Life is a picture that is connected by pieces of hard work. Only by giving can we gain, and only by tasting can we know the taste

At the edge of Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang, there is a famous city outside the Great Wall called Shihezi. Seven years ago, in a cold winter, I took the train from Jiangnan to the border, came to this city, which embodies the hard work and sweat of the military reclamation people of the Republic, and became a glorious armed police.

Our troops are highly dispersed. The farthest squadron is more than 100 kilometers away from the detachment organ, and is surrounded by the Gobi Desert. The living conditions of officers and soldiers are relatively difficult. In order to enrich the amateur cultural life of grassroots officers and soldiers, the detachment will organize "law, psychology, culture" to serve the grassroots every quarter. Considering that I majored in law when I was in college, I joined this team to solve problems for grass-roots officers and soldiers. To understand the army, we must go deep into the grassroots and soldiers, understand their life needs and stimulate their mental state. So I volunteered and often traveled hundreds of kilometers with film projectionists to show movies to grassroots soldiers, provide psychological counseling and teach legal knowledge.

When I first arrived at the grass-roots units, I still felt that everything was very new. The vast Gobi Desert was also beautiful in my eyes. But as time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult. Once, when talking with soldiers, I saw that many soldiers had scars on their arms after being bitten by mosquitoes. I wondered why there were mosquitoes before summer. But when night fell, we set up a big screen to show the film. Then I realized the power of mosquitoes in the Gobi Desert. Even if I wore thick training clothes, I would still be bitten by mosquitoes. But this has long been a common practice for these soldiers. Seeing the simple and tough faces, I felt admiration in my heart. I am honored to bring warmth to this group of lovely people and get their recognition.

My duty is not only to provide spiritual food for the soldiers, but also to help them when they encounter practical difficulties. Once received a call for help from a veteran who was about to leave the army. His father was injured accidentally while working. Although the treatment was timely, he was unable to pay the high medical expenses. With the belief of caring for grass root officers and soldiers, I immediately rushed to his unit to learn more about the records. The unit and the local authorities concerned concerned about the progress of the matter, and finally reached an agreement with the employer on the identification and compensation of work-related injuries before the soldiers were demobilized. Only by not allowing veterans to return home with regret can they enhance their sense of happiness and gain, and build a more powerful force for safeguarding their country.

A girl who comes to work in the frontier army needs great courage in the eyes of many people. For me, this is inseparable from the support and encouragement of my family. My father was also a soldier, who had been sweating in this hot land of Xinjiang more than 40 years ago. When he learned of my decision to join the army in Xinjiang, he gave me more encouragement in work than in life. "A tough place can train people, and life needs rich experience." My father's words often echo in my ears. Whenever I encounter difficulties, I will come to the Corps Military Reclamation Museum and stop in front of pictures of old soldiers of military reclamation digging up land on the Gobi Desert. It seems that I can feel the passion of that era, and think about the hardships they suffered at the beginning. What are the difficulties I encountered.

Nowadays, whenever I talk about my military career with my family, it is full of happiness. Life is a picture that is connected by struggling fragments. Only by paying can we gain, and only by tasting can we know the taste. In the furnace of the army and on the vast Gobi Desert, I have been trained and gained insights. I have no regrets about taking root in the military camp and making contributions in a down-to-earth manner, and fulfilling my commitment when I joined the army with practical actions.

(The author is an officer of the Political Work Office of the Fourth Detachment of the Armed Police Corps.)

People's Daily (September 21, 2018, 13th edition)

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