Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1443 How did those two get together? (4k)

Gao Zhendong is a little strange; to be honest, it's rare for him not to reveal anything at all.

However, he didn't think too much about it; maybe this time it was particularly important.

Just go.

However, when he got off the Falcon-20, he was completely dumbfounded.

Where did this come from for me?

The accompanying comrade explained that this was an airport in western Yunnan, where the Tu-16 aircraft took off from during the self-defense counterattack a few years ago.

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhendong understood. So this was the place, also known as Yongchang.

"What happened this time?"

"The location of the radar station, however..." The comrade who came to pick him up seemed a little hesitant.

"But what?"

"But we've actually pretty much made our choice; we're just asking everyone to give it a final check." A familiar voice rang out from the side.

Gao Zhendong looked up and saw the chief engineer of the committee.

"Ha, boss, you're here too?" It was a pleasant surprise, but not unexpected. The matter of mobilizing Gao Zhendong would most likely require someone of his level to intervene.

However, the chief engineer's words did set Gao Zhendong's mind racing, regarding the radar station's location...

Then it must be that radar. No wonder they said it's basically been selected; it's part of a massive project, and the overall plan was probably finalized last year.

That radar was one of the core radars in the entire project.

"It's confirmed... then why did you call me here?" Gao Zhendong wasn't complaining; it was just that it was really unnecessary.

Moreover, this is not the location where that radar was deployed.

The chief engineer laughed: "It's not just you, there are quite a few comrades too. Firstly, we really need to hear everyone's opinions in the final stages. Secondly, have you forgotten that time we went to Tianya Island to review the plan?"

Although he didn't say it very clearly, it reminded Gao Zhendong that one of the reasons for that incident was to find an excuse to let the relevant comrades take a break...

The Venezuelan government is getting more and more adept at this tactic.

Seeing Gao Zhendong's seemingly enlightened expression, the chief engineer waved his hand: "Let's go, let's go, the hot springs here are quite nice."

They've even considered hot springs; it seems the situation is quite similar to what happened at Tianya Island.

However, this matter doesn't actually need to be carried out at the deployment site, because the area involved is too vast, and whether or not a specific location is visited for on-site investigation is not very important. The necessary hydrogeological and geomorphological conditions will naturally appear in the relevant reports.

"Alright, let's go soak in the hot springs." Since we're already here, we might as well make the best of it. I guess that's the biggest reason why the committee brought these comrades here.

That's good too; Gao Zhendong really likes this arrangement.

There wasn't much to say about the meeting itself. The location selection was a well-thought-out decision, and neither Gao Zhendong nor the other comrades had any objections to the radar's location.

On the contrary, when soaking in hot springs, the comrades who occasionally bump into each other tend to talk more, since they have reached a point where they are almost completely open with each other.

"You know what, this hot spring is really something else, it feels a little slippery," the chief engineer said with a smile in the pool next to Gao Zhendong.

"Sulfides, I think. This should be related to sulfides." When it comes to these strange and unusual things, Gao Zhendong really knows the most about them.

"Sulfides? They said this can treat some kinds of skin diseases. I thought it was because of the high temperature that kills bacteria. Turns out it's the sulfides that are working."

The chief engineer was aware of this. Among the most common sulfide medications, there is a sulfur ointment, which is indeed used to treat skin diseases such as scabies and seborrheic dermatitis. In the 60s, scabies was an extremely common infectious skin disease.

"High-temperature sterilization? At this temperature, many bacteria simply cannot be killed. Although it feels hot to the touch, it's only around 40 degrees Celsius. Even at higher temperatures, bacteria can thrive..."

As Gao Zhendong said this with a smile, it was as if a thunderclap suddenly struck his head.

He knew what had flashed through his mind when the Ministry of Foreign Trade sent over the black truffles last time.

——PCR!

The rapid and efficient adoption and popularization of technologies such as DNA identification decades later is largely due to PCR, a technology worthy of a Nobel Prize.

The key to PCR, an enzyme that enables DNA to proliferate and replicate, comes from a thermostable bacterium that survives in high-temperature environments. And this thermostable bacterium happens to be found in the hot spring area of ​​Saiun! Right here, in the hot spring he is currently soaking in.

