Chapter 61 Chapter 60 Heroes have many ambitions, and the desert turns into an oasis——A documentary of Xinjiang Corps people's reclamation and water control

Located in the northwest of the motherland, Xinjiang has a large area of ​​more than 1.6 million square kilometers, accounting for one-sixth of the country's land area. There are many mountains in Xinjiang.One major mountain is called Tianshan.The highest point of Tianshan Mountain is more than 7000 meters high.Stretching from east to west, Xinjiang is divided into two parts, north and south.There is a large basin in southern Xinjiang, called the Tarim Basin, which covers an area of ​​more than 500,000 square kilometers and is the largest basin in my country.There is a large desert in the middle of the basin, called the Taklimakan Desert, which is the largest desert in China.In Beijiang, north of the Tianshan Mountains, there is also a basin called the Junggar Basin, covering an area of ​​more than 200,000 square kilometers; there is also a desert called the Gurbantunggut Desert.

Xinjiang is located in the center of the Eurasian continent, far away from the ocean, and it is difficult for warm and humid air to enter.Both basins receive very little rainfall.The Junggar Basin is slightly more, with an average annual rainfall of only 150 to 300 millimeters, and the Tarim Basin is even less, generally only 30 to 50 millimeters.Due to the lack of rainfall, large areas of land have no vegetation and become deserts. However, the Xinjiang Basin has less rainfall, but the high mountains around the basin have a lot of precipitation, with 600 to 800 millimeters of precipitation a year.The mountain is covered with deep snow and ice all year round.In the hot season, under the sun, these ice and snow will melt into water, flow down the valley, or merge into rivers, or seep into the ground, nourishing all life and things in Xinjiang.

As a vast and vast territory, Xinjiang has been included in the territory of Greater China since the Western Han Dynasty.The rulers of past dynasties have adopted various means and measures in order to manage it, defend it and develop and utilize it. One of the means and measures is to cultivate and guard the border. To ensure that the territory is not invaded, occupied, or divided, it is necessary to send troops to guard it.A large army needs a large amount of food, grass and equipment to travel or station.It is far away from the mainland, the distance is too long, the transportation is difficult, and the cost is too high. It is impossible to rely on this method to maintain the needs of the army for a long time.It is also difficult to collect grain and grass from the local area. Xinjiang is sparsely populated, with low productivity and insufficient material wealth.It is also difficult to collect enough food and grass.If there is insufficient food and grass, it will be difficult to realize the great cause of frontier defense.Since the transportation from the mainland is too far away, and the local people can't afford it, they can only find a way to solve it themselves.So there was a national policy of reclamation and frontier defense.

To put it bluntly, the troops guarding the frontiers, in order not to add difficulties and burdens to the government and the people, usually hold picks in their hands like ordinary people, reclaim wasteland, and grow grain and cotton.When emergencies arise, such as the invasion of foreign enemies, or rebellion by rebels, and the need to fight, they put down their agricultural tools and pick up knives and guns, and take up the responsibility of defending the peace and tranquility of the frontier. The history of reclamation and frontier defense in Xinjiang started earlier. According to the existing records, it should start in the Western Han Dynasty.At that time, the Xiongnu continued to invade and harass the country, making the country restless. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very angry and sent a large army to the west. In 102 BC, the Han army defeated Dawan, which was under the control of the Huns in the Balkhash Lake area. The territory of the Han Dynasty finally expanded to The westernmost point of the Western Regions.

The territory of the Western Regions is too vast, and the logistics of the Han army often cannot be guaranteed.There was no other way but to withdraw troops hastily after repelling the Xiongnu's army and establishing a pro-Han regime.And after a while, when the Xiongnu invaded again, the regime that was raised up could not resist the Xiongnu and could only surrender to the Xiongnu.At this time, there was a minister named Sang Hongyang.He wrote to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, suggesting that Luntai farmland should be used to settle the grain, grass and other materials needed for military operations on the spot.Luntai was one of the city-states in the Western Regions at that time. It was close to the Tarim River and had sufficient irrigation water.Shortly thereafter, the emperor issued an edict.In the edict, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took the initiative to review the mistakes of his years of fighting, which led to the loss of national strength. The edict said: "The current task is to encourage agriculture", and asked the frontier troops to recuperate and recuperate from then on.This edict was issued to the Luntai defenders at that time, so it was also called "Luntai Edict" in history. The "Luntai Edict" is a great edict, which not only shows the greatness of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's courage to admit his mistakes, but the most important thing is that this edict made reclamation and frontier defense truly a national policy for the first time.

Since then, border officials and soldiers from the Central Plains have carried out large-scale reclamation in Luntai, Ruoqiang, Loulan and other places with fertile land and abundant water sources. At most, there were more than 10 reclamation areas in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, and a total of 25,000 officers and soldiers were stationed. many people.After decades of management, in the confrontation with the Xiongnu, the Han Dynasty had a strong army and mastered the initiative on the battlefield.In 60 BC when Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, a main force of the Xiongnu, Rizhu Wang, led 12,000 men to surrender to the Han Dynasty.

In this year, the Han Dynasty set up the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Wulei City, east of Luntai, to manage the vast area north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, including the east and south of Balkhash Lake.Since then, the Western Regions have been formally incorporated into China's territory. If you want to farm for production, you need water.If it does not rain, water cannot come from the sky.Only water from the mountains and underground water can be used.To use the water from the mountains, we have to build rivers and canals.To use underground water, a well must be dug.It can be said that a history of farmland is a history of water conservancy.Every acre of land and every acre of grain is related to the construction of water conservancy.

Both "Historical Records" and "Hanshu" record that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, "there were more than 5,000 hectares of irrigated fields" in Luntai at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain.To irrigate so much land requires considerable water conservancy facilities.In Shaya County, Aksu Prefecture, there is a remnant of a canal, which is 200 miles long, looming among the weeds.According to the research of archaeologists, it is determined that it is an ancient canal built in the Han Dynasty.Contemporary people call it "Hei Tai Ye Lak", translated into Chinese, it means "Han People's Canal".Not far from the ancient canal, there is an ancient city site, which the locals call "Hei Tai Qin", which means "Han City".It can be seen that at that time, there were Han people who settled here.

In 1965, in the east of Ruoqiang County, on the edge of the great desert, an irrigation network was discovered, which was not only large in scale, but also quite complete.A main canal, after leading down the Milan River, is divided into seven branch canals.There are gates on both main and branch canals.The whole canal system surrounds the ancient city of Milan.The entire canal system can be diverted for irrigation as long as it is cleaned up a little bit.According to the analysis of unearthed cultural relics, scholars concluded that this canal system was built in the Han Dynasty.But to build such a large water conservancy project, ordinary people cannot complete it.Only the army in Tuntian has such strength.

