The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 323 Now that we have water, we remember the person who provided the illustrations.
Qian Jin and Li Xian discussed the blueprints.

This place is marked as the "Donghe-Liulin Secondary Waterway", which belongs to the core area of ​​a small, water-rich region.

After determining the location of this small, water-rich area, Mr. Li and his technicians meticulously calibrated the position using a level and compass.

It took more than an hour of calculations to finally select the wellhead.

Li Xian nodded solemnly, and Qian Jin gave the order: "Start drilling!"

The diesel engine roared with a deep, powerful sound, causing the drill rod to spin, and the hard alloy drill bit gnawed fiercely at the parched earth.

The mud pump roared as it injected the prepared mud into the borehole, lubricating the drill bit and carrying away rock cuttings.

Dust billowed and the roar of machinery shattered the desolate silence of the wilderness.

The villagers said that digging a well in this place was a waste of time, but no one was more eager than them to find water.

It's a matter of life and death!
So, under Chen Yongkang's leadership, the production brigade managed to organize a respectable support team.

Young and able-bodied men helped unload equipment, move drill rods, and level the site.

The women boiled water and delivered the grains and pickled vegetables that they couldn't bear to eat at home to the construction site.

Several teenagers, imitating the adults, carefully handed basins of clean water to the workers whose hands were covered in grease, so that they could wash their hands and wipe their sweat.

In this way, a warm atmosphere of solidarity and overcoming difficulties together quickly filled the entire construction site.

Qian Jin liked this era because of its atmosphere.

At that time, the people were living a hard life, but the cadres really had to take the lead in doing the work and truly work for the benefit of the people.

Take Xiaochenzhuang and the well-drilling team as an example.

Despite their complaints, they understood the bigger picture and knew that the well-drilling team was still working because they cared about them.

If the command headquarters decides to stop managing them, then forget about drilling teams, you probably won't even see a single person from the city.

Therefore, the commune members were still grateful to them, and even more grateful to Qian Jin, a high-ranking leader in the command center, for being willing to help them fight the drought.

For this reason, the brigade headquarters even took out green tea that they had been saving for who knows how long and gave it to Qian Jin to brew tea for him:

"Commander Qian, don't stand in the sun. I'll get someone to set up a shed so you can cool off and have some tea to beat the heat."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Thank you, Captain Chen. You can leave this tea here. If we succeed in drilling the well and get water later, we'll drink tea together to celebrate our victory."

"If we can't dig a well—that's absolutely impossible!"

He originally wanted to say that he would be too ashamed to drink tea if he couldn't find a well, but when he saw the anxious look on the faces of the nearby residents...

At this point, it would be wise for him to instill some confidence in the people.

Chen Yongkang pursed his lips, which were so dry they were cracked and peeling.

He just wanted to know if it was possible to drill a well.

But this question was a bit too sensitive for the troops, so he didn't dare ask.

In fact, the public's doubts and concerns are not without reason; the road to drilling a well is not smooth sailing.

They encountered hard rock formations after shooting down only ten meters or so.
The drilling speed slowed down significantly, and the drill bit wore out badly.

Li Xian frowned, pulled out the drill bit, and looked at it with a grim expression: "Damn it, we've hit a rock layer!"

He looked at Qian Jin, his heart filled with anxiety and resentment.

Qian Jin's spirits lifted: "No wonder the soil here is saline; the presence of rock strata is probably hindering the penetration of groundwater and vapor."

"So, can this drill go down?"

Li Xian shook his head helplessly: "I don't know how deep the rock layer is. This drill bit isn't working properly; it's an old thing..."

"Then change the drill bit, change to a wear-resistant drill bit!" Qian Jin immediately suggested.

Li almost burst out laughing.

Don't I know I should switch to a wear-resistant drill bit?
He glanced around at the people who were intently watching the machine, eagerly awaiting the water to come out, and whispered, "We don't have wear-resistant drill bits!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Yes!"

He went to the car and took down an oversized tote bag. The bag was made of canvas, the kind that was hand-sewn; it wasn't pretty, but it was extremely durable.

Opening the bag, I found it full of drill bits of various sizes.

Each drill bit is sharp, and even under the scorching sun, it still gleams with a cold light.

