This is a magical team looking for water, which used to be in arid northern Shaanxi because they changed their appearance.

At that moment, the universe was too quiet.

In the spring of life, sour bitterness has been passing through this thick loess, so that no matter how bitter you are, you can't spit out this life-saving tear.

The loess is deep and sacred. Loess is the spleen and stomach of life, nourishing all of us.

For people living in the Loess Plateau, Loess is more like a great mother, magnificent and shocking. Facing her is like facing an eternal emotion.

1936 In February, the year after Comrade Mao Zedong arrived in northern Shaanxi, facing the magnificent Loess Plateau, he sang "Qinyuan Spring Snow" in a cave in Wayaobao.

This word, which later shocked China and foreign countries and went down in history, praised the loess plateau in winter with the image of "dancing a silver snake on the mountain like a wax elephant"!

The heavy snow at that time must have been thorough and sacred.

The snow on the Loess Plateau and its spirit also aroused the revolutionary pride of the poet Mao Zedong!

But what is it after the heavy snow? For this land, it is lonely yellow!

Yellow, that is, earth tone, is the main color of the Loess Plateau.

The Book of Changes says: "Heaven is mysterious to Dihuang", and Liu Zongyuan says in "Heaven": "The name of the world is called heaven; Those who go to the grave are also in the world. "

It can be seen that in ancient times, yellow was the color of the earth.

What is the earth?

In addition to the visible earth, there is also an invisible philosophical matrix, which is the root of our Chinese nation!

In this land, all wisdom and strength grow.

Therefore, one of the "humanistic ancestors" of the Chinese nation was also named "Yellow Emperor" because of its virtue.

For thousands of years, the feudal regime in China regarded yellow as a symbol of imperial power. The Chinese nation claims to be descendants of the Yellow Emperor, and China people are classified as yellow people. The Loess Plateau is the great mother of all these yellows.

Northern Shaanxi is the central part of the Loess Plateau in China.

The northern part of Shaanxi Province is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with a total area of more than 90,000 square kilometers. It is a plateau surface formed on the basis of the paleotopography formed by Mesozoic bedrock, covered with Cenozoic red soil and thick loess layer, and then cut by running water and eroded by soil.

Yellow is the main color of northern Shaanxi.

The loess here is the yellowest and the loess here is the thickest. Everything related to the green life is constantly washed away by years, and it is this thick loess that is silent.

Northern Shaanxi, which symbolizes the immortal spirit, is an eternal epic in northern Shaanxi. As a place name in human history, it influenced the great and far-reaching historical process of China, condensed the national soul, and gave birth to a great era that changed the fate of China. As a concept of geological history, it deduces a myth of geological history.

For the description of the Loess Plateau, we can recall China's earliest geographical masterpiece Gong Yu, saying that Yongzhou is "only yellow soil", which is the earliest loess written record in the world.

Interestingly, the Han Shu written by Ban Gu in the Han Dynasty recorded that in April 32 BC, Chen Yin said, "The wind starts from the west, the clouds are red and yellow, and the world is blocked. Those who land day and night are also covered with loess dust."

In a word, sinologists have the same view on modern loess wind accumulation. In contrast, I prefer edgar snow's vivid metaphor of the image and tension of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi: in his mind, the Loess Plateau was originally a "world squeezed by crazy gods."

Also shocked by edgar snow's metaphor is Ma, the young captain of the 908 Hydrogeological Team! In his mind, in his theory and practice of finding water in northern Shaanxi, edgar snow's words with the same magical charm have been pondered countless times.

So it is also the most difficult place in the world, and it is the most challenging for people's survival.

In the history of modern revolution in China, one of the most resounding names came from here-Yan 'an!

Yes, it's Yanan, not anywhere else. In the center of the Loess Plateau, Yan 'an nurtured and strengthened the China Revolution!

What is Yan 'an Spirit? In the final analysis, it is the spirit of hard struggle, that is, the spirit of tenacious survival no matter how hard, tired and struggling. The 908 Hydrogeological Team was originally stationed in Yan 'an and had a deep understanding of Yan 'an spirit.

In recent decades, the hard work of the people in northern Shaanxi has more or less covered this yellow matrix with a green and harmonious color symbolizing life and vitality. In addition, it also became the holy land of modern China's revolution and national rejuvenation. The loess plateau has formed a magnificent picture of "four tables of light, up and down the grid"

The picture scrolls spread out one by one, and the clarity gradually became clear. There are a few faint white clouds under the blue sky. Rolling along the river, constantly moving towards the depths of life.

