Border diary

In the past few days, the Northern Xinjiang Literary Light Cavalry Team, like a red flag fluttering in the wind, crossed the valley, crossed the grassland, came to the post and entered the military camp. Like a happy sparrow, it marched thousands of miles to the border, singing and dancing, and realized its dream.

? March 6

On March 6, we set out early in the morning, driving an old-fashioned public security Iveco, crunching along, sitting in the back carriage with the small members of the literary and art team, all the way to the northwest. The car body is a public security color with white and blue handover. If the car body is painted and painted with graffiti, it will really become a performance car in the southern highway film, except that he is in the south and we are in the north. March is still windy and freezing, so we can't open the window, stretch out our right hand to catch cigarettes and play a bomb of ash to let trivial things drift away with the wind, as in movies.

Take a bus from the headquarters to the fourth factory to refuel and go to the second factory to eat. I met many ice lakes on the way, which are not common on the grassland. In summer, after the ice melts, they become puddles, and cars fly sand and dust on the dirt road. Looking from a distance, the ice lake looks like glittering jade, and the lake that has been silent for a winter flickers between light and shadow. The weather is clear, the blue sky seems within reach, and the icy lake exudes charming luster in the endless grass yellow, attracting the surrounding cattle and sheep to draw water and bringing the vitality of this grassland.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, we came to a factory and took a group photo at boundary pillar 944 at the westernmost end of the pipeline section, wiping the boundary pillar and saluting. At the 947 duty station and the 50 1 post, the flag of the northern Xinjiang literary light cavalry fluttered high at the border post for the first time, bringing condolences to the soldiers from afar. When they left, they invited us to taste homemade fried beef jerky, which was crisp.

In the evening, we performed in a factory, and the factory team invited the surrounding herdsmen to watch the program. Grassland is sparsely populated, and herdsmen live in 30% to 20%. Tonight, they are sitting in two rows, and there are two lovely Mongolian children. We invited herders to perform on stage, but they didn't refuse. They sing loudly and far. Mongolians are born singers.

March 7

On March 7, I set out in the morning and met a camel on the road. Camels are animals at the end of the grassland. The grassland here is getting thinner and thinner, and the number of camels is increasing gradually. The two large sarcomas on camels are places where water is stored, so they generally move slowly, but speed is never a weakness, and they run like lightning. Camel meat is edible, has no fishy smell, and the price is higher than beef, but killing camels must be approved by the African Union government. Most herders raise camels for camel hair, which is a good material. As far as I can see, one camel is enjoying breakfast on the left side of barbed wire, and the other two are playing on the right side. The air is fresh, and the smell of grass and earth is very pleasant.

Over the mountain, we came to Zhariwula point. Below the point is the former site of Company 13 in the 1990s. The bright red slogan is a symbol of that era, and three fine horses graze leisurely in the sun. The road on the spot is so steep that a small broken car can't climb it. We climbed up the path around the mountain holding the banner of the literary light cavalry. The post is not big, but it is full of spirit, and the color is abrupt on the still yellow grassland. There is a strong wind at the top of the mountain. We entered the room to perform, and the soldiers were very enthusiastic. They are busy cooking foamed milk tea to entertain us. After all, the days of guarding the border are depressing and lonely, and it is not easy to meet people, let alone our young lesbians. The program went well. The monitor of the female soldier told me quietly that there is a female soldier Angie's birthday today, and we will sing a birthday song to her later. It is a rare opportunity to celebrate your birthday at the front line and leave a good impression on your life at the sentry post. Since the establishment of the literary squad, it has been like a red whirlwind in the cold and hardship, blowing all over the hearts of soldiers, leaving a burst of fragrance. Female soldiers came to the front line for the first time, witnessed the hard and boring life of border guards, spontaneously distributed their snacks to everyone, helped each soldier to apply hand cream, and shook hands with the soldiers one by one, hoping to do their bit to comfort them.

Get out of Zhariwula and bypass a 90-degree bend, which they call "General Bend". It is said that in 2002, a general came here to inspect, and the road was rugged and accidentally overturned, so all the officers and men here laughed and called it "General Bend".

The driver pointed to Pingdingshan in the distance and told us that it was a teaching team. We didn't pass there on this trip. There was no signal from the teaching team all the year round, so the soldiers climbed the mountain to find a signal. As the name implies, Pingdingshan is very flat at the top, so it is clear for driving. When they found a signal point, everyone cheered and found a stone to sit on the sign, which was called "signal point". Later, they often drove here to use the net, but they cut a road abruptly from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. The "signal point" is accurate. Every time a soldier comes here, he needs to find the exact location of the signal first. The mobile phone can't move a penny, otherwise the network will be completely gone. Turn on the hot spot and you can start the happiest time.