To be honest, this stuff is useless to Gao Zhendong, but it's of great significance to those working in molecular biology. Or rather, it's perfect for Lou Xiao'e to get involved in this field.

As for the patent fees, well, the Empress Dowager has already paid them. But the Empress Dowager's patent fees are cursed; using her money will eventually lead to contracting her disease.

As Gao Zhendong pondered this, a wide grin involuntarily spread across his face.

Seeing that Gao Zhendong had suddenly fallen into deep thought, Chief Engineer Wei did not rush to disturb him. He guessed that Gao Zhendong must have thought of something during the conversation just now.

He doesn't know exactly what this thing is for the time being, but it's probably a good thing.

Suddenly, Gao Zhendong spoke up: "Boss, I have a favor to ask."

Wow, this kid is using such humble words?
"You said."

"Could we organize some comrades to isolate the bacteria in the water and soil samples from this area?" Gao Zhendong asked.

It's not impossible to take the soil and water samples with us, but the environment changes during transportation, and many things can change, such as the simplest thing: temperature.

Some thermoresistant bacteria are not just heat-resistant, but thermophilic. The difference between the two is as significant as the difference between being able to drink a little alcohol and being an alcoholic. The former can handle it, while the latter cannot do without it.

Therefore, Gao Zhendong felt that it was better to separate them on the spot.

As for how to spark Lou Xiao'e's interest after the separation, we'll talk about that later. If all else fails, we can just say, "I found some very interesting bacteria in Caiyun. Why don't you take a look?"

Lou Xiao'e, who had already made significant achievements in antibiotics, was undoubtedly very interested in bacteria. Upon hearing this, the chief engineer realized why Gao Zhendong had called it an unreasonable request, as it seemed to have little to do with him. But for Chief Engineer Wei, what kind of unreasonable request was this?
Comrade Zhendong's interest in the bacteria here means that this stuff must be useful, but I don't care what it is.

"Okay, we'll arrange it. Any requirements?"

"I'm interested in the heat-resistant and thermophilic bacteria that might exist here..."

Upon hearing this, the chief engineer suddenly realized why he had suddenly spaced out. It turned out that Zhen Dong was indeed quick-witted. He could find some inspiration from just a few casual remarks, even if the inspiration seemed rather unorthodox.

However, Gao Zhendong's next sentence made him realize why it sounded so obscure.

“My husband is studying thoracic surgery and also doing some work related to biopharmaceuticals. I feel that this should be interesting.”

The chief engineer then realized that he was being modest. He knew Gao Zhendong's wife; although she hadn't fully graduated yet, she had already achieved remarkable success in the field of biopharmaceuticals.

This isn't some unreasonable request; it's proactively discovering new research directions!
"Don't worry, the committee will handle it as soon as possible." The chief engineer believed that anything Gao Zhendong brought up must have enormous potential. After all, few could rival Gao Zhendong's breadth of knowledge and keen intuition.
-
With this unexpected gain, Gao Zhendong returned to Beijing.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw Lou Xiao'e holding a letter in her hand, looking at it with a happy smile.

Hearing Gao Zhendong enter, Lou Xiao'e looked up and said, "You're back? Come, come, wash your face first."

She stood up, picked up the kettle on the stove, and mixed water for Gao Zhendong to wash his face.

In the dead of winter, if you have a fire burning in the house and don't put a kettle on the fire, it's a waste of heat and the air is too dry.

Gao Zhendong put down his luggage and sat down by the fire, dragging the two small ornaments that had rushed towards him.

"Whose letter? You seemed quite pleased with it. Was it from your brother?"

"No, you'd never guess..." Lou Xiao'e laughed.

"Well, you say I can't guess? Well, I really can't guess." Gao Zhendong was at least aware of that. After casually guessing a few, he finally said with a surrender expression, "Whose is it?"

"Haha, you wouldn't have guessed, would you? It's rainwater, or rather, not entirely rainwater."

Huh? Is that so?
"Hey, take a look."

When Gao Zhendong took it over, he saw that the letter was quite thick and had been divided into two stacks.

Gao Zhendong could roughly recognize He Yushui's handwriting. Her letters were full of curiosity about the rural area where she was teaching. From the lines, Gao Zhendong could roughly tell that the girl was growing up and that she was eager to share this growth.

