After taking the train and then transferring to a military truck, they traveled for two days to a place called Ye Majing and then another day and a half into a barren wilderness. A few newly built earthen houses was scattered around, with several more still under construction. Other than that, there was nothing, even without a single tree in sight. It was the first time for Li Weiwen (Xue'er) to leave her hometown so throughout the whole journey, she had stayed timidly in her sister's shadow , quietly observing everything around her. Back home, she had always buried herself in books and rarely went outside, which led to her needing glasses at an early age. Because of her pair of green eyes, she had gotten used to lowering her head and glancing around cautiously, an instinct born of her fear of being looked at. She thought that wearing glasses was a way to hide her eyes from the world. But even so, she couldn't help but notice a certain secret during the journey. A young man named Lin Feng seemed especially attentive to her sister, Li Weibing (Liu'er). He was constantly checking on her, showing concern for her well-being, and even extended some of that kindness to her young sister, Li Weiwen. In private moment, she leaned closer to Li Weibing and whispered:
"Sister Liu'er, what's going on with Li Feng?"
"What do you mean what is going on? What are you trying to ask?"
"It seems that he treats you differently from others. Who is he?"
Li Weibing blushed slightly and said:
"What do you mean, different? You're just a child. What do you know? He's just a classmate of mine."
Li Weiwen replied:
"But he looks a lot older than you."
"His family was so poor that he couldn't afford to go to school. It wasn't until after the Liberation that he finally had the chance to study. He is only two or three years older than me."
"Does he like you?"
At that, Li Weibing lightly flicked her finger against Li Weiwen's forehead and said:
"You little rascal, what do you know about liking or not liking someone? Don't talk nonsense."
Li Weiwen gave her sister a mischievous look, stuck out her tongue and flashed an impish grin. That grin made Li Weibing's face flush even redder. She was just about to teach this cheeky yet clever little sister a lesson when Lin feng happened to be walking toward them. Li Weiwen quickly dropped her playful expression and returned to her usual fear demeanour, lowering her eyes. Li Weibing, caught mid-motion, smoothly pulled her sister into a gentle side hug and looked up with a smile to greet Lin Feng as he approached.
From that moment on, Li Weiwen never asked her sister about Lin Feng again. She simply observed quietly their interactions. It didn't take long for her to realize that their relationship definitely went beyond more classmates. She couldn't help but feel secretly happy for her sister, Li Weibing.
Their group consisted of about seventy people. Aside from a few university graduates, most were students from the high school from various regions. Among them were just twenty girls while the rest were boys. Now they stood in neat rows, facing a unit of about thirty demobilized soldiers, mostly men except for only two women. At the front of the unit stood two young officers, both appearing to be in their early thirties. One of the officers with a military uniform stepped forward and addressed them:
"Welcome, all students, to our 3rd Company of 5th Battalion, XX Regiment of Gansu Agricultural Construction Division. I am Company Commander Guo Yungang." He gestured toward the other man and added, "This is our Political Instructor, Zhang Yang. Now I will hand it over to our instructor for a few words."
Instructor Zhang Yang stepped forward and said:
"Students, first of all, welcome to here. Our corp is a heroic unit with a proud and glorious tradition. We took part in the Long March, the War of Resistance Against Japan, the War of Liberation and the Korean War. Now, in response to the call of Chairman Mao and the Party, we have come here to establish a military reclamation force in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu not only to defend our borders but also to help build and develop our great country. Our mission is to transform this barren and undeveloped land into a self-sufficient pasture to make it capable of supporting both production and daily life. As you can see, there isn't even a single tree here. It's a land where nothing grows. But that's exactly why we are here: to change this desolate and lifeless land. We must carry forward Chairman Mao's great belief that 'man can overcome nature', boldly fight against the forces of the heavens and the earth, and fundamentally change the face of this region. To be honest, we soldiers are well-trained in combat, long marches and even farming but when it comes to transforming an entire ecosystem and achieving sustainable development, we need the help of you with well-educated and knowledge. That's why your arrival is so important. Moreover, as young people, you are expected to come to the most difficult and remote part of our country to receive re-education. This is also an earnest hope our great leader Chairman Mao has for the student youth. He hopes that through our united efforts, we can change this region to be like Gannan ----lush and green---- turning it into a Jiangnan of the Northwest." At this point, he glanced over at Company Commander Guo Yungang and continued, " Would you like to add anything?"
