Minning Town (Min Ning Zhen / Shan Hai Qing / 山海情)

The story begins in 1991.

At that time, in order to

feed the poor people

in Xihaigu,

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

carried out the policy of “resettlement of the whole village”.

Some people

were moved from the mountains

to the plains near Yinchuan

to open up wasteland,

develop production

and build new homes.

Ms. Yang,

you have not been there,

nor have I.

It's the Gobi Desert.

The land allotted to each family

was too far apart

to look after or manage.

The next morning, it was found that

some of the villagers had already run away.

Don't give me excuses.

You assured me so much beforehand,

and now you're trying to make excuses.

What did you promise me?

You said you'd keep them in check

even if you had to tie them to your belt.

The resettlement of the whole village

is the top priority

of the county's migration work this year.

You took only

dozens of people,

and now they're all gone.

Not all of them are gone.

Some of them are still there.

How many families have run back?

Seven.

All of them are from Yongquan Village of Gangou Township.

Why is that?

Is it because the mobilization is not done properly?

Or is there something wrong with the way you work?

Ms. Yang,

to be honest,

that place

is in bad shape.

Gobi and desert are everywhere.

There's no water or electricity.

Worse still, as soon as I got there,

I was caught in a sandstorm.

The wind was like a knife cutting in my face.

Whether it is the eye socket, ear, nose or mouth,

as long as there is a hole,

the sand will fill it up.

So, that’s the reason.

No, no.

Most of them are still there.

The few households of Yongquan Village

were incited by Li Dayou

from the same village.

Have you ever served in the army?

Yes.

So you remember that?

You were transferred from the county

to this difficult post exactly because you once served in the army

and fought in the battleground.

I wanted you to charge forward, my boy.

I can't believe you lost your first battle,

and yet are still making excuses here.

You are the kind of soldier I despise the most,

a coward and a bad soldier

who can't fight a hard battle.

What happened to your clothes?

I was in a hurry to get back.

There's no bus service there.

So I rode in a coal truck,

spent ten Yuan

and was jolting in it all night.

Even if you lose the battle,

you should not be defeated.

Under any circumstances,

your decent military appearance should be maintained.

Whatever the reason,

the seven runaways must not be allowed

to hold the whole county back

in its resettlement efforts.

I’ll give you three days

to get back all the people

who have run away.

Even if there's one family less,

see how I’ll deal with you!

Ms. Yang.

Ms. Yang.

Can I help you?

My name is Ma Defu.

I was temporarily transferred by the Farm Machine Station

to help the Relocation Office.

I finally have a helper.

Your name is Ma Defu?

Yes.

Good name.

How long have you been working?

I have just been assigned to a farm machine station

after graduating from agricultural school.

Where are you from?

Yongquan Village of Gangou Township.

Yongquan Village?

The resettlement

is the efforts of autonomous region government

to fundamentally solve the problem in this poor mountain valley

where growing crops is impossible.

It's meant to fill the stomach.

According to the government's plan,

all the villages in this area

will be moved to the great plain

beyond Yuquanying

one by one

and day by day.

We’re almost there. Look!

It's too difficult for people

to find food here.

What is it like in Yuquanying?

It’s a little bit far away.

It’s 400 kilometers from here.

It is true that the conditions there are tough now,

but they will be better in the future.

How better?

Didn't I tell you?

It is close to the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway

and surrounded by state-owned farms.

What's more, it is not far from the surrounding towns

and the city of Yinchuan.

There, people can work to earn money

while taking care of their families and farming.

Right.

It's not far from the Western Water Channel of the Yellow River.

A pumping station will be built there in the future.

If we can water the land there,

it's a flat gravel field.

Just think, if we can pour water into the land,

it’ll be another abundant place.

Abundant place?

So, why were people like Dayou

running back?

That's what I asked him

when I stopped him.

Guess what he said?

No idea.

He said

the government always talked about the future

and how bright the future would be.

But what is the future?

The future just means it hasn't come yet.

And when will the future come?

No one knows.

Whom shall we visit first

when we come to your village?

My father.

My father is the acting village director.

He is very tactful.

I'm sure you can pull this off with him.

Let’s go.

At the age of 19, Ma Defu

did not expect that

his first act on the job

would be to track down his fellow villagers

who had returned to their village after being relocated.

You bring us the food,

and you, the money. Remember?

Yes.

Defu.

Defu is back.

Shuiwang.

Defu.

Defu.

They are from the same village as me.

What are you doing here?

We're herding sheep here.

Is my father in the village?

Yes, he is in the Village Office.

Shuiwang. Shuiwang.

Maimiao, why are you back?

Shuihua is getting married tomorrow.

I came back to see her off.

Maimiao.

Stop.

Or, my brother will ruin it.

Defu.

Defu, what’s wrong?

Nothing.

Let’s go.

We’re leaving now.

What’s wrong?

What’s wrong?

Mr. Zhang,

how is my son doing?

Great. Great.

If you think well of him,

let him work with you at the county hall

and don't let him go back to the Farm Machine Station.

His grandfather had said when he was alive that