The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 322 The Water Vein Map Appears, the Well-Drilling Team Sets Off

At night, the air in the command post was filled with the smells of sweat, tobacco, tea, engine oil, and even soil.

The flavor is complex.

Just like the current drought situation.

It's still before the workday ends, and many people are coming and going. A lingering sense of anxiety grows stronger with each passing person.

The drought map hanging on the wall is changing.

The deep red "severe drought" areas resemble hideous sores, while the pink "major drought" areas continue to expand.

Fortunately, several green areas appeared on the map.

Although the area is still small, it still gives people hope.

The phone rang incessantly, interspersed with hoarse reports and urgent orders.

Qian Jin and Zhang Chengnan, along with other deputy commanders, were working tirelessly in the office, while Han Zhaoxin had gone to the provincial capital for a meeting.

In reality, the deputy commanders are the ones who actually do the work in this command center. The commander-in-chief is just a figurehead who is responsible for suppressing the disagreements among the deputy commanders and coordinating the work.

"The water from Beilishan is a life-saving spark, but for that spark to ignite into a prairie fire, it takes time, it needs pipelines, and most importantly, it needs to solve the most pressing drinking water problem!" In the office, Zhang Chengnan pressed his temples hard; the days of running around and the immense pressure had made his eyes sunken.

Following Qian Jin's advice, and after the Ministry of Water Resources successfully solved the major problem of water extraction in mountainous areas, he now has a very good relationship with Qian Jin.

Both of them were the kind of people who worked like their lives depended on it when they were in the drought relief command center.

A cadre brought in a report: "Distant water can't quench immediate thirst, Director Zhang. Look at this report, three more brigades in Donghe Commune are in dire need of water. Their water cellars have completely dried up, and the livestock are now relying on disinfectant for drinking water..."

"Deputy Commander Qian, take a look at this. Shouldn't we send the water transport team out? The people in Dahaishi Commune can't even solve their drinking water problem..."

Qian Jin frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

The successful exploration of water sources in the mountains gave him some confidence in drought relief, but it also made him realize more deeply that relying on just a few points could not cover such a vast disaster-stricken area.

We must find more and more direct water sources!
Otherwise, they would have to find a way to send water to the disaster area.

But it's only the beginning of June.

The drier and hotter months of July and August haven't even arrived yet.

What to do then?
Water supply across the entire line?

This might not have been a problem in the 21s, when the country's mechanical transportation capabilities were highly developed.

It's so difficult now.

They mobilized all the city's transportation resources, but could only muster a little over a hundred water trucks.

But the problem is.

This many water trucks are needed to supply water to just one county!

Qian Jin asked an official, "How much diesel fuel do we have in reserve...?"

Someone rushed over: "Deputy Commander Qian, someone outside is looking for you. They say his name is Song Zhiyuan and that he wants to deliver a more detailed groundwater resource map to our command headquarters."

Zhang Chengnan subconsciously said:

"This thing is no longer of any use. The groundwater resources in the mountains are provided by special karst cave geology. We had not discovered the existence of these water resources until now, and now they can be put to use."

"The so-called groundwater resources in the plains have been depleted; otherwise, how could this be called a drought?"

This is the truth.

If there is still water available underground, then it's not a drought; it just means there has been less rainfall this year.

This is one of the reasons why the person giving the report was not excited when someone came to deliver a map of groundwater resource distribution.

In fact, after successfully diverting water from Beilishan, they have been working hard to improve groundwater resources.

But it's no use.

During this period, some people found nationally printed maps of water resource distribution in coastal areas from libraries, their home collections, or even bookstores in other regions, but the well-drilling teams had already tried to access them.

Not much use.

Qian Jin said, "That's how it is, but Comrade Song Zhiyuan is an acquaintance of mine. He's very reliable. Why don't we listen to what he has to say?"

He put Zhang Chengnan in charge of directing the work while he went outside to meet the people.

Outside the building, in the darkness of night, Song Zhiyuan stood beside his bicycle, holding a thick scroll in his hand.

It's like an ancient general standing proudly beside his warhorse, holding a long weapon.

There was a sense of solemnity and desolation.

"Chief Qian, Chief Qian!" Song Zhiyuan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement. "I... I might have found something that could be of help!"

“Teacher Song, what did you find? Why are you here at this hour? Our office is a mess, so let’s not invite you upstairs. Let’s sit on the steps together.” Qian Jin gestured for him to sit down.

