Chapter 130
Li Jingdang set off first. There were still some procedures to be done, such as attending meetings to study foreign affairs discipline education, etc.
He took a few samples and only took a change of clothes as his luggage. He also packed another bag and put it at the village committee. After he got there, he would call back and leave his address, and they would mail some of the luggage and baskets from there.
Three days later, Zhou Jiani and her colleagues received a call from Li Jingdang, and they sent away all the things that had been sorted out and could be sent away, trying to travel as light as possible.
Zhou Jiani and the other two were also getting ready to leave. They had to arrive early and not be completely stuck on time.
Qiu Zeming bought a dozen salted duck eggs from somewhere and made some dried meat in advance so that he could eat them on the road.
Zhou Jiani also pickled some vegetables in advance and put them into several cans. There are also several kinds of pickles and chili sauces on the shelves of her warehouse.
Before leaving, I filled a few thermoses with hot water and filled the buckets and basins in the warehouse with water in case of emergency.
I replenished the used wet wipes from the group and also bought several large packs of disinfectant wipes.
I have several towels of the same style and color. It is inconvenient to wash them in the car, so I put them in the warehouse after use and wash them together when I get to the place.
Socks too!
I also packed a few books so that I could read and do exercises when the time comes. I also suggested that Aunt Cuiyun take some wool and knit a scarf or something in the car to pass the time.
Liu Cuiyun went to buy some wool, and also prepared some cloth, needle and thread, and rubber bands, ready to make a few hair ties. She would make simple ones, in case she found one she liked on the train and could sell it.
She had heard from Zhao Mei that when Zhang Kaishan was in the hospital, Zhao Mei was making hair bands in the ward and selling them one by one.
It's just that her needlework is not as good as Zhao Mei's, and she can only make the simplest styles look decent.
Zhou Jiani also took some time out of her busy schedule to take out the solar charging panels and fully charge all the power banks when the sun was shining. Although she might not be able to use them, she just felt an inexplicable sense of security.
As for clothes, she prepared a set of thin long-sleeved shirts and pants; her summer clothes were still at home in the provincial capital, so she asked her mother to help find them and wash them. When they went to the provincial capital to change trains, her mother sent them to the station.
Replacement will be purchased now.
Yu Wanxia and Sun Ping gave her some cloth coupons and money and asked her to help buy two nice skirts to wear in the summer.
Zhou Jiani collected the most cloth coupons from the black market during this period, followed by industrial coupons. She called her mother to help her find someone to exchange some for her, preparing to go on a crazy shopping spree in the south.
This time, Qiu Zeming did not send them to the county town, but directly sent them to the provincial capital for transfer.
It was Liu Cuiyun's first time riding a train. She grinned with joy and said to Zhou Jiani, "When we come back, take a picture of me at the station. At least I've been to the provincial capital."
Although I was just passing by and had no time to go into the city.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "We have two hours to transfer. I'll take a picture of you first and leave the money and address. I'll have someone print it out and send it to the village so Uncle Sheng and the others can take a look first."
Liu Cuiyun: "Okay!"
Not long after, Zhou Jiani was not ready to go home, so Yu Huifang and Zhou Wanli took leave to come and send their daughter off, and also to pick up their future son-in-law to come home for dinner.
Yu Huifang was both proud and worried about her daughter's long journey. She didn't dare to show her game tickets openly. When she got close to her daughter and talked to her, she quietly put the tickets into Zhou Jiani's bag and whispered, "I also exchanged some national food coupons. You have them, and you are rich on the road. If you don't need them, take them back and we can exchange them for more..."
In addition to food coupons, cloth coupons, and industrial coupons, he also stuffed two hundred yuan into Zhou Jiani's pocket, saying again: "Poor at home, rich on the road. If you can't spend it, you can take it back. But having two in hand is convenient."
Zhou Jiani put it in her pocket and gave it to her mother when she came back.
Aunt Su also came over. Zhou Jiani asked Aunt Su to help her get three sleeper tickets. Yu Huifang went over to thank her and knew that she was benefiting from her sister-in-law.
Su Mei smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite? Nini is so outstanding. I'm happy that she's helping the locals develop. I heard that your article was even published in the local newspaper."
Zhou Jiani glanced at Yu Huifang, who couldn't hide her boasting. She said, "I called your aunt and told her. Your Aunt Su must have heard it from Peilan, right?"
Su Mei smiled and said, "Pei Lan called to tell me specifically."
Zhou Jiani introduced Liu Cuiyun to her parents and Aunt Su. Yu Huifang shook her hand and said with a smile, "I heard from our Nini that you took good care of her when she first came..."
