The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 321 The Dignity of Intellectuals, the Competence of Veteran Experts

The successful development of underground rivers in mountainous areas has greatly alleviated the drought in the surrounding areas, which can be regarded as a strong boost to the city's drought relief efforts.

Qian Jin's prestige and influence in the command center also rose accordingly.

This is a real contribution to drought relief efforts; it's a direct contribution and has considerable potential for wider application.

For several days in a row, Haibin City sent experience reports and notices on the progress of groundwater development in mountainous areas to the provincial and even national disaster relief command centers. Subsequently, national newspapers came to interview and report on the matter.

In this situation, does he want to leave?

We can't leave!
But Director Shi has to leave; he doesn't only have Qian Jin to deal with.

Before Qian Jin saw him off at the train station, he patted Qian Jin on the shoulder and said earnestly, "I have spoken with Comrade Guo Dong and Comrade Zhao Xin, and they have a very good opinion of you."

"Disaster relief is an order, and the interests of the people are of paramount importance—you do your job well at the command center first, and we'll make arrangements for you later."

Qian Jin nodded in agreement.

He really can't leave right now.

As summer approaches, drought relief efforts are intensifying.

In addition to his work on diverting groundwater from mountainous areas, another key drought-resistant technology he proposed—drip irrigation technology—has also received attention.

After analyzing the tools needed for drip irrigation, the national technical department concluded that several domestic factories did indeed have the production capacity and decided to provide firm support for their production.

However, drip irrigation is not as simple as just having a set of water pipes; it also requires the assistance of a water pump.

Due to the limitations of the country's current economic strength, especially the poverty in rural areas, the ownership rate of water pumps is not high, so the application of drip irrigation technology needs to be carried out at the production brigade level.

Each production brigade is equipped with five to ten sets of drip irrigation pipes to provide rotating drip irrigation for crops in the fields, regardless of day or night.

Given the current weather conditions, it's impossible to provide reasonable and adequate irrigation for every household's fields. According to the command center, the priority is to carry out basic irrigation first.

First, ensure the seedlings don't die from drought; otherwise, even if rain or water comes later, it won't help—as the saying goes, "When the child dies, the milk comes; it's a great tragedy for the world."

In short, all local command centers received instructions from their superiors: drip irrigation is the minimum requirement.

To increase income, we still need to rely on rainfall or drilling deep wells to extract water from deep underground water areas.

Emergency production of drip irrigation pipes has begun.

Whether it is actually useful in drought relief work has not yet been tested in practice; it has only been theoretically proven.

In any case, the method of flooding the market with water is useless.

In situations of severe water shortage, traditional flood irrigation is not feasible.

In Haibin City, Wei Bin used the supply and marketing system to urgently contact several plastic product factories and agricultural machinery factories and delivered the production needs there.

The command center coordinated with the supply and marketing cooperative to issue instructions with the highest priority:

The relevant factories immediately suspended some non-urgent production tasks, and all production lines prioritized the production of drip irrigation pipes!
Raw materials, electricity, and transportation will all be given the green light!

At the same time, the command center issued an urgent appeal to rural areas throughout the city: adjust the planting structure!
After conducting research, experts urged farmers to immediately replant drought-resistant and short-growing-season crops, such as buckwheat, mung beans, and sweet potatoes, in fields where there has been a complete crop failure or a high risk of crop failure.

"Don't worry about a bumper harvest first; make sure we have enough grain to fill our stomachs! As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback!"

The agricultural bureau and the supply and marketing cooperative worked together to provide seeds for replanting free of charge.

This required staff to go to the countryside to assess the actual situation, which required a large number of people. Qian Jin also conducted spot checks on the commune area as a commander.

He found that the proposal was very popular in rural areas.

This year's drought relief efforts have also been very popular.

The main point is that this year, it's not just about slogans, but also about a lot of practical actions.

In particular, the mountainous areas of several severely drought-stricken regions took the lead in initial drought relief efforts, which became a model for publicity and received a positive response from the grassroots.

In other words, the farmers saw hope.

Hopefully, this thing is too precious; its appearance has stabilized the farmers' emotions to some extent and reduced their panic.

However, the mood of urban residents is currently quite anxious.

In order to support drought relief in rural areas, cities began to drastically reduce the water supply to residents.

Water supply was restricted almost throughout the city, and tap water supply was provided to different districts at different times.

Then, schools, neighborhood committees, and labor unions of various government agencies and factories promoted methods of water conservation and wastewater reuse every day.

