Chapter 161 Educated Youth in the 1970s (The End) I want to build! I want to learn...

The day before Song Ce went to Tsinghua University to report for duty, he received a telegram from the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute.

Professor Wei was overjoyed and stated in the telegram that the Agricultural Machinery Institute was willing to support his studies at Tsinghua University, and that all his living expenses during his studies would be covered by the institute. However, the condition was that he must return to the Agricultural Machinery Institute to continue working after graduation. The institute had already decided that he would be directly promoted to technical director, and his corresponding salary would also be increased.

Faced with such a promising young man, not only the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute, but even the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute considered transferring Song Ce over ahead of schedule.

Song Ce had a deep affection for Qing City and the Agricultural Machinery Research Institute. When he was wholeheartedly researching the Qing-A1 self-propelled combine harvester, he received a lot of support from his colleagues. Therefore, after a brief discussion with Jian Fangning, he immediately sent a telegram expressing his willingness to accept the institute's conditions and return to Qing City with his newfound knowledge as soon as he completed his studies.

And so, the couple, one at Tsinghua University and the other at Beijing Medical University, diligently studied in their respective fields. In their second year, Wu Wangliu and Jiang Zhangjun both gained admission to Beijing Medical University.

Soon, the five young people who had all been sent to work in Xinhe Village gathered together and chatted for a long, long time. Upon learning that Wu Wangliu and Jiang Zhangjun had gotten together, they offered their sincerest blessings.

"Fangning." Wu Wangliu's eyes were a little unfocused from drinking. She grabbed Jian Fangning's hand and said in a choked voice, "Do you know? Actually, I've always been... jealous of you."

Seeing this, Qi Ziling quickly poured Wu Wangliu a glass of warm water. "Wangliu, drink some water! How much have you drunk today? You're starting to talk nonsense."

“No, Ziling, I’m perfectly sober right now.” Wu Wangliu shook his head, staring straight at the astonished Jian Fangning, and whispered, “Back in Xinhe Village, my sweetheart was someone else. Fangning, do you know who he is?”

Before Jian Fangning could speak, Wu Wangliu smiled faintly and said with relief, "I mustered up the courage to confess my feelings to him, but he firmly rejected me, saying that he could not have feelings for me beyond friendship. Fangning, you and he are both very good people, and I sincerely hope that you will be happier and happier from now on."

"...Thank you, Wang Liu."

In the blink of an eye, Song Ce completed four years of university coursework in just two years by compressing class time. In his senior year, he graduated from Tsinghua University with the highest score in his major courses and was selected as an outstanding student representative.

Two years ago, he was selected to join the Mechanical Innovation Experimental Group at Tsinghua University, where he worked with his mentor on a project on mechanized technology for high-yield grain cultivation. As time went by, the letters he sent back to the Chongqing Agricultural Machinery Research Institute grew thicker and thicker.

Based on the blueprints provided by Song Ce, the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute successfully developed the 8AFW-12 seeder. This is an agricultural machine designed for use with tractors, perfectly suited for the flat plains of Qing City and its surrounding areas. It can be used not only for furrowing and fertilizing, but its core functions also include integrated operations such as ditching, sowing, and covering with soil. Most importantly, the sowing depth and seeding rate can be manually adjusted as needed.

The successful development of the 8AFW-12 seeder has once again brought Qing City into the limelight across the country.

Upon learning that Song Ce had drawn up the blueprints for the 8AFW-12 seeder, the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute immediately became agitated. They promptly sent someone to Tsinghua University to contact him, expressing their willingness to offer him even more favorable terms. They stated that if he agreed, the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute could immediately transfer all of his connections to them.

To demonstrate sincerity to Song Ce, the contact person promised him that if he was willing to come to the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute after graduation, the institute would allocate him a three-bedroom apartment with two assistants. Furthermore, higher-level leaders explicitly stated their willingness to provide Song Ce with 300,000 yuan in start-up capital, and that he could be directly promoted if he achieved certain results.

Finally, the section chief added with a smile, "Hehe, Comrade Song Ce, this is an opportunity that many people would kill for. The institute hopes you will think it through carefully so you won't have any regrets later in life. After all, opportunities like this don't come around often!"

That afternoon, Song Ce rejected the generous offer from the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute, saying that he had to return to Qing City.

After this sensational news was leaked by someone with ulterior motives, people in the relevant majors at Tsinghua University were in an uproar. Some thought Song Ce was too foolish; putting aside the fact that his family was in Beijing, the generous offer from the Beijing Agricultural Machinery Institute alone would have been enough to retain any one of them. Others thought Song Ce was a loyal and righteous person; to be able to refuse such a good job without batting an eye was truly admirable.

Professor Wei, who was far away in Qing City, was furious when he learned that the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute was secretly poaching Qing City's precious resources. He immediately sent a telegram to the superior of the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute.

Professor Wei was among the first group of researchers to return from studying abroad. His superiors dared not neglect him and repeatedly assured him that they would never compete with the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute for his personnel again, which finally put an end to the matter.

What Professor Wei didn't know was that after Song Ce graduated, the Beijing Municipal Agricultural Research Institute sent someone to contact him again. This time, however, the visitor didn't mention a job transfer. Instead, they gave him a pen bearing the institute's name and said with a smile, "Comrade Song Ce, I deeply regret that you couldn't come to our institute. But undeniably, you are a knowledgeable and intelligent young man. If there's an opportunity in the future, I hope we can cooperate and make progress together!"

