Pic story: female operator aids villagers with combine harvester

Du Mengyuan runs to change shifts with her father in a combine harvester in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) 

Amidst the golden waves of wheat and the roar of machinery, 22-year-old Du Mengyuan, a female machine operator, skillfully maneuvers a combine harvester through the fields.

Growing up in a rural village, Du Mengyuan developed a deep connection with the land. After graduating from university in 2023, she made the bold decision to return to her hometown and start her own business. "I love this land and hope to give back to my hometown with what I have learned," Du said.

Over the past year, Du has utilized online platforms to sell local agricultural products, while also capturing the essence of rural life through her camera during her spare time. In April of this year, Du achieved a significant milestone as she obtained her driving license of tractor and combine harvester.

"The past few days have been incredibly busy. I barely have time to eat, and my phone keeps ringing with requests for harvesting," Du shared. "Every day, I run around helping villagers with their wheat harvest. It's exhausting, but it gives me a great sense of accomplishment."

Du Mengyuan operates a combine harvester to load wheat in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan operates a combine harvester through the wheat fields in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan maintains a combine harvester in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Songling)

Du Mengyuan uses a walkie-talkie to communicate with her father among wheat fields in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan operates a combine harvester through the wheat fields in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan and her father have lunch during a break of wheat harvest in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan checks wheat in the fields in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan operates a combine harvester to load wheat in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan maintains a combine harvester in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan drinks water during a break of wheat harvest in Guanmiaodu Village of Lushan County in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

An aerial drone photo shows Du Mengyuan operating a combine harvester through the wheat fields in Quxing Township in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Du Mengyuan checks wheat in the fields in Quxing Township in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Songling)

Du Mengyuan measures a wheat field in Quxing Township in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)