The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 319 Entering the Mountains and Caves: Searching for Water and Hope

The car wound its way up the mountain and first entered the Xiping Production Brigade.

As Qian Jin requested, the car stopped here.

Qian Jin got out of the car and took a deep breath.

Hot and dry.

He could sense that there was no moisture in the air, not even a trace of rain.

In front of the headquarters of Xiping Production Brigade, a corner of the red flag of the "Taishan Road Drought Relief Support Task Force" was blown by the wind and then drooped limply again.

But that deep red background still burned silently under the blinding sunlight.

Zhang Chengnan noticed the words on the red flag and asked, "Deputy Commander Qian, did you come to check on your comrades from the Taishan Road Assault Team?"

Qian Jin said, "No, there's nothing to see there. I came here to talk to the cadres of the brigade and ask them to arrange for some elderly people who know about the situation in the mountains to take us to see the mountains."

Zhang Chengnan thought for a moment and asked, "Do you think they know where the water is?"

Qian Jin nodded: "They've spent their whole lives struggling in these mountains, they wouldn't dare say..."

"Hey, Director Qian is here!" Someone from Shuangdai Store came out to dry wild vegetables and shouted when they saw Qian Jin and his group.

Several people immediately ran out of the store.

Qian Jin looked and saw that Zhu Tao was also there!

He immediately frowned: "Is it cool inside the Shuangdai store?"

Zhu Tao chuckled awkwardly, "Chief Qian, don't misunderstand. I'm not here to cool off; I'm here to check the pre-ordered popsicles."

"Comrades, each person is now given an ice cream cone every morning and afternoon. The comrades from the supply and marketing cooperative just delivered it. I heard they came to count the ice cream cones..."

"Yes, yes," the manager of Shuangdai Store explained for him, "Director Qian, your colleagues from Taishan Road have been very hardworking since they arrived, working from morning till night to dig irrigation ditches for us in the mountains..."

Someone else went to the mountains and called Zhou Tiezhen back.

Zhou Tiezhen was busy with his shirt off, revealing his wet black chest hair. His muscles were still bulging, covered in dirt, which, after being washed by sweat, looked like the earth after a rain.

Qian Jin introduced him to some industry leaders, and Zhou Tiezhen warmly shook hands with them and invited them into his office for tea.

"Let's not have tea yet. We're not hot or thirsty right now. Let's talk about work first," Director Zhang said, adopting a businesslike tone.

Zhou Tiezhen was deeply impressed by his work enthusiasm.

What a good cadre!

He didn't know that while waiting for him, Director Zhang had eaten two popsicles and drunk a bottle of soda—

The secretary paid the money.

Zhang Chengnan asked him about the water resources in the mountains. Zhou Tiezhen got angry as soon as he heard the topic, slapping his thigh and cursing, "This year is really terrible, God is not giving us a way to survive, our vegetables are going to die."

"Let's forget about the vegetables for now and talk about the water supply for people and livestock," Zhang Chengnan asked.

Zhou Tiezhen slapped his thigh, about to curse, but then thought better of it and didn't dare to: "We villagers are also short of water; several wells are almost dry."

Qian Jin's heart tightened: "The wells are all dried up?"

"That's right, since it's not raining, our commune members have to carry water from the wells up the mountain to irrigate the plants. They carry water from morning till night and from night till morning, until those wells that have never run dry before are completely empty," Zhou Tiezhen sighed.

Hearing this, Qian Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not that scary anymore.

If drought causes several wells to be unable to supply even the residents with water, then the groundwater resources in this area are very scarce.

The Xiping production brigade is currently carrying water up the mountain to irrigate vegetables, which has caused a shortage of well water. However, it is clear that the water supply can be replenished overnight, which means that there is no problem with the groundwater.

Zhou Tiezhen was still complaining: "Why isn't it raining yet? Luckily, we can fetch some water from a few springs in the mountains to take home, otherwise we wouldn't even have drinking water..."

Zhang Chengnan, being the head of the water conservancy department, gleaned a great deal of important information from these words:

"Your wells can return to normal water levels overnight? Your mountain springs still have water? The key point is that the springs still have water?!"

