Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

July 1954, Xinjiang Province.

Zhao Ping'an stood on a high slope in Turpan, looking at the endless photovoltaic panels in front of him.

Under the sunlight, the deep blue panels stretched out like a vast ocean, reflecting a dazzling light.

Three months ago, this place was a barren desert. Sandstorms raged, and not a blade of grass grew.

Now, 32,000 photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged, and power poles extend all the way to the distant substation.

After the photovoltaic panels were installed, grass actually grew on its own in the Gobi Desert.

With less water evaporation and less sandstorms, the grass grows thicker and thicker.

So they simply introduced several hundred sheep to graze – the sheep ate the grass, saving the effort of manual weeding, and they could also raise sheep, killing two birds with one stone.

"Minister Zhao, the installed capacity in Hami is even greater than here," the accompanying secretary reported, pointing into the distance.

"The cotton fields in Korla have been cleared and sown, with a germination rate of over 90%. They can be harvested in September."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"What about the railway?"

"The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, from Hami to Urumqi, has already laid 300 kilometers of track. This is 20 days ahead of schedule."

Zhao Pingan was stunned for a moment.

"Twenty days in advance?"

The secretary smiled.

"Not only that. On the highway side, the secondary road from Turpan to Korla, which was originally scheduled to open to traffic at the end of the year, now the roadbed has been leveled and asphalt can be laid in September, which is expected to be a month ahead of schedule."

Zhao Ping'an remained silent for a few seconds.

He turned to look at Zhou Ming, the secretary of the secretariat beside him.

"What's going on with this progress?"

Zhou Ming is in his early thirties and was transferred from the Northeast industrial zone. He is a reliable and hardworking person.

"Sir, I've looked into it. It's mainly the workers and farmers who are voluntarily working overtime."

Zhao Ping'an looked at him.

"Voluntary overtime work?"

Zhou Ming nodded.

"The support system you established has greatly boosted everyone's enthusiasm."

The workers are provided with three full meals a day, with at least three ounces of meat in their daily dishes.

In winter, a full set of cotton-padded clothes, shoes, gloves, and hats are provided; in summer, two extra sets of work clothes are provided for changing.

Salary is paid in advance; the first half of the month's salary is paid on the 1st, and the second half of the month's salary is paid in advance on the 16th.

The labor union also organizes study sessions, movie screenings, and social gatherings, and helps workers and farmers solve their problems on a regular basis.

If you get sick, there are medical staff; if you get injured, you are sent to the hospital.

They live in dormitories, and there are also daycare centers and schools for those with children…

He paused.

Many farmers say that a few years ago they were starving in the village and could not eat meat even once a year.

In winter, families would huddle together at home for warmth, and in some poorer families, the whole family would share one pair of pants, which whoever went out would wear.

Now I can eat three ounces of meat a day, and all my food, clothing, and shelter are taken care of. I can even send money back home every month after I get paid. This life feels like a dream.

Zhao Ping'an didn't speak, he just nodded.

Zhou Ming continued, "There's also the incentive bonus. There's a bonus for completing the project ahead of schedule."

The workers have calculated that after a year of work, we can get our own dormitory, and after two years, we can save enough money to build a new house for our parents back home. Who wouldn't be eager to do this job now?

He pointed to the crowd of people working on the construction site in the distance.

"Look over there, what you originally planned as a long day shift is now being changed to two shifts."

They even did it at night with searchlights on. You couldn't stop them.

Looking at those busy figures, Zhao Ping'an suddenly didn't know what to say.

He stood there for a long time before speaking.

"Go check with the supplies department. If we finish ahead of schedule, will there be a lot of surplus by the end of the year?"

Let them revise their plans, adjust the food standards for the workers and farmers, and provide extra meals.

Since there are now night shifts, let the cafeteria staff also work in two or three shifts.

We guarantee that there will be hot meals available in the cafeteria 24 hours a day.

The first meal of the night shift is around 5 or 6 pm. I'll definitely be hungry in the middle of the night, so I need to have something to eat by 11 pm.

"We can't work on an empty stomach."

After seeing Secretary Zhou nod and take notes, Zhao Ping'an turned around and got into the car.

"Go to Korla."

The cotton fields in Korla are more spectacular than the solar panels.

Five million mu (approximately 667,000 hectares) stretch as far as the eye can see. The cotton seedlings have just grown to knee height, lush and green, swaying gently in the wind.

The drip irrigation tape extends along the furrows, with a dripper every thirty centimeters in the thin black pipe, dripping water onto the roots.

Zhao Ping'an squatted down at the edge of the ground and grabbed a handful of soil.