Song Zhiyuan did not sit down, but carefully handed the long paper tube to Qian Jin:
"I found a 'Detailed Map of the Distribution of Groundwater Veins in Coastal Areas.' To be honest, this map was donated by Mr. Shi Huasheng, a former colleague of mine from our school."

He believed that Qian Jin was trustworthy.

Even if there's something wrong with the picture, his motives are fine, so he believes Qian Jin won't use the picture to punish Teacher Shi Huasheng.

With that in mind, he poured out all the information at once:

"He was the head of the Geology Department at the coastal university before the founding of the People's Republic of China, and he has been retired for many years. When I visited him today, he was very anxious about the drought. He searched high and low for a long time and finally found this in an old leather suitcase under his bed!"

Everything is still unknown.

He felt it was still necessary to protect the reports and documents that Schwarzman had hidden in the basement.

As someone who lived through that special era, he knew all too well how much effort and energy the old comrades had spent, and how much fear and anxiety they had endured, in order to preserve those materials!
Qian Jin took the paper tube wrapped in cloth.

It's so heavy!
He thought for a moment and decided not to waste the old comrade's kindness, so he took him to the office and found a long table where he laid out the scroll.

The scroll opened, revealing a large, yellowish map.

Although the drawings are old and their accuracy cannot be compared with modern exploration, they clearly outline the routes of several major underground water veins that run through the coastal city area, and then extend into complex branch lines around these major underground water veins!
Different main veins and connected branches are marked on the diagram with lines of different colors. Red lines represent main veins, blue lines represent major branches, and there are also lines and dots of various colors such as black, yellow, pink, and purple.

At a glance.

Qian Jin thought he had seen detailed diagrams of human blood vessels and capillaries.

Someone pointed to several dark-colored areas: "What are these?"

Song Zhiyuan said, "Oh, these are the water-rich areas of different degrees marked by their geological exploration team using dot-shaped areas of different densities."

"Mr. Shi said that this was drawn by them back then, combining geological structure, lithological analysis and some scattered exploration data. Although it was rough, the general direction should be correct!"

Song Zhiyuan added, sliding his finger along a thick blue line labeled "Lishan-Coastal Fault Zone Associated Water Vein":
"Look, isn't this the first mountain and water vein that was reported in the newspaper a few days ago?"

Upon closer inspection, Zhang Chengnan exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, it really is! Where did this map come from? It even has markings of underground water veins?"

"This is amazing! We couldn't find any relevant information before, but now two have suddenly appeared..."

Song Zhiyuan then reiterated the origin of the painting and introduced Shi Huasheng's identity.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengnan exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, Professor Shi Huasheng? He was my teacher! I was a student at Haibin University in 55, studying in the Department of Hydraulic Engineering. Professor Shi Huasheng taught us the course 'Application of Hydraulic Geological Science'."

"That was twenty-five years ago. I never thought he was still alive—uh, I mean, is he in good health?"

Then he quickly calculated: "He was already in his sixties when he was teaching us, so he must be nearing ninety now?"

Qian Jin said happily, "We'll visit the old professor later; he has made important contributions to the people."

"This map is fantastic. Not only can we drill wells in a targeted manner now, but we should also conduct a comprehensive survey of groundwater resources in our coastal area, as well as throughout the province and the country, when conditions permit."

"I think this detailed map will serve as a guide for another comprehensive survey of groundwater resources in our coastal area!"

Song Zhiyuan was delighted to hear this and said with a smile, "That's wonderful."

“Teacher Shi said to pay attention to these water veins,” he traced them on the map with his finger, “These water veins are buried deep underground and are relatively less affected by seasonal rainfall.”

"This year's drought and lack of groundwater resources are mainly due to the lack of snowfall last winter and the low rainfall in the first half of this year."

"So, according to Professor Shi, these water veins are likely still rich in water."

“That’s possible,” a leader from the land and resources department said, gesturing. “I know this place. It used to be a mining area, but it’s been abandoned now that mining has stopped.”

"This has resulted in the absence of nearby villages and towns, and no one has bothered to investigate the local groundwater situation. If there were a suitable water vein to exploit, that would be wonderful..."

“We can quickly drill wells for the surrounding communes to use!” Zhang Chengnan slammed his hand on the table.

The head of the transportation department said, "There are several communes within a 30-kilometer radius of these places. If water can be obtained locally, we can collect water on-site and transport it there by water truck."

