In the fourth team, almost every household had bundles of reeds lying in their yards.
Ordinary people cut a large bundle of reeds. They just take a bundle of reeds, put it outside, cut it for a morning or an afternoon, and then pull it back.
Now in 1983, most people have donkey carts at home, a few people have horse carriages at home, and there are only two tractors in the Li family.
Tao Daqiang was also smoking reeds in his yard, thinking of the child's face.
At this time, pregnant women were not as nutritious as later generations, and the child was wrinkled when born. He only saw him once in the health center, and then he was wrapped by a nurse and placed next to Yang Pingping.
Later, when Yang Pingping came back for confinement, she went to her parents' home. After all, Tao Daqiang's mother was gone, and her eldest brother also split up the family, so there was no one at home to take care of her confinement.
When the moon comes out, Yang Pingping will be back. There are only a few days left.
Tao Daqiang would go to his father-in-law's house basically every day. Even if he couldn't see Yang Pingping and the child, he could just listen to the child's voice outside.
He picked up the fishing net again and caught fish every day. Crucian carp stew contains milk, but after catching him a few times, his father-in-law stopped letting him catch him. Firstly, I can’t finish the food. It’s not frozen yet and I can’t save it. Secondly, Yang Pingping is not short of milk.
Actually, my father-in-law and mother-in-law are from the Loess Plateau, and they still tend to favor sons over daughters. They were also worried that Tao Daqiang would blame Yang Pingping after she gave birth to a girl.
But looking at the current situation, Tao Daqiang has no idea at all.
They were relieved and took good care of their daughter.
Tao Daqiang didn’t play much with the reeds. These reeds were made by Tao Jian. This old man has become very energetic since his transformation.
Nowadays, life at home is getting better and better. Tao Daqiang has made a lot of money from fishing, he has made some money from being a weaver, and he has also made some money from being a sweeper.
And he planned to earn some more money from the next reed work, and discuss with Tao Daqiang in the beginning of spring to buy a tractor directly.
The Tao family has always been at the bottom of the village. His wife passed away early, and after the eldest brother Tao Dayong separated, he and Daqiang lived together. Not only were they hungry and full, but after all, before last year, they had never had a good meal in a down-to-earth manner.
The younger son has good vision and good luck. He followed Li Long and his life became better and better.
People's hearts also need support. The Tao family is one of the first in the village to have a donkey cart. He just regrets that at the beginning of the year, Tao Daqiang wanted to follow Li Long in planting melons, but he didn't follow.
If you really want to follow them, the Li family will share a few kilograms of seeds with them.
Not to mention planting a lot at that time, even if you planted five acres of land, you would still earn more than 2,000 yuan!
Regret is regret, but Tao Jianshe also knows that it is better to seize the present.
So when the work in the field was finished and the people in the team started to cut the reeds, he was also cutting on the donkey cart.
Although it is not more than others, it is not much less than others.
Tao Daqiang would cut reeds during the day when he came back from the health center, and he would go to his father-in-law's house only after he came back from pulling reeds.
Tao Daqiang just felt that the people in the team were too crazy.
Normally, the team members have to finish hunting the two reeds in the reed lake, which is basically December. Wei Zi, who was diligent in hunting Xiao Haizi, at least waited for Xiao Haizi to get cold. It was almost January.
But this year, November has just begun, and the reeds in the two reed lakes are basically gone. The small lake has not yet completely frozen, and some people dare to wear thin clothes and walk in the waist-deep small lake. Cutting reeds by the sea.
I will risk my life for money.
If you can’t hit the reed, you can only smoke the reed. Someone was smoking and tying reeds at the same time, according to last year's standards. Tao Daqiang, for example, is in line with Li Jianguo, and first takes out all the reeds.
There is no rush to tie up the reed. We will wait until there is some movement from Li Long.
Otherwise, it will be difficult to recover after being tied into a reed.
What is floating in the sky above the three residential areas is reed hair. When each family eats, their bodies are also covered with reed hairs, that is, reed catkins. Even Li Juan had it when she took Li Qiang to school.
When Li was a kid, Li Jianpingpi liked to light this with matches, but now he doesn't dare to light it. There are these everywhere in the yard at home, and he still knows the importance of burning them if they are lit.