Zhou Tiezhen said, "There's a little bit, enough for people to drink, but the mountain streams have all dried up."

Zhang Chengnan quickly gave Qian Jin a meaningful look: "Deputy Commander Qian, you're right. We should go into the mountains to check the situation."

The shadow of drought, like an invisible giant hand, tightly grips the throat of Xiping Mountain.

The scorching sun mercilessly baked the mountains, and the grass and trees drooped their leaves, losing their former vitality.

Qian Jin originally planned to arrange for the Xiping Production Brigade to plant fruit trees and fast-growing trees this year, but the drought this year was so severe that he gave up the idea and decided to postpone it for another year.

Planting fruit trees in a drought year shows a lack of fear of death.

Qian Jin did not hide it from Zhou Tiezhen and told him that there should be abundant groundwater resources at the foot of Xiping Mountain.

He was also told that the Water Resources Bureau had only come to get a rough idea of ​​the situation and that a professional exploration team would be dispatched to find underground water sources to carry out water diversion projects.

Zhou Tiezhen got excited when he heard that.

Their brigade desperately needs water, especially since growing vegetables requires a lot of water!
Qian Jin needed an elderly person familiar with the mountains to lead the team, so he called over Uncle Lao Huai:

"This is a forest ranger from our brigade. In the 1950s, the country selected forest rangers, and he was the captain of our Xiping Mountain Forest Ranger Team."

Uncle Huai was a man of few words, but after learning of Qian Jin's intentions, he nodded:

"We should be able to find something. This mountain is a water mountain. Ever since I was old enough to understand, no matter how dry the weather is here, we can always find water to drink in the mountains."

The accompanying secretary blurted out, "Then why is this area still classified as a drought-stricken zone?"

Qian Jin said, "Because this area is all mountainous and relies on the weather for its livelihood. If it doesn't rain and there's no water in the mountains, then the farmland and vegetable fields will basically collapse, and there's a high chance of a total crop failure."

Old Huai led a group of people, braving the scorching sun, trekking through the mountain ridges and ravines.

During this time, he repeatedly pointed to some relatively lush low-lying areas, seepage points in rock crevices, and the locations of "old springs" passed down by word of mouth from the older generation, providing many valuable clues:

"Director Qian, look at the area under this rock. In previous years, during droughts, there was always some moisture seeping out from there."

"This slope is shady, and the cracks in the rocks feel cool to the touch in the summer. If you're talking about a water vein at the foot of my mountain, I dare say it must be here!"

"My grandfather's generation told me that there used to be a cave in this mountain valley where you could hear water flowing inside, but it collapsed for some reason..."

Guided by Uncle Huai, the group did indeed discover the entrances to several small caves and some minor seepage points.

Qian Jin tied a red cloth around his neck to mark the spot.

Preliminary detection and sampling analysis have confirmed the presence of groundwater activity in these areas!

This finally eased Director Zhang's furrowed brows somewhat. He followed behind Qian Jin, his tone for the first time carrying genuine admiration:
"Deputy Commander Qian, your method of 'mobilizing the masses and relying on the masses' to find water sources is a brilliant idea!"

"Great! It seems we've made progress on Xiping Mountain. The place this old comrade pointed out does indeed show signs of groundwater activity. This will pave the way for our subsequent exploration work, which is extremely important."

Qian Jin was quite happy.

However, these areas have not been professionally surveyed by exploration teams, so it's hard to say what the specific conditions are like underneath.

The exploration team made a brief stop at Xiping Mountain in Beilishan before continuing north into Beilishan.

Beilishan is larger than Xipingshan and has a relatively flat terrain. There is a considerable population living both inside and outside the mountains. There are five communes surrounding the western and northern sides of the mountains, with a total population of over 200,000.

Perhaps because there are fewer trees compared to Xiping Mountain, the jeep sped along the dirt road in Beili Mountain, kicking up a long trail of yellow dust that lingered for a long time.

After driving down from Beili Mountain, the first thing you see is a flat mountain area.

Through the arduous efforts of generations of local laborers, the mountainous area has been reclaimed and transformed into farmland.

As we all know, no matter how much effort you put into clearing land from the mountains, you can't create fertile fields.

