Greenhouse farming makes Mao Yingjun rich on the road to a moderately prosperous life

"Driving a car and living in a Western-style house - I never imagined this before!" Mao Yingjun said with emotion, reflecting on the changes of recent years.

Mao Yingjun is a staff member of the Third Company of the 22nd Regiment of the Second Division of the **Production and Construction Corps. In 2004, she came to the 22nd Regiment with her husband. After years of hard work, she now has an annual income of 160,000 yuan.

In 2006, Mao Yingjun became a staff member of the Third Company and contracted 26 mu of allocated land to grow sugar beets. With no farming background at all, she could only partner with veteran staff members of the company. Whatever work the veterans did, she followed and learned. By the end of that year, the sugar beets yielded 5 tons, and she received 1,000 yuan as her share. Although the money in hand was not much, it was already the greatest comfort and encouragement for her hard work. The following year she worked even harder, growing chili peppers. Whenever she did not understand something, she asked others promptly. She never missed a single on-site planting and management meeting. When she saw that someone else's field was well managed, she would run over and ask for advice. Working from dawn to dusk in the fields, she gradually became able to manage a piece of land on her own. That year her income reached 30,000 yuan.

In 2010, the regiment established a protected agriculture demonstration base to encourage staff members to grow in greenhouses and diversify their income. Many staff members were unwilling to contract them, and those who were interested merely took a wait-and-see attitude. After discussing with her husband at home, Mao Yingjun raised 100,000 yuan and contracted 4 greenhouses. Although she was already an expert at farming, when it came to growing vegetables or raising seedlings, she was just a "kindergarten kid." Faced with this, she could only start learning from zero. When learning vegetable cultivation, she actively signed up for training at the Corps technical school. When teachers from Shihezi University came to teach, she asked carefully about anything she did not understand. During the seedling period, every step - choosing seedling trays, seed treatment, fertilizing, watering, temperature control - could not be taken lightly. She searched online, looked things up in books, asked technicians, and consulted nearby staff members, using every possible means to master knowledge. Her notebook, which she carried everywhere, was filled with notes. "The key points are all written here, so it's not easy to forget, and I can look them up later!" Mao Yingjun said. During the seedling period, she and her husband practically ate and slept in the greenhouse, pouring all their attention into those seedlings. Hard work pays off. That year, the tomato and chili seedlings she raised came out of the greenhouse on schedule, bringing her an income of 50,000 yuan. She tidied up the inside of the greenhouse and planted another round of vegetables, earning 2 yuan. With the strong support of the regiment and company, she successively contracted 6 greenhouses to grow vegetables. In 2015, from greenhouse cultivation alone, her income reached 130,000 yuan.

While getting rich, she did not forget her fellow villagers. Whenever greenhouse contractors had difficulties, she promptly lent a hand. When people asked about planting-related issues, she carefully explained and demonstrated until the other party understood. This year, Guo Xinfu, a staff member of the company, was living in poverty. In July, he was hospitalized due to a sudden heart attack, making things even worse for his already unwealthy family. His wife borrowed money everywhere, but because they had too many previous debts, many people doubted the family's ability to repay and declined the loan with various excuses. When Mao Yingjun heard about this, she discussed it with her husband and delivered 5,000 yuan to his wife's hands. "When you're sick, you need to get treatment promptly. Whatever difficulties there are, we'll all help together!"

Only distinctive planting can take greenhouse cultivation further. Mao Yingjun successively trial-planted peaches, jujubes, strawberries, and chili peppers for Laoganma sauce, among other projects, to explore the way for staff members to increase income. She is still working hard, exploring projects to get rich.

This year, Mao Yingjun heard that black goji berries have extremely high medicinal value. Through the introduction of company leaders, she signed an order for 40,000 trays of black goji berry seedlings with Damao Qizhen Company of Yuli County. She also trial-planted 8,000 trays herself and established a Women's Science and Technology Demonstration Greenhouse. "Everything has a first time. If you don't try, how will you know whether it works?" Mao Yingjun said. This year, the chili peppers, tomatoes, and radishes she planted have all hit the market, with an estimated income of 20,000 yuan.

Her hard work has made her family's life better and better. Now, Mao Yingjun has moved into a 150-square-meter Western-style house, fully equipped with household appliances, and has also added a car worth 110,000 yuan. The whole family's faces are beaming with happy smiles.