The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 324 Firefighter Comrade Qian Jin
Today's visit was like killing two birds with one stone.

Qian Jin didn't expect to gain anything extra.

Although the leader used an inquiring tone, those in the know understood that Song Zhiyuan would soon be able to move back to the professors' building at Haibin University.

Their choice to conduct the outreach work after get off work today was a wise one.

Because the Haibin City Drought Relief and Disaster Relief Headquarters was featured in the People's Daily, they suddenly became the darlings of various propaganda departments, and other newspapers and publications rushed to interview them.

Meanwhile, relying on its successful experience in scientific water finding and deep well drought relief, the command center became a star in the drought relief work in the north. Several neighboring provinces and cities that were also suffering from drought sent letters or telegrams or sent working groups to learn from its experience.

In just a few days, the city's drought relief headquarters received several study and inspection groups from different provinces and cities.

In the conference room, Qian Jin, Zhang Chengnan, and others became the busiest guides.

On the wall hung a copy of the enlarged "Detailed Map of Underground Water Veins," and on the table were spread out well drilling results reports and various technical documents.

"...Therefore, our core experience is: science first, precise application of force!"

Qian Jin pointed to the blueprints, his voice steady and powerful, and introduced them to a study group from a neighboring province:

"This old map, combined with our modern simplified geophysical exploration and field survey, helped us pinpoint the water-rich target area."

"Then we concentrated our superior resources and formed a professional well-drilling task force. Even with outdated equipment, we used our experience and perseverance to overcome the tough challenges. Every well became a fortress against drought!"

"The only pity is that we can't drill deep wells because the tools aren't handy enough."

Qian Jin did indeed feel regret about this.

He patted the large detailed map hanging on the wall and exclaimed:

"If we can drill deep wells, then based on this map of underground water veins, we can drill wells wherever conditions are suitable throughout the region!"

The members of the study group listened attentively, nodding frequently. Some took notes quickly, while others photographed the drawings and documents.

A deputy director of the geological bureau who led the team exclaimed, "Deputy Commander Qian, your 'blueprints + commando team' model is extremely valuable for reference!"

"In contrast, we're completely in the dark over there, firing haphazardly everywhere, and the success rate is extremely low!"

"Once we get back, we'll organize our forces and first get a clear picture of our situation!"

Drought relief is a key task for many provinces and cities in northern China.

Qian Jin does not keep anything to himself.

He then introduced his plan to promote drip irrigation as a water-saving measure, using production teams as the unit.

This requires drip irrigation pipes to carry out the work, and the cost is relatively high.

But there is no way.

Qian Jin believes that drip irrigation pipes are very useful, and can be used to save water in dry years.

Even in years without drought, there are always some dry lands and some production teams located in arid regions.

Drip irrigation technology can then be applied to these arid regions to increase crop yields.

In short, these things will not be wasted.

Open source + cost reduction is always the fundamental solution to problems.

Similar scenes keep playing out.

The experience of Haibin City was quickly disseminated, learned, and adopted.

In the command center, the phone rang more frequently, and the content gradually shifted from emergency requests for assistance to requests for technical advice and experience exchange.

Qian Jin was getting impatient with this situation.

Because there is a lack of technology for drought relief work.

It's already June, and we haven't even reached the final stage yet.

The wheat harvest has begun in the coastal areas.

As expected, there was a large-scale production cut.

Fortunately, there weren't many areas with complete crop failure.

This was within the command's expectations.

Reality gave them too much time to react, and all the solutions required time, so wheat was a crop that had to be abandoned.

Their focus in disaster relief is on the next season's crops, such as corn and peanuts harvested in the fall, as well as replanted sweet potatoes, potatoes, buckwheat, sorghum, and other crops.

If we can preserve the autumn harvest and winter vegetable storage, then this year's battle against drought can be considered a victory.

As for whether we should preserve the summer harvest?

The command center doesn't have this pressure.

The country doesn't treat its leading cadres like gods.

In addition, as temperatures rise in June, the feeling of summer begins to emerge.

At this time, the impact of drought becomes significant.

