As the mountains get closer, you get closer to the village of Langka. Continuing to advance along the winding path, the gray-roofed and blue-walled dwellings appear in front of you, and you arrive at the village of Langka. Zhao Kanglin's house is located on the southernmost edge of the village. At the first visit, he was writing by a floor-to-ceiling window with a panoramic view of the mountain, and a big yellow dog named Barton was basking outside. Seeing someone coming to the door, the dog started barking.

Photo taken on February 18, 2023 shows Zhao Kanglin walks his dog Barton. (Photo by Shiliuyun - Xinjiang Daily/Liu Yiming)

"Quiet, rustic, pristine, everything in Langka fascinates me." Zhao Kanglin said.

Zhao Kanglin graduated from Peking University and has published many novellas and full-length novels such as "There is a Han Street in Ili", "Holie Holie: Langbishi", and "Kanas Lake Curse", and translated the subtitles of the movie "Harry Potter" into Chinese. In October 2019, he accepted the task of "Poverty Alleviation Reportage Creation Project" jointly launched by the China Writers Association and the State Council Poverty Alleviation and Development Office (now the National Rural Revitalization Administration), and in 2020 he created and published the long reportage "Spring Breeze Has Passed the Yumen Pass", which was the same year that he moved from Shanghai to Langka Village, Sunzhaqiniulu Town, Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County, Xinjiang. He built a house here and became neighbors with Kazakh herders. His arrival also made this nameless mountain village of Langka known.

"Love at first sight" with Langka

Zhao Kanglin often makes unusual choices: For one, after graduating from Peking University, he gave up his enviable job and returned to his hometown and indulged himself in literary creation; Another example is that although he had had a stable and prosperous life in Shanghai, he moved to “Dongwozi” in Xinjiang.

"Shanghai is also great. I have a beautiful house there, but the people there are independent, and there is less emotional bondage of helping each other." Zhao Kanglin said that he missed the sense of belonging between the neighborhood and the simple life he had when he was a child living in Yining City, northwest China’s Xinjiang.

Around 2017, Zhao Kanglin decided to return to Ili to find a place to which he can feel kind of emotional connect with other people. As long as he saw the photo of Langka Village from Wechat moments, he fell in love with it.

"I went to many beautiful places in Ili which I loved, but felt no connection. Langka made a difference. It made me eager to stay." In Zhao Kanglin’s recollection, in April, Langka was full of life. There were rolling mountains that stretched to wild meadows and tulips of large areas, and a few hares or pheasants that occasionally appeared, adding natural wildness to Langka.

Zhao Kanglin built a house in Langka, and the style of the house meets exactly with Langka. It is particularly distinctive. As soon as you enter the door, a thick wooden pastoral wind surges in your face.

On February 19, 2023, Zhao Kanglin writing quietly at a corner of his home. (Photo by Shiliuyun - Xinjiang Daily/Liu Yiming)

"The wood in the house are all old wood of nearly 100 years old. The furniture is handmade by Uygur carpenter, and the throw pillows are made by Kazakh embroiderers in the village," Zhao Kanglin introduced. After the house was built, people often came to visit. There were friends, friends of friends, and even people he didn't acquaint." Some people came to visit the house, and some came to chat with the stars. ”

Zhao Kanglin once wrote in his essay: "Langka is a place to lie on the grassy slope and chat with the stars. This phrase later became Langka's slogan, attracting visitors. Even in the coldest times of winter, the steps of admirers never end. Zhao Kanglin would invite them into his house, take them around the house, chat and drink tea with them.

Langka, home

Zhao Kanglin now has settled in the once rarely-visited village of Langka, drawing villagers’ attentions. "I feel absolute at ease with them. I tell them my interesting experiences abroad and the countries’ histories and so on." Zhao Kanglin also saw a different Langka with villagers: There are wild boars, wolves and Chinese herbs on the mountains and the Gagea lutea is beautiful, and the affectionate story of golden eagle guiding people home. Zhao Kanglin loves Langka, "This is what life should be like, people truly connecting with each other," he said.

As a new member of Langka Village, Zhao Kanglin received special attention from locals.

"There is an old lady in the village who is nearly ninety, and after seeing me once, she always introduces me to others as her son from Shanghai," Zhao Kanglin said. During New Year's holiday or when there is a family gathering, she would invite him to her home. He had attended the wedding of the old lady's granddaughter, and was warmly introduced to her friends. And she always asks Zhao Kanglin "Why don't my Shanghai daughter-in-law come and see me together with you."

