For ten years, the city has not forgotten him
Along the Nanyang River in Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, stands a bronze statue of soldier Shen Xing, as if guarding the ancient city day and night.
10 years ago, in the face of a young man who fell into the water, Shen Xing put his daughter under 4 years old aside, and despite the danger jumped into the water to save people, the young man was saved, but Shen Xing sank into the water because of physical exhaustion and died heroically. 31 years old.
When Shen Xing was brought ashore, it was found that he was still holding up.
In the past 10 years, flowers have always been in front of Shen Xing's statue, and there has been an endless stream of people watching.
Over 10 years, why does a city miss a hero so much?
Forget about death
Niu Meng, the deputy director of a certain part of the Rocket Army Non-commissioned Officer School, can't forget that morning 10 years ago.
May 13, 2012 was Mother's Day. He took his 3-year-old son to the Nanyang River to play. As soon as he reached the intersection, he saw a police car rushing towards the river.
Niu Meng rushed over to hear the sound, and saw a strange woman calling for help on the shore. The crowd onlookers were chattering, and occasionally heard talk of "children" and "saving people", Niu Meng realized that it was very likely When a child fell into the water, he quickly jumped into the river to help search.
After entering the river, Niu Meng found that the water was very deep, and bursts of piercing coolness hit him.
More and more enthusiastic people went into the water to rescue, but the river was in a hurry. More than 30 minutes later, still nothing was found.
When Niu Meng was about to stand up, he finally touched a person and pulled him up with the help of everyone.
"I will always remember that scene. When he was brought ashore, he had no vital signs, but he still maintained a posture of holding up... That was the first and last meeting between me and Shen Xing." Niu Meng said with a heavy heart He recalled, "He sacrificed to save a 12-year-old student. He tried his best to hold the child up again and again, but he never came up again."
It turned out that Shen Xing, who was studying abroad that day, returned to the unit to collect the materials for his graduation thesis, and planned to return to the school in Wuhan that night.
But in a few days, it will be daughter Guoguo's 4th birthday. Shen Xing, who usually spends less time with her daughter, wants to spend the last time before she leaves to spend more time with her daughter.
Around 10 am, Shen Xing was walking along the Nanyang River with her daughter when she suddenly heard a cry for help from the river.
He rushed over without hesitation, jumped into the river, and struggled to lift the drowning student.
Due to the slippery river bank, the children who fell into the water slipped into the water again and again, and Shen Xing pushed to the shore again and again.
The drowning student was finally rescued, but Shen Xing sank into the river due to exhaustion. He was only 31 years old when he died.
"I didn't see his face clearly at that time, and I only saw that there were hands holding up the child. If the comrade who was underwater didn't hold it up, the child would have died. It's just a pity, he's only 31 years old. "Li Fengqi, an 83-year-old man who participated in the rescue, recalled.
Farewell to the hero
After Shen Xing's sacrifice, the citizens of Qingzhou were deeply saddened.
On May 17, the ancient city of Qingzhou was full of people, and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to say goodbye to heroes with tears in their eyes.
Hundreds of taxis put a chrysanthemum in front of their cars to pick up and drop off the mourning citizens for free.
More than 40 teachers and students from Weifang Engineering Vocational College, as representatives, hung 14,000 thousand paper cranes and white silk flowers folded by the resident students on the branches of the funeral home...
"The bridge on the river is nameless, let's call it Shen Xingqiao." A banner quietly appeared on the nameless bridge of Nanyang River.
In less than two days, more than 4,000 people signed the petition on the banner, and on June 15, the bridge was officially named "Shen Xing Bridge".
On November 7, the bronze statue of the hero Shen Xing was completed on the Nanyang River in Qingzhou City.
The bronze statue faces south and consists of the bronze upper body of Shen Xing and a marble base. The front of the marble base is engraved with the hero's life, and the back is an inscription in memory of Shen Xing. Marble fences are erected around the bronze statue.
It is unprecedented in the history of Qingzhou to make a statue of a soldier of the people's children in a public place by the city's river.
In this way, the people of Qingzhou cherish the memory of heroes, and at the same time call on people to learn from heroes.
Subsequently, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the All-China Youth Federation posthumously awarded Shen Xing the honorary title of "May Fourth Medal for Youth of China", and the former Second Artillery Corps posthumously awarded Shen Xing the honorary title of "Good Officer Who Loves the People".
In September 2013, Shen Xing was elected as the 4th National Moral Model.
passed down from generation to generation
"No one from Qingzhou does not know about Shen Xing." Not long ago, an 11-year-old boy said solemnly when a media reporter randomly interviewed passersby by the Nanyang River.
"Shen Xing" has become a spiritual symbol of the city, deeply embedded in the hearts of the military and civilians stationed there.
