Chapter 92: Two Days in the Capital

Wen Jiajia’s heart swelled with emotion the moment she set foot in the capital.

It wasn’t for any particular reason, but because she was so familiar with this place. She had waited for the bus here four or five times in her previous life!

Even though the area underwent a large-scale expansion and renovation in 2004, some of its original traces remained.

Now, seeing it again, she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Director Gao suddenly sighed, “What a big change! This wasn’t here the last time I visited!”

What had changed? The luggage now has automatic weight checks.

“Even the ticket checking is automatic,” someone else said, excitement evident in their voice.

A staff member nearby proudly added, “This year, we’ve introduced many new systems at the Capital Station: a computer management system, micro-ticketing system, TV monitoring system, automatic broadcasting, wireless communication system, and more. They’re very advanced!”

Wen Jiajia couldn’t help but gape at this.

After all, this was the capital, at the forefront of the country, and they suddenly felt like people from the countryside.

“Don’t just stand here, follow the signs,” a staff member urged them to move along.

Having come from a modern world, Wen Jiajia instinctively took the lead, guiding the group until they soon arrived outside the train station.

They found themselves in a large square. The majestic “Capital Station,” built in 1959, stood proudly on the square. Several red flags fluttered on top of the building, waving in the sun.

Wen Jiajia couldn’t tear her eyes away. It was as if she had been transported back to her previous life. She had seen this place exactly like this before. Others around her were similarly engrossed, but their appreciation was cut short when a car arrived to pick them up.

After getting into the car, they first went to the exhibition warehouse to unload the products, and then headed to the guesthouse.

The guesthouse wasn’t far; Wen Jiajia estimated it was only about a 10-minute drive from the exhibition venue. However, considering there weren’t many traffic lights at this time, it would take a long time to walk if they relied on their own strength.

Upon arriving at the guesthouse, everyone went to their rooms to rest.

Wen Jiajia went straight to the bathroom. She was worried that there might not be a private bathroom and that she would have to go to a communal bathhouse to shower. Fortunately, the guesthouse did have a bathroom.

Although it was a bit smaller and the environment and facilities weren’t as good as those in Shanghai, it was still a relief to be able to take a shower.

Wen Jiajia took a quick shower. She wanted to wash her hair, as it was already oily in the hot summer, but she had to go out later, so she decided to hold off.

After freshening up, the group took the bus to the exhibition.

On the way, everyone was glued to the windows, taking in the sights.

“Hey, I just heard from the guesthouse staff that our rooms were booked two days in advance. Otherwise, we would have had to stay in a bathhouse. They said this period is really busy, and the guesthouse can’t accommodate everyone, so people have to stay in bathhouses and can only check in after 8 o’clock in the evening,” the person next to Wen Jiajia said.

The person speaking was Chen Sihua, who worked in the sales department. Wen Jiajia had eaten with her twice before in the cafeteria, so they were quite familiar with each other.

This time, they were the two lowest-ranked members of the team, so they ended up sitting together naturally—after all, no one wanted to sit with the leaders.

Wen Jiajia was surprised. “Staying in a bathhouse?”

Chen Sihua laughed, “Yeah, I can’t imagine how people can live in a bathhouse. Haha, it’s a pity it’s not winter, otherwise, I would like to experience the legendary bathing.”

Wen Jiajia quickly understood. The bathhouse was quite large and had doors and windows, so it must be warm, and spending a night there wouldn’t be an issue.

As they chatted, the car quickly arrived at the exhibition hall.

The exhibition hall wasn’t very large, at least not in Wen Jiajia’s opinion. It was located in a three-story building. Inside, there were already quite a few people setting up their booths.

“The scale isn’t that big,” Chen Sihua observed.

Wen Jiajia whispered, “I heard there are only six medical glass factories, six chemical machinery factories, five pharmaceutical factories, and the rest are all hospitals.”

