The meals delivered were just cornbread, thin porridge, stewed potatoes and cabbage, and some pickled spicy cabbage.
However, no one complained at all; as long as they could fill their stomachs, that was good stuff.
What's more, we didn't notice it before, but now that we smelled the aroma of food, our stomachs started rumbling. So we didn't waste any time and quickly ate so we could get back to our business.
Fan Xiaofan never ate much cornbread, not because she disliked it, but because she found it difficult to eat. She would take a bite and then drink a sip of porridge. She didn't have a big appetite and got full after eating very little.
In those days, because meat was scarce, people needed to rely on more food to replenish their energy, and they usually ate quite a lot. Fan Xiaofan ate as much as a kitten.
The technicians practically stuffed food into their mouths, then gulped down a mouthful of thin porridge before swallowing it...
They developed this eating habit while working. On ordinary days, it's fine, as there's time to chew slowly. But when they're thinking about work, they wish they were a big sack so they could swallow their food in one gulp.
In less than ten minutes, everyone waved to indicate they were finished eating, demonstrating remarkable efficiency.
Then came another flurry of activity...
When Fan Xiaofan kept yawning, everyone glanced at the time and realized that it was really late, already one or two in the morning.
Fan Xiaofan's eyes were glistening with sleepiness. She rubbed her eyes, looking pitiful.
Meanwhile, Old Li noticed this and waved his hand dismissively at everyone: "Go and get some rest. You're all so sleepy, how can you be efficient? Your brains aren't working..."
They casually remarked, "We're all roughnecks, we can just rest on the table for a bit..."
She looked at Fan Xiaofan with embarrassment. The little girl looked so sleepy, and her voice sounded hoarse from being kept being pulled around and asked so many questions.
"Young comrade, go and rest. Let's think about what you said some more here..."
After leaving the research institute, Fan Xiaofan returned to her dormitory accompanied by Liu Fang and Gu Wenyan. After a quick wash, she fell asleep in less than a second after lying down on the bed...
My only thought before going to sleep was, "Everyone is working so hard..."
The next few days were filled with such intense work. It was as if everyone felt a sense of crisis because of what Old Li had said, thinking that Xiao Fan wouldn't stay here for long. So every time Fan Xiao Fan went to rest, they were still pondering the problems they had encountered.
When I'm really too sleepy, I just lie down on the table and take a nap.
Fan Xiaofan wanted to talk to Professor Li about how much this was taking a toll on their health, but Professor Li waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Once this busy period is over, they'll have time to rest properly. Scientific research is most afraid of slacking off. Only when they are under pressure can they generate more inspiration and ideas."
"We need to keep them on edge..."
There are no shortcuts to success in this world; one can only achieve it by putting in more effort than others.
What China needs is time...
Industrial development has lagged behind other countries, and we need to catch up even more; there is no reason to rest.
The sooner it can be developed, the more significant its implications will be.
Therefore, neither Elder Li nor the technicians considered their hard work these past few days as tiring. If they could contribute to the country with such hard work, they would only feel proud and honored...
Moreover, with Xiao Fan helping them answer questions, it would be foolish not to seize such a good opportunity.
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