Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1327, 1314. Born in the morning, dying at dusk, life goes on and on.

"This is where the dust storm was first observed."

The old Party Secretary led the group to a place on the edge of the grassland.

There used to be scaffolding and cameras here, and the construction was monitored and broadcast live.

But now there is no trace of it left, only the old Party Secretary still remembers the location.

Outdoor live streaming, no matter how sturdy the equipment, will not last more than a few months without maintenance, not to mention that even with grasslands here, the environment is still very harsh.

“This piece of land is very meaningful, let’s choose it,” Luo Yihang said, dismounting.

Bao Chuxi nodded, offering no objection.

If she didn't object, then no one else had any objections either.

Luo Yihang and the others came out today not only to let Wang Shaopeng practice horseback riding, but also for other reasons.

Luo Yihang was to personally dig up a Super Malan Grass and give it to Bao Chuxi to take back and make into a specimen.

It will be part of the commemoration of the atomic bombing on October 6.

On October 6th, it was permanently collected and exhibited at the Malan Base Memorial Hall.

This was also Bao Chuxi's main purpose for coming here.

This task should have been done by Wenying, but Wenying was so busy with her research project that she couldn't care about anything else and wanted to live and eat in the lab.

Why would she put aside her research work and travel all the way to Inner Mongolia?

She wasn't going to run away because it wasn't like she was collecting samples.

Therefore, Luo Yihang had to do this job.

Bao Chuxi went to select suitable grass.

The others just strolled around the grassland at their leisure.

I crouched down and parted the grass leaves; the area I touched was damp. Super Malan grass has a very strong water retention capacity.

Beneath the blades of grass, a tiny new world is slowly emerging.

A few short, small blades of grass, of unknown variety, were hiding under the broad, dense leaves of the iris to shield themselves from the scorching sun, carefully gathering moisture.

They came from afar, drawn by the various wild animals attracted by this grassland.

Or it may drift in with the wind.

Or the seeds that cling to the clothes of herders or the wool of the grazing sheep.

It landed randomly on this grassland.

Dew condenses on the grass and drips onto the ground.

It landed on these tiny seeds.

One day, two days, three days...

The seed sprouts, extends its roots, and clings to the sand.

Greedily capturing the moisture in the air, chasing the now-weak sunlight filtering through the grass, it strives to grow.

Water is transported layer by layer through the tiny blades of grass to the surface, where a fine, dense crust forms close to the sand. This crust is composed of moss, lichen, or algae.

This crust spread in all directions, even beyond the coverage of the Super Malan grass, and into the desert.

Even this tiny patch of green can only go as far as less than a meter.

Even as they grow shorter and sparser, eventually disappearing into the yellow sand.

Even if they are removed from the protection of the Super Malan grass and exposed to the harsh environment of the Gobi Desert, they will die in a day and a gust of wind could blow them away at any time.

But they thrive and continue to grow, reaching ever farther away.

The boundary between grassland and desert has become blurred...
-
This crust is a good thing.

This is a positive sign for ecological restoration, indicating that the desert has taken its first step from lifeless barren land to a living system.

Biological crusts can reduce soil surface evaporation by 30%-40%, reduce rainstorm runoff by 50%, and prevent wind erosion for more than 30 minutes.

The porous structure of the crust can trap precipitation, while the organic matter secreted by microorganisms can adsorb a small amount of nutrients, breaking the vicious cycle of "water and nutrient deficiency in the desert".

It can be said that it is the prototype of soil, as long as there is a continuous input of organic matter (the leaves of the Malan grass wither and return to the earth after winter, and the excrement of wild animals and free-range sheep), a stable water supply (super Malan grass condenses moisture in the air, and releases moisture absorbed from the underground aquifer through respiration and cell metabolism), and protection from damage.

After a few years, a dozen years, or even decades, this place will become real soil.

Even if it's barren, even if it's fragile, it's still soil, no longer a desert...

Of course, there is also human intervention.

Old Party Secretary Batu Chaolu saw Luo Yihang and Wang Shaopeng squatting on the ground studying the crust.

He began to explain.

