In Tajik, 'Kektuluk' means' place where flowers bloom '. This poetic name symbolizes life and hope. Generations of border guards have rooted themselves here, overcoming extreme environments and unimaginable difficulties, guarding the western border of our country with youth and love. As late as autumn approaches, before the heavy snow covers the mountains, let us step into the "place of blooming flowers" and approach a group of border guards stationed at high-altitude outposts, to appreciate their youth blooming like flowers. Starting from the foot of the mountain and passing through Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, the author and his team traveled by car to the Keketuluk Border Defense Company of the Xinjiang Military Region. As the altitude increases, the gravel road becomes more bumpy, and the car engine begins to breathe heavily. The scenery outside the window has undergone a noticeable change, with the sky originally shining brightly and green trees swaying their branches and leaves in the wind. Soon, all in front of me were gray and black mountains and snow capped peaks that never melt all year round. Occasionally, marmots shuttle between the mountains and rocks. The driver turned on the heating and air conditioning to the maximum, but the cold continued to come, and I couldn't help but wrap my coat tightly. The increasingly thin oxygen makes it difficult to breathe, so everyone takes turns inhaling oxygen. In silence, there is only a slight hissing sound during oxygen inhalation. At noon, the author and his team arrived at the company camp. The weather on the plateau is constantly changing. It was just sunny, but soon it started to snow up and down. The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, and several dormitories lit up unexpectedly. In the snowy plateau, sudden changes in weather are common. Second level sergeant Ma Hao told me, "Maybe hail will come in a while." Ma Hao remembers that when he first arrived at the platoon, snow would often fall silently at night when he stood guard. Sometimes heavy snow would fall, and sometimes light snow would dance lightly. Before long, there was frost on both the mask and eyelashes. No matter how thick the clothing is, it can only hold for half an hour at most, followed by the bone marrow piercing cold. When standing guard, occasional sounds of beasts and birds can be heard in the quiet mountains. At first, I was a little scared, but later I got used to it. With animals accompanying me, I didn't feel lonely. ”Ma Hao smiled and said. First level Sergeant Gejia is the military horse keeper of the company. He took me to the stable and said, "Horses are more suitable for drinking warm water, but here, they are also used to drinking ice river water." The well water used by the company's officers and soldiers can only meet everyone's daily needs. The platoon has 12 military horses, and on average, one horse drinks 20 liters of water per day. Therefore, chiseling glaciers and drinking horses has become Gejia's "daily routine". The severe cold causes the non freezing time of plateau rivers to be shorter. Three quarters of the year, Gejia and his comrades have to chisel open a 20-30 centimeter thick ice layer by the river to let the military horses drink the ice water underneath. Listening to Gejia's words, I imagined them using tools such as shovels and pickaxes, exerting all their strength to carve holes into the solid ice surface. Digging ice for a day may not be difficult, but what's difficult is to persist year after year. The freezing point is relatively fixed when chiseling, and sudden cooling can make the river freeze even thicker. Sometimes, manpower cannot chisel it, so they can only search upstream along the river for a more suitable water intake point. That year, everyone encountered sleet on their way to search for a chiseled freezing point. Raindrops fall on the training suit, quickly forming ice and accelerating the loss of body heat. Not long after, their training uniforms were wrapped in a layer of ice crystals and frozen hard. Everyone, hurry up and wait until they find a suitable freezing point 2 kilometers away from the platoon. Gejia's favorite military horse is called 'Treading Snow'. Every time we patrol and return to the team, the mane of the military horse is covered in ice. We use dry towels to wipe off the frost on its body, and then cover it with blankets to keep it warm. "Gejia touched the head of" Treading Snow "and said," The military horse is our close comrade in arms. In total, 'Treading Snow' has been in service for 14 years, patrolling thousands of kilometers of border defense lines, crossing mountains and rivers, and enduring hardships with us. Most patrol roads are difficult to walk on, and sometimes officers and soldiers can't stand steadily on rocks, falling onto the pile of stones; Sometimes accidentally stepping on the melting ice layer on the surface and filling the shoes with ice water; Sometimes when we encounter waist deep snow, we can't even pull out our legs... At this point, Gejia's tone changed: "It's a bit bitter, but we can't live without it. This has become our second home." Although the snow on the border is cold, the hot blood is hard to cool down. Generations of officers and soldiers of the company have melted the ice and snow on the border with their passion, and guarded the peace of their country with their youth. Gejia told me that he and many of his comrades have a similar experience. When he first arrived, he was always amazed by the towering snow capped mountains and the strength of the rocks, but soon, the unimaginable hardships would make most people feel lonely. Afterwards, melancholy will disappear in the daily perseverance, and what remains in the heart is persistence, dedication, and the deepest love for the motherland. The Kexi Beile outpost, under the jurisdiction of the Peak Company, is located on a snowy mountain at an altitude of over 4600 meters above sea level. The climate there is even worse, with frequent snowfall except in July and August. Second level Sergeant Xu Yaoqiang remembers: "Sometimes it snowed all night and in the morning, I found that the door of the barracks was blocked by thick snow, which couldn't be opened no matter how hard it was. I had to wait for my comrades in the platoon to bring their snow pushing boards up the mountain and push the snow outside the door to one side. On the way to the sentry post, some places had too much snow, so I had to ask the border guard to drive a shovel to push the snow." "" In the past, we lacked these mechanical equipment. After the road to the sentry post was covered with snow, we had to rely on people carrying horses to transport supplies. ”Gejia couldn't help but feel deeply moved when he talked about his experience many years ago. In the deep winter of that