The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 318 Scientific Drought Resistance: Demonstration of New Technologies

Faced with Zhang Chengnan's enthusiastic response, Qian Jin took the report and glanced at it with a puzzled look.

Then I felt a surge of energy.

Brief Report on Groundwater Exploration in Beilishan Karst Caves

He rushed to see the conclusion, only to find that the report was not formal, lacking a direct conclusion and bearing only the signature of the Geological Exploration Team No. 1 of the Haibin City Water Resources Bureau.

So he had no choice but to carefully read the briefing.

1. Mission Background: To alleviate the severe drought in the city, in accordance with the deployment requirements of the Municipal Drought Relief Headquarters, our team conducted a special hydrogeological exploration in the Beilishan area, focusing on investigating the development of karst and the occurrence of deep groundwater resources...

2. Exploration methods:

Geological mapping: Completed 1:10000 karst geological mapping, confirming that the main body of the mountain is pure, thick-layered Ordovician limestone, with excellent karst development conditions...

3. Key findings:

The cave system has been confirmed: Cave K1 is the main entrance, with a preliminary exploration depth of over 100 meters. It is hydraulically connected to multiple secondary seepage points (SZ01-SZ03) downstream, forming a large-scale karst aquifer system.

Evidence of underground water veins: stable seepage at multiple points inside the cave (total measured seepage flow > 0.5 L/s), and constant water temperature (16.5°C ± 0.5°C).

A perennial seepage spring (Q=0.1 L/s) is found in the gully below the K1 tunnel entrance. The water is clear and cold, with an HCO-Ca hydrochemical type and low mineralization (TDS < 300 mg/L), meeting the drinking water source standards.

The geophysical anomaly zone coincides closely with the location of the karst cave, suggesting it is a fissure-conduit type of highly water-rich zone.

4. Resource Evaluation and Recommendations:
Resource potential: Based on comprehensive geophysical exploration, cave and hydrological observations, it is determined that the Beilishan karst water system has abundant static reserves, thick aquifers and large water storage space (large karst caves + fracture network)...

The system has not yet been developed on a large scale, and it is well replenished by precipitation infiltration, making it a rare, undisturbed, high-quality water source...

Preliminary assessment: The estimated recoverable resources are sufficient to supply ≥5000m³ of water per day (enough to solve the drinking water problem for 50,000 people or provide emergency irrigation for agriculture of a similar scale).

Urgent Recommendation: Immediately organize a team to conduct detailed mapping and water inflow tests on the K1 karst cave, accurately pinpointing the strong water outlet to provide a basis for constructing a water collection corridor/shaft project. Prioritize its inclusion in the emergency water source development plan…

The report was a lengthy 3,000 words.

Very professional.

The main points can be summarized as follows: there are karst caves and underground water veins, and the water resources are abundant. Preliminary exploration indicates that the water resources can supply the living and agricultural production needs of 50,000 people.

He took a deep breath and said excitedly, "Great news..."

"This is absolutely fantastic news!" Zhang Chengnan was overjoyed. "The Northwest region was originally predicted to be the most severely affected area, but now with the discovery of this underground water vein, a major problem has been solved!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the administrative division map hanging on the wall of the command office.

Based on information reported from grassroots levels and inspections and predictions by experts, different colors were used to distinguish different areas of the city according to the severity of the drought, with the most severely affected areas highlighted in bright red circles.

Among these severely affected areas, the northwestern region is particularly deep in red.

Once everyone else started arriving at work, Zhang Chengnan showed off his treasure to each of them, like he was presenting a precious artifact.

By the time Han Zhaoxin returned to the command center after finishing a municipal government standing committee meeting, it was already past ten o'clock. Zhang Chengnan rushed over to show him the report.

Han Zhaoxin was speechless: "Didn't you bring it to my house to check on it last night?"

Zhang Chengnan chuckled awkwardly, "Yes, yes, I was so happy that I forgot about it."

Han Zhaoxin glanced at Qian Jin again.

Qian Jin was handling the established plan of coordinating water transportation from other areas:

"...Has Order No. 12 been confirmed? Try to mobilize the water transport train from Ningbo. They use fifteen large-capacity tank cars, and a fully loaded train can deliver at least two thousand tons of water!"

"Unloading and transferring the trains at our station is crucial! Director Zhao, you're in charge of liaising with the Transportation Bureau's special access checkpoint, so make sure you get priority passage! Section Chief Chen, you're responsible for coordinating the unloading efficiency at the railway freight yard and the connection with the transfer truck fleet; keep the unloading speed down to the minute!"

"The sooner the water is put into the tanks, the sooner it can be delivered to the disaster area..."

