Go back to the past to plant trees

"Section Chief Feng, our lab is all set up. Would you like to come and take a look?"

During the meal, Qin Xuemei suddenly invited Feng Cheng to a banquet.

"Is it all done? Didn't you say some equipment and consumables hadn't been brought up yet?"

On the day Qin Xuemei and her team arrived, some of the laboratory equipment was delivered, but only a portion; a large part remained undelivered. In those days, acquiring such experimental equipment was inherently difficult, and even if Yu Zhenglai had further ideas, it would still take time to coordinate and purchase it.

Feng Cheng was quite interested in the laboratory. Although it was certainly very rudimentary, it could still perform basic experiments such as soil analysis, hydrological monitoring, and meteorological monitoring. What Feng Cheng urgently needed was this data, as his thesis on all-light seedling cultivation was lacking the support of this data.

Moreover, although these experiments seem rudimentary, they are very important for Saihanba. For example, they can measure the fertility, nutrient content, and microbial community of the nursery soil. This allows for targeted fertilization, such as addressing phosphorus or potassium deficiencies, so that seedlings can grow faster and healthier. This eliminates the need to wait until problems arise before identifying nutritional deficiencies in the seedlings.

Not only nurseries, but also afforestation sites require soil analysis.

Qin Xuemei said, "There are indeed some experimental equipment that haven't been brought up yet, but we can still conduct some simple experiments. I think you haven't done any related experiments before, so you can take a look. That way, when you need to use these experimental devices to do experiments in the future, you won't be completely clueless."

Even if Qin Xuemei hadn't invited him, Feng Cheng could still have gone to the lab. After all, he was the deputy head of the technical department at Saihanba, and the lab was under his jurisdiction. If he wanted to see it or do experiments, no one could stop him.

Qin Xuemei knew this, so she invited Feng Cheng over. Rather than letting him tinker in the lab on his own, it was better for her to give him a brief introduction and explanation first. After all, the equipment in the lab was hard to obtain, and even breaking a single vessel was heartbreaking.

"It's probably not a good time to visit over there after dark. How about this, I'll go to the nursery a little later tomorrow morning, and you can show me around."

"Row."

"Xuemei, we're going to the afforestation area again tomorrow. I didn't get a good look at it today, and it doesn't seem like the best place. Let Mengyue show Deputy Section Chief Feng around tomorrow!"

Seeing that Feng Cheng was about to move closer to Qin Xuemei again, Wu Yansheng quickly made an excuse to send Qin Xuemei away.

Upon hearing this, Qin Xuemei frowned immediately. "Didn't you look at it today? You even said it was pretty good. How come you didn't look closely again?"

Wu Yansheng explained, "How can you make a judgment in a quick glance? This is about planting trees, which involves the survival of thousands of saplings. Even if you've seen it, you still need to investigate several times, not to mention that I'm still a bit unsure."

Qin Xuemei nodded. What Wu Yansheng said was indeed correct. She also realized that she had only gone there to take a look today and had not brought back any soil or water samples for analysis. Without the analysis data of the soil and water quality, her understanding of the situation there would be inaccurate. This was an oversight, and she really needed to go there again.

“Okay, then I’ll go with you to take a look tomorrow,” Qin Xuemei said, then looked at Meng Yue beside her. “Meng Yue, I’ll have to trouble you to take Feng Cheng to visit the laboratory tomorrow.”

“Okay, no problem. Anyway, I’m going to learn to ride a horse tomorrow, so I’ll be at the camp.”

"Feng Cheng, just come find me after you get back to the camp tomorrow. I'll either be in the camp or in the dugout."

Meng Yue looked at Feng Cheng and said.

"it is good."

Feng Cheng nodded in agreement, then gave Wu Yansheng a meaningful look.

When Wu Yansheng saw Feng Cheng's gaze drifting towards him, he immediately looked away. Rank matters, and Feng Cheng was now Wu Yansheng's direct superior; it would be incredibly easy for him to get rid of him. Wu Yansheng knew this, so he didn't dare confront Feng Cheng directly, fearing he would be targeted.

