只是：“那你們今年冬天漏粉省事兒了。”
李大牛完全不想跟夏菊花說話了，可臉上還得挂上笑問：“大隊長，那兩臺拖拉機啥時候能來，你說你們平安莊開春翻地的那個犁，能翻茬子不？”
敢情他打的是這個主意，夏菊花就似笑非笑的看李大牛：“那個犁是人這薛技術員設計出來翻平地的，不是翻茬子地的。”
李大牛就失望的哦了一聲，沒別的可說了。他不說話，小莊頭的情況也基本了解了，夏菊花與劉力群又騎上自行車到了三隊。
牛隊長也在領着社員刨茬子，見兩人來了馬上露出笑臉：“大隊長，劉隊長，你們來啦。快，咱們上生産隊歇一會兒。”
歇就不用歇了，還是了解情況要緊。相對來說三隊是平安莊大隊五個生産隊裏人口最少、土地也最少的生産隊，夏菊花來之前就做好了三隊家底薄的準備，所以聽牛隊長介紹說三隊帳上只有七十多塊錢，沒有多吃驚。
牛隊人說完見夏菊花臉色平靜，有些摸不着頭腦：“大隊長，平安莊帳面上有多少錢？”
劉力群同情的看了牛隊長一眼，沒法告訴他，站在他面前的夏菊花，本來打算平安莊生産隊自己買拖拉機的。夏菊花也不想太打擊牛隊長，只說平安莊帳上的錢比三隊多不了多少。
盡管心裏不信，牛隊長也沒多問，拉着夏菊花問起了與李大牛同樣的問題，那就是劉力柱能不能同樣教一教三隊的孩子。
對于牛隊長，夏菊花心裏更認可一些，笑着說：“你們生産隊不是也有念過書的，讓他們教就行。你覺得沒地方，現在湙河裏還能挖得動泥，土坯不好幹，多曬幾天也能将就着用。”
劉力群就看了夏菊花一眼，又轉頭看了看沉思的牛隊長，沒說話。牛隊長已經想明白了：“行，那我馬上安排人脫土坯。大隊長，你看能不能跟夏窪大隊說說，給我們也開窯燒點兒磚？”
夏菊花就有些為難：“話好說，可煤不好找。上次我們平安莊買的煤是挂面廠均出來的，花的還是調撥價。”
聽說是挂面廠均出來的，牛隊長眼神已經開始黯淡，再聽調撥價幾個字，就徹底斷了指望——調撥價意味着多花錢，就三隊這點兒家底，全掏出來也不夠燒兩窯磚的。
算了，有土坯也能對付過今年冬天，來年大隊小學就收學生了。
自我安慰完的牛隊長又問：“大隊長，我聽說平安莊篩出來的面，給每個六十五歲以上的老人都發了三斤，我們生産隊也這麽發行不行？”
劉力群總算知道夏菊花為啥對牛隊長和李大牛區別對待了，人家牛隊長是鐵了心跟着平安莊的腳步走，還走的一步一個腳印，他是夏菊花也願意多提點這人兩句。
夏菊花的确帶笑點了點頭：“有啥不行的，我要是覺得不好能給平安莊的老人發？老人心氣順了，脾氣就不那麽固執，也能聽得進勸去。兒女有點兒讓他們看不順眼的地方，他們也都能包容，一家的矛盾就少了。家裏沒鬧氣的事兒，社員下地幹活也省心不是。”
理是這麽個理，可有多少人能想得明白呢。牛隊長看夏菊花的眼神更加佩服，連平安莊是讓老人自己領還是隊幹部給送家去都問到了。
離開三隊的時候，劉力群回頭看了一眼，發現牛隊長還在向兩人揮手，不由笑了：“以前我們都管老牛叫牛老別，覺得他處處跟人別着來，沒想到一見到你成了順毛驢。”
夏菊花跟牛隊長打交道以來，還真沒覺得這人別扭：“我覺得牛隊長挺通情達理的，你們咋覺得他別扭呢？”
劉力群就給夏菊花說起牛隊長別扭的事跡，比如大隊統一安排讓冬閑的時候修渠，他非得說三隊地裏的活還沒幹完，得把別的活都幹明白了再修。
再比如大隊讓大家一起交公糧，看起來氣勢足些，三隊愣是要自己去交，因為覺得自己生産隊的公糧不如別的生産隊多，怕人家笑話他，以至于從那以後，平安莊大隊各生産隊都是各交各的公糧，再也沒全大隊一起行動過……
“那是不是真有人笑話過三隊？”夏菊花覺得牛隊長不會無緣無故說這樣的話，問了一句。
劉力群想想說：“可能是哪次開會的時候，誰跟他開玩笑吧，誰能想到他把玩笑話當了真，還認死理認了這麽些年。”
