A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Ding Xuemin squatted by the pond, and the moment his fingers touched the water, the cold made him gasp.

"This snow water is really cold."

He looked at the occasional bubbling water in the pond. This was the third sandstorm this month. The aerators by the pond were all crooked and overturned, and the screen of the water quality monitoring instrument was covered with a thick layer of dust, with the data jumping around like crazy.

"That won't do."

Ding Xuemin took out his notebook, flipped to the latest page, and wrote four words heavily on it: "Technology Empowerment".

Batur leaned closer to look: "Director, what does this mean?"

"What I mean is that we can't raise crabs that people can't give a thumbs up to just using our old methods."

We need to upgrade, get the machines to keep an eye on things for us, and make sure they can withstand this awful weather.

Three days later, three large trucks rumbled into the breeding area.

Ding Xuemin, along with Batur and several technicians, began unloading the goods under the scorching sun.

Solar panels were erected one after another, their dark blue surfaces reflecting the sunlight.

Technician Xiao Li patted his chest confidently, "This thing can store two days' worth of electricity. Even if a sandstorm blows for two days straight, our monitoring and feeding systems won't be interrupted."

Ding Xuemin nodded and squatted down to watch them install the water quality probe.

That thing had to be carefully buried at the bottom of the pond and connected to the monitoring room via wires.

Soon, rows of numbers appeared on the big screen—water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, each marked with a red line.

"What does this red line mean?" Batur asked.

"If they cross this line, the crabs will be in danger."

Ding Xuemin pointed to the dissolved oxygen level, "Look, it's 5.2 now. If it drops below 4.0, we'll have to increase the oxygen supply immediately."

The most eye-catching thing was those aerators. The bases were made of solid concrete and covered with a sheet metal cover.

"It can withstand even a gale-force wind."

The installer patted the machine, saying, "It was specially designed for your Gobi Desert."

When the equipment was almost installed, Ding Xuemin took out lime powder and marked out ten acres of land in the core area.

"We'll set up a live broadcast monitoring point here."

He drew three circles on the ground with his foot, "to install three high-definition cameras: one to film the crabs, one to film the data screen, and one to film the feeding."

"We'll broadcast the cultural festival live, so people in Dalian can see for themselves how our crabs, raised with snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains, grow."

Batur looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that the power interface and network cable had already been laid out.

"That's very thoughtful."

"It won't do if it's not thorough."

Ding Xuemin wiped his sweat. "They've come all this way, they need to see the real thing."

Once the technology is mastered, the planning of the aquaculture area must also keep up.

Ding Xuemin called all the Uyghur and Kazakh villagers to the pond and spread out the blueprints.

"Walk a wider area out of these five acres on the east side, lay down grating, and turn it into a finished product appreciation and experience pond."

He gestured to the name, "At that time, tourists will be able to catch crabs themselves, weigh them, and experience the joy of a harvest."

"This is good!"

"The largest one in the middle is a traditional aquaculture pond."

Ding Xuemin looked at the elderly people and said, "We need to incorporate our unique characteristics into this."

"Auntie, how do you think we should make this fence look nicer?"

The woman laughed: "Leave it to me, I guarantee I'll make it look beautiful."

Just do it.

Within two days, a row of colorful wooden fences was erected along the folk pond, covered with tapestries embroidered with almond patterns, red, yellow, and green, which shone brightly in the sun.

Kazakh woman Sadet, along with her girls, tied strings of prayer knots along the edge of the pond with colorful ropes.

"Before raising crabs, wheat grains must be scattered and prayers recited."

Sadette said earnestly, "We cannot abandon the rules passed down from our ancestors."

Ding Xuemin set up a small display stand by the pond, preparing to put out crab traps and fishing nets handmade by the villagers.

"Let the tourists see that our local aquaculture practices are traditional and meticulous."

The three acres on the west side were allocated to the scientific research and experimental pond.

The technical experts are busy here, and the pond is filled with newly cultivated "Snow Water No. 1" crab seedlings.

"This seedling is highly resistant to cold."

We also planted aquatic plants and added probiotics to the pond, creating a three-dimensional ecological chain of crabs, plants, and bacteria.

Batur didn't understand: "What chain?"

"It's about getting them to help each other."

The technical experts patiently explained: "Aquatic plants purify the water, probiotics decompose waste, the crabs grow strong, and the water quality is good."

"During the cultural festival, we'll be able to showcase our latest achievements. The Gobi Desert can not only raise crabs, but also produce top-quality crabs."

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

Until that sandstorm.

That afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened.

A yellow wall rolled up on the distant horizon, getting closer and closer.

"Close the doors and windows, reinforce the equipment!" Ding Xuemin shouted as he rushed into the monitoring room.

The sandstorm came more fiercely than expected.

The sand was hitting the window with a crackling sound, and you couldn't see anything outside.

Ding Xuemin stared at the monitoring screen.

Water temperature: 12℃.

pH: 7.8.

Dissolved oxygen level: 5.8 mg/L.

The data is stable; not a single red line has been crossed.

He leaned closer to the window and could vaguely see the windbreak and aerator by the pond still running, and the automatic cleaning device on the solar panel sweeping away the sand.

Over at the folk pond, the prayer knots were swaying loudly in the wind, but none of them fell off.

The sandstorm lasted for a full three hours.

When the wind stopped, the aquaculture area was a mess, except for their area.

Ding Xuemin led a group of people on patrol.

The pond embankment was in good condition, and the sand on the grating board was easily washed away.

The tapestries and prayer knots at the folk pond, covered in dust, only added to their rugged beauty.

In the experimental pond, aquatic plants swayed gently, and crab larvae were still crawling underneath.

"Director, look!"

Batur pointed to the monitoring screen, his voice trembling with excitement: "The data is perfectly accurate! The live stream is absolutely fine!"

Ding Xuemin looked at the newly renovated breeding area and finally smiled.

The solar panels reflected the setting sun. Each of the three pond areas had its own purpose, and the folk colors and the silver of machinery blended together in a surprisingly harmonious way.

He said softly, "When the cultural festival opens, let the guests from Dalian taste the crabs raised in snowmelt water and see the miracles of the Gobi Desert."

Seven days after the sandstorm, the first inspection team from Dalian arrived.

Manager Wang, who was leading the team, stood by the pond, looked at the monitoring data for a long time, and then looked at the colorful folk pond.

"Director Ding, you guys have really mastered the art of combining high technology with traditional methods."

Ding Xuemin smiled and handed over a crab that had just been caught.

"Try it, it's raised with snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains."

Manager Wang peeled open the crab shell, revealing it full of roe and fat.

He took a bite and squinted.

"Sweet, with an indescribable, refreshing sweetness."

He turned to Ding Xuemin and asked, "On the day of the cultural festival, our Dalian TV station will be broadcasting live. Is that alright?"

"You're welcome anytime."

Ding Xuemin pointed to the cameras, "Here, everything is transparent."