Chapter 119: Letter of Introduction is Lifeline
"Xiao Qi, this is your letter of introduction to Qinghai.
This is very important. Without this letter of introduction, you won't be able to take the train or find accommodation in other places. Local hospitals and rural cooperatives won't accept you, and you won't be able to purchase medicinal herbs. So remember to keep it safe!"
Section Chief Kong placed a letter of introduction in front of Lin Sanqi and gave him a few more instructions.
Lin Sanqi picked up the letter of introduction and saw the red title "Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine" on the letter paper.
The content stated Lin Sanqi's position and the content of his work assignment in Qinghai. At the end, it stated that assistance was requested from all levels of units. The entire text was written in vertical font and was stamped with the official seal of the unit at the end.
This letter of introduction can be understood as a "pass" or "identity card", a must-have item for traveling long distances.
After reading it, Lin Sanqi understood the importance of the letter of introduction, so he folded it in half and carefully put it into his backpack.
Section Chief Kong took out another stack of cash and food coupons from the drawer and placed them on the table:
"Xiao Qi, this time you go to Qinghai, you are mainly purchasing two kinds of medicines, one is 500 kilograms of Mahuajiao, and the other is 1000 kilograms of Tangut rhubarb.
This is 4,000 yuan, of which 3,500 yuan is for purchasing medicines, and the other 500 yuan is for your business trip expenses.
You need to know exactly how much you're spending and avoid unnecessary waste. After all, every penny belongs to the government, and you need invoices and receipts to get reimbursed."
Chen Sanqi nodded repeatedly. Money issues are always a big problem, especially for state employees.
"This stack of coupons is for your food coupons for this business trip. I'm giving you 15 days' worth of coupons, 5 jin per day, so a total of 75 jin. I'm giving you this much to cover the expenses of entertaining guests and building relationships with locals. You've also hidden it well. If you lose the coupons, you'll go hungry."
There are allowances for business trips, but haircuts are a very sensitive issue these days, so they are usually replaced with other subsidies.
A powerful unit like the Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine directly provides national food coupons. A pound of national food coupons can be sold for 4 or 5 yuan on the black market. Isn't this definitely a subsidy in disguise?
However, Lin Sanqi didn't care about the money and food coupons. He put them into his backpack without counting them. Section Chief Kong shook his head when he saw this.
In fact, Section Chief Kong had no idea that Lin Sanqi had been going to the black market every night these days, selling tea, grain and brown sugar, and had saved up 10,000 yuan in cash just to prepare for going to Qinghai.
As for food coupons, well, cough, you can get as many as you want...
Finally, Section Chief Kong took out a pistol and a box of bullets from the drawer.
Now Lin Sanqi's eyes lit up.
Kong Shuihu saw Lin Sanqi's expression and smiled knowingly:
"Boy, this is a Type 54 pistol. Your journey to Qinghai this time is quite dangerous, so I specially prepared it for you in advance.
This pistol can be used for self-defense. It has an effective range of 50 meters for close-range attacks, and can also fire within 100 meters. Also, I gave you 100 rounds of ammunition. Ahem, this number is a bit excessive, so don't tell anyone."
Lin Sanqi nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "Don't worry, Uncle Kong, I know what's going on. I promise I won't reveal a single word."
According to regulations, procurement department staff can only receive 16 rounds of ammunition when traveling, which is equivalent to two magazines.
But Section Chief Kong knew that this was Lin Sanqi's first time handling a gun, and that he would inevitably not be able to shoot properly when encountering danger. If he really encountered some criminals or wild wolves in the wild, he was afraid that 16 bullets would be far from enough, so he gave him 100 bullets at once, a whole box.
"Xiao Qi, this pistol is only for self-defense. You must carry it close to your body, even when you sleep, you must put it under your pillow. Remember this.
If the bullets are lost, it's lost. I'll just report them as damaged, but the gun must not be lost. Also, unless your life is in danger, don't use the gun. If something does happen, we're far away in the capital and can't help."
Lin Sanqi nodded heavily. Although he loved guns, he was not American and had never thought about shootings every day.
Having a gun is just an extra layer of protection for your own safety.
Finally, Section Chief Kong took out a small cardboard card from the drawer:
"Here's the train ticket, take it. But the train only goes to Xi'an. You have to buy your own ticket from Xi'an to Xining. You'll have to take care of the return ticket, cargo consignment, and so on by yourself."
In 1959, the railway from Lanzhou to Xining had just opened. There was no direct train between the capital and Xining, so people had to transfer along the way.
This was the norm in 1959. Long distances almost always required a transfer, especially in border areas. It was very common to take a four-day and four-night train ride for a single trip, so taking a train was definitely a physically demanding task in those days.
"Okay, Xiaoqi, I've told you everything I need to. Remember, your personal safety is your top priority when you're out. If you really encounter an emergency, you can abandon anything, including cash. You must never put money before your life. Do you understand?"
Lin Sanqi felt a little touched. After all, the main propaganda these days was that one could sacrifice one's life to protect national property, but Section Chief Kong wanted him to save his life first and not worry about the property.