生産隊土地少、人口少，家底又薄，當生産隊長的本來心就虛，別人說兩句不相幹的，都可能認為是在說自己生産隊，何況開會的時候當面被人說破？
不過劉力群明顯覺得牛隊長有點兒小題大做，夏菊花也就不跟他在這個問題上争辯。她說的是別的：“劉隊長，我聽說別的大隊已經出現了小偷小摸的，眼看着入冬大家睡得早了，咱們大隊民兵每天巡邏幾回？”
提起這個劉力群也頭疼：“公社說是發救濟糧，可咱們都知道救濟糧只能讓人餓不死，想吃好吃飽那是做夢。人餓急眼了，可不就啥都顧不上了。現在各生産隊的民兵每天晚上巡邏兩回，大家也都有點兒怨氣。”
“有啥怨氣？”基幹民兵巡邏能記工分，平安莊的民兵巡邏起來可積極了。
劉力群苦笑了一下說：“現在誰家晚上不是喝稀粥，睡在炕上還好說，一覺也就糊弄過去了。民兵大半夜巡邏天又冷、肚子裏又沒東西，能沒有怨氣？”
“那咱們大隊的儲備糧還有多少？”夏菊花問了一個劉力群沒想到的問題。
劉力群邊騎車邊說：“我哪兒知道，常會計不是應該都跟你說過了嗎？”
夏菊花有些不好意思的說：“我沒着心聽。”一般來說大隊的儲備糧是不能動的，對于不能動的東西夏菊花都沒啥興趣。
好在常會計還在大隊部，一問知道大隊儲備糧還有六千多斤，夏菊花有些奇怪：“咋這麽多，都是啥？”
常會計就給她一一說明白，夏菊花發現大隊的儲備糧竟然都是主糧，就問常會計：“儲備糧一般幾年換一回？”
“按理說應該一年一換。今年不是年景不好嘛，咱們大隊公糧都只交了一半，也就沒新糧更換儲備糧。”
“那要是公社檢查咋辦？”夏菊花更想問的是，別的大隊都有人家斷頓了，他們真的守着儲備糧不分給社員嗎？之所以不敢分給社員，是因為怕上級檢查吧。
常會計搖了搖頭：“公社只要糧倉裏的糧食夠數，一般都不看新舊。再說現在誰敢糊弄，紅小隊巴不得拿着哪個大隊的錯呢。”
是了，還有一個紅小隊。夏菊花這些日子都快把紅小隊給忘了，也就忘了此時大家對紅小隊的恐懼。
“巡邏的民兵餓着肚子也不是事兒，真有賊他們餓的前胸貼後背的，也追不上人家。”夏菊花還有點惦記儲備糧，不過想到紅小隊在不知道的角落裏虎視眈眈，也不敢輕舉妄動，就想聽聽李長順的意見。
李長順還是頭一次聽到這樣的問題，面上不顯心裏的有些慚愧，覺得自己做工作的确不如夏菊花細致，也不如夏菊花能發現問題：“儲備糧是不能動的。不過聽說公社的紅小隊，每天都有糧票補貼，咱們大隊……”
夏菊花覺得不可行：“各生産隊糧倉裏頭的糧食，是為了來年青黃不接的時候應急用的，哪兒舍得拿出來發給民兵。”民兵都是壯勞力，掙全工分的人，一般不會出現工分不夠換口糧的情況。
“算了，我去公社一趟，找張主任想想辦法。”心裏慚愧的李長順，說出了夏菊花滿意的答案。
“那讓平安莊的牛車送你一趟吧。”夏菊花勸李長順：“你騎不了自行車，走的話腿也不方便。”
李長順想拒絕，劉力群和常會計都同意夏菊花的意見，他也就答應下來。這麽一忙活早到了吃晚上飯的時候，說好了明天夏菊花帶着平安莊的牛車來大隊部，幾個人才各回各家吃飯。
騎自行車來到平安莊的村口，夏菊花看着熟悉的街道和房子，竟然有些恍惚，好象自己離開平安莊不是大半天而是很長時間，看啥都那麽親切。
“嫂子，你回來啦。”七喜樂颠颠的跑過來跟夏菊花打招呼，把夏菊花搞的愣了一下：“都啥時候了，你不在家裏吃飯，咋在這兒呢？”
七喜有些不解的看着她：“你忘啦，去年我跟拴柱幾個不就天天在村口看人嘛，今年還是我們幾個。”
Xia Juhua laughed: "Look at my memory. If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten. Is everything going on in the production team? Are there any outsiders?"
