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Chapter 59: A Long Journey
Chapter 59: A Long Journey
In his room, Deng Shirong dragged out an old wooden chest from under the bed.
Opening the chest, he found a well-maintained five-shot hunting rifle and thirty-two bullets inside.
In present-day China, guns were not as strictly regulated as they would be in the future, so acquiring a hunting rifle was not a difficult task.
Especially in Guangxi, where a border conflict had just ended the previous year, although large-scale fighting had ceased, small skirmishes continued and would persist until 1989.
Thus, Guangxi was essentially a land of citizen soldiers. In Baise County alone, there were 252,422 registered militiamen, giving a sense of the vast number of militiamen across the entire region.
As one of the earliest militiamen in Naye Production Team, it was not unusual for Deng Shirong to possess a hunting rifle.
He carefully inspected the rifle and the bullets, ensuring everything was in good condition. Once satisfied, he loaded the rifle and made sure it was ready to fire at a moment's notice before storing it and the remaining bullets in the System Space.
The second batch of tiles from the kiln would be ready for loading and transportation the next day. This time, Deng Shirong planned to travel to Beihai with Deng YunGui to sell the tiles. After completing the sale, he would head to Lingshan County to see if he could obtain some Guiwei lychee saplings.
While traveling, Deng Shirong was very cautious about his safety. After all, it was already the 1980s, and social disorder was rampant. Many people were acting lawlessly, which led to the government's decision to crack down on criminal activities three years later.
Though he and Deng YunGui had never encountered bandits or highwaymen in their previous trips to Hepu, Beihai, Zhanjiang, and Lianjiang, he believed it was better to be safe than sorry. Just because he hadn't encountered such dangers in his past life didn't mean he wouldn't in this one. Therefore, he decided to bring his hunting rifle, which could be a lifesaver in an emergency.
After securing the rifle, Deng Shirong went to the team leader to get an introduction letter.
In those days, an introduction letter was essential for travel. Without it, one couldn't buy train tickets or stay at hotels or inns, making travel nearly impossible.
In addition to the introduction letter, Deng Shirong managed to get some national grain coupons through his connections. Although he had money, it was always better to be prepared for any eventuality.
...
After dinner, Deng Shirong took out ten large banknotes and handed them to his eldest daughter. "I'm leaving for Beihai tomorrow, and then I'll head to Lingshan County. I should be back in at least three days. The house should be roofed by the day after tomorrow. Remember to prepare some good dishes for everyone when I'm gone."
Deng YunZhen took the money and nodded. "I understand, Dad."
...
The next morning.
At dawn, a truck parked in front of the kiln, and the workers from the tile factory began loading the tiles carefully.
The tiles were fragile, and the roads were far from the smooth highways of the future. Most were bumpy dirt roads that made the truck shake violently. If the tiles were not loaded properly, they would likely arrive in pieces.
To avoid this unnecessary loss, the experienced Deng YunGui directed the loading process.
It took over an hour to fill the truck to the brim, so tightly packed that even a small pickle jar couldn't fit.
After supervising the loading of the truck, Deng YunGui approached Deng Shirong with a smile. "Uncle Nine, if there’s nothing else, let’s get going!"
Deng Shirong nodded. "Alright, let’s go then!"
Deng YunGui waved to the truck driver and climbed into the vehicle. The journey from the brick and tile factory to Beihai was about a hundred kilometers. If they were on a modern highway, it would take just over an hour. However, the roads in this era were rough, and the vehicle moved slowly, taking them more than three hours to reach Beihai.
By the time they arrived, it was already noon.
"Uncle Nine, there’s a noodle shop up ahead that doesn’t require ration tickets. Let’s stop there for a bowl of noodles, and then we can deliver the goods to the market. It’s been a month since our last trip, so they should have sold out of the previous batch." Deng YunGui rubbed his slightly growling stomach as he spoke.
Deng Shirong nodded with a smile. "Sure, let’s follow your plan. You’ve been here before, so you know better than I do."
As they drove, Deng Shirong quietly observed the unfamiliar surroundings. Even though he and Deng YunGui had made several trips to Beihai in his past life, it had been over three decades since then. Moreover, this era lacked any distinctive landmarks, so his memory of the place was quite hazy.
It wasn’t until they finished their noodles and arrived at the market Deng YunGui mentioned that Deng Shirong began to feel a faint sense of familiarity.
There was no need to elaborate. In the early 1980s, the demand for bricks and tiles was still quite high. The goods Deng YunGui and Deng YunTai had brought last month had already sold out, and this new load was quickly divided among several shops.
"YunGui, take the money and go back with the driver. I’ll check if there’s a bus to Lingshan County today." In modern times, a truck driver would load up another batch of goods to make the return trip profitable. However, in this era, it was nearly impossible to ensure a full load both ways.
Deng Shirong had already mentioned his plan to go to Lingshan County during the trip, so Deng YunGui nodded. "Got it. The driver also mentioned that things have been a bit unstable recently. Uncle Nine, be careful on your journey."
Deng Shirong nodded. "I will. You two be safe on the way back."
The driver chimed in, "Uncle Nine, it’s not easy to find a ride from here. I’ll take you to the bus station first!"
Public transportation in this era was indeed quite inconvenient, so Deng Shirong agreed. "That would be great, thank you, driver!"
The driver smiled. "No problem, it’s not far from here."
The three of them got back into the truck. After about fifteen minutes, the driver dropped Deng Shirong off at the bus station.
"Uncle Nine, we’ll head back now!"
"Alright, have a safe trip."
Deng Shirong opened the car door and watched as the driver and Deng YunGui drove away. He then walked into the bus station.
Deng Shirong had to admit that his luck was pretty good. There was a bus from Beihai to Lingshan County that day, and he immediately pulled out his letter of introduction to buy a ticket.
An hour later, a bus departed from the Beihai bus station, heading toward Qinzhou.
By the time Deng Shirong arrived in Lingshan County, the sun had already set.
(End of Chapter)
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