Liu Cuiyun felt guilty. She had only helped Zhou Jiani with the work when she first came to the countryside, and she didn't really take care of her in any other way. But this was the good thing about her. Not only did Zhou Jiani remember it, but her family also knew it.
Although Liu Cuiyun felt guilty, she also felt warm in her heart and kept praising Zhou Jiani.
But she was a little embarrassed to go out and take pictures because of the scene, so Zhou Jiani suggested, "This is the first time our village weaving factory has participated in the Canton Fair, so we should take a picture to commemorate it. Comrade Li Jingdang is missing now, so when we get there, we can take a picture with Comrade Li."
Qiu Zeming went to find a photographer to take pictures. When taking the group photo, he piled up their suitcases, several other samples they brought with them, and the thermoses they carried in front of him, showing his side of going on a long journey, and took a group photo.
Liu Cuiyun took a photo alone.
The photographer was invited, and Zhou Jiani took a photo with her parents and also took one with Aunt Su.
Qiu Zeming followed and explained which ones needed to be sent back to the brigade, and which ones needed to be issued a separate list for Uncle Zhou to pick up...
They returned to the waiting hall and waited while talking. Su Meiqiao, who had been on several long business trips and had taken sleeper berths, told Zhou Jiani some things to pay attention to.
Yu Huifang was also worried. She heard that there were human traffickers on the bus, so she gave many warnings.
Zhou Jiani soothed her, "Not everyone can get into the sleeper car. Don't worry, Mom. I know what's going on."
Qiu Zeming walked over to tell Bai Haoyang about this. Bai Haoyang patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, brother. I promise to take good care of Comrade Zhou and Auntie."
Just before getting on the bus, Zhou Wanli handed over the clothes and another paper bag in his hand, saying, "You made some pancakes and boiled eggs, and you also exchanged them for some chili peppers and pickles."
The villagers prepared dry food for them, including steamed buns, baked flatbreads, and a few savory vegetable dumplings made with Chinese cabbage from the greenhouse.
Yu Huifang said, "I know you prepared it yourselves. You didn't make much pancakes, so you can finish them in one meal."
Zhou Jiani took it and said, "Go back and tell my grandma to rest assured. I'll call the factory when I get there."
Qiu Zeming held it for her and said, "Auntie, I'll take Jiani and the others to the car."
As soon as everything was arranged on the train, the conductor came over to keep an eye on the people. Zhou Jiani left the compartment and walked Qiu Zeming to the door of the sleeper car. They held hands and gave each other a few words of advice.
Qiu Zeming went down reluctantly and walked around to the window. Zhou Jiani also returned to the private room and waved at him with a smile. Bai Haoyang looked at him with a sore jaw.
Liu Cuiyun beside him laughed at him: "You'll know when you find a partner."
Bai Haoyang: ...
After the train started, Liu Cuiyun finally calmed down and looked at the berth. She said, "Thanks to you, I got on the train and now I'm sleeping in a berth."
On the way from the county town to the provincial capital, Liu Cuiyun stared at the scenery outside the window. She couldn't see enough and found everything strange.
Now that we were in the relatively quiet sleeper car, the smile on his face didn't fade.
But in the evening, Liu Cuiyun couldn't sit still anymore and said, "Doesn't your uncle Sheng know how to cook for the children?"
Or: "Your brother and sister at home, usually they don't do their homework if I don't supervise them, and they have to finish it at night, and they have to waste kerosene..."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Aunt, it's only the first day and you're already thinking about it. There are still several days to go."
Liu Cuiyun smiled embarrassedly: "It's mainly because your uncle Sheng doesn't even bother to fix the oil bottle when it falls over at home. Isn't he worried about him? Let's eat."
For dinner, they ate the pancakes sent by Zhou Jiani's mother, accompanied by pickled chili peppers, salted duck eggs, and each of them had an egg.
Liu Cuiyun brought fried noodles, and Bai Haoyang took their own thermos and went out to ask the flight attendant to fill it with hot water. When they came back, they each made a pot of fried noodle porridge, which was quite satisfying.
After dinner, Liu Cuiyun's emotions had almost settled. She took out her wool and started knitting. Feeling the rumbling of the truck, she said, "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight."
Zhou Jiani started reading and said with a smile, "You've been going all the way today. You must be exhausted. You will definitely fall asleep."
There are six beds in a private room. Zhou Jiani sleeps on the middle bunk, Liu Cuiyun sleeps on the lower bunk, Bai Haoyang sleeps on the upper bunk, and the other three are temporarily empty.