year, heavy snow blocked the mountains, and the officers and soldiers of the company were unable to deliver supplies to the outpost for half a month in a row. The food supply of the outpost is almost depleted, and there is not much coal left to burn the boiler. Gejia and several comrades volunteered to take on the task of delivering supplies. Gejia remembers clearly that the snow on the road was over one meter thick, and they took turns leading the way, using their bodies to pave the way for their comrades and military horses behind. In just a few kilometers, they walked from day to night. On the last stretch of the road, the military horses were exhausted and refused to move forward. Gejia and his comrades decided to hike up the mountain with supplies on their backs. They were cold and hungry, with dozens of pounds of supplies on their backs and heavier footsteps, but everyone dared not stop, afraid that once they stopped, they would never be able to walk again. As Gejia and his comrades struggled to move step by step, the comrades at the outpost also advanced towards them. Finally, the two teams successfully converged. In the early morning, supplies were delivered to the outpost, and this arduous task became the most memorable experience in Gejia's border defense career. Nowadays, the conditions for border defense construction are getting better and better. Border guards often drive forklifts to clear the snow on the way to the sentry post. If conditions permit, the driver of the company and the first level sergeant Ma Xiaolong drive transport vehicles to transport supplies. But the road to the whistle is narrow and dangerous, and driving is still difficult. That day, scattered light snow drifted in the sky. The transport vehicle reached a sharp turn up the mountain, and the wheels suddenly slipped. Seeing the vehicle slowly sliding towards the roadbed, Ma Xiaolong did not panic. He gently turned the steering wheel, slowly corrected the vehicle, and finally stopped the car with half of the tires protruding out of the roadbed. Although he has missed danger countless times, Ma Xiaolong has always been diligent and steadfast in his post. In addition to transporting supplies, he also undertakes patrol driving tasks. He has been guarding the border for 16 years, with a driving mileage of over 120000 kilometers and zero accidents to date. He firmly told the author, 'As long as it is a task assigned by the organization, no matter how difficult it is, it must be completed well.' The mountains are thousands of heavy, and the peaks are man-made. Heavy snow can block mountains and roads, but it cannot seal the confidence of border officers and soldiers to climb mountains bravely. From this group of young officers and soldiers, I see the same temperament as all border guards. They are like towering peaks, towering and unyielding. No matter what difficulties they encounter, they always face them head-on and never fear them. In the frozen land of spring, although it is cold on the snowy plateau, the story that happened in Keketuluk is always full of warmth. Second level Sergeant Sun Xiaokun is a grower in the company. In the greenhouse, which is like spring all year round, there are various fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, oranges, and cherry blossoms, as well as more than ten types of green plants such as roses and Bougainvillea, all of which are his carefully cared for "treasures". Sun Xiaokun came to the greenhouse and recalled the Keketuluke Border Defense Company more than 10 years ago. Upon joining the military from the East China region and arriving in the Pamir Plateau, Sun Xiaokun initially struggled to adapt to the changing climate: "Every day when the sun sets, the temperature drops sharply, and the weather is cold and humid, making it difficult for everyone to feel down." At that time, Sun Xiaokun had just been appointed as a planter. Due to the cold climate and poor soil, there are not many surviving vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse. He secretly made up his mind to turn this place into a warm little world belonging to the plateau officers and soldiers. In order to increase the temperature inside the greenhouse, Sun Xiaokun initially used the method of burning a boiler, but the seedlings he planted withered one after another. He found out through research that the boiler needs someone to take care of it at all times, otherwise the temperature inside the shed will always fluctuate with the weather changes, making it difficult to stabilize. Sun Xiaokun applied to the platoon to purchase a batch of electric heaters for precise temperature control in the greenhouse, and also found fertilizers to improve the soil. Finally, a batch of vegetables survived. As Sun Xiaokun's experience grew richer, the greenery in the greenhouse gradually increased. The fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse are growing increasingly well, and the officers and soldiers of the company regard this vibrant little world as a leisure place for tea and meals. When the wind and snow mix outside, people always like to sneak into the greenhouse to admire flowers and pick fruits, smelling the warm atmosphere mixed with floral and vegetable scents. They say that Keketuluke has truly become a place where flowers bloom. This year, flowers have also bloomed at the Kosibal outpost. In order to improve the defense conditions of officers and soldiers, the outpost has built sunshine board houses. Sun Xiaokun picked a few roses and triangular plums with the best growth and sent them to the front whistle, hoping to add some vitality to the area. In Keketuluke, there are still many officers and soldiers who are as positive and optimistic as Sun Xiaokun. Despite being stationed at the remote snow capped checkpoint, everyone still strives to live a colorful military life. Sergeant Jiang Hao graduated from an art school. In his spare time, he enjoys picking up various types of stones and painting the beautiful scenery of snow capped mountains and glaciers he sees on patrol. Nowadays, his stone paintings are scattered throughout the company's greenhouses, book corridors, and other places. In recent years, the officers and soldiers of the company have also carried out ice skating training according to local conditions, relaxing their mood while also strengthening their physical fitness. Second level Sergeant Bai Weiwei loved roller skating before joining the army, but now he has become everyone's little teacher. With his help, some comrades who had just started skating also became proficient in it. Winter has arrived, can spring be far behind? ”Bai Weiwei believes that although Keketuluke is often a day of heavy snow and ice, the officers and soldiers of the company spend every day as a beautiful spring, and their hearts will always be warm. (New Society)