Major newspapers have even set up a "drought relief and water conservation" section, updating water-saving tips every day.

Due to the process of urbanization, now every household in the city has workers.

The factory's water supply is also restricted. When workers come back and chat with their families or with workers from other factories, they all talk about the water restrictions at their factory.

The measures taken were somewhat excessive and frightened city residents.

It was afternoon, and the air was steaming hot.

Song Zhiyuan held his youngest daughter, Nannan, whom he had just finished breastfeeding, and paced gently in his ten-square-meter bedroom-cum-study.

His room used to be crammed full of books and scavenged junk, but now he works at a training school.

Qian Jin set up a special office for him, and many of his books were moved there.

Compared to before, his living environment and conditions are much better now, and his youngest daughter, Nannan, is the most obvious example.

The little girl was an abandoned baby he found. She had congenital leg problems and was as thin as a kitten.

He met Qian Jin in 77. At that time, he was working as a temporary worker in the street boiler room. His wages were low and his benefits were poor. He didn't have money to breastfeed his little girl and could only drink rice soup.

Later, when he went to work at the study room, Qian Jin supplied him with milk powder, and has continued to do so ever since.

The little girl was chubby and healthy from being fed "foreign formula" and was already of weaning age, but because Qian Jin was still sending formula to Song Zhiyuan, Song Zhiyuan simply continued to give his daughter formula.

He knew that there were many benefits to children drinking formula milk powder, as it provided far more nutrition than grains.

At this moment, the little girl was curled up contentedly in Song Zhiyuan's arms, her little mouth unconsciously smacking, her chubby hands waving around a foreign toy, occasionally putting it in her mouth to bite.

This toy was also given to him by Qian Jin, who said it was called a "teething toy." Kids like to chew on things to grind their teeth, and teething toys are clean and hygienic, making them suitable as toys for children.

The teething toy was delivered in 78, but my daughter didn't like it when she was little because her teeth developed late. Now that she's older and her teeth have developed better, she's started chewing on it.

She liked the crunching sound when she bit into it.

Besides chew toys, there are other things too. Qian Jin is now responsible for almost everything in his family, from food and clothing to daily necessities.

This made Song Zhiyuan feel both grateful and somewhat uneasy, as if he owed Qian a huge favor.

Outside the window, the city's hustle and bustle carried an unusual sense of anxiety.

Drought relief notices were repeatedly broadcast over loudspeakers, and neighborhood aunties went door-to-door urging people to conserve water. Even the sounds of children playing were less frequent, and the air was thick with dust and an invisible tension.

Song Zhiyuan carried Nannan to the window and looked down at the courtyard below, where several teenagers were carefully pouring freshly drawn tap water into each family's water tank using basins.

My neighbor, Aunt Wang, was grumbling to someone, "This water is so precious! We have to save the rice water to water those two wilted scallions! When will this ever end..."

The little girl squirmed in his arms and made a happy humming sound.

Song Zhiyuan looked down at his daughter's rosy cheeks, then at the city outside the window, ravaged by drought and devoid of life. A strong sense of powerlessness and responsibility welled up in his heart.

Qian Jin was working tirelessly on the front lines, but he was still concerned about the foreign baby formula his daughter needed. As a subordinate and a teacher, he had nothing to do because the training school was temporarily closed. At most, he would help with water quality testing at the street office, and he was almost always free.

This made him feel bad.

So he wondered what else he could do.

He can't always hide in the background, relying on the help and protection of others.

This is the self-respect of intellectuals!
After thinking it over, he sent Nannan back to the neighbor's house.

During the day, the neighbor lady helps take care of the child. In return, he earns ten yuan a month, plus he occasionally shares some of his own money with the neighbors to help them make a living.

He rode his bicycle to the library.

If the knowledge in your head can't help, then go to the temple of knowledge to find something that can.

He parked the car and entered the library. He habitually went into the chemical engineering section, then patted his head and strolled over to the hydrology and water conservancy section.

After studying for more than two hours, the library was about to close, and he hadn't gained anything, so he wandered over to the nearby geography and geology section.

His eyes lingered on the spine of the book, looking for information on hydrogeology or drought-resistant technology, hoping to find even the slightest inspiration.

but.

Some people wearing glasses or with pens stuck in their chests were also seen flipping through books in these places.

It's clear that their purpose is the same as his.

While rummaging through the pages, an old book with yellowed and brittle paper slipped out.

