Border Diary

In the past few days, the Northern Xinjiang literary and artistic light cavalry team has spread like a red flag fluttering in the wind, flowing through the valley, rolling across the grassland, arriving at the outpost, and walking into the military camp. They are like joyful sparrows, singing thousands of miles while walking on the border. , walk and dance, walk and realize.

? March 6

On March 6, we set off early in the morning and drove an old-fashioned police Iveco. The members of the literary team drove all the way northwest. The body of the car is in the public security colors of white and blue. If the car body is painted with colorful paint and spray-painted with graffiti, it will really become a performance car in the southern road movie. It's just that it is in the south and we are in the north. The wind is still biting in March. It's freezing cold, so you can't play loud music, open the car window, stick your right hand holding the cigarette out the window, flick the ashes, and let the trivial matters drift away in the wind like in the movie.

We took a bus from the headquarters to the No. 4 Plant to refuel and to the No. 2 Plant for lunch. We encountered many glacial lakes on the way. Glacial lakes are not common in grasslands. When the ice melts in summer, they turn into puddles. The car is stuck in the dirt. There was flying sand and dust on the road, and the glacial lake looked like crystal clear jade from a distance. The lake, which had been silent all winter, shimmered and jumped between light and shadow. The weather is clear, and the blue sky seems to be within reach. The glacial lake exudes a charming luster in the endless grass yellow, attracting the surrounding cattle and sheep to come to draw water, and also brings the vitality of this grassland.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived at the No. 1 Factory and went to the boundary monument No. 944 at the western end of the pipeline section to take a group photo, wipe the boundary monument, and salute the boundary monument. The condolence performances were held at duty point 947 and post 501. For the first time, the flag of the Northern Xinjiang Literary Light Cavalry was flown high at the border post, bringing distant condolences to the soldiers. When leaving, they invited us to taste homemade fried beef jerky. Very crispy.

In the evening, they performed in the first factory. The factory team invited the surrounding herdsmen and residents to watch the show. There were few people on the grassland, and the herdsmen lived in groups of two and a half. But tonight, there were two full rows of seats, and there were We invited two lovely Mongolian children to perform on the stage. They did not refuse and sang at the top of their lungs. The songs were loud and far-reaching. Mongolians are all born singers.

March 7

On March 7, I set out in the morning and met camels on the road. Camels are animals at the end of the grassland. The grasslands here are getting thinner and the number of camels is gradually increasing. The two large sarcomas on the camel's body are where water is stored, so it usually moves slowly, but speed is never a weakness, and it can run very fast. Camel meat is edible, does not smell fishy, ??and is more expensive than beef. However, killing camels must be approved by the alliance government. Most herders raise camels for their down, a fine material for making clothes. As far as the eye can see, a camel is enjoying breakfast on the left side of the barbed wire fence, and two more are playing on the right side. The air is clear and the fragrance of grass and earth is mixed, which is very pleasant.

After climbing over the mountains and ridges, we came to Zhariwula Point. Below the point is the former site of the 13th Company in the 1990s. The bright red slogan is a symbol of that era. Three horses are eating leisurely in the sun. Grass. The road up to the point was very steep and could not be climbed up by a small broken car. We carried the flag of the Literary Light Cavalry and climbed up along the path around the mountain. The post was not big, but it was particularly energetic. The camouflage colors were still bright in the withered yellow grassland. It's abrupt. It was windy on the top of the mountain, so we went into the house to perform. The soldiers were very enthusiastic and were busy boiling water and making milk tea to entertain us. After all, the days of guarding the border were boring and lonely, and it was not easy to see people, let alone our young female comrades. The program went well. The female soldier squad leader quietly told me that a female soldier, An Qi, celebrated her birthday today and we would sing a happy birthday song to her later. It is a rare opportunity to celebrate your birthday on the front line and make a beautiful mark on your life on the spot. Since the establishment of the literary and art team, it has been bumpy and bumpy, blowing through the soldiers like a red whirlwind in the severe cold and hardship. Leave a fragrance in my heart.

It was the first time for the female soldiers to come to the front line and they witnessed the hard and boring life of the soldiers guarding the border. They spontaneously brought snacks to everyone, applied hand cream to each soldier, shook hands and talked with the soldiers, hoping to do their best. The power brings comfort to the soldiers.