Qian Jin couldn't bring out the complete deep-water well drilling rig, but producing a batch of drill bits first wouldn't be a problem:

"They're all imported, genuine West German special steel drill bits. Find a way to replace them!"

In those days, ordinary areas in China lacked high-grade steel and special steel drill bits, but in the future, there will be too many in the mall.

In the future, domestic steel production capacity will reach explosive levels, and various high-performance steels will become practically worthless.

However, these drill bits were bought randomly and were not compatible with the machine itself.

However, the working people are wise.

Multi-layer welding!

The immediate priority is to get water out, not to protect the machine, so welding the drill bit can be done without considering the consequences.

In addition to replacing the drill bit with a more wear-resistant one, Mr. Li also adjusted the mud ratio, reduced the drilling pressure, and proceeded steadily.

The machines roared to life again.

The workers worked in three shifts, their thick work clothes soaked with sweat, which was then dried by the scorching sun, leaving behind rings of white salt stains.

The sound of the drill bit suddenly changed from a heavy, piercing 'squeak' to a light 'swish'.

Li Xian excitedly pumped his fist: "Great! Great!"

"We've drilled through!" someone shouted excitedly.

The villagers didn't know what was going on, but they saw the well-drilling team workers were happy, so they were happy too.

However, they were unhappy when they learned that they hadn't actually gotten any water.

It's not just that they have difficulty getting money into their hands.

Drilling a well is not a task that can be completed in a few hours; it cannot be done quickly and must be done gradually.

Therefore, the drilling teams should maintain contact with each other and negotiate solutions to any problems that arise.

When a drilling team encountered a rock layer that they couldn't drill through, Qian Jin would go and deliver drill bits.

They are all referred to as high-strength drill bits made of special imported steel!
Reality is just that cruel.

Some well-drilling teams got stuck in the rock layer, while another team, the well-drilling team from Dawa Commune in Pingling County, encountered a layer of quicksand.

When the drill bit of the latter reached a depth of more than ten meters, the borehole wall suddenly collapsed, burying all the drilling tools underneath.

The squad leader was so anxious that he developed blisters on his lips. While organizing manpower to use a winch in conjunction with the machine to pull the drill rod out, he urgently requested assistance from the command center.

Upon receiving the report, Qian Jin rushed over to check the situation.

Well collapses are the most frightening thing; they can easily cause fatalities.

The command center was also anxious and immediately coordinated the dispatch of a larger quantity of casing and leak-sealing materials to provide support.

The problem now is that the well shaft is blocked by quicksand.

Qian Jin had no choice.

We need the online store to step in!
Sand dredging machines and sand suction pumps are the only two things that can be used.

However, neither of these machines could suck up the dry sand.

So the well-drilling team had to mobilize the local people to fetch water and pour it into the well to make mortar...

The cursing from the crowd was so loud that even Qian Jin couldn't bear to listen to it anymore.

They felt that the well-drilling team was there to cause trouble. They were already reluctant to carry water to irrigate their crops, but now they had to irrigate the well to pump sand.

The well-drilling team workers were furious upon hearing this, and they all wanted to quit.

This is like the Japanese looking in a mirror—they're neither human nor innocent.

Qian Jin also wanted to run away.

But the machine is already ready, so we can't just prepare it for nothing, can we?
He had no choice but to do ideological mobilization work with his comrades.

Good guy.

He now has immense admiration for the leader.

It is truly remarkable that our leader was able to unite the people and save China in such dire circumstances.

He now believes in the power of the people, but not in their minds.

However, everyone has a heart.

Later, when they saw the workers jumping into the mud pit, risking a collapse to stir the mud and sand to make it easier for the sand pumping machine to work, the commune members had nothing to say and finally fell silent.

The high-end sand dredging machines and sand pumps of the 21st century are still very powerful, and a large amount of mud and sand are pumped out amidst the roaring sound.

Then they discovered that the sand they extracted later contained moisture!
This is really exciting.

The quicksand layer is clearly wet, and there is likely water beneath it!
After the mud and sand were pumped out, the casing needed to be manually installed to cement the well. The local commune leaders mobilized the masses and took the lead in going down into the well, finally bringing the danger under control and restarting drilling.