Song Zhiyuan picked it up and saw that the cover was printed in traditional Chinese characters: "General Introduction to Geology (Revised Edition)", author: Shi Huasheng.

He dusted off the book, casually flipped to the title page, and saw a line of faded pen writing: "Purchased in 1948, Department of Geology, Haibin University."

Schwarzman...

The name struck Song Zhiyuan like a bolt of lightning!
He habitually slapped his forehead, making a soft "smack" sound, which startled a young intellectual next to him who was engrossed in reading.

"Oh dear, how could I have forgotten about this old comrade!" Song Zhiyuan exclaimed in a low voice, his heart pounding.

Schwarzman!
A renowned professor in the Geology Department of Haibin University back in the day!
When Song Zhiyuan first started working, he attended several of Professor Shi's easy-to-understand geological science lectures at the "Worker-Peasant-Soldier Students" night school organized by Haibin University, which left a very deep impression on him.

He is an older colleague, and Professor Shi is even older; they are senior members of Haibin University.

Haibin University is a century-old institution. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, during the Republic of China period, it was called Haibin Higher Education Institute, where Shih Huasheng was already teaching.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the school was renamed, but he remained at the university to teach until social unrest occurred. At that time, he was getting old and took sick leave to protect himself.

If I calculate it, the old man must be over eighty years old now, right?

During those turbulent years, Song Zhiyuan visited the old man many times. The old comrades huddled together for warmth and had a good relationship.

In the past few years, society has been peaceful, and the older comrades have stopped visiting each other.

When old friends meet again, it's easy to recall those old memories.

The events of the 1960s and 70s are not very pleasant.

When Song Zhiyuan thought of Schwarzman, he thought of his profound and admirable professional knowledge.

If Professor Schwarzman were still alive, he could probably help with the drought relief efforts...

Once the thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

Song Zhiyuan carefully borrowed the book "General Introduction to Geology," wrapped it up carefully, and placed it in a conspicuous place in the bicycle basket, as if it were an important token.

He rode his bicycle out again and went to the small, dilapidated building where Shi Huasheng used to live, following his memory.

It turned out the old man had already passed away. He asked his neighbors, who said he had been taken away by his children a few years ago, but they didn't know exactly where he lived.

After all, because of his status as an educator in the old society and a geological consultant to the old government, he didn't get along well with his neighbors. They were afraid to associate with him and always avoided him.

Helpless, Song Zhiyuan went to the neighborhood committee to inquire, but no one was there; everyone had gone to carry out drought relief and water conservation publicity work.

Ultimately, he could only go to the city's office for storing the files of retired cadres.

With a vague memory and the keywords "Shi Huasheng" and "Head of the Geology Department of Haibin University", after several twists and turns, with the help of a kind staff member, they finally found Mr. Shi's address - and actually returned to the professors' building of Haibin University.

It was already getting late.

Night fell, but the heat lingered.

Song Zhiyuan didn't have time to go home. He took "General Introduction to Geology" with him and went to the grocery store to buy two catties of pig's head meat with his meat coupons. He also bought a catty of fruit candy. Only then did he ride his bicycle to the old professors' building at the seaside university, which was hidden under the tall plane trees.

Mr. Shi's residence is on the first floor.

Song Zhiyuan knocked on the door, and a wary voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Teacher Shi, it's me, Xiao Song, Song Zhiyuan, the one who works in chemical engineering and can make bombs," Song Zhiyuan said with a cheerful laugh.

Only in front of these veteran comrades could he, a man in his sixties, be called 'little'.

The door opened.

A thin, elderly man with silver hair and reading glasses appeared at the door.

His face was covered in wrinkles, his eyes were somewhat vacant, and he stared at Song Zhiyuan in a daze.
"Song Zhiyuan?"

Mr. Shi pushed up his reading glasses, seemingly searching his memory for the name: "Oh, it's you, Xiao Song, the Xiao Song who was going to blow up the Guangwu Building in '71? Haha, come in and sit down, what brings you here?"

The dormitory area for professors at Haibin University is quite nice.

Take Mr. Schwarzman's home as an example. The living room is very large and filled with books.

Several floor-to-ceiling old bookshelves stood against the wall, crammed with all sorts of hefty Chinese and foreign books, geological atlases, and yellowed periodicals.

A large, old desk sits under the window, piled high with open books, manuscripts, a magnifying glass, and several geological compasses and rock specimens.