However, in such a magnificent picture, there is another kind of pain and suffering, another kind of glory and respect, and another kind of struggle and arrival.

The reason is simple, there is water shortage here!

The loess plateau in northern Shaanxi is the core part of the loess plateau in China, where the loess stratum is the most complete and the loess soil is the most developed. Huang Chengcheng's sky and thick soil are the homes of people in northern Shaanxi, where there are countless sufferings. There is no drinking water, which is a problem.

Poor living conditions have also been compiled into folk songs, sung with the wind:

I have no fur and refuse to shed it all the year round. I don't need gauze, and it's hard to stay in my brown shirt for a long time. My trouser legs are wide and thick, so I'll make do with rags. I didn't have a blanket to cover me, so I put a tick on the silk.

When guests stay for a long time, they will toast their milk, bread, onion soup vinegar, pot helmet, garlic, salt, leek, cow's hoof and sheep's head, and even swallow their hair in their mouths, so they will not give up after eating, so they will put a hook on delicacies.

A poem "Qibigou" profoundly and vividly depicts the poor living conditions of the people in northern Shaanxi in history.

Qi, deputy director of Wuqi County Mineral Resources Administration, who has the same homesickness as Ma, said that Wuqi County has been suffering from drought for nine consecutive years, and the water shortage area accounts for more than 60% of the county's total area.

Dongbeigou Village, Xinzhai Township, Wuqi County, next to a small dam where yellow mud water flows down from a ravine, is surrounded by people who come to carry water, carry water and dehydrate with donkeys. Because this water source needs to be supplied to more than ten kilometers of people in Fiona Fang for drinking, it often takes seven or eight hours to pull it at a time, and there is still a queue. People here say they would rather be short of oil than water!

Fuxian County, located on the bank of Luohe River, has 30,000 to 40,000 people in the urban area and only four shallow wells for water supply. Every summer and before and after the Spring Festival, the contradiction between supply and demand is more prominent, and residents have to queue up in the ravine four or five miles away to pull the seepage at the bottom of the ravine. It takes 5-6 hours to fetch water.

He An, the head of Qianer Township in Fuxian County, said: "There are 9,535 people in our township, and there are currently 1630 people, and 1200 large livestock are facing serious drinking water threats."

Farmer Wang Cuiying said: "Because of the lack of water, some 28-and 9-year-old boys in their village can't find wives."

In Fugu, northern Shaanxi, most of the mountains are deep and the traffic is inconvenient, mostly in remote mountainous areas and ravines. The geological structure is very complicated, the environment is harsh and the climate is abnormal. In the loess ravine area, which is seriously short of water, young girls run for more than ten miles to fetch water for the whole family, grinding their feet and pressing their shoulders;

Old people in their sixties and seventies, dragging their weak bodies, struggled to draw water by the almost dry well and finally collapsed on the well platform;

The old lady with white hair and little feet takes out the pots and pans at home as soon as it rains, and washes her face and hands with the rain dripping from the eaves. The water is black, and she is reluctant to throw it away.

……

This unforgettable scene is also deeply imprinted in the hearts of the 908 geological team with the water, which further strengthens their belief that they will not stop until they find the water.

To Ma's great shock, there is no water to eat in the mountainous area and no water to eat in the beach area.

The mountainous area is white, the surface is fragmented, the vegetation is sparse, there are few rivers, only the sources of Jinghe River and Luohe River, and the flow is small, the water quality is poor, the salt content is high, and people and animals cannot drink.

The specific natural, geographical and geological conditions lead to the long-term difficulty in drinking water for people and animals in White mountainous areas. Historically, local people mainly relied on digging mud pits and fish ponds to collect rain, snow and water to solve the problem of drinking water for people and livestock.

Looking through the ancient county annals of Dingbian, there is an objective and true record that "there is little water in the mountain village, and the taste is very bittern. Even if a well is dug, there is no sweetness in it. Each family has its own kiln to store summer rain and winter snow, which is miscellaneous and dirty, and when water is nothing. "

Due to the lack of water, the life of people in mountainous areas is extremely difficult. Half a basin of muddy rain is of great significance to a family of five or six people. First, the family takes turns to wash their faces around the washbasin, then wash their clothes, and then feed them to pigs or sheep.