This means Qian Jin can't stay; the Xiaochenzhuang production brigade is still waiting for him.

Time slowly passed amidst the roar of machines and people's anticipation.

The first to report the good news came from the Xiaochenzhuang production brigade.

After three days of hard work, the drill bit finally broke through the last layer of rock, and the drill rod went down to a depth of thirty-eight meters!
As the drill bit was slowly lifted, the technician held his breath and lowered the measuring rope into the borehole.

The watermarks on the measuring rope are clearly visible!

The depth met expectations!

"Damn it, get the pump down!" Li Xian's voice was hoarse with excitement.

The workers nearby shouted excitedly, "Old Li, you're an official now? Commander Qian is the real official!"

Qian Jin was also very excited and shouted, "What officials are here? These are all working people!"

"Quickly, stop worrying about the title, get the pump running!"

A deep well pump was carefully placed into the borehole and connected to a diesel engine and water pipe.

After three days, there weren't many commune members left. The onlookers had all left, since it was too sunny. All that remained were organized laborers.

The laborers gathered around, completely silent except for the sputtering sound of the diesel engine starting up.

Qian Jin personally switched on the power to the diesel generator.

The water pump emitted a low hum.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Suddenly, the water pipe connected to the water pump shuddered violently, and a stream of turbid muddy water gushed out from the pipe opening!

"Water's coming out! Water's coming out!"

"We have water! We have water!"

"Oh my God! Oh my ancestors of the Chen family! Oh, thank you, country, thank you, Party!"

The laborers embraced the workers directly.

This achievement is truly remarkable.

In the wilderness, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers.

The water quickly became clear and transparent, and the rushing sound of the water, like heavenly music, resounded across this parched land.

Meanwhile, the icy deep water gushes out in a torrent.

The workers crowded around and tried it out, excitedly splashing each other with water:

"It feels so good, so refreshing."

"Damn, wouldn't it be awesome if there was an ice-cold beer?"

"It would be even better with a chilled watermelon..."

Chen Yongkang hurriedly said, "I don't have any beer here, and I can't find any watermelon. I'll go back and buy some!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "There's no rush. Come on, comrades, what did I say before?"

"Let's have tea after we've dug the well and found water!"

He brewed the green tea, then filled a basin with cool groundwater and poured the tea into it.
"In ancient times, Huo Qubing and his soldiers drank fine wine bestowed by the emperor. Today, we are even more impressive, as the working class and peasantry drink the tea offered by the people!"

He scooped up some cold water from the cup, which no longer tasted like tea, and gulped it down in one go.

Chen Yongkang looked at him with awe.

The water is coming out.

This is a great joy.

The workers, eager to enjoy the cheers from the farmers, sent a truck to pick them up.

Trucks came and went, and even more people braved the scorching summer heat and trekked several kilometers on foot to get here!
The elderly people got off the bus and, seeing the gushing groundwater, were so moved that tears streamed down their faces. They knelt down and greedily drank the cool well water, letting the water soak their clothes.

The children jumped and screamed in the water. Several dogs, unaware of what the crowd was doing, followed along. When they saw the water, they squeezed in and drank frantically.

Li Xian and the workers, their faces still covered in grease, grinned broadly as they watched the gushing spring, their tired faces radiating a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Qian Jin took photos of them and said, "Tomorrow we'll be on the front page!"

"Comrades, get ready, I'll put you in the newspaper tomorrow!"

A group of men, their faces smeared with oil and covered in dirt, stood arm in arm, laughing heartily.

At this time, they were heroes.

It's hard to say how much water this well will produce each day, but it's certainly enough to supply the entire commune.

Unfortunately, it was some distance from the production brigades, so the commune members had to fetch and transport water themselves.

But as long as there is a well.

Everything else is not a problem.

The commune leader shook Qian Jin's hand vigorously, saying, "The farmers in our commune may not have much else, but they have plenty of strength."

"I don't have the ability to conjure water, but as long as there is water, then you leaders don't need to worry about anything else. I can just push a cart, carrying a bucket to each household, and keep the crops alive!"