Walking out of Zhariulla, we walked around a 90-degree bend, which they called "General's Bend". It is said that in 2002, a general came here to express condolences. The road was rugged and the car accidentally overturned. The officers and soldiers here laughed and said For "General Bend".

The driver pointed to Pingding Mountain in the distance and told us that it was the teaching team. We would not pass there on this trip. The teaching team had no signal all year round, so the soldiers climbed the mountain to look for signals. Pingding Mountain is as its name says, the top is very It is flat and can be driven without any hindrance. Everyone cheered when they found a signal point. They found a stone to sit on and marked it, calling it the "signal point." From then on, they often drove here to use the net, but they suddenly opened up a road from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain. The "signal point" is precisely located. Every time soldiers come here, they first need to find the precise location of the signal. The mobile phone cannot be moved even an inch, otherwise there will be no network. Turn on the hotspot and you can start the happiest time.

Near noon, the car stopped at the third factory, and we went to take photos of the herdsmen. Today, there are more brick houses next to the yurts, and the yurts are no longer mobile houses, but roots. , became a settlement for herdsmen. We walked into the courtyard through the fence, and the herdsmen warmly greeted us, invited us to sit in their bags, served Mongolian milk tea, dried milk, preserved fruits, and snacks. There is a large pavilion inside the yurt, and a portrait of Genghis Khan is hung on the wall. The furnishings inside the yurt are simple and unsophisticated, including an exquisite framed moron fiddle, a long-standing saddle and whip, several medals won by the owner on horseback, and a strong sense of Mongolia. The amorous feelings come to my face. In another yurt, several herdsmen were sitting around the table having lunch. There were only simple salty pickles and Mongolian noodles on the table. Hand-made mutton was boiling in the pot on the stove, and the rich aroma flowed up the wall of the yurt. spread. The hostess filled a bowl full of mutton for us to eat, and brought special knives and chopsticks. We had eaten it in the company before, but this time it was in a yurt, and it was fattened lamb far away from the sky. It felt very real.

When driving along the patrol road or the border highway, from time to time, small prairie rats will flash past quickly, their movements are agile and very cute. This time I want to have a race with them. The grass in this season is sparse and the prairie rats have no place to escape. I found one and hurried towards it. The prairie rats also jumped up and ran away in a hurry, their calves kept scratching. I ran a few steps and saw that there was no hole in front of me. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction. I also braked hard and chased after me. After several rounds, it was exhausted and stopped running. It turned over. Body, belly up, pretending to be dead.

There is a veteran in the No. 3 Factory who started serving in the army as soon as he was born. Fourteen years passed in a flash, and the company changed officers and soldiers. The scenery at the border changed with the seasons, but he persisted. When I came here last year, it was already very decadent and old. It lay lying in the sun all day long, the walkways were trembling, and its skin was saggy but its coat color had not changed. When I came today, I recognized it at a glance and it was still lying down lazily. On the ground, there are layers of folds on its skin. Its eyes can no longer see people, and it looks forward blankly. Perhaps to it, the whole world is quiet, but everything around it is extremely strange. Familiar, this moment of waiting for death is not so painful. It enjoys special privileges in the factory team. It can sleep in the back room at night, while other friends can only sleep in the sentry corridor. Time was tight, so I didn't ask about its story in detail. I will interview him in detail next time and write an article "The Story of the Dog Monitor".

? March 8

March 8 is Women’s Day, but little girls are not willing to celebrate Women’s Day. In the morning, we met soldiers patrolling on horseback. They led three horses, one black and two red, followed by two military dogs. We parked the car and pulled over, took out the musical instruments, the grassland was the stage, the mountains were the background, the guitar sounded, and the singing was melodious. , the dance was beautiful, and the soldiers applauded.

After the performance, the female soldiers rushed to ride horses, took the reins handed over by the soldiers, stepped on the stirrups, and sat on the saddles. The sky was high and the clouds were clear, the breeze was blowing on their faces, and they felt comfortable and happy in their hearts. We looked at the Mongolian side. The little black dog "crossed the border privately", crossed the barbed wire fence, and rejoiced freely on the Mongolian grasslands. After a while, he ran back happily with something in his mouth. When we looked carefully, it was A sheep bone turned out to be eaten secretly in a foreign country, where the moon is still relatively round.

