Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1236 Snowstorm (5k)

"How about... buy some?" In fact, the family had no shortage of cloth or clothes. Lou's mother kept an eye on them every day, fearing that her daughter and son-in-law were not dressed warmly enough. However, Lou Xiao'e was probably infected by the atmosphere and couldn't help wanting to buy something.

This is just like Gao Zhendong's previous life, when people traveled, they knew that souvenirs from scenic spots could be bought online at a relatively cheap price, but they still couldn't help but buy something. It's this emotional value that they want, and the things they buy online always feel a little bit worse.

Gao Zhendong hesitated. He really didn't like wearing Dacron. It was not as good as pure cotton. The chemical fiber materials of the time did not have the performance of the chemical fiber materials of the future. It would stick to the body when sweating a little bit. It was not comfortable at all.

Perhaps noticing his hesitation, the salesman smiled and said, "Comrade, if you don't buy it now, it will be gone. The New Year is coming soon and everyone is buying New Year goods. This is a hot commodity. This year, we have more cloth than in previous years, but everyone has more cloth coupons than in previous years. That's why everyone is rushing to get the radio. Otherwise, you two might not even be able to get to my counter."

Gao Zhendong thought about it and firmly refused. This thing was really uncomfortable to wear.

Lou Xiao'e was not discouraged. She turned her eyes and pointed at a woolen sweater hanging on the wall: "Then buy this one. It will look good on you."

To be honest, this is not common. These days it should be popular to buy wool and knit it yourself. Firstly, it saves money. Secondly, it is rare to see a factory organizing a large number of workers to knit sweaters by hand. It is a waste of time. It is better for female comrades to knit it themselves after get off work, which does not occupy labor.

The salesperson took one look and said with a smile, "Hey, this lady has a good eye. This is pure wool, and it is woven by some kind of microcomputer. It is more uniform and denser than a hand-knitted sweater. The pattern and color are also beautiful, and it fits very well. It is very warm to wear."

Gao Zhendong smiled silently. It turned out that the comrades in the textile industry were not lagging behind. Gao Zhendong's parents' generation, probably in the 80s and 90s, had been popular with computer knitting sweaters. In a sweater shop, a knitting machine would knit sweaters on the spot according to the patterns and colors selected by the customers.

I didn't expect that comrades in the textile industry have already made this thing. But if you think about it carefully, it's almost the same. That thing is controlled by a program, a single-chip microcomputer will do, or even some simple logic chip combination circuits will do, but it's not easy to change the pattern of the combination circuit.

The reason why it only became popular in the 80s and 90s was because our single-chip microcomputers only began to become popular at that time.

On this timeline, Gao Zhendong developed the single-chip microcomputer in the early 60s and promoted it vigorously. For his comrades in the textile industry, this was like a blessing in disguise.

No wonder they started selling ready-made sweaters. With a sweater machine that can be programmed to change the pattern and style, they can build a factory and start direct production.

Gao Zhendong nodded enthusiastically, this thing can be bought.

I have to say that Lou Xiao'e's suggestion this time was really good. She always had to buy something, otherwise she would feel that it was not good enough. This was just right. The Chinese New Year was coming soon, and the wool sweater was really useful, and it was real wool.

As for whether it looks good or not, as long as Lou Xiao'e thinks it looks good, that's fine.

Gao Zhendong also feels that this sweater has special meaning to him. It is a manifestation of the fact that information technology is beginning to penetrate into the lives of ordinary people. Isn’t this exactly the effect he wants?

The couple happily took out their money and tickets and bought a well-fitting brown round-neck sweater. Lou Xiao'e asked Gao Zhendong to put it on on the spot, then she took Gao Zhendong's arm and happily walked to the next counter.

The most amazing thing is that in addition to money and yarn tickets, you also need industrial tickets to buy this sweater. Well, the textile industry is also an industry. Don’t treat bean buns as dry food.

The couple just strolled around and ate, and spent most of the day on the street. After all, shopping is a must without eating.

It was not until the afternoon that Lou Xiaoe remembered, "Oh no! Yan Zhi is still at his parents' house. I said I would pick them up at noon."

Gao Zhendong smiled and patted her head: "Don't worry, why are you in such a hurry with your parents? They are eager for you to leave the two children there. Don't worry, don't worry. Let's go and eat roast duck. We'll talk after dinner."

To be honest, Gao Zhendong didn't know much about the local cuisine in Beijing. After thinking about it, the only thing he could think of was roast duck. After all, he had heard about it often in his previous life.

By the way, there is also douzhi, which is a popular internet specialty like zhe er gen. However, Gao Zhendong’s feeling about it is probably the same as Beijingers’ feeling about zhe er gen.

Come on, hurt each other.

Lou Xiao'e thought about it and felt that there was nothing wrong with what Zhendong said, so she felt relieved and took Gao Zhendong's arm to find the roast duck restaurant. As for the bicycle... don't worry, it won't be lost.
-
It's also January. Some people are shopping and eating, while others are working hard.