Song Ce nodded, accepted the pen with both hands, and thanked the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute for their kindness once again.

After he returned to Qing City, Professor Wei personally led Engineer Zhou and a group of colleagues to unfurl a red banner at the entrance of the Agricultural Machinery Institute. The banner read, "All staff of the Agricultural Machinery Institute warmly welcome Comrade Song Ce back after completing his studies," which was very much in line with the institute's consistent down-to-earth style.

...

In this way, Song Ce stayed at the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute for a total of five years.

During this period, he spearheaded the development of integrated wheat harvesting and bundling machines, blanket seedling transplanters, trolley-type motorized sprayers, micro-irrigation equipment, and multi-functional field management robots, directly contributing to Qing City's rise as one of the provincial-level central cities.

In just a few years, Qing City has become the largest production base for advanced agricultural machinery in China, directly driving a 37.5% increase in agricultural machinery sales, with the growth rate accelerating by 17.4 percentage points compared to the previous year.

By the end of 1987, Qing City had 76 scientific and technological research and development platforms, including provincial-level or above key agricultural machinery experimental zones, technology innovation centers, and mechanical technology research institutes. Therefore, when higher-level leaders visited the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute, they gave important instructions on the spot, indicating that a national-level new area should be established in Qing City to vigorously develop national mechanical technology for the benefit of all citizens.

In the same year, Qing City won the International Best Practice Award for Mechanical Research and Development. Song Ce himself was also awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award for Mechanical Research and Development by the highest leaders of China.

In the same year, Song Ce and Jian Fangning's daughter, Song Shutong, was born.

Over the past few years, the organization has witnessed Song Ce's extraordinary creativity. The day after he won the award, the Qing City Agricultural Machinery Institute announced that the organization had transferred Song Ce to the National Agricultural Research Institute, and the transfer order had been sent three days earlier.

Upon hearing this good news, the entire staff of the Agricultural Machinery Institute held a lively farewell ceremony for Song Ce. Among them, the person who was most deeply moved was not Professor Wei, but Engineer Zhou.

Engineer Zhou has watched this young man grow step by step into the outstanding individual he is today. The moment he first saw him in Xinhe Village, Engineer Zhou knew that this young man would have a very, very long road ahead of him.

Now, he is fortunate enough to witness all of this firsthand.

Holding a wine glass, Engineer Zhou followed Professor Wei to Song Ce with a cheerful smile and said earnestly, "Comrade Song, I wish you a bright future and continuous advancement!"

Professor Wei laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Xiao Zhou's blessing is very sincere, and this old man has nothing more to say. Xiao Song, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, don't forget that you still have us old colleagues in Qing City!"

Song Ce's eyes reddened slightly, and he bowed deeply to Professor Wei and Engineer Zhou.

After a long and tiring journey back to the capital, Song Ce first took Jian Fangning and Song Shutong to the Song family home.

Five years ago, Song Fei and Qi Ziling got married, and the following year they had a son. Because of this, Song Fei sent a telegram to Song Ce, asking him to name his nephew, hoping that the child would inherit his uncle's intelligence in the future.

After thinking about it carefully for several days, Song Ce solemnly named the child Song Boren.

Back in the year Song Fei got married, Song Ce had taken out a sum of money to buy a two-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) for his brother and sister-in-law. Not only that, he also had the courtyard renovated before handing the keys to Song Fei.

As time went by, Song Fei had long forgotten his memories of his previous life. He discovered that Song Ce in this life was almost a completely different person from the younger brother in his memories of his previous life.

Long before Song Ce brought Jian Fangning home, Song Fei had already stopped confusing the two of them. Aside from their names and appearances, Song Ce and "he" bore absolutely no resemblance. Perhaps, from the night Song Ce took the initiative to find him, the tilted scales in his heart were finally set right.

In this world, Song Ce lived to be 78 years old.

Song Shutong did not inherit her father Song Ce's extraordinary intellect or her mother Jian Fangning's medical talent, but rather all the gentleness and tenderness of both her parents. After she came of age, she and several like-minded friends jointly established the Beijing Tongxiang Charity Foundation.

With a mission to "focus on assisting left-behind children and safeguarding their healthy growth," the foundation continuously provides living and learning support to children left behind in rural areas, helping them improve their living standards and ensuring that they are not forced to interrupt their studies for various reasons. By 2035, the Beijing Tongxiang Charity Foundation will have helped tens of thousands of children leave their rural homes and blossom like flowers across China.

During this time, Song Shutong also found her life partner, and the couple supported each other through a fulfilling life.

On the fifteenth of August of the same year, Jian Fangning struggled to open her eyes and looked longingly at her husband, who was no longer young. She wanted to speak, but when she opened her mouth, she could not utter a sound.

"Fang Ning, you speak."

As her lover leaned closer to her lips, Jian Fangning moved closer and managed to say, "It's so good... Brother Song... having you... is so... good..." After saying this, she slowly let go of his hand, smiled, and left.

In a moment of dazed consciousness, it seemed as if a drop of warm liquid fell from someone's eye and gently kissed her forehead.

On the very day Jian Fangning passed away, Song Ce left his body in a dream and departed from this world forever.

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Author's note: Okay, alright. [pats head]

Next up is the ancient world, hehe, thanks again for your support, my little cuties! Sending love~ [Let me see]