Every summer, the fourth team has large piles of wheat straw on the wheat field, and in winter, each family has large piles of reeds. However, there have been basically no fires in so many years. The most important thing is that each family keeps their children The management is very honest.
Even if firecrackers are set off during the New Year, the children know to stay away from the haystacks. If the grass is really on fire, children will really put out the fire.
Tao Daqiang has also learned to think about problems after following Li Long in the past two years. He heard from his father that at least one-third of the team had nothing to do and were already drawing reeds and tying reed handles.
Tao Daqiang felt that this was inappropriate, but he couldn't persuade others.
You can talk about your good relationship with Li Long, but if you talk about those who have a normal relationship, people will doubt your intentions.
Anyway, things are done by people. We are all adults and must be responsible for our own actions.
He only smokes reeds at home, and the finished reed leaves are piled together to make fire in winter.
This is how the reed leaves are used in every household. Of course, this is also the case if the reed leaves are not sold.
After all, you can’t just use charcoal when setting up a stove in winter. Usually, the reed is at the bottom, the corn core is in the middle, and the coal is at the top.
Tao Daqiang actually wanted to go to the county to ask Li Long how he handled the reed, but thinking about it, since Li Long didn't come back, he probably didn't get the job.
In fact, with the money from his father Tao Construction, Tao Daqiang has barely saved enough money for the tractor. But after buying a tractor, the family doesn’t have much money left.
In winter, he could still break holes in the ice to catch fish, but he thought that if he could do the job of selling reed handles once and save more money, his family would be better off.
So he actually hoped that Li Long would get this job.
At least if Li Long takes this job, he will give more money to the team members.
If you make a substitution, you may not be able to let the team members get the money.
In fact, everyone knows about this. Sometimes people make trouble, but it’s just that they can’t stand Li Long taking more money.
But they don’t have the ability to get work from the supply and marketing cooperative.
If Li Long were replaced by another stranger in the village or county, they would not dare to talk nonsense.
On the contrary, it was precisely because Li Long grew up in this village and they knew what he was like when he was a boy, so they were jealous.
How could they not be jealous of such an ordinary boy who was having troubles right now?
Tao Daqiang also slowly figured out this truth.
He is not jealous of Li Long, he thinks Li Long should have that ability. I have watched Li Jianguo on this team since I was a child. When it was still a big collective cooperative, his group had better food than the other groups.
That's the thing.
Isn’t it normal for Li Long to be capable?
Li Qingxia is over 60 years old and is still so good at catching fish.
Which old man in the team can do this?
Li Anguo went to Kuitun and became a formal worker in less than three months.
It feels like there is no bad person in the Li family.
It’s useless to think too much, just do your best. He felt that he was getting farther and farther away from Li Long, but he was already doing well now. Next year I will buy a tractor and make money from harvesting melons, and I will be considered one of the best people in the village.
In two years, from being almost the worst-off in the team to being one of the best, what else is there to ask for?
Tao Daqiang is actually a contented person.
Xu Jianjun was tying reeds in the yard.
His wife was helping beside him, and he kept saying:
"We must raise the standard this year. Last year, Hu Lao Er and Hu Lao San followed to collect those of average quality. This year, no one and Li "Long is competing. If he doesn't accept it if our standards are not high, we will be in trouble."
Like Wang Caimi, he initially suspected that the Li family was cheating the villagers, but he didn't expect it. In the end, it was all published in the newspapers, and by then it was already too late to go shopping.
He, Wang Caimi, and some people in the village who wanted to buy melon seeds but didn't, also laughed at Tao Dayong for buying deflated seeds. Tao Dayong didn't explain. Who would have thought that those women talked too much, Tao Dayong Dayong’s daughter-in-law Ma Aihong told the truth:
“Those deflated seeds can germinate!”
Now no one is laughing.
Since those seeds can germinate, it means there is no problem in planting them next year. At best, the seedlings will not grow very well and may need more fertilizer.
A bag of fertilizer costs less than 10 yuan. Compared with the income of 400 to 500 yuan per acre of land, what is it?
Now it was Xu Jianjun and Wang Caimin’s turn to be jealous of Tao Dayong.
