Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2957 The Military Reclamation City Will Not Be Absent

The slope protection he built had stones arranged in a staggered pattern with even gaps, as if it were naturally formed, giving it a greater sense of weight and beauty than mechanically sprayed cement slope protection.

After laying the last stone, Kurbanjan, an elderly man, gently carved a small, abstract poplar tree pattern with a chisel in an inconspicuous corner—his unique mark.

The construction foreman asked curiously, "Uncle, why are you carving this?"

The old man gazed intently at the irrigation canal that was about to be filled with water.

"This canal will flow for many years to come, supporting many people. I'm too old to live to see it fully function."

"But leaving this mark will allow my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know, when they pass by this place, that their grandfather once contributed to this 'lifeline canal'."

"It's like...like signing my name on this land."

His words moved everyone present. It turned out that this silent stonemason was using his unique way to closely link his life with this great project and the future of this land.

In the harshest section of the Gobi Desert, the construction team faced another challenge—the erosion and siltation of the existing channels by wind and sand. Although sand-proof nets were designed, their effectiveness was limited.

Xiao Zhao, a technician in Ma Jianguo's project team, is a young man who has just graduated from forestry college. He looks at the trenches being buried by shifting sand and is full of worry.

He made a suggestion that everyone considered "unproductive":

On both sides of the canal, drought-resistant saxaul and tamarisk trees are planted according to local conditions to create a biological sand-fixing belt.

“Xiao Zhao, we’re here to build water conservancy projects, not to do landscaping! With such a tight schedule, how can we have time to plant trees?” someone objected.

"Exactly, will they even survive? In this godforsaken place, water is more expensive than oil!"

Xiao Zhao did not give up. He gathered a large amount of information and presented it to Ma Jianguo and Chen Shanhe for verification.
Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix chinensis are drought-resistant and salt-tolerant, with well-developed root systems, making them excellent at fixing sand.

Once they mature into forests, they can significantly reduce the threat of wind and sand to irrigation canals and lower long-term maintenance costs. Moreover, they can improve the microclimate, which is of profound significance.

He also did the math: "Investing in water to maintain the seedlings in the early stages may seem wasteful, but from the perspective of the entire life cycle of the canal, it saves money! This is called 'using ecology to maintain the project'!"

Ma Jianguo was moved by the young man's persistence and long-term vision.

Despite opposition, he allocated funds and manpower to support Xiao Zhao's "side business".

So, during the busy construction breaks, a small team that was "not doing their job" emerged. Using construction wastewater and collected rainwater, they carefully planted seemingly fragile saplings in the sandy soil on both sides of the canal.

This process was fraught with hardship. The saplings were often buried by sandstorms or scorched by the blazing sun.

Xiao Zhao and his "tree planting team" cared for each other like babies, constantly replanting, watering, and building simple sunshades.

Many workers initially didn't understand and even mocked them. But Xiao Zhao remained unmoved and persisted day after day.

Miracles happen through perseverance. A few months later, the first batch of surviving saxaul seedlings stood tall in the wind, showing hints of green.

Although sparse, they bring boundless vitality and hope to the vast Gobi Desert.

When the old stonemason Kurbanjan saw it, he gave Ma Jianguo a thumbs up: "This young man is good! What he is doing is a good deed for his descendants."

Upon seeing this, Adil and other local water managers also joined the tree-planting team, bringing seeds of local desert plants.

Gradually, a green ribbon appeared intermittently on both sides of the canal.

They not only guard the canals, but also become a scenic feature of the Gobi Desert, attracting birds and small animals to roost there.

Xiao Zhao's "unconventional approach" ultimately earned him everyone's respect. His actions proved that true engineering construction is not only about conquering nature, but also about learning to coexist harmoniously with nature and sowing the seeds of a green future.

Just when construction in the Gobi Desert section was at its most critical, a sudden and severe sandstorm struck the construction site, lasting for three days.

The road to the outside world was blocked by quicksand, preventing supply vehicles from entering. The food and drinking water reserves at the construction site were running out.

Braving the wind and sand, the workers remained at their posts, protecting the completed project, which took a heavy toll on their physical strength. Hunger and anxiety began to creep in.

When the news reached the nearby Awati Township, the villagers were alarmed. Uncle Aishan was the first to get up and, leaning on his cane, shouted loudly throughout the village:

"The 'guests' who came to repair the irrigation canal have run out of food! They are suffering for our sake! We can't just stand by and watch!"

Without any mobilization or organization, the simple and honest villagers spontaneously took action.

