A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Researcher Ma saw through Li Chao's thoughts at a glance. Seeing his persistent and unyielding attitude, he immediately cut him off: "Li Chao, don't say any more. I can't approve this."

He reached out and pushed the documents Li Chao handed him back half a foot, saying, "The agricultural business is not as simple as you think."

With what you have, you can't prove that this variety can definitely be grown in your Ninth Company.

If you want us to agree, you need to provide solid, detailed data.

For example, the annual temperature fluctuations in Jiulian, the wind force in each season, and the amount of rainfall—all these crucial pieces of information are indispensable; we cannot take this risk if even one is missing.

Several researchers nearby echoed his sentiments, their eyes filled with disapproval as they looked at Li Chao. Some even shook their heads slightly, their meaning clear: this was impossible.

Before Researcher Ma could speak again, Li Chao took a deep breath and blurted out all the words that had been building up in his heart.

"Dear teachers, I know that agricultural planting cannot be taken lightly, and I know that you are doing this for the sake of prudence, but I really can't give up like this."

"I am an aid worker in Xinjiang. I came from the mainland and I just want to do something practical for the herders here and help them find more ways to increase their income."

"The last trial planting failed, and seeing the herders pin their hopes on me only to be disappointed still weighs heavily on my heart. I feel so guilty that I can't sleep."

He took a half step forward, his eyes filled with pleading, "Teachers, please give me another chance."

"If you're willing to reconsider, I will definitely fill in all the missing information and do my best in all preparations. I will dedicate all my energy to this and will absolutely not let you down, nor will I betray the trust and expectations of the herders."

As soon as Li Chao finished speaking, the office became so quiet that you could hear each other breathing.

The researchers looked at each other, and those who had just echoed Researcher Ma's words fell silent.

After a silence of about ten seconds, Researcher Ma reached for the documents on the table and said, "No, this data is still not detailed enough. The key information such as local weather changes, seasonal temperatures, and soil pH is too far off and cannot be used as the basis for planting plans."

Upon hearing this, Li Chao's heart skipped a beat, and the energy he had just mustered instantly sank. However, he didn't dare to be discouraged, because at least Researcher Ma had pointed out a specific problem and hadn't completely blocked the path.

"Researcher Ma, please rest assured."

I've noted down everything you said. Please wait for my reply, and I'll immediately start organizing the relevant information to ensure that every piece of data is clearly understood!

As he spoke, he hurriedly took out his notebook and wrote down the key information raised by Researcher Ma.

Researcher Ma didn't say anything more, but simply nodded slightly.

Li Chao rushed back to the Ninth Company that same day.

The next day, he carried a hoe, a thermometer, and a notebook, and plunged into the experimental field.

It was the time when the herders were busy in the fields, and he thought to himself that this was a good opportunity to ask them some questions.

Seeing an old herdsman hoeing the ground not far away, Li Chao quickly went over and put on a sincere smile: "Grandpa, are you busy?"

I'd like to ask you something. What are the temperatures like here in spring, summer, autumn and winter in previous years?

And is the soil here too alkaline?

"I don't know, I can't remember." After saying that, she walked straight to the other end of the paddy field, deliberately avoiding him.

Li Chao paused for a moment, then quickly adjusted his mindset and turned to find another herdsman who was bundling firewood: "Uncle, do you know when it's common for strong winds and frost to fall here in previous years?"

I want to write this down for future reference.

The herdsman simply waved his hand: "I don't know. Why are you asking about this? Young man, don't mess around with this."

For the rest of the day, Li Chao ran all over the experimental field, asking the herdsmen he met for advice, but the result was always the same—either he was directly evaded, or he was dismissed with "I don't know" or "I can't remember".

Several times, just as he was about to speak, the other person would turn away in advance, clearly indicating that they didn't want to talk to him.

During his midday break, Li Chao sat on the edge of the field, feeling a little uneasy.

He pulled aside a familiar young herdsman to ask, and that's how he found out the reason.

It turned out that news of his setback at the research institute had already reached the village, and everyone thought it was hopeless and didn't want to waste their breath.

Some elderly people thought he was young and inexperienced, and that he was just messing around. They didn't believe he could find any reliable planting methods.

After figuring out the reason, Li Chao felt relieved.

In the days that followed, Li Chao spent every day in the experimental fields.

If no one pays attention to him, he'll do it himself.

Li Chao picked up a hoe and dug into the soil. He squinted and carefully observed the color and texture of the soil. He then rubbed the soil clods between his fingers to feel their moisture level and wrote down all these details in his notebook.

After taking out the thermometer, they measured the field temperature every two hours, and even accurately recorded the temperature difference between morning and evening.

When he encounters plots of land with different soil layers, he digs several holes for comparison, afraid of missing any details that might affect planting.

He always kept a tight rein on the idea that spring waits for no one, and if it was any later, even if all the materials were gathered, it wouldn't be time to plant.

However, relying solely on on-site measurements yields fragmented data that is insufficient to support a complete planting plan.

Li Chao had a sudden inspiration: instead of working blindly here, he should go to the meteorological bureau to get more information.

At the meteorological bureau's service window, after hearing Li Chao's request for a complete set of data on temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather over the past ten years, the staff shook their heads directly. "No, this is all internal archive data. It cannot be lent out or copied casually."

"Comrade, I am an aid worker in Xinjiang, and I am carrying out a planting project in the Ninth Company. Without this data, the project cannot be carried out at all, and it will affect the livelihood of the herders."

No matter what he said, the staff member remained adamant and eventually stopped paying attention to him, focusing on his own work.

Li Chao stood by the window, pleading and saying all sorts of nice things, but still made no progress.

Seeing that the request for data had reached a stalemate, Li Chao was anxious and panicked, fearing that the inability to obtain the data would delay the planting time.

Just then, he suddenly remembered Zhou Mingyu and quickly sought his help.

After listening, Zhou Mingyu was surprised that Li Chao, who had been turned down last time, still wanted to plant saplings for the herdsmen. He immediately said, "Don't worry, I'll help you coordinate this."

After hanging up the phone, Li Chao felt a little more at ease and found a place to wait outside the meteorological bureau.

Not long after, Zhou Mingyu called and said that he had already coordinated with the leaders of the Meteorological Bureau. They knew that he was working on the planting project of Jiulian and agreed to provide relevant meteorological data and information from the past ten years.

"Thank you so much, Director!"

"Without you, I really don't know what I would have done."

Stepping into the meteorological bureau again, Li Chao felt a mix of trepidation and anticipation. But the staff member's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him: "The leadership has agreed to let you look up the data, but the data from the past ten years is taller than you."

We're short-staffed; it will take at least a month to accurately find the information you need.

"A month?"

Li Chao knew better than anyone that in a month, the window of opportunity for planting trees in the Ninth Company would be completely missed, and all the previous preparations might be in vain.

"Comrade, can I look it up myself? I promise I won't cause any trouble!"

The staff member was taken aback, clearly having never seen someone so "humble" in asking for information.