Siheyuan: Why does your brother beat you up every day, Shazhu?

"There are also some key places, like the three-way intersection at Shuishizi after crossing Lugou Bridge; the twin towers in Zhuozhou; even some chimneys at the forks in the road, and a few special poplar trees..."

"You have to be aware of these things and use them as a reminder."

"Otherwise, if you take the wrong turn at these key intersections, you'll be completely lost. Even wandering dozens of miles would be the least of your worries!"

He Weiguo listened while unfolding the map and looking at it carefully.

The lines on the map are rough and the place names are very simple.

He had a rough idea in his mind: when traveling long distances these days, the first thing you have to do is to learn how to read this simple map to grasp the general direction, and then use some simple road signs, milestones, and landmarks passed down by word of mouth by experienced drivers to navigate.

This is a test of both eyesight and memory.

Fortunately, this time they went to Baoding, they took the relatively main "Beijing-Baoding Highway", which was clearly marked on the map. If they had taken those small roads leading to the countryside, it would probably have been more difficult.

As they had just set out and both of them were in high spirits, He Weiguo wanted to find out more practical information, which was crucial for his future work.

"Brother Liu, based on the current situation, how many kilometers is it from here to Baoding?"

"How long does it take to drive this car?"

He only vaguely knew that Sijiucheng was not too far from Baoding, but he had no idea of ​​the exact distance and the actual driving time in those days.

This is not the era of highways in later generations.

Liu Jun took a deep puff of cigarette and said:

"Well, the distance isn't too far, maybe about 150 to 160 kilometers."

"But in reality, the mileage is much more than that! What kind of driving doesn't require some detours?"

"Sometimes taking a wrong turn or taking a bad detour has to be taken into account."

"If everything goes smoothly, we can reach Baoding in ten hours if we hurry as fast as we can."

"But don't expect it to be that beautiful. I'm thinking it'll take until tomorrow at the latest."

He looked at the road ahead and continued:

"Let's not talk about anything else for now. Let's just talk about now—from here to Yongdingmen, there's a long queue at the checkpoint. You won't be able to get through for at least half an hour!"

"When we got to the Marco Polo Bridge section, the traffic was even worse! All the mule-drawn carts and handcarts couldn't move at all. The wait was endless!"

"Also, the road over at Lugou Bridge looks smooth, but the soil underneath is soft. Every year the Yongding River floods, and it washes away the soil. It's full of hidden potholes. Driving over it makes it so bumpy that we can't drive fast... All of this wastes time."

"So, no matter what, it will take at least ten hours to finish this hundred-plus kilometers!"

After hearing this, He Weiguo had a clear idea in his mind.

What Liu Jun said are all valuable practical experiences.

He calculated the time. It was almost 11 o'clock in the morning. Even if he drove for twelve hours, he would arrive at 11 o'clock in the evening, right?

"Brother Liu, based on what you said, we can actually get there in about ten hours. If we take turns driving and there are no delays along the way, we should be able to reach Baoding tonight, right? At the very least, we can get there before midnight, right?"

Liu Jun shook his head and poured cold water on him:

"Don't even think about it! No passing after 10pm!"

"These days, the rules are strict. There are checkpoints along the way, and they'll definitely stop you."

"So we can't just leave at a fixed time. We have to see if there are any suitable state-owned guesthouses and find a place to stay in advance."

"If you really drive until ten o'clock and can't find a place to stay when you get there, not only will you have to grope around blindly, but you'll also have to sleep in the wild with this truckload of stuff. That's too risky!"

He further explained:

"It's not so bad if we come back empty-handed. If all else fails, we can find a fellow villager's house, give him some money and food coupons, and stay there for one night."

"But now we're carrying so many scarce supplies. If you stay with a farmer or a random inn, you'll be asking for trouble!"

"You have to stay in a state-run guesthouse. There are militia patrols at night, so it's safe!"

"But if you want to stay at the guesthouse, you must have a letter of introduction. The check is very strict."

"So now you understand why we get accommodation allowances when we go out on the road, and why the captain prepared so many letters of introduction and travel permits for us, right?"

Liu Jun concluded.

He Weiguo now truly understood.

It turns out that long-distance transportation is not as simple as driving. It involves a series of complex links such as route planning, time management, accommodation arrangements, safety checks, etc.

Everything must be done with the top priority of ensuring material safety.

The package of documents that Wen Tiezhu stuffed into his hand was far more important than he thought.

The two chatted while driving the truck carefully.

Sure enough, we arrived at the checkpoint outside Yongdingmen soon.

The convoy formed a long queue and moved as slowly as a snail.

Finally it was their turn. A militiaman wearing a red armband came forward and waved for the car to stop.