All the document records and the discovery of the relics show that the construction of ground irrigation canals in the southern border of the Han Dynasty has been very successful.Since then, through the Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, no matter how the historical situation changes, the national policy of reclamation and frontier defense has not changed.The pace of water conservancy construction has never stopped. Gaochang City in the Tang Dynasty, located in the southeast of Turpan, was the residence of the Anxi Protectorate.In this Duhufu, there is a special water officer who is responsible for the construction and management of water conservancy, which shows that the Tang Dynasty attached great importance to water conservancy.Those in charge of water conservancy construction are not only Han Chinese, but also Turkic and other ethnic minorities.Judging from the documents unearthed later, at that time, there was a canal in the south of Gaochang City, which was more than 20 miles long and had 16 dikes, each of which was connected to a branch canal.It can be said that the whole city is densely covered with channels, and the sound of running water can be heard everywhere.

Luntai was often mentioned in the frontier poems of the Tang Dynasty, and "guarding Luntai" later became a symbol and became synonymous with "reclamation and guarding the frontier".Until the Song Dynasty, the poet Lu You wrote in his later years: "Still lying in an isolated village, you don't feel sorry for yourself, but you still think about defending Luntai for the country." During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, farming in the Western Regions reached its peak.Starting from the talented and general Tang Taizong, he used the experience of the Han Dynasty to manage the Daxing garrison in the Western Regions.As big as the town guards, as small as the beacon station, there are troops and there are garrisons.In the Tang Dynasty, the management of tuntian was very strict. According to the reclaimed land, a tun was set up for every 5,000 mu, with 500 soldiers.Instead of officers as managers, "good farmers" were selected from among the soldiers as officers and deputy officers.The range of Tuntian spreads all over the north and south of Tianshan Mountains. In the Qing Dynasty, the number of soldiers who stationed and guarded the border in various places in Xinjiang was larger and wider, and they played a greater role.National heroes Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang have made great contributions to Xinjiang's reclamation cause in different ages. In the twenty-ninth year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty [AD 1764], the Qing government transferred an army from the Northeast to Yili.This army is composed entirely of Xibe people, including family members, with a total of 3,000 people.They were stationed in the Yili area while they were stationed and cultivated at the same time.Starting from the needs of reclamation, they used the Yili River as the water source and built a main canal about 180 miles long, called Chabuchar.In the seventh year of Jiaqing [AD 1802], Tibet, the general manager of the Xibo Battalion, led his own soldiers and civilians to dig a new canal to the north of the old canal in 8 years.The new canal is more than 200 miles long and 10 feet wide.The two canals can irrigate more than 100,000 mu of land, and they are still functioning today. In 1842, Huiyuan City in Yili ushered in the famous national hero Lin Zexu.Lin Zexu was not depressed because of what happened to him.He often travels to various places and is aware of the threat of the Russian frontier.At this time, Yili's farming income was significant.However, Lin Zexu felt that the scale of farmland was far from enough after field inspection. He actively assisted General Yili to plan and reclaim a lot of wasteland, including 30,000 mu of land in Hongliuwan and Sankeshu in the east of Huiyuan City, and 30,000 mu in the area of ​​Aleps More than 160,000 mu of reclaimed land.But he still felt that there were too few, so he discussed with Yili General Buyantai to reclaim wasteland in Aqiwusu.To open up wasteland, water must be brought in.Not only should the original Kashgar River diversion channel be widened and deepened, but new channels must also be dug.It was under the auspices of Lin Zexu, through the efforts of soldiers and civilians of all ethnic groups, who endured a lot of hardships and sweated a lot, finally completed the excavation of the canal a year later, allowing the rolling Kashgar River to flow along this road, which is called As the channel of Huangqu, it passes through today's Yining County, Yining City, and Huocheng County. It travels more than 100 kilometers and flows into the Ili River. More than 1.5 million mu of farmland on the north bank of the river is nourished by it, and it became the largest grain-producing area in Xinjiang at that time. The construction of the Huangqu promoted the development of modern agriculture in Ili and enhanced its combat readiness to resist aggression. The Yili people also called this Huangqu "Lin Gongqu" to commemorate Lin Zexu's achievements. In the twelfth year of Guangxu [AD 1886], Xinjiang was established as a province.Zuo Zongtang and Liu Jintang successively held important military and political positions in Xinjiang.Both of them regarded the restoration and development of farmland and water conservancy in the northern and southern Xinjiang as one of the important contents of the aftermath work. They organized soldiers and people of all ethnic groups to build many canals in various places and reclaimed a large amount of farmland.According to historical records, there were more than 900 main canals in the whole region at that time, and the irrigation area reached more than 11 million