Unit2WorkingthelandYangShanzhouwasborninYunnanin1927
HejoinedthePartyin1952
YangShanzhouretiredin1988andheturneddowntheeasyoptionofaretiredlifeinabigcity,anddecidedtoreturntohishometowninDaliangMountaintobringgreenbacktothebarrenhills
Yangbelievedplantingtreeswasthefirststeptobringingwealthtothelocalarea
Alongwithfifteenotherpeople,Yangsettleddowndeepinthemountainsandbegantoworkonhisplan
Itwasalifethatwasharderthanmostpeoplecouldeverimagine
Fortenyears,Yanglivedinashed,withnoroads,andnoelectricity
YangShanzhou’ssecretarysaid,“Iwenttovisithimseveraltimes
Hedidn’tevenhavedecentshoesanditwasverycoldatnight
Ijustcouldn’tbeartoseehimlivelikethat
Hewasalmostseventy
”Whenhewasseventytwoyearsold,Yangslippedandfracturedhisleftleg
Butafterjustsixmonthsofrest,heclimbedupmountainsonceagain,supportedby