Several group members surrounding him nodded in agreement, their notebooks quickly filling up the blank pages.

After looking at Qian Jin, Han Zhaoxin turned back to look at Zhang Chengnan and secretly shook his head repeatedly.

Comparing goods will only lead to discarding them; comparing people will only lead to ruin.

What a huge difference!
He thought to himself, "What are you so smug about, Lao Zhang?"

First, it was Qian Jin who reminded you that there was water in the mountains, but you disagreed with him at the time.

Secondly, what's the use of discovering groundwater now? Isn't the key point how to develop the water source?

The development plan hasn't even been released yet, and you're already excited? I'm really speechless!
I really want to give you two litters!
There was some good news, but more bad news was arriving.

The ashtrays were piled high with cigarette butts, and department heads were exchanging information and confirming details with each other at a rapid pace.

Qian Jin's fingers rapidly tapped on the desktop map, marking unloading points and transfer routes.

There's actually no need to transport water to the countryside right now; the situation isn't that critical.

However, after reviewing the disaster situation, he knew he would definitely need the information, so he made preparations in advance to plan ahead.

After a busy day at the command center, it was already late at night when I got off work, and the city government office building was long dark.

With their departure, the office building finally returned to tranquility.

When Qian Jin returned home, Wei Qinghuan quickly and tenderly laid out a meal for him and prepared water for him to soak his feet to relax.

Why are you all working overtime all the time?

Qian Jin was sprawled out on the sofa, while Tangyuan and the other kids grinned mischievously, trying to tease him.

Wei Qinghuan's pretty face turned ugly, and she said in a gloomy tone, "Do you want to stand guard all night tonight?"

The mischievous children shuddered, their wicked grins turning into ingratiating smiles.

"Fourth Uncle, let me give you a massage..."

"Fourth Uncle, let me give you a back massage..."

"Uncle, let me massage your legs..."

"Uh, then what should I do? Uncle, how about you turn around and I'll lick your butt?"

"Chen Aiguo!" Qian Xi, who was tidying up in the kitchen, came over upon hearing this, grabbed her son by the ear, and left.

Qian Jin, who had been tense all day at the command post, finally relaxed. He enjoyed the children's massage and laughed, "Well done, Aiguo, you've got some skills. Wait till I get you some popping candy or something..."

Chen Aiguo was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Popping candy? There's popping candy too? Hurry up, Uncle! You're so great, Uncle!"

"I want popping candy too!" the other children chimed in.

Only Wei Qinghuan understood Qian Jin's unspoken message. She went up to him and grabbed his ear, saying, "What are you doing? These are just children. How can you say such things to them..."

"What's wrong with the child? What's wrong with saying these things?" Tangyuan said coquettishly.

Unable to explain, Wei Qinghuan glared at her little niece and snapped, "Children shouldn't eat too much candy!"

Several children began to grumble and express their dissatisfaction.

This warm, family atmosphere allowed Qian Jin to completely relax, but after the meal, he had to get back to being tense.

Entering the study, he rubbed his throbbing temples and pushed a thick stack of documents on the table under the lamplight.

These documents, a mix of mimeographed materials and technical drawings, are all key points for tomorrow's meeting.

These are new agricultural production technologies that Qian Jin 'introduced from abroad'.

This time, he mainly "introduced" two production technologies: drip irrigation tool production technology and hydraulic diesel engine well drilling machine production technology.

At the same time, related tools and machinery were also introduced into China.

However, technical manuals are just books, which can be quickly delivered to him by air, but tools and equipment are more troublesome and require sea freight to arrive in a long time.

Therefore, the tools and equipment are real items, while the technical manuals to which these books belong are all 21st-century new technologies bought from the mall.

He bought the Chinese version from the online store, and worked overtime using translation tools to create the English version, which was then printed, bound, and delivered to his superiors.

You guys can translate it yourselves!

He wasn't worried about attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives, as Qian Jin's current work was extremely convenient.

His job involved direct contact with new technologies and equipment from abroad, so the leaders tacitly accepted the advanced foreign processes and technologies he demonstrated.

In addition, when he obtains new technologies and processes from abroad, he sometimes obscures their origins, making him seem unfathomable.

This won't arouse scrutiny or suspicion, but rather make people admire his abilities, methods, and channels even more.

Furthermore, the current mainstream of society is drought relief, and no one has the mind to think about anything else.

So once he hands this information over to the government, if the government can start production in a short time, the drought relief work in the north will be much easier.

Take drip irrigation technology as an example.

The history of this technology dates back more than 20 years; Israel started working on it in the 1950s.

