Chapter 152 Hu Jian Xiamen Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
Lin Sanqi also obtained a handwritten manuscript, which was a business trip itinerary for three provinces and six counties in South China written by Section Chief Kong himself.
According to this itinerary, the complexity of the journey and the frequent transfers are simply beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Lin Sanqi first needed to take a train from the capital to Shanghai, then transfer to a train from Shanghai to Yingtan, Jiangxi, and then transfer to a train for the third time in Yingtan to get to Hu Jian's Xiamen. These transfers alone would take seven days.
This already includes the premise that you cannot buy tickets or are delayed by other unexpected circumstances.
After arriving in Xiamen, there was no train to take, so I needed to find a way to take a long-distance bus. After arriving at the first stop, Putian, I purchased Shijueming.
Then take a long-distance bus from Putian to Zhangpu to purchase Andrographis paniculata.
After purchasing all the supplies for Hu Jiansheng and shipping the medicinal materials to the capital from Xiamen Railway Station, Lin Sanqi himself had to continue his journey to Dongguan Province.
First, take a long-distance bus from Xiamen to Meizhou in the neighboring Dongguang Province to purchase Phyllanthus urinaria.
Since there is no railway in Meizhou, Lin Sanqi had to take a long-distance bus from Meizhou to Huadu, the capital of Dongguan Province.
Then, the most circuitous route of the entire trip began:
Lin Sanqi had to take a train from Huadu, heading north to Hengyang, Hunan, then transfer to another train in Hengyang, turn around and head south through Guilin and Liuzhou, to Guangqi Yulin to purchase chicken bone grass.
Then continue south by train from Yulin and return to Zhanjiang, Dongguan Province, where you can purchase phoenix tail grass.
Yes, you read that right. In 2013, the high-speed rail from Huadu to Zhanjiang was a straight line and only took about 2 hours.
But in 1959, you had to go around Hunan and it would take two days and two nights to get there, unless you didn't take the train. This shows how bad the transportation was and how roundabout the journey was in 1959.
The last leg of the journey was from Zhanjiang, Dongguang Province to Qin County, Guangqi Province. There were no trains along the way, so we had to continue by long-distance bus and purchase Curcuma zedoaria after arriving in Qin County.
Only after all six herbs are purchased can Lin Sanqi return to the capital via Yulin, Hengyang, and Wuhan.
Many readers may feel dizzy after reading this itinerary and think it is too complicated.
But the difficulties don’t just end there. You have to know that it was only 1959 and there were only a few cars in the country. Where did so many long-distance buses come from?
Even if there were passenger buses, it was still a question whether those remote mountainous counties had roads in 1959.
For example, from Hujian Zhangpu to Meizhou in Dongguan Province, although it is a neighboring province, the provincial border is all mountainous. Not to mention long-distance buses, there is probably not even a road, so you probably have to walk.
Even within the province, are there long-distance buses from Xiamen to Putian, or from Putian to Zhangpu? This is a question mark.
If not, the purchaser has to find a way himself, such as taking a car or a boat, or taking a donkey cart or ox cart from a fellow villager, or simply traveling on foot.
Section Chief Kong was an experienced purchasing agent and naturally knew the difficulties of the journey, so he did not give Lin Sanqi any time limit for the entire trip.
The first priority is to get home safely and not die outside.
As for whether Lin Sanqi is worried or not?
He has nothing to worry about. He has already taken care of the transportation. He has cars, guns, money and food. What is there to be afraid of?
Of course, he would not confess the truth to Section Chief Kong. He just pretended to be a naive person, packed his luggage and rushed to the train station.
What Lin Sanqi didn't know was that on the third day after he left, Li Zexu, Bi Chunlong and Liao Zhanying were discharged from the hospital and went home to rest, while Lin Sanqi was already fast asleep on the train.
How could Lin Sanqi be so honest when he was on a business trip? Furthermore, the company didn't set a deadline, so he was like a bird that had been set free.
After arriving in Shanghai, Lin Sanqi first spent a day strolling around this largest city in the Far East and took a lot of old photos.
Of course, he did not buy White Rabbit milk candy or Minguang bed sheets on Nanjing Road like other tourists. These luxury goods at that time were nothing to Lin Sanqi.
After arriving in Yingtan, Lin Sanqi was not idle either. He went to Longhu Mountain and traveled for another day. Unfortunately, he did not see Zhang Tianshi.
Finally, Lin Sanqi followed the Yingxia Railway, passed through heavy mountains and countless tunnels, and finally arrived at the beautiful coastal city of Xiamen.
It took Lin Sanqi a full 10 days to travel from the capital to Xiamen...
Fortunately, we purchased Chinese medicine. If it was life-saving Western medicine, I don’t know how many patients would have died while waiting for the medicine.
Xiamen Railway Station is quite small, with a row of wooden bungalows. This made Lin Sanqi feel a little curious. He looked left and right and even took out his Shanghai camera to take a few pictures.
As a result, he was targeted.
"Hello, comrade. Please wait a moment."
Lin Sanqi was stunned when he heard this, and saw several people in white shirts, blue pants and big hats stopping him.
"Did you call me?"
One of the men in the large cap looked at Lin Sanqi seriously. His clothes were perfectly fitted, as if they had been custom-made. He also had a camera hanging around his neck, something not many people could afford.