A water resources bureau official who accompanied us had been here before. Looking out the car window, he felt a pang of sadness.
"Sigh, these communes have always been known throughout the county for their poverty alleviation efforts. In previous years, the grain production here has not been good, and this year it is likely that there will be no harvest at all."

Everyone looked out of the car windows.

This time of year should be a time of rolling wheat fields, promising a bountiful harvest, but instead, it is a desolate expanse of withered yellow.

The condition of the fields in Kita-Nashiyama was even worse than the places Qian Jin had visited before.

Vast fields of wheat have long lost their green life; the stalks are withered and shriveled, lying helplessly on the cracked, spiderweb-like scorched earth.

The wheat ears were sparse, the grains were shriveled, and many withered completely before they even filled with grain.

After the car drove by, you could see several farmers wearing tattered straw hats walking hunched over on the ridges of the fields from time to time.

These people held hoes or shovels, seemingly trying to dig something, or perhaps just blankly surveying their land, which was destined to yield nothing.

Against the vast, withered backdrop, their figures appeared small and helpless.

"Stop the car!" Zhang Chengnan suddenly said in a low voice.

The driver stepped on the brakes, and the jeep came to a stop amidst a cloud of dust.

Zhang Chengnan pushed open the car door, and a scorching heat wave rushed towards him.

He turned to look at Qian Jin: "This place is much worse than Xiping Mountain."

Qian Jin nodded: "It's only mid-May, and Beilishan is already so dry."

He looked at his secretary: "Now you know why this place was designated as a disaster area?"

The secretary remained silent.

Zhang Chengnan remained silent, his face as solemn as if cast in iron, staring at the desolate wheat field before him, speechless for a long time.

Qian Jin said, "Fortunately, we found an underground water source. As long as we can make use of it, these wheat fields are finished, but we can still hope for the next season's harvest."

"The government will definitely cut taxes this year. Let's find a way to help the farmers so they can at least get through the new year."

Zhang Chengnan's gaze towards Qian Jin softened considerably.

Whether it's Beilishan or Xipingshan, the discovery of groundwater is entirely due to money.

As he turned to walk towards the car, he passed by Qian Jin and patted him on the arm: "Comrade Qian Jin, you're amazing."

The car continued on its way and entered a place called the Wolf Commune.

The commune leader, Li Changlin, had been waiting by the roadside with several cadres for quite some time.

Seeing the jeep stop, Li Changlin jogged over to greet it, his forced smile looking more like a grimace.

His forehead was covered in sweat, whether from the heat or from being anxious, it was hard to tell.

"Commander Zhang, Commander Qian, we've been waiting for you!" Li Changlin's voice was filled with anxiety and exhaustion. "You two should hurry over to our fields and take a look. This wheat, alas, it's all flattened!"

Another cadre standing nearby said dejectedly, "There's absolutely no hope for the summer harvest. Our summer grain... sigh, we've completely squandered the wolves' summer grain. And this is only May. Do you think we commune people will even have water to drink in June and July?"

Zhang Chengnan adopted the demeanor of a leader from the water conservancy department, shouting, "Look at the pathetic state you're in! What's wrong? Are knives falling from the sky to strike your heads?"

"Didn't we send an exploration team to the countryside? Didn't Deputy Commander Qian and I go to the countryside? What are we all doing going to the countryside one after another? Hmm? Are we here to have a big drinking session with you guys?"

"I'm here to solve your problems!" The last sentence was shouted.

The commune cadres were invigorated, a glimmer of hope arose in their hearts, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Changlin led the leaders toward the commune office.

Qian Jin asked, "What's the current situation regarding water usage?"

Upon hearing this, Li Changlin hurriedly began to explain the predicament: "It's bad, it's very bad. The reservoir has long since dried up, the ditches are so dry you could run a horse across them, and even drinking water is a problem!"

"Several production brigades are now driving oxcarts and donkey carts to our commune to collect water. Our commune has sent tractors to the county to fetch water, but alas, it's still not enough. Every household's water tank is empty."

"The livestock are crying out in thirst, some can't even stand up. If this continues, I'm afraid there will be big trouble!"