In mid-June, Liu Changgui, director of the Anguo County Drought Relief Office and commander of the Drought Relief Command Post, personally delivered a report.

This man in his forties wore the weariness of a long journey and a deep sense of worry on his face.
"Leaders, the situation in Anguo County is extremely bad! Especially in the southwestern coastal communes, the soil is severely desertified and has very poor water retention capacity!"

"The drilling team we sent before only managed to reach water at a depth of over 50 meters, and the amount of water was very small, so it was basically not worth extracting!"

“I spoke with Engineer Wang from the drilling team in person. He said that fifty meters is the current limit of the machine. He used every means to reach that depth. In fact, the deepest well we have ever drilled is right here.”

“But it’s no use.” He rubbed his face wearily.

Qian Jin felt a pang of pity for him.

Difficult indeed.

However, Anguo County is also a major agricultural county.

The director of the drought relief office in Anguo County sighed again: "The water supply is not keeping up, and drinking water for people and livestock is becoming critical. What's more troublesome is that the continuous high temperature, coupled with sea breeze evaporation, has caused the soil to become extremely saline and alkaline!"

"The buckwheat and mung bean seedlings that were just hastily planted are starting to turn yellow and wilt! The emotions of grassroots cadres and the masses are very volatile, and the signs of rushing to grab water have reappeared!"

"Leaders, the pressure on our county is immense! I—and I'll be frank—our comrades over there are really reaching their breaking point!"

Zhang Chengnan looked at the report and then handed it to Qian Jin.

When Qian Jin took a look, the contents of the report were indeed shocking.

However, he was prepared.

According to records in the "Agricultural Records", 1980 was a terrible year for Anguo County.

The combined effects of insect plagues and drought devastated the county's agriculture, and it took four or five years for it to recover with the support of the state.

But now he has changed history.

The insect infestation caused significant losses to Anguo County, but the scale of the disaster was managed to be brought under control, and some crops were subsequently replanted.

Furthermore, Qian Jin had foreseen the arrival of the drought when the replanting took place, so he requested that drought-resistant crops be replanted.

Unfortunately, drought-resistant crops have low economic value, and Anguo County began to widely implement the household contract responsibility system last winter. The people are focused on making money, so they don't care about drought-resistant crops.

In addition, Qian Jin's status was not high enough at the time to forcefully promote the planting of drought-resistant crops.

This has led to problems in agriculture in Anguo County.

A leader asked him, "Deputy Commander Qian, should we go and call Commander-in-Chief Han over?"

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Let's talk first, without disturbing President Han."

Liu Changgui continued his report.

As the "worst-hit area among the worst-hit areas" in the drought in Haibin City, its complexity and severity far exceeded expectations.

The area not only suffers from water scarcity but also faces the double blow of soil salinization, making conventional drought relief measures largely ineffective.

Soil salinization is a major problem.

The decline in agriculture in Anguo County is due to this problem.

Qian Jin made detailed notes of all the work reported by Liu Changgui, and then told him to hurry back and continue to direct the drought relief work.
"I will immediately coordinate a water transport fleet to deliver water to you, prioritizing the water supply for the people and livestock. As for drought relief efforts in agricultural production, we will hold a meeting immediately to discuss solutions."

Han Zhaoxin is also under a lot of pressure right now.

He's also the city's head, and he has a lot on his plate, so he can't stay in the command center conference room all day.

By the time he finally had some free time, it was already evening, and the command center had no choice but to hold an emergency meeting that night.

The atmosphere in the smoke-filled conference room was heavy.

Liu Changgui's report and Qian Jin's registration have been mimeographed and distributed to everyone.

The room was filled with heavy smokers who started smoking one cigarette after another, forcing Qian Jin to inhale secondhand smoke constantly.

If he gets lung cancer in the future, the country will definitely be held responsible. This guy's lung cancer is all due to his hard work for the country!

Han Zhaoxin frowned after reading it and gestured for everyone to speak.

As the head of the Water Resources Bureau, Zhang Chengnan had to speak up on this matter.
“Anguo County has a special situation. It has a large area of ​​arable land, but some areas are near the sea, resulting in poor soil quality. On average, their land has a high water evaporation rate, which will cause soil salinization problems as seawater encroaches.”