The soil is sandy, but it has been mixed with farmyard manure and a water-retaining agent, so it feels loose and moist when you hold it in your hand.

"They're growing well," he said.

The farm manager accompanying us smiled and said, "For the first year, the fact that these seedlings have emerged is already beyond our expectations. When we harvest in September, the yield per mu is estimated to be over 260 jin."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

Two hundred and sixty catties, five million mu, that is 1.3 billion catties of cotton.

It could make a set of clothes for every person in the country.

In mid-July, Zhao Ping'an was urgently recalled to Beiping.

As soon as he got off the train, Zhou Ming handed him a telegram.

"Instructions from the leadership office."

Zhao Pingan took it and glanced at it.

"Comrade Zhao Ping'an is requested to accompany the leaders to Shan State to meet with the Prime Minister of Shan State. The date is to be determined, please make preparations in advance."

He froze for a moment.

Prime Minister of Shan State?

It seems that Wang Yaowu has really made a name for himself.

Six months.

Wang Yaowu was doing very well in northern Shan State.

Relying on Li Guohui's initial two thousand or so remnants and three thousand or so family members, he continuously fought, supported, and incorporated them into his ranks.

Now the number has increased to 60,000, of which 10,000 are professional soldiers who do not participate in labor, and there are more than 20,000 laborers.

After taking over the territory, Wang Yaowu directed the reclamation of 80,000 mu of land.

The first crop of potatoes planted on 30,000 mu (approximately 2,000 hectares) has already been harvested. The yield of 3,000 jin (approximately 1,500 kg) per mu (approximately 0.5 kg per hectare) has astonished the locals.

Those chieftains and farmers had farmed all their lives and had never seen so much grain.

Wang Yaowu kept enough military rations and seeds, distributed the surplus potatoes to the people, and exchanged the rest for grain, supplies, and to win hearts and minds.

Zhao Baoguo wasn't idle either.

Medical staff go to rural areas to provide free medical care. Teachers go into villages to teach children to read.

Those mountain people who had never seen a doctor before learned what "getting an injection" meant for the first time.

Children who had never known what words were learned to write their own names for the first time.

The imported refined salt made many people realize for the first time that salt doesn't have to be bitter.

There were also matches, kerosene lamps, cloth, farm tools, and the life-saving miracle drug penicillin, among other things.

The various supplies transported from Yunnan Province were the first thing the accompanying civilians and soldiers learned about.

So this is what life can be like: having enough to eat every day, clothes to wear, and someone to take care of you when you're sick.

They had tools to work with, didn't get whipped on a daily basis, and had superiors to help them reason and resolve problems if they were bullied.

All I had to do was listen to my superiors and do my job well.

The two worked together seamlessly.

Wang Yaowu was in charge of external affairs, managing troops, land, and security, while Zhao Baoguo was in charge of internal affairs, managing grain, guns, and the people's hearts.

Now, in northern Shan State, everyone knows the names "Chief Wang" and "Chief Zhao".

The two didn't even need to recruit soldiers; many ordinary people came to them asking to be taken in.

Li Mi led five thousand men into the deep mountains, leaving the territory unattended.

Local chieftains, headmen, and landlords each occupied their own territories, making it impossible for ordinary people to survive.

Even the government military only cares about tax collection and doesn't get involved in other matters.

When Wang Yaowu arrived, he provided grain, land, and seeds, and even offered medical care and education, treating him better than a biological father. The contrast was stark.

As a result, the Shan State government could no longer sit still.

Six months ago, the Premier was still thinking about how to deal with Li Mi. Now that Li Mi has run away, someone even more troublesome has appeared.

Unlike Li Mi, Wang Yaowu did not engage in burning, killing, and looting.

He provided grain and land, treated the sick and saved lives, and taught children to read. The people were not afraid of him; in fact, they begged him to come.

This is ten thousand times more terrifying than Li Mi.

The Prime Minister sent 10,000 men to "encircle and suppress" them.

The results of it?

In a single day, 1,500 were wiped out and more than 3,000 surrendered.

Of the remaining five thousand, less than half were recovered.

Most of them deserted halfway through their service—the little money they received as soldiers couldn't even buy half the grain that a farmer in Wang Yaowu's area received.

The Prime Minister was completely at a loss.

After much thought, the only solution he could find was to talk to the person in charge.

He knew who Wang Yaowu's backer was.

In late July, Zhao Pingan received official notification.

Three days later, he flew to Yangon with his superiors.

On the plane, Zhao Ping'an leaned against the window, looking at the clouds below.

He recalled the words Wang Yaowu had said before he left.

"Minister Zhao, I'll spend the rest of my life working for you."

Six months.

I wonder how things are now.