The eighteen-story International Hotel stood out from the crowd in this small border trade town.
The entrance of X Hotel was bustling with activity. Groups of Russians were coming in and out.
"Heihe's border trade started later than Suifenhe, but its development is not worse than Suifenhe." Dong Jinbu got out of the car first and opened the door for Old Madam He. He smiled at Li He. "Don't people say that there's Shenzhen in the south and Heihe in the north?"
Li He pointed at the people at the entrance. "Are they all here for business?"
Dong Jinbu smiled. "Many of them are tourists. In the past two years, border travel has been opened up, and they are all international tourism. There are also many tourists who feel that it is profitable to do business. Some are long-term, and some take a ferry every day. The agricultural machinery, fertilizers, steel, and soda ash here are all from the Russians. We are mainly exporting textile and long-range products. Don't be fooled by the small size of this city. The monthly trade volume is thirty to forty million Swiss francs. The main trading market is on the Big Heihe Island. If you are not in a hurry, I can take you there. "
The group chatted and laughed as they entered the hotel lobby. Li He looked around at the brilliant lights and said, "It's pretty."
Dong Jinbu pointed at the lights above his head. "Including this electricity, it's all imported from Russia through the 110-volt international transmission line."
"It's kilovolt." Li He had no choice. Due to his OCD as a science student, he had to correct him.
"Yes, yes, it's kilovolt." Dong Jinbu scratched his head. "Haha, I'm an uncouth man."
He was probably a regular here. The few of them waited for a few minutes at the elevator and there were already many people greeting him warmly.
Dong Jinbu did not care about who was better or worse.
Without the waiter's guidance, he led Li He into a private room with familiarity.
He said to his men, "Hurry up and arrange for the best."
Old Madam He's anxiety was written all over her face since she entered the room. Li He had no choice but to say to Dong Jin, "Old Dong, don't bother with those troublesome things. Stewing and boiling are all troublesome. Just ask them to make something hot. Serve them whatever is ready-made. Let's hurry up after we finish eating. It would be great if we could have ready-made millet porridge."
"Hey, Boss Li, you're not an outsider, and you don't care about this meal. Since you're in a hurry, I won't bother with these empty things. I'll arrange it." At this time, the waiter came over with the tea. Dong Jinbu poured everyone a cup of tea and hurried out.
In less than five minutes, the waiter served a large plate of lamb chops, small stewed fish, and a pot of porridge. Dong Jinbu also came in with a bottle of wine.
"Mackerel and salmon are the specialties of this place. You won't have a chance to eat it this time. You must try it when you get back."
Just as he was about to open the bottle of wine, Li He stopped him. "I'm not drinking. It'll delay my work."
Dong Jinbu smiled and said, "It's alright. We're brothers, so we only have one bottle. There's someone driving on the road. Let's drink and go to sleep. We'll sober up when we get there. "
Seeing that Li He nodded, he started from He Long, followed by Li He, and finally poured some for Old Madam.
"You guys drink." Old Madam He only scooped a bowl of porridge for herself.
The bottle of wine was just enough for the three of them. There was no scene of you toasting each other and pushing each other away. They drank and ate quickly.
After the meal, no one took a break and went straight to the car.
Once the car was out of the city, Dong Jinbu got out of the car and arranged for someone to tie a few searchlights to the roof of the car. Seeing that Li He was puzzled, he smiled and said, "There are no street lights on the road ahead. The road conditions are bad, so the car lights won't be of much use."
The car with the searchlights led the way and continued to move forward. Through the car window, they could see large patches of birch forest flashing by quickly.
This was the northernmost highway in China, and the road conditions were very bad. For more than an hour, many parts of the road were just dirt roads, full of potholes, and the sound of the car engine could be heard.
After driving for more than two hours, the car in front suddenly stopped, and the car behind also braked.
Li He, who was pretending to be asleep, was also startled awake. He saw Dong Jinbu get out of the car in front and followed suit.
"What's going on?"
Dong Jinbu handed a cigarette to Li He and said, "Rest for a while. The road to Huma is full of mud during the day."
"What should we do? Li He lit his cigarette and was not anxious. Dong Jinbu was so calm, so he must have a plan.
Dong Jinbu shone the flashlight on his wrist, then smiled and said, "Wait until around two in the morning. The temperature will be even lower then, and the road will be frozen, so the car won't sink. We can leave now, but it's not that safe. "
He Long also stomped his feet hard on the ground a few times, then said, "Yes, we have to wait. In the past, robbers didn't even dare to come out during the day. They usually sleep well during the day and come out at night to be arrogant. "
Li He smiled and asked, "Why is that?"
He Long said, "It's broad daylight, and the sun is there. The snow melts quickly, and every step is a few feet deep. Even a blind man can't come, and he still comes out after midnight. Usually, when we go to the market, we leave before daybreak, and we have to get home before the sun appears. "
Li He and Dong Jinbu finished smoking half a pack of cigarettes before continuing on their way.
It was already five o 'clock in the morning when they arrived at their destination, but it took them nearly seven hours to travel more than 200 kilometers.
The sky was already bright, and the stalls in the morning market were already open. Li He suggested that they go for breakfast, but Old Madam He did not want to waste time at the stall, so he went to buy a few buns and soy milk, and everyone had one in their hands.
Old Madam He was especially energetic when she returned to her territory. She pointed the way to the only hospital in the small town.
The small town had changed a lot, like a newborn baby. Everything was brand new, and although the road was still narrow, it was clean.
The hospital was very small, and it was only a two-story building. The He family's relatives gathered at the entrance of the hospital and chatted. When she saw Old Madam He getting out of the car, she almost didn't recognize her, but when she saw He Long, she was completely sure.
The He family's two remaining brothers and a little aunt were all there.
Li He went up to greet them one by one, and after offering cigarettes, he helped light the fire. "Second Uncle, how's Old Aunt?"
He Fang's father was the eldest of the He family. He had two brothers, two sisters, and the youngest sister who was sick.
Second Uncle of the He family took a puff of his cigarette and pointed to his head. "It's not very bright. I thought I wouldn't make it last night, but this morning, it's not bad."
Li He heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good."
Old Madam He had already entered the hospital with her sisters-in-law, and he followed behind.
His uncle's surname was Fang, and he felt bad when he saw Li He. He said to Li He, "You guys have a lot of things to do. Did you come back to do it?"
"It won't delay anything. I'm still thinking about your roast lamb." After Li He finished speaking, he saw that the Fang family's little cousin's eyes were swollen. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "You must be tired. Go to sleep."
He was no longer the child who held a chipped bowl and drank corn dregs a few years ago. He was clearly a half-grown boy.
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