Encountered the Mongolian Border Wall again. I had seen this long Genghis Khan Border Wall during my training last year. I was really lucky to encounter it again today. Our car drove forward, and the side walls followed suit. They were also curious about such a group of strange visitors, as if they were comparing how they were different from the Mongolian cavalry thousands of years ago. The side wall is low and low, and has been chipped away by the years, but it is still extremely strong. Even if it is cut off by the grassland firebreak, it still sticks out of the ground and exists stubbornly. We walked along the border wall to the patrol road, turned at a right angle and walked east, but the border wall still extended northward and continued to spread into Mongolia. This was once China's territory. The terrain, scenery and climate were the same, but it was blocked by barbed wire, which made people sigh. .

The driver told us an interesting story. That year they were driving a water tanker parked on the side of the road. The taillights were red, but cattle were color blind and could only recognize red. The taillight was hit by a prairie cow. When they went back, the leader asked them, "How did the car break down?" Will the cow hit your car?" Of course, this is just a silhouette on the border road, and grassland cattle, sheep, horses, even camels, and yellow sheep can be seen everywhere. They all play their own roles in the process of nature. The grassland has remained silent for tens of thousands of years. , but movement is eternal, and we are all part of this silent change.

March 9

On March 9, after leaving Factory 5, we drove to the national boundary marker. We first took the team members to the shops at the port, commonly known as "Gazhen Street" "There are all kinds of daily necessities and Mongolian and Russian souvenirs. The port of Zhuengadabuqi is not big. On weekdays, there are many vehicles trading between China and Mongolia. Today is the weekend, the border is closed, there are no other people, only our two vehicles, The national gate looks like the Nantian Gate, giving people a sense of majesty. The team members rushed to take photos, hoping to leave their mark on the northern gate of the motherland.

Point 1056 is very close to the port, and the drive takes only thirty minutes. The deeper the car drives, the weaker the signal becomes. Spotted on the top of the mountain, the walls are painted in bright camouflage colors, and on the opposite hillside are the words "Serve the Country with Loyalty" lined with red stones. The sun was very bright today. We walked into the sun shed in front of the sentry tower. It was warm and we climbed up the low and steep stairs. The sentry tower was on the fourth floor. Two sentries on duty were waiting early to introduce us to the Mongolian side. The sun shines through the glass, making it very comfortable.

Point 1063, also known as the oil situation whistle. It is said that the whistle tower was built with donations from the oil field. It was noon, the breeze was gentle, and the temperature was pleasant. We decided to perform outside the house. There were few people at this spot, four people and one dog. They become our audience.

The driver said that if he got lost on the grassland, he would run along the national defense optical cable, either to the factory team or to make sentry posts. The grassland at night was like the sea, with no landmarks and no direction. At this time, the stars were For a life-saving antidote, follow the Big Dipper to the north and you will find the border wire fence and the door to survival.

? March 10th

On March 10th, our first stop was 1076 points, also known as Yimishao. Yimi flower is a special flower on the grassland. It symbolizes perseverance, tenacity and obscurity. Like the soldiers guarding the border, they are all holding on silently and unswervingly. Yimi Sento is also very small, with one room, one flag and one stone monument. A few soldiers engraved the most unforgettable years of their youth here.

The female soldiers were very enthusiastic. They led the sentry commander and the young soldiers to sing "Across the Ocean to See You". The soldiers were shy and walked onto the stage, mumbling awkwardly, saying one sentence at a time, and then another time. A few words. After the performance, we took a group photo behind the big stone monument of Yimi Shao. The three striking characters "Yimi Shao" were engraved on the monument. The breeze blew, and the red flag behind the monument fluttered in the wind, making it dazzling. ?

I drove slowly along the patrol road in the past few days. When I encountered the "washboard road", the car was bumpy and undulating, and my neck was effectively exercised; when I encountered the border road where the snow had not melted, the car was You have to drive carefully; when you encounter a small winding mountain road next to a cliff, the car makes a big bend and "move over" little by little; when you encounter a mountainous uphill and downhill road, the small car needs to use full power and roar to sprint. ; When encountering a grassland road blocked by cattle and sheep, the driver would turn on the siren and pass by leisurely.