For He Yushui, there were some things that she couldn't share with Sha Zhu. Sometimes people have a strange idea: the more familiar they are with someone, the more embarrassed they are to talk about certain things.

Qin Huairu is much older than her, and she feels a little unable to share with her, which has nothing to do with whether Qin Huairu is good to her or not.

On the contrary, Lou Xiao'e, whom I've known for five years and who isn't much older than me, is like an older sister who has been with me since I was a child. She has a much stronger desire to share, and I can tell her a lot.

In her letter, she expressed her feelings and thoughts, and it was clear that the short time she spent teaching in the rural area had brought about many changes in the young girl.

However, there is another reason why this letter is so thick: she was still asking Lou Xiao'e for advice. She wrote down all the difficulties she had encountered in her studies over a period of time and asked Lou Xiao'e for advice all at once.

As for whether Lou Xiao'e would not understand, He Yushui was not worried at all. There was still Brother Zhendong to help with the parts that Sister Xiao'e didn't know. In this respect, this family was very reliable.

"No wonder you're smiling so happily, the little girl is growing up." Gao Zhendong looked up at Lou Xiao'e halfway through the movie and said.

Lou Xiao'e nodded and then shook her head: "Not only that. Look at the second half."

The second half... what secrets lie in the second half? Gao Zhendong wondered as he turned the pages to the second half.

The second half of the letterhead was different for each organization. The heading read "XXX Township Health Center," which was a common practice among organizations these days. They would print lined envelopes with their organization's name at the top for office use. Larger organizations would also print their own envelopes, with the return address replaced by the organization's printed name.

In the 60s to 80s, this was considered a small perk of working units, and using it brought a sense of pride. Mainly, being able to use these kinds of office supplies meant that someone in the family was often a permanent employee of the unit, or even both parents working, which was quite impressive.

Compared to the rather elegant stationery, the handwriting on this letter appears somewhat messy compared to He Yushui's delicate handwriting.

It's probably best described as a child trying hard to write well, but still failing miserably. All the characters are crooked and uneven, each stroke seemingly having its own agenda.

What's remarkable is that there are almost no typos.

It's clear that the person who wrote the letter took it very seriously. Poor handwriting is a matter of ability, but the absence of typos shows a positive attitude.

Moreover, the letter's wording style is just like that of a student reporting their studies and work to their mentor.

"Pang Shuixian?"

Seeing that the way Lou Xiao'e was addressed as "Teacher Lou" and considering that even a skilled writer couldn't write such terrible characters, Gao Zhendong guessed.

"That's right, it's her. Look, isn't she very focused?" Lou Xiao'e felt quite proud of herself.

"Yes, he is very serious." This wasn't Gao Zhendong joking; it was a clear indication of his seriousness.

"Huh? How did those two end up together?" Gao Zhendong knew that He Yushui was going to teach in a rural area, but he didn't know much about Pang Shuixian's situation.

"One was assigned to teach in a rural area, and the other to provide medical care; they happened to be assigned to the same township." Before this letter arrived, no one knew about this, not even Xu Damao and Shazhu.

What a coincidence! But the fact that Pang Shuixian had gone to provide medical services in rural areas was quite unexpected for Gao Zhendong. Originally, she was working as a caregiver at a welfare home, a job the neighborhood committee had found for her. Little did he know that she had unknowingly joined the medical outreach team.

"Sending medical care to rural areas? Isn't she working as a nurse at a welfare home?"

Lou Xiao'e understood the meaning behind Gao Zhendong's words and laughed smugly: "Hehe, you underestimate her. She passed the barefoot doctor qualification exam by sheer willpower and then volunteered to be selected to go to the countryside."

Gao Zhendong hissed and gasped.

He knew how thick that "Concise Handbook for Primary Care Physicians" was; given Pang Shuixian's level of education, Gao Zhendong couldn't even believe that she could recognize all the characters.

Seeing his expression, Lou Xiao'e laughed: "Didn't expect that, did you? With my help, she actually passed the exam. Although some chapters weren't on the test, her efforts shouldn't be underestimated."

Lou Xiao'e was not being modest at all, and it was indeed true. Without Lou Xiao'e's help, the possibility of Pang Shuixian embarking on this path would have been almost zero. At the same time, her own efforts were also very important.

(End of this chapter)