Near noon, the car stopped at the third factory, and we went to take pictures of the herdsmen. Now there are more brick houses next to the yurts, and the yurts are no longer mobile houses, but take root and become the settlements of herders. We crossed the fence and walked into the yard. The herdsmen warmly greeted us, invited us to sit in our bags, served Mongolian milk tea, and offered milk powder, preserved fruit and snacks. There is a Datong shop in the yurt, and the portrait of Genghis Khan is hung on the wall of the yurt. The decoration in the bag is simple and simple. The exquisite Ma Touqin mount, the old saddle and whip, and several medals won by the owner on horseback are full of Mongolian customs. In another yurt, several herders have lunch around the table. There are only simple pickles and Mongolian cakes on the table. The pot in the stove is full of mutton, and the thick aroma spreads upward along the wall of the yurt. The hostess brought us a basin full of mutton and gave us special knives and chopsticks. I used to eat in the company, but this time I am fattening lambs in yurts or remote places. It feels particularly real.

When driving on patrol roads or border roads, prairie rats will flash by quickly from time to time, which is very sensitive and cute. This time, I want to race with them. This season, the grass is sparse, and the prairie rats have nowhere to hide. I found one and rushed to it. The prairie mouse was also very excited and ran away in a hurry. His calf kept scratching the ground and ran a few steps. When he saw that there was no hole ahead, he turned around and ran in the opposite direction. I also braked hard and followed. After several rounds, he was exhausted and stopped running.

There is a veteran in No.3 Factory who started to serve as soon as he was born. In a blink of an eye 14 years passed, and the company changed officers and men. The scenery of the frontier changes in four seasons, but it has always been adhered to. When I came here last year, I was already depressed and old. It lies in the sun all day. The sidewalk is shaking, its skin is slack, but its color has not changed. I recognized it at a glance when I came here today. I'm still lounging on the ground with wrinkles on my skin. Its eyes can no longer see people, staring blankly ahead. Maybe for it, the whole world is quiet, but everything around it is familiar. It enjoys the privilege in the factory team. It can sleep in the back room at night, and other friends can only sleep on the sentry. Time was tight, so I didn't ask its story in detail. Interview in detail next time and write a story about the dog monitor.

? March 8

March 8, Women's Day, but little girls don't want to celebrate Women's Day. In the morning, our soldiers on horseback patrolled Lu Yu. Three horses, one black and two bordeaux, followed by two military dogs, pulled over and moved out the musical instruments. The grassland is the stage, the mountains are the background, the guitar sounds, the songs are melodious, the dance is beautiful, and the soldiers applaud. After the performance, the female soldiers rushed to ride horses, took the reins handed by the soldiers, stepped on the pedals and sat on the saddle. The sky is high and the clouds are light, and the breeze blows over their faces, making them feel relaxed and happy. We looked towards Mongolia. The little black dog "crossed the border privately", crossed the barbed wire and exulted on the grassland of Mongolia. Soon, he came back with something in his mouth When we take a closer look, it is a sheep bone. It turns out that it went to a foreign country to steal vegetables, and the foreign moon is quite round.

I met the Mongolian side wall again. I saw this long Genghis Khan wall during training last year. I'm really lucky to meet you again today. When our Xiangqian Che opened, so did the side walls. They were also curious about such a group of strange visitors, as if comparing them with Mongolian soldiers thousands of years ago. The side wall is low and short, and it has been cut off by years, but it is still exceptionally strong. Even if it is blocked by the grassland fire belt, it always stands out from the crowd. We reached the patrol road along the side wall and turned to the east at right angles, but the side wall still extended northward and spread to China. It used to be a site, but it was blocked by barbed wire, which made people sad.

The driver told us an interesting story. That year, their water tanker was parked on the side of the road, and the taillights were red, while the cows were color-blind and only recognized red. The taillight was hit by a prairie cow. Go back to the leader and ask them, "Why is the car broken?" "Did the bull hit it?" "Be careful what you say, where did it hit? Barbed wire or fence? " "This is a bull bump, and several people saw it." "Can you stop making up lies? Will the cow hit your car? " . Of course, this is only a silhouette on the border road. Cattle, sheep, horses, even camels and antelopes can be seen everywhere, all of which play their own roles in the process of nature. The grassland has been silent for tens of thousands of years, but the movement is eternal, and we are all part of this silent change.

March 9

On March 9th, after leaving No.5 Factory, we drove to the boundary pillar. First, we took our team members to the shops in the port, commonly known as "Gazhen Street". There are all kinds of daily necessities and souvenirs from Mongolia and Russia. The Dabuqi port in Junggar is small, and there are more trade vehicles between China and Mongolia on weekdays. Today is the weekend, the border is closed, there is no one else, only two cars. The country is like the worse gate, giving people a sense of majesty. The team members rushed to take photos, hoping to leave their mark on the northern portal of the motherland.

1056 is very close to the port, only 30 minutes by car. The deeper the car goes, the weaker the signal is. Point at the top of the mountain, the wall is painted with bright camouflage, and there are red stones on the opposite hillside, which read "Loyalty to serve the country". Today, the sunshine is very good. We walked into the warm and attractive sunshine shed in front of the watch box and climbed the low and steep stairs. The sentry box is on the fourth floor, and two sentries on duty are waiting early to tell us about Mongolia. Sunlight overflows through the glass, which is very comfortable.

