Chapter 172 Gap
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, Sheng Xiping and Zhou Qinglan got engaged.
The Sheng family prepared a very generous engagement gift, and the Zhou family reciprocated with a substantial return gift.
With mutual respect and courtesy, the two parties amicably settled the marriage agreement between the two young people.
Afterwards, Wang Chunxiu asked Zhou Mingyuan and Li Yuqin to stay in the house and chat with the Sheng couple, while she took her daughter to the kitchen to cook.
Wang Chunxiu put a lot of thought and effort into this engagement banquet.
Since it's almost Chinese New Year, stores have appropriately relaxed the limits on various types of groceries, and hospitals and machine repair shops have also given out New Year's benefits.
Adding to the things Zhou Qinglan brought back earlier, Wang Chunxiu prepared eight dishes and a soup.
There's a saying these days: "Four dishes and one soup, cadres go to the countryside."
The standard for cadres going to the countryside is only four dishes and one soup. Eight dishes and one soup means that the standard is quite high.
Wang Chunxiu's cooking skills are really average, but fortunately, many of the dishes were prepared in advance, so all she has to do now is stir-fry them or stew them with some mushrooms and vermicelli.
Zhou Qinglan's cooking skills are actually better than Wang Chunxiu's.
In the end, Zhou Qinglan became the head chef, and Wang Chunxiu assisted her.
In the outer kitchen, the mother and daughter were busy frying, stir-frying, and cooking.
In the east room, Zhou Mingyuan chatted with Sheng Liancheng's family and Li Yuqin.
As they talked, the conversation turned to Zhou Mingyuan's overseas inspection trip.
"My dear in-law, what did you go abroad to investigate?"
Do forestry workers abroad harvest trees in the same way we do here?
I always hear people say that developed countries abroad are advanced in everything they do. Could you tell me exactly how they're advanced?
As a veteran forestry worker, Sheng Liancheng witnessed the arduous journey of Songjianghe Forestry Bureau from scratch.
Looking back on the hardships and suffering they endured as forestry workers, Sheng Liancheng couldn't help but wonder how people abroad worked.
Hearing Sheng Liancheng ask this question, Zhou Mingyuan couldn't help but sigh.
"Brother, if we don't go out and see how far behind we are, we really won't know."
"Brother, you've been in the forestry system for so many years, you should know that there are many types of logging in our forest area."
All-out attack, main attack, selective attack, intermittent attack, limited attack, prohibited attack.
But right now, most of us are still attacking all sides.
Once the logging area was decided, regardless of tree species or size, it was all felled, leaving the area completely bare, like a haircut.
"One reason for this is that we urgently need a large amount of timber for construction."
"Another problem is that our technology, equipment, funding, and logging techniques are far behind theirs," Zhou Mingyuan said, shaking his head.
"I used to think that there was a big gap between us and others, but after going out this time, I realized that it was not just big, it was a huge gap."
In countries with developed forestry industries, they travel in groups of three, accompanied by a helicopter.
According to the markings on the map, we drove into the sky and headed straight for the tree we wanted to cut down.
Two workers were lowered into a basket and placed on the treetop. Steel cables were then lowered to secure the tree trunk.
Then, place the two people on the ground and use an advanced spiral fork-forming machine to rotate the large tree branches from the roots to the top a few times, turning them into smooth, single branches.
The two operators finally cut the tree down along the ground, the plane tightened the steel cable, and hoisted the log straight to the timber yard.
Zhou Mingyuan recalled the scene they witnessed during their investigation and couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
"Our work team has about twenty people. We are exhausted every day. It's dirty and tough."
The annual timber production is only 10,000 to 20,000 cubic meters, and that's only achievable with mechanization.
For people like Xiping and his team to work purely by hand and harvest 10,000 cubic meters of timber in one winter is a very high yield.
How much output would that be per person?
"Foreign forestry workers, a three-person work team, can produce more than 5,000 cubic meters a year, with each person completing more than 1,500 or 1,600 cubic meters."
That's the difference, a huge difference.
The more Zhou Mingyuan spoke, the more emotional he became, and the more powerless he felt about reality.
With such a huge gap, how long will it take to catch up? And by the time their technology catches up, how many trees will be left for future generations?
Sheng Liancheng was stunned. He couldn't even imagine what Zhou Mingyuan was saying.
A team of three can produce 5,000 cubic meters a year, averaging 1,500 to 1,600 cubic meters per person.
That would save so much labor! How much would a worker earn in a year?
"Brother, when do you think we'll have this kind of technology? We're both getting old, can we really wait that long?"
Sheng Liancheng looked at Zhou Mingyuan with anticipation.
As a veteran forestry worker, he genuinely wanted to see that one day, his forestry bureau could also use such methods.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Xiping couldn't help but sigh.
Not to mention Sheng Liancheng, even Sheng Xiping didn't get to see such technology.
What awaited them was a scarcity of forestry resources, and the transformation and dismantling of the forestry bureau.
"Dad, don't think about these things. All we can do is follow orders and do whatever they tell us to do."
Sheng Xiping spoke up in time, stopping Sheng Liancheng and Zhou Mingyuan from continuing their discussion.
This is an impossible wish to fulfill, and there's no point in discussing it further.
Furthermore, in the current environment, there are many things that cannot be said casually.
Fortunately, this is the Zhou family home, and there are no outsiders here today.
Otherwise, if the news gets out and is misinterpreted, it will not benefit either Zhou Mingyuan or Sheng Liancheng.
Reminded by Sheng Xiping, Zhou Mingyuan and Sheng Liancheng both sighed deeply.
"Yes, let's not talk about these things anymore, it's not something we can worry about."
"In-laws, let's discuss when the two children should get married?" Sheng Liancheng immediately changed the subject.
"Xi Ping's work team had almost finished their logging task before the new year."
After the New Year, all that's needed is to transport the goods down the mountain, return them to their original locations, and clean up the site. It should only take about a month.
I was thinking, why don't we pick a date around the end of March or the beginning of April and hold the wedding for the two children?
Sheng Liancheng and Zhang Shuzhen had been thinking about this for a long time.
Qianchuan Forest Farm is close to the main peak of Changbai Mountain, and its solar terms are late.
In late March and early April, the daytime temperature is slightly higher, but the nights are still freezing, so it's neither too cold nor too hot.
Meat can be stored in a shady place and won't get too cold during the day, making it a good time to hold a banquet.
Just then, the winter harvest was basically over, afforestation hadn't started yet, and the agricultural team hadn't even started planting.
This is a lull in the schedule, so you can focus on preparing for the wedding.
Zhou Mingyuan is also in the forestry system; how could he not have thought of this?
"My in-laws think about the same thing as I do, and I also think this is a good time."
"That's settled then. Let's start preparing within this timeframe, then see how Xiping's team progresses after the New Year, and then decide on a specific date."
Sheng Liancheng and Zhou Mingyuan were in agreement, and the two fathers made the decision.
We'll find a suitable time in late March or early April after the New Year to hold a wedding for Sheng Xiping and Zhou Qinglan.
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