A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Before we had gone halfway, our felt boots were filled with snow, and the soles of our feet were frozen stiff.

When Li Chao finally arrived at the destination, the scene before him chilled him to the bone.

The insulation blankets that were originally neatly arranged were tossed about by the strong wind, some rolled into a ball, some were blown to the other side of the field ridge and hung on the dead tree branches, and some were torn in several places, revealing the saplings inside.

The exposed branches of the saplings were covered with a thin layer of ice, losing their former vitality. Ice crystals would fall off with the slightest touch, and some leaves had even turned black, which was heartbreaking to see.

"Oh no, this is terrible!"

Li Chao was extremely anxious. Ignoring the biting cold wind that was still seeping into his bones, he immediately squatted down and carefully pulled the insulation blanket that had been blown off back up and covered the sapling with it.

The wind was so strong that as soon as I finished covering one tree and turned to cover another, I saw that the insulation blanket for the previous tree had been blown away by the wind, and even blown further away.

Li Chao knelt on the cold ground, reaching out to pick up the scattered stones beside him, trying to press the edges of the insulation blanket down firmly.

The cold air from the ground seeped up my thin trousers, and within minutes my knees were numb from the cold.

His fingers were so frozen they wouldn't obey him, stiff as two wooden sticks.

I finally managed to find a rock about the size of a fist, but because my hand slipped, the rock spun around in my hand and almost fell and hit the sapling next to me.

"Officer Li, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?!"

Uncle Simayi Maimaiti was riding by on his tricycle when he saw him kneeling on the ground from afar. He quickly stopped his vehicle and ran over. "What are you doing here in this cold weather?"

Li Chao wanted to look up and smile, but the muscles in his cheeks were frozen stiff, so he could only manage a stiff expression. "Uncle, the insulation blanket... is about to be blown away by the wind. I have to tamp it down, otherwise the saplings... won't be able to withstand it."

"Are you stupid?!"

Uncle Simayi Maimaiti quickly squatted down to help him pick up the stones. "It's such a small job. If you just call out, all the villagers will come to help. Why do you have to suffer here by yourself?"

As he spoke, he took off his thick coat and draped it over Li Chao's shoulders. "Put this on quickly, don't catch a cold. What will happen to these saplings if you collapse?"

Li Chao, wrapped in the coat still warm from the uncle's body heat, felt a warm glow inside, but he still tried to sound tough: "It's okay, uncle, I'm young and can handle the cold. Once the insulation blanket is in place, more saplings will survive."

As he spoke, he picked up another stone, this time with a steady hand, and slowly pressed the stone against the edge of the insulation blanket. "Our Ninth Company's land is finally able to grow fruit trees, and I can't let them be ruined in this cold weather."

Uncle Sima Yi Maimaiti looked at his lips, which were purple from the cold, and his eyes welled up with tears: "You child, you are too strong-willed! I can't tell how long you can keep going on your own. I'll take you back first, and when it gets light, I'll find someone to help you."

Sima Yi Maimaiti wasn't just talking; at daybreak, he called over a dozen villagers to help.

Some carried wooden stakes, some held stones, and others carried ropes. Everyone pitched in to help secure the insulation blankets. Some nailed stakes, some pulled ropes, and some laid dry grass. In no time, all the saplings were properly protected.

Looking at the villagers bustling around, Li Chao felt both warm and sad. He wanted to stand up and thank them, but his knees were too stiff from the cold, and he stumbled as soon as he tried to move. He was helped up by Uncle Simayi Maimaiti.

"Slow down, slow down. You've worked so hard for a better life for all of us villagers, it's only right that we help you. Next time something like this happens, don't try to handle it all yourself; we're family!"

Li Chao nodded, bowed to everyone, and said, "Thank you all... With your help, these saplings will definitely pull through. When they bear fruit, I'll treat you all to the sweetest fruit!"

That morning, Li Chao didn't bother to rest or eat breakfast. His stomach was growling with hunger, but he didn't care. He immediately called the agricultural supply store.

He not only ordered a batch of thick frost-proof cloth, but also specially ordered a batch of bamboo strips and hemp ropes, planning to build a simple heat-insulating shed for each sapling so that it could more reliably survive the winter and not be afraid of another cold wave.

But the owner of the agricultural supply store sighed on the phone, saying that the roads were difficult to travel in this weather, with icy sections everywhere, making delivery very inconvenient and dangerous, and that he should go and pick it up himself.

Now, no one has complained about his saplings, and he's really too embarrassed to ask for help again.

It's unclear how long the cold will last, and with the current insulation measures, the saplings will still freeze to death.

He squatted on the ground, staring at the saplings that had been wilted by the wind, with only one thought in his mind: he had to build a greenhouse for each sapling.

To build a shed, you need frost-proof cloth, bamboo strips, and hemp rope, which are not available in the village and can only be purchased in the county town.

Having made up his mind, Li Chao didn't dare tell anyone, fearing that the villagers would have to put aside their own work to help him. He took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts for a good half hour before remembering a fellow villager from the county town who owned a car rental business, whom he had met during a previous trip to the countryside. He quickly called him.

The phone rang several times before being answered. When the villager heard that he wanted to rent a tricycle to transport agricultural supplies, he immediately hesitated: "Officer Li, you must be joking. The wind is almost at level eight today. If you travel dozens of kilometers, the tricycle will be blown over!"

"Besides, all the cars here are rented out, except for one old one. The brakes have a problem; it takes a long time for the brake pedal to respond, which is unsafe."

Li Chao was worried the other party would hang up, so his tone became urgent, "Fellow villager, please, keep it on for me. If the brakes don't work, I'll drive slowly, I absolutely won't push myself. My saplings are waiting to be saved, every day of delay increases the danger!"

"Alright then, you'd better be careful."

The villager couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he had no choice but to agree.

After hanging up the phone, Li Chao ran towards the village entrance, making several turns in the village before finally finding the tricycle in a dilapidated garage.

The car body was so rusted it was almost crumbling, and the seats were covered in dust. He tried pressing the brake, and sure enough, it was loose and wobbly; he had to press it all the way down to get even the slightest response.

The fellow villager followed behind, still worried: "Officer Li, why don't we wait until tomorrow when the wind calms down? I'll help you contact a truck, but the freight will be a bit more expensive. Safety first!"

Li Chao considered that his salary needed to cover food and living expenses, and if the car rental cost was too high, his budget was very limited. "No need, no need, this is fine!"

He turned the handlebars, and the tricycle wobbled and swayed as it drove towards the county town.

With no windbreak, the cold wind cut like knives into his bones. The wind was so strong that he couldn't open his eyes and could only squint at the road ahead, tears streaming down his face.

His hands were so frozen stiff that he almost lost his grip on the handlebars several times. He could only use one hand to rub the other hand vigorously, which was painfully cold.