Chapter 42: The Research Institute Lacks Glassware, and the Education Bureau Allocates Twenty Yuan

In the open space behind the village primary school yard, several half-grown children squatted in a circle around a wooden crate, their heads clustered together to stare at the mung bean sprouts that had just broken through the soil. Lu Xingchen clutched a small notebook, his brows tightly furrowed—the sprouts had withered at the tips mere moments after emerging because they lacked a glass incubator to properly regulate the temperature.

"Xingchen, if they keep withering like this, we won't have anything to show the teacher next week," Fatty scratched his head, poking the wet gauze inside the crate with his finger. "They were fine yesterday, but they went soft today. Is it because the weather's too cold?"

Lu Xingchen nodded, opening his notebook and pointing to the notes for everyone to see. "The book says mung bean sprouts need around twenty-five degrees to grow. With the big temperature swings between morning and night right now, we can't do without an incubator. If the temperature goes up and down, they won't grow right."

"But glass has to be bought with ration coupons, and where are we going to get coupons?" another classmate whispered. "When my mother bought glass to fix the window last time, she ran to the supply and marketing cooperative three times and still couldn't get any. She said you need an official unit certificate."

The children instantly lost their spirits. This "Tiny Scientific Research Group" had been initiated by Lu Xingchen with the original intention of cultivating bean sprouts to donate to the school cafeteria and save mung beans. Now, all they lacked was a piece of glass to serve as the lid for the incubator, and seeing as it was about to fall through halfway, none of them were willing to resign themselves to it.

On the way home from school, Lu Xingchen dawdled, his mind entirely consumed by the matter of the glass. Upon returning home and seeing Su Yao drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard, he hurried over. "Mom, our research group is cultivating bean sprouts, but we're missing glass to make an incubator. Without the glass, the sprouts won't grow properly, but you need coupons to buy glass. Is there any way to get it?"

Su Yao stopped what she was doing, squatting down to look at her son's flushed, anxious face. "Glass isn't easy to buy; you have to have a unit certificate. How much do you need, and what's the incubator for?"

"About this big," Lu Xingchen gestured with his hands. "Cut into small pieces ten centimeters square, to cover the wooden crate as an incubator. The sprouts will grow fast and won't wither as easily. We want to donate them to the cafeteria; it could save ten catties of mung beans!"

A stir passed through Su Yao's heart—her child had an idea and was actually putting in the effort; she couldn't let them give up just because they lacked glass. She pondered that the county education bureau might just approve a special fund. After all, doing research for the school while also saving grain was a serious and proper endeavor.

"Let's go. Mom will take you to the county education bureau to ask," Su Yao wiped her hands, went inside to change into a clean tunic, and took a piece of paper from the drawer to write a simple application. "We'll explain it to the bureau chief; he might just approve the funds to buy glass."

The mother and son set off for the county town early the next morning. The education bureau was housed in an old office building, the corridors drifting with the scent of ink. Su Yao found the bureau chief's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a resonant voice sounded from within.

Su Yao pushed the door open to see Bureau Chief Zhang sitting at his desk reading documents, and she promptly handed over the application. "Hello, Bureau Chief Zhang. I am Su Yao from Red Flag Village, and this is my son, Lu Xingchen. Their school has established a 'Tiny Scientific Research Group' and wants to cultivate bean sprouts to donate to the cafeteria to save grain. They lack glass to make an incubator and would like to apply for special funds to buy glass."

Bureau Chief Zhang put down his pen, took the application to read it, and then looked at Lu Xingchen. "Little friend, how much grain can your bean sprouts cultivation save? Does the incubator really have to use glass?"

Lu Xingchen quickly replied, "Grandpa Zhang, we've calculated that each time we can cultivate five catties of bean sprouts, which is enough for the cafeteria to make a pot of soup and save ten catties of mung beans. Without glass, we can't control the temperature, and the sprouts won't grow well and will easily rot, which would waste even more mung beans."

"Oh? You can even do the math," Bureau Chief Zhang smiled. "It's a great idea that both trains practical skills and saves grain; it ought to be supported. But the bureau's funds are also tight. Tell me, why must we approve this money?"