Chen Yongkang shouted, "Leader, with a well, our brigade's corn and sweet potatoes will be no problem."

"Once the sweet potatoes are harvested, I'll send them to the city for you. Don't complain that eating too many of these sweet potatoes will give you heartburn; you'll have to eat as much as you want!"

Qian Jin shook hands with him and said with a smile, "I've been waiting for that day. Now I've taken your words to heart. You've got a record with me now."

Chen Yongkang nodded vigorously.

The drilling team moved to a different location.

Then, good news came like a spring breeze, one after another, back to the command post.

The well in Dawa Commune, after many twists and turns, finally produced water after overcoming the quicksand, and the water volume was plentiful!

The well-drilling team that went to Menggezhuang Commune later strictly followed the blueprints and drilled a well in a water-rich area of ​​a secondary water vein. At a depth of only two meters, they actually drilled an artesian well.

The clear spring water gushes out day and night without the need for a pump, and the villagers spontaneously built a reservoir for it.

And there was Jinshangouzi Commune...

Each well that successfully draws water is like a solid nail driven into the drought-stricken landscape, becoming a strong fortress and a source of hope for drought relief in the region.

They not only provided life-saving water, but also greatly boosted the confidence and morale of cadres and the masses.

In this way, the value of the "Outline Map of the Distribution of Underground Water Veins in Haibin City" was fully demonstrated in actual combat.

It greatly improves the success rate of well drilling and reduces the waste of blind exploration.

Despite the outdated equipment and limited depth, this "treasure map" gave the workers and technicians a clear direction and high morale, leading to victory after victory.

Qian Jin originally thought they could make the front page of the Haibin Daily, but then provincial newspapers and even national newspapers came to interview them!
A few days later, while they were in a meeting, Zheng Guodong pushed open the meeting room door, walked in excitedly with a newspaper in hand, and slammed his hand on the table.

Han Zhaoxin was about to get angry when he was interrupted while speaking, but when he saw Zheng Guodong walk in, he could only suppress his anger: "Hi, Comrade Guodong, you..."

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" Zheng Guodong's face darkened, leaving everyone bewildered.

Then he smiled again and opened the newspaper, pushing it towards Han Zhaoxin.

Han Zhaoxin glanced at the newspaper, his expression changing instantly. He instinctively pointed at it and asked, "Us?" This time, it was finally the People's Daily's turn…

The drought relief command center of the coastal city made it into the newspaper.

Qian Jin's name also appears above, and it appears five times, second only to Han Zhaoxin's seven times!
For officials at all levels, the fact that their drought relief command center was featured in the People's Daily was a victory even more significant than finding water.

Even though Qian Jin doesn't value fame and fortune that much, he was still shocked to see his name appear in the People's Daily.

Zhang Chengnan was still puzzled: "What's going on? Did someone from Xinhua News Agency come to interview us? We didn't know that."

Zheng Guodong said excitedly, "They didn't let us know because in this flood relief and drought relief work in the south and the north, there were many cases of deception and cover-ups between superiors and subordinates."

"Therefore, when reporting on disaster relief efforts, the higher-ups first went to the grassroots level to see for themselves!"

Then he picked up the newspaper and randomly picked a passage to read:
"...Under the leadership of the leaders at all levels of the Haibin City Drought Relief and Disaster Relief Headquarters, the comrades in the well drilling team worked together with one heart and one mind, using their experience, wisdom and extraordinary perseverance to make up for the lack of equipment."

"Those blurry lines and dots on the blueprints, in the calloused hands of the well-drilling workers, amidst the ceaseless roar of the drilling rig day and night, have become a gushing spring of life..."

A long-lost smile appeared on Han Zhaoxin's face.

He took a deep breath and walked to the conference room window, looking at the still blazing sunlight outside, but his mood was completely different from before.

"This yellowed blueprint connects the past and the present, embodying the power of knowledge and the might of the people..."

"It was like a ray of light, piercing through the gloom of drought and illuminating the path to self-rescue..."

"The roar of the deep wells is the most beautiful symphony of this parched land. The birth of each well proclaims: Man can conquer nature!"

Zheng Guodong read several paragraphs in a row, and everyone read with high spirits and great excitement.

