A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

The family of four squeezed into two single-story houses. The furnishings were simple, but the houses were kept clean.

Aihmaiti shook his head immediately upon hearing this. "A loan? No way, what if I lose money? How will I pay it back?"

I'll drag you down with me...

"You won't lose money, and this is a special loan with low interest and a long repayment period."

Once the crabs are sold, the first batch will be enough to pay off most of the debt.

Aihmaiti's wife came out from the inner room. "Technician Ding, we know you mean well. But I still feel uneasy."

Ding Xuemin sat up straight and looked earnestly at the couple: "Brother, sister-in-law, do you believe me?"

That's a very direct question.

Aihmaiti paused for a moment, then nodded: "Sure, we've all seen what you've been doing these past few months."

"Then trust me this once."

Ding Xuemin said, "The greenhouse will definitely succeed. Once it's built, your pond production will increase by at least 30%. We can make the math."

The couple looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, Aihemaiti gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll do it."

"If Technician Ding dares to vouch for me, what else do I have to be afraid of?"

Having solved the funding problem, Ding Xuemin thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but little did he know that even bigger trouble was yet to come.

The construction of the greenhouses was in full swing in November.

Winter comes early in Xinjiang, and it's already bitterly cold at this time of year.

On the construction site, the workers were wearing thick cotton-padded clothes and gloves, but their hands were still red from the cold.

The steel frame was erected quickly, but problems arose when it came to installing the insulation layer and plastic film.

"Technician Ding, this plastic film becomes brittle as soon as it freezes; it tears with the slightest pressure!"

The foreman clutched a torn piece of plastic sheeting, looking distressed. "We've ruined three pieces today."

Ding Xuemin touched the plastic film and indeed, the material properties changed at low temperatures.

He thought for a moment and said, "In this way, we'll lay the film when the temperature is higher during the day, and immediately after laying it, we'll use a heat gun to heat it up a little to soften and make it adhere better."

A solution has been devised, but progress is still slow. What used to be a day's worth of mulching for two ponds is now barely enough for one.

To make matters worse, there were also problems with the transportation of building materials.

That morning, Ding Xuemin received a call from the materials department: "Xiao Ding, I have something to tell you. The truck that was going to pick up insulation boards broke down on the road and will be delayed for two days."

"Two days?! Our construction site is waiting for the rice to cook! Without insulation panels, all subsequent processes have to stop!"

"I know, I know, but the car broke down on the way, and we've already sent someone to fix it. You guys go do other work first."

After hanging up the phone, Ding Xuemin was completely overwhelmed.

Dozens of people on the construction site are waiting for materials. If the work is stopped, the loss will not only be time, but also labor costs.

Sure enough, the news caused an uproar at the construction site.

"Stopped again? How many times has this happened?"

"At this rate, it won't be finished in two months at all!"

"My pond hasn't even been harvested yet, what will happen to the crabs then?"

Abujiang went directly to Ding Xuemin: "Technician Ding, you have to think of a solution."

I've calculated it; the construction period is already five days behind schedule.

If we delay any longer, by the time the greenhouses are built, the crabs will have already gone into hibernation. What will they grow then?

Ding Xuemin was certainly anxious.

He worked through the night to rearrange the schedule, bringing forward all the procedures that could be done earlier, and arranging for workers to help with the internal preparation of the ponds where the greenhouses had already been built.

But it seemed that fate was determined to work against them.

The day after the insulation boards arrived, it snowed lightly again.

Although the site is small, the slippery conditions at the construction site have made construction safety a major concern.

Just to be on the safe side, work was suspended for another half day.

Despite all the setbacks, by the time the last greenhouse frame for the pond was finally erected, the construction was already ten days behind schedule.

Ding Xuemin stood at the highest point of the construction site, looking down at the endless rows of silver greenhouses.

On the schedule, the red delay markers are glaringly obvious.

Ma Jianguo walked over and handed him a cup of hot water: "Technician Ding, don't worry too much."

Everyone said that although it was ten days slower, the work was done thoroughly.

Ding Xuemin took the water glass, feeling the warmth in her palm. "I know, I'm just worried about the crab's growth cycle."

Ten days later, the listing date will have to be postponed. Then the market price...

"There's always a way out."

Batur Abujiang also came up at some point. "I checked the weather forecast. It's going to be sunny for the next two weeks."

Let's hurry up and work; every bit of time we can recover is precious.

As they were talking, Aihemaiti climbed up as well.

His greenhouse was just completed yesterday, and a smile finally appeared on his face: "Technician Ding, the temperature in my pond has gone up! The crabs are much more active!"

This is the best news we've had in days.

Ding Xuemin's spirits lifted: "Really? Let's go see!"

The group arrived at Aihemaiti's pond.

Stepping into the greenhouse, a wave of warmth washes over you.

The water thermometer showed 18 degrees Celsius, which was almost 10 degrees higher than the outside temperature.

In the water, the river crabs were indeed active; some were crawling, and some were eating.

"Great! As long as the temperature rises, growth will catch up."

"If it's ten days late, we'll make up for those ten days through meticulous management."

He immediately convened a meeting with all the team leaders.

"Starting today, all completed greenhouses will enter a phase of meticulous management, with strict temperature control and daily adjustments to feeding amounts based on water temperature."

For unfinished work, we'll work overtime, but quality must be guaranteed!

"How is the night shift arranged?" someone asked.

"It's voluntary, and the subsidy is calculated based on working hours. The regiment headquarters agreed that they would cover half of the night shift subsidy."

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

That night, the construction site was lit up with lights.

Workers who volunteered to work overtime wrapped themselves in military overcoats and continued working under the lights.

Ding Xuemin didn't go back either, and stayed with everyone else.

At two o'clock in the morning, he carried a kettle of hot water and instant noodles and delivered them to the workers on the night shift one by one.

"Technician Ding, go and take a break. We'll take care of things here."

"It's okay, I'm young, I can handle it."

Ding Xuemin smiled, though her eyelids were already drooping.

At four o'clock in the morning, the last insulation board was installed.

The construction schedule was delayed, and difficulties arose one after another, but none of these people gave up.

Ding Xuemin returned to her dormitory just before dawn.

He lay down on the bed and fell asleep without even taking off his clothes.

In his dream, he saw endless greenhouses, plump river crabs, and workers counting the money from selling crabs, their faces beaming with joy...

He was woken up by his cell phone ringing at nine in the morning. It was a call from the regimental headquarters.

"Xiao Ding, I heard you guys are rushing to meet the deadline? Be careful, don't overwork yourself."

"Don't worry, Minister, we know what we're doing."

If you chase for half a day in one day, you can catch up in ten days in twenty days.

He had calculated it very clearly: increasing the feeding frequency, optimizing the feed ratio, strengthening water quality management... all these measures combined could completely make up for the impact of the construction delay.

Outside the window, the construction site was bustling with activity again.

The sounds of steel frames colliding, workers shouting, and machines roaring blended into a busy symphony.