mu. Xinjiang was not called Xinjiang a long time ago.In Chinese history, Xinjiang and parts of it to the west were called the Western Regions, meaning the western frontier.Reclamation and defense in the Western Regions has been the national policy of successive dynasties since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to govern the country. In history, the Han, Tang and Qing dynasties were the most effective in managing the Western Regions. Before the establishment of the province, the Xinjiang region continued to use the title of "Western Region" since the Han Dynasty until the early Qing Dynasty. During the Qianlong period, the southern region was called "Xinjiang Huibu" and the northern region was called "Western Xinjiang". The name "Xinjiang" was changed from "Western Region" to "Xinjiang" in the first year of Daoguang, that is, in 1821 AD. The golden autumn of 1949 was an epoch-making day for China, and Xinjiang was no exception.The Chinese nation had a new country name in October of this year, called the People's Republic of China. The title of the country has been changed to a brand new name, but the pace of the cause of reclamation and frontier defense in Xinjiang has not stopped, but continues to move forward along the path opened by the ancestors. On September 25, 1949, when the Kuomintang's defeat was set and the Communist Party would seize the country, a Kuomintang general named Tao Zhiyue led 100,000 Kuomintang officers and soldiers stationed in Xinjiang to declare an uprising. Immediately afterwards, the Communist Party general Wang Zhen led an army of 100,000 into Xinjiang. The troops set out from Jiuquan, left Jiayuguan in the west, passed through the Xingxing Gorge in the north, and passed through Hami. After that, they were divided into two groups: one was stationed in various places south of the Tianshan Mountains and reached the Pamirs; Stationed all the way to various parts of northern Xinjiang.Xinjiang was liberated peacefully. As a result, the 100,000 uprising troops and the 100,000 People's Liberation Army marched into Xinjiang, forming a mighty iron stream on China's most vast territory, shouldering the historical responsibility of defending the frontier. There are more than 200,000 steel warriors, their will is steel, but their bodies are flesh and blood.Each of them has to eat food every day.In 1949, the average annual grain output per person in Xinjiang was only 195 kilograms.Xinjiang, which has just come out of a century of chaos, obviously does not have the strength to bear the supply of 200,000 troops.Transferred from the customs, the freight rate is 7 times higher than the grain price.It takes 3 million rubles a year to import grain from the Soviet Union.This is an exorbitant expense.Although the director of the logistics department of the Xinjiang Military Region has to use a plane to transport silver dollars from Beijing every month to buy food, it still cannot meet the needs of the army. This is obviously a difficult problem, but for the communists who conquered the country, it is not really a big problem.Because, the answer to solving this problem has already been written in the big book of history, you just need to open it and take a look to find it.Besides, the successful experience of Nanniwan during the Yan'an period will allow decision makers to quickly find a way. Sure enough, not long after the new flag of the Republic was hoisted, Mao Zedong, the supreme leader of the Communist Party, issued a new combat order.It's just that this order does not allow the soldiers to pick up their guns, but to put down their guns temporarily, pick up picks and hoes, and launch an attack on the desert to fight a great battle of production and construction. As a result, hundreds of thousands of troops came out of the liberated cities and towns, walked towards the ancient desert without roads, and set up camps around the big desert in the two basins. Without a house, they first set up tents and huts, and dug out cave-like nests. They replaced the combat map with a production planning map, put plow ropes on the horses, re-smelted the swords and shells, and cast them into various agricultural tools.They carried their guns and farm tools to the wasteland. After a command, they put their guns on the field, took off their clothes, and swung their farm tools to dig down into the virgin land under their feet. On the boundless Gobi Desert in Xinjiang, bonfires of pioneering wasteland are burning everywhere. A group of soldiers from the 359th Brigade who had opened up wasteland in Yan'an sat by the campfire, drying their sweat-soaked clothes while singing their favorite song: "Nanniwan". With the joyful and lively singing echoing in the western desert, the history of the new era of reclamation and frontier defense has opened a new page, and the ancient story of turning swords into plows has continued in the Western Regions under the leadership of the Communist Party. On October 7, 1954, the Xinjiang Military Region Production and Construction Corps was formally established, which meant that those who cultivated and guarded the border had a new name, that is: Corps people. The story of the members of the Bingtuan began in 1949 and was told in 2009. The story has not been finished yet, and it is still going on.This is a great story, a grand epic.The following story about the Corps and water is just an important chapter in this grand epic. The battle of the Corps to enter the wasteland first started on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in southern Xinjiang. There are many towns on the ancient Silk Road in southern Xinjiang. Most of them are located on the banks of some famous rivers. Large fields have been developed, where rice and cotton grow.Originally, the reclamation troops could continue to cultivate wasteland beside these