On the thin sea, a ship with a red flag with the colors of tomato and scrambled eggs was moving slowly forward, and the gray-white ice was slowly breaking in front of it.

This is an icebreaker. Although the ship does not look very new, it is well maintained. At least through the thin layer of ice on the ship, one can vaguely tell that the ship does not have much rust.

The two comrades stood on the navigation bridge, looking at the ice field ahead, listening to the rumbling sound of the ship's engine and the crackling sound of the ice breaking, and they were in a good mood.

"I'm finally back. I've been away for several months. I'm almost sick of eating too much black bread." When you go abroad, you can't help but complain about other people's food. It has nothing to do with the shortage of supplies. No matter how abundant the supplies are, you still can't get used to the food.

"No, it's hoarse, just like taking a bath in the hot spring." Whether in Russia or Europe, the staple bread was completely different from the bread we later had in the pastry shops. When it was cold, it was neither soft nor sweet, but also very hard. This was true for black bread and the Gallic armor-piercing bullets.

"Okay, okay, let's stop complaining about the Russian bear's food. Think about our comrades who still have to fly to the Arctic Circle. Compared to them, we have it much easier."

"That's right, hahahaha. People are afraid of comparison. After this comparison, I feel much more comfortable. Anyway, we are finally back. What's more, we are back at the right time. Now is the time for us to play a role."

From January to February every year, the sea is frozen over, and the thickness of the ice varies from 1 cm to 2 cm from south to north. It is still a bit difficult for most of our ships at this time.

What they brought back was an icebreaker we bought from the Russian bear. Although Gao Zhendong made the suggestion for the southern waters, it is obvious that opening a shipping channel in Bohai Sea is the most suitable task for it at this time, killing two birds with one stone.

Anyway, it's only two or three months, and it won't interfere with things in the south.

We are not stupid. We should make full use of the opportunity and not waste it.

"Well, the Dipu Island is ahead. Our first task when we come back is to open a channel for them so as not to delay their work." Dipu is the name of a plant.

It seems that the icebreaker is really a good thing. It just returned to the country and before it reached its home port, it was sent here to carry out the mission and work.

"We are about to enter the port. We have just spoken to the Maritime Security Brigade of Dipu Island. Sound the whistle!"

"Lao La, their ships can't come out to stop us now. They have to wait until we open up a waterway. Hahaha." This comrade is very proud of his special ship.

"You're talking a lot of weird stuff, hurry up."

"Woo~~~~~" The first call since their return home was heard on the icebreaker.
-
In Northern Europe, over Barentsburg on the island of Spitsbergen, an airplane was flying hard in the air in the wind and snow.

The composition of the people on the plane was somewhat special, 4 Russians and 4 of ours. One of our comrades opened a bottle of Erguotou and handed it to the Russian on the other side: "Dawali, the snowstorm here is really strong!"

Mao Xiong took the Erguotou, drank a sip happily, and then said in a tone that was similar to that of a new recruit: "Dawali, today's weather is considered mild, so we chose to send you here today."

Our comrades were not uncomfortable with his tone. We were indeed rookies here, and they did have rich experience in this area. It was no big deal to admit our shortcomings. But we believed that as long as we had the first time, our experience would gradually become richer.

"Thank you so much, my Dawali. Come, have another sip!" There was no air conditioning in the plane cabin. It was freezing cold outside with a blizzard. The cabin was also freezing cold. Not to mention the Russian bears, even our own comrades wanted to drink a few sips to drive away the cold.

Mao Xiong took a sip of the wine bottle and wiped his mouth. "To be honest, my Davari, I don't know why you have to come to this damn place in the harshest month of January. If you take it easy and choose June to September, you can even take a comfortable ship and spend a few days on the sea. "

This plane flew in from the Viking City in Maoxiong, which is also the starting point for summer cruises. In fact, the original meaning of the pronunciation of Viking City is "the city of northerners", but in Maoxiong, the northerners specifically refer to Vikings.

Our comrade smiled and said, "We are just curious about how cold it is in the Arctic Circle."

This explanation was obviously nonsense. Fortunately, the Russians had no intention of exploring it. They were just carrying out the task assigned by their superiors - sending the southern comrades to Barentsburg. As for the previous question, it was just a side story. After all, this mission was cold and bumpy, and he had to find something to distract his senses, which would make him feel better.

At this time, the red light on the top of the cabin lit up and the sail flashed.

The talkative bear took another sip of his wine and said, "Dawali, fasten your seat belts and maintain the crash protection posture. Our plane is about to make an emergency landing."

That's right, the way this plane landed in Barentsburg was by making an emergency landing on a simple ice runway. Although pilots have performed this mission many times, the crash rate is still as high as 30%.

This is the only way to reach Spitsbergen at this time. In January, Spitsbergen is in the polar night, surrounded by extreme cold and ice, and it is difficult for ships to reach. The slightly safer way of transferring from Danube is difficult to implement due to political reasons.