To put it bluntly, the whole country will now know about the Haibin City Drought Relief and Disaster Relief Command Center.

Zheng Guodong said with great interest, "Comrades, the report said, 'When you drink water, don't forget the well-digger.'"

"How did we get this water? It was through the hard work and struggle of all our comrades, but it was also thanks to the guidance of our old comrade Shi Huasheng."

"So I suggest we stop waiting. Commander-in-Chief Han, Deputy Commander Qian, let's take some time after get off work today to visit Comrade Shi Huasheng together, okay?"

With the top leader speaking, who dares to say otherwise?
Only Qian Jin weakly voiced his opinion: "Actually, Teacher Song Zhiyuan also deserves a lot of credit. He found Teacher Shi Huasheng and persuaded him to contribute this valuable detailed map. He was also the one who delivered it to our command headquarters..."

Such a collective visit by the top two leaders of the city is a rare and important event, and he has to help his subordinates get a chance to shine.

Whether you're herding one sheep or a flock of sheep, it's still the same thing.

Qian Jin had already said all that, so the top leader had nothing else to say. He waved his hand and said domineeringly, "Alright, then let's extend our greetings to both of these veteran comrades."

Taking this opportunity, Han Zhaoxin reported the progress of the drought relief work to Zheng Guodong.

With the steady progress of the karst cave water diversion project, and the wells drilled based on that precious "Detailed Map of Underground Water Veins" springing up like mushrooms after rain on the parched land, the pressure on the command center was not so great.

This can also be seen from the change in the atmosphere in the command center.

Although the phone still rang frequently and documents were still being delivered urgently, the almost suffocating sense of despair had been replaced by a more pragmatic busyness.

As Zheng Guodong listened to the report, he also sensed the changing atmosphere.

Finally, as he watched the blue markers on the drought map on the wall begin to connect, signifying "initial relief of drinking water for people and livestock," his smile became even clearer.

"Comrades, I believe that the turning point in this battle against drought has arrived: our successful water diversion and well drilling work!"

Zheng Guodong finally had to encourage the members of the command center.

"But as the saying goes, one should strike while the iron is hot, but the second attempt will be less effective, and the third attempt will be exhaustive. We must not let our guard down..."

Finally, to get back to the main point: "Well, Comrade Qian Jin, you were the one who spearheaded the work on drilling wells according to the detailed and rough maps, and you are also the one most familiar with the situation."

"Then please make arrangements so that we can go and visit the veterans this evening after get off work!"

After get off work in the evening, Han Zhaoxin, Qian Jin, Zhang Chengnan and other key leaders of the command accompanied Zheng Guodong to visit and express their appreciation to the meritorious soldiers.

Zheng Guodong and Han Zhaoxin rode in a slightly worn Volga sedan, while Qian Jin and the others were crammed into a Jeep 212 with a canvas canopy.

Since Qian Jin was leading the way, it was natural to go to their own family's house first.

It wasn't that he was selfish or wanted to help Song Zhiyuan steal the credit; the main reason was that he had never dealt with Shi Huasheng before and didn't even know where Shi Huasheng lived.

Song Zhiyuan still lives in the old house. Most of the buildings in this area are red brick tenement buildings built in the 1950s and 1960s, with mottled walls and narrow corridors.

Especially now that the weather is hot and dry, as soon as you enter the building, a complex mix of smells from coal smoke, food, and public toilets hits you.

As you walk further in, you'll find that some people are probably getting ready to go to bed, so they've prepared a toilet.

They hadn't taken two steps when an open toilet seat sprayed its odor at them like a baring dog.

Qian Jin looked at Zheng Guodong somewhat awkwardly: "Sir, how about I call Comrade Song Zhiyuan outside?"

Zheng Guodong waved his hand dismissively, his face full of smiles: "This smell, haha, look at this toilet, right? There's always something to learn from three people walking together. Well, there's always something to learn from three toilets too."

"Huh?" Zhang Chengnan was stunned.

Zheng Guodong laughed and said, "Learn from its outward fragrance, and then its spirit of selflessly benefiting others."

The group burst into laughter.