rivers, but in accordance with the decree of the central government not to compete with the people for water, land, or profit, Wang Zhen ordered the 359th Brigade, which he once served as brigade commander, to stay away from these waters and go to Develop those uninhabited virgin land. On the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, there is a place called "Wuwa". "Wuwa" means "a place where rabbits don't shit" in Uighur. The soil salinity and alkali content here exceeds the survival limit of plants by nearly 10 times. , is one such place where pioneers in military uniforms dug Kantuman into the soil. If you go to Korla today, you will see a monument in one place.This monument is not erected for a certain person, nor for a certain event.This monument was erected for a canal.This canal has a strange name, called Shibatuan Canal.Next to the monument, the Shibatuan Canal is still flowing.It will be 60 years soon, and the running water in the canal is still so clear. Eighteen regiments is the number of a regiment.It was a regiment when the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Xinjiang. At the beginning of 1950, when it completed all its combat tasks, it received an order to open up wasteland and produce like many troops, and soon drove into a desert on the south side of the Tianshan Mountains. Just as the winter of this year was coming to an end, a soldier, using the habitual actions he used to use when commanding battles, drew a red line and marks on a military map, and then used a boxing table to represent the victory of victory. Be strong.But this time he was not directing the battle, but marking the direction and location of a canal.This soldier is the famous general Wang Zhen. A canal is actually a river, except that this river was not washed out by floods or formed naturally by geological changes, but was dug out by people using tools.The canal is the continuation of the natural river. With the canal, the water in the river can flow into the fields according to people's will.So before developing a piece of wasteland, the first thing to do is to dig a long canal that can connect the wasteland with a river.Without such a long canal, the opened wasteland could never be turned into fields. So digging canals became the first thing to do in reclamation. The first thing must be done well.In order to do this first thing well, General Wang Zhen walked out of the office himself. The cold wind in March is like a knife that can pierce the bones.But he still took the comrades from the Canal Repair Headquarters of the 18th Regiment to the Kongque River to conduct on-the-spot inspections to determine the construction plan of the two canal lines in the north and south. After analyzing various data such as terrain slope, soil quality, fertile land, and irrigated area, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the two plans, and carefully listening to the opinions of water conservancy experts, Wang Zhen finally decided to adopt the northern line plan.Although the soil quality of this scheme is hard, excavation is difficult, and leakage is serious, but the location is high, the process is far away, the irrigation area is large, and the occupation of private land is small.If the quality can be guaranteed during construction, the canal will be able to exert higher efficiency after the completion of the canal. Once the plan was determined, the troops entered the stage of intense preparations.Like fighting a war, if you are well prepared, you will be more likely to win.According to Wang Zhen's instructions, the troops began to mow grass; build nests; cut red wicker to weave and carry baskets; went deep into the Tianshan Mountains to log and unload the boards, and went to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains 5 kilometers away to quarry and transport stones; the iron wood factory made tools.Careful arrangements have been made in terms of literature and art propaganda and agitation, food and logistics supply, etc. On September 15th of this year, a battle for digging ditches without gunpowder between Korla East Ainez and Kurchu started. At that time, there were no other tools for digging the canal, except the shovel, which was Kantuman and the shovel. No matter how hard the sand and stone layer was, it had to be dug by hand.No one's hands were not blistered with blood, and the tiger's mouth was not shattered.The wound was bleeding, and the bright red blood stained the tools in his hand, and he still refused to stop.At most, I would come back from work at night, quietly wash the bleeding wound with hot water, or go to the hygienist to apply some red medicine, and do it as usual the next day.Everyone gave himself unreservedly like a true hero. In October, Wang Zhen took time out of his busy schedule and rushed to the construction site from Urumqi. He saw that the soldiers carried forward the revolutionary spirit of hard work during the war, their labor enthusiasm was high, the construction site was full of enthusiasm, and the completed canal sections were neat and qualified, fully meeting his requirements. He said very happily: "You have done a good job. You should pay attention to rest, make a good meal, and carry out cultural and artistic activities well." After Wang Zhen returned to Urumqi, according to the difficulties raised by the regiment leaders, he quickly sent a A car of steel for making tools, a batch of leather shoes and rubber shoes, and a special approval of 3,000 silver dollars for the canal repair project. After 8 months of hard work, by May 1951, the Daqu had completed a total of 375,000 cubic meters of earthwork, built 5 water drops, 29 intake gates, 2 control gates, a flood gate, 7 bridges, and Longkou survey. One water bridge, the total length of the main canal is 41 kilometers, and more than 2,000 acres