In the middle of the night, there was an extra passenger in the private room, sleeping in the lower bunk opposite. Liu Cuiyun was sleeping soundly and was unconscious. When she woke up in the morning, she was confused for a long time before she realized what was happening.
After the man left, he asked Zhou Jiani, "When did you move in?"
Zhou Jiani smiled: "Auntie, you were worried that you couldn't sleep last night, but you slept even deeper than us and came up in the middle of the night."
Liu Cuiyun smiled embarrassedly.
The three of them washed and ate.
Across from them was a middle-aged man who saw their suitcases and asked, "Comrade, where did you buy these suitcases?"
Bai Haoyang said, "This is made by our knitting factory. Currently, it is only sold in Qiyang Department Store and Qiyang Friendship Store. After we participate in the Canton Fair, we will definitely expand the number of domestic and foreign cooperation units and regions."
The other party was surprised: "Are you going to the Canton Fair?" He looked at their suitcases and said, "Qi Yang, I went to your Qi Yang Machinery Factory for exchanges."
Bai Haoyang chatted with the other person for a few words. This person was an engineer from the Henan Machinery Factory. His surname was Pang. He was on a business trip and he not only liked their suitcases, but also the handbags they carried.
Upon learning that Bai Haoyang and his group were not from Qiyang City, but from other cities below, Comrade Pang said, "Zhengfeng City... Zhengfeng City is not close to Qiyang."
Bai Haoyang said: "The train takes ten hours."
Comrade Pang sighed, "It must be ten hours. Is your factory a municipal unit?"
Bai Haoyang smiled and said, "We are from the Qianjin Brigade under Zhengfeng City, Bin County, and Xihe Commune. We are a village-run factory."
Comrade Pang was slightly shocked and said, "Oh my! Your village's own weaving industry is sold to provincial-level units and even to the Friendship Store? Wow, that's really amazing."
Liu Cuiyun couldn't help herself and joined the chat group, saying, "We're even earning foreign exchange through exports."
Comrade Pang kept exclaiming "Ouch" in amazement.
No wonder they go to the Canton Fair, it turns out their products have already been exported.
He made up his mind to ask Qi Yang's friend to help him buy a suitcase like this and two bags.
When the trip stopped, more passengers got on and the private room was full.
The task of promoting the village's enterprises was given to Liu Cuiyun to prevent her from missing home.
Liu Cuiyun was knitting a sweater while talking to others at the same time. Fortunately, she could still understand the accents of the people who came up. Occasionally, when she didn't understand a sentence or two, Zhou Jiani would translate for her.
Zhou Jiani spends most of her time reading, doing exercises, chatting with Bai Haoyang, checking her phone to grab red envelopes, and looking at what everyone in the group is selling to pass the time. If she comes across something she needs, she buys one and temporarily puts it on the shelf. She then takes it out and sells it to everyone after everyone falls asleep at night.
The two-day and two-night train ride was truly unpleasant. Aunt Cuiyun's eyes were completely drained of light. She started several hours in advance and kept asking every few minutes when the train would arrive and how long it would take...
When she finally squeezed off the train and stepped on solid ground, she almost cried and kept feeling her body shaking.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "It doesn't feel good, does it?"
Liu Cuiyun moved back and forth to stretch her waist: "Oh, this trip is enough for me, oh my old waist."
She also walked back and forth in the carriage, but Zhou Jiani was worried that she might encounter women traffickers if she went out, so she didn't let her go to other carriages, and just let her stroll back and forth in the sleeper car.
The farthest place we went to was the restaurant. We sat down in the restaurant to change the environment and ordered a very unpalatable dish. We still had to eat it with the salted duck eggs and pickles they brought with them.
Now they finally got off the train. Everyone took a break by the side before following Li Jingdang who came to pick them up.
Li Jingdang smiled and said, "Are you exhausted?"
Liu Cuiyun was at a loss for words: "Whenever I'd never taken a train, I'd wonder when I'd get to ride one in my lifetime. But now I've been doing this for two days straight. It's killing me."
Li Jingdang also bought a sleeper berth when he came here, thanks to his connections, but it's hard to say what will happen when he returns. He laughed and said, "If we can't buy a sleeper berth when we return, we can only buy a seat ticket and sit for two days and two nights, which will be even more uncomfortable."
When Aunt Cuiyun heard this, she was filled with despair.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Did you receive Deputy Director Li's package?"
Li Jingdang: "Don't worry, Chief Zhou, I've received it."