Ahjartai Sikak (left), an 88-year-old villager of Langka who always calls Zhao Kanglin "My son from Shanghai." Before leaving for Shanghai, on February 18, 2023, Zhao Kanglin came to the old lady’s home to visit. (Photo by Shiliuyun - Xinjiang Daily/Liu Yiming)

The old lady’s grandson Bahao Kader said the reason why the old lady treats Zhao Kanglin so kindly is that she intended to help Zhao Kanglin adapt to his new life and fit in as soon as possible." As an elder, she has a leading role, and she introduced Zhao to everyone as her child, so that others could show more kindness. ”

At that moment, Zhao Kanglin understood that this small village was filled with the strong love of the simple villagers.

Zhao Kanglin has many friends, and since he moved to Langka Village, friends from all over the country have been coming to visit him in the village. As long as there are guests, neighbors will prepare special dishes in advance and invite guests to their homes. Everyone sat around the long table, host serving hot milk tea, delicious horse meat pilaf, and special dim sum with mellow cream...

"Everyone is so hospitable as if they are entertaining their own friends, genuine and warmhearted,” Zhao Kanglin introduced.

Once, he took a friend to a neighbor's house, and when he entered, his friend’s two pet dogs also ran into the house. According to the villagers' customs, dogs are not allowed to enter the house. "I was very embarrassed. It was cold outside, and my friend's little pet dogs couldn't stand it, so I quickly explained to the neighbor that the dogs were like children to my friend." The neighbor laughed and said, "Since they are ‘children’, whether they have long hair or not, they could go into the house. Can’t let ‘kids’ freeze, can we?. ”

Most of the villagers in Langka village have cows at home, and every once in a while, villagers carry milk or dried yogurt block, cream, etc. to "feed" Zhao Kanglin. "I don't have cows in my house, so they would send me some. I feel like I am always remembered, and I have become a member of Langka," Zhao Kanglin said.

His words, the villagers are willing to listen

During the reporter's interview for several days, Zhao Kanglin's mobile phone often rang. Most of them were calls from villagers: Some asked about their child's future professional choices, some discussed with him about expanding the scale of farming, and some asked him where to open a restaurant. As long as the villagers of Langka Village encounter problems, Zhao Kanglin will give pertinent advice in detail.

On February 18, 2023, Zhao Kanglin (first from left) invited several friends to his home to discuss the construction of an ecological ranch demonstration base in Langka Village. (Photo by Shiliuyun - Xinjiang Daily/Liu Yiming)

The ambulance in the town health center was old, so Zhao Kanglin and his lover mobilized entrepreneurs and friends around them to donate an ambulance to the town health center. In early winter, the temperature dropped sharply, and the villagers couldn’t find a way to buy coal, so without saying a word, he took out the payment for article that he and his lover had just received, looked for coal everywhere, and then successively pulled 50 tons of coal to the village to solve the villagers' urgent needs...

At the home of Suluhan Nurali, a Kazakh embroiderer, she showed everyone a Kazakh embroidered vest improved at the suggestion of Zhao Kanglin and his lover. "Mr. Zhao helped me sell my products to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and in Shanghai's Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, someone was wearing my vest on the catwalk, and many things were sold abroad, which I never dreamed of before."

In addition, Zhao Kanglin and his lover also set up a scholarship fund in Langka Village, planning to help children in the village who have specialties such as painting and singing cultivate their interests.

In one thing after another, Zhao Kanglin gained the deep trust of the villagers. His words, the villagers are willing to listen.

Once upon a time, there were villagers hunting wild boars and hares in Langka Village, and after Zhao Kanglin arrived, he told the villagers not to harm wild animals. His words were taken to heart by the villagers. “Now hares often appear in my yard, and you can see so many pheasants in the orchard over there. One night when I was about to sleep, I saw a little fox lying on the window watching me. ”

Walking in the village, villagers would always say hi when they saw Zhao Kanglin. "Sometimes the villagers would call and introduce themselves, and I can’t tell who it is, but as long as it is a villager's business, I will offer help," Zhao Kanglin said, "They trust me, and I can't fail them."

For handling some business of his own, Zhao Kanglin needs to return to Shanghai for a few days. Few hours to his departure, he was still handling business of the village. "I was talking to a few friends about building an ecological farm in Langka. Our milk and eggs are very good, but the sales channel haven’t been through, so if this goes well, Langka will become a beautiful, happy and prosperous village."

"In the past, Langka was just a temporary place for me to sojourn, but now here is my permanent residence." Zhao Kanglin was asked if he like this place, he could just come often, why bother to settle here? "Only by becoming a member of Langka can I feel close to every grass and tree here, and I have the responsibility and obligation to make it better."