What is even more pitiful is the children in the mountains. The school only allows each student to drink a bowl of water every day for one day and one night.

According to legend, after a mountain middle school lacked water, it did not provide students with washing water for more than a week. The headmaster reluctantly instructed the students to wait until Sunday to wash!

So helpless, the school as a "public unit" still cherishes water like gold. How can those poor farmers have rich water?

In case of drought and dry pits, people in mountainous areas have to buy water at a high price or go back and forth for dozens of miles to find a little brackish water or high fluorine water to maintain their lives.

When encountering extreme drought, farmers have no choice but to let their livestock "escape", transfer them to places with water outside the mountains for foster care or sale, and then return home after it rains on the mountains. ...

Wuqi, Zhidan, Dingbian and Jingbian in Yan 'an City are located in the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi, which is the most serious water shortage area in Shaanxi and even the whole country.

The shortage of water resources not only affects the normal life of local people, but also greatly restricts the development of local economy. It has become an urgent need for local people and leaders at all levels to solve the drinking water problem of the people in the old areas.

"The key to beautiful mountains and rivers is water. Without water, it is green and yellow." The former Minister of Land and Resources was deeply moved when he visited northern Shaanxi at the beginning of the new century.

The continuous ravines cut Zhidan County apart, where vegetation is sparse, soil is barren and soil erosion is serious, and it is one of the typical poverty-stricken counties.

How many years have passed, and the villagers living in this land have been dreaming of water!

Dreaming of water is actually dreaming of hope and happiness!

"Lead the underground spring, quench your thirst in the west and benefit the old district!" This is the collective oath of a geological team called 908 looking for water people. It is a team that is still a little strange in China, but it is famous in northern Shaanxi.

After the establishment of the "Demonstration Project of Groundwater Exploration in Severe Water Shortage Areas in the West", Wuqi, Fuxian and Zhidan in Yan 'an City, Shaanxi Province were listed as the first batch of emergency exploration areas by China Geological Survey in June 20001year. The project was issued to Shaanxi Geological Survey Institute and implemented by 908 Hydrogeological Brigade of Shaanxi Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.

They are a professional team studying national hydrogeology. Generally speaking, their research is about minerals and soil, and their purpose is to find minerals and develop local resources. They never thought that one day they would be responsible for finding water.

But the thick yellow land needs him, the thirsty people in northern Shaanxi need him, and the poor old district economy needs him.

They have already integrated into this khaki land and river, and have already become a member of the 908 hydrogeological engineering geological brigade with khaki skin color. They have already precipitated the eternal entrepreneurial passion of China ancient culture and the "three honors" spiritual temperament created by the older generation of geologists. They are waiting around for opportunities and opportunities to serve the people in the old areas of northern Shaanxi.

It is gratifying that Wuqi, Fuxian, Zhidan and other areas with serious water shortage successfully carried out the demonstration project of groundwater exploration for the first time, completely rewriting the history of drinking water difficulties for people and livestock.

Holding the sweet and delicious groundwater, an old man in northern Shaanxi said emotionally: "* * * is a good party and found us the 908 geological team. They are our water gods in northern Shaanxi! "

Drink water from your mouth to nourish your life. In the land of suffering, it is the God in our hearts!

On October 4th, 2002/KLOC-0, the monument of Ganlu Spring erected by all villagers in Tangbaqu Village in Baiyun Mountain area of northern Shaanxi, which stood under the blue sky and white clouds, praised the merits of "Water God" to yesterday and tomorrow.

The front of the black stone tablet is engraved with five characters of Wei Ti's "Ganlu Chunming", followed by a magnificent inscription:

My ancestors lived here since childhood. Women don't have clean tools for marriage. "There are three ways to govern the country by virtue: one is to make people safe; Second, win the hearts of the people; Third, conform to public opinion. Although the ancient government maintained the prosperity of the Han and Tang Dynasties, it is a pity that there is no way to stand on the world, and its demise is also very rapid, and the prosperity is also declining. Rebellion is not far from virtue.