of flat land. This large irrigation canal may not be the largest among the large canals built by the Corps, but it is the first large canal built by the reclamation troops. ordinary meaning. What is particularly unusual is that this large canal was completed under the personal command of General Wang Zhen.Originally, after the liberation of the whole country, a hero like him who has conquered the country and a high-ranking leader could sit in an easy chair, drink a cup of tea, read a newspaper, and approve documents to enjoy the happiness, but he still looks like It was the same as in the war years, taking the lead and fighting in the desert wilderness, suffering and suffering together with the cadres and soldiers. This "Eighteen Regiment" canal, named by Wang Zhen, passes through Shanghu, Dadunzi and Wuwa kilometers. After the water was opened, the troops opened up wasteland. The farmland supplies sweet spring.This supply support has lasted for 58 years from then until now.About 100,000 mu of farmland, after being irrigated with canal water, pears, cotton and various crops have continued to reap bumper harvests. Afterwards, under the command of Wang Zhen's proposal, all the troops that entered the desert learned from the Eighteenth Regiment.A climax of water conservancy construction was set off in all parts of Xinjiang.A series of canals, like silver dragons, toss in the Gobi desert.With the extension of the canal, a large area of ​​wasteland was developed.Many lands have been developed and harvested in the same year.All of a sudden, the major issue of food and survival for the troops was solved. History is always fair, and whoever has made contributions to the country and the nation will be recorded in the annals of history.As long as you are from Xinjiang and from the Corps, talking about General Wang Zhen is like talking about Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang, and you will immediately be full of respect and nostalgia for him.In order to let people remember Wang Zhen's great achievements forever, the Bingtuan people erected a tall bronze statue on the square in Shihezi.Let General Wang Zhen, with his majestic posture standing on the wasteland and holding a telescope, continue to inspire the soldiers of the Corps who are stationed on the frontier to move forward. Not too far from the river, dug canals to introduce water into the wasteland.It is too far away from the river, and the water cannot be diverted, so the reservoir must be built.The flood rushing down from the top of the mountain is like a herd of wild horses.The reservoir is like a bridle. After the wild horse is put on, the wild horse can be subdued and the reservoir can trap it.Let it no longer be a scourge, but to benefit mankind.When the canal of the 18th Regiment in southern Xinjiang was completed, a reservoir was about to start construction at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in northern Xinjiang. This reservoir is called Mengjin Reservoir, also known as Qinggeda Lake.Even now, in Urumqi, if you say any of these names casually, everyone will know them.Because it is in Wujiaqu City, which is only 30 kilometers away from Urumqi.Wujiaqu City is a new city, and it used to be the headquarters of the Sixth Agricultural Division.Earlier, it was just a village.It was the people from the Corps who came and started their businesses here that slowly turned it into a city. This reservoir was originally a reservoir, and the purpose of digging it was to water the crops.Later, it became the soul of this place and a landscape.It makes a city vivid and beautiful.At this time, it really looks like a lake. However, again like a lake, it is still a reservoir.The towering embankment stretches majestically into the distance.At the main gate of the water discharge, the silver dragon gushing out leaped and let out an ear-splitting roar.They roared and jumped into the spacious head of the canal, and then slapped the two sluices on the bank of the canal to the downstream.After passing through the diversion gate, some of them entered the Bayi Main Canal, and some of them entered the Mengjin Main Canal, and suddenly turned into two dragons, one rushing swiftly to the Bayi Reservoir, and the other slowly winding towards Caijia Lake.They finally flowed into the wheat, corn and cotton fields through branch canals and hair canals. This reservoir called Qinggeda Lake attracts many people to play by the water every day.However, there are also some people who come here not to play, but to have a deep relationship with it. If they don’t come here often, they will panic and feel uncomfortable.For example, Gou Chengfu, who used to be the commander-in-chief of the Mengjin Reservoir construction, is such a person. This veteran comrade has done many things for the construction of Mengjin Reservoir, but whenever someone asks about his contribution, he always waved his hands and refused to talk about himself.However, if you ask about some people and things related to the construction of the reservoir, his chatterbox will be opened immediately.His eloquent and vivid narration will immediately take the listener into the years of battle... Gou Chengfu was an old Red Army soldier who participated in the Long March and made countless military exploits for the revolution.After liberation, many people went to the city and lived a different life.But he led his troops to fight bandits in the Western Regions.The bandits were almost wiped out, and he received an order to let the troops settle the land. Without saying a word, he led his men to open up wasteland.At that time, he was the deputy commander of the 17th Division of the Sixth Army.Not long after opening up wasteland, this division became the sixth agricultural division, and he became the political commissar of the division. It was Cheng Yue, the