"Oh dear, with so many problems piling up, the rescue operation is extremely difficult!"

"Conventional methods like well drilling and drip irrigation are far less effective. I believe we need more refined and targeted measures!"

"The pressure on grassroots units in Anguo County is too great!" said a deputy commander in charge of agriculture with deep concern.

"Other counties are okay. The insect infestation had some impact, but not much. Deputy Commander Qian discovered early that permethrin could inhibit aphid activity, which brought the scale of the insect infestation under control and contained it within Anguo County."

"Since the insect plague began in Anguo County, local grassroots cadres have been fighting hard for three consecutive months. They are exhausted, and now they can't see any obvious results. The morale of the cadres and the masses is unstable, and it is easy for trouble to break out."

"Therefore, I believe it is necessary to strengthen the command capabilities at the front and send a capable person who can keep the situation under control, has a flexible mind, and can coordinate resources from all sides to take charge!"

All eyes turned to Qian Jin, who was intently studying data on soil salinization in the coastal areas of Anguo County.

Before Qian Jin could react, he instinctively offered his opinion: "We need to dig a deep well! It's undoubtedly still a water problem; fifty meters isn't enough... uh, is that not it?"

His bewildered look made the leaders chuckle.

Han Zhaoxin beckoned to him: "Go on."

Qian Jin said, "I've studied the report and believe that we still need to drill wells there. If fifty meters isn't enough, then one hundred meters; if one hundred meters isn't enough, then one hundred and fifty meters. We must get the groundwater out!" "The problem now is that our existing water pumps are inadequate; they lack the capability. And the deep-well drilling rigs in China are still slow to be put into operation..."

At this point, Han Zhaoxin tapped the table with his hand, indicating, "I'd like to add a couple of points here."

"I just attended a conference call this afternoon to learn about the production of new drought relief tools. The core of the deep well pump is the hydraulic press, and there are still some technologies that China has not yet mastered."

"However, we're almost there, but even if we do produce..."

He gave a wry smile: "It's not our turn."

The leaders were immediately displeased:
"What do you mean? It's not our turn?"

"What do you mean it's not our turn? Do we even need to take turns? Shouldn't we be first in line?"

"Exactly! Where did this production technology come from? It was Deputy Commander Qian who went to great lengths to bring it in from abroad..."

Qian Jin originally wanted to complain, but since his colleagues had already taken turns speaking for him, he didn't need to annoy his boss anymore.

So he gave his answer: "The drought relief work in our coastal area is progressing quite well right now. Does the government think we can postpone sending machinery to us?"

Han Zhaoxin nodded without saying a word, just kept smoking.

Zhang Chengnan said unhappily, "Oh, I see, the squeaky wheel gets the grease..."

“Old Zhang!” Han Zhaoxin frowned and shook his head at him. “The national drought relief work is a big game, and we must have a broad perspective.”

"Of course I don't blame you. You're so busy with drought relief and disaster relief in our area that your vision has been limited."

"Xiao Qian is right. Our situation is considered good. In some places, livestock have already died of thirst!"

He lowered his voice when he said the last sentence.

Everyone took a deep breath, and then several people coughed from the secondhand smoke.

Qian Jin's mind wandered: You were allowed to smoke, and for all your evil deeds, you deserved it!
Han Zhaoxin looked at him and said, "I've already contacted overseas Chinese communities. After learning about the disaster we've suffered, they organized donations among the local overseas Chinese and purchased deep well pumps..."

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped smoking and looked at him with surprise.

Qian Jin nodded: "It should already be clearing customs. I think it will take at least three to five days..."

"Where do we get through customs!" Han Zhaoxin stood up on the spot. "I told Comrade Guodong to use all his connections to speed up the process. This is a lifesaver!"

Qian Jin said, "We should still pass through Guangzhou."

Han Zhaoxin said, "Okay, we must speed up customs clearance and transportation. Here's what we'll do: Comrade Qian Jin, go to the front line in Anguo County. Once the machine arrives, I'll have someone deliver it to you as soon as possible."