When a person is buried, there are few rituals to purify himself, and there is a lack of joy and a heavy sadness. Because without it, the water is covered without ears! Or ask the elders what they regret in this life? Yue: Drinking enough water is enough. Oh! Once upon a time, passers-by saw the scenery and asked, since there is no water, what is there? Answer: only rely on rain and snow, dig holes for storage and drink all the year round. Passers-by observed the mixture of water and manure in the cellar and sighed: this thing is not for our livestock to drink. How can people drink it? Ask again: What if there is no rain or snow? We are all speechless; No, it's palpitations!

At the time of Dexing, there must be something for the people; The day of political communication will be the goodness of the people. In the midsummer of 2002, the yellow leaves and pure leaves were removed, and the clouds condensed late in the glow. Due to the attention of the township government, the support of the county water conservancy bureau and the donation of provincial units, our village has invested millions of yuan to drill wells. At that time, we were excited and cheered, and fought with the 908 Hydrological Engineering Geology Brigade of the Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources for more than 60 days and nights, and finally got a clear spring at a depth of 820 meters. This completely solved the drinking water problem of 440 households, more than 2,000 people and more than 5,000 livestock in my three villages, made great contributions to the sun and the moon, and blessed the good deeds of the world! Our gratitude is beyond words, so we call this well "Ganlu Spring", and the inscription of music will never be forgotten.

Oh! Bai Yushan has a tangible world and attachment to the Loess Plateau, which not only shows the ancient moral and political ways, but also serves the people. Although Han is strong and far away, he does not care about the people so much; Although Tang is rich, he thinks I don't love the people. By this article, I want to praise the kindness of our generation and keep it in mind!

What an interesting inscription! Suffering from their feelings, expressing their wishes, telling their stories sincerely, praising their achievements, fluent and straightforward, with a spirit running through it, paying tribute to our heroes!

The 908 Hydrogeological Engineering Geological Brigade is like an inspiration that finally flashed through hard thinking: in a vast area without living conditions in northern Shaanxi, the source of life "water" is so scarce and precious. Finding "water" for people and animals to drink has special political and economic significance besides life value.

So, at all costs, they step by step towards the realm of myth.

More precisely, for such a realm, they paid their youth, blood and even their lives!

I have set foot on the road to find this magical water team alone many times. See how they fight drought-resistant demons in the "world pinched by crazy gods" and how they sprinkle water into gold.

Yang Liugang, the captain of the 908 Hydrogeological Brigade, who undertook the first batch of emergency exploration areas in Wuqi, Zhidan, Fuxian, Jingbian and Dingbian in Yan 'an, said: "In the loess hilly and gully region of northern Shaanxi, the valleys are as deep as bedrock, and the cracks are not developed, so it is extremely difficult to find water. The difficulty is no greater than the determination of the 908 team to find water for the people in the old district. "

From the first group leader Pei Hengxi and the second group leader Jiang Chaozong to Liu Zongran, Pang Guozhi, Tan Boying, Li, Yang Liugang, Wang Li, Ma and so on. With deep affection and affection, they are determined to find water for the people in the old areas of northern Shaanxi, and the pace is more firm.

200 1 12 One day at the end of February, in the cold winter, the north wind roared, which did not stop the people in the old areas of northern Shaanxi from welcoming the New Year and a new life. The long-awaited two rigs of 908 Hydrogeological Brigade are drilling grandly in Tiebian Town, Wuqi County and Huangcaowan Village, Shunning Town, Zhidan County. ...

As the sun sets and dusk falls, the dazzling lights on the drilling rig are accompanied by the rumble of the drilling rig, which breaks the tranquility of the Loess Plateau. One meter, two meters, five meters, ten meters ... With the pieces of cores being sent to the ground, the people in the old areas who are eager for water have hope and see hope. ...

The great success of groundwater exploration and seepage well engineering in Wuqi, Fuxian and Zhidan areas of Shaanxi Province has pointed out the direction for promoting the "demonstration project of groundwater exploration in severe water shortage areas in the west".

On March 28th, 2002, Zhou Dexi, secretary of Fuxian County Party Committee, personally presented Yang Liugang, the captain of 908 Hydrogeological Team, with a banner embroidered with "Implementing Special Water Exploration to Benefit the People of Fuxian County". On behalf of the people of Fuxian County, he said with deep affection: "Team 908 found groundwater in a water-deficient area like Fuxian County. Combined with the anti-seepage project with a daily production capacity of 3,200 cubic meters, it not only solved the production and life of 30,000 to 40,000 people in our county. Thinking of the source of drinking water, you have really done a great practical and good thing for the people of Fuxian County and our future generations ... "

On April 25, 2002, in the early morning, Dinggou Village in Tongchuan City was boiling. Team 908 gave them a holiday gift. A high-quality well with a daily output of 2000 cubic meters was completed and put into use.

