Accompanied by the biting cold wind in Songjiang Province, Qin Zheng boarded the train heading south to Shanghai.
The train started moving with a clang. We left the Great Northern Wilderness and the temperature grew higher as we headed south.
The train traveled for three days and two nights. Qin Zheng took off his military coat and thick cotton jacket one after another. When he finally arrived in Shanghai, he was left with only a quilted autumn military uniform.
In mid-October, the Great Northern Wilderness was already covered in snow and ice, a bitter cold. Shanghai had only just begun its winter season. The temperature, 7 or 8 degrees Celsius above zero, was so low that even water wouldn't freeze. The comfortable air made Qin Zheng, accustomed to the bitter cold of the north, feel as if he were bathed in a spring breeze.
Hucheng is the terminus of Train No. 58, and all passengers on the train must get off here.
As soon as the train stopped at the platform, the passengers rushed to open the door. As the passengers got off the train, the originally quiet platform became crowded in an instant, and the noisy sound was like a vegetable market.
There are fewer people in the soft sleeper car, so there is no queue when getting off the train, and it is not as crowded as the hard seat car.
Qin Zheng got off the bus easily, carrying his luggage and backpack, and followed the flow of people all the way to the exit.
After leaving the station, Qin Zheng saw at a glance a man wearing a gray police uniform, of medium height, and looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was holding a sign that read "Comrade Qin Zheng from Songjiang Province" and was standing opposite the exit to greet him.
The age and identity are appropriate.
Qin Zheng guessed that this person was probably He Tingjun's classmate Song Yingjie.
Qin Zheng immediately walked towards him and said with a smile: "Hello, comrade, are you Comrade Xu Yingjie? I am Qin Zheng, He Tingjun's comrade-in-arms."
"Yes, I'm Xu Yingjie. Hello, Comrade Qin Zheng."
After receiving the call, Xu Yingjie quickly put down the sign in his hand and stretched out his hand to shake hands with Qin Zheng.
After shaking hands, Xu Yingjie said warmly, "Comrade Qin Zheng, thank you for your hard work along the way."
"Tingjun has already informed me of your situation in a telegram. I've also been able to find the case files related to Comrade Ye over the past two days. It's getting late today, and the comrades in the archives office are about to leave work, so it wouldn't be a good idea to bother them so late. So I'm taking you to the guesthouse to get settled in. You can rest up for the night and recuperate. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the bureau to check the files. Is this arrangement okay with you?"
"Sure. Thank you for your help, Comrade Xu." Qin Zheng responded politely.
"It's okay, it's not a problem at all. This is my job."
Xu Yingjie greeted Qin Zheng with a smile: "Comrade Qin, it must have taken you several days to get here from the Northeast. Did you have a smooth journey?"
Qin Zheng also smiled: "Thank you Comrade Xu for your concern. Thanks to this green military uniform, I have had a smooth journey and have not encountered any problems."
Xu Yingjie asked curiously, "Comrade Qin, is this your first time in Shanghai?"
Qin Zheng shook his head: "No, I've been here twice before, but I only stayed for a few days each time, so I'm not familiar with Shanghai at all."
"Then follow me." Xu Yingjie pointed to the bus stop across the street and said, "Comrade Qin, let's go across the street and wait for the bus first, and then take a bus to the government guesthouse on our street. The journey is too far."
They crossed the road and walked to the bus station platform. The two were lucky enough. They stood there and waited and talked. After waiting for a few minutes, the bus they wanted to take arrived.
Xu Yingjie and Qin Zheng got into the car one after another.
There was a large flow of people at the train station and the bus was full, so Qin Zheng and Xu Yingjie had to stand. Fortunately, their destination was only two stops away from the train station, so they could get off the bus after standing on it for less than five minutes.
After getting off the car, Xu Yingjie took Qin Zheng into an old street with ease.
The old street is a bit shabby. The houses on both sides of the street are shops built before the founding of the People's Republic of China. They are made of wood, brick and concrete. They look a bit dilapidated due to years of disrepair. The bluestone road under your feet is bumpy and uneven.
Fortunately, the Public Security Bureau located in the old street is newly built. Although the agency guesthouse next to the Public Security Bureau does not look bright and beautiful, it is clean and tidy.
When they arrived at the guesthouse, Xu Yingjie helped Qin Zheng with the check-in procedures, sent him to his room on the first floor, and then left.
Qin Zheng put away his luggage and saw a thermos on the table. He was thirsty, so he went over and took out the cup he carried with him and poured a cup of hot water.
As soon as I sat down, I heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Comrade Qin Zheng, it's me, Xu Yingjie."
Qin Zheng hurried over to open the door for him: "Comrade Xu, why are you back?"
"I was in such a hurry just now that I suddenly remembered that I forgot to give you some food coupons." Xu Yingjie said, pulling out several food coupons from his pocket and handing them to Qin Zheng. "These are two kilograms of Shanghai local food coupons in total. Take them first."
Qin Zheng didn't reach out to take it, but declined: "Comrade Xu, thank you for your kindness, but I can't take it anymore. I have the national food coupons with me."
"I know you must have national food coupons, but when you're out and about, the national food coupons you carry with you must be of high denominations. Large denominations are inconvenient to eat in the office cafeteria, and they might not be able to make change there."
The food coupons in Qin Zheng's hand were indeed of large denominations, all of which were five or ten kilograms. Otherwise, he would have to carry a thick stack of them, which would be difficult to put away.
Xu Yingjie smiled and said, "Comrade Qin, these local food coupons I'm giving you are all of small denominations. There are one liang, two liang, and one half jin. You can keep them for now. When you have the food coupons exchanged, just return them to me."
Qin Zheng did not refuse and accepted Xu Yingjie's kindness.
Xu Yingjie was about to leave, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened.
His stomach growled twice, Qin Zheng held his flat belly, took the key to the room, locked the door and went out.
When checking in, the receptionist of the guesthouse told Qin Zheng the location of the cafeteria, so as soon as Qin Zheng went out, he followed the location the receptionist told him to go there.
The cafeteria is in the northwest corner of the first floor and is a separate lobby.
The hall is not big, only about 40 square meters, and there is a half-person-high wall in the middle, dividing the entire hall into two parts. The outside is the dining area, and the inside is the kitchen.
Qin Zheng took out the local food coupons Xu Yingjie gave him and ordered four ounces of rice and a bowl of stir-fried rapeseed, which cost him only nine cents in total.
After dinner, Qin Zheng returned to his room, washed up briefly, and went to bed.
His sleep quality has always been good, and he won't have trouble sleeping if he changes the place or the bed.
Qin Zheng slept soundly and slept until early the next morning.
He woke up as soon as the roosters outside the window started crowing. It was just dawn, and Qin Zheng washed up, folded the quilt on the bed, and prepared to go out to the cafeteria for breakfast.
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