In addition, several carefully framed geological cross-sections and mineral distribution maps hung on the wall, along with a slightly faded portrait of the leader. The furniture consisted of old-fashioned rattan chairs and wooden sofas, covered with plain-colored cotton cushions.

Shih Huasheng kept inviting his former disciples to sit down.

"You still remember my nickname?" Song Zhiyuan laughed heartily after sitting down.

The old man waved his hand: "You were so brave back then, how could I forget who you are?"

"It's been years since we last met. I almost forgot what you looked like. You're doing well, and you look more energetic than you did back then."

"Hey, why did you bring something with you?"

Song Zhiyuan placed the braised pig's head and fruit candies he had brought on the table: "Teacher Shi, this is just a small token of my appreciation."

Mr. Shi, please be polite.

Song Zhiyuan opened the book he had brought.

The old gentleman's gaze fell on the book "General Introduction to Geology" that Song Zhiyuan had placed there, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Where did this book come from? I thought it had been burned."

“Professor Shi, don’t think too badly of the world. This book is placed in the most prominent position in the geology and geography section of the library,” Song Zhiyuan quickly comforted him.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he changed the subject, his tone becoming heavy: "Teacher Shi, but the world is indeed in a very bad state right now—the drought is terrible."

"I apologize for bothering you today because of the current severe drought."

"This year's weather is terrible, the people are suffering terribly. The crops in the fields are about to fail, and in some places, farmers are even having difficulty getting drinking water."

"The city has set up a drought relief command center and tried every possible way to find water, but with little success!"

He urgently described the severity of the drought, explaining that his training school was originally scheduled to open this year to train students in job skills, but the students were too busy fighting the drought to open the school.

He then talked about how the Taishan Road Labor Commando Team fought desperately on the front lines, how the command staff toiled in the countryside, and even about his adopted disabled daughter, Nannan, who now uses her bathwater to flush the toilet instead of throwing it away…

As he spoke, Song Zhiyuan's eyes reddened: "Professor Shi, you are a leading figure in geology and know the best about the groundwater situation in our coastal area."

"I've come to you today with all my might to beg you, could you please think of a way, give me some pointers? Could you tell me where I can find a stable water source? It's urgent!"

Mr. Shi listened quietly, his wrinkled face showing a variety of expressions.

Song Zhiyuan continued to describe the current situation, but he remained silent.

The old man remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cover of the book "General Introduction to Geology".

Song Zhiyuan was unable to continue speaking. He closed his dry mouth and fell silent as well. In the end, only the monotonous ticking of the old-fashioned grandfather clock filled the room.

Schwarzenegger pondered for about ten minutes, then let out a long sigh as if he had made up his mind. His expression and tone of voice were both very complicated.
"Alas, this drought is indeed a natural disaster, but it is also a man-made one. If in the past fourteen or fifteen years, we had continued to follow the call of our leader to manage the Haihe River and build water conservancy projects, and had drilled more deep wells and built more water conservancy projects..."

"Forget it, what's the point of saying all this now?"

He looked up at Song Zhiyuan, his expression still somewhat troubled: "Little Song, you mentioned groundwater, which reminds me of something."

"That was, cough cough, you understand, right? Before liberation, you understand?"

The old man spoke vaguely while cautiously looking around, paying particular attention to the windows, clearly worried that someone might be overheard.

Song Zhiyuan understood his concerns, so he quickly looked outside the door and windows, and then shook his head at him.

Schwarzenegger then explained things more clearly:
"Around 1947 or 1948, the Construction Department of the puppet government commissioned our Geology Department to conduct a comprehensive groundwater survey of the region. The purpose was to provide water for the garrison and several newly built factories."

Song Zhiyuan's heart jumped into his throat, and he held his breath.

The big one is coming.

Mr. Shi lowered his voice even further:
“Almost the entire department mobilized, with teachers leading students, and spent more than two years traveling all over the mountains and rivers of the coast, conducting a large number of geological surveys, geophysical explorations, and shallow well pumping tests.”

Finally, a relatively detailed map of the distribution of groundwater veins in the coastal urban and rural areas was drawn.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the portrait of the leader on the wall, his tone becoming extremely cautious:
"I can't say for sure that this map will work, after all, quite a few years have passed, you understand? Right? Hmm, times have changed, right?"

"However, the accuracy of this map is much higher than some of the simplified maps made after the founding of the People's Republic of China. I remember that we marked the depth, direction, and water-bearing level of the main water veins, and even speculated on some possible areas of deep confined water."