Su Yao took over the conversation. "Bureau Chief Zhang, it's not easy for children to do scientific research. This isn't just about cultivating bean sprouts; it's about cultivating a sense of responsibility. The state is calling for grain conservation right now, and for children to use their own methods to save grain only to give up because of missing glass would be a great pity. Besides, once the glass is bought, they can use it for other experiments in the future—it's not a one-time thing."

Bureau Chief Zhang nodded and thought for a moment, then took his pen and signed the application. "Alright, I'll approve a special fund of twenty yuan. Go to the finance department to collect the money and get a certificate, then go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the glass. Remember that the money must be spent where it counts most, and don't waste it."

Lu Xingchen jumped up with joy. "Thank you, Grandpa Zhang! We will definitely do a good job with the experiment and cultivate the best bean sprouts!"

After collecting the money, Su Yao took Lu Xingchen to the supply and marketing cooperative. Armed with the education bureau's certificate, Director Wang readily provided the glass and even had the technician cut it into small ten-centimeter square pieces. The twenty pieces cost eighteen yuan, and with the remaining two yuan, Su Yao bought her son pencils and exercise books.

Back in the village, Lu Xingchen eagerly called his research group classmates to carry the glass to the back yard of the school. Looking at the sparkling glass, the children were utterly thrilled.

"We've got glass! Hurry up and build the incubator!" Fatty rubbed his hands together, eager to try.

Lu Xingchen nodded and hauled over several discarded wooden boards from home—leftovers from the pharmaceutical factory's renovation that he had deliberately saved for experimental racks. "We'll use the scrap wood to build the frame first, then stick the glass on top as a lid," he said. "I asked my mother—in the seventies, when there was no glue, thick rice paste can be used to stick glass together, and it's even sturdy."

The children divided up the work: some sawed the wood, some boiled the rice paste, and some cleaned the glass. Lu Xingchen was responsible for measuring dimensions, using a pencil to draw lines on the boards for everyone to follow while sawing. Fatty had plenty of strength, his face turning red as he sawed the wood, completely unconcerned about the sawdust flying all over his face.

"Xingchen, the rice paste is ready. Is it thick enough?" A female classmate ran over holding a pot, the rice paste inside steaming and viscous.

Lu Xingchen stirred it with a chopsticks. "It's enough. Just smear a layer of rice paste on the wooden frame and stick the glass on. Once it dries, it'll be solid."

The children carefully smeared the rice paste and attached the glass, terrified of breaking it. Lu Xingchen helped out while instructing, "Align the edges of the glass and spread the rice paste evenly, otherwise it won't stick firmly."

After a busy afternoon, the incubator was finished. A glass lid covered the rectangular wooden crate, with a small opening on the side for easy observation. The children moved the previously withered sprouts inside, laid down a layer of wet gauze, and waited with full anticipation.

Over the next few days, Lu Xingchen ran over to check on the bean sprouts every day after school. With the stable temperature inside the incubator, the sprouts grew rapidly, reaching an inch long within days—plump, white, and appetizing.

"Terrific! They've grown so well; we can definitely send them to the cafeteria!" Fatty reached out to touch them, only to be stopped by Lu Xingchen.

"Don't touch them. If you touch them before they're mature, they'll spoil easily," Lu Xingchen said. "Wait two more days, then we'll harvest them and send them to the cafeteria."

On the day of the harvest, the children carefully plucked the bean sprouts from the incubator, filling two large bamboo baskets. Carrying the baskets, Lu Xingchen led his classmates to find the principal.

The principal looked at the fresh bean sprouts in utter astonishment. "You actually cultivated these? These sprouts are fresher than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative!"

"Principal, these are the results of our research group. We want to donate them to the cafeteria so the whole school can taste them," Lu Xingchen said.

The principal happily patted his shoulder. "Good! Send them to the cafeteria. We'll make bean sprout soup for everyone today at noon!"

At noon, the fragrance of bean sprout soup drifted from the large pots in the cafeteria. The students queued up for food, each getting a spoonful in their bowls. The crisp, tender sprouts paired with a light, salty broth tasted simply wonderful.

"This bean sprout soup is so delicious. Did we cultivate this ourselves?" a student asked.

"That's right. Lu Xingchen and his research group cultivated it, and we'll be able to eat it often from now on," the teacher said with a smile.

