A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Li Chao had just finished watering the saplings that had recovered and straightened up to wipe away his sweat.

A car drove up in the distance, and Researcher Lü hurriedly got out.

Li Chao was squatting in the field checking the growth of the saplings when Researcher Lü called.

"Where is Li Chao?" Researcher Lü's voice sounded a little anxious.

"I'm in the field, Researcher Lü. Is there something you need?"

"The lab just sent me the latest detailed report on your land."

The situation is more complicated than expected.

The soil's basic fertility is severely insufficient; to put it simply, the land is starving. The current amount of nutrients is simply not enough to support the seedlings' strong root development.

Li Chao's heart skipped a beat. "What should we do?"

"Special base fertilizer must be applied immediately to prepare the soil."

Otherwise, even if the seedlings look green now, they definitely won't grow well later and will have poor resistance to diseases.

"Is this fatty... expensive?"

"Your land is worth at least five thousand yuan."

Researcher Lü licked his lips. "I... I'm really short on cash right now."

The money we paid to the herders last time was almost all gone.

All I had in total was a few hundred yuan for food.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Li Chao, we can't delay this fat."

This is a critical period; if we delay any longer, all the initial investment may be wasted.

Researcher Lü sighed, "Well then, you think of a solution first."

I'll also check if there are any other support channels.

After hanging up the phone, Li Chao thought of everyone he could borrow money from, swiping his finger across his contacts. Finally, he stopped at Zhou Mingyu's name.

"Director Zhou, I... I have to ask you for help again."

"Don't rush, tell me slowly, what troubles you this time?" Zhou Mingyu's voice came through the receiver.

"Regarding the land, Researcher Lü just called and said that the soil is not fertile enough and needs urgent topdressing, which will cost five thousand yuan."

Li Chao finished speaking in one breath, "I only have a little over eight hundred left in my pocket, I really have no other choice."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

"Li Chao, it's not that I don't want to help you."

Zhou Mingyu's voice was deliberate: "The management committee's special funds have strict procedures, and the funds allocated last time were already handled on a case-by-case basis."

Applying again for the same reason this time would be very difficult and would require time for verification, which might not be in time for your use.

"However," Zhou Mingyu changed the subject, "don't be discouraged."

In that case, I'll cover the five thousand yuan for you first.

Once you buy the fertilizer, you'll get through this hurdle.

"You can return the saplings to me when they become profitable."

Li Chao was stunned, and quickly said, "Director Zhou, how can this be! How can we let you pay for it yourself..."

"Alright, stop nagging."

Zhou Mingyu interrupted him, "It's a loan, not a gift. It has to be returned."

I'll transfer the money to your WeChat account in a bit.

You hurry up and get on with your business; Miaozi won't wait for you!

Shortly after the phone call ended, a transfer of 5,000 yuan for the purchase of the fertilizer appeared on the WeChat page.

When Li Chao arrived at the agricultural supply store, the owner was about to close the door. He grabbed the door and said, "Boss, wait! I need to buy soil amendment powder..."

Seeing him sweating profusely in a panic, the shop owner reopened the shop and provided him with the improved powder.

Li Chao paid the money, hired a tricycle, and hauled the goods back to the field that evening.

From that day on, Li Chao took root in the land.

Before dawn, he carried a hoe to turn the soil. He grabbed handfuls of soil amendment powder and sprinkled it onto the ground. The powder made him cough, and his hands and arms were covered in white ash that he couldn't rub off.

Even as the sun sets in the evening, he is still busy in the field, carrying bamboo poles and stretching plastic sheets to build windbreaks.

The bamboo pole was forcefully driven into the ground, the foot was stomped down to tamp it down, the plastic sheet was then stretched flat and tied tightly with rope.

When the moon was high in the sky, he was the only one left in the wilderness. The light of his flashlight flickered in the darkness. His stomach was growling with hunger, so he took out a steamed bun from his pocket, ate a couple of bites with some cold water, and then ate some more.

While Li Chao was working his butt off, Musa was sabotaging him behind his back.

Under the tree at the village entrance, Musa's platform was once again established.

He sat cross-legged, talking animatedly to the gathered herders: "See that? Making a mess over there again."

What good is sprinkling all that white flour?

In our area, winter is entirely up to God.

How cold was last winter? Several sheep froze to death!

Can his delicate saplings withstand it?

If you ask me, they wouldn't even survive the twelfth lunar month; they'd all turn into dry firewood.

One of the young herders hesitated and said, "But he works day and night, he really puts in a lot of effort..."

"To earn a living by exerting physical labor?"

Musa waved his hand dismissively, "That technician who came two years ago, wasn't he also quite the whirlwind?"

What happened? They lost money and slunk away.

If you ask me, this kid is the same. He uses our land to conduct experiments. If it succeeds, it's his credit; if it fails, the loss is ours.

Don't be foolish and go to help; you'll only get yourself into trouble!

These words were so pervasive that several herders who had originally intended to lend a hand turned back halfway through their journey.

On a stormy night, Musa, along with two young herders he had forced to drink several bowls of wine with, squatted behind a sand dune not far from Li Chao's plot of land, staring intently at the makeshift house.

The lights in the window had been off for a long time, and only the howling wind could be heard.

Musa nudged the person next to him with his elbow and whispered, "The time's come, let's go!"

One of them sounded a little timid: "Musa, this...this is sabotage, won't we be punished for it?"

"Retribution my ass!"

Musa muttered under his breath, "This strong wind is God's help."

Whatever I did tonight, tomorrow the wind will blow it all away and there won't be a trace.

It's just to teach him a lesson, to stop him from showing off too much.

Using the sandstorm as cover, the three of them crouched low and crept to the edge of the ground.

Musa aimed at a bamboo pole supporting the windbreak and kicked it hard.

The other two also kicked the bamboo poles beside them. "Crack! Crack!"

Several more sounds followed, and the three sections of the windbreak collapsed one after another, the plastic sheeting being torn apart by the strong wind.

Musa was still not satisfied, so he bent down, picked up a few clods of hard soil and stones from the ground, and threw them forcefully at the sapling in the darkness.

"Let you do it! Let you show off!"

After smashing the items, the three quickly disappeared into the dark night.

The next morning, Li Chao stood at the edge of the field with a bucket in his hand, looking at the broken bamboo poles lying haphazardly and the torn plastic strips fluttering helplessly in the morning breeze.

The most jarring sight was the five saplings that had been thriving just yesterday; now their leaves were withered and yellow, their branches twisted and broken, and they looked like they were on the verge of death.

He squatted down beside the injured saplings, reaching out his rough hand to touch the curled, withered leaves.

He had just picked up a piece of hemp rope when he heard rustling footsteps behind him.

The old herdsman, Si Maiyi, walked over with a hunched back, looked around nervously, and then leaned close to Li Chao's ear, his voice low and unease evident:

"Officer Li... I... I got up in the middle of the night last night and saw... it was Musa, who brought two people with him. It was they who did this despicable thing."

I overheard them whispering, saying... saying they were unhappy because you were doing well, so they came to trip you up...

Li Chao's body suddenly stiffened.

"Thanks, Brother Si Maiyi."

I've remembered this kindness. I've also remembered this incident.