China also began researching this technology five or six years ago, but progress has been slow. In 75, the country imported two sets of drip irrigation equipment from Mexico in an attempt to conduct reverse engineering research, but this was interrupted by the special circumstances of the time.

In 1977, experts from the Frontier Agricultural Reclamation Academy conducted experimental research on drip irrigation technology for horticultural crops. However, their research focused on using plastic pipes for drip irrigation, which led to high costs and difficulties in promotion.

Ultimately, drip irrigation technology has entered China, but it has not been given much attention and there has been no breakthrough in its practical application.

This is what Qian Jin brought; he presented a groundbreaking technology for practical applications.

After double-checking the contents and finding no problems, he took out a thick kraft paper file folder from the drawer and put all the documents inside.

Wei Qinghuan brought him green tea.

Qian Jin reached out and touched a plump, soft mound, then sighed, "A beautiful woman adds fragrance to the room."

This time, Wei Qinghuan neither slapped him nor scolded him for being indecent.

Qian Jin has been so busy lately that he hasn't had time to bother her.

Wei Qinghuan had only one way to assess Qian Jin's energy: the frequency with which he delivered grain.

If it's more than twice a day, it means he's bored out of his mind; if it's less than once every two days, it means he's genuinely busy.

Qian Jin has been behaving himself for three days now.

He finished his tea and decided to make up for the three days' worth of food shortage that night...

The next morning in the conference room, the leaders couldn't help but be moved by Qian Jin's sunken eyes and dark circles.

Han Zhaoxin couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder and admonish him, "Xiao Qian, don't work so hard."

"This drought relief campaign is a protracted war, so we can't rush it. Take it easy and make sure you get some rest."

"What time did you go to bed last night? What time did you get up this morning?"

Qian Jin estimated: "I probably went to bed around one o'clock and got up at six in the morning."

Han Zhaoxin also made a guess.

Five hours of sleep is indeed a bit short, but a young man shouldn't be staying up that late, right?

He slept for about five hours last night.

However, after thinking about it again, he figured that young people probably had more worries and more pressure, unlike him, a veteran cadre who was used to bearing heavy burdens of people's livelihood. So he said, "This job will be a valuable experience for you. It's right for you to seize the opportunity to experience and learn, but you also need to rest well."

"Okay, I'll give you an hour, no, an hour and a half of sleep time at noon. You must take a nap at noon."

Qian Jin readily agreed upon hearing this.

It is indeed necessary to make up for the lost energy.

His quick agreement left Han Zhaoxin completely stunned.

The second-in-command felt he couldn't see through the young man in front of him.

The secretary came over and nodded.

The next meeting is ready, and Qian Jin will still be the main character.

Several leaders in charge of agriculture, water resources, science and technology, along with a few technical experts, sat around in a small office.

At times like this, there's no need to follow procedures or use bureaucratic language; you should get straight to the point.

Qian Jin didn't stand on ceremony. He opened his briefcase, pasted some photos and pictures on the wall, and began explaining the drip irrigation technology:
"You leaders probably know what drip irrigation is all about, or at least have some recollection of it, so I won't go into the details. I'll get straight to the point."

Han Zhaoxin was the only one who didn't know the specifics, but he didn't need to. His secretary did, and quickly whispered a brief explanation in his ear.

He nodded.

Qian Jin continued, "Drip irrigation technology was invented in the 50s by a Jewish inventor who brought the technology back to the Negev Desert region of Israel and applied it to greenhouse irrigation."

"Then this technology developed rapidly. Starting in the early 60s, it was widely promoted in Israel and California, mainly for the irrigation of fruits and vegetables."

Han Zhaoxin continued nodding: "Judging from the speed of its promotion, this irrigation technology has practical application significance."

Qian Jin said, "Yes, Commander Han hit the nail on the head. Drip irrigation has a water efficiency of over 95%, while the surface irrigation water commonly used in China is only 30%!"

"Why is drip irrigation so efficient? It is mainly due to the fact that there is no water loss in the pipeline, and under proper management, there is no deep leakage or surface runoff loss. The water seeps directly into the root zone, resulting in minimal evaporation loss between plants."

"And I must add something unrelated: the advantage of drip irrigation is not only its extremely high water efficiency, but also the ability to fertilize using the drip irrigation system. Different fertilizers can be precisely applied with the irrigation water according to the fertilizer requirements of plants at different growth stages—this is the mainstream research abroad now, fertigation!"

"Therefore, using irrigation technology to grow crops can keep the crops in the optimal water and fertilizer environment at all times, thereby improving the quality of the crops."

An agricultural expert nodded: "Deputy Commander Qian is right. In fact, our research institute believes that drip irrigation will be the most rapidly developing irrigation technology in the world in the future. By the 21st century, all developed countries in the world should adopt this irrigation technology."