Previously, Song Zhiyuan lived in a small, detached house. It wasn't a proper apartment building; it was an illegal structure built by someone using bricks, wood, and sheet metal.

Qian Jin knew that those kinds of houses were cold in winter and hot in summer, had no privacy, and were not good to live in, so he helped Song Zhiyuan find a one-bedroom apartment in an old building through the neighborhood committee.

He walked ahead, leading the way with practiced ease.

The road is difficult to travel.

The hallway was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with faded propaganda posters and slogans such as "Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves".

Then, at the base of the wall, there were piles of honeycomb briquettes, old furniture, and miscellaneous items from each household, leaving only enough space for one person to pass sideways.

Qian Jin knocked on the door of the east-facing apartment on the second floor.

The door opened, and Song Zhiyuan appeared in the doorway, holding his little daughter.

Upon seeing the leaders standing outside the door, he was visibly taken aback, then nervously rubbed his hands together: "Leader Guodong, Leader Zhaoxin, esteemed leaders, Director Qian, what brings you all to my home?"

"Please come in, please come in. My home is small and very messy..."

The house is indeed small, a one-bedroom, one-living room layout, totaling only about fifteen or sixteen square meters.

The living room doubles as a study and dining room. Against the wall is an old-fashioned folding round table and several wooden chairs, with a plastic tablecloth printed with peonies on the table.

The most eye-catching thing is a huge, homemade bookshelf made of wooden planks and bricks placed by the window, crammed with all kinds of books, documents and bottles and jars. With the addition of the child's stroller and crib, half of the family's space is gone.

In addition, next to the bookshelf was an old desk piled with lesson plans, workbooks and an old-fashioned desk lamp.

The room was fairly tidy, but the space was small, and when several people came in at once, it suddenly felt crowded.

He was about to eat, and a simple bowl of rice was set on the table.

So, while tidying up, he said apologetically, "Please sit down, leaders! I'll get some water!"

"Teacher Song, don't bother, we'll just stay here for a bit and then leave." Han Zhaoxin quickly waved his hand, indicating that he shouldn't be so polite.

Secretary Zheng Guodong looked around the simple, even somewhat shabby, home.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the bookshelf and the child's noticeably underdeveloped left leg, before finally settling on Song Zhiyuan, a gentle smile spreading across his face:

"Teacher Song, don't be nervous. We're here today on behalf of all the people of the city to express our gratitude for your significant contributions to drought relief!"

Song Zhiyuan, a man who had seen many important occasions, said politely, "You flatter me, sir. I was just doing my duty. I really don't deserve your personal visit..."

“You deserve it, you absolutely deserve it!” Qian Jin chimed in, his tone sincere. “You found Mr. Schwarzman and got that ‘Detailed Map of Underground Water Veins.’ It’s like sending charcoal in snowy weather; it’s more precious than sending us several cartloads of grain!”

“Look,” he said, opening his briefcase and taking out a report on the latest well-drilling results. “In just over a month, following the instructions on the map, we have successfully drilled seventeen shallow wells throughout the city, solving the drinking water problem for more than 100,000 people.”

"Huh?" Song Zhiyuan was surprised. "These seventeen wells can solve the drinking water problem for so many people?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, we are currently prioritizing the drinking water needs of the people and are not yet considering water use for farmland."

"If we also need to ensure water supply for farmland, then even increasing the number of wells tenfold wouldn't be enough."

Song Zhiyuan said with deep concern, "We haven't done enough."

"No, no, no, you've done enough. The rest of the work is our command's." Han Zhaoxin handed him a large red booklet with the gold award lettering clearly visible on the cover.

"Your name, Comrade Song Zhiyuan, deserves a place on the list of merits for this year's drought relief efforts!"

At the same time, Qian Jin handed Song Zhiyuan a briefing that he had just compiled that afternoon.

The briefing clearly listed data such as well location, depth, water output, and the number of people who benefited, and included several photos.

Some villagers gathered around the newly dug well, beaming with joy as they drew water; the clear well water was instantly absorbed as it was poured onto the parched, cracked earth…

In a year of severe drought, each of these photos is full of vitality and hope.

Song Zhiyuan held the briefing, his fingers trembling slightly, and his eyes behind his glasses instantly welled up with tears.

