Chapter 5: Impressions of Daxing Island

On the morning of the second day, Li Si and Zhang Hua, along with other newly acquainted or unfamiliar educated youth, boarded the steamboat heading to Daxing Island. Steamboats came and went in a continuous flow, creating a magnificent sight. The Qixing River, like a young girl, quietly observed all of this, with endless reeds swaying and undulating in the wind, while wild chickens and ducks occasionally fled in a flurry nearby. On the other side of the Qixing River lay the vast wilderness and the azure sky, under which scattered cattle and sheep dotted the landscape, creating such a rugged scene. In a past life, Li Si had never witnessed such breathtakingly beautiful scenery, which later caused him to dream of it more than once, whether in Beijing, Hong Kong, or the United States.

Upon arriving at the station, Li Siming discovered that it was merely a solitary, desolate house, which served as the office for the company. The Fifth Company was a newly formed unit, and apart from the various leaders who were retired military personnel and veteran educated youth, the rest were all from Li Siming's group of educated youth. Where on earth would we sleep at night? The answer was to rely on ourselves and be self-sufficient. This group of over one hundred people, under the guidance of the veteran educated youth, was divided into five squads. The first task was to set up camp and pitch tents. Where on earth would we sleep at night? The answer was to rely on ourselves and be self-sufficient. This group of over one hundred people, under the guidance of the veteran educated youth, was divided into five squads. The first task was to set up camp and pitch tents. However, a problem arose: these educated youth were all novices and had no experience in pitching tents. The tents they set up were all shapes and sizes; some were crooked, while others were so loose that they would collapse with a gentle push, causing the veteran educated youth to shake their heads in dismay. Li Siming had pitched field tents more than once during his training in the army, and he was quite skilled at it. The tent pitched by his group was both quick and well-constructed. However, a problem arose: these educated youth were all novices and had no experience in pitching tents. The tents they set up were all shapes and sizes; some were crooked, while others were so loose that they would collapse with a gentle push, causing the veteran educated youth to shake their heads in dismay. Li Siming had pitched field tents more than once during his training in the army, and he was quite skilled at it. The tent pitched by his group was both quick and well-constructed.

"This is bad, someone has fallen into the water," someone suddenly screamed. The person who fell into the water was a young female intellectual named Xu Li, from Jinan. She may have never been on a motorboat before and was a bit too excited, which resulted in her falling into the river.

Splash! Someone jumped in. Xu Dashuai's diving posture was both fierce and handsome. In the Qixing River, Xu Dashuai plunged a few times and reached Xu Li, who had fallen into the water. However, he overlooked the drowning person's instinctive desire to survive. Xu Li instinctively clutched the life-saving straw tightly, preventing Xu Dashuai from executing his rescue. One was desperately holding on, while the other was frantically trying to break free, resulting in a stalemate on the river's surface. This was on the water, not on land, as the stones just dropped by the educated youth in the motorboat were lifted again.

Li Siming's impression of Daxing Island, and the *picture* book strictly speaking, should start from today, as tonight left a profound impression on him. This man, who calls himself Old Zhao, took the two of them to his home with his calloused hands. It was a thatched house, and a willow wood kang table was already set up on the kang, with steaming noodles and an egg for each person. Li Siming and Zhang Hua were already so hungry that their backs were pressed against their chests, and they hurriedly took off their shoes to get on the kang. Old Zhao grabbed the two of them, said nothing, and first recited a passage from the Quotations from Chairman Mao in front of a portrait of Chairman Mao that was pasted on the opposite wall of the kang: "The core force leading our cause is the Communist Party of China, and the theoretical foundation guiding our thoughts is Marxism-Leninism."

At this critical moment, Li Siming had already reacted, quickly shedding his coat and jumping down. The next scene left the educated youth dumbfounded. Li Siming utilized the swimming skills he learned in the special forces, swiftly swimming to the two like an arrow fish. With a single punch, he knocked Xu Li unconscious, perfectly controlling the force to ensure it was enough to incapacitate but not fatal. Then, together with the relieved Xu Dashuai, they each took one side and pulled Xu Li to the side of the boat. It was really cold; by this time in previous years, it would have already snowed. When the three boarded the boat, their lips were already frozen blue. The male and female educated youth on the boat hurriedly helped the three change clothes, and Li Siming took a few sips of white liquor to catch his breath. At this moment, Xu Dashuai was truly fearful, not of drowning, but of freezing to death. Upon reaching the dock and stepping onto the ground, they had finally arrived at Daxing Island, which would be his "new home." After leaving the dock and walking about one mile, there was a row of red brick houses; that was the regiment headquarters, and nearby were some shops and restaurants.

When Li Siming and the others arrived at Qixinghe, it was already dusk. To reach Daxing Island, one must take a boat, as the river is densely covered with marshes, making it too dangerous to cross at night. Therefore, Li Siming and his companions received orders to spend the night in a small village called Zhaojiatun. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Li Siming jumped down immediately to stretch his numb limbs. Not long after, a medium-built man from Northeast China approached with a cheerful smile on his face. Li Siming knew that he and Zhang Hua would be having dinner and spending the night at his home.

All personnel in the Daxing Island reclamation area are affiliated with the Sixth Division of the Heilongjiang Construction Corps in terms of organization and documentation. This Sixth Division is a newly established division compared to the original five divisions formed at the time of the corps' establishment, consisting of the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 27th regiments drawn from other divisions, along with the newly established 57th to 62nd regiments in the Fuyuan area. Daxing Island has one regiment, known as the 57th Regiment, which was relocated from the Fuyuan area.

"Li Siming, come here." The company commander shouted at the top of his lungs, like a golden-haired lion.

Why should I? I haven't offended anyone. Li Siming had no choice but to help. Fortunately, Zhang Hua and Xu Dashuai are in the same line as him and also came to assist. What good brothers they are

They forgot about this matter, what a sin. Li Siming and Zhang Hua quickly imitated Old Zhao and recited it once. Then, they raised their quotation books and shouted: Long live our great leader Chairman Mao! They repeated it three times.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and save the person!" someone shouted.

Before reaching the regiment headquarters, they could see the red flags fluttering in the distance, accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums welcoming the young intellectuals from all directions. Slogans were naturally in abundance, such as "Rooting in the frontier, paying tribute to Chairman Mao!" and "With a loyal heart towards the Party, revolutionary youth head to the frontier," among others. Li Si and Tu Shuming gathered with their comrades in the square in front of the auditorium of the regiment headquarters. The regiment leader was scheduled to give a speech, naturally praising everyone present for their loyalty to the Party, having traveled thousands of miles to the vast northern wilderness to contribute to the revolutionary cause, and so on. This group of newly arrived young intellectuals consisted of about 100 individuals, who would be organized into a company—Company 5. Although it was a company structure, there were only this many people at the moment. They were then led back to the station of Company 5 by the members of Company 5.

You are to assist each team in setting up the tents, and it must be completed within 2 hours; otherwise, you will have to sleep outside tonight

"I can't swim!" The person who answered is clearly a non-swimmer. The educated youth were in a state of panic

How interesting, Li Siming secretly rejoiced in his heart

"What is it, Company Commander?" Li Siming asked

This piqued the interest of the captain, whose name is Chen Shi. His upright stature evokes memories of his once-proud military service. At the age of 38, he had served as a soldier in the Volunteer Army during the Korean War, earning commendations and sustaining injuries. In 1958, he transitioned to civilian life, adorned with military honors, and arrived in Beidahuang. In fact, there are many veterans like him who have made this transition in Beidahuang; they are the first generation of pioneers in this region.