Li Xinhong, a 63-year-old citizen, is a community volunteer responsible for maintaining the basic order along the Nanyang River. On that afternoon 10 years ago, he witnessed the heroic feat of saving people with his own eyes.
"I always remember him, everyone remembers him." Li Xinhong said that in the past 10 years, there have been many commemorative bouquets in front of Shen Xing's statue. Every Qingming Festival and the anniversary of Shen Xing's sacrifice, citizens spontaneously come to pay homage to him. This city has always Did not forget him.
A bridge, a statue, witnesses people's reverence for heroes, and also tells people's memory of Shen Xing.
Shen Xing left for 10 years, but never left.
Not only on the side of the Heroes Bridge in Nanyang River, on the banner of "Shen Xing Service Team", but also in the heroic stories passed down by word of mouth.
"Shen Xing is a hero in Qingzhou. It is necessary for children to understand the hero's story from an early age, learn the hero's noble moral sentiment and dedication to others, and pay homage to the hero is to give the children the best education class." On this day, Qingzhou No. 8 Middle School Under the leadership of the teacher, the students of "Shen Xing Squadron" came to Shen Xingqiao to pay homage to the heroes.
"In memory of Shen Xing, learn from Shen Xing, and aspire to be a valuable person" became the first lesson for Qingzhou students to start the school, planting the seeds of revering heroes and striving to be heroes for batches of children.
Ten years ago, when the statue of Shen Xing was completed, thousands of citizens attended the unveiling ceremony. Ju Qingchuan, a third-year student of Qingzhou Haidai Junior High School, was one of them.
He stood in the crowd holding chrysanthemums, looked up at the statue of the hero, and was full of respect in his heart. After returning, he joined the "Shen Xing Volunteer Squadron" organized by the school and used his meager strength to help those in need.
Later, Ju Qingchuan came to the Rocket Army Non-commissioned Officer School where Shen Xing lived and became a soldier of the people's children.
Here, he learned more about Shen Xing's story and inspired himself with the "Shen Xing Spirit".
In October 2019, Ju Qingchuan picked up 300,000 yuan in cash on his way to visit relatives on vacation, and returned it to the original owner. It was widely reported by military and local media, and netizens praised it.
Facing everyone's praise, Ju Qingchuan said, "I'm from Qingzhou, and I'm also a soldier. I grew up listening to Shen Xing's story, and it's nothing."
Over the years, the officers and soldiers of the army where Shen Xing was alive have been passing on and carrying forward the heroic spirit with practical actions.
They set up the "Shen Xing Service Team", and regularly go to the resident nursing homes, welfare homes and families in need to send warmth and love. In the past 10 years, more than 500 good people and deeds have emerged.
When there was a sudden flood in the station, the school immediately set up the "Shen Xing Commando", and rushed to the disaster area.
Practitioners Wu Guowei and Wang Yihao went deep and dangerous to rescue two people who fell into the water. After the people got out of trouble, they quietly left.
Later, when the rescued people contacted the media to find them, Wang Yihao said, "It's up to me to do this kind of thing, because I'm a soldier of the people's children and a descendant of the hero Shen Xing. If there is danger, I have to rush ahead of the people."
In Shen Xing's old unit, the word "Shen Xing" has become a kind of spirit, a kind of inspiration, integrated into the blood and soul of officers and soldiers.
In 2014, the soldier Ma Weijie rushed into the fire to save people despite the danger, and was later selected as one of the "Top Ten Moral Models in Qingzhou City"; in 2015, female student Zhao Yating collected gold while out; In 2021, student Liu Zhuang bravely rescued three people who fell into the water during his vacation, and was widely reported by local media. He was called "Shen Xing's successor"... More and more "Shen Xing" emerged, warming others and the society.
At the school graduation symposium, the students sighed: "When we entered the school, we looked for Shen Xing all the way, and when we graduated, we found that we were Shen Xing."
In the Rocket Army Non-commissioned Officer School, the Shen Xing Memorial Hall was set up in the camp, which became a well-known education base in the resident.
Party and government officials, resident college students, young pioneers, etc. came to visit and study in an endless stream. "Learning the spirit of Shen Xing" has become a compulsory course for Qingzhou People's Party and Youth League activities.
On May 13, 2022, the weather was fine.
People from all walks of life in the military and civilians gathered in front of the statue of Shen Xing to cherish the memory of the hero who saved lives.
"We will draw on the power of example, inherit the red gene, and let the youth shine in the dedication to the country and the people." Bi Ruize, a first-year student of Qingzhou Experimental Middle School, solemnly swore an oath in front of the statue of Shen Xing on behalf of the students.
Wang Shihan, Cheng Haifeng, China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily reporter Wang Peinan Source: China Youth Daily