Yuan Longping's last time: when he was critically ill, he was also concerned about the growth of rice

Xinhua News Agency, Changsha, May 22 Title: Yuan Longping's last days: When he was critically ill, he was still concerned about the growth of rice

Xinhua News Agency "Xinhua Viewpoint" reporter

On May 22, in Changsha, Hunan Province, the drizzle was miserable, and sad emotions filled the sky over the city.

Despite the hospital's full rescue and treatment, although his family sang his favorite songs such as "Red Plum Blossom" at the bedside, hoping that he could open his eyes, he could not usher in a miracle in the end.

At 13:07, Yuan Longping, the "Father of Hybrid Rice" and the recipient of the Order of the Republic and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, died in Changsha at the age of 91 due to ineffective medical treatment.

At about 16:00, the hearse slowly drove out of the hospital, and the citizens who heard the news gathered on the side of the road to send them off. The driver stopped the vehicle and honked, and people held flowers on their chests and shouted sadly: "Grandpa Yuan, all the way good, all the way good!" ”

When I was critically ill, I thought about rice every day and asked about the weather

In the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, under the orange light in the ward, the remains of Yuan Lao, whose eyes were closed, were peaceful and calm, and the three sons covered the old man with a red silk blanket. At about 14:00, accompanied by his family, Elder Yuan's wife Deng Ze entered the ward, sat on a chair, and quietly accompanied Elder Yuan's body, with a sad face.

"The old man did not leave a last word, but when he could still speak, he still remembered the hybrid rice cause, and hoped that the disciples would develop the hybrid rice cause well and promote the hybrid rice well." In the ward of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Ms. Gan, the daughter-in-law of Elder Yuan, choked up and told reporters.

In March this year, 91-year-old Yuan Lao, who accidentally fell at the Nanfan base in Sanya, Hainan, was rushed to the local hospital and transferred back to Changsha for treatment in early April.

At the beginning of admission, Elder Yuan had to ask the medical staff every day: "Is it sunny or raining outside?" "How many degrees today?"

At one point, the nurse said 28 ° C. He was anxious, "This has an impact on the maturity of the third season of hybrid rice!" ”

Recalling the scene at that time, a medical staff member could not help crying: "He himself is so bad in health, and he is still concerned about whether his rice grows well or not." ”

Two months before his death, he was still working in a hybrid rice base

In December 2020, Yuan Lao, who had reached the age of 90, went to the Nanfan Base in Sanya, Hainan province to carry out scientific research as usual, despite concerns about his physical condition from his family and colleagues.

Just arrived in Sanya, Yuan Lao presided over the launch meeting of the hybrid rice double-cropping mu output target project of 3,000 jin. In a video taken by Li Jianwu, director of the Cultivation Physiology and Ecology Department of the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, Yuan Lao said: "We have implemented the task at this meeting. Everyone replied in unison, "Yes," and there was a loud applause at the scene.

Elder Yuan will work in the Sanya Nanfan base for three or four months every year, and when his physical condition is good, he will go to the field almost every day to check the number of ears per mu, the size of the grain, and whether there is an empty shell.

This time to Sanya, because of the inconvenience of legs and feet, Yuan Lao could not often go to the field, he picked up a microscope at the residence, carefully observed the third generation of hybrid rice seeds, and made detailed records. Once, he was worried that a scientific research activity was not well organized, and before he could inform the secretary, he called the driver alone and rushed over, so that the secretary and his family stomped their feet.

The staff around him recalled that every day when eating, walking, and sleeping, Elder Yuan was thinking about the third generation of hybrid rice.

"Boy, come on! ”

Elder Yuan calls himself a "post-90s", although he refers to more than 90 years old, but he does mingle with young people.

In Sanya, Elder Yuan and other researchers live in a building and live frugally. Outside of work, he would go to the supermarket on his own. Returning from the supermarket, Elder Yuan often buys short-sleeved shirts, shoes and other items for young people.

In November last year, in Qingzhu Village, Hengnan County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province, the third generation of hybrid rice was measured. When the good news reached Changsha, Elder Yuan spoke excitedly in English: "I feel excited, more than excited." ”

Soon, the news made it to the hot search list. People say that Yuan Longping brings his own traffic and is a real "net red".

In April this year, Li Jianwu, who has worked with Elder Yuan for 13 years, posted a short video of the two taking a group photo of the two people over the years on social platforms, with more than 400,000 likes. Li Jianwu wrote: "The road of hybrid rice with Academician Yuan Longping, teenager, come on! ”

On May 22, upon hearing the news of Yuan Lao's death, many colleagues at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center were sowing seeds at a scientific research base in Changsha County. The day before, they had just formulated a specific implementation plan based on the production target proposed by Elder Yuan.

Li Jianwu told reporters that Yuan Lao is the "Bole" of many young people, and the younger generation of scientific research workers will inherit his spirit and continue to climb the peak in the hybrid rice cause. (Reporters Zhou Mian, Bai Tiantian, Zhou Nan, Liu Liangheng, Shuai Cai) (End)