By the Luo Yang Lake

In the land of Huaxia, in the heart of the Guanzhong Plain and the vast Qin River Valley, lies a unique stretch of land: Lubotan, also known as Luyang Lake. Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, this was a vast, mist-shrouded lake. After centuries of dynastic change, its waters gradually receded, leaving behind a vast expanse of saline wasteland. It was not until the Republican era that the silence was broken by the footsteps of refugees. Wave after wave of displaced people gathered here like trickling streams, forming several scattered villages.

The first to settle here were stragglers and deserters who had split off from their units. Then came their wives and children. Next came the soldiers' immediate families, their brothers and sisters, and even their aunts, uncles, and distant relatives. Later, even their wives' relatives arrived with their whole families. In time, refugees from all corners of the country continued to join them. They built homes, reclaimed the land, and depended on one another to survive. The villages grew quietly, like living things, as their populations increased and their settlements expanded, until the area became a place where people gathered.

In terms of when they arrived, people from Hubei came first, followed by those from Shandong and Henan. The locals from Shanxi and Shaanxi arrived somewhat later, just in time to catch the last train. In terms of numbers, people from Shandong were the most numerous, followed by those from Henan. The rest were migrants from Hubei and Shanxi, along with fellow Shaanxi natives from the southern and northern mountains. Their different accents converged here and gradually fused into the distinctive lifeblood of this land. Though their accents differed, they shared the same hearth and home. As the years passed, life went on.

Today, this once-barren land has taken on a new look, thanks to the government's policies to improve people's livelihoods. Small villages have been consolidated into larger ones, and modern residential buildings more than ten stories tall have sprung up. Not far away, a test-flight base for civilian and commercial aircraft is taking shape. The saline wasteland of the past is quietly being transformed by the times.