Bai Haoyang: "Deputy Director Li, where are the accommodations arranged? Is it far from here? Is it far from the venue?"
Li Jingdang smiled bitterly and said, "Speaking of this, everyone should be mentally prepared first."
Liu Cuiyun was stunned and said, "No place to live?"
Li Jingdang: "That's not the case. There were too many people attending the Canton Fair, and the hotels and guesthouses couldn't accommodate them. The usual double rooms were converted into multi-person rooms. We asked the people here to help adjust them, and they transferred us to the military guesthouse. We had bunk beds in a room of ten, so we lived in a room with twelve people."
Liu Cuiyun breathed a sigh of relief and said, "At least there's a place to sleep." At least we don't have to sleep on the streets.
Zhou Jiani was also mentally prepared for this and said, "Deputy Director Li, you've worked hard. Let's go over there. After we've made the arrangements, Deputy Director Li can convey the spirit of the meeting to us."
How crowded is it here right now? I can't even get on the city bus. I waited for two buses but couldn't get on.
Zhou Jiani, on the other hand, was no longer anxious. She took Liu Cuiyun to the side and said, "Auntie, whether you're taking a crowded bus or living in a shared room, storing valuables is always a problem."
"I travel a lot, so I'm pretty good at hiding money and tickets. Leave your money and tickets with me, and lock the rest of your stuff in your suitcase."
The suitcase has a nose buckle and can be locked, but it doesn't look very good.
Liu Cuiyun nodded quickly.
Zhou Jiani found a corner and ordered the food in front of others, recording the amount and time carefully on paper.
Returning to reunite with Bai Haoyang and the others, Zhou Jiani reminded them to be careful of pickpockets when riding in public transportation. Li Jingdang quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes, don't be careless. When you go out and come in, keep your money and tickets with you. Don't leave them in the dormitory. Also, try not to be alone. Go with at least two people."
Liu Cuiyun hurriedly tried to remember. She felt a little embarrassed because she was asked to come and take care of Zhou Jiani, but in the end, Jiani was the only one taking care of her along the way.
But she was still a little lost. She was in a completely unfamiliar environment, with unfamiliar accents all around her. In her ears, it was just gibberish, and she couldn't understand a single word. She looked confused.
After waiting for several times, I finally squeezed on the bus. When I got off, my clothes were almost soaked.
Liu Cuiyun said, "It's really hot here."
She changed into thin clothes on the train because it was still hot. Many people on the street were wearing short sleeves.
The military guesthouse was quite far from the venue, and it took 20 to 30 minutes by city bus. But there was no other way, as the nearby guesthouses and hotels were completely unable to accommodate us.
The samples were all handed over to Li Jingdang for management. He gave the keys to Zhou Jiani and Liu Cuiyun and walked them to the second-floor staircase. He said, "You're in Room 203. Go put your things away first. I'll go back and bring your packages over. After that, you can take a break. We'll meet in the lobby in an hour. I'll take you to the cafeteria for dinner. If you want to go out for a walk after dinner, we can go out for a walk..."
Bai Haoyang and Li Jingdang are in room 109 on the first floor.
Liu Cuiyun and Zhou Jiani carried their suitcases and their own thermoses and stood at the door of Room 203.
The small room was furnished with five bunk beds, a set of tables and chairs, and only one aisle.
There were several ropes in the aisle, with towels and clothes hanging on them. There was also a rope by the window, with clothes hanging on it.
Only their bed was empty, the others were occupied.
The environment is not really good.
Zhou Jiani smiled and walked in with Liu Cuiyun.
There were two female comrades in the room, sitting on the bed reading a pamphlet. When they saw her and the other two come in, they smiled and greeted them in not-so-standard Mandarin: "Are you here to attend the Canton Fair too?"
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Yes, hello. My name is Zhou Jiani, and I'm from Chonghui Province." She turned and pointed at Liu Cuiyun, "This is my aunt Liu Cuiyun. I wonder who you two comrades are..."
The two female comrades stood up and shook hands with them: "Hello, Comrade Zhou, hello, Comrade Liu, we are from Fujian Province. My name is Lin Xia, and this is my colleague Wu Min."
Zhou Jiani hurriedly said, "Hello, Comrade Lin, hello, Comrade Wu!"
Liu Cuiyun hurriedly imitated Zhou Jiani's way of shaking hands and greeting people.
After a brief greeting, Comrades Lin and Wu were from the yarn and socks factory and came to discuss the yarn and socks export business.
