On May 22, it was drizzling in Changsha, Hunan Province, and a sad mood filled the air of the big city. Although the hospital went all out to rescue him, and although his family sang his favorite music such as "Red Plum Blossoms Are Blooming" in front of his bed, hoping that he could open his eyes, in the end he still failed to receive the surprise.
At 13:07, Yuan Longping, the "originator of hybrid rice", winner of the "National Medal of China", and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, died suddenly in Changsha at the age of 91 due to an illness that failed to save him. Around 16:00, the funeral car slowly left the hospital, and people gathered on the roadside to bid farewell. The driver stopped the car and sirens, everyone held the bouquets in their chests and shouted sadly: "Grandpa Yuan, have a good trip, have a good trip!"
Central South University Xiangya Hospital, the orange color in the hospital ward Under the lighting effect, Mr. Yuan's body, with his eyes closed, looked peaceful and peaceful. Three children covered the old man with a red silk blanket. At around 14:00, with family members waiting, Mr. Yuan's wife Deng Ze entered the hospital ward, sat on a chair, and quietly accompanied Mr. Yuan's body, looking miserable.
In March 2020, 91-year-old Yuan accidentally fell at the Nanfan Base in Sanya, Hainan, and was rushed to a local hospital. In early April, he was transferred to Changsha for treatment. At the beginning of his hospitalization, Mr. Yuan asked the medical staff every day: "Is it sunny or raining outside?" "What is the temperature today?" Once, the medical staff said 28°C. He was anxious, "This will have an impact on the maturity of the third season hybrid rice!" ”
Recalling the scene at that time, a medical staff couldn’t help sobbing. In December 2020, Mr. Yuan turned 90 years old. Although his family and colleagues were worried about his health, he might be as normal as before. They also went to Sanya, Hainan, for scientific research.
After arriving in Sanya, Mr. Yuan held a launch meeting for the scientific and technological research target of double-cropping hybrid rice per mu. In a video shot by Li Jianwu, the head of the center's Cultivation Physiology and Ecology Department, Mr. Yuan said: "We will implement the task at this meeting." Everyone responded in unison, "Okay", and there was thunderous applause on the spot.
Mr. Yuan will work at the Sanya Nanfa Base for three or four months every year. When his health is good, he will go to the fields almost every day to check the number of ears per mu. , grain size, whether there are empty shells. During this trip to Sanya, Mr. Yuan could not go to the fields often due to trouble with his hands and legs. He took out an optical microscope at his residence, carefully observed the third-generation hybrid rice seeds, and took detailed records. Once, he was worried that an academic activity was not being organized well, so he called the driver and rushed over without even notifying the secretary, making the secretary and his family stomp their feet in anger.
The staff around him recalled that Mr. Yuan was always thinking about third-generation hybrid rice every day during meals, walks, and before going to bed. Mr. Yuan calls himself "post-90s". Although he refers to people over 90 years old, he does get along well with young people. In Sanya, Mr. Yuan lives in a building with other scientific and technical personnel and lives a frugal life. In his spare time, he would go shopping by himself. After returning home from the mall, Mr. Yuan often buys short-sleeved shirts, shoes and other items for young people.
In November last year, the yield of third-generation hybrid rice was measured in Qingzhu Village, Hengnan County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. When the good news reached Changsha, Mr. Yuan happily talked about English: "I feel excited, more?than?excited." Soon, this news report became a hot search. People say that Yuan Longping has built-in traffic and is a true "Internet celebrity".
In April 2021, Li Jianwu, who had been with Mr. Yuan for 13 years, posted a short video of the two of them taking photos together on social platforms, which received more than 400,000 likes. Li Jianwu wrote: "The journey of hybrid rice with Academician Yuan Longping, boy, come on!" On May 22, after hearing the news of Mr. Yuan's death, many friends from the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center started planting at the scientific research industrial base in Changsha County. The day before, they had just formulated practical implementation suggestions based on the production volume goals proposed by Mr. Yuan.
Li Jianwu told reporters that Mr. Yuan is the "Bo Le" of many young people, and the younger generation of scientific researchers will inherit his spirit and continue to advance bravely in the field of hybrid rice.
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