“A few days ago, some people from the Forestry Bureau and some scientific department came over and selected a spot in the community. They dug a lot of shallow ponds, which were quite large, more than a hundred meters long. They said they wanted to grow some kind of algae, not the jujubes we eat, but the kind that grows in the water. I guess it's for the skin that grows on the sand?”

“Blue-green algae,” Wang Shaopeng said with a smile, “is what grows for this purpose, called soil biological crust. Blue-green algae is a good thing. During its growth, it continuously secretes polysaccharides, which can bind loose sand grains together into sheets.”

"Moreover, the most critical problem in the desert, besides water scarcity, is nitrogen scarcity. Nitrogen is a nutrient. Even super purslane needs nitrogen to grow fast. Blue-green algae have the ability to fix nitrogen biologically. They can convert nitrogen in the air into ammonia nitrogen that plants can use, providing basic fertility."

"Most importantly, this thing is durable. It dehydrates and goes into hibernation during droughts, and quickly revives when it encounters water, just like the Trisolarans. It can adapt to desert conditions without being domesticated."

"It reproduces quickly and grows quickly. It only requires a small amount of water and nutrients to cultivate, making it cheap and simple."

“A large pool, 10 to 15 centimeters deep and 1500 square meters in size, can collect one to two tons per day. Note that this is per day.”

"It's also easy to apply. Just dry them, crush them, and scatter them anywhere. They will form a crust in one or two months, which is twenty times faster than under natural conditions."

Once Wang Shaopeng starts talking, he gets really into it, going on and on and on.

Luo Yihang turned to look at him, "Wow, not bad, you've done your homework."

Wang Shaopeng looked back at Luo Yihang and said proudly, "No matter what, I am still Professor Du's student. Although I didn't learn very well, I didn't even become a direct disciple... an outer disciple. At most, I can only be considered a nominal disciple. But the old man has studied soil all his life, so I must know these basic things."

Oh right, he was also Professor Du Jing's student. He called Qi Ruomu "Second Senior Brother" and Guan Wenying "Senior Sister," but after hanging out with them for so long, they'd all forgotten.

Professor Du is also pitiful; he has countless students, but few have inherited his mantle.

The eldest disciple has gone into breeding and is even more famous than Professor Du.

The second disciple is now involved in fertilizers. Even though he's working on improving saline-alkali land, that's still a multidisciplinary field, and its roots are in earthworm castings, which is also fertilizer.

The youngest apprentice was originally the most promising successor, but he was sent around by his senior brothers and sisters, and his knowledge became increasingly mixed.

Even Wang Shaopeng, who wasn't very good at studying, has now switched careers and become a businessman.

I don't know whether Professor Du is happy, happy, or happy.

When he was introduced again later, he was introduced as "the teacher of Academician Wenying, the pioneer of Breeding 4.0 technology".

Or, “This is the teacher of Academician Qi Ruomu, the inventor of the top-coverage and bottom-modification salt control and fertilization technology.”

Or, “This is the teacher of Wang Shaopeng, the general manager of Nongsheng Group, which has a market value of over 100 billion yuan.”

If nothing unexpected happens, Wen Ying and Qi Ruomu will definitely be elected as academicians, and Nongsheng Group will definitely exceed 100 billion yuan.

With three academicians in his family, Professor Du can walk with his head held high.

But it would be interesting if the student were elected an academician before Professor Du...

It is highly likely that Wen Ying was already a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars when she joined Qingyin Agriculture, and was selected for the "Ten Thousand Talents Program" as a "Young Top Talent" under the age of 35, just one step away from becoming an academician.

Professor Du is currently only an alternate academician.

Listen to that, using the word "but," how shameless!

It won't be long; the list of candidates will be announced in August.
-
After a few interruptions, Luo Yihang asked again, "Blue algae is so powerful, why weren't we using it before?"

He genuinely didn't know; he was unfamiliar with algae and microorganisms.

Wang Shaopeng shrugged. "It's still in the experimental stage. Although cyanobacteria are resilient, they are not without limits. If they are not replenished with water within half a month after being sown, they will die. Replenishing water in the desert is too difficult. Moreover, this stuff is too light; a gust of wind could blow it away anywhere."

