Wu Ruxuan, an only child from Taizhou, Jiangsu province, first encountered the call for volunteers for the Western China Development Program on a university poster in March 2024. The slogan, "Go to the west, go to the grassroots, go where the motherland needs you most," planted a seed that quietly took root in her heart. Her parents were reluctant to let her go to the distant Xinjiang—a place over 4,400 kilometers away with an altitude difference of more than 1,100 meters, which to Wu were just geographical figures, but to them represented unknown challenges and arduous efforts. Faced with this decision, Wu's octogenarian grandfather patted her on the back with his wrinkled hands and said, "Young people should go out and explore more. I support you!" And so, in August 2024, Wu Ruxuan boarded a flight bound for Xinjiang.
The initial days presented their own harsh lessons, with the arid climate of Aksu immediately delivering a stern "warning," causing Wu to suffer from nosebleeds for several days and often waking her in the middle of the night parched and dry. Assigned to the administrative office of the Aksu Municipal Commerce Bureau, she started with tasks like dispatching documents and organizing meeting materials. The work was trivial, creating a disparity with the "grand and intense"历练 she had envisioned. Occasionally, hearing her mother's hesitant concern over the phone would bring a lump to her throat. Yet, the sky here was a pure, deep blue, and the people were sunny and warm-hearted. Colleagues helped her familiarize herself with her duties, and leaders offered patient guidance. Wu decided that instead of passively adapting, she would actively integrate; to become competent in her role quickly, she chose to engage in a "tug-of-war" with time. Perseverance paid off, and after considerable effort, Wu Ruxuan began to develop a fondness for Aksu. The first time she saw the starry sky over the Gobi desert, it appeared so low and brilliantly bright, as if she could reach out and touch it by simply standing on her toes. Gazing at the myriad stars, Wu suddenly understood the meaning of the phrase, "This peaceful heart finds its home here."
Five months later, Wu transitioned to the E-commerce Office of the Aksu Municipal Commerce Bureau, taking on the responsibility of providing commentary for the Aksu E-commerce Industrial Park. Her stage shifted from an office to a 235-mu incubation base. While the commentary script contained output values, data, and policies, what truly moved Wu were the living, breathing individuals behind those numbers. There was Li Bo from "Li Xiaojiang," who started with just a desk and a printer and now achieves annual sales of 14 million yuan, delivering Aksu apples, walnuts, and other agricultural products to households across the country. There was the Kuaishou influencer Mirzat Kamil, who returned from Hangzhou to his hometown and, with just a mobile phone and 300,000 followers, sold over 8 million yuan worth of walnuts and apples in a year. And there were the young returnees who participated in the "Dandelion Plan" training, evolving from shy beginners to proficient live-streamers, broadcasting their hometown's "sweetness" to every corner of the nation through their screens. Now, Wu no longer merely memorizes her script; she picks up a "Honeycore" apple in the fresh fruit section and explains to netizens with genuine feeling why it is so sweet. In the cultural innovation area, she tells the story of how Aksu's essence is captured in a small refrigerator magnet. She ventures into rural orchards, bends down to chat with humble fruit farmers about their harvests, and discusses traffic insights with live-streamers. Their sweat and smiles give those numbers warmth and life. Witnessing batches of out-of-town merchants place orders on the spot, Wu knows deeply that with every extra effort she makes, with every additional introduction, a farmer's income per mu of land could potentially increase by 1,000 yuan.
As she accumulated more knowledge and skills, Wu Ruxuan began using her personal social media accounts to promote Aksu's specialties, patiently answering every inquiry in the background. She went into the fields, conducting live streams from orchards rich with the scent of soil, teaching netizens how to identify authentic Honeycore apples. She became involved in the entire process, from selection and boxing to packaging. The pride she felt upon receiving feedback like "the apples are really sweet" was indescribable. When one netizen inquired about e-commerce training with uncertainty and skepticism, Wu carefully helped her navigate the process and assisted with registration. After returning from training in Hangzhou, the netizen met Wu again, her eyes shining brightly, and said, "Thank you, Xiao Wu! My perspective has broadened, and my sales have improved!" In that moment, Wu suddenly felt that her small, individual efforts could create ripples in another person's life, solidifying her resolve to do even more. Later, Wu also took on responsibilities in the regulatory office, fielding various calls daily: inquiries, complaints, and even unreasonable grievances. Through constant adjustment, she learned to remain calm amidst emotionally charged voices and find solutions within policy frameworks. Once, a dried fruit merchant called angrily about shipping costs; Wu explained the policies while also helping him connect with the industrial park to access benefits. Before hanging up, his voice softened as he said, "Thank you, young lady." On her end of the line, Wu breathed a sigh of relief, her heart filled with warmth.
Now, looking back on over 500 days and nights, Wu Ruxuan has transformed from a novice who was flustered even while organizing files into a multi-tasking volunteer capable of handling responsibilities independently. She has evolved from a complete outsider with no knowledge of Aksu into a "local" who genuinely wants to contribute to building up this place. Seven classmates arrived in Xinjiang with Wu, each坚守ing in different cities and positions. They frequently share their work experiences, joys, and insights, striving together for local development. Like seeds from all corners of the country, they have taken deep root in the soil of western China, watering their dreams with the sweat of their youth, allowing the vow to "go where the motherland needs you most" to blossom into the most splendid flowers across the vast land of Xinjiang.
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