After a while, I'll have to dig a nest to sleep in.

When we have money, we'll build houses.

It's better than being squeezed in.

"Tie Niu, get up!" Du Jianshan kicked Wang Tie Niu, who was still snoring beside him: "First day on the job, don't be late."

Wang Tieniu sat up groggily, yawning, "Brother Shanzi, what time is it...?"

"Hurry up!" Du Jianshan had already put on his faded blue cotton jacket. "That bastard Ma Jinbao is definitely waiting to find something on us."

The two quickly wiped their faces and followed the other educated youth to the threshing ground.

The Gobi Desert still carried the chill of the night in the early morning air, and the white breath exhaled by Du Jianshan drifted in front of his eyes.

The outline of the Tianshan Mountains in the distance was faintly visible in the morning light, like a sleeping dragon.

Fifty or sixty people had gathered on the threshing floor, including educated youth and local commune members.

Du Jianshan noticed several Uyghur faces in the crowd; the men wore embroidered caps, and the women wore brightly colored headscarves.

They stood together, clearly distinct from the educated youth.

"Look over there." Wang Tieniu nudged Du Jianshan with his elbow and whispered, "That Uyghur girl is really pretty."

Du Jianshan followed his gaze and indeed saw a tall Uyghur girl.

She was probably eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a sky-blue long dress, with long, black braids hanging down to her waist. She had large, bright almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, and fair skin without a single blemish.

Among a group of disheveled educated youth, she stood out like a blooming snow lotus.

"Don't look around like that." Du Jianshan looked away. "Be careful, or his dad will beat you up."

As they were talking, a burly middle-aged Uyghur man stepped to the front of the crowd.

He wore a small black cap embroidered with gold thread, his thick beard was neatly trimmed, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

"This is Captain Halikiz," an older educated youth whispered to them. "That pretty girl is his daughter, Ayiguli. Don't mess with her."

Captain Halikiz began his address in heavily accented Mandarin: "Comrades! Today our task is to dig the Grape Valley!"

He waved his thick arm: "It's only early autumn, we need to bury the grapevines for the winter! This is important work!"

Du Jianshan noticed that Ayiguli was standing behind her father, holding a wooden scoreboard and occasionally looking down to write something.

Sunlight shone on her long eyelashes, casting small shadows on her cheeks.

"This is the first time the educated youth have done this kind of work."

Halikiz continued, "The older members should mentor the younger ones! The ditches must be deep, wide, and straight! The soil must be compacted!"

He would clench his fist forcefully after each sentence he spoke, afraid that his Chinese was too broken and they wouldn't understand him.

After the speech, Halikiz began assigning tasks.

Du Jianshan and Wang Tieniu were assigned to the group that dug the grape ditch, and each of them was given a shovel.

Ma Jinbao, as the scorekeeper, was responsible for supervising their work.

"Du Jianshan." Ma Jinbao walked over with a fake smile on his face.

"The team leader said that each person has to dig a 20-meter trench every day, one meter deep and half a meter wide. If the task is not completed, the work points will be halved."

He deliberately raised his voice so that everyone around him could hear him.

Du Jianshan weighed the shovel in his hand and sneered, "Don't worry, Ma Jifen, we educated youth don't slack off when it comes to work."

The work has begun.

In late September in Xinjiang, the sun is scorching hot as soon as it comes out.

Du Jianshan took off his coat, leaving him only in a vest, and dug the soil while sweating profusely.

The soil in the Gobi Desert is hard; a single shovel can only lift a small piece.

Soon, blisters appeared on his palms.

"Brother Shanzi, take a break," Wang Tieniu said, panting. "This work is even more tiring than clearing land in Northeast China."

Du Jianshan wiped his sweat and was about to answer when he suddenly smelled an enticing aroma.

He looked up and saw Ayiguli walking over with a willow basket on her shoulder, which contained several round naan breads and some grapes.

"Time to rest, time for dinner!"

She called out in a clear, crisp voice, her Mandarin much more fluent than her father's.

The villagers put down their tools and gathered around.

Aygul gave each person a piece of naan bread and a few grapes.

When it was Du Jianshan's turn, she glanced at him more, and the naan bread she handed him was a size larger than the others.