“But, but…”

He hesitated, then unconsciously gripped the tabletop:

"But this thing was made for the old government, you know what I mean? To tell you the truth, this... this still has the official seal from back then on it!"

There were some things he dared not say too clearly, so he spoke hesitantly:
"All these years, I've kept this thing hidden away. I've thought about throwing it away or burning it, but I can't bear to. It was the result of two and a half years of hard work by the entire geology department. If it's destroyed in my hands, I'll be a sinner!"

"But I don't dare take it out, you understand? I'm afraid of causing trouble, this thing is... it's hard to explain..."

Song Zhiyuan instantly understood the old man's concerns.

In those days, anything associated with the "old government" or "pseudo-regime" became a hot potato; whoever touched it would get burned.

But things are different now.

He immediately stood up, his expression extremely solemn: "Teacher Shi, don't worry, this is a new society now. The Party's policy is to seek truth from facts and to emancipate the mind."

"This diagram is the result of your and your colleagues' scientific work back then. It is a valuable scientific resource and has nothing to do with political stance. It is being presented now to save people's lives and to contribute to the new society and the people."

“We will—no, I will present it to the command headquarters, to Comrade Qian Jin, the executive deputy commander of the command headquarters. He is now my close comrade-in-arms in education work. I had dinner with him the other day. He said that the comrades in the command headquarters are all sensible people.”

"If you're worried, I'll take it and test the waters. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. But if it's rewarding, I definitely won't steal your credit..."

"What nonsense are you spouting? If I were afraid of taking responsibility or stealing credit, would I be telling you this?" The old comrade said angrily, slamming his hand on the table.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I'm old, eighty-six years old, and I've lived enough."

“But I’m afraid it will involve my son and my grandson. They’re both good kids. It wasn’t easy for my son to get back to his job at the university…”

"Teacher Shi, I swear to you, nothing will happen. The comrades at the command post will only be grateful to you and will never let you be implicated in the slightest! I, Song Zhiyuan, guarantee it with my Party spirit and with my personal integrity!" Song Zhiyuan said excitedly.

Then he specifically mentioned Qian Jin's name again, emphasizing: "Comrade Qian Jin is in the command post. He respects science the most and senior experts like you the most."

"If he knew you had this map, he would be overjoyed and would definitely come to invite you to come out of retirement!"

"Teacher Shi, this is a treasure that can save thousands of lives! Please take it out!"

"Is this Qian Jin... the young man in the newspaper?" Mr. Shi took out a stack of newspapers from the table, picked up a magnifying glass, and quickly found a picture.

The young man in the picture stands in a wheat field that is knee-high, gazing into the distance with a worried look in his eyes.

Song Zhiyuan immediately said, "It's him. He even runs a training school now..."

He gave a detailed and appropriate explanation of what Qian Jin did in education.

A glint of light flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes, and his eyes widened even more after hearing about Qian Jin's free training school.

“Everything I said is absolutely true! He was the deputy commander in this drought relief effort, and he was in charge of the technical aspects! Commander-in-Chief Han Zhaoxin trusted him very much!” Song Zhiyuan emphasized again at the end.

Mr. Shi remained silent for a long time, as if he were having a fierce internal struggle.

Finally, he stood up abruptly, as if a huge burden had been lifted, and let out a long breath: "Good, this young man can do so much for the people, while I, this old man, am afraid of everything. How ridiculous!"

"I'm going all in. Come on, come with me!"

He shakily picked up the flashlight from the table, led Song Zhiyuan out of the bedroom, and came to the door of a small storage room next to the kitchen.

The storage room was filled with honeycomb briquettes and miscellaneous items.

With Song Zhiyuan's help, Mr. Shi laboriously moved several coal baskets aside, revealing a small, almost low wooden door behind them.

A rusty old-fashioned iron lock hung on the wooden door.

He found the right key from a bunch of old keys and struggled to open the lock.

Then, a strange smell, a mixture of dampness, mold, and the odor of old paper, wafted over.

Extending downwards, there is a fairly large basement, with an area of ​​more than ten square meters.

Because there were no windows, the basement was pitch black.

Mr. Shi switched on his flashlight, and the dim beam pierced the darkness. Song Zhiyuan was stunned by the sight before him:
The basement, from floor to ceiling, was densely packed with all sorts of books, documents, and blueprint tubes, stacked layer upon layer!

Some were wrapped in tarpaulin, while others were left exposed, covered in a thick layer of dust, with cobwebs hanging in the corners.