1063, also known as Youqing Shaolou, is said to have been donated by the oilfield. It was noon, the breeze was warm and the temperature was pleasant, so we decided to perform outdoors. At this time, there were few people, and four people and one dog became our audience.

The driver said that if you get lost on the grassland, you should run along the national defense optical cable, either to the factory team or to the sentry. The grassland at night is like the sea, with no signs and no direction. At this time, the stars are the antidote to life. If you go north along the Big Dipper, you will find the border barbed wire and the door to survival.

? March 10

March 10, our first stop is 1076, also known as the one-meter whistle. One meter flower is a special flower on the grassland, symbolizing tenacity and obscurity. Just like the soldiers guarding the border, they are silently sticking to it. The one-meter whistle is also very small, with a flag and a stone tablet in each room, where several soldiers engraved the most unforgettable years of their youth. The female soldiers are very enthusiastic, pulling the whistle chief and pulling the little soldiers to sing "Crossing the Ocean to See You". The soldiers walked shyly onto the stage, grinning embarrassedly, jumping out of a sentence for a while and a few words for a while. After the performance, we took a group photo behind the one-meter whistle stone tablet. The monument is engraved with three striking Chinese characters "one meter whistle". The breeze blew and the red flag behind the monument fluttered in the wind, dazzling. ?

I have been walking slowly on the patrol road these days. When you meet the "washboard road", the car bumps and your neck gets effective exercise. When there is no snow on the border road, cars have to pass carefully; When I met the small mountain road next to the cliff, the car turned a big bend and "moved over" a little; When it comes to uphill and downhill in mountainous areas, small broken cars need to be full of horsepower, whistling and sprinting; When encountering a grassland road blocked by cattle and sheep, the driver turned on the siren and drove by leisurely.

In the afternoon in No.7 Factory, after the performance, we rode horses, and the female soldiers took turns to go into battle. The old monitor teaches riding. That mare is a little strong, but she runs fast, with hair and flying smartly. We can ride a white horse, which is actually very easy to control. Hold the reins with your left hand, embed your middle finger in the middle of the rope, hold the front end of the saddle tightly with your right hand, loosen the reins, and kick the horse's belly gently with your feet. The white horse will run leisurely, the horse will stagger and sit unsteadily. The monitor of the horse training class said that the horse bounced slowly and ran smoothly. It is also easy to turn, control the direction of the reins, and the white horse is also very obedient, but it is difficult for beginners to keep their balance. When stopping, tighten the reins and the white horse will slow down and stop.

March 12

March 12, the progress slowed down in these two days. In the morning, we drove to the last stop. The weather in Ming Che is still sunny, and the sky is low and oppressive, just like the background of the curtain. The grasslands are staggered layer by layer, and the greenery is prominent all the way to the east, just like the light green dye is dropped into orange water, but the dye is not completely dizzy and stuck together. At the end of Shilian Company, we passed a swamp. In recent years, the grassland is dry and rainy, and there are only a few ice depressions in the swamp in winter. Several dead trees are scattered in the distance. Carved by the wind and sand in the grassland, these trees grow regularly, but their branches are vigorous but not arrogant, but their colors are scorched and they stay in the sun all the time. They were waiting for the first drop of water, when the grass was dyed.

Passing by the factory post, I got on the 306 provincial highway and the road was bumpy. Although it is an asphalt road, the asphalt has almost disappeared. However, it is also this road, which is called the most beautiful road in the road trip in Inner Mongolia. The grasslands on both sides are covered, and mountains are in sight, with different shades. When the wind blows here, we can't help slowing down and passing the top of the sparkling grassland, with a thick grass fragrance.

We went to 1283 in the afternoon. In the afternoon, it was sunny in Ming Che, and we sat in the car. The sunshine is like water, and the car is gently spread out. The car is moving and quiet, just like moving freely in the ocean of light. A few kilometers away, a big lake appeared. Most lakes are frozen this season. However, the lake looks like a ripple, with the scene of a lake in the south of the Yangtze River. Along the lake to the roadside, reeds are covered with golden yellow, which is no different from grassland. The wind blows the reeds, blowing away the fatigue and hardship of a winter, and blowing a brand-new and beautiful fresh breath.

The last post of this trip, post 603, was built on the mountainside about 3 kilometers away from the company/kloc-0. This is a good place to enjoy the scenery in summer. The sentry has a small plain and a vast landscape. Perhaps it is this kind of scenery that has created the bold and heroic temperament of the Mongolian people. The monitor of one of our young recruits is in this watch box. He contacted the monitor a few days ago and volunteered to go to this sentry.

After hosting the last performance, I was relieved, but lost. Facing simple soldiers, I don't know what to say, but I am really enthusiastic by them. I stayed on the mountain for half a year, and my life was dull. However, the motherland is vast and needs their protection. I need this first barrier to control the level. This is probably the case with sacrifices and dedication in peacetime.

Life is constantly walking around, enjoying different scenery, understanding different life philosophies and experiencing different spiritual tastes. Maybe it is sweet, maybe it is dull, but it will never stop and move forward forever.