The main purpose of this exhibition isn’t just to help sell products. The government intends to integrate resources. Currently, the industry in this area is too weak, and it can’t be supported by just one company.

Their medical glass factory is new, having been built less than three years ago. Receiving an invitation to this exhibition means their medical glass products are considered strong on a national level.

As they spoke, the products were brought out, and Wen Jiajia helped set them up for display. She also arranged the data sheets on the side, and soon everything was ready.

But it wasn’t time to relax yet—Wen Jiajia had to get out her pen and paper to check out other people’s products.

It’s true that one must go out and see the world; otherwise, you won’t know how far others have progressed.

Wen Jiajia saw several excellent products that her factory wanted to produce but hadn’t yet. Judging by their appearance, these products were already mass-produced and available for sale.

She walked around and, by two in the afternoon, had nearly finished recording all the product information.

At that moment, Director Gao came down from upstairs and said to Wen Jiajia, “You two go eat first, then head back to the guesthouse. Jiajia, you still need to organize the information—I need it tomorrow morning.”

Chen Sihua was surprised. It was only mid-afternoon, and she had hoped to do some shopping after dinner.

Wen Jiajia felt like she had been struck by lightning. Organizing all that information was still on her to-do list!

“Let’s go!” Chen Sihua said it excitedly. “I just asked a staff member, and he said he always goes to Dongfeng Market for shopping. He also recommended that we go to Donglaishun for dinner.”

Wen Jiajia couldn’t stay sad after hearing that. Donglaishun! The hotpot place she had always dreamed of was within reach.

It took them half an hour to reach Dongfeng Market, which was a bit crowded. 

As soon as they entered, they were greeted by rows upon rows of goods.

Wen Jiajia carefully observed the market’s layout. The small windows meant the lighting inside was quite dim.

After exploring the market briefly, she and Chen Sihua headed straight to Donglaishun. They planned to shop for goods after their meal to aid digestion.

Donglaishun had changed significantly over the decades. While the restaurant still retained the “four major characteristics” of its brand, many of these features had diminished over time.

Wen Jiajia ordered the top of the head and cucumber strips of meat, familiar dishes, and told Chen Sihua, “Two plates should be enough. The portion sizes here are quite large.”

Chen Sihua looked puzzled. “How do you know?”

Wen Jiajia pointed to the neighboring table and said, “Just look at the plates on their table.”

Meat is particularly filling, and Wen Jiajia estimated that after eating two plates, they would be quite full, especially with vegetables and noodles to follow.

The meat dishes arrived quickly, along with the dipping sauce.

Wen Jiajia particularly liked the sesame paste.

She mixed the sesame paste with fermented bean curd, chives, and other seasonings like chili oil, balsamic vinegar, and topped it off with chopped green onions and coriander to create a delicious sauce.

Chen Sihua, unsure how to start, received a spoonful of the sauce from Wen Jiajia. “Try this and see if you like it.”

Chen Sihua tasted a piece of food with the sauce, and her eyes lit up. “It’s delicious! The sesame flavor is wonderful.”

Wen Jiajia smiled at her approval. “It seems you’re a sesame sauce lover too. You can mix it the same way I did.”

Wen Jiajia enjoyed both sesame and oil sauces but preferred sesame.

The quality of Donglaishun remained high at this time.

The mutton was tender and fresh, with a minimal gamey taste. The sesame paste cooled it down and enhanced the flavor.

With each bite, the rich, salty sesame paste was followed by the unique freshness of the mutton.

The meat was tender and flavorful, and the spiciness developed after a few chews. Wen Jiajia felt spiritually satisfied.

Yes, spiritually satisfied.

She had long craved a hot pot, not the simple home-made kind, but the same hot pot from her previous life’s restaurants. She had been dreaming of it since she traveled through time and finally fulfilled that wish.

After eating the meat, they moved on to the vegetables.