Knowing that Zhou Jiani and her team were from the knitting factory, she saw the boxes they were carrying and the bags on their shoulders and was very pleased with them. She asked, "How many products did you bring?"
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "We only have a few samples, no products. We produce according to orders."
Lin Xia: "That's a pity, otherwise these two products would sell like crazy."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said that childbirth was a fatal flaw.
This time I participated mainly to broaden my horizons and gain experience. It will be much better next time. I guess by then the whole commune will have rolled it out and production capacity will have increased.
Their beds were in the middle group on the left side of the entrance, with Zhou Jiani sleeping on the upper bunk and Liu Cuiyun sleeping on the lower bunk.
Zhou Jiani asked Lin Xia and the others about the location of the toilet, washroom, and shower room. When the topic of showering came up, Wu Min complained, "There's rarely any hot water. We've had to take cold showers several times."
Zhou Jiani gritted her teeth: "You have to wash with cold water."
After two days of train travel and it being so hot here, I decided to take a quick shower and change into short-sleeved clothes to cool down.
Liu Cuiyun said, "Yes, yes, let's go wash up."
There is no special cabinet for luggage. This multi-person room was put together temporarily, and everyone has to put their luggage under the bed or pile it on top of their bed.
Zhou Jiani wiped her suitcase and placed it on the bedside.
Li Jingdang called her outside, and Zhou Jiani went out to get the washbasin that she and Aunt Cuiyun had sealed together.
The washbasin was inconvenient to carry, so I chose to mail it.
The two men found their toiletries, said hello to Comrades Lin and Wu, and went to the bathhouse to take a shower.
When they arrived, someone who had just finished washing came out with a basin. Seeing them, she said, "Hurry up and wash. The water is warm."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Thank you!"
After the other person left, Liu Cuiyun whispered, "Jia Ni, how come you can understand everything they say?" She felt that the other person just walked away with a grunt.
Zhou Jiani: "We also need to carefully distinguish."
The bathroom here was a single room, so to save time, the two of them didn't mind and went in together to take a shower. When they came out, there were already three people lined up at the door. When they saw them come out, they asked, "Comrade, is the water still warm?"
Zhou Jiani walked out while wiping her hair and said, "It's still warm."
When I returned to the room, there were two more people in the room, and the feeling of being crowded was overwhelming.
Zhou Jiani went in and they introduced themselves and exchanged greetings.
The other two were named Qu Aihong and Liu Xiu, both from Heilongjiang Province. They spoke loudly but were very enthusiastic.
Ask Zhou Jiani: "Big sister, is the water cold?"
Zhou Jiani: "Warm water, a little cold for washing hair, but perfect for washing your body. When we came out, there were already several people queuing up, so if you want to wash, hurry up."
When they heard that the water was warm, they all prepared to take their things and take a bath.
Zhou Jiani hung the underwear washed in the bathroom on the head of their group's bed, put the other unwashed clothes in a basin and stuffed them under the bed. She told her other roommates that she was going to eat and go shopping with her comrades, and then went to the hall to wait for Li Jingdang and others.
If her hair isn’t dry yet, just let it air dry naturally. Zhou Jiani really wants to get out and get some fresh air.
Liu Cuiyun also said: "Oh, I'm dying of suffocation."
She has a small family and has never experienced a situation where a large family is squeezed into one room. The old couple has one room, and the two children have another room. There is a curtain in the middle, but the room is not that crowded.
Liu Cuiyun said she had learned something new and asked, "Is this the way all guesthouses are?"
When she saw Li Jingdang and Bai Haoyang coming out, she asked, "Is the house you live in big?"
Bai Haoyang's eyes widened: "It's not big, you can't get through the aisle without turning sideways!"
Before preparing to eat, Zhou Jiani said, "Let's arrange for food coupons and money. Everyone should take a small amount with them to prevent going hungry when they're alone. But don't take too much, just enough for one meal. The rest... hand it over!"
She rubbed her hands unceremoniously.
There's nothing safer than putting it on her.
He smiled and said, "When we eat together, I will be responsible for paying. When you order, each of you pays for your own. Come back and get a copy from me. We will record every single thing clearly so that it will be convenient for you to report back."
He added, "You can use the private money as you wish."
Zhou Jiani kept the public funds, counted them in front of everyone and recorded them in a notebook. Everyone signed, and then each person was given a meal size, a few grain coupons, and a few cents, and signed.
Bai Haoyang smiled and said, "Section Chief Zhou is still cautious."
Zhou Jiani only takes care of Liu Cuiyun's share of the private bills.
Afterwards, they went out to eat and held a small meeting.
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