Qixi shook his head and nodded again: "There is nothing to do in the production team. Everyone is doing what they should do. A few relatives came to borrow food, but except for the old Chen family, there is still one relative who stayed, and the rest have left."
After the autumn harvest, even though the people of Pinganzhuang put on a few shows in front of their relatives who came to borrow food, as the food supply of other brigades became less and less, the Pinganzhuang brigade with a good harvest became more and more conspicuous. Especially the Pinganzhuang production team with the best harvest, almost every day someone's relatives would come to borrow food.
"Oh, sister-in-law, Qi Weidong just came." Qi Xi remembered something important and hurriedly informed Xia Juhua, "He brought two people with him. They will arrive in the afternoon."
Hearing that Qi Weidong had arrived, Xia Juhua immediately got on her bike again, told Qixi not to miss the shift change and lunch, and rode back to her home quickly.
When they entered the courtyard, they only saw three parked bicycles, but no sign of Qi Weidong and the others. Xia Juhua shouted, "Caifeng, didn't you say Xiao Qi is here? Where is he?"
Wang Caifeng poked her head out of the kitchen: "Mom, you're back. Zhiquan is talking to Xiaoqi in our room. My hot and sour noodles will be ready soon."
"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing first." While Xia Juhua asked Wang Caifeng to continue cooking, Qi Weidong, Li Lin and Xie Hongbing had already come out of the east room, followed by Liu Zhiquan who looked dazed.
Seeing Liu Zhiquan's expression, Xia Juhua said in her heart that something was wrong. Liu Zhiquan worked very hard, but his brain was no match for Qi Weidong. Don't let Qi Weidong fool him.
"Auntie, I heard that you got a promotion. You can't just give us hot and sour noodles today, right?" Qi Weidong greeted her with a smile, as if he didn't notice the wariness in Xia Juhua's eyes.
Xia Juhua smiled at him and said, "How did I become the captain of this team? Didn't your uncle tell you?"
Qi Weidong smiled a little sheepishly: "Well, my uncle and his friends also think that you are capable. Besides, you know that my uncle is a ruthless person who would even cheat me."
It was true. If Uncle Qi hadn't tricked Qi Weidong last year, Xia Juhua and his friends wouldn't have been able to save the village, and they wouldn't have lost more than 100,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes. Xia Juhua thought about her conversation with Uncle Qi at the County Revolutionary Committee, and felt that Qi Weidong was no match for his uncle. She said sympathetically, "Your uncle..."
Qi Weidong said cheerfully, "Yeah, I also think my uncle is ruthless sometimes, and I don't understand what he is thinking. What does it have to do with him whether those people can have food or not? Maybe when they eat vermicelli to save their lives, they don't even know that it was my uncle who forced you to leak the vermicelli to save their lives."
If your uncle hadn't come up with this idea, maybe some people in Pingde County wouldn't have been able to get the relief rations. Xia Juhua's anger suddenly subsided. She knew that her awareness was not comparable to Uncle Qi's, and she also understood why Uncle Qi and Director Zhang insisted on letting her be the captain.
"You are Shang Chengping