You can say Wu Yansheng is bad, lazy, and incompetent, but you can't say he's stupid. He's incredibly clever, and if he could just settle down and do things properly, his future would be limitless. But unfortunately, his cleverness prevents him from doing so. He likes to take shortcuts and try to get ahead quickly. His later attempts to curry favor with Qin Xuemei's father and his joining the Red Guards after leaving Saihanba all show that he's not the kind of person who works hard and is not down-to-earth.

"Wu Yansheng, I'll go with you to the afforestation area tomorrow. I want to check on the condition of the afforestation area and observe whether the seedlings have any diseases or pests."

Sui Zhichao suddenly spoke to Wu Yansheng at this moment.

"Sui Zhichao, you're not going to learn horseback riding anymore?" Yan Xiangli asked in surprise upon hearing this.

Sui Zhichao said, "I've almost learned it. Unlike you guys, I'm afraid of falling. Besides, there are only two horses, which isn't enough for us to learn. You guys learn first, and I'll practice a bit more when I have some free time later."

“I’ll go too. I’m also a pest and disease specialist, and I need to check on the saplings,” Shen Mengyin said at this moment.

"Hey, sister, you're going too? Then we can keep each other company."

When Sui Zhichao heard that Shen Mengyin was also going, he was so happy that his mouth stretched all the way to his ears.

"Who are you calling 'sister'? I'm not your sister," Shen Mengyin said, giving him an annoyed look.

Sui Zhichao was completely unaffected by Shen Mengyin's words and still had a smile on his face, which made Shen Mengyin even more unhappy. She turned her head away and refused to look at him anymore.

Feng Cheng watched this scene with a smile. After these college students came up, the dam area became much more lively. Compared to before, the camp now had a bit more of a lively atmosphere.

After the meal, everyone returned to their own dugouts. After three days on the dam, they had begun to get used to life there.

"Sui Zhichao, what brings you here? Is something wrong?"

After taking a bath, Feng Cheng returned to the dugout and saw Sui Zhichao sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), so he casually asked him a question.

"Ah, Section Chief Feng, Zhao Jinquan called me over. He said my gift is ready and he wants me to come and pick it up."

"Oh."

Feng Cheng nodded and continued, "Are you getting used to life on the dam?"

"It's alright. Although it's a bit tough, it's still manageable."

Sui Zhichao has a very optimistic attitude. Even after arriving in Saihanba, he did not show any signs of frustration. It's just unknown whether it's because Shen Mengyin is here.

"Sui Zhichao, your things."

Just then, Zhao Jinquan finished tidying up everything he was carrying, checked it over, and then carried it to Sui Zhichao's side.

“You get one set, Yan Xiangli gets one set, exactly the same as the girls’ set.”

"Oh, thank you, thank you."

Sui Zhichao accepted the item with a smile, then asked, "Zhao Jinquan, can you make anything else?"

"What is it? Tell me first. There are many things I've never done before, so I might not know how to do them. But if you don't mind, I can give it a try."

Sui Zhichao said, "It's like this, when I was in Tianjin, I saw a kind of table for girls to comb their hair and do their makeup. It had mirrors on top and drawers and cabinets underneath."

Zhao Jinquan was a little confused. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

Sui Zhichao said, "I'll draw you a diagram, and you can just follow the diagram when the time comes."

Zhao Jinquan glanced at Feng Cheng subconsciously; he had absolutely no idea how to read blueprints.

“Sui Zhichao, you draw up the blueprints first. Jin Quan can’t read blueprints. You can work with him to make this. You’ll provide the materials, and you can pay him half the wages.”

"Row."

Sui Zhichao readily agreed. He had made this as a gift for Shen Mengyin, and the idea came to him when he saw Zhao Jinquan making this woodwork.

He hadn't considered whether Shen Mengyin would accept his gift; he just thought it was something suitable for a girl and that Shen Mengyin would definitely like it.