This place is truly a forgotten treasure trove of knowledge!
"There's too much stuff, it's too messy, we need to look for it, we need to look carefully..." Mr. Shi was surprisingly quick and efficient at this moment, climbing the ladder without looking like an eighty-year-old.

Obviously.

He often climbs up and down inside.

As the flashlight beam swept across the room, he muttered, "It should be in one of those big cardboard tubes against the wall. Yes, I remember it had a blue mark..."

Song Zhiyuan also climbed down, and then the two of them bent over and squeezed into the sea of ​​books and paper to start searching.

The dust was disturbed and flew wildly in the beam of the flashlight, but there wasn't much of it, indicating that someone usually comes down to clean it from time to time.

Despite his advanced age, Mr. Shi squatted down and began searching through several half-person-high blue kraft paper tubes in the corner.

Song Zhiyuan quickly helped, carefully moving the books and documents that were pressing down on top.

"No, this isn't it... This is a hydrological yearbook... Nor is this... This is a geological report of the mining area map..."

As Mr. Shi flipped through the pages, he muttered to himself.

Time passed by, and the air in the basement was stuffy and foul, and sweat quickly soaked their backs.

"Found it!" Mr. Shi's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and trembling.

He pulled out a long scroll carefully wrapped in thick kraft paper from a tube of blueprints.

The package was tied with hemp rope, and the knots had turned black and hard.

With trembling hands, the old man laboriously untied the hemp rope and peeled away the layers of brittle kraft paper.

Under the dim light of a flashlight, a large, remarkably well-preserved drawing was slowly unfurled.

Although the paper is yellowed, the ink lines and markings on it are still clearly legible.

The map title in traditional Chinese characters is prominently displayed: "Detailed Map of the Distribution of Groundwater Veins in Urban and Rural Areas of the Pan-Coastal Region (Made in 1948)".

This map is large in scale, with very detailed annotations, and it's a color version, with densely packed lines and symbols of various colors clearly outlining the network of groundwater.

“That’s it! That’s it!” Mr. Shi’s voice choked with emotion as his fingers gently traced the familiar lines and markings on the drawing, as if caressing a long-lost child.

"I never imagined that it would still come in handy after more than thirty years..."

Looking at the precious blueprints that embodied the hard work of his predecessors, and then at Mr. Shi's excited face amidst the dust, Song Zhiyuan was filled with mixed emotions.

He carefully rolled up the drawings again, wrapped them in kraft paper, and held them tightly in his arms, as if he were holding a heavy hope.

"Teacher Shi! Thank you! Thank you so much! On behalf of the command headquarters and the people of Haibin, thank you!" Song Zhiyuan's voice was heavy, and every word was an exclamation.

The two returned from the dark and stuffy basement to the slightly brighter storage room, both covered in dust, as if they had just been dug out of the ground.

But they all looked relaxed.

Schwarzman reopened the drawings and examined them under the light with a magnifying glass.

He looked at the densely packed names in the lower right corner of the drawing.

He would mutter a few words to himself whenever he saw a name.

He even burst into tears when he saw some of the names.

Song Zhiyuan understood what he meant.

He patted the old comrade on the shoulder and said softly, "He is gone, and we can only grieve in moderation."

"But what they have left behind are people, their contributions to the people, their professional knowledge, and these things will never leave us."

"Teacher Shi, you're the same as me!"

Shi Huasheng rolled up the drawings again, carefully wrapped them in cloth, and solemnly handed them to Song Zhiyuan:

"Go and send it to the command post. Please make sure to tell Comrade Qian Jin and the other comrades that I have similar materials here. If they can contribute to the construction of the motherland and the lives of the people, I am willing to hand them all over to the country!"

Song Zhiyuan's eyes reddened: "Understood, Teacher Shi."

The situation was urgent, and he couldn't waste any time, so he shouldered the huge scroll and went out.

Shi Huasheng peered out the window, watching his retreating figure disappear into the distance.

I also look back on the fruitful results that I created with my colleagues and students during the best years of my life.

In the distance, thousands of lights shine.

He said softly, "Vice Principal An, Lao Ke, Lao Jin, I'll come down and talk to you properly. Our hard work hasn't been wasted."

“You were right back then. You never fooled the students. What we did was a great thing that benefits the country and the people. Our work will benefit future generations!”

This time he didn't lock the small door again.

He thought of the documents and reports he had preserved behind the door, at the risk of being beaten to death.

It will finally see the light of day again!

(End of this chapter)