But there was nothing he could do. He went to his party brother Xu Chengjun and wanted to get some melon seeds from him, but his sister-in-law Ma Hongmei kicked him out.
She looked down on him when he was not fully gaining momentum, and he couldn't agree with him when he was gaining momentum. To put it bluntly, he couldn't keep up with the heat even when he was eating shit. Ma Hongmei was naturally interested in this uncle's plan to make her own family rich. opinion.
Xu Chengjun acquiesced to his wife's behavior.
My cousins, Xu Haijun is not bad, Xu Dejun is not bad, Xu Feihu is a little clever, but at least he is not stupid, but this Xu Jianjun, with such a grand name, does all kinds of stupid things. I can't help even if I want to.
Xu Jianjun couldn't find a way to grow melons. He had inquired about nearby seed companies and also visited the roasted seeds and nuts factory. They had already fried the melons——
The big pots in roasting seeds and nuts factories are not comparable to the big pots in ordinary people's homes. That pot can fry dozens of kilograms. A ton of melon seeds would be fried in less than two days.
He had no choice but to exert strength on the reed handle. He thought that after tying up the reeds brought from home, he would lead the donkey cart to see where there were reeds further away and cut some.
This is the last amount of money you can make this year.
If you make money, buy a bicycle yourself!
In mid-November, Tao Daqiang’s daughter-in-law Yang Pingping was finally out of confinement and asked Tao Daqiang to drive her and her child to his home in a donkey cart.
The child who was originally wrinkled saw his head and face become smoother. Although it has not fully grown, it is no longer as ugly as when he was born.
Someone with whom I have a good relationship sent something.
Li Long finally drove the tractor back and sent brown sugar, milk powder, malted milk and other things to Tao Daqiang's family, and also gave the child a red envelope.
Everyone he met was asking Li Long about the reed handles. Li Long still hadn’t received any work, but he knew that some people were already making reed handles at home, so he suggested not to do it yet. .
Because I don’t know if this job will be available this year.
Li Long returned to his eldest brother's house and told his parents and eldest brother and sister-in-law the good news:
"Xiaoxia is pregnant, one month old!"
"What?" Unexpectedly, the last It was Du Chunfang who reacted first, "She's pregnant? Really?"
"Really." Li Long himself was also very excited. He would only come back to report the news to his family after he was sure.
"That's great!" Liang Yuemei was also very excited. She had watched Gu Xiaoxia grow up, and she had taken care of her a lot during her growth. Now that she was kissing her, she was naturally happy.
"Hehe." Li Qingxia just smiled, which was a good thing.
Li Long has not seen any movement from his daughter-in-law in the past few months since his marriage. It is not that he and Du Chunfang have not doubted her in private.
But after all, one is a son and the other is a state cadre, it’s hard to tell.
Now that I am pregnant, everyone is happy.
Li Jianguo only asked:
"Have you told Lao Gu?"
"I have told you, Uncle Gu asked me to come over quickly to tell you the good news."
"Then should I go to the county to take care of Xiaoxia?" Liang Yuemei asked suddenly.
"No, no, no, sister-in-law, no need." Li Long waved his hand hurriedly, "Xiaoxia said there is no reaction at the moment. Besides, we have people over there who specialize in cooking. What will you do if you go here with the whole family? ”
Liang Yuemei was actually a little worried.
Ordinarily, Gu Xiaoxia is pregnant, and her husband's family must have expressed it, but they can't live without her.
"Then I..."
"Sister-in-law, just make some tiger-head shoes or something for your child when you have time." Li Long said with a smile.
"Okay!"
"Then I will spread out a small cotton-padded jacket," Du Chunfang was also very interested, "I don't know if it will be my son or my daughter."
Although she is a bit patriarchal, she knows that Li Long is not patriarchal. Well, as long as it is the youngest son's child, it can be either male or female.
Besides, it seems that both Li Juan and Li Qiang are good here, and so is Xue Ping and Xue Qin. After living in the fourth team for so long, she also felt it. As long as this child is her own.
Of course, we still have to be partial to Li Long.
After Li Long reported the letter to his family, the family calculated that Li Long had everything, but Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei still forced Li Long to load two bags of this year's new rice into Li Long's tractor.