“But this time it will be used on a large scale.” Wang Shaopeng said, pointing to the grassland next to him. “Now it’s different. Super Malan grass has taken root, and it is replenished by condensed dew. It can also block the wind. With this, the conditions are finally met.”

Yes, with this place as a base, we can try all sorts of good things.

The birth of Super Malan Grass has solved the problem of going from zero to one. The remaining steps, from one to one hundred, one thousand, and even ten thousand, can be left to other scientific researchers and the great power of nature.

Since this grassland grew up.

Many research institutions, including the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Desert Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Northwest University, have set up research sites to study ecological protection and biodiversity.

It's impossible for a large grassland to have only one type of plant.

Those research institutions are working hard to make the species in this grassland, and the ever-growing new grassland in the future, as rich as possible.

Cyanobacteria are one of them. And life always finds a way.

It's only been a few months, and many kinds of animals have already come to the grasslands.

They brought all sorts of grass seeds and plants.

The grass they eat and their excrement also contribute to the cycle, replenishing the sandy land with organic matter and microorganisms.

It grows and forms a skin.

The crusting process reduces transpiration and retains moisture, which then feeds back into the grassland, reintegrating into the cycle and leading to the growth of more grass and more crusting.

Endless life.

Even after eight to ten years, Super Malan Grass will naturally reach the end of its life.

But the organic matter they leave behind, and the camels, gazelles, rabbits, beetles, grasses, mosses, algae, and microorganisms that they shelter... will forever change this desert.

However, that is all a story for later.

There is one more thing to do.

Bao Chuxi finally found a suitable iris.

A particularly vigorous clump of Malan grass.

Its leaves are broad, more than two fingers wide, and sprout from the roots, forming a cluster of seven or eight branches that stretch outwards.

The leaves were a deep, thick green, covered with an invisible waxy coating. Instead of wilting under the scorching desert sun, they gleamed with a pale gray sheen.

From the center of the foliage, a flower stalk rises, about a foot tall, with a single purple flower at its tip. This flower is not a gaudy, deep purple, but rather a transition from light purple to dark purple, with six petals that unfold like an orchid, and deep within the flower's heart, a few strands of pale yellow stamens stand gracefully.

Under the sunlight, the petals, as thin as cicada wings, appeared somewhat translucent, with light shining through from the back, revealing delicate veins.

It's really impressive that she was able to find such a beautiful iris.

If there were a beauty pageant for Malan grass, this one would definitely be the champion.

"Then...that's it." Bao Chuxi asked tentatively.

The main reason was that she sensed the old Party Secretary's gaze.

Heartache, reluctance, pity, and longing... The old Party Secretary truly cherished this grassland, unwilling to let even a single blade of grass be damaged.

Herding sheep is a different story; sheep won't uproot the entire plant.

Luo Yihang could also see the old Party Secretary's reluctance, so he took something out of his pocket, clenched his fist, and held it up in front of the old Party Secretary, "Guess what this is?"

The old Party Secretary shook his head.

Luo Yihang opened his palm, revealing more than a dozen green, soybean-sized spheres in his hand.

The old Party Secretary recognized it at a glance: "Seeds, seeds of Malan grass."

“That’s right,” Luo Yihang laughed. “If we take away one blade of grass from you, we’ll give you a hundred seeds in return. In just a few days, they will grow back into a large patch. And think about it, this blade of grass will be preserved forever in the Malan Base Memorial Hall, standing alongside its predecessors and the heroes of the Two Bombs, One Satellite project.”

The old Party Secretary smiled and waved his hand, "It's alright, it's alright. It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that I can't quite figure it out... Sigh, I'm too tongue-tied to say it properly. I'll get the shovel, let's dig now."

He said and turned to leave.

Luo Yihang quickly grabbed his arm, "Go after you've sown the seeds. One blade of grass leaves, and a hundred blades of grass grow. It's a kind of ritual."

A handful of seeds were stuffed into the old Party Secretary's hand.

Then he called out to everyone, "Come on, come on, let's all join in."

He took handfuls of seeds out of his pocket.

They crammed people in wherever they saw them, an endless stream.

There are definitely more than a hundred.

His windbreaker pockets looked huge...

Everyone raised their hands and scattered the Super Malan Grass seeds nearby, and in the desert not far away.