The other students all looked at Lu Xingchen, their eyes full of envy. Lu Xingchen felt wonderful inside, feeling that all the previous hard work had been worth it.

That afternoon, the principal wrote a letter of gratitude and posted it at the entrance of the pharmaceutical factory. It read: "The 'Tiny Scientific Research Group' of Red Flag Village Primary School, taking grain conservation as their duty, cultivated bean sprouts and donated them to the cafeteria, displaying youthful dedication. A strong youth makes a strong country; such a spirit is worthy of praise!"

Villagers passing by gathered around to look, and some even read it aloud to their children. Widow Li smiled and said, "That boy Xingchen is truly capable. He does well in school and can even do scientific research; he'll definitely amount to something in the future."

Erzhuzi also chimed in, "Our village kids are just different. From a young age, they know how to save grain, and in the future, they'll be able to contribute to the country."

Looking at the letter of gratitude, Su Yao felt a deep sense of gratification. When Lu Zhanye came back that evening and heard about the matter, he said happily, "Xingchen is getting more and more like you—unflustered in the face of trouble and knowing how to find a way out."

"It's all the children's own hard work," Su Yao smiled. "We should support them more in doing scientific research in the future; who knows, they might cultivate even better things."

Lu Xingchen and his classmates were still improving the incubator, finding that the rice paste used to stick the glass tended to unseal after a long time, and they wanted to find another way to reinforce it. He remembered the resin he saw at the pharmaceutical factory and asked Su Yao if it could be used.

Su Yao smiled. "Resin is an industrial product and can't be used casually. However, using cloth strips dipped in rice paste to paste over the joints between the glass and the wooden boards will make it sturdier."

The children followed Su Yao's instructions, and sure enough, the incubator was reinforced. They even planned to cultivate small green vegetables and mushrooms, hoping to provide more vegetables for the cafeteria in the future.

That night, Lu Xingchen wrote in his diary: "Today, all the students in the school drank the bean sprout soup we cultivated, and everyone was happy. We must continue to work hard in the future, undertake more scientific research projects, help the school save grain, and contribute to the country."

Su Yao walked into the room and, seeing her son earnestly writing, quietly retreated. She knew her child's scientific research path had only just begun; with this passion and persistence, he would surely achieve greater results in the future. All she could do was constantly support them and create good conditions for them.

Outside the window, moonlight spilled into the courtyard, illuminating the sign of the pharmaceutical factory. Su Yao stood in the yard, her heart full of anticipation. She seemed to see that years later, these children would all grow up to be useful people, shining in their respective posts and contributing to the country's development. And all of this started from this tiny mung bean research project, from that hard-earned piece of glass.

In the days that followed, the "Tiny Scientific Research Group" became a role model in the village. Teachers from other schools came specially to learn the ropes and study the experience of cultivating bean sprouts. Lu Xingchen also became a minor celebrity, praised everywhere he went.

Yet Lu Xingchen did not grow proud; he knew there was still much to learn. He frequently went to the commune library to check reference materials and also sought out Professor Zhang for planting knowledge. Professor Zhang liked this studious child, often telling him stories of agricultural scientific research and encouraging him to study hard so he could become an agricultural scientist in the future.

Lu Xingchen took Professor Zhang's words to heart and worked even harder on his research. He and his classmates successfully cultivated small green vegetables; though they didn't grow tall, they were tender and fresh, and were very popular among the students after being sent to the cafeteria.

Seeing the children's achievements, the principal praised the "Tiny Scientific Research Group" at a whole-school assembly, calling on all students to learn from them and cultivate the habits of saving grain and loving science from an early age.

Watching her son's growth, Su Yao felt brimming with happiness. She knew that the twenty yuan special fund for the glass had not only solved the children's urgent need but had also ignited their passion for science. This passion would accompany them throughout their lives, becoming the driving force for their advancement.

Deep into the night, the lights at the pharmaceutical factory were still bright. Su Yao sat at her desk, looking at the research report written by Lu Xingchen, a smile blooming on her face. The report detailed the mung bean cultivation process, the problems encountered and their solutions, as well as future plans. Though the handwriting was youthful, it was full of earnestness and perseverance.

Su Yao believed that as long as the children maintained this passion and persistence, they would surely create more miracles in the future. And she would always stand behind them, cheering them on and supporting them in chasing their dreams.