Company Commander Guo waved his hand and said:
"I don't have much more to add. What Instructor Zhang said reflects my thoughts as well. Just one more point: our pasture is still in the very early stages of development. Right now, it may look like a grassy field but once the autumn and winter arrive, the river nearby will dry up and this area will turn into barren mounds of earth. What you may not know is that just a few kilometers north of here lies a vast desert. One of our key missions is to prevent this land from turning into more desert. That is why the students from the university are here, to apply your knowledge and expertise to help us turn the desert into oasis. I would like to thank you all in advance on behalf of our officers and soldiers. Now let me introduce two of our female comrades. This is Comrade Xu Yumei, affectionately know as 'Sister Xu'. She is in charge of our kitchen team and is also the wife of our Political Instructor Zhang. And the other is our medic, Liu Yun. If you ever feel unwell or have any health issues, you can go to her. Meanwhile, we will be operating under military-style management. You will be divided into three platoons. The female comrades will be grouped into two squads under the first platoon. The rest of you will be assigned to your respective platoons and accommodations once your platoon leaders call your names."
Li Weiwen was assigned to the kitchen unit. Her sister, Li Weibing, a university graduate, was placed on a team tasked with planning how to make meaningful contributions to the region, achieving grain self-sufficiency, implementing windbreak and sand-fixation measures and ensuring that both the pasture and their daily lives could be sustained independently. For Li Weiwen, it was the first time she had ever been separated from her family. She couldn't help but feel lost and unsure of how to face the days ahead on her own. What she feared most was being asked awkward questions about her striking pair of greenish eyes, about her family background and about what her parents had done before the Liberation. But fortunately, she was spared much of that discomfort thanks to the thoughtful protection of Sister Xu Yumei. Here's what happened:
Before the girls arrived, there were Xu Yumei and two male cooks in the kitchen. Now four girls had been assigned to help out, including Li Weiwen. Their tasks were simple: supporting the cooks by picking and washing vegetables and assisting with other kitchen duties. On Li Weiwen's first day, as they got to work, one of the girls sidled up next to her and said in a half-curious, half-mocking tone:
"Li Weiwen, in fact, I have been dying to ask you something since the first time I saw you. But you were always hiding behind Li Weibing, never talking to us, never even looking at us. You just kept sneaking glances like we were strangers. Well, now that we are working together without your sister around. Please tell me how there is the difference between you and Li Weibing if you are sisters, especially the colours of the eyes. Look at you, you look like you're from an ethnic minority or something with a pair of green eyes. What is up with that? Come on, tell us!"
The other girls perked up and echoed her question, clearly curious. Even the two male cooks paused what they were doing and turned to look at her with puzzled expression. Li Weiwen lowered her head further, her cheeks burning. She didn't know how to answer them because she didn't dare to tell the truth, afraid of the judgmental stares and cold sarcasm of others, worried that she would face the same kind of discrimination she endured at home. Back then, at least, she had the option of hiding within the walls of her family. But now apart from Li Weibing, no one could protect her anymore and she had nowhere to hide. She couldn't say more besides two words "Well, this...". Just then, Sister Xu Yumei, who had been helping one of the male cooks knead dough, suddenly spoke up:
"Why are you girls always so curious about other people's business? What is so strange about having a pair of green eyes? When I was stationed in Xinjiang, I saw plenty of girls who looked almost like her. It is nothing unusual about it. And by the way, Li Weibing and she aren't biological sisters. Li Weibing is an orphan who was adopted by Li Weiwen's neighbours so they just grew up together. That is all."
Then the girls began chattering all at once:
"Li Weibing isn't your real sister?"
"There are people in our country with green eyes too? I always thought only foreigners had eyes like that."
"How interesting! I have never seen anyone with green eyes before. I have never seen what a foreigner really looks like."
"Li Weiwen, are you from Xinjiang too?"
Before long, their curiosity shifted. The topic of conversation drifted to local costumes and hometown stories. Just like that, the earlier tension quietly faded away.
Li Weiwen felt deeply grateful to Sister Xu for saving her from embarrassment so she sneaked a glance at her. Unexpectedly, Xu Yumei also looked back at her with a gentle smile. Without reason Li Weiwen felt a warm sense of comfort and reassurance. She was moved but she still lowered her head in shyness. Later, when there was no one else around, she came towards Xu Yumei and whispered:
"Thank you, Sister Xu, I...."
Xu Yumei gave her a kind smile and said:
"You're welcome. We are comrades, sisters. Don't be afraid. As long as I am around, you'll be fine."
She gave Li Weiwen an encouraging look and Li Weiwen responded with a soft and relieved smile.