In the afternoon at No. 7 Factory, we rode horses after the performance. The female soldiers took turns riding. The old squad leader taught us the tricks of riding. The maroon horse has a slightly fierce temperament, but it can run fast. When it runs, its hair is flying and it is cool and cool. . We can ride a white horse, which is actually very easy to control. Hold the reins with your left hand, insert your middle finger into the middle of the rope, hold the front of the saddle tightly with your right hand, loosen the reins, and lightly kick the horse's belly with both feet. The white horse will run forward leisurely, and the horse's body will sway. Unsteady. The horse training squad leader said that the horses bump when walking slowly, but run smoothly and steadily. Turning is also very easy, just control the direction of the reins, and the white horse is very obedient. However, it is difficult for beginners to maintain balance. When you want to stop, tighten the reins, and the white horse will slow down and stop, and stop moving forward.

March 12

On March 12, the progress had slowed down in the past two days. In the morning, we drove to the last stop. The weather was still clear and clear, and the sky was low. Like the background of a curtain, the grasslands are layered and crisscrossed. As you go eastward, the greenery becomes more prominent, like light green dye dropped into orange water. The dye is not completely spread out, but sticks together thickly. When we were approaching the tenth company, we passed through a section of swampy gravel land. The grassland has been dry and rainless in recent years, and there are only a few icy depressions left in the swamp in winter. There are a few dead trees scattered in the distance. These trees are carved by the wind and sand on the grassland. They grow very regularly, with strong branches but not arrogant growth. They are scorched in color but always look up to the sun. They have been dormant all winter, waiting for the arrival of the first drop of water. When the grass is dyed, they will accumulate thickly and become the most dazzling on the thousands of miles of border defense. role.

Passing by the factory team’s outpost, we got on the 306 Provincial Highway. The road we were driving on was bumpy and uneven. Although it was an asphalt road, the asphalt had almost disappeared. However, it is this road that is called The most scenic road in Inner Mongolia for a self-driving tour. The grasslands on both sides stretch out like a canopy, and the mountains come into view, with different shades. The wind blows here and can't help but slow down, passing by the shiny grass tips, enveloping the rich fragrance of grass.

We went to 1283 in the afternoon. The afternoon sun was clear. Sitting in the car, the sun was like water, spreading softly. The car was moving and the light was quiet, as if we were traveling freely in the ocean of light. A few kilometers away, a large lake appeared. The lake was mostly frozen in this season. However, the lake had a shimmering light and seemed to have ripples, giving it the appearance of a lake in the south of the Yangtze River. Reeds grow along the lake to the roadside, and are golden in color, no different from the grassland. The wind blows the reeds, blowing away the fatigue and sleepiness of the winter, and blowing in the new and beautiful fresh breath.

The last post of this trip is Post 603. Post 603 is built on the mountainside 13 kilometers away from the company. It is an excellent place to enjoy the scenery in summer. From the post, you can see the small plains and the vast and majestic scenery. Perhaps It is this kind of scenery that creates the unrestrained and heroic temperament of the Mongolian people. The squad leader of one of our recruits is in this sentry tower. He contacted the squad leader a few days ago and volunteered to go to this sentry. As soon as the car door opened, He was the first to rush out of the car and ran towards the squad leader. He had not seen him for more than a year, and his hands were tightly clasped. This should be the true form of comrades-in-arms.

After hosting the last performance, I felt relieved but also felt lost. Facing the simple soldiers, I didn’t know what to say, but I could really feel their enthusiasm, on the mountain and at the whistle. They stayed there for half a year, and their life was miserable and ordinary, tasteless, but the motherland was vast and needed them to guard it. They needed this first barrier to guard the pass. This is probably what their sacrifice and dedication in peacetime amounted to.

Life is constantly going around, appreciating different scenery, understanding different philosophies of life, and understanding different spiritual conditions. It may be as sweet as sweet cakes, or it may be as plain as water, but it never stops and always moves forward.