That was in the early winter season more than 20 years ago. As a group of passionate young people, we left the embrace of Yimeng and resolutely embarked on a journey to the west, and then to the west again. After 4 days and 4 nights of turbulence, we finally arrived at the military camp located at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. At this moment, Xinjiang has ushered in a long winter, and the heavy snowfall has draped a layer of white veil over the Tianshan Mountains. Even under the cover of severe cold, the Manas River still rushes endlessly, its water hitting the banks with a low and powerful sound. At that time, there was only one external communication phone in the camp, and over 2000 people had to queue up to use it. Therefore, letters have almost become the only bridge for us new recruits to communicate with the outside world. Before the start of the new training, the class monitor handed us a stack of envelopes and asked us to write a letter to our family to express our safety. He also told everyone that conscripts are exempt from postage when sending letters. Looking at the bright red triangular postmark on the envelope, an indescribable joy and glory surged in my heart. That evening, the whole class sat on a small stool, crouched by the bed, spread out letters and wrote vigorously. My thoughts flowed along the tip of my pen, and I wrote down my initial experiences and feelings upon arriving at the military camp and on my journey. The letter reveals my longing for my family and my love for military life. At the end of the night, each new recruit in the squad wrote a thick stack of letters higher than the snow outside. The next day, the document carried away this heavy longing, and I began to long for it. I often imagine in my mind the joyful expressions of my parents after receiving letters, as well as the heartwarming scene of them carefully opening envelopes and reading letters from home. At dusk, I often stretch my neck, stand on tiptoe, and look in the direction of my body. Finally, one day, the figure of the document appeared in the afterglow of the sunset. Everyone swarmed up, vying to receive their letters from home. The new recruits who received the letter all smiled and eagerly opened the envelope, hiding aside to carefully read it. These warm letters from home add a touch of familial color to the sweet and sour life of the new recruits. And those new recruits who have not yet received the letter furrowed their brows, their hearts filled with loss and anxiety. Class monitor, why hasn't my letter arrived yet I repeatedly questioned the document. He always joked, 'Why don't we just put a triangular postmark on you and send you home?' I firmly replied, 'That's not possible! I aspire to make a name for myself in the military camp.' After many days and nights of anticipation, finally, on a weekend afternoon, I received that precious letter from home. Holding this letter that has traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers with both hands, I feel it heavy. I found a secluded corner to sit down, carefully tore open the seal, pulled out the letter, and read it eagerly. Sometimes, I would flip through my parents' letters repeatedly, carefully studying every word and phrase until I deeply understood every message conveyed at home. During this process, I deeply experienced the taste of 'family letters worth ten thousand gold'. If I were fortunate enough to receive several letters from home at once, the joy and excitement would be indescribable in words. Although the letters written by the new recruits are limited in length, their emotions are deep and long-lasting. I always habitually report good news and not bad news in my communication with my family. However, one time during tactical training, my right hand accidentally touched a pebble on the Gobi Desert, causing the entire nail cover to be lifted and bleeding profusely. After receiving bandaging treatment in the team health team, I was unable to do laundry, take a shower, and even found it difficult to write for over a month. When replying to my home letter, my handwriting became crooked and twisted, and my parents immediately noticed the abnormality and wrote to inquire about the reason. Faced with their concerns and worries, I had no choice but to tell them the truth. Fortunately, when they received the reply, it was already over a month later. At that time, my hand injury had already recovered and new nails were slowly growing out, allowing me to return to normal training. For those new recruits who already have a lover by their side, the letter from their girlfriend has undoubtedly become an open secret among their comrades. People often gather together to share these sweet and warm letters, even the usually steady and mature class monitor can't help but join in the fun. After secretly glancing at the delicate handwriting, a rare smile would also bloom on his serious face. The class monitor knows that I had published many articles and was a party member before joining the army, so he is willing to communicate with me about any inner thoughts. Once, he appeared gloomy for several consecutive days when it turned out that the person he introduced at home had written to him. Due to his low level of education, he feels very distressed about how to reply to letters. After two or three days of contemplation, he finally turned to me for help, hoping that I could reply a letter to his partner. Although I felt a bit uneasy inside, I readily agreed. In order to write this letter well, I spent the whole night carefully studying the letter that the girl wrote to the class monitor, and used the weekend break to guide the class monitor in writing a 5-page reply letter. After exchanging letters three times, finally on a weekend, the squad leader's partner traveled thousands of miles from his hometown in Gansu to visit him in the army. During the week when that girl came to the team, the class monitor was happy every day, as sweet as honey. Since then, he has been even more impressed with me and often encourages me to study hard and strive to get into military academy. At the end of the year, shortly after the squad leader returned home from demobilization, he married that girl. Looking back now, every letter from our rookie years is like a brilliant pearl, connecting our deep longing for our families, infinite love for military life, and beautiful aspirations for the future. In the era when communication was not yet developed, letters were not only a bond to connect emotions, but also our precious spiritual wealth and the warmest comfort in the depths of our hearts. (New Society)