On the vast Gobi Desert in Xinjiang, the figure of a young woman gradually disappeared into the wind and sand. Her story, like a secret buried by the wind and sand, is waiting to be discovered. At that moment, the cold snow left her last traces - ten fingers stuck deep in the snow, and a geological drawing in her arms recorded her discovery.
Loss of both parents
In March 1936, a baby girl named Yang Zhenglu fell to the ground in China's Shaanxi Province. She was born into a special family, and her father was Yang Hucheng, a famous general who ruled Shaanxi. However, the turbulent times and the heavy responsibilities of their father make their reunion almost a luxury.
When Yang Zhenglu was only nine months old, her father launched the Xi'an Incident that shocked China and the world. At that time, Yang Hucheng knew that if this adventure succeeded, he would be a hero, and if it failed, he and his family would have no place to stand. For the safety of his family, he decided to let his children flee to Sichuan with his grandmother.
Although the Xi'an Incident did not cause Yang Hucheng to immediately lose his freedom, he was forced to relinquish his military power and go abroad. In November 1937, he returned to his homeland with a strong anti-Japanese ambition, but was detained by the Kuomintang. For the long years that followed, the prison became his home.
During these difficult years, Yang Zhenglu's mother, Xie Baozhen, took Yang Zhenglu's brother Yang Zhengzhong to visit Yang Hucheng, but was also imprisoned. Since then, Yang Zhenglu has never seen his parents. On February 8, 1947, after several days of hunger strike, Xie Baozhen was brutally killed by the secret service doctor.
In 1949, Yang Hucheng was finally executed by Mao Renfeng's order, and together with Yang Zhenglu's siblings, their lives ended. At this time, Yang Zhenglu was 13 years old and a student at Xi'an Girls' High School. In the year of her father's death, she joined the Chinese Communist Youth League. When she reached the threshold of 18 years old, she resolutely joined the Communist Party of China.
Seek in the call of the Gobi
In 1952, the National Geological Work Conference was held in Beijing, marking the full start of China's geological exploration work. At this time, Yang Zhenglu was sitting in the classroom of Northwest University, listening attentively to the professor's explanation of the basic knowledge of geology. Her heart is full of longing for the future and deep love for the motherland.
In an after-class discussion, she talked to her classmates about her ideals and ambitions: "Our country is under construction, and every strength is precious. As geologists, we can contribute to the prosperity of our country. ”
During the study period, Yang Zhenglu was not only satisfied with the knowledge in the textbooks, but also took the initiative to participate in various practical activities to continuously improve her practical skills. She knows that while theoretical knowledge is important, the real challenge and learning is in the field. She often said to herself, "If you want to be a good geologist, you have to combine theory and practice." ”
In the summer of 1955, Yang Zhenglu finally graduated from the Department of Geology of Northwest University in Xi'an. In her heart, there is an unwavering conviction: she will go to the place where the motherland needs her most, no matter how difficult the conditions are. When she learned that she would be assigned to the mysterious and vast land of Xinjiang, she couldn't contain her excitement and danced happily.
Explaining her choice to her family, she said: "Although the conditions in Xinjiang are difficult, there is a greater need for people. If my work can contribute a little bit to the country's oil exploration, then all the hard work is worth it. Eventually, her family was touched by her determination and love and supported her to go to the frontier.
In the 50s of the 20th century, China was a critical period when national construction urgently needed scientific and technological strength. During this period, geological exploration became one of the important tasks of the country's industrialization development, especially in the vast Xinjiang region, and the search for oil and other mineral resources became a major problem that needed to be solved urgently.
After arriving in Xinjiang, Yang Zhenglu quickly adapted to the harsh living environment and work rhythm there. Together with her teammates, she fought day and night on the vast Gobi Desert, fearless of the cold and heat, just to find precious oil resources. In the process, she showed extraordinary courage and perseverance, becoming the centerpiece of the team.
She became the captain of the 106 Geological Survey Team and was the only female leader of the team. Under her leadership, Team 106 has made remarkable achievements and won the glorious title of "Youth Commando". She has also been rated as an advanced producer many times, which is a recognition of her unremitting efforts and outstanding contributions.
Fly against the wind
In July 1958, the 106th Geological Exploration Team led by Yang Zhenglu faced the harsh environment of the beautiful region of Kra: unbearable heat and lack of water. However, this young team showed remarkable resilience and efficiency, and astoundingly completed the geological scrutiny task, achieving 187% of the national plan.
Immediately afterwards, the 106th team did not stop at all, and immediately moved to the Santang Lake basin on the border between China and Mongolia to start the petroleum geological survey work. At this stage, their efforts were equally remarkable, and in August they exceeded their monthly quota.
By September, they had completed a survey of 6,800 square kilometers in just 21 days, more than double the results of the national plan, and the quality was fully up to standard. During this series of high-intensity work, Chairman Zhu De's greetings to the oil workers during his visit to Karamay in mid-September brought great encouragement to the entire team.