Wen Jiajia ordered Chinese cabbage and frozen tofu. The cabbage was sweet and crisp, while the frozen tofu absorbed the flavorful juices and took on a rich soy aroma. The tofu also soaked up the sauce when dipped.

Wen Jiajia was so pleased that it made her eyes squint with satisfaction.

She resolved to come back more often while the quality was still good!

As expected, they left the restaurant with full bellies and felt bloated as they walked.

It was already evening.

One side of the sky displayed a fiery red sun nearing sunset, while the other side had colorful clouds—a beautiful sight.

The two then went back to the market for more shopping.

Chen Sihua bought numerous items, but Wen Jiajia only picked up a few hairbands, hair flowers, and fabrics.

She also sought badges, which weren’t available at the market. She figured she would need to visit the supply and marketing cooperative to find them.

After leaving the market, they returned to the guesthouse.

Wen Jiajia skipped going upstairs and headed straight to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the badges she had promised the two sisters.

When she returned to her room, she took a shower and began sorting out the documents.

There was a lot of information to go through, and she quickly realized it would take at least two or three hours to finish.

Fortunately, the room had a table and unlimited electricity, so Wen Jiajia immersed herself in her work.

She didn’t know how long she had been working, but it was completely dark outside, with only a few lights visible.

She checked her watch; it was already 7:30.

Wen Jiajia picked up her pen again and continued to work, the rustling sound of her writing echoing in the quiet room.

About half an hour later, she heard footsteps in the corridor, likely Director Shen and his team returning.

Wen Jiajia had overestimated her efficiency. It was nearly ten o’clock by the time she finished organizing the information.

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Wen Jiajia fell onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep in less than half a minute.

The next morning, she was awoken at six by the morning light.

Wen Jiajia had left the curtains open deliberately to ensure she wouldn’t oversleep.

After washing up, she went to the street downstairs for breakfast.

The northern taste was quite different from the southern flavors Wen Jiajia was used to. Having lived in the south for two lifetimes, she found it difficult to adjust.

Wen Jiajia ordered a bowl of millet porridge and bought two pancakes, as she found that porridge alone didn’t keep her full for long.

After breakfast, Wen Jiajia noticed Director Gao’s door was open and immediately handed over the information she had sorted out the night before.

Director Gao smiled and asked, “What did you and the sales girl have for dinner yesterday?”

Wen Jiajia replied, “Donglaishun! It was a hot pot, specifically a mutton hot pot. If you get the chance, you should try it. It tastes really good.”

Director Gao exclaimed, “Hot pot! You two have good taste. You went straight to Donglaishun. I visited it with friends a few years after our partnership. The taste was fantastic, but it was quite expensive. I imagine your wallet took a hit.”

Wen Jiajia nodded, feeling a bit distressed as most of her meat tickets had been used up.

Soon after, the leaders finished their breakfast, and the group headed to the exhibition hall again.

The exhibition hall was busier this time. Wen Jiajia followed Director Gao as he introduced them to various people.

“That’s the director of the East Province Medical Glass Factory, her  last name is Wang,” Director Gao whispered, recalling and identifying each person. “She’s quite a formidable woman and can drink a lot. She almost got Director Shen drunk yesterday.”

Wen Jiajia was shocked. She knew how much Director Shen could drink. At a dinner party once, Director Shen had consumed more than half a bottle of white wine, and Wen Jiajia had been terrified seeing him drink so much. She was worried he might collapse and that the others at the table might be held responsible.

Director Wang must have an exceptionally high alcohol tolerance to have nearly made Director Shen drunk.

“The person next to him is from the Yunnan Provincial Hospital,” Director Gao added.

Wen Jiajia was curious. “Is that the same person who helped us during the factory construction?”

“Yes, their expertise is impressive. Three of the products they brought are ones we’re currently developing. We might even cancel some of our ongoing projects when we return. Their factory started from scratch, unlike us, who had support from the start,” Director Gao explained.