As the saying goes, what wise people find joy in is not afraid of being base or dishonest. When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven.

The intellectual's lifelong pursuit is contained in these four lines of poetry.

Song Zhiyuan is doing something great that benefits the world, so he is extremely excited.

After reading the briefing, he looked up, his eyes reddening: "That's wonderful, that's really wonderful. I'm so glad I could help, so glad I could help..."

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Then, when he looked at Qian Jin, his eyes were filled with a sense of pride: "Actually, I dare not take credit for this. I am grateful to Director Qian for encouraging me to contribute to the people's drought relief efforts."

He paused, his tone becoming emotional and sincere:
"Dear leaders, you may not know this, but when Comrade Qian Jin was setting up the Taishan Road Study Room, I was burdened with certain issues and no unit would accept me, so I could only work as a temporary worker in the street boiler room..."

He told Qian Jinxian about how he had been paid to tutor young people preparing for exams at the study room, and also about his current job as a full-time teacher at a training school.

Finally, he remarked:

"...During this drought, I saw Comrade Qian Jin working tirelessly day and night at the command center, and I saw so many people suffering. I thought to myself, no matter what, I must do my part!"

"In the end, it was Professor Shi who made the greater contribution in finding Professor Shi and obtaining that map. I just wanted to do something for our city and dare not take credit for it!"

Song Zhiyuan's heartfelt words moved everyone present.

The way Zheng Guodong and Han Zhaoxin looked at Qian Jin now held a hint of approval and deeper meaning.

Qian Jin stood at attention.

This is also one of the reasons why he wanted to take the leaders to Song Zhiyuan's home.

He knew that Teacher Song wouldn't let him down.

Zheng Guodong nodded and said solemnly, "Teacher Song, the organization is well aware of your experience and contributions. Comrade Qian Jin's decision to use talent without being bound by convention is correct and commendable!"

"I know about the Taishan Road study room and training school; they are both good things done to cultivate talent and serve the community!"

He turned to Qian Jin and said, “Comrade Qian Jin, the training school you are running is a great idea. I have heard Comrade Wang Zhenbang give a detailed introduction to it, and we all believe that your school will provide more talent for our Haibin City in the future.”

"Once the drought is over, the city will definitely provide you with greater policy support. If you need venues, teachers, or equipment, as long as it is conducive to cultivating talents for the Four Modernizations and to society, I will call on all units to give their full support!"

"Thank you, leaders," Qian Jin and Song Zhiyuan said in unison.

The main event was still at Schwarzman's house.

Qian Jin asked Song Zhiyuan to lead the way, and Song Zhiyuan took the child to the neighbor.

Hearing the commotion, the neighbors who were watching from their doorways were immediately filled with awe and respect for Song Zhiyuan, their new neighbor across the street, when they saw that the leaders they usually only saw in the newspapers were now at their doorsteps.

The old intellectuals are indeed capable!
Song Zhiyuan gave directions from inside the car, and the group drove to the old professors' dormitory area of ​​Haibin University.

The dormitory area of ​​the professors' building at Haibin University is much better than Song Zhiyuan's home.

By this time, Shi Huasheng's son and his family had already returned home from get off work.

Shi Huasheng's son, Shi Huagang, is also a professor at Haibin University, and like his father, he is an expert in geology and water conservancy.

However, his work is more closely related to geology; the books and rock specimens inside and outside his home all belong to him.

The sudden arrival of the leaders left Shi Huagang visibly stunned: "Distinguished leaders?"

Qian Jin explained the situation and asked in surprise, "Teacher Shi, you didn't know about this?"

Shi Huagang gave an awkward smile: "I... I haven't cared enough for my father..."

“Your father didn’t tell you because he was afraid of causing you trouble,” Song Zhiyuan said bluntly.

Shi Huagang's wife, also an intellectual, was very generous: "Distinguished leaders, please have a seat! My humble abode is simple and unassuming, please forgive my lack of hospitality!"

Mr. Shi came out leaning on his cane and greeted the group with the same politeness.

"Mr. Shi, you're too kind. We've been the ones who have bothered you." Zheng Guodong quickly stepped forward, grasped Mr. Shi's hands tightly, and said with a respectful and sincere expression.