Han Zhaoxin nodded but did not express his opinion. He only said to Qian Jin, "Tell me about its current applicability. Why hasn't our country used it before?"

Qian Jin said, "Because our research direction is wrong."

He pointed to a photo on the wall: "This is the first generation of drip irrigation pipes developed by the Capital Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 75. The key problem is here—the pipes they used were mainly made of extremely expensive rigid engineering plastics!"

Today's meeting was announced in advance, not held on short notice, which is why we were able to gather relevant industry experts.

The agricultural research institute expert who spoke earlier then prepared a section of domestically produced hard plastic thin tube for demonstration.

Upon seeing this, Qian Jin also picked up a modern dropper tube that he had prepared in advance; it was a sample of a darker and softer rubber tube.
“Perfect, these two samples can be compared.”

"As you can see, laying rigid plastic pipes in the fields requires a large number of standardized joints and pipe-laying machinery."

"This not only makes the equipment itself expensive, but also makes installation and maintenance difficult to promote in the context of a generally fragmented small-scale farming economy, creating a deadlock that is hindering the large-scale application of drip irrigation technology in my country!"

"The core of the foreign technology we introduced this time lies in its water pipe material—soft rubber composite process."

He squeezed the rubber tube hard with his fingers, and the tube quickly deformed, then slowly returned to its original shape when he released it.

"Look, everyone, this is the key. Rubber raw materials are much more widely available than engineering plastics, the process is relatively simple, and most importantly, the texture is extremely soft!"

He then picked up a pair of ordinary scissors from the table and easily cut a section of the tubing:
"This is what we use in the field. The villagers take the scissors and cut a small hole in the root of any seedling they want, using the pre-cut capillary tube."

"No matter how big the field or how many bends and ridges, you can just roll it up and lay it in. After use in winter, you can take it back. Rolling it up makes it easy to prevent freezing and handle."

“But there’s a problem,” a leader asked, puzzled. “If we make a lot of slits when watering the wheat this time, but not so many when watering the corn next time, do we just glue them back together?”

Qian Jin shook his head: "No need, just let it continue drip irrigation, it won't waste much water anyway."

"Furthermore, there is no perfect agricultural irrigation technique!"

Han Zhaoxin said, "That's right, you say what you want to say, and don't consider other aspects for now."

Qian Jin gently placed the last section of the rubber hose sample on the table and said, "Okay. According to my information, this type of soft rubber hose is not difficult to produce, and in fact, China has the conditions for large-scale production."

"What about the cost?" Han Zhaoxin asked.

Qian Jin said, "Compared to rigid pipes, the cost can be reduced by 90%!"

Han Zhaoxin was shocked: "That's so exaggerated?"

Qian Jin said, "Yes, the main thing to consider is the issue of wear and tear. If the hose is damaged, then you can cut off the damaged section and use the rest with silicone sealant or melted rubber to seal it up and continue using it."

"Rigid pipes don't have this advantage; once they're damaged, it's a loss."

The leaders sitting around the table began to nod frequently, exchanging thoughtful glances.

The head of the agricultural department still hesitated: "Deputy Commander Qian, do you know how tight our city's finances are right now? Do you know how large the farmland area is?"

Qian Jin understood what he meant: "Leader, we are not replacing all farmers' equipment with this, but only giving it to the hardest-hit areas."

The person in charge sighed.

Once the initial approval was reached, Qian Jin changed the subject, pointing to the drilling rig blueprints that had been distributed: "Solving the immediate problems of water diversion and drip irrigation is an emergency measure, but in the long run, the fundamental guarantee of water sources lies in finding and utilizing those deep and stable underground water sources."

"Just as Commander Han instructed before, this is a project of paramount importance!"

"We are currently facing a drought. It's not that there's no water underground, it's that there's no shallow water. In fact, there must be water deeper down. In this situation, we have to dig deep wells."

"I introduced this hydraulically driven diesel engine drilling rig technology specifically for drilling deep water wells."

He pointed to the drawing of the compact, complex equipment on the blueprint: "The key to this machine lies in its hydraulic drive system, which can stably and quickly drill wells over 100 meters deep in medium-hardness rock formations!"

The atmosphere in the meeting room changed somewhat.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the blueprints in their hands, and then they began to whisper among themselves in discussion.

The words "100-meter deep well" carry a heavy weight.

Everyone present knew that in the past, relying on manual impact drills or small old-fashioned drilling machines, drilling wells to a depth of twenty or thirty meters was the limit. When encountering shallow water or deteriorating water quality, they were helpless.