former commander of the Sixth Army, who first proposed the construction of the reservoir.At that time, Xinjiang was still in chaos, and the social order had not yet fully stabilized.Around the capital, it is very necessary to deploy some troops to defend the new red regime while cultivating land.After accepting this task, he took Gou Chengfu and other subordinates to several places for investigation.In the end, Wujiaqu was selected, an undeveloped wasteland. At that time, Wujiaqu was also famous.It's just this reputation, not a good reputation, but a bad reputation.It is said that it has three plagues.The first disaster is that there are many bandits. The reeds here are deep and dense. If the bandits do bad things, they will run here to hide. After a long time, it will become a bandit den.The second disaster is floods. In the severe winter, a layer of ice comes, which turns into ice and water in spring, causing disasters.The third disaster is drought. After the flood in spring, it is time to use water in May and June, but there is no water.The crops planted can only be droughted to death.Those who live here guard the very fertile land, but there is no good harvest.I can only use snow water to plant a little field, and make do to maintain a poor life. In March 1952, the Sixth Agricultural Division established a survey and design team. Gou Chengfu accompanied Commander Cheng Yue and led technical personnel. After many days of on-foot surveys, after repeated arguments, a decision was finally made: to build a reservoir in the south of Wujiaqu.The construction of the reservoir will be carried out in two phases.The first phase of the project began to break ground in May of that year and was completed before winter, storing 3 million cubic meters of water. It was officially named after a code name "Mengjin" used by the army during the War of Liberation. In June 1955, the second phase of the Mengjin Reservoir project was started, storing 60 million cubic meters of water, nearly 20 times more than the first phase.After the completion of the reservoir, the Laolong River, Heigou River, Toutun River, Urumqi River, Bayi Main Canal, Mengjin Main Canal, and Bayi Reservoir can be connected together to store flood water and irrigate, forming a huge water supply and drainage network to solve the problem of the sixth agricultural division. The three farms and the irrigation water problem of hundreds of thousands of mu of farmers of various ethnic groups downstream of the reservoir.Gou Chengfu was the chief commander of the project. The reservoir has started construction, and these heroes who fought are doing a good job in everything they do.Just do whatever you are asked to do, and do it with all your might.But at that time, the conditions in all aspects were very poor, no matter what you did, you had to face many difficulties.Among other things, the first thing is about food, which still cannot make everyone full and good.Building a reservoir is hard work.If you don't have enough food or don't eat well, you will have no strength, which will affect the progress of the project.How to do it?At the meeting, Gou Chengfu told everyone that the country has just been established and is under construction, and funds are needed in all aspects.For the sake of the country, wear less and eat less, which is to support national construction.At that time, the army uniform removed the collar and pockets.The saved expenses were used to set up steel factories and textile factories.If you can’t get enough to eat and don’t eat well, you still need to do your job well and keep the quality and quantity.The soldiers could only tighten their belts, gritted their teeth and persisted.At that time, the grain purchased by logistics staff from private traders was not only expensive, but also moldy.As for vegetables and meat, it is almost impossible to eat one meal a month.Almost every day is steamed corn bread, thin paste and pickles.Gou Chengfu didn't eat small stoves, but ate wowo with the soldiers every day.While eating, I told everyone that when the reservoir is repaired, we can grow our own food and raise pigs by ourselves. At that time, everyone will no longer have to suffer. Reservoirs are used to hold water.A 10-kilometer water-retaining dam is the main part of the project.To build the dam requires more than 2 million cubic meters of soil.Ordinary soil is not enough, sticky loess is needed.There is no such loess construction site nearby, but only in Changshanzi, 4 kilometers away.In order to ensure the quality of the project, no matter how far away it is, it must be shipped over.Gou Chengfu gave an order, and more than 3,000 people used baskets and handles to pick and lift.In the wilderness, there is an assembly line for soil transportation, and there is no end in sight at a glance.Although there are many people and everyone is working hard, the amount of soil required for the dam is too large. It is almost impossible to complete the task on time with this dry method.Gou Chengfu recruited the leaders of each detachment, and asked everyone to contribute their ideas and suggestions, and strive to solve the earth-moving tools in a short time.As soon as the task was assigned, there was an upsurge of innovation on the construction site. After finishing the work during the day, everyone would carry out tool reforms under the lanterns in the ground at night.Li Chunlong, a squad leader of the third team, used wooden sticks as the frame and round wood chips as wheels to trial-manufacture the first wheelbarrow on the construction site.Immediately afterwards, the "Luban" of various units developed a large number of carts and horse-drawn carts, which significantly increased the volume and speed of soil transportation, ensuring the completion of the dam on schedule. After 9 months of hard work, in the spring