Zhang Chengnan and Qian Jin listened, their brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Stepping into the equally stuffy office in the commune, the drought distribution map hanging on the wall was alarming, with almost all the production teams in the commune marked in dark red to indicate "severe drought".

"Old Li, we've seen the difficulties," Zhang Chengnan said in a deep voice. "The command center is doing its best to find a solution. We're here today to check on the water source discovered by the exploration team in Beilishan."

"Any news from the exploration team?" Li Changlin's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. "Even if the exploration team finds water in the mountains, what good is it? This place is high in the mountains and the rocks are hard; getting water is difficult!"

Qian Jin asked him, "Is it difficult to live?"

Li Changlin was taken aback, then smiled wryly and said, "Difficult."

Qian Jin then asked him, "Then are you still alive?"

Li Changlin honestly replied, "Yes."

“So what if it’s difficult? We can survive no matter how difficult it is, and we can still get water,” Qian Jin interjected. “And where there is water, there is hope!”

"Where are the exploration team members? Take us into the mountains immediately!"

Li Changlin offered them tea, saying, "Have some water first. The leaders must be tired from their journey..."

“First what? Go into the mountains.” Zhang Chengnan demonstrated the enthusiasm of a good cadre.

Without even taking a sip of water, the group immediately headed into the mountain road, preparing to drive deeper into Beilishan.

Farmland is also located at the foot of the mountain.

An old farmer wearing a patched blue cloth jacket was futilely digging at the hard, dry clods of earth along the edge of the field with a chipped hoe, seemingly trying to dig out some damp soil.

His movements were slow and mechanical; each time the hoe fell, it only kicked up a small clump of dry dust.

Sweat streamed down his deeply lined, sun-darkened face, leaving no trace in the dust.

Qian Jin couldn't bear to see this, so he took the kettle off and handed it to the old farmer: "Old comrade, have some water. What are you doing?"

The old farmer raised his head, his cloudy eyes staring blankly at him.

His eyes were devoid of emotion, his face showed no feeling, and he was completely wooden.

"What can I do? What can I do? I can't do anything."

He didn't take the money to put in the kettle, threw down the hoe, and sat down on the ground.

Zhang Chengnan offered him a cigarette, and this time the old farmer accepted it.

Smoking a cigarette, he sighed, "It's over, I think it's all over..."

He was severely dehydrated, and his voice was so slurred it was almost inaudible: "Our entire year's hopes are pinned on the fields, and now, we're just waiting to starve..."

Qian Jin still handed him the water bottle: "Don't worry, there's water to drink. We're here to bring you water." The old farmer picked up the army green water bottle and shook it, not even bothering to show any expression on his face: "This? What can this do? My kid can pee more than this."

Li Changlin couldn't help but scold, "How can you, an old comrade, talk to your superiors like this..."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "The old comrade doesn't know what we're going to do. It's normal that he doesn't understand because he doesn't know."

“Once the water comes out at the foot of Beili Mountain, he will know that life will not be so difficult.”

Another cadre named Zhu Damin tentatively asked, "Sir, is it true that water can really flow out from under this rocky mountain?"

Qian Jin said, "It can produce water, and it's a large amount of water."

The group hadn't walked far into the mountains when they saw several small, thin figures struggling to climb up the steep mountain path.

They were several children around ten years old, all tanned dark, wearing patched old clothes, and each carrying a bucket or earthenware pot of varying sizes.

When they saw the group, they stopped in their tracks somewhat timidly.

"Kids, where are we going to fetch water?" Zhang Chengnan asked with a kind smile.

The children didn't speak and hid the buckets and jars behind their backs.

Li Changlin awkwardly explained, "They...they're afraid..."

"Afraid we'll steal their water?" Zhang Chengnan chuckled.

Li Changlin explained again: "No, it's because we're afraid you'll find out where they fetch water. Now, every little puddle and every rock dripping water in the mountains is a secret."

Several adults laughed, but their laughter was tinged with helplessness and bitterness.

Qian Jin squatted down, took out some candy from his pocket, gave one piece to each person, and casually asked, "Why aren't you in school? Are you on holiday?"

Cigarettes are a social tool for adults, while candy is a social tool for children.