The key point is that Lin Sanqi was also carrying a backpack, which was almost unseen in 1959. He looked very Western and did not look like a mainlander.
So no matter how you look at it, Lin Sanqi seems to be lurking over from the other side.
The relationship with the other side of the strait is still very tense these days, and Xiamen is a front-line enemy city. The shelling of the island has only happened a few years ago, so everyone is very vigilant.
"Hello, comrade. Where are you from? What are you doing in Xiamen? Do you have any relevant documents or letters of introduction?"
When Lin Sanqi heard this, he thought to himself that he was being suspected?
But he didn't feel guilty.
He felt guilty in the capital because there were many suspicious points about him, and if they really investigated, many of the things would be untenable.
But in other places, his identity was whitewashed, and he also had the status of a cadre, which made him definitely a "superior person".
Lin Sanqi took out his work permit and letter of introduction from his backpack:
"Hello, comrade. I'm from the capital. I'm here to purchase medicinal materials for the hospital. Here are my IDs."
A man in a police cap took the work permit and looked at it carefully, repeatedly comparing Lin Sanqi's photo with the real person.
Another officer in a top hat took the letter of introduction and looked at Lin Sanqi in surprise:
"Oh, you're really from the capital. I'm so sorry."
Lin Sanqi thought that the capital's identity was useful on the plateau, and it turned out to be equally useful on the seaside. He was once again glad that he had traveled to the Forbidden City.
"So you're from the Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I'm sorry we misunderstood."
Lin Sanqi took the work permit and letter of introduction and waved his hand casually:
"It's okay, it's all your job, haha. Besides shopping, I also want to visit beautiful Xiamen. By the way, comrade, I'd like to know which restaurant in Xiamen serves the most authentic Hu Jian cuisine?"
One of the big-cap guys had become as warm as spring by this time:
"Hey, if you want to talk about the best restaurant in Xiamen, it must be the Green Island Hotel on Zhongshan Road. However, the price is not cheap."
The man in the big hat complained in his heart: It turns out that people from the capital are all rich. Ordinary people can't even get enough to eat, and they still have the mood to eat out in a big restaurant?
Lin Sanqi remembered it the moment he heard it: Green Island Hotel.
"Comrade, would you like us to take you there?"
Lin Sanqi waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, you are also performing official duties, I can walk over by myself."
The man in the top hat was also polite: "Then Comrade Lin, just walk straight along Xiahe Road and you will arrive. I wish you a pleasant stay in Xiamen."
"Thank you. See you later."
Then, Lin Sanqi regretted it.
Because he walked from Xiamen Railway Station to Green Island Hotel at the intersection of Zhongshan Road and Siming Road, which was more than 4 kilometers.
The sun in Xiamen in early September was still very scorching, and Lin Sanqi almost died of heat on the road.
When he arrived at Zhongshan Road, Lin Sanqi no longer had the mood or appetite to eat, so he found a guesthouse nearby and checked in. After taking a cold shower in the public bathroom, he slept until the evening.
Green Island Hotel.
Lin Sanqi was standing in front of the ordering counter, craning his neck to look at the names of the dishes on the wall.
"Comrade, what are our Xiamen specialties?"
The waitress was a pretty little girl, and she replied politely:
"Comrade, you can try the ginger duck, fried oysters, and fried Tong'an crab. These are all local specialties of Xiamen. You can also try a fresh grouper. With fish, meat, and vegetables, you may not be able to finish it all by yourself."
Lin Sanqi listened to the advice and nodded. "Then do you have any recommendations for hot or stewed dishes?"
People in Huadu still like to drink soup.
"Comrade, we have the most authentic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall here. Would you like to try it? We're the only one in Xiamen that still makes it, Green Island Hotel."
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?
Lin Sanqi's eyes lit up, thinking that he had eaten a lot of fake Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but he had never tasted the authentic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This one must not be missed.
"Okay, okay, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is great, give me another serving."
The waiter said awkwardly, "Comrade, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a bit expensive. We only offer large and medium cans, and one portion costs 20 yuan. I'm afraid you can't finish it by yourself."
Lin Sanqi was a little shocked when he heard this. After all, his monthly salary was only more than 40 yuan, and just ordering one dish would cost half a month's salary. Famous dishes are just famous dishes, and they are not for ordinary people to eat no matter what era.
But who is Lin Sanqi? He is an honored guest from the capital.
"That's fine, just order one. Don't order the ginger duck and oyster omelette, I don't think we can finish them."
"Okay, comrade, but you have to pay first... 29 yuan in total, and you need 5 jin of food coupons..."
Lin Sanqi thought, even the most upscale restaurants in the area have the same style, requiring payment before serving the food. They probably are afraid that customers will run away.
Lin Sanqi found a seat by the window, enjoying the sea breeze while happily waiting for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a classic Min dish. The dosage is extremely particular and the taste is extremely delicious. It is loved not only by the people of Hujian, but also by the wealthy people of Dongguang and Hong Kong.
Unfortunately, because Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is made with precious ingredients, ordinary people cannot afford it. The so-called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in small street restaurants can only be regarded as a "beggar version" and is not authentic at all.
Lin Sanqi was also an ordinary person in 2013, and the only thing he had tasted was the beggar's version of fake Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
(End of this chapter)
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