Just as Team 106, led by Yang Zhenglu, was ready to plunge into the next challenge, a sudden misfortune interrupted their tracks. One day in September, when the weather was unusually clear, Yang Zhenglu led her team members deep into the Gobi Desert.
Her goal is to complete the geological exploration of the Santang Lake Basin, which is an extremely important task related to the direction and progress of future energy development. Even though she has been working on this desolate land for months, every trip is still full of unknowns and challenges.
That afternoon, the weather suddenly changed as the team went deeper into the vicinity of the survey site to collect geological samples. At first, the wind and sand gradually increased, and soon, a sudden snowstorm overwhelmed the entire team. In the wind and snow, the visibility was extremely low, and Yang Zhenglu and the team members could only rely on each other's calls to try their best to keep the formation intact.
"Stay in formation, don't get separated!" Yang Zhenglu shouted, even though her voice was almost swallowed by the wind and snow. The team members followed closely and tried to find a place to shelter from the wind. But in the vast Gobi, finding refuge is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
The wind and snow lasted for several hours, and the temperature plummeted to minus forty degrees. Yang Zhenglu realized that the situation was much worse than she expected. She worries that she and her teammates may not survive the blizzard. At this life-and-death moment, Yang Zhenglu did not give up hope, she encouraged the team members: "We must persevere, the wind and snow will always pass, we can't give up!"
The blizzard finally stopped in the middle of the night, and the sky gradually cleared. But when the rescue team found Yang Zhenglu the next morning, she had collapsed in the snow due to extreme cold and physical exhaustion. The most heart-wrenching thing was that her ten fingers were stuck deep in the cold earth, as if she was trying to hold on to something at the last moment.
In her arms, she held tightly a geological map drawn by herself, on which the geological structure and oil potential of the exploration area were marked in different colors. The news of Yang Zhenglu's sacrifice quickly spread throughout the exploration team, and everyone's hearts were full of grief and reluctance.
Yang Zhenglu's colleagues gathered together and looked at the drawing in silence, their hearts full of respect and responsibility for her. One of the team members whispered, "She completed this geological map with her life, and we must continue her work and not let her sacrifice be in vain." ”
In the days that followed, Yang's story and her geological drawings inspired the entire exploration team. They overcame all kinds of difficulties and finally discovered rich oil resources in the Santang Lake Basin, which made great contributions to the country's energy development.
Postponed weddings
In fact, Yang Zhenglu and her lover were originally going to get married in the autumn of 1958, but in the face of their responsibility to the country, Yang Zhenglu decided to complete the census task in the Santang Lake area first. This decision, which no one expected, became the last task of her life. Faced with this tragedy, her brother Yang Zhengmin suggested that "the ashes should be cremated on the spot and the ashes returned".
People gathered a lot of firewood, a plant that survived tenaciously in the arid Gobi and cold deserts, and was loved by Yang Zhenglu during his lifetime. Her body was reduced to ashes in the flames. Later, the organization posthumously recognized her as "an outstanding son and daughter of the party, an excellent representative of intellectuals, and a strong and unyielding model Communist Party member."
In June 1959, her lover Xie Hong brought Yang Zhenglu's ashes back to Xi'an and buried them in the martyr's cemetery on the west side of Du Fu's Temple in Weiqu Township, southern suburbs. Decades later, in order to commemorate Yang Zhenglu's contribution to geological exploration, in 1982, the Geological Society of China named an oil-bearing geological structure she explored in the Santang Lake Basin as "Zhenglu Anticline".
In the late 90s, based on her life deeds, the Xinjiang Petroleum Administration of China National Petroleum Corporation and the Karamay City Song and Dance Troupe of Xinjiang created the dance drama "Daughter of the Desert" to commemorate this brave daughter in the desert.
After experiencing Yang Zhenglu's tragic sacrifice, Xie Hong chose to continue to weave his life closely into the fate of the vast land of Xinjiang. He began his career in oil exploration and exploration, eventually assuming leadership positions. By the coincidence of fate, Xie Hong later met Yang Zhenglu's fourth sister, Yang Zhenghan.
The encounter between the two seems to be the arrangement of fate, and it seems to be the indissoluble bond between the Yang family and Xie Hong that pulls again. After experiencing a profound loss, the acquaintance between Xie Hong and Yang Zhenghan gave each other a new beginning. Becoming the son-in-law of General Yang Hucheng again, Xie Hong's life seems to have been fulfilled in a certain sense at this moment.
Epilogue:
Although Yang Zhenglu's life is short, her spirit is like an eternal starlight on the Gobi, illuminating the road to the future. Yang Zhenglu's legacy, that precious geological drawing, is not only an affirmation of her personal contributions, but also an encouragement to those who come after her.