Introduction to the work
In the autumn of 1960, in a cave dwelling on the Loess Plateau, Lin Xiu, an agricultural lecturer, traveled from the laboratory to a widow with two children.
The "possessions" she faced were 5 pounds of moldy wheat bran, half a can of coarse salt, the "Original Method of Fertilizer Manual" left by her husband, and the front page of the "People's Daily" taped on the wall - "The whole party takes action, the whole people mobilize, develop agriculture in a big way, and develop food in a big way." The stepson (4 years old) is missing a section of his little finger (last year he stole a sweet potato vine from the commune and was accidentally injured by a sickle), and the biological daughter Zhou Xiaoyu (1 year old) has edema all over due to malnutrition. When her husband's family took away the martyr's pension stamps, they left behind a sentence: "The third child died in the reservoir because his life was short. These tickets should go to Lao Zhou's family!"
Hunger is the first battle for survival.
Scientific knowledge is the second weapon.
The innocence of children illuminates dark times.
Purpose: In the extreme era of material scarcity, use scientific wisdom to protect the dignity of life, and use family warmth to resist the absurdity of the times