A slightly older boy wiped the sweat from his face and answered breathlessly, "Yeah, school's out for the holidays, and the teacher told us to go home and help our families find water..."

Another boy said, "The teacher said that drought relief is the priority, and we'll wait until there's water before school starts again..."

This is common nowadays.

In rural areas, going to school isn't such a big deal; there are breaks for wheat harvest and autumn harvest.

In many families, children are also a source of labor, and during busy farming seasons, they have to prioritize working in the fields before going to school.

A citywide drought relief effort has been launched, with almost all primary and secondary schools in rural areas closing for the holidays so that students can go home and help their families with drought relief.

Looking at the children's chapped lips and tired eyes, Zhang Chengnan felt an indescribable pang of sorrow.

He stood up and whispered to his secretary, "Write this down. Go back and coordinate immediately to increase the frequency of water deliveries to the villages where these children live! Children and the elderly must have their drinking water supply guaranteed!"

Li Changlin wanted to say something, but Zhu Damin grabbed him and shook his head.

Qian Jin didn't ask them what was wrong.

to be frank.

His experiences along the way had numbed his heart and mind.

The head of the exploration team was Zhang Jianshe. After Li Changlin entered the mountains, he blew a whistle, and a similar whistle echoed from afar.

They rushed over, and Zhang Jianshe, with a whistle in his mouth, immediately greeted the command leaders with an excited expression on his face:
"Commander Zhang, Commander Qian, this way please."

Without much small talk, he led the way, saying, "The key points we've discovered are ahead. The road is difficult to navigate, so please be careful."

The group followed Zhang Jianshe, traversing the rugged, shrub-covered mountains along the path trodden by the exploration team.

Under the blazing sun, there wasn't a breath of wind in the mountains, and the air was as stuffy and hot as a steamer.

Sweat quickly soaked through everyone's clothes.

“Here!” Zhang Jianshe stopped beside a huge rock and pointed to a small opening below the rock, just big enough for one person to bend down and enter. “This is one of the main entrances to the K1 cave.”

"Our initial exploration has revealed that this cave is very deep and has a large interior space!"

Qian Jin reached out and wiped his hand on a nearby stone.

Dry things were falling down in a rustling sound.

Li Changlin recognized it: "It's moss, but it's completely dried out."

Qian Jin said, "The underground water vapor can't reach them, so they can't survive. But this proves that there is indeed water underground, and it's quite abundant. In normal weather, the water vapor could rise up and support these mosses to survive."

He turned on the high-powered flashlight he carried with him, and a beam of light shone into the cave.

Zhang Jianshe was immediately impressed: "Wow, this flashlight is amazing."

Qian Jin casually handed it to him: "It's a foreign product, you can have it. You can use this to charge your phone. You really need this kind of tool for outdoor work. I'll ask the supply and marketing cooperative to allocate a few for you later."

Zhang Jianshe was immediately filled with gratitude.

This leader is so open and honest.

As Qian Jin and Zhang Chengnan approached the cave entrance, a wave of unusually cool and moist air rushed towards them, creating a stark contrast with the scorching air outside the cave, instantly invigorating them!
"You two can feel the humidity here!" Zhang Jianshe said excitedly. "The humidity inside is incomparable to that outside. According to our investigation, the temperature inside this cave is only in the teens degree Celsius all year round!"

He was the first to bend down and crawl into the hole, followed closely by Qian Jin and Zhang Chengnan.

The cave was dimly lit and became increasingly narrow as you walked.

Zhang Jianshe explained, "This place used to be covered with a lot of loose stones, and even local children who crawled in were afraid to go further in. Actually, there's a hidden paradise inside."

The rubble has been cleared away, and people can still walk in if they bend over carefully.

Qian Jin didn't really want to go inside.

The space felt too cramped.

Moreover, he couldn't help but think that if another rock collapsed in the cave, they would be doomed.

But after walking a few dozen meters further in, the situation improved significantly. The cave gradually became more spacious, and because we were going downhill, the humidity increased and the temperature decreased.

Suddenly, a beam of powerful flashlight swept across the area, and someone exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap!"

