Episode 8 recap: Sha Kai took out rice and shared it with the warriors. Luo Xiang Qian persisted in conducting experiments to catch up with the schedule.
Zhang Biao couldn't stand Sha Kai's cleanliness obsession, so he went to find Luo Xiang Qian and Wu Qiang. However, TM persuaded him to reconcile with Sha Kai, and Zhang Biao reluctantly left the unit. Luo Xiang Qian requested Sha Kai to reinspect after the roadbed reconstruction and decided to start laying the rails ahead of schedule.
Sha Kai took advantage of the opportunity to raise the acceptance criteria, which thoroughly angered Luo Xiang Qian. He wanted to know if Sha Kai was taking revenge. After a moment of silence, Sha Kai replied that he would check the information and verify it. Zhang Biao also suspected that Sha Kai was deliberately causing trouble.
Sha Kai refused the opportunity to study in the United States and wanted to go to the exploration team with his fiancee Ye Lan. However, he was assigned to the vanguard unit instead, which made Sha Kai very dissatisfied. As a result, he raised the acceptance criteria. Zhang Biao was interested in the relationship between Sha Kai and Ye Lan, so Sha Kai vividly recounted the romantic story of how they met and fell in love. Back in college, someone bullied Sha Kai, and Ye Lan stood up for him. Subsequently, Sha Kai pursued Ye Lan.
Their romance made Zhang Biao jealous. Sha Kai knew that Zhang Biao liked Dr. Yu, so he found a way for them to meet. Caught off guard, Zhang Biao quickly made an excuse and hid. To boost the soldiers' morale, Luo Xiang Qian instructed the unit's propagandist to encourage the team.
Dr. Yu Huilan visited the construction site again to offer condolences. Zhang Biao stared straight at Dr. Yu, and Sha Kai saw everything in his eyes. Zhang Biao deliberately injured his leg, and Sha Kai accompanied him to dress the wound. Dr. Yu helped treat Zhang Biao's injury, and Zhang Biao was in a very pleasant mood.
He praised Dr. Yu's medical skills multiple times, and Sha Kai took the opportunity to speak highly of Zhang Biao to Dr. Yu, but she didn't pay much attention. Luo Xiang Qian approached Sha Kai to discuss reinforcing the roadbed in advance and laying the tracks ahead of schedule. Sha Kai believed that doing so would violate international conventions and insisted that the roadbed must go through one or two rainy seasons of accumulation before laying.
Luo Xiang Qian felt that the people of Sichuan would wait too long with this approach and insisted on making an attempt. Sha Kai dismissed this idea and told Wu Qiang that he would bring relevant professional books to Luo Xiang Qian later, so he could learn what science is.
Luo Xiang Qian studied hard at night and quickly finished reading the books Sha Kai gave him.
At the same time, he also wrote a book of study notes. In the book, Luo Xiang Qian found examples of road reinforcement and early laying of steel rails abroad. He asked Sha Kai to discuss this, but Sha Kai refused his proposal on the grounds that it did not conform to the Chinese national conditions.
The government-allocated rice did not arrive. The soldiers only ate pumpkin porridge and sweet potatoes. Sha Kai continued to eat white rice as usual. Several soldiers came to protest. Wu Qiang asked the old squad leader who had experienced the Long March to tell them about the difficulties the Red Army faced when crossing snow-capped mountains and grasslands. The old squad leader of the mess hall told a story about a 14-year-old Red Army soldier who carried the collective's barley flour but starved to death on the grassland. This story deeply educated the soldiers present, and Sha Kai was also deeply moved after hearing it.
Sha Kai took the initiative to bring the rice to the old squad leader of the mess hall, and the old squad leader asked Xiao Beifang to prepare pumpkin rice for the soldiers. Upon learning this news, Luo Xiang Qian looked at Sha Kai with new respect. Coincidentally, it was August 1st, Army Day. Luo Xiang Qian asked the old squad leader to improve the soldiers' meals and publicly praised Sha Kai's selfless dedication. Wu Qiang encouraged everyone to learn from Sha Kai.
Sha Kai ate pumpkin rice with the soldiers and felt a satisfaction he had never experienced before. Sha Kai had been raised in a privileged environment since childhood and had never experienced such hardships. Coupled with his inability to tolerate Luo Xiang Qian's rough personality, he complained more in front of Wu Qiang.
It is currently the hottest time of the year, and there are many mosquitoes on the construction site and in the living quarters. The soldiers felt very uncomfortable after being bitten, and Sha Kai couldn't stand it either. Luo Xiang Qian went over mountains and through valleys to cut mugwort. He specially brought a bundle for Sha Kai and promised that he would not be bitten by mosquitoes after he left. Sha Kai was skeptical but half-believed.
Luo Xiang Qian brought the mugwort to the soldiers' living quarters and lit it. The mosquitoes were immediately driven away, and the soldiers were able to rest well.
Comments(Episode 8)