This is definitely the care that elders show to their younger generations.
"Don't worry, Chief Kong. You and Dean Shen have already sent a telegram to the local hospital in Qinghai to establish connections. I'm just going through the motions. There's no way I'll run into any danger, haha."
Section Chief Kong was relieved when he heard this. As long as he stayed in Xining and didn't leave the city, everything else would be safe. He relaxed and asked:
"Do you have any other needs? Tell me now and I'll solve them for you."
Lin Sanqi scratched his head a little embarrassedly:
"That's right, 15 days might not be enough for my trip to Ching Hai this time. I hope Uncle Kong can give me a few more days..."
Section Chief Kong was a little puzzled. "Oh? 15 days isn't enough? I've already calculated it based on the extra days I've given you. What are you going to do?"
Lin Sanqi made an excuse:
"This isn't my first time traveling far away, and I have to change trains in Xi'an and Lanzhou, so I'd like to take this opportunity to explore the local area and try some local delicacies. But don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses myself and won't take advantage of the opportunity to spend public funds."
Section Chief Kong laughed out loud when he heard this:
"So you want to go out and have some fun. That's not impossible. The beautiful mountains and rivers of our motherland are worth seeing. Anyway, your Northwest Group has the lightest procurement task, so go ahead and have some fun if you want. But you'll only be given a month at most, and you must come back after a month.
Also, when you're out and about, if you encounter an emergency, you must send a telegram back immediately. Even if there's no emergency, you're still required to call once a week to report your safety. Don't be like a kite with a broken string, unable to find anyone. Do you understand?"
“Understood!”
Lin Sanqi calculated that a month would be enough to travel back and forth to Xining. After all, we have trains now, unlike in ancient times when people relied entirely on horse-drawn carriages.
Lin Sanqi, who had also relaxed, put everything on the table into his backpack and took out an aluminum box from it.
"Uncle Kong, take this. It's a special brand of Zhonghua cigarettes. Have a smoke for fun."
After Lin Sanqi finished speaking, he put the box into the drawer of Kong Shuihu's office as quickly as possible, and then left quickly as if nothing had happened.
After Lin Sanqi left, Section Chief Kong excitedly opened the drawer and then the iron box. Inside were 100 cigarettes with butts, and the word "Zhonghua" was printed on the cigarettes.
For old smokers, this kind of cigarette is definitely the ultimate enjoyment in the world.
"This guy is amazing. He can even get cigarettes like this."
Chief Kong laughed for a long time, then seeing that there was no one around, he quietly hid the iron box in the innermost part of the filing cabinet, and then, as if worried, he placed a pile of books outside to make sure no one could see it.
Finally, he leisurely lit a Zhonghua cigarette and began to puff away smoke, his life feeling like a god.
Lin Sanqi came out of the purchasing department and jogged all the way to an idle warehouse, a place he had already chosen. Then he quickly walked through the door and returned to 2013.
After leaving home, Lin Sanqi changed his clothes, then rode his electric bike and quickly headed towards the village industrial zone.
"Brother Jiu, I'm coming again. Oh my god, it's too hot outside."
Lin Qinming was wearing glasses and working on typesetting. When he saw Lin Sanqi come in, he asked curiously:
"Qizai, what trouble are you in now?"
Lin Sanqi threw out the letter of introduction he had just received: "Hey, this, Brother Jiu, I need you to help me make a letter."
"Letter?" Lin Qinming wiped it and took the letter of introduction.
"What's the use of a letter of introduction like this from the 1950s and 1960s? No one would buy it at the antique market. It's meaningless."
"Oh, Brother Jiu, don't worry about this. Just help me copy it exactly. Change these words, such as Mahuajiao to Dongchongxiacao. The workload is not too heavy, so please help me work overtime!"
Lin Qinming laughed and scolded, "Damn it! How can you command others to work like this? It's even more outrageous than Grandpa."
Lin Sanqi took out a wild ginseng from behind his back:
"Don't bother, brother, I'm thinking of you. This is 20-year-old authentic wild ginseng. It sells for tens of thousands of dollars out there. Come and take it to replenish your body."
Lin Qinming took the ginseng in surprise, and at this moment his face was full of smiles:
"Brother, no need, no need, hahaha, then sit for a moment, I'll help you forge it, oh no, help you forge a letter of introduction. Change it to cordyceps, right? Sprinkle some water~~~"
Ginseng is motivation. One hour later, Lin Sanqi got the second letter of introduction in his hand.
Lin Sanqi placed them on the table and compared them for a long time. Except for the handwriting on the letter of introduction, the other papers and seals were exactly the same and there was no difference.
With this letter of introduction, Lin Sanqi's purchase of Cordyceps sinensis in Qinghai became a public act, and was covered with a layer of legality.
By this point, Lin Sanqi had already prepared salt, sugar, tea, and other supplies, as well as 10,000 yuan in cash, plus a letter of introduction. All preparations before going to Qinghai were complete...
(End of this chapter)
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