Real life of an ordinary family in Xinjiang

Kadi Gulayim's family (Photo: China News Service/Luo Youwei)

"Since I graduated from college, my family has witnessed four happy events," said Kadi Gulayim, a 24-year-old man living in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Gulayim's house has two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen, with a big yard half the size of a basketball court and a vegetable garden double as large.

He told China News Service that he started doing e-commerce on his phone while at high school, and continued after he went to college, making a lot of money in the process.

In the summer of 2022, he graduated from college and returned to his hometown, finding that the "Rural Revitalization" campaign was in full swing, especially high-quality farmland construction, so he bought a large excavator and hired some workers.

In just a few months, he made a lot of money. He said that is the first happy event. He expected to recoup his initial investment in two or three years.

There is a black SUV parked in his courtyard. "This is a second-hand car I bought in Urumqi, which is 80 percent new. I was surprised by the low price and bought it immediately - this was my third good event," he said.

"What about your second?" he was asked.

"My second good event is that on Feb. 4, I had my wedding ceremony in Tumxuk City. Families, friends, and people of all ethnicities came to congratulate me," he said.

"My wife and I were high school classmates. After graduating, I went to Urumqi Vocational College, and she went to Xinjiang University to study language and literature. She was recruited by a bidding company right after she graduated last year. Tumxuk City is about a dozen kilometers away from here, and I gave her the SUV as a gift, so she doesn't have to worry about commuting anymore," he added.

"The fourth good event is that my mother retired a few days ago," said Kadi Gulayim. When he was introducing his family, the two elderly people sitting on the Kang (traditional heated platform) occasionally smiled in a kindly manner.

"As for the expenses of furniture, the SUV, and excavator, I earned half the money myself, and my parents subsidized the other half," he said.

Asked about the current situation of the two elderly people, their daughter said, "My father was on sick leave in 2020 and officially retired in 2022. After their retirement, my mother takes care of the household chores and meals, while my father takes care of the vegetable garden at the door. He spends most of his time hanging around and watching TV with my mother."

Standing by the door, the girl said "I am studying nursing at a college in Urumqi and will graduate in a year. After graduation, I plan to work as a midwife at either the Youth League or hospital in Turpan."

"Rural Revitalization" campaign has brought tangible benefits to the family.

Their parents' home is among rows of houses with red walls and white roofs, with the same size and structure.

Under the blue sky, the entire village lies in peace and harmony.