He took a deep drag on his cigarette, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Qian Jin:
"Comrades, we now understand that the drought in Anguo County is the toughest nut to crack, and it is also the ultimate test for our entire drought relief system!"

"The front line needs a stronger command center, more flexible response capabilities, and a core figure who can make on-the-spot decisions on behalf of the command and coordinate all resources!"

He paused, then said to Qian Jin:
"I think Comrade Qian Jin is the most suitable!"

Leaders and cadres should also express their opinions.

Han Zhaoxin immediately waved his hand and said fiercely, "This isn't some meeting or vote; this is the drought relief command center!"

"Now, as the commander-in-chief, I hereby issue the order—the command headquarters has decided to appoint Comrade Qian Jin as the special commissioner for the city's drought relief and disaster relief command stationed at the front line in Anguo County!"

"He shall be fully responsible for the overall coordination, emergency command, and resource allocation of drought relief work throughout Anguo County! He shall be granted the authority to make on-the-spot decisions!"

"The county drought relief office, the drought relief leading groups of each commune, all troops, technical units, and material transportation forces supporting Anguo shall all be under the unified command and dispatch of Comrade Qian Jin!"

"All member units of the command must unconditionally prioritize the needs of the Angolan front!"

Qian Jin stood up, his back ramrod straight.

This time, something really big has arrived.

Has come.

The power and responsibility bestowed upon him by Han Zhaoxin were unprecedented.

This means that the entire burden of drought relief and disaster relief in Anguo County has been placed on his shoulders!
The meeting room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on Qian Jin.

This time, Qian Jin didn't make a passionate statement; he simply said:
"I accept the organization's arrangements."

In short, it carries immense weight.

Zhang Chengnan is now cooperating with him very well, and he considers Qian Jin a comrade-in-arms.

He couldn't help but remind him:
“Deputy Commander Qian, you need to understand this: accepting the organization's arrangement means you will leave our command headquarters and plunge headlong into the scorching battlefield of Anguo, ravaged by both drought and saline-alkali soil…”

A leader gave him a meaningful look: "Hey, hey, Lao Zhang, what are you saying?"

Han Zhaoxin said while smoking, "Let him talk. Comrade Qian Jin needs to understand what kind of battle he's going to fight."

Qian Jin said, "I understand."

His gaze swept over the huge drought map on the wall.

Last month, the Anguo area had a few green spots and a patch of blue, but now only red remains.

Amidst the abundance of pink, a striking deep red stands out.

Han Zhaoxin is right.

This matter requires someone capable of handling tough challenges to take charge.

Qian Jin is indeed a good candidate.

He performed exceptionally well after joining the command and has already established himself as a key figure in the command's core decision-making team.

From the very beginning of the fight against the insect plague, his ability to coordinate, his technical insight, and his pragmatic style won him the favor of the top three leaders.

Qian Jin agreed to the terms.

Han Zhaoxin personally called the drought relief offices of various districts and counties:
"Given the rapid development of the drought and the complex and ever-changing situation on the front lines, the command, after careful consideration, has decided to send Comrade Qian Jin, a quick-thinking individual with increasingly rich grassroots experience, as a special envoy to Anguo, the front line most severely affected by the drought, to be responsible for drought relief coordination and emergency command work in the region..."

He explained the special envoy's authority and responsibilities clearly, and then called the heads of each district and county.

This time he didn't use bureaucratic language; he spoke very clearly:

"Whatever Qian Jin does, you all just cooperate. Anyone who dares to go against him or to outwardly comply with his wishes while inwardly defying him should take off their hat and hand it to me!"

It wasn't just Qian Jin who had to go to the lower-level drought relief office; the other deputy commanders also had to set off.

One person was assigned to a district or county-level drought relief office. When there weren't enough people, some senior or capable leaders from the command headquarters staff were also assigned to the positions.

Han Zhaoxin stayed at headquarters and asked everyone to go to the grassroots level again to see, hear, and understand the current situation on the front lines of drought relief.

He gave Qian Jin a day off.

Since the start of the fight against the insect plague, Qian Jin hasn't had a single day of proper rest.