"This way, we don't need to transport water from the county seat anymore. The distance is shortened and the efficiency is increased, which is extremely useful for the local drought relief efforts!"

A smile immediately appeared on Qian Jin's face.

He slammed his hand on the table, making the enamel teacup lid rattle.

"That's wonderful, Teacher Song, you've done a great job! And Mr. Shi is the benefactor of all the staff in our command center!"

Several leaders huddled together, bending over to carefully study the blueprints. They pointed to several water-rich areas marked on the map, then compared them with the latest drought distribution map on the wall, and their thoughts instantly became clear:

"Director Zhang, where is our well-drilling team? Send them out! There's a water-rich area here, something that's never been shown on the map before. Let's see if we can drill for water!"

Qian Jin said with some regret: "It's a pity that the deep well drilling machine has not yet been successfully developed. Otherwise, it would be great if we could have this diagram to match it."

"It's definitely a great way to achieve twice the result with half the effort." The other leaders smiled.

Zhang Chengnan was even more excited: "Drill wells! Let's see if these shallow wells can produce water!"

"If we could drill wells that produce water around these major waterways, especially the water-rich areas marked on the map, for the communes and production teams that are most severely affected by drought and have the most difficulty in obtaining drinking water, then our workload would be much lighter."

"In that case, Minister Zhou, please contact the local military forces. We need their cooperation to immediately establish a 'well-drilling commando team'!"

"With our Water Resources Bureau taking the lead, each district and county will select the best well-drilling workers and combine them with soldiers to form a labor force. We will also gather all the drilling equipment we can mobilize. We are sure to have a success!"

"How is it, Deputy Commander Qian?"

Qian Jin said, "That's how it's going to be. You organize the team, and I'll call Commander Han to ask for instructions."

Suddenly, the night in the coastal city came alive.

Drought is a military order.

Military orders are of paramount importance!
That night, the main leaders and relevant cadres didn't need to sleep and worked overtime.

The command post was brightly lit.

Director Zhang personally oversaw the operation, and key personnel from the technical department were summoned overnight.

The telephone lines connect to water conservancy stations, geological teams, and even infrastructure departments of large factories and mines in various districts and counties.

Orders were issued one after another: the city's most experienced well-drilling team leaders, drilling technicians, and skilled workers were mobilized to prepare for a tough battle.

Then, relevant personnel with strong political integrity and excellent technical skills from within the city were summoned from their homes.

These people were originally conserving their strength. Qian Jin was hoping to send them to the battlefield once they had deep well drilling equipment.

Now, deep well drilling machines are no longer needed; even shallow wells can probably produce water.

Then the machines that are already in the city can be put to use.

Meanwhile, the allocation of supplies is also proceeding at full speed.

The diesel fuel stored in the warehouse was prioritized for allocation to the well-drilling task force.

All the essential well-drilling materials, such as drill pipes, drill bits, casing, and mud pumps, which were originally thought to be useless, were inventoried and gathered.

Some of the equipment had already been sent to rural areas to drill wells or dredge silt, but it was urgently reassigned back.

More than a dozen Jiefang trucks that were preparing to be reloaded with water tanks for water delivery were requisitioned to specifically transport equipment and personnel.

The current system is extremely well-suited for mobilizing troops for combat.

In just one night, a "Haibin City Drought Relief Well Drilling Task Force" with nearly two hundred workers and technicians was established!
This task force, led by Senior Engineer Wang from the Municipal Water Resources Bureau, is a formidable force comprised of the best personnel from twelve well-drilling teams across the city's districts and counties.

The command center made multiple copies of the precious "Approximate Map of Groundwater Vein Distribution in Haibin City". Zhang Chengnan and Engineer Wang led the technical team to study it overnight. Based on the latest drought report, they initially identified the first batch of twenty deep well sites that were most urgently needed and had the best chance of success.

However, even within this passionate commando team, a harsh reality still looms large.

After carefully inspecting all the well-drilling equipment that could be mobilized in the city, Qian Jin secretly kept shaking his head.

In previous years, the country faced problems in various aspects, with particularly significant issues in technological development and equipment support.

The drilling team seemed to have a lot of machinery, but most of the equipment was old stuff from the 1950s or 60s, shallow well drilling rigs such as percussion drills or rotary drills, designed to drill to depths generally less than 30 meters, or even less than 10 meters...

These machines are okay for shallow diving, but many of the water veins marked on the drawings are in places fifty or sixty meters or even deeper, so the machines simply don't meet the requirements.

