A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

"Auntie, please don't be so polite with me."

As Li Chao spoke, he decisively transferred the money. He was only relieved after confirming that the other party had received it. "It was my fault for not handling things well, which caused you to suffer losses. This money should have been paid in the first place."

I will definitely pay more attention in the future, and carefully study the ins and outs of farming and animal husbandry, so as to help everyone live a prosperous life.

One household, two households, three households...

Braving the cold wind, Li Chao visited all the affected herders' homes, insisting on full compensation for each one without any ambiguity.

The villagers privately praised him, saying, "Li Chao is an honest and reliable cadre; his service in our village was worthwhile."

"They've already given us their savings to compensate us, it wouldn't be right for us to be so petty."

These words naturally reached Musa's ears.

At first, he was stubborn and muttered that he must be faking it, but when he saw the genuine approval of the villagers when they talked about Li Chao, and when he remembered what his father said about other people taking out their own money to pay for it, his stubbornness gradually softened.

Especially when he saw the old man next door holding the compensation money and telling everyone that Li Chao had a hard life and was a good cadre, Musa's face couldn't help but burn, and he wondered to himself: Maybe he really had misunderstood him?

Uncle Simayi seized the opportunity and approached Musa again: "Son, do you see clearly now? Li Chao is not the kind of person you think he is. He is genuinely doing what's best for our village."

They've already fully compensated for their real losses, and you're still fixated on expected gains; if word gets out, it'll make us seem unreasonable.

Musa remained silent for a long time before finally speaking up: "Dad, I understand... I didn't mean to make things difficult for him, I was just angry at the beginning."

Since everyone agrees, I won't mention the expected returns.

He paused, then added, "But I've already put in a lot of effort turning the soil and planting seedlings on my two acres of land, so I'll just have him give me a token payment for my labor. It'll be enough to show that my efforts weren't in vain."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Sima Yi immediately laughed: "That's right, I should have thought of that sooner."

He immediately called Li Chao and relayed Musa's message.

When Li Chao received the call, the last weight on his heart finally lifted, and he quickly said, "It's my duty!"

"Uncle, could you please have Musa send me the payment QR code? I'll transfer it right away. It's all from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your understanding."

The moment the last compensation payment was transferred, Li Chao stared at the black screen for a full half minute.

That was his savings of over 20,000 yuan, which he had worked hard to save. He had originally planned to renovate his parents' old house, but now it was all gone. He only had a few hundred yuan left, and he would have to be very careful with his living expenses for the next few months.

He recalled how, when he first arrived in Jiulian, he patted his chest and assured the villagers, "I'll take full responsibility if the crops don't grow well." He remembered the expectant looks in the eyes of the herders as they followed him to turn the soil and plant seedlings. Now, all of that had become a joke.

It was all because of my insufficient prediction of the local climate and failure to take precautions against the cold that all the saplings froze to death. Not only did it not help everyone, it also caused losses to the herders.

"Am I really not suited to work here?"

This sentence kept swirling in Li Chao's mind.

The plans I had previously considered for greenhouse cultivation and specialized breeding now seem unrealistic, and I've fallen into an unprecedented depression, unable to muster any enthusiasm for any of my work.

As if things weren't bad enough, Li Chao was unaware that Musa was still harboring resentment even after receiving that symbolic payment for his labor.

He always felt that Li Chao had gotten away with it by pretending to be pitiful, and he was unwilling to let it go so easily, so whenever he had free time, he would gossip among the villagers.

"You guys didn't see through Li Chao. He's just an outsider who got in through connections!"

"They don't even know how cold our winters are, yet they're giving orders to plant saplings. Isn't that just ripping people off?"

Someone chimed in, asking, "Really?"

Musa immediately perked up, "Of course it's true."

If I hadn't insisted, would he have been so quick to pay me back?

I think he's unreliable. He talks a good game, but when it comes to actually doing things, he's a disaster. I'll have to be careful dealing with him in the future!

After hearing Musa's words, many villagers who didn't know much about the situation had a completely different impression of Li Chao.

The uncles and aunties who used to greet him warmly now either deliberately avoid him or just nod without saying anything more.

Li Chao also heard the rumors circulating in the village. He was unwilling to be misunderstood like this, and he didn't want to give up his mission.

He first found Uncle Ablikim, who was feeding sheep in front of his house. As soon as he approached him, he said, "Uncle, about the saplings last time, it was my oversight. I didn't take proper precautions against the cold..."

Before he could finish speaking, Uncle Ablikim waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Officer Li, stop talking, I know."

I'm very busy feeding the sheep and then I have to fetch water. Let's do it another day.

After saying that, he turned around and went into the house, closing the door and leaving Li Chao standing there stunned.

He then went to find Sister Ma, who was drying corn. As soon as he mentioned that he wanted to discuss suitable projects for the village with everyone, Sister Ma frowned and said, "Officer Li, we are just ordinary herders. We just want to farm and herd sheep peacefully. We won't get involved in other projects."

The repeated setbacks left Li Chao feeling bitter and resentful. He had clearly wanted to make amends and help everyone live a better life, but now he had become someone that everyone avoided.

The depression didn't last long. Li Chao couldn't stand it anymore, so he went to Zhou Mingyu and told him all about his troubles, including losing all his savings, being misunderstood by the villagers, and Musa spreading rumors. His tone was full of grievance and confusion.

"Li Chao, I know you feel wronged, but don't dwell on this too much."

The saplings died not on your own, and you've already given compensation; you've done everything you could.

In my opinion, let's leave it at that and stop dwelling on it.

"Director, but I'm not willing to accept this. I don't want to be seen as an unreliable person, and I don't want to abandon the villagers of the Ninth Company."

"It's good that you have this intention, but given the current situation, it will be difficult for you to carry out your work even if you stay in the village."

Zhou Mingyu continued, "There just happened to be a job assignment in Tacheng. I just received the notification and signed you up."

You're going to Tacheng to coordinate basic assistance matters in Jiulian, mainly responsible for subsequent agricultural supply allocation and skills training. A change of scenery and a change of mood will also help you avoid the village's troubles.

Li Chao knew that Zhou Mingyu meant well, but the thought of temporarily leaving the Ninth Company and leaving behind the mess that hadn't been resolved made him feel unwilling.

But he also knew that staying in the village now would only lead to endless depression and isolation, and he couldn't do anything at all.

"I……"