A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

On the third day, Zhou Mingyu was anxiously waiting in the railway bureau corridor when Zhai Hongjun suddenly called, accompanied by the sound of arguing in the background.

"Director Zhou, something terrible has happened!"

The cotton farmers couldn't wait any longer. Hearing that a cargo plane was flying to the mainland, dozens of them surrounded the airport, begging for their cotton to be transported. Even the airport security couldn't stop them!

Zhou Mingyu's heart sank: "I'm coming right away. You keep the situation calm and absolutely prevent any conflict!"

He didn't even have time to greet Director Li before rushing out of the railway bureau building and driving straight to the airport.

Outside the airport cargo terminal, the scene was chaotic.

More than thirty cotton farmers, young and old, gathered around the tightly closed iron gate.

Aili stood at the front, holding a handful of blackened, clump-like cotton, tears streaming down his face.

"Please, please, just bring some along, even just a few packets."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "This is all our blood and sweat, and it's about to rot away!"

The crowd behind them joined in, shouting, "Please help us!"

"All the money for my child's tuition is in here."

"We've lost our way to survive."

The security guards formed a human wall in front of the door, their faces full of helplessness and tension.

The cargo terminal manager, a middle-aged woman, shouted through the door, "Fellow villagers, it's not that we don't want to help, but this is a cargo flight, and the cargo space is all booked in advance. We can't make that decision!"

"Then who can make that decision? Who should we turn to?"

A young cotton farmer, his eyes red with emotion, pounded on the iron gate.

"Find me."

A calm voice came from behind the crowd.

Everyone turned around and saw Zhou Mingyu walking quickly towards them, with Zhai Hongjun following closely behind.

The cotton farmers automatically made way for them.

Zhou Mingyu walked to the door, nodded to the security guard and the person in charge, and then turned to the emotional cotton farmers.

"Fellow villagers, I know you are all anxious, but I am even more anxious than you are."

However, blocking the airport will not solve the problem and may also violate the law.

Please trust me this once more, give me a little more time.

Aili stepped forward shakily: "Director Zhou, it's not that we don't believe you... it's just that we really can't wait any longer. Look—"

He held the wad of blackened cotton in his hands and presented it to Zhou Mingyu. "This morning we found three more bags that were completely moldy, each bag weighing fifty pounds!"

Zhou Mingyu looked at the clump of cotton whose original color was no longer discernible. He took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Aili, give me twenty-four hours."

If I still don't have a transportation plan by this time tomorrow, I'll rent trucks with my own money and haul the cotton out, truckload by truckload.

The crowd fell silent instantly.

Zhai Hongjun stepped forward at the right moment and added, "Fellow villagers, Director Zhou has been running around in the provincial capital for several days for our sake. He's practically worn out the threshold of the railway bureau."

"Can we wait one more day?"

Aili glanced at Zhou Mingyu's resolute eyes, then at the moldy cotton in his hand, finally gritted his teeth, and nodded emphatically: "We trust Director Zhou. Everyone go back first, and wait another day!"

Although the cotton farmers were unwilling, they gradually dispersed.

Watching their dejected figures, Zhou Mingyu immediately took out his phone and dialed Director Li's number.

"Director Li, is there any news about the application?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Director Li's relieved voice: "It just got approved. Eight carriages, loading will begin the day after tomorrow, and departure the day after that."

Zhou Mingyu closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and felt the fatigue of the past few days instantly wash over his body.

The day the trucks were loaded, Beishan Township was bustling with unprecedented activity.

Eight freight cars came to a steady stop on the temporary branch line platform, and cotton farmers carefully loaded bales of cotton onto the cars, carrying them on their shoulders and pushing them by hand.

Although some cotton could not be saved due to severe mold, most of the hard-earned cotton was saved.

Eric extended his hand and bowed.

Zhou Mingyu quickly supported him, "You mustn't!"

"Director Zhou, you are our benefactor in Beishan Township!"

"With these cotton shipments out, more than a hundred households will have hope for their livelihood this year."

Zhou Mingyu shook his head: "This is not my achievement alone."

Zhai Hongjun ran around doing everything he could, Director Li made an exception to coordinate, the railway bureau staff worked overtime... and you yourselves, never giving up hope even in the most difficult times.

In the distance, a train whistles, preparing to depart.

The cotton farmers stood on the platform, watching the train carrying their year's hard work slowly depart.

Zhai Hongjun walked up to Zhou Mingyu and handed him a cigarette: "Director Zhou, we really owe you a lot this time."

Zhou Mingyu took the cigarette but didn't light it, just watched the departing train: "We still need to hurry up with the new air route."

This is a temporary arrangement; we can't always expect special handling for special cases.

For Beishan Township to achieve long-term development, it must find its own way out of the mountains.

"It's already underway."

This incident has highlighted the urgency, and the approval process should be expedited.

The two stood in silence for a while, watching the train disappear into the distance.

Zhai Hongjun's son, Zhai Yang, slammed the last mock exam paper onto the table.

"Three hundred and eighty-seven points."

He muttered, "Last time it was four hundred and one..."

In the living room, An Hongna, the mother, was mopping the floor. Hearing the noise, she peeked out, then quickly withdrew.

She knew her son had a bad temper lately, so she didn't dare say much.

But the mop in my hand accidentally bumped into the door frame, making a "thud".

"Can you please be quiet!"

An Hongna said cautiously, "Yangyang, Mom didn't mean it. Do you... want some fruit?"

"Eat, eat, all you ever do is eat!"

Zhai Yang scratched his hair in frustration. "I'm about to go crazy because of this score, and you still have the nerve to let me eat?"

An Hongna pursed her lips. "Mom's just worried about you..."

"care?"

Zhai Yang suddenly sneered, "Who among you has ever truly cared about me?"

Where is my dad?

He hasn't been home for three months.

I'm a senior in high school.

Other people's fathers pick them up and accompany them to school every day, but what about him?

You don't even know when my mock exam is, do you?

"Your dad is busy with work..."

"Busy, busy, busy—that's always the phrase!"

Zhai Yang interrupted his mother, his voice rising: "Is the flight route more important than your son?"

Are those crappy airplanes more important than my college entrance exam?

People at school are saying that my dad doesn't want me anymore, did you know that?

An Hongna's tears finally fell. "Yangyang, don't say that. Your father did it all for this family..."

"For the sake of this family?"

Zhai Yang grabbed the water glass on the table and smashed it on the ground. "I never go home because of this family."

Because of this family, I don't even know my homeroom teacher's last name.

So, for the sake of this family, he's always thousands of miles away when I need him most?

Glass shards flew everywhere. An Hongna took a step back in fright, and looking at the mess on the ground, she finally broke down.

"And what about me!"

She cried out, "I'm home alone, working and taking care of you at the same time. You get angry at me because of the pressure of studying, and I can't say anything harsh to your dad because he's busy with work. Do you know how hard it is for me?"

Zhai Yang was stunned, but then became even angrier: "Then call him back! Let him see what kind of mess this house has become!"

With trembling hands, An Hongna took out her phone and dialed the number she hadn't dared to bother for a week.