It can even be said that the help of countries like Russia and Russia also contributed to our arrival here, in addition to our efforts to argue on the Treaty on the Administrative Status of the Spitsbergen Islands. However, although Denmark reluctantly agreed to our landing on Spitsbergen Island because of the treaty, it was absolutely impossible for them to provide transportation.

If you have the ability, you can do it yourself. This is probably the situation.

So we turned to the Russian bear for help again. It’s not shameful to occupy territory.

The Russians were also very practical. Although it was extremely difficult to reach Spitsbergen in January, they still took emergency measures under emergency conditions - flying from Viking City to the simple runway in Barentsburg and making an forced landing.

For the Russian bears on the plane, no matter what the southern comrades came to do, these Russian bears admired these southern comrades from the bottom of their hearts. They obviously had no experience of polar life. In their opinion, they didn’t even know how long they could survive in Barentsburg. For the sake of their work, they were not afraid of the danger to their lives, just like the people who worked here.

Our comrades did as they were told. To them, the Russian bear on the plane was their teacher, and they had to listen to what the teacher said.

Those who know know the style of Russian pilots. The plane landed on the runway in the wind and snow. Fortunately, it was very safe. The smooth ice surface didn't even bring any turbulence. It was much more comfortable than in the air.

The comrades got off the plane, unloaded their equipment and supplies, and dragged these supplies through the wind and snow, walking with difficulty into the residence provided for us by the Russian Bear in Barentsburg. In the residence, the northern comrades had already lit the stove. The flickering fire and the warm little house, contrasting with the wind and snow outside, made the comrades feel very comfortable.

A few Russian bears also followed in. They were transporting some other supplies for us.

After most of the bears left, the remaining one took out a manual and handed it to our comrade: "Dawali, these are the things you must pay attention to when living here. You must do as it says to keep your life and do a better job. If you have any questions, you can always come to us."

Our comrades, with great gratitude, once again sent off the enthusiastic Davari with a bottle of Erguotou.

Looking back, the four comrades sat down and took out a notebook.

They are ready to communicate in writing.

The Davari people here are very nice and enthusiastic, but Lubyanka is also enthusiastic. They have just arrived, and before they have checked the security status here, they decided to be careful. Even this method will exist for a long time. After all, there are some things that cannot be risked at all.

A comrade grabbed a pen and said in a rustling voice, "Comrades, the next task is arduous. The natural environment here is extremely harsh. We may sacrifice our lives here, but no matter what, someone must stay to complete this mission until we return home in June-September."

Spitsbergen may sound like it's not too far from the European continent, but in fact, it's located roughly halfway between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole, and is extremely cold and hostile to the environment. Coming here means that you've put your life and death aside.

"Although I have already said it, I will reiterate it here. This time, we have several main tasks."

"First, we need to learn and master the work and experience of polar survival, so as to lay a good foundation for those who will come here or even go to Antarctica in the future. By the way, we have already accomplished a little bit of this."

Survival and work experience may sound like something that can be learned from books, but it is actually not that simple. You cannot actually grasp and experience it unless you experience it in the field for a while. It is like how there are many books, posts and videos about hiking and wilderness survival decades later, but there are still a lot of people dying in outdoor activities every year.

This is also one of the reasons why they insisted on coming here in January: if they missed this period, they would lack the experience of the most difficult period. They were unwilling to wait until the next batch of comrades to come and learn, what if something happened?
Having written this, the comrade also made a joke, saying that being freezing on the plane was also an experience. Several comrades looked at each other and laughed silently. The words "revolutionary optimism" were fully revealed at this moment.

"Second, we need to fully grasp the meteorological data of the four seasons here, and investigate the terrain, landforms, geology, vegetation, animals, etc. here to lay the foundation for future work. Note that there are permafrost zones and ice layers here, and we also need to focus on understanding the changes of these special geographical environments throughout the year."

Although this place is in the Arctic Circle, if you choose a place with geothermal heat underground, it will freeze in the winter but not be so cold in the summer and melt, which would be a lot of fun.

The comrades nodded one after another. This was also the second reason why they wanted to come in January: without the coldest months of the year, there would be a lot less data. Would they leave it to the comrades behind to complete it? That would delay things a lot.

Moreover, these are normal scientific research work, which is clearly written in the Treaty on the Administrative Status of the Spitsbergen Archipelago. Everyone comes here to do this, and there is no need to hide it.

"Third, star maps! We must find a way to take pictures of the star maps for all four seasons. The more data and the more complete it is, the better."

None of them knew why, but this was their mission. Moreover, this mission without a reason made them concentrate and become more enthusiastic.

This is the North Pole. We do not have the star map above the North Pole. Or rather, things published by others are never as reliable as those obtained by ourselves.

Our planes won't fly over the North Pole for the time being, but something might fly over here and we need the stars to light up its way.

"Comrades, this island is huge, even bigger than our Angelica Island and Tianya Island, and there is a lot of work to do. We must be down-to-earth and accumulate little by little. Although we have only worked here for 6 months, I hope we can leave as little work as possible for the comrades who will replace us, so that they can free up time to complete more tasks!"

(End of this chapter)