Huge stalactites hang from the cave ceiling in various shapes, while stalagmites rise from the ground, echoing the stalactites.

The cave walls were damp, covered with a layer of slippery, dark moss, which, when the light shone through, revealed a dark green hue that evoked a similar mood.

Upon seeing the dark green color, Qian Jin couldn't resist touching it.

It is indeed moss, and fresh moss at that.

Looking at the dark green color before him, he thought of the dark green swarms of aphids he had seen in the wheat fields of Anguo County not long ago.

They're almost the same color, but one makes you feel nauseous, while the other makes you feel excited.

People ahead cheered.

The sound echoed in the cave, making the excitement in the tone even clearer.

Qian Jin recognized Li Changlin's voice and shouted, "Don't leave the group, be careful!"

Li Changlin, standing ahead, exclaimed happily, "Come and see, leader! There's a river!"

They rushed over to see it together.

At the base of some stalagmites and in the crevices of the rock walls, clear water droplets seep out and gather, forming tiny streams that flow silently along the rock walls before disappearing into the depths of the dark cave.

If you listen carefully with your ear close to the ground, you can hear a faint babbling sound coming from afar.

Underground river!
From this point on, the rocky ground beneath our feet became noticeably slippery.

"Look here!" Zhang Jianshe focused his flashlight beam on a large crack in the cave wall.

The water there converged into a clear spring about the thickness of a little finger, gurgling outwards and forming a small, crystal-clear puddle below.

At the bottom of the puddle, tiny bubbles are constantly rising from the cracks in the rocks.

Zhu Damin couldn't resist scooping up a handful of water and drinking it, his face beaming with a fervent smile: "Haha, sweet, so sweet! I wouldn't dare use this water to water the land, it's sweet spring water."

Li Changlin couldn't help but punch Zhang Jianshe: "You, Engineer Zhang, you've been eating all the chickens from our commune for free these past few days. You've discovered such an important place, and you're not going to tell us?"

Zhang Jianshe smiled without saying a word and continued to fawn over the leaders:
"This is one of the largest seepage points discovered so far!"

He scooped up a handful of water, which was clear and cool: "The water temperature is constant at around 16 degrees Celsius. We took a sample, and the water quality is excellent, fully meeting drinking water standards."

"However, the water volume here isn't large, but it's very stable, and more importantly,"

He pointed deeper into the cave, a smile spreading across his face: "Sonar detection shows that this cave system extends very deep downwards and has branches, which may connect to even deeper underground rivers!"

"Based on my professional knowledge and the analysis of my team members, if there is an underground river here, then the potential water volume must be enormous!"

Li Changlin couldn't help but throw a punch.

Zhang Jianguo then led the group to inspect two other smaller seepage points and one seasonal dripping point.

Although the water level in this area is very low now, the traces are still obvious.

"Let me briefly introduce the low resistivity anomaly zone discovered by electrical resistivity exploration?"

Local officials like Li Changlin couldn't understand the technical terms in his speech, but they knew it was good news: "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."

Zhang Jianshe said with a smile, "Based on comprehensive judgment, the Beilishan karst water system has abundant reserves and good replenishment, and is a high-quality water source that has not been developed."

"Preliminary assessments indicate that if the project can be effectively developed, the daily water supply could reach at least 5,000 cubic meters! This would be more than enough to solve the drinking water needs of people and livestock in several surrounding communes and to irrigate small-scale essential farmland!"

Zhu Damin exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, five thousand cubic meters? Five thousand cubic meters!"

"How many liters of water are in one cubic meter?" he asked the others.

Qian Jin said, "One thousand liters."

Zhu Damin said happily, "But a person can live well without using more than a liter of water a day, right?"

"If that's five thousand liters of water produced per day, wouldn't that be five thousand people per thousand?"

"Oh dear, we have enough water for all the people in our county!"

Li Changlin was even happier, and like the boy, he went up and put his arm around his partner's shoulder, saying, "You're only thinking about surviving, but the leaders also have to think about the work in the fields..."

Qian Jin said, "That's about enough. Let's go out now."

This place may look unsafe, but it is actually very dangerous.

He is willing to contribute to the working people, but he is temporarily reluctant to sacrifice his own life.