In fact, after knowing that Gu Xiaoxia was pregnant, Sister Yang insisted on moving to Li Long's big yard to take care of Gu Xiaoxia.
Gu Xiaoxia hurriedly refused, joking, she was only a month pregnant, how could she be so delicate?
On the contrary, Li Long gave Sister Yang a hundred yuan and asked her to cook the rice more carefully. If Gu Xiaoxia needs anything to eat, just buy it and make it.
It’s not that I don’t want to give more money. Firstly, Sister Yang doesn’t even want the hundred yuan. She said she has money. Secondly, in the current economic situation, one hundred yuan is already a lot.
Imagine that Li Jianguo went to sell a live big fat pig, and the purchasing station gave a live weighing price of 90 cents. A pig weighing about 100 kilograms got about 90 yuan.
Li Long meant to give Sister Yang some money every once in a while, in order to supplement Gu Xiaoxia's nutrition.
Of course, as for whether Gu Xiaoxia will gain weight, Li Long knows that such a thing will not happen. Gu Xiaoxia is not a glutton, and as a state cadre, she takes her own image very seriously.
State officials should not be overweight. There are not many fat people these days.
When Li Long was driving his tractor towards the county, someone stopped him and asked about Wei Bazi, so he could only explain patiently.
Actually, he was also a little puzzled. In previous years, the work of reeds had been completed long ago. Why was it so late this year?
However, the supply and marketing cooperative did not assign jobs, and he could not let the villagers do it himself. As for those who refused to listen, he had nothing to do.
Uncle Luo from Laoma said that it was winter and there was not much feed, so Li Long went to Shicheng twice more to pick up sugar residue and chatted with Section Chief Hu and Song Ming.
Finally, a heavy snow fell, marking the official arrival of the cold winter.
Li Long, who ran to the supply and marketing cooperative from time to time, finally got a piece of news from Li Xiangqian.
"Last year, there were 20,000 reed handles. This year, there are still 20,000." Li Xiangqian was also dusty. He had just returned from Wucheng. After getting this task, he said directly to Li Long:
“I’ve got it for you, can you finish it?”
"No problem, the standard hasn't changed, right?"
"It has changed." Li Xiangqian said, "The old reed handles have ten reeds in each one. This year, each one is required to have twenty reeds. . Of course, the price has also increased. Last year, it was 20 cents for a reed, and it was 50 cents this year, but the price was still very high."
Li Long knew it was bad when he heard it. .
Those people in the village who have already tied the reeds will be in dire straits this time.
“Still three thin wires?”
"Well, the length remains the same, the wire remains the same, but the number of reeds has changed. It should be because after practice, the above thought that the small reed handle is not as useful as the large reed handle."
Maybe, in the last life It seems there is no such trouble? Have you always been a little bitch?
Could it be something you fanned out again?
Unlikely? Are you not involved in the construction industry?
Li Long knew that now, someone would be in trouble again. Those in the village who tied up the reeds in advance will be in trouble this time.
Li Long got an errand from Li Xiangqian and returned to the courtyard, but did not return to the team immediately.
He wanted to tell Gu Xiaoxia first and wait until tomorrow morning to return to the team.
His future plan is to collect 20,000 reed handles and bring as many as he collects back to the compound every day.
It is more dangerous to put this thing in the team. If it really gets people angry, it will be a big trouble.
After all, there are only so many reeds. If all the reeds in the team are knocked down, there will only be 30,000 to 40,000 reed handles that can be tied.
If what you have checked is burned, you may not be able to make up for it later.
He can afford to lose money, but he doesn’t have that much reed to lose.
So Li Long must be cautious.
He makes a lot of money and wants to join the team or other places. There are also many people who get pinkeye.
After talking to Gu Xiaoxia in the evening, Gu Xiaoxia didn't need his care. Let him go to the team and take care of this.
"I will come back every night. Anyway, you will have just finished get off work by then." Li Long said, "Don't worry, I will take care of both sides."
Anyway, he just accepts and leaves the work to others. .
I just don’t know how those people in the team who have already tied the reeds will react when they hear this standard? (End of this chapter)