When Zhang Chengnan's meeting was almost over, Qian Jin said helplessly:

"Comrades, I just went to check. Our current machines can only drill to a maximum of 30 meters. Any further, the drill bit wears out severely, the power is insufficient, and the risk of the drill getting stuck is extremely high!"

Wang pushed up his glasses, but his fighting spirit remained high.

Mainly because they belong to the reserve team of the drought relief organization.

Recently, other teams, especially the task forces organized by the streets, factories and government agencies, have gone to the countryside, while the technicians responsible for drilling wells are idle in their units, and they have been criticized a lot.

Even her family members didn't understand.

You guys are usually so loud and boisterous, but now that something's really happened, why are you all rushing back to your nests?
The technicians and workers involved in well drilling have many unspeakable hardships.

They started by digging a well.

What they dug out wasn't a well, it was a hole in the ground. They even crawled out of an ancient tomb, but they just couldn't find any water.

The command's opinion at the time was that the coastal area had indeed suffered a severe drought, the worst in decades, and that groundwater had dried up.

Since shallow wells are useless, we shouldn't waste time drilling them. After all, drilling wells consumes a lot of diesel fuel, manpower, and is dangerous.

They shared the same opinion as Qian Jin.

The well-drilling team will rest first. Once the water pump for the deep well arrives, they will have to work tirelessly.

Now that they finally have another chance to prove themselves, the technicians are in high spirits and eager to volunteer.

Engineer Wang clenched his fist and said, "Deputy Commander Qian, equipment is inanimate, but people are alive!"

"The blueprints showed us the way and told us where the water was, which is a hundred times better than blindly drilling!"

"If the depth isn't enough, we'll find a way!"

"Strengthen the drill pipe, improve the drill bit, control the mud density, and tackle it bit by bit!"

"If thirty meters isn't enough, then thirty-five meters; if thirty-five meters isn't enough, then forty meters!"

"As long as we're heading in the right direction, we'll eventually reach the edge of the waterway! It's better than sitting here and waiting to die!"

He spoke through gritted teeth, which shows how strong his fighting spirit was.

These words ignited the determination of all the technical experts and well-drilling team leaders present.

Li Xian, an old well-drilling team leader with a weathered face and large knuckles, said in a deep voice, "Commander Qian, Engineer Wang is right."

"What hardships haven't we endured while drilling wells? What hard rocks haven't we cracked? So what if we drill a little deeper? If the machines aren't powerful enough, we'll fill in! We work in shifts, so the machines never stop even when people rest!"

"I refuse to believe that if we put on an iron man's spirit, we can't dig up a dragon king from underground!"

Zhang Chengnan was very satisfied with the attitude of his subordinates.

The only regret is that Han Zhaoxin wasn't there, so we couldn't see how tough the team he led was.

Looking at this group of technicians and workers who showed no fear in the face of difficulties, a surge of warmth welled up in his heart: "Well said, comrades!"

Zhang Chengnan went around slapping each of his men's shoulders forcefully, the force penetrating their skin and reaching their bones:
"Great! Engineer Wang, Lao Li, with your enthusiasm, I feel reassured!"

"But enthusiasm alone is not enough. Diesel and lubricating oil are in short supply right now, and the transportation department will definitely have to deliver water to the countryside day and night. So we must not only dare to fight tough battles, but also dare to win them!"

"Remember this: the blueprints are our eyes! Every well must be located strictly according to the water vein direction and water-rich area marked on the blueprints!"

"I want you to be extremely precise in your work. We need to extract the most water with the least amount of drilling!"

"I'll figure out a solution to the equipment problem. I'll see if we can coordinate one or two more drilling rigs capable of drilling deep wells from the province or other cities as an emergency measure!"

"But mainly, we need everyone's fighting spirit and skills!"

Soon, clear copies of the "Outline Map," along with detailed coordinates and technical requirements for the first batch of well locations, were distributed to the captains of each well-drilling team.

This blueprint, which embodies the hard work of veteran geologists and carries the hopes of countless thirsty creatures, was treated like a treasure by each well-drilling team, with each team assigning a dedicated person to be in charge of it.

The next day at dawn, after eating fried dough sticks, tea eggs, and drinking soy milk provided by the command center, the well-drilling task force, like a fire brigade putting out a fire, rushed to several places where the drought was most severe and where water was most likely to be found, according to the results of the meeting.

This is the second task in the engineering drought relief work, and it is more important than the work of developing groundwater in karst caves in mountainous areas.