This machine has now pushed wells to a depth of 100 meters.

This represents a significant depth of advancement.

Han Zhaoxin asked, "Is there still water downstream?"

Even without Qian Jin's answer, the water conservancy expert said, "Yes, once you penetrate those hard impermeable layers, there is another layer of deep confined water below."

"These water reserves are huge and the water quality is stable, so they won't be completely drained by a severe drought like rainwater or river water."

Qian Jin said, "I have researched the domestic production technology. There is no problem with this kind of hydraulic well drilling machine. It can be produced. Machinery factories in our province, such as Hongxing and Lingxiu, have the production capabilities."

"As long as we can quickly mass-produce these well-drilling machines and start drilling wells as soon as possible, we can at least guarantee water supply for the three months of July, August and September."

"This means that the summer harvest in some areas cannot be guaranteed, but the autumn harvest can be guaranteed."

The water conservancy expert nodded as he looked at the mechanical structure diagram: "I think Deputy Commander Qian's opinion is quite instructive."

"This kind of machinery is necessary, and deep wells are also necessary because deep groundwater has an advantage: once the drought is over and it rains, the groundwater will be replenished."

"Therefore, I believe these deep wells are the stabilizing force that ensures stable production regardless of drought or flood! I propose that the command center immediately establish a special task force to concentrate resources and fully coordinate and promote the introduction of drilling rigs and production."

"Once the equipment is in place, we will immediately begin drilling in key areas where the potential for deep water resources has been proven! Every well we drill is a lifeline for the future!"

A low murmur of discussion filled the conference room.

Han Zhaoxin urgently instructed his secretary to summon a mechanical expert to come and review the blueprints.

Then he drew his own conclusion first: "I think Deputy Commander Qian's suggestion is feasible. Deep wells plus drip irrigation is the right approach. It not only puts out the immediate fire, but also lights the way for the future. I agree that we should focus on the key task of introducing and implementing the drilling rig first."

These words were like a stabilizing force, striking the bottom of the sea and sealing the deal for this technological breakthrough.

After the mechanical experts arrived, they held a short meeting, which had nothing to do with Qian Jin.

The report that the Shuilikou Geological Exploration Team submitted yesterday is very important.

There is water at the foot of the Northwest Mountains, so Han Zhaoxin wanted to tap into it. With this water, the drought problem in the surrounding mountainous areas would be solved.

This is so important.

Relief efforts in the hardest-hit areas are of paramount importance, while drought in mountainous regions is the most difficult to address.

For example, water can be supplied from the city to the suburbs, while water trucks can be arranged to deliver water continuously to the plains.

Such convenient conditions are not available in the mountains.

Trucks traveling on mountain roads are not only dangerous but also very inefficient. One truckload of water delivered to the mountains can be equivalent to three or even four truckloads delivered to the plains.

Therefore, extracting groundwater from the mountains in Northwest China is an urgent task.

Han Zhaoxin asked Zhang Chengnan to personally go to the mountainous area in the northwest to take charge of this matter, and Qian Jin asked to go with him.

He wanted to see the reality in the mountains.

Han Zhaoxin agreed with his suggestion: "Combining theory with practice is always the magic weapon for solving problems."

"Then let's do it this way. You two deputy commanders will go together, and Director Zhang, you will stay in the mountains to be in charge of the subsequent exploration work and water diversion project. Just let Deputy Commander Qian come back."

Zhang Chengnan felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing this.

Oh dear, why are the young comrades not staying in the mountains to endure hardship, but instead leaving the older comrades to stay?

Comrade leader, you truly care about and cherish the next generation of our motherland.

The two traveled to the countryside by car that day.

The city's pulse began to beat in a very unique way.

The neighborhood office's blackboard displayed a striking white chalk slogan: "Everyone must take action to fight drought and provide disaster relief!"

Through the roar of the jeep, the faint echo of a loudspeaker repeatedly broadcasting drought relief notices could be heard.

Several middle-aged women wearing red armbands were laboriously carrying buckets of clean water out of the neighborhood in small carts.

The water rooms in all the tenement buildings were covered with leaflets promoting "saving water is honorable," and the neighborhood committee mobilized children wearing red armbands to monitor residents' water usage...

The entire city mobilized to fight the drought.

Leaving the paved road and entering the dirt road, the heat wave mixed with dust quickly hit the car windows.

The car passed through the commune.

The lime walls on both sides of the street reflected a blinding white light under the blazing sun.

Qian Jin subconsciously turned his head to look into the depths of the western sky, where it remained an unyielding expanse of clear, azure blue.

The sun was blazing overhead, with no sign of overcast skies.

(End of this chapter)