Every household rummaged through their belongings, bringing out their precious wheat flour, dried mutton, and naan bread—things they were reluctant to eat themselves. But with the roads impassable, how could they deliver them?

Several young herders familiar with the terrain stepped forward, leading their strongest camels to form a special camel caravan.

The villagers tied the collected grain and water-filled bags tightly to the camels' backs.

The sandstorm was still fierce, with visibility less than ten meters. Relying on their absolute familiarity with the terrain, the herders led their camels, trudging through the sandstorm with difficulty. It took them most of the day to travel just over ten kilometers.

When the camel caravan, covered in sand, appeared at the construction site camp like a divine intervention, Ma Jianguo and the workers were stunned.

Seeing the grain and water, still warm from the villagers' bodies, being unloaded from the camels, many tough men's eyes welled up with tears.

Uncle Aishan, representing the villagers, handed the items to Ma Jianguo and said simply:
"Captain Ma, it's not much, just a small token of our appreciation. Only when you're full will you have the strength to bring us the 'Water of Happiness'!"

That night, in the temporary kitchen at the construction site, pots of steaming noodles were made using flour donated by the villagers.

These noodles, embodying the heartfelt wishes of every household in Awati Township, are affectionately known by the workers as "Hundred Families Noodles."

Everyone sat together, eating this bowl of noodles that held special significance, and it tasted especially delicious, filling them with renewed energy.

Holding a bowl, Ma Jianguo addressed all the workers: “Comrades, do you see this? This is more than just a bowl of noodles! It represents the hopes and trust of our fellow villagers! We will risk our lives to build this canal and deliver water to them!”

Through thick and thin, we stood together and helped each other. This bowl of "a hundred families' noodles," passed on through the wind and sand of the Gobi Desert, encapsulates the most simple and profound friendship between the military and local communities, and between different ethnic groups, becoming one of the warmest and most touching memories of the "Clear Spring Project."

It reinforced the belief of all the builders that their sweat would eventually turn into sweet spring water, nourishing the hearts of everyone on this land who yearn for happiness.

The pulse of the project and the beating of the people resonated in unison at this moment. The massive "Northern Frontier Clear Spring Project" attracted forces from all sides like a magnet.

As the birthplace of the Corps spirit and a cradle of talent, the Military Reclamation City is naturally indispensable.

Although this new city, standing on the Gobi Desert, is hundreds of kilometers away, the attention and support given to the project are like an invisible bond, closely connecting the two.

The first to take action was Warrior New Energy Company, led by Wang Lina.

After solving the survey team's problem of electricity supply in the field, Ye Feng saw an even greater need.

She proactively contacted the command center and offered to provide free assistance in building a number of distributed photovoltaic power stations, specifically to provide clean energy for construction camps and future pumping stations along the route that are not yet electrified or have weak power grids.

"The Qingquan Project needs power, and power cannot exist without electricity. Our enterprises in the military reclamation city cannot just stand by and applaud."

Wang Lina said this at the company's decision-making meeting. Soon, a "Bright Team" composed of elite technicians from Warrior Energy Company was dispatched to the construction site.

They brought high-efficiency photovoltaic panels and energy storage equipment, just like the soldiers who set up camp in the past, converting sunlight into kinetic energy to drive water pumps and illuminate the night at each node.

Their arrival not only solved practical difficulties, but also conveyed a firm signal that the military reclamation city and the project share the same breath and destiny.

One day, an old "Dongfanghong" tractor was carefully loaded onto a heavy truck and set off from the Junkencheng Agricultural Machinery Station to the Gobi section construction site.

Accompanying them was an elderly man with gray hair and a sprightly spirit—Grandpa Li, one of the first generation of farm machinery operators in Junken Town, who had been retired for many years.

This "Dongfanghong" tractor, numbered "07", was a meritorious machine during the land reclamation efforts, although it has long been replaced by more advanced equipment.

But Mr. Li had always taken great care of it, treating it like a precious treasure. When he heard from his son, who worked on the construction site, that there was a section of soft sand where large machinery could easily get stuck, affecting the transportation of materials, he couldn't sit still.

"My old buddy, wide-slippery, heavy-duty chassis, is perfect for tackling this kind of soft sand!"

Grandpa Li went to the leaders of the agricultural machinery station and insisted on sending his "Iron Ox" to the front line. "It's retired, but its strength hasn't! Let it continue to contribute!"

After arriving at the construction site, "Iron Bull 07" lived up to expectations. In the sandy areas where other wheeled vehicles hesitated, it pulled the trailer steadily, transporting cement and gravel to the designated location, becoming a unique sight on the construction site.