On the day of project acceptance, the villagers' committee of Dinggou Village sent a warm thank-you letter to Team 908, which wrote: "During the construction of drinking water project for people and animals in Dinggou Village, due to the difficulty in raising funds, the production funds could not be put in place in time. Team 908 took care of the overall situation, tried every means to solve problems for the people, overcome various unfavorable factors, overcome difficulties and obstacles, successfully completed the drilling task and successfully completed the well. Team 908 deserves to be a team with excellent technology, strict management and particularly strong combat effectiveness. On the day of the project completion celebration, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the 908 team that contributed to the development and construction of Dinggou Village. "

On July 30th, 2003, Shi Gan Village, Luochuan County, northern Shaanxi completely got rid of the difficulty of water shortage.

Shi Gan Village, located in the Loess Plateau at the foot of Michelle Mountain, has a high plateau, steep slopes and deep valleys.

Local people have been drinking water from the basement for generations. When it is dry every day, you can only get water from a deep ditch a few miles away.

It takes a long time to carry a load of water, even for hard labor. In order to solve the problem of water use, the village raised funds and invited several exploration and construction teams to drill five wells here, but most of them were dry wells.

After accepting this task, Team 908 organized elite soldiers to enter Shi Gan Village with solid basic skills in water search. After a month of intense construction, it actually drilled a high-quality well.

At the grand completion acceptance meeting, villagers came from all directions, beating gongs and drums, setting off firecrackers, and happily set up a stone tablet of "thinking about the source of drinking water".

When the gate was opened, people flocked to the wellhead to drink the spring water.

Water, you used to be our dry tears, and now we laugh and cry for you.

Wang Li was holding a plaque given by the local government in his hand, silently chanting the words "Scientifically looking for water spirits for construction, and now drinking sweet spring is more affectionate", and his eyes could not help but get wet.

Today, in the ravine behind Zao Garden in Yan 'an, and on the stone tablet in front of Zhang Side's tomb, the five characters of "Serving the People" inscribed by comrades are still clearly visible.

Finding water for the people in northern Shaanxi and serving the people in the old areas have long been the motto and code of conduct of the 908 hydrogeology brigade.

This team, which has been conducting a general survey on the yellow soil in northern Shaanxi since 1974, and the story of party member cadres and technicians "keeping pace with the times and finding water scientifically for the old liberated areas" has already been sung in the old revolutionary liberated areas in northern Shaanxi, the Loess Plateau and the ancient town bordering Yulin.

I am wandering in the long history of forming the 908 team for nearly 40 years;

In the revolutionary holy land of Yan' an, the 908 team first camped to find it;

Now they have resolutely moved out of the "virgin land" and "married" out of Lintong. Now Team 908 is wandering in a harmonious and happy home.

Especially in front of that pile of thick award certificates and banners.

These may be the wonderful records of the 908 team's historical footprint, and they are also the moments to show the 908 team's glory. Perhaps, these are not comprehensive.

But if I got the treasure, I gently brushed off a thick layer of dust very piously, carefully unfolded one certificate after another, and the red banner had faded.

Those beautiful words that are still handsome and elegant in letters or official letters, like long-lost friends, resolutely gathered around me, and finally condensed into a line that I never expected and made me suffer a lot: a monument of the "water god" in northern Shaanxi stands proudly in the "world crushed to death by crazy gods"!

About the author: Qin Feng

Wu, pen name Qin Feng. Member of China Land and Resources Writers Association and Shaanxi Writers Association. He once worked in Shaanxi Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and Shaanxi Geology and Mineral Resources Group Company. Reportage such as The Story of Yikangyuan, Looking for the Gold Man in Xiaoqinling, Regionalizing the Soul, The Water God of Northern Shaanxi, The Mystery of Mount Yuanshan in Qinling came out one after another. Searching for the Golden Man in Xiaoqinling won the 5th Gem Literature Award. The collection of essays "The Agreed Dream" was published on 20 1 1. There are many essays such as Impression of Taipei and Sleeping in Xiaohuashan.