I imagine it won't be long before a green, pointed thing appears here...

After sowing the seeds, Luo Yihang whistled.
The Sun King came running from afar, followed by the Flame Queen who always followed behind him.

These two horses seem to be having a lot of fun. They even rolled around in the grass, leaving green streaks on their bellies from the grass juice.

Luo Yihang patted the horse's head and first took out a large plastic sheet from the saddlebag and spread it on the ground.

Then take out two folding shovels, one large and one small.

Wang Shaopeng casually picked up the smaller one.

He's good at collecting samples.

The others also took their own folding shovels and stood aside waiting for Luo Yihang to dig the first shovel.

Bao Chuxi then set up a video camera and a camera.

This is a very meaningful event and needs to be recorded in its entirety.

One shovel, two shovels... carefully, trying not to touch the roots of the iris, gradually digging downwards.

They gradually dug from the dry sand to the moist aquifer.

No matter how much sand was dug into, the roots of this iris plant still hadn't reached the end, as if they would never end.

The underground world gradually unfolded before everyone's eyes, and what an amazing world it was!

The roots of this iris plant were like the tendons of an old man's hand, twisting and turning, stubbornly pushing downwards.

The main root, as thick as an index finger, pierces straight into the depths of the earth, without leaning to one side.

Lateral roots and fibrous roots spread outwards like a spider web, intertwining with each other, firmly grasping every grain of sand they can reach, weaving an invisible net.

This massive root system, hidden from view, is the very thing that allows the entire plant to stand tall in the desert and remain steadfast against the wind and sand...

Downwards, downwards, and downwards again.

Luo Yihang and the others took turns digging, and the deep pit gradually covered their heads, while the aquifer had already reached their thighs.

It felt like digging a well in the desert.

Finally, nearly two meters underground, they found the last section of the root of this iris plant.

Even though it is already as thin as a hair, it is still trying to grow downwards.

Shake off the sand and soil tangled around the roots of the iris and spread it out on a plastic sheet.

Everyone fell silent.

What a magnificent life!

Its above-ground portion is only a tiny bit large compared to its root system.

The purple flowers swayed gently, and the leaves stretched out gracefully, displaying a serene and composed demeanor.

Underground, however, another silent battle is raging: a struggle against drought and a fight against barrenness.

It stands quietly between heaven and earth, drawing life-giving water from its deep roots and adorning the lonely wilderness with its purple flames, free and resilient.

Just like its parent.

Those miraculous sights from over sixty years ago—the tenacious wild iris grasses that Mr. Cheng and his colleagues discovered when they settled in the wilderness.

Today, this super Malan grass, cultivated from the original Malan grass, carries a dual mission.

Its root system can reach up to two meters in length, much like those researchers who worked in anonymity for years, burying their life's work deep in this land, unknown to others yet supporting everything.

Its leaves are broad and tough, able to withstand the harshest environments, just like those figures fighting on the Gobi Desert, never bowing their heads in the face of wind, sand and hardship.

Back then, heroes defended the safety of their motherland with their wisdom and sweat; today, their spirit has been transformed into the seeds of this super iris grass, continuing to protect this land.

The vast grasslands in the desert are not only a miracle of life, but also a continuation of the spirit of Malan—a spirit of taking root in the frontier, selflessly dedicating oneself, and working hard, which has been as enduring as the power of nature.

Bao Chuxi clearly remembers a slogan written on the wall of the Malan Base Memorial Hall that she would stop to read every time she passed by.

Do earth-shattering things, live as an anonymous celebrity.

Isn't this stalk of iris grass a response to the vow we made back then?

In Bao Chuxi's ears, it seemed as if two sounds echoed through time: one was the roar of an atomic bomb explosion; the other was the rustling of Super Malan grass swaying in the wind.

The deep calls of her father, mother, and countless nameless heroes buried in that wasteland echoed: "The spirit of Malan is like this Malan grass, deeply rooted and passed down from generation to generation, never ceasing on this land it protects."

Bao Chuxi's face was already covered in tears.

She murmured, sobbing, softly telling someone unintelligible, "Look, our roots are connected..."

(End of this chapter)