of the following year, the dam entered the final stage.It's an exciting time because the dam is about to close.Only when the dam is closed and the working surface is opened up, can the discharge gate be built.But Helong is a tough battle, and it is not easy to win. The opening is 10 meters wide, the water is deep, the current is fast, and the waves are rolling. First, the opening must be blocked.Gou Chengfu personally came to the scene to sit in command.Hundreds of people jumped into the water, laid dense thick wooden stakes, and threw thousands of bags of reeds filled with pebbles and loess to form a cofferdam to block the water.Immediately afterwards, a large foundation pit three to four meters deep was dug.After several days of continuous fighting, overcoming landslides many times, and digging out all the silt, the preliminary victory was achieved.In order to seize time and catch up with the progress, the sluice gate was taken down as soon as possible, and a group of strong, water-savvy young men were selected to form a commando team to work on the sluice construction site.Among the dozens of young water conservancy fighters, there are steel workers, model workers, and civil engineering workers. Everyone works together to strive towards a goal.But there are always difficulties, one overcomes, and another comes again.Some difficulties are completely unexpected.That day, after filling in the pebbles and just laying the first layer of cement mortar, the cofferdam suddenly burst, and floods poured in, destroying the newly completed project.Wait for the weir foundation to be repaired again, and start all over again.In order to make up for the loss, the comrades did not rest at noon until it was dark, too dark to work and then went home.After 25 full days of drying, the sluice was completed.It stands tall, as if announcing to the world: Mengjin Reservoir has been completed!No wonder everyone sang and danced around it the day it was built.It is a sign, a sign of the completion of the reservoir. The day the water was released was like a festival.In fact, it is a festival, the May Fourth Youth Day.That day, the sky was blue and the sun was bright. More than 7,000 reservoir builders and nearby farmers rushed towards the reservoir beating gongs and drums and performing Yangko dances.Wang Enmao, the leader of the autonomous region, and the head of the Corps both came.According to Gou Chengfu, the reservoir was moved a month earlier than the original plan, and the leaders and chiefs were very happy and praised our soldiers for their greatness. When the gate was opened, a beautiful rainbow appeared among the sprayed water waves.People are laughing and jumping.Many people's eyes are moist.Gou Chengfu also cried.After fighting so many battles, he hadn't seen any scenes, but at this time, he still couldn't help crying.Because, as the commander-in-chief of the construction of this reservoir, he knows how difficult it is to build it, and what price our soldiers have paid. It can be said that digging ditches and building reservoirs has never stopped since the day the troops marched into the desert.Every acre of land must be connected to a canal.If there is no water, no matter how good the land is, it will still be a barren land, and nothing can grow.The Gobi desert in Xinjiang is so strange, no matter how barren it looks, as long as there is water, it will be different immediately.Immediately there will be fresh life growing from the soil.Therefore, digging rivers and opening ditches has become the top priority of reclamation. In the first year of the first five-year plan, the Party Committee of the Corps appealed to all employees: to reclaim 3 million mu of land that year.As soon as this call came out, the divisions immediately mobilized and made arrangements to march into the new reclamation area and expand the old reclamation area.A climax of land reclamation and overhaul of water conservancy, followed by a burst of thunder in that spring, quickly rose in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. At that time, the focus of development was mainly on the Tarim River Basin in southern Xinjiang and the Manas River Basin in northern Xinjiang. At the same time, there were new reclamation and expansion in Yili, Altay, Bole, Tacheng, Qitai and other reclamation areas. The Tarim Basin is the largest inland basin in China. It is located between the Tianshan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. It is 500 kilometers wide from north to south and more than 1,000 kilometers long from east to west. In the basin is the Taklamakan Desert. When the wind blows, the yellow sand rolls and solidifies when the sky is fine. The sand waves stretch as far as the eye can see, known as the "Sea of ​​Death".塔里木河西起阿克苏与叶尔羌河的交汇点，沿盆地北缘，东流抵罗布泊，全长1000多公里，是亚洲最大的内陆河，由于河床频繁改道，被称为“无缰之马”。这里有大片荒原可开发，有充足的水源可供利用，但荒原中心却是干旱酷热、沙暴横行，盐碱泛滥，一般农民无力开垦。 只有兵团人面对死亡之海无所畏惧，分兵两路在塔里木河上、下游同时摆开战场，开始了向塔里木的进军。驻屯于阿克苏地区的农一师负责开发塔里木河上游。 农一师的前身是中外闻名的八路军第三五九旅的一部分，很多干部参加过当年的南泥湾大生产运动。1957年春，兵团陈实副参谋长和林海清师长曾先后两次带人沿塔里木河上游进行实地踏勘，取得了初步的水土资料。 该地区气候温和，光照资源、水土资源丰富，宜于种植长绒棉等经济作物，大有开发前景。1957年国庆前夕，林海清师长应邀赴北京参加国庆观礼时，将开发塔里木的设想向农垦部部长王震作了汇报。王震十分高兴，立即召开农垦部局长会议，要求给予大力支援。 10月下旬，兵团党委立即从全疆各地调集了2万余人支援农一师开发塔里木，并在塔里木河北岸的阿拉尔建立指挥所，从而拉开了进军塔里木的序幕。 经过一年苦战，在塔里木这片未被开垦的处女地上，新建了8个国营农场，开荒造田45万亩。还盖起了高楼，新建了拖拉机修配厂、加工厂、农业大学【即塔里木农垦大学前身】、医院、商店、书店、邮电局、银行、招待所等，构成了塔里木第一个新兴城市的雏形。 1958年秋，兵团司令员陶峙岳视察塔里木时，看到塔里木发生的变化，高兴得当场赋诗一首：塔河岸边有高楼，今日登临一览收。面目全非曾几日，无边漠野尽田畴。 到1960年，农一师在塔里木河上游两岸共修建渠道3条，长156.5公里，开垦荒地66.79万亩，建成大型农场10个，播种面积25.7万亩，成功地开发了神秘的亘古荒漠塔里木。 与农一师相呼应，屯垦于库尔勒地区的农二师负责开发塔里木河下游地区。 1956年，农二师已开始开发塔里木河下游的门户——塔里木一场，1957年又创建了塔里木二场。在此期间，农二师组成了联合勘测队，对塔里木河下游进行了全面勘测，基本上摸清了这个地区的水土资源，为大力开发塔里木河下游提供了依据。1958年，农二师提出“苦战3年，改变面貌”的口号，在塔里木河下游进行全面布点，重点开发，副师长谢高忠率领万人大军进入塔里木，全线铺开，部署了7个新场的开垦和两个老场的扩建任务，并同时完成了大西海子水库、爱沙米尔水库及两条总干渠，3条南、北、西干渠，3条场内干渠和普米渠首等多项水利工程。 塔里木垦荒生活和劳动条件极差。住窝棚、吃粗粮、喝咸水、抗风沙、顶酷暑、冒严寒。