"Where are you going? What are you doing? Are there any formalities?"

The militiaman asked routinely, his eyes scanning the truck and its occupants warily.

Liu Jun immediately put on a familiar smile and said politely:

"Comrade, thank you for your hard work! We are from the Beijing Third Food Factory's transport team, going to the Baoding First Food Factory to deliver production supplies."

“All the documents are complete, please review them!

After saying that, he quickly handed over the important pass and letter of introduction.

Chapter 125 Xushui Accommodation

The militiaman took the paperwork, carefully checked the license plate number and cargo list, and muttered:

"Cooking oil...special flour..." He looked up at the carriage:

"Is there anything else in the car? Open the tarpaulin and check."

Hearing this, He Weiguo consciously opened the car door and jumped out. Together with Liu Jun, they untied the tightly tied hemp rope, and pulled open a corner of the thick rainproof tarpaulin, revealing the neatly stacked flour bags and fixed oil drums inside.

The militiaman stepped on the edge of the tire and carefully checked with his head. After confirming that the goods were correct according to the manifest and that they were stacked securely, his expression relaxed and he nodded.

"Okay, it's okay. Drive safely on the road! Don't drive at night!"

"Hey! Thank you comrade for the reminder! We will definitely pay attention!" He Weiguo responded quickly, and together with Liu Jun, he re-covered and tied the tarpaulin tightly.

After passing the checkpoint, Liu Jun started the car again and the truck slowly drove away.

After driving for a distance, Liu Jun breathed a sigh of relief and said to He Weiguo:

"Weiguo, if you feel sleepy, take a nap."

"If you're not sleepy, just look around and remember the way."

"If there's no problem, I'll drive all the way to Zhuozhou first, and then you can take over the driving."

He Weiguo shook his head:

"Brother Liu, I'm not sleepy. This is my first time driving, so I need to remember the route well. I need you to give me more advice."

"You pointed out some key points, so I know how to proceed next time. These are all valuable experiences. How can I sleep?"

Liu Jun laughed when he heard him say this:

"Alright! Brother Weiguo, you have a really good awareness!"

"You don't know, a few years ago when I was following the master, I really didn't dare to blink, for fear of missing any important mark."

"But you're different. You came from the military. The routes they run are much more complicated than ours, and your technique is no problem."

"The main thing is to familiarize yourself with the local rules and regulations. I think you'll be ready after this trip!"

He Weiguo smiled and took out a cigarette and lit it for the two of them:

"Brother Liu, what are you talking about? You're flattering me too much."

"The military is one military unit, and the localities are another. The procedures and rules are all different."

"I'm still confused and ignorant when I come back, so I have to study hard."

Hearing him say this, Liu Jun smiled even more satisfied:

"Alright! I think your serious attitude towards work is really different! Soldiers from the army are indeed reliable!"

The two chatted casually, and Liu Jun kept giving He Weiguo instructions along the way:

Which bend should you go slowly? Which road looks flat but is actually full of potholes? Which fork in the road should you look for? Which crooked tree should you look for?

Many things that Liu Jun took for granted were extremely valuable experiences for He Weiguo.

They set out from Yongdingmen, passed the bumpy Lugou Bridge, passed through Liangxiang, and finally headed for Zhuozhou.

The drive was originally expected to take four hours, but when they finally saw the Zhuozhou boundary marker, it was already around four o'clock in the afternoon - it took a full six hours!

Under an old locust tree beside National Highway 107 in Zhuozhou, there is a place where drivers usually rest.

Liu Jun parked the car by the side of the road. There were already three other trucks parked there. Several drivers were sitting on the rocks by the roadside to rest, while others were lying down in the shade of a tree to take a nap.

Liu Jun was already exhausted. These days, driving for six hours straight, especially with such road and car conditions, is really a physical and technical job.

He Weiguo watched from the side. On many bumpy sections of the road, Liu Jun almost stood and steered the wheel.

After parking the car, Liu Jun took out the crank, opened the hood and propped it up to cool the overheated engine.

He then took out some dry food from his bulging shoulder bag: a few hard cornmeal steamed buns, a jar of homemade pickled radish strips, and finally, miraculously, a few boiled eggs.

He gave most of it to He Weiguo:

"Come on, brother, let's each have a few."

"Your sister-in-law insisted on bringing it. She knows how hard it is for us to drive, so she prepared some extra."

He looked at He Weiguo with an expression that said, "I knew it a long time ago."

"No need to guess, I know you definitely didn't bring these things."

"You young people, you don't know how expensive food and fuel are until you become the head of a household! Are you just thinking about eating out?"

"The reality is, when we're out driving, there are many times when conditions don't allow for it. We try to save as much as possible, and having something to eat is good enough."