Backed by Coconut Palms, Facing the Ocean ['Space Prose']
It is said that rarity is precious. Growing up in drought-stricken mountainous areas, I was naturally fond of water. When I learned that I was transferred to Hainan, the waves of the South China Sea immediately burst forth in my mind. On March 3, 2013, I set out on a journey to Wenchang. After a weary journey by boat and carriage, I arrived at my destination close to midnight. The night was surprisingly quiet, with the calls of birds and insects clear and distinct, and the distant rumble could also be heard. I was told that it was the sound of the waves, and it was exactly as I had expected. That night, I fell asleep with the sound of the waves, and my heart was filled with the impulse to see the sea.
I had three afternoons free, and I went to the sea alone. It was 'approximately' a route, because I was just arriving and didn't know the specific path. I just heard that going in this direction would lead to the sea. It was 'alone' because I was used to going it alone, and I decided on my own pace, just in case I saw the sea and excitedly shouted a few times, and someone was standing nearby coldly watching, which would certainly be uncomfortable. So, I cautiously probed forward.
This road wasn't easy to walk. There was a lot of weeds on the road, and trees grew densely on both sides, like building two green walls. I knew very little about plants, except for coconut trees, and I couldn't name other trees. They either had pale blue flowers, or red fruits, or simply nothing, just vibrant green, lined up and staggered, and occasionally butterflies danced, which was a pleasant sight.
I slowed down and walked steadily. Firstly, it was new and exciting, and secondly, there were many snakes in Hainan. I had to look around carefully and pay attention to the ground, walking very cautiously. The sea breeze grew stronger and stronger, the waves became louder and louder, and the ground became increasingly soft. There were fine sand along the roadside, and I grabbed a handful to hold in my hand. The sand quickly slipped through my fingers like playful elves. I walked for about ten minutes, turned a coconut grove, and suddenly had a wide view, a vast sea appeared in my sight. I was immediately conquered by the magnificent waves.
The sea at that time was full of passion. It was high tide, with the sea water, which was green, surging and rolling. The sky was clear and cloudy, with a few white clouds floating on the pale blue sky, like white lotuses embroidered on blue cloth. The sea and the sky blended into one, and the waves were like stubborn horses, rushing from afar with their mighty figures. The wind blew and the waves borrowed its momentum, and a layer of silver wave crests roared to the shore, and then reluctantly retreated. One wave followed another, and the waves never ceased. The roaring sound delighted my heart, and I shouted at the sea, and it was natural. After shouting, I sat on the beach, leaning against a coconut grove, facing the sea, intoxicated by the wonders of nature, and entered a state of contemplation.
At that time, the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center was still under construction, and this sea was not yet familiar to the public. As China's aerospace industry marched into Hainan, Chinese aerospace personnel used this place as a fertile ground for building and establishing themselves, and began their new journey of fighting the sky and the earth. It was (difficult and pioneering) to open up the land. They worked in simple rooms, small and cramped, and it was difficult to bear the summer heat. They lived in garrison houses, where mosquitoes and ants were rampant, and rats played in the beams at night. I lay in bed and worried about it constantly. Every time I closed the windows, the wooden boards would drop out, and two plump wall lizards would crawl out, and then twist their bodies and crawl away. Snakes were rampant in the wild, and they would occasionally crawl into the courtyard. In the absence of air conditioning and frequent power outages, it was difficult for me to imagine how I survived the hot summer in Hainan.
Looking back, the difficulty and hardship didn't matter much, but the most deeply imprinted was the passion of the aerospace personnel's entrepreneurial spirit. Many projects in the launch center were simultaneously opened for construction, and the construction sites were bustling with activity, with machines humming and lights shining late into the night. Lighting up the lamp and working overtime had become a habit. After dinner, no one left, and overtime seemed to be an unspoken agreement. With a steadfast heart, one's home is where one's heart is, and the aerospace personnel considered this place their home and enjoyed the hardship. They bore a sacred mission: to create a world that would shake the heavens and earth in this remote and desolate place!
In fact, the aerospace personnel were like these coconut groves – upright and tall, strong and resilient, like a green fortress standing firm in hardship and difficulty. Their passion was like the roaring sea, a youthful wave, devoted to their selfless contributions to China's aerospace industry.
In the following years, I often went to the sea to see the sea, to appreciate the vastness of the sea, and to remember the days and passion of the past.
Author Bio
Wang Jianzhang, working at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in the Wenchang Satellite Launching Base, has a love of literature and creation, and his short stories and lyrical poems have been published in 'Jiangnan', 'Fragrant Grass', 'God Sword', 'Olive Green' and other publications.
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