利用手工工具，每天苦战十几个小时。为了提高劳动效率，战士们发挥聪明才智，进行了许多工具改革及技术革新项目。提出了“变担为推，变推为飞”的口号，大搞车子化。全工区装配架子车4000多辆，大大减轻了劳动强度，提高了工效。 经过3年的开发，全垦区共开荒造田60万亩，建成农场7个，修建铁千里干渠、卡拉干渠、普米干渠等173公里，建筑物631座，建成大西海子一、二库，爱沙米尔一库，竣工库容1.56亿立方米。 3年中，农一师和农二师在塔里木河上、下游共建成17个大型国营农场，开荒造田120万亩，形成了上下游哑铃形两大垦区，让一向落后的南疆经济面貌发生了根本性的变化。 位于准噶尔盆地中部、古尔班通古特沙漠南缘的莫索湾，属玛纳斯河中游地区，地势平坦，土壤肥沃，水地、光热资源丰富，适宜于各种农作物生长。早在清朝同治年间，玛纳斯、呼图壁县附近的汉族人民为反抗阿古柏和民族仇杀而逃避至此，组织民团筑城自卫，一边战斗，一边生产，建设了西营、野马、东湖、马桥等城镇。而后，因严重缺水而逐渐荒废。当年各城镇的断壁残垣、被泥沙淤塞的渠道和荒芜的田垄到处可见。 1957年11月，兵团司令部批准了农八师《开发莫索湾计划任务书》。农八师党委为了争取当年开荒，当年生产，于1957年冬派出4500人的水利建设大军进入莫索湾，抢修了26公里长的总干渠，南干渠一、二支干渠，1958年3月15日胜利竣工，首先解决了70万亩土地的水源问题。 在水利工程施工中，除总干渠和主要的水利建筑物使用钢筋水泥外，其余大部分工程建筑都是就地取材，采用红柳、索索压筑，节约了投资，加快了进度，保证了及时供水。3年间，共修建干渠、支渠、斗渠1012公里，建筑物3120座，大型水库一座，形成了比较完整的灌溉网。 开发莫索湾最大的困难是缺水、无菜、无房、无路，运粮比较困难。当时用水都是从很远的地方拉运，只能保证做饭和饮用水。一盆水要来回用三四次，洗过脸了，再用来洗脚。脏得实在不能用了才倒掉。后来，采用融雪的办法，才暂时解决了吃水、用水的问题。 1958年春天，经过几个月的艰苦拼搏，开垦土地36万亩，种植18万亩作物，当年麦子长势喜人，自治区和兵团领导王恩茂、张仲瀚等前去视察，给予很高评价。新开垦的莫二场，当年收获粮食200万公斤、棉花25万公斤，实现利润2.9万元，实现了当年生产当年有盈利的奋斗目标，荣获国务院奖状奖励，新疆维吾尔自治区奖给莫二场嘎斯车1辆、机床3部。到1960年，莫索湾开发初具规模，共开荒造田近90万亩，播种面积80万亩，建筑房屋2万多平方米，营造各种林带3.3万余亩，种植果树4400余亩。3年为国家生产粮食9847万公斤、皮棉262.95万公斤，实现利润305.12万元。同时，还建起了年修理400台拖拉机的修配厂1座，建立了200个床位的职工医院1所、中小学11所，在茫茫荒原上出现了一片欣欣向荣的新垦区。 1960年9月，王震部长在陶峙岳司令员陪同下视察了莫索湾，接见了600名连以上干部，对莫索湾所取得的成绩给予了肯定和赞扬。兵团司令员陶峙岳视察当场即兴赋诗，赞美莫索湾生机勃勃的新景象：“红旗插遍莫索湾，大地茫茫一手翻。唤起千年沉睡梦，永存青春在人间。” 伊犁、博乐、塔城、阿勒泰的一些边远地区，是兵团3年大发展后期的重点开发垦区。1959年，兵团决定恢复农五师、十师建制，农五师重点开发博尔塔拉蒙古自治州，农十师重点开发阿勒泰地区。 屯垦伊犁地区的农四师部队，在3年大发展中，重点开发了察布查尔垦区、昭苏垦区，建立了察布查尔一场、二场、三场，红旗一场和清水河农场，增垦面积40万亩。 精河、博乐地区由于交通闭塞，是待开发地区，自治区和博尔塔拉蒙古自治州都希望兵团去建场。根据自治区的要求，兵团将精河、博乐地区作为重点开发地区之一，作了全面部署。1958至1960年，农七师建立了精博总场沙山子农场、托托分场；农五师在博尔塔拉蒙古自治州建立了管理处，并开始布点开荒，垦荒面积近40万亩。 塔城地区是农七师第三管理处和工二师开发的新垦区，当时垦殖面积虽只有十几万亩，但为以后的发展打下了根基。 阿勒泰地区在额尔齐斯河和乌伦古河之间，以原来的二十八团为基地进一步开发。3年中，新建了二十九团农场、三十三团农场、三十五团农场和福海渔场，垦殖面积25万余亩。 从1958到1960年，兵团抓住机遇，努力拼搏，经过3年的大力发展，基本上确立了兵团事业的规模和战略布局。3年累计开荒造田855万亩，修建了大批水利工程，建成场外独立引水渠道58条，引水能力359立方米／秒，新建水库18座，增加库容6.5亿立方米；其中大中型水库9座，即农一师上游水库，农二师卡拉一库、二库，农七师奎屯水库、黄沟一库，农八师跃进水库、蘑菇湖水库，农十师友谊水库。实增灌溉面积591万亩，基本保证了农业灌溉用水。兵团耕地面积从1957年的337万亩猛增到1035万亩；农场由59个增加到166个。 20世纪50年代的大开发大建设，奠定了新疆新时代屯垦戍边的基业。其规模之宏大，其成就之卓著，都超过中国历史上任何一个朝代。 转眼间，半个世纪过去了，历史发生了翻天覆地的巨变，可新疆兵团这个伟大的集体，英雄本色不褪，革命的英雄主义、集体主义依然放射着光芒。 230多万农垦职工，作为不穿军装不拿军饷的士兵，继续守卫着边疆。176个农牧团场和5座城市【石河子、五家渠、图木舒克、阿拉尔、北屯】犹如美丽的花园，让戈壁荒漠不再悲凉。1500多万亩开垦出的土地，既是创造无数财富的金色粮仓，又是防风固沙的绿色屏障。100多个水库像珍珠一样，闪动着温柔多姿的水乡风情。5万多公里渠道像彩带一样，让祖国六分之一的大地充满了活力。 是的，这些数字，是很激动人心的。不过，我倒认为，更应该让我们记住的，不是这些数字，而是藏在这些数字背后的一些人和一些事。 只要是兵团人，或者说，你只要在兵团工作过，你的生命里一定会有一段和水库大渠相关的经历。 我从两岁时，随父母来到新疆兵团，一直到23岁考上大学才离开兵团。不管是作为兵团人的后代，还是曾经的兵团人，我都知道许多和修水库挖大渠的故事。有些故事是从父辈那里听来的，还有一些是我自己亲身经历的。 一个山东女兵，很年轻，才19岁。很能干，不管干什么，都不肯落在别人后边。那年冬天，挖大渠。挖大渠和修水库，一般都是冬天干。因为冬天别的农活干不了，是农闲季节。兵团人不会闲着，就会组织大家去挖水渠修水库。可冬天，新疆很冷，尤其是20世纪50年代，新疆冷得吓人。土冻得像铁板一样，镢头挖下去，能溅出火星，却只能挖出几个白印。于是这个活，就成了最难干的活，最苦的活。 这个女兵，本来看她体弱，要让她去炊事班的，可她不想被照顾，硬要去工地，让她去了。这个活，男同志干，都吃不消，别说是女同志了。那时干活，别看是一块干，但不吃大锅饭。每个人都有定额。完不成定额，就会受批评。开大会时，点你的名。那时的人，很要面子，都想进步。大会被点名批评了，会觉得丢人得不行，是受不了的。 开始时，还行，还能把定额完成了。可干了一段日子，就不行了。汗水把棉袄湿透了，脱了棉袄，穿着绒衣干。手磨出了血泡不说，胳膊也累得酸疼酸疼。还是不能完成任务。于是就在大会上被点了名。一块点名的，不是她一个。好些女兵都被点了名。别的人，被点了名，也难受，可难受完了就完了，不是不想完成定额，也没有偷懒耍滑，只要问心无愧就行了。但这个女兵不行，她要面子，想进步，她刚写了入党申请书。她怕这样下去，会入不了党。于是她就想办法完成定额任务。 她想啊想啊，还真想出了办法。只是她这个办法，也不是什么好办法。她想我力气小，干得慢，我就笨鸟先飞。你们还在睡觉，我就去工地。你们一天干8个小时，我一天干12个小时。别说，这个方法，开始两天，也起了作用。总算是把任务完成了。这一次，大会又点了她的名，不过，不是批评她，而是表扬她。她高兴了，就天天这么干。可她是个人啊，又是个弱女子，超负荷的劳动，是不能长久的。每天的早起晚睡，很快就把她的身体搞垮了。别人劝她，别这么干了，可她不听。 那天下雪了，下了很大的雪。她又悄悄地早起了。来到了工地上，一个人干了起来。结果，在挖下了一块冻土后，脚下一滑，摔倒了。也可能是没有睡好，太累了，头一晕，没有站住。一般的情况，摔倒了，不会有什么事。可她的头碰在冻土上。冻土块像石头一样，把头碰出了血，把她碰得昏了过去。当时，别的人还没出工，工地上只有她一个人。昏倒在地后，没有人知道。天很冷，等到别的人来到工地，看到她趴在冻土块上，已经冻硬了。 这个事，是我母亲讲给我的。母亲说，她死后，给她开了追悼会，追悼会上说，她的入党申请被批准了。我知道，修水库，挖大渠，不是打仗，死人的事，是很少发生的。不过，母亲说，那时兵团的人，为了开荒，为了修水利，吃的那个苦，受的那个罪，没有亲身经历过，是想象不出来的。母亲说，那么长渠道，那么大的水库，全靠人干啊。一天下来，老觉得活不成了，要被活活累死了。母亲没有说她叫什么，我也没有问。不是我忘了问了，是我觉得她叫什么真的已经不重要了。重要的是我们要明白，我们今天的幸福生活，是父辈们用生命换来的。 兵团人好像年年都在挖水渠修水库。不但大人要干，学生也要干。20世纪50年代出生的兵团孩子，都干过。 那年我17岁，还在上高中。农场修水库，搞大会战，让我们也去。也是冬天，一群少年，住在一间大窝子里。也是天不亮就起床，天黑了才收工。工地上，人很多，好像在筑一道坝。用车子拉土，去戈壁滩上，要走一里地。一般是三个人一辆架子车，一个扶着把，两个人在旁边推。虽然没有像大人一样定具体的任务，可也是谁也不肯落后，也是跑得全身冒热气。热气散发出来，遇到冷风，就会在帽子上、头发上、眉毛上，结出一层霜。 干了一天活，回到地窝子里，没有别的事，就脱下湿了的衣服还有毡袜子，围着火炉边烘烤。不烤干了，明天就没有办法穿。可烤的时候，散发出的汗味臭味，实在难闻得很。可没有人在乎。睡觉时，大家还会把鞋子放在火墙上，这样早上出门，鞋就不会湿了凉了。为了让地窝子里能保持温度，每天会留一个人在家烧炉子。可是有一天，出事了。这个留在家里烧炉子的同学，不知怎么搞的，让火苗蹿到了屋顶上，把芦苇的屋顶给烧着了。 大火把我们的被褥全烧光了，而那个烧炉子的男同学，没有来得及跑出来，也被烧死在里边了。后来想起这个事我们后怕得不行。如果正好是晚上，我们在地窝子里睡觉，着起了火，那将会是什么样的后果啊！真的是不敢想。尽管很后怕，又没有了被褥，我们还是一直在水库上坚持到了来年的春天。水库开闸放水那天，我们也在人群里又跳又叫，高兴得不行。 高中毕业后，我成了兵团的一个农工。尽管只干了4年，可好多事想起来，仍然是历历在目。记得这4年里，干得最累最苦的活，就是挖大渠了。 光是渠，就有许多种。有干渠，有支渠，有斗渠和毛渠，还有排碱渠。如果说，渠道对荒野来说，就像是人身体里的血管，干渠是动脉，支渠是静脉，而斗渠毛渠就是毛细血管了。这些渠道里，挖起来最费劲的，就是干渠和排碱渠。它们又宽又长又深，挖到下面时，要把渠底的土石，挖出来扔到渠沿上，每一下都要使出很大的气力才能做到。80年代以前，没有挖掘机，不管什么渠，都要靠人来挖，确实对人的体力和意志，都是极大的考验。而兵团如今具有的5万公里长的渠道，可以说，大部分都是靠一双双手挖出来的。 已经退休的兵团人田希翠，是个女人，说她一来兵团，就被安排去修水库了。修的是新户坪水库。她说在这水库上，一干就是5年，住的是干打垒房子，低矮、透风、漏雨，夏天热得无处躲，冬天冻得不敢出被窝。没有星期日，一个月看一次电影，每次看电影都像过年一样。发工资没准时间，也没有人闹。反正拿上工资，也是没有时间去花，也没地方去买东西。人手一辆排车，一把铁锨，一把镐头，谁丢了谁赔。每天干活，按土方计算，每天要拉土七八方。拉少了，就得挨批。 她说她那时只有20岁，担任青年排排长，现无名指上还留有伤残，是挖土时，不小心让镐头碰的。吃的是玉米面发糕、高粱面窝头，难吃得不行，还吃不饱。有一个姐妹，吃了高粱面拉不出屎，痛得嗷嗷大叫，伙伴没办法，只好用红柳棍帮她掏出来。天不亮就出工，一直到天黑了才收工，几乎天天披星戴月。天气冷，还出大汗。一天下来裤裆硬邦邦，走路发出刷刷的响动，让姑娘们觉得很难为情，特别是赶上来例假，那就更难受了。许多人手上和耳朵上都留下了冻疮。累得太厉害了，睡在床上，像死了一样。不知道，尿了床。没有时间洗、烤、晒，到了晚上只能靠自己的身体把湿被子焐干。 这个田希翠还说：干活不能死干，也要动脑子，有些巧劲，可以出活，还可以少出些力。比如说挖土，就有窍门。在3米高的悬崖上，底部向里掏空一米，上边打几个深眼，用铁钎来回晃动着撬，几十立方土层呼啦一下，就全下来了。顶小半天干的。拉车一样，上下坡不能一样用劲，要利用地形，尽量节省气力，这样就可以多干了。还有干活时，要让自己心情愉快。心情好，能多干活，还不累。比如说，我们拉土方时，就哼着歌。挖土时，就讲笑话。一唱一笑，就忘了苦和累了。说真的，那会儿，真的是很艰难，可也真的是很快乐。大家都很单纯，除了国家，除了革命，没啥个人的想法。兵团人，真的是一群无私的人。那个年代，有私心，就活不好，就会被人看不起。 水库和水渠挖好了，通水了，其实工作还没有完。在兵团的各个垦区，都有叫水工连水工团或水利处的单位。这些单位的人，就是负责来管理水库和水渠，保证它们的安全使用和流水的畅通。这个工作比起最初的修建来，看起来好像没有艰险困难，但实际付出的代价一样是很大的。 在新疆兵团，人们习惯把看护水的人叫“龙王爷”，因为他管着水，什么地方要用水，用多少水，都由他说了算。真有点像“龙王爷”，能呼风唤雨。有一个农工叫王裕民，在兵团农五师八十七团水管所工作。他就是一个“龙王爷”，与水打了一辈子交道。水管所，是兵团管水的最基层单位。为了把河流的水能安全引到农区去灌溉，农业单位就需要修建一条条引水渠道，为了保证水的畅通无阻，就需要有人看守渠道，进行维护，调节水量，于是各团场都相应地成立了水管所。 王裕民负责接水的渠道长约8公里，在这条渠道上有32个出水口。这32个出水口，一开一堵，全是用泥土或者用石头、沙袋，更多时，用木桩和草捆。庄稼大量用水的季节，32个水口，天天都要放水，这一放一堵，不但操心，还很受累