From March to October each year, they stay at the station. They inspect the irrigation pipelines, apply fertilizer, water plants, and keep the surrounding areas clean.

Huang used to run a clothing business in Sichuan province for 30 years. Diagnosed with glaucoma in 2022, she decided to travel to Xinjiang and visit her sister, a well-keeper since 2008. What started as a trip turned into a life choice.

"I thought the desert would be too harsh to live in," said Huang, "But the living conditions are better than we imagined."

Their home is a bungalow beside the rooms for the water pump and diesel generator. Solar panels now power the facility, providing electricity for a television, a refrigerator, and air conditioning. They raise chickens fed with grain and fruit scraps.