Grandpa Li didn't sit idle either; he volunteered to stay for a few days as a "technical instructor," teaching the young drivers how to operate tracked vehicles under such special road conditions.

Looking at the old tractor, weathered yet still powerful, Ma Jianguo said to the workers with emotion:

"See this? This is the legacy of our military reclamation city! Old and worn, as long as it can still contribute, it will never be idle! This spirit is more precious than anything else!"

Grandpa Li and her "Iron Bull" exemplify the meaning of "retiring but not fading away" through their actions.

The project was arduous not only materially, but also mentally.

Long-term fieldwork, separation from family, and facing a monotonous environment and heavy workload, some young team members inevitably experience homesickness and emotional fluctuations.

When this news reached the Youth League Committee of the Military Reclamation City, the younger generation, who had been deeply moved by the Corps' value reshaping activities, couldn't sit still.

They spontaneously organized themselves and formed a volunteer group called "Spiritual Station".

Their method of support was unique—they didn't send supplies, but rather "spiritual nourishment."

They extensively collected photos and stories from three generations of people in the military reclamation city, especially precious images and oral histories of the older generation of military reclamation soldiers reclaiming wasteland, and produced them into exquisite electronic photo albums and short videos.

They mobilized primary and secondary school students in the city to draw encouraging cards by hand and write their innocent and sincere blessings.

Every so often, USB drives and packages filled with these "spiritual nourishment" are delivered to various construction sites through various channels.

During their breaks, the workers gathered to watch historical footage of the military reclamation city, read the rainbows and suns drawn by the children, and listened to greetings from their hometown relatives. Smiles appeared on their tired faces, their homesickness was comforted, and their hearts were filled with strength again.

A young technician wrote in his diary: "When we see those veterans on the screen who faced even harsher conditions than we did back then, carving out oases with hoes and their own flesh and blood, what are our current difficulties compared to that?"

“When we heard the children say in their tender voices, ‘Thank you for your hard work, uncles and aunts, you are the best!’, all our fatigue seemed to vanish. We are not fighting alone; behind us stands the entire military reclamation city.”

Although Ayijiang and Liu Junken were busy with official duties, they always kept the project in mind.

They agreed to take advantage of a weekend to travel light and visit several key project sections—

It was not just an inspection of the work, but also a visit to express appreciation and gratitude to the builders who were fighting on the front lines, many of whom were cadres and workers who had come from the military reclamation city.

They arrived directly at Ma Jianguo's project site in the Gobi Desert without prior notice.

It was lunchtime when they saw that the walls of the workers' shed were covered with pictures of children's smiling faces sent by the "Spiritual Station" of the Military Reclamation City; in the warehouse, the "Iron Bull 07" sent by Grandpa Li was being inspected and maintained; and in the corner of the canteen, photovoltaic spare parts sent by the Warrior Energy Company were piled up.

Ayijiang walked among the workers who were resting, sat down, and asked them about their lives and work as if they were having a casual chat, listening to their difficulties and thoughts.

Liu Junken carefully inspected the progress of the project, paying particular attention to the survival rate of the biological sand-fixing belt that Xiao Zhao was in charge of.

When Ayijiang heard Ma Jianguo recount the story of "a hundred families making noodles" and saw the workers, though their skin was dark and their lips cracked, their eyes were filled with determination and optimism, she said emotionally:

"Comrades, you've worked hard! Every drop of sweat you've shed here is remembered by the people of Junken City!"

"You are not only developing channels, but also writing a new chapter in the spirit of our Production and Construction Corps! The Military Reclamation City will always be your strongest support!"

Liu Junken also stated firmly: "Seeing the fighting spirit and creativity that everyone has shown in such harsh conditions, I see the future and hope of our Corps! The 'clear spring' will surely flow, and the spirit will surely be passed on!"

This special "family visit" was not a grand affair, but it was incredibly heartwarming.

The leaders' affirmation and care, along with the continuous tangible and intangible support from the military reclamation city behind them, acted as a powerful stimulant, making the frontline builders feel honored and full of fighting spirit.

The forces emanating from the military reclamation city, like trickling streams, flow from different directions into the grand narrative of the "Northern Frontier Clear Spring Project".

They may be technological support, material assistance, or spiritual encouragement, but without exception, they all carry the unique red genes and patriotic sentiments of the military reclamation city.

This force, together with the sweat on the construction site and the expectations of people of all ethnic groups, is lifting up the life-giving water that is about to surge forth and nourish the future of northern Xinjiang.

The foundation of the project is thus strengthened; the steps forward are thus made more resolute.