These trees were planted by us back then... "On a spring day at Yueshan Forest Farm in Huaiji County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, 82 year old retired soldier Li Shuohai opened his arms and hugged a towering tree, smiling and squinting his eyes. On this day, walking in this densely forested forest, Li Shuohai would occasionally stop and pat the trunk, as if seeing an old friend whom he had been away from for a long time. For Yueshan Forest Farm, Li Shuohai can indeed be considered an "old friend". At a glance, Mount Yue is now surrounded by vast forests. More than 50 years ago, Mount Yue was full of barren slopes, with mud and sand falling every time it rained, and the nearby villagers' daily water emitting a murky yellow color. From 1974 to 1975, in response to the call for "greening the motherland", the local government launched the "Yueshan Afforestation Campaign", and 25000 cadres and masses went up the mountain to plant trees. Li Shuohai was one of them. Li Shuohai joined the army in 1963 and took off his military uniform in 1968, returning to his hometown of Huaiji County. When the "Yueshan Afforestation Campaign" was launched, Liang Village, where Li Shuohai was located, established a afforestation command post. Li Shuohai, who had served as a soldier, led the villagers on a 4-hour hike into the mountains as the temporary party branch secretary of the command post and engaged in this' battle '. Li Shuohai recalled that when he was reclaiming land on the mountain, he led the village party members, retired soldiers, and militia to do heavy physical labor such as digging and loosening the soil, while other villagers followed behind and planted saplings. Everyone slept together in a simple thatched hut and started working as soon as dawn broke. They 'rushed forward desperately', crossing one mountain after another and greening one barren mountain after another. The sun is shining heavily, and many people, like me, have developed photosensitive dermatitis. Now, after staying in the scorching sun for a long time, they will still itch. ”Li Shuohai said. The two-year afforestation period is deeply imprinted in Li Shuohai's memory. For over half a century, due to inconvenient transportation in the mountainous areas, he did not visit Mount Yue again. A few days ago, the Veterans Affairs Bureau of Huaiji County launched a series of activities to care for veterans. When asked about Li Shuohai's wish by the staff, he sighed and said, "I'm getting old now. While I can still walk, I want to go to Mount Yue again and see what those trees looked like back then." The staff accompanied Li Shuohai back to Mount Yue. The vehicle was driving on the mountain road, and the smooth asphalt road and lush greenery in front of him seemed somewhat unfamiliar to Li Shuohai. Standing in the forest farm, watching the young saplings grow into big trees with branches and leaves covering the sky, and the barren slopes have become a sea of thousands of acres, Li Shuohai was very pleased: "I am so happy to see these 'old friends' again!" That day, when Li Shuohai smiled and hugged the big tree planted more than 50 years ago, the staff specially took a photo of him and his "old friends". The frozen image quietly tells the story of a veteran leading his hometown people to dye green barren mountains, showcasing the military's character of hard work and dedication, and reflecting the gratifying changes in the local ecological environment. (Xinhua News Agency) Author: Ma Ruijie, Ye Tingting