Just then, Han Zhaoxin returned from a meeting, so the deputy commanders each led their teams to the countryside to conduct on-site investigations.

Qian Jin followed the second detachment, led by Li Xian, and headed straight for Xiaochenzhuang Brigade of Donghe Commune, where the drought was most severe.

This area is also located in a hilly region, but it is not a mountainous area; rather, it is characterized by small hills and hills.

The land in this area is barren, and the only old well has long since dried up.

The villagers had no choice but to walk several miles of mountain road every day to fetch water from a nearly dry pond, leaving them exhausted.

When the Jiefang trucks carrying drilling rigs, drill rods, and oil-covered workers drove into the village, the once quiet village instantly erupted in excitement.

Men, women, and children poured out; children chased after the truck, while the elderly stood by the roadside, leaning on their canes, their cloudy eyes gleaming with a long-lost light.

"The water truck is here!"

"The government sent big trucks to deliver water to rescue us!"

The news spread across the fields like the wind.

When the members excitedly ran to see what was happening, they found that only a truck had arrived.

Moreover, there was no water tank on the truck; it was people and machines that got off.

This made Captain Chen Yongkang anxious: "Hey, hey, hey, who's the leader here?"

"What's wrong with the command post? Why didn't they send water to our brigade? Why did they send so many of you to our brigade? You need water now that you're here, right? Where would our brigade get any water for you?"

Qian Jin shook hands with him: "Comrade Chen Yongkang? I am Qian Jin."

Each brigade headquarters subscribes to newspapers and listens to the radio; Qian Jin's name is now very well-known at the grassroots level.

Upon hearing that it was Qian, a high-ranking official in the command headquarters, who had come in, Chen Yongkang quickly suppressed his dissatisfaction, but still muttered:

"So it's Commander Qian who's here? Oh my, you really are as young as you look in the newspaper photos. So what are you here for? To inspect the situation of our brigade?"

Qian Jin said, "No, I'm here to lead the team to dig a well."

Hearing this, Chen Yongkang was stunned: "Huh? They're digging wells? Someone came to dig three wells early last month, in the east, west, and south directions. They're all just pits, and they haven't been filled in yet. Shall I take you to see them?"

Some farmers said unhappily:

"Your well-digging is just causing trouble. Let me tell you, leader, last time my second son accidentally fell into a well. Luckily for him, our brigade had stuffed corn stalks down there, so he wasn't hurt..."

“You have to talk to him about why we’re stuffing corn stalks in here,” another commune member said indignantly.

Chen was very dissatisfied when he saw that the commune members did not treat Qian Jin with enough respect, and he instinctively wanted to explain.

Qian Jin shook his head.

The farmers were disappointed when they couldn't get water from the well they drilled last time.

They weren't sure if they would find water when they came to drill the well, so it was best to be cautious.

Disappointment is not scary; what is scary is giving hope only to disappoint you again. This kind of disappointment is close to despair.

The members chattered amongst themselves.

It turns out that the three well pits left over from before were all very deep, with the deepest one being almost thirty meters deep.

In mid-May, a family's sheep fell and died. This incident alerted the production team, so they stuffed corn stalks into all the wells to provide some cushioning.

otherwise--

A child was killed by falling into a dried-up well!

This incident served as a reminder to Qian Jin that, regardless of whether the wells produced water or not, the well covers must be properly fitted.

Having learned from their previous failure, they couldn't say anything this time.

So Qian Jin decided to get to work first and see how it went.

This time, they centered their efforts on Xiaochenzhuang—this village is shown on the detailed map.

Xiaochenzhuang has existed for two or three hundred years, so when Shi Huasheng led his team to explore the water veins, they used this kind of village as a coordinate point.

Starting from Xiaochenzhuang, they revised their route several times before finally choosing a place.

It is located between two earthen slopes, about four kilometers southwest of Xiaochenzhuang.

When the villagers of Xiaochenzhuang learned that they wanted to fetch water here, they all shook their heads.

There is no grass growing in this place.

Even in years when the weather was good, this place was still quite barren.

Some people defied the odds and came to reclaim the land, but after two years of hard work, they left behind only sweat and curses, and still had to leave.

So when the drilling team came last time, they never expected to come to this place to fetch water.

Logically speaking, there should be no water veins here.

However, the student team led by renowned professors like Schwarzman did indeed believe, through scientific calculations, that a water vein passed through this area...

(End of this chapter)