"We are here today on behalf of the millions of people of Haibin City to express our highest respect and sincerest gratitude to you."

"The detailed map of underground water veins that you contributed is the 'pillar of stability' for our drought relief efforts!"

Han Zhaoxin stepped forward to shake hands and exclaimed, "Elder Shi, your map is priceless! It helped us pinpoint the water veins, saving us from countless detours and expending enormous manpower and resources."

"More importantly, it saved so many lives! You and Teacher Song are both great heroes in our coastal drought relief efforts!"

The same large red booklet was presented.

The data was also presented to the older comrades.

Shi Huasheng was equally excited, or rather, he was much more excited than Song Zhiyuan.

Song Zhiyuan was excited because he had contributed to drought relief efforts.

Schwarzenegger was also thrilled that the hard work he and his colleagues and students had put in back then had finally been cleared of the clouds and allowed to play a significant role as they had hoped.

That's exactly what he meant: "That drawing was the result of my and my colleagues' hard work back then. Now that it can be used in this time of crisis, to do my part for the country and the people, I have no regrets even if I die!"

As he spoke, two streams of turbid tears silently slid down his wrinkled cheeks.

Qian Jin quickly stepped forward to help the old man, who was swaying slightly: "Mr. Shi, please sit down, please sit down!"

Everyone took their seats.

Shi Huagang's wife served tea.

Zheng Guodong once again expressed his sincere gratitude and gave a detailed account of the fruitful results achieved in drilling wells based on the detailed map.

He emphasized, "Professor Shi, your map not only solved our immediate problem, but more importantly, it provides extremely valuable basic data for our Haibin City's future water resource planning and water conservancy project construction!"

"Its scientific value is invaluable, its scientific significance is eternal, and it is a treasure left to future generations!"

Upon hearing this, the old man became even more excited.

He stood up shakily, walked to the desk, pointed to the geological map of Haibin City on the wall, and said in a choked voice, "Dear leaders, I am old and useless. This is all I can do for my hometown."

"But to be honest, I have some things here, including geological data and manuscripts that I have accumulated over the years, as well as some regional hydrogeological survey reports that I collected in my early years. Although they are a bit old, I think they still have some reference value."

The leaders came to his door to express their gratitude and present him with a certificate of commendation for a water vein survey map.

This finally made him believe Song Zhiyuan's words.

In this new era, the policies are different.

With this in mind, he made up his mind and said firmly, "I don't know when I'll die. I can die, I can die anytime, but the data I have can't just disappear without a trace."

“These are the academic results that my colleagues and I painstakingly obtained with our students back then. They entrusted me with their safekeeping, and I have to give them an explanation when I get to the afterlife.”

"So now I want to donate them all to the city, to the Geological Bureau, to the Water Resources Bureau, to the library, to the university, in short, to whoever thinks they are useful."

Finally, the old gentleman said with great emotion, "These are just a pile of old papers here, but if I hand them over to the country or to you, perhaps they can still be of some use!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Zheng Guodong and Han Zhaoxin quickly stood up.

"Mr. Shi, this is so precious!" Zheng Guodong said, deeply moved. "This is the culmination of your life's work!"

The old man waved his hand, a relieved smile on his face: "What painstaking effort? Knowledge is only useful when it is put into use. If it sits here and rots, it's just garbage."

"Please accept this, leaders. Consider it my last token of gratitude to the land that gave me birth and raised me..."

The small door to the basement was opened.

Shi Huagang shone the flashlight inside.

Research materials, some edited into volumes and others simply sewn together, appeared in the public eye.

The two leaders exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

Han Zhaoxin made a quick decision: "Tomorrow, I will organize relevant comrades to come and take stock of the materials."

Zheng Guodong agreed, then whispered, "We already know about Teacher Song Zhiyuan's situation, and it's not appropriate to let him continue living there."

“On the way here, I noticed that there are still quite a few empty rooms in the professors’ building at Haibin University. Let’s ask the comrades in the university’s logistics department. If it meets the policy requirements, let’s allocate a room to Professor Song.”

"It's not easy for an elderly person to take care of a disabled child."

(End of this chapter)