The main reason is that his life is of great use.

The cave was too dark, and it hadn't been thoroughly explored, so we didn't know if there were any water snakes or insects inside, which meant there was still some danger.

Qian Jin suggested they run away, and the others followed his suggestion.

As they left, Li Changlin and the other local officials were quite reluctant to part...

Returning from the dim, cool cave to the scorching sun-baked hillside, the stark contrast in light made Qian Jin squint.

Then he also felt like going back.

The weather this year is so abnormal. It's only the end of May, why is it so hot?

What about July?

Is it scorching hot in the sky?
Others shared similar sentiments, with Zhu Damin jokingly saying, "I really want to go back into that refrigerator inside."

Zhang Chengnan turned around, his eyes piercing:
"We'll be back soon, Engineer Zhang. The situation is clear now! There's water in these mountains, and it's not just ordinary water, it's life-saving water! We must retrieve it immediately!"

He turned to Qian Jin: "Deputy Commander Qian, what do you think we should do?"

Along the way, Qian Jin changed his opinion of him a lot.

Zhang Chengnan has some bureaucratic and patriarchal tendencies, but he is ultimately a people's cadre.

He gave the other party face by saying, "Director Zhang, this is your specialty. You're an expert. You give the orders, and I'll do whatever you say."

Zhang Chengnan gave him a grateful smile, then said boldly, "Okay, then Comrade Qian Jin, you'll be in charge of technical support. We need to find a solution immediately for large-scale pumping equipment and water pipelines! We need to be quick and get the best!"

"Understood!" Qian Jin replied without hesitation.

Zhang Chengnan pondered for a moment and said, "Regarding the specifics of how to proceed, I suggest we proceed in two steps."

"First, Lao Li, you should immediately organize a team to carry out preliminary widening and clearing of the K1 main tunnel entrance, and at the same time find a more suitable water intake point that is easier to construct, such as the SZ01 seepage spring point downstream that I saw mentioned in the report?"

Zhang Jianshe said, "Yes, the terrain there is relatively flat, which makes construction easier."

Zhang Chengnan nodded: "Secondly, this one outlet is not enough, far from enough."

"This water outlet is suitable for supplying the Wolf Commune, but what about the Beisheng Commune to the north? And the Dacheng Commune further east? Right? So the exploration team needs to continue their work; there must be other underground river water sources to be found down this mountain!"

He then asked Qian Jin, "By the way, Deputy Commander Qian, when will you be able to provide the water pumps and other equipment?"

Qian Jin said, "It will take three to five days. I know there is a new type of deep well submersible pump abroad, which is diesel-powered, small in size, and powerful. Most importantly, its fuel consumption is at least 30% lower than that of the old pump with the same power. It is especially suitable for our situation where diesel supply is also tight."

"I'll contact the foreign trade channels immediately when I get back and import it from Hong Kong. It should be delivered in three or four days at the shortest time. At the same time, I'll have them fax the instruction manual in advance so that the technical staff at the machinery factory can study it beforehand. As soon as the equipment arrives, we'll install and debug it immediately!"

"Great!" Zhang Chengnan slapped his thigh forcefully. "That's the plan!"

"Old Li, Old Zhu, do you understand my orders?"

Li Changlin immediately said, "I understand perfectly. I will immediately organize the strong laborers of each brigade, prepare tools, await Engineer Zhang's command, and cooperate with the exploration team to select water intake points and clear the site."

"Please rest assured, commanders, all the members of Beilishan Commune will dig with their bare hands and carry with their shoulders to bring out this life-saving water!"

Zhang Chengnan stopped wasting time and said, "Okay, then we'll go back to headquarters immediately and report the situation to Commander Han, and coordinate the supplies and construction manpower!"

"At the same time, draft a report immediately and apply for special funds! Opening up the mountains and drawing water is of utmost urgency!"

Listening to the two commanders' decisive deployment and seeing the burning urgency and hope in their eyes, the despair that had been shrouding his heart for days seemed to be dispelled by the cool breeze blowing from the cave.

The group immediately descended the mountain.

The jeep started up, and the tires kicked up dust on the road.

Cars roared and sped on and on.

(End of this chapter)