In this era where a letter of introduction is required to go out, Xiao Jiu thought that as long as he clearly stated what he was going to do and how long he would be there, the letter of introduction would be issued.
When the Party Secretary heard that she was going on some kind of study tour, he gently shook his head.
"Daughter, we don't offer that service. Look at these letters of introduction. There are ones for transferring grain rations, visiting relatives, exchanging livestock feed, investigating historical issues, and marriage registration. But there's nothing like your study abroad program!"
Xiao Jiu thought for a moment, "Then I'll write 'visiting relatives.' I just want to go to Harbin, where my brother is studying at university. Isn't Harbin quite close to Changbai Mountain? I'd like to go there to visit. Secretary, could you please issue me a few more letters of introduction?"
As he spoke, he slipped a pack of cigarettes into the old Party Secretary's drawer. The old Party Secretary glanced at it and knew it was a good pack of cigarettes that cost more than one yuan. He immediately and readily wrote several more letters of introduction for Xiao Jiu.
When she got home, she found two or three blank cards with stamps inside. Wow, the old Party Secretary really knows how to get things done. This money was well spent!
The deadlines were all in early August, and the dates were stamped with the red seal of their commune.
The heading is in large characters: "[Supreme Directive]". Below that is a line of smaller text: "[Our responsibility is to be accountable to the people]". Next comes the heading of the receiving unit, such as "XX Police Station", "XX Grain Store", or simply a blank space with two colons.
The heading is followed by the main text: Comrade xxx from our brigade, a member of the Communist Party of China (and the Communist Youth League), is going to your office to handle xxx matter. Please grant permission to proceed. Please clearly state the deadline.
The message "Please contact us for assistance in resolving this issue" appears on the screen.
She had seen letters of introduction from special periods, which contained quotes from leaders, and below the words "Hoping for a solution," there was a line of smaller print: "Wishing the leader a long life," and finally the signature.
Letters of introduction from different periods have different historical significance.
She only took a look out of curiosity after seeing that some people were collecting these letters of introduction and spending a lot of money to buy them online.
Although it wasn't the first time she had seen a letter of introduction, it was the first time she had truly felt the status of educated people in this era. No wonder the village always sought out the old Party Secretary to write Spring Festival couplets every year. Just based on his elegant and unrestrained calligraphy, she felt that the position of Party Secretary belonged to him.
Xiao Jiu has always been a straightforward person, but he also knows that he must make sure to explain things clearly.
For example, when my parents found out about my trip to Harbin to visit relatives, they immediately objected.
"No, it's not safe for you to go alone as a child. Your brother and his unit are military units; it's not like you can just go whenever you want."
"You're a young woman, traveling thousands of miles away. If something were to happen to you, wouldn't we regret it for the rest of our lives?"
Grandpa wouldn't listen to her explanation, "Just listen to your parents. How old are you to want to run off to such a far place? It's so hot, isn't it better to stay at home?"
Well, the outside help is gone, and Grandma also looks disapproving. Although her sisters know she has a magical artifact, they know that her godparents won't agree, so they don't plan to help Xiao Jiu persuade them. Even when she mentions that Zhou Yue and the others can take her, it is decisively rejected.
"If it weren't for the abduction you were involved in before, things might have been alright, but now that this has happened, you can forget about it!"
But the letter of introduction has already been issued, it would be such a waste not to use it!
Even when she received the good news that her brother had been admitted to the county's top high school, she couldn't be happy.
Finally, with a quick thought, he bought a bus ticket to Los Angeles under the pretext of going back to visit a classmate to study.
Now that Cuiju is in Los Angeles and has rented a place there, and knows that she shares an apartment with a classmate, her family has given their approval.
They all thought that the letter of introduction couldn't be issued without the family's consent, but the village secretary thought it was a letter of introduction for visiting relatives. Xiao Jiu even specifically told them to leave the ticket for buying train tickets blank. She hadn't even confirmed how many people were going yet, but she believed it to be true that her family had already discussed it. Otherwise, where would she get the money to buy cigarettes?
Little did people know that Tao Tao, despite her young age, had already achieved financial freedom.
So, after arriving in J City, the bold Xiao Jiu wrote a letter and sent it to the mailbox. In it, he explained the reason and the date of his return to Cui Ju, asked her to help cover for him, and stated that he would send a telegram to let her know he was safe wherever he went.
This tactic of acting first and informing later is incredibly capricious and irresponsible.
In those days, ordinary people couldn't buy sleeper tickets; the journey from Los Angeles to Changbai Mountain was over two thousand kilometers.
There were no direct trains, so he had to transfer. Xiao Jiu bought a ticket to Shenyang City in Liaoning Province. In those days, train tickets didn't show seats; you could sit wherever you could find one, or stand if you couldn't.
Given the speed of these old-fashioned trains, which are only fifty or sixty kilometers per hour, and the time spent stopping to resupply, the journey would take at least thirty or forty hours.
After arriving in Shenyang, we will transfer to another vehicle to Changbai Mountain.
She plans to visit her two older brothers in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, after she has had her fill of Changbai Mountain.
She knew the train would be crowded, but she didn't expect it to be so crowded that she almost couldn't get on. And she didn't have much luggage, just a small crossbody bag.
If she gets stuck at the door, she won't be able to get in. If the people behind her hadn't pushed her, she wouldn't have been able to get in at all.
Luckily, she hasn't fully developed yet, otherwise, if she had been squeezed like that, her little breasts would have been injured!
Trains in those days didn't have air conditioning, and the stench of sweat on the slow train almost made her vomit. Since the train was not running, the toilets were closed, so she was forced to squeeze with the crowd towards the back of the train. After all, the front of the carriages was where people were boarding, and she didn't know if there would be any seats at the back if she didn't move.
It was afternoon, and the bus was packed with people; she couldn't even find a chance to move to another space.
We could only try to go towards the sleeper dining car.
More than half an hour after the train started moving, she finally moved to a relatively comfortable spot where she could stand up and catch her breath.
Looking at the endless crowd ahead, she was sweating profusely. She couldn't just disappear in front of everyone, so she could only grit her teeth and persevere.
The train swayed and rattled eastward, and a torrential downpour began as soon as it entered the provincial capital.
Fortunately, the train windows were all open, and with the breeze, people didn't seem so anxious.
She found a secluded corner in the sleeper car and, taking advantage of the moment when it got dark as they passed through the tunnel, teleported into the space.
There were hardly any people in that passageway to begin with, and she disappeared by going through the tunnel without causing any commotion.
The moment she returned to the space, she lay down on the bed board that was laid out in the warehouse, which was covered with a crawling mat.
"Oh dear, this is the kind of place people should live in! It's so hot and stuffy on the train."
After a short rest, I drank some cool boiled water, ate a few bright red strawberries, closed my eyes, covered myself with a towel, and started to doze off.
Not long after, she was awakened by the sound of fighting. When she sat up, rubbing her eyes, she realized that it was not from the space, but from the outside world, that is, the noise from inside the carriage. She held her breath and listened carefully, and her expression changed instantly.
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