Han Zhaoxin felt sorry for Qian Jin's haggard appearance and decided to let him rest at home for a day so that he could say goodbye to his family.

Because June, July, and August are the decisive months for the fight against drought.

Once Qian Jin is sent to a district or county, he basically can't come back.

What a coincidence.

He had just gotten home and exchanged a few sweet words with Wei Qinghuan when the phone rang at his house:
"Deputy Commander Qian, something has happened at Guokang Beach!"

Qian Jin's feelings were complicated: "It's not like you're releasing me—never mind, what happened? Where's President Han?"

"President Han is having a very important meeting with the top leader. Apparently, a higher-up has come, and the secretary won't let us report this." The clerk said helplessly.

All the other leaders who could make decisions had already gone to the front lines, and there happened to be this time gap, so the only person in the command center who could make decisions was Qian Jin.

Qian Jin said, "Tell me, what happened?"

Guokang Beach is the most famous beach in the city. Its full name is Guokang Health and Wellness Beach.

This place is currently the city's top tourist attraction and a popular spot for locals to escape the summer heat.

The drought is severe, but there is plenty of seawater. With the hot weather and no rain, citizens are going to the beach almost every day, like dumplings in a pot.

In order to conserve precious freshwater resources, the command center had previously decided to shut down all freshwater shower facilities at Guokang Beach!

This decision had sparked controversy during initial discussions within the command headquarters.

At that time, Director Chen of the Municipal Tourism Bureau, who was in charge of tourism and foreign affairs, raised objections:

Guokang Beach is a landmark of the city, a must-visit attraction for tourists from other parts of the country and even foreign countries when they come to the coastal city in summer, and also an important leisure place for the general public, especially workers.

Now that the showers are closed, tourists and locals are left covered in sticky seawater after swimming and can't rinse off, which is a terrible experience and will likely cause dissatisfaction.

Furthermore, the revenue from the bathhouse is part of the city's finances, and its closure will impact tourism foreign exchange earnings and fiscal revenue...

In short, the freshwater taps at the bathing beach should not be turned off, after all, the bathing beach has economic and social benefits.

But Zhang Chengnan firmly believed that the taps should be turned off. He knew how scarce water was in the countryside, and that Guokang Beach was consuming a lot of fresh water, and now it was even more so.

Citizens lined up to take showers in the evening!

At that time, Qian Jin, after comprehensive consideration, proposed a compromise:
We will not shut down everything in one fell swoop, but we must strictly limit water usage!
He proposed a rule that each tourist or resident could enjoy a 20-second freshwater shower by presenting a shower ticket issued by the neighborhood committee.

The bathhouse management office will assign a dedicated person to supervise the timing.

This way, basic cleaning needs can be met while freshwater consumption can be minimized.

The "20 seconds per person" plan was ultimately adopted by the command center.

Initially, the implementation went relatively smoothly. Although most citizens and tourists felt that the time was too short and they didn't get enough time to wash, they could understand the severity of the drought and only complained a few times before moving on.

However, as the weather gets hotter, the saltiness of seawater intensifies the irritation to the skin, and some young people, with their fiery tempers, become increasingly dissatisfied with the "20-second" limit.

The weather has been unusually hot and humid these past two days, leading to an increase in the number of people showering and taking cold showers, which ultimately resulted in a conflict.

A group of young workers who had emerged from the furnace workshop of a rubber factory went swimming in the sea to cool off. When they left, after experiencing a fleeting 20-second rinse, they felt almost as if they hadn't washed at all, and their bodies were still sticky and uncomfortable.

Therefore, they began to lead the resistance against the flushing regulations.

There were too many people who were dissatisfied with this regulation, and eventually, this led to a protest.

Guokang Beach is under the jurisdiction of a tourism authority, and they don't like this regulation either.

So when the conflict broke out, they didn't want to get involved and instead directed their anger at the drought relief command center:
The meaning is clear: you clean up your own messes, don't expect us to be the scapegoats! Dream on!
The matter was eventually reported to the command headquarters. Since there were no high-ranking officials there who could make a decision, everyone finally remembered Qian Jin and informed him of the matter.

(End of this chapter)