This prosperous world has been as you wish 丨 There is a new chapter in the story of "Heartbroken Hero": half a basket of sweet potatoes and six Red Army banknotes

Editor's note: If it wasn't for an accidental discovery, perhaps this story would never have been known, and that small group of Red Army soldiers would, like thousands of revolutionary martyrs, be silently buried in the dust of history.

However, it is the thousands of them who are unknown, even in the most difficult moments, even in the last moments of their lives, they are using their actions to interpret the situation of the military and civilians, sow the seeds of revolution, and practice " The belief that the people's interests are higher than the sky" is true of Chen Shuxiang, the "heartbroken hero", and the same is true of the unknown soldier in the story of "six banknotes and half a basket of sweet potatoes" below.

Red Net Moment News reporter Zhang Xingcheng Wang Yang Zhang Biwen Deng Yaocheng Wenjie Zhou Shiqi reports from Yongzhou

  88 years ago in March 1934, 29-year-old Chen Shuxiang was appointed as the commander of the Red 34th Division.

It took him only 7 years to grow from a soldier who participated in an armed uprising to a division commander of the Jagged Guard who covered and defended the whole army.

  Eight months later, the most tragic battle of Xiangjiang River in the Long March started. Chen Shuxiang led the Red 34th Division to shoulder the major task of "stopping the enemy from chasing behind". Jiang Chengchung led the rest of his troops to fight in southern Hunan to Daoxian, and left behind the touching story of "six banknotes and half a basket of sweet potatoes".

  Many years have passed, and these 6 banknotes, which have witnessed the Red Army's strict discipline and love for the people, are now lying quietly in the Chen Shuxiang Martyr's Memorial Hall, telling every visitor about the past of that extraordinary era and inspiring He Jiahou. People and generations of Chinese sons and daughters.

The broken-hearted division commander and his troops

  Clock back to 88 years ago.

  In late November of that year, the Battle of Xiangjiang started.

Chen Shuxiang led the entire division against an enemy more than ten times his own, fought fiercely for four days and five nights, and made great sacrifices.

  This is the most heroic and crucial battle of the Central Red Army since the Long March.

The Red Army fought hard against the superior enemy, and finally tore the blockade of the heavily fortified enemy, smashing Chiang Kai-shek's attempt to encircle and wipe out the Red Army east of the Xiangjiang River.

However, the Central Red Army also paid a very heavy price for this. The number of troop commanders and fighters and the personnel of the central organs dropped sharply from more than 80,000 when the Long March set off to more than 30,000.

  After completing the cover of the main force of the Central Red Army to cross the Xiangjiang River, he lost contact with the Party Central Committee due to the bombing of the radio station, and fell into the enemy's siege due to poor information.

At this time, the Xiangjiang River had already been completely blocked by the enemy and could not cross the river. In the face of the severe situation, Chen Shuxiang carried out the previous alternative plan to return to the southern Hunan area and insisted on guerrilla warfare, and led his troops to break through.

During the fierce battle, Chen Shuxiang was shot in the abdomen and was seriously injured.

He pressed the wound with leggings, and continued to command the battle while lying on a stretcher, finally breaking out of the siege.

  When the troops arrived at the Sima Bridge in Daoxian County, they encountered an interception by the local security regiment of the Kuomintang.

At the critical moment, Chen Shuxiang ordered Wang Guangdao, the chief of staff of the division, to lead a large force to break through the siege, and he, two guards and a gunsmith stayed behind for cover.

After a fierce battle, most of them broke through the siege, but Chen Shuxiang was unfortunately captured because he ran out of ammunition and food.

  In the face of the enemy's coercion and temptation, Chen Shuxiang was unmoved and resolutely did not surrender to the enemy.

On December 18, 1934, when the escort team was resting in front of the Qilin Temple in Shima God Village, Bengba, Daoxian County, Chen Shuxiang took advantage of the unpreparedness of the enemy and endured severe pain. , was 29 years old.

  It was also when Chen Shuxiang was captured that a team of more than 10 soldiers from the Red 34th Division who broke through the siege was going to Shetou (now Shetou Village, Simaqiao Town) from Simaqiao, Daoxian County, via Zishan Village, Simaqiao Town. Transferred, and came to Zhouzishan Village in the cold weather.

Six banknotes and half a basket of sweet potatoes

  What kind of team is this?

  The soldiers were all ragged and scarred, and they were already exhausted from hunger and cold.

The security regiment that was chasing after them had already strictly ordered the villages not to take in and help the Red Army, otherwise they would be killed.

  It was in such a situation that they, wearing octagonal hats and wearing red five-stars, came to the home of He Qingchang, a villager in Zhouzishan Village, hoping to buy some food from his house so that they could recover some physical strength and move on.

  He Qingchang and his wife, Yang Kai'e, knew that the Red Army was an army of the poor. They were kind and could not bear to watch the scarred and exhausted Red Army soldiers starve, so they secretly took most of the only half of the family at the risk of being found decapitated. Take out the basket of sweet potatoes.

  When the soldiers of the Red Army asked how much these sweet potatoes cost, the couple said, "You are fighting for the poor people. You don't need money to eat a few sweet potatoes." paper money.

For fear of being discovered by the enemy, they tucked the banknotes into the cracks in the wall.

  More than 80 years later, the aged He Junquan still has a deep memory of the team he saw when he was 5 years old.

He still remembered that the Red Army burned a few bales of straw to roast the half-basket of sweet potatoes, and because they were so hungry, some of the sweet potatoes were eaten with their belt cores even before they were cooked.

  That night, the Red Army soldiers were placed in the cellar of He Qingchang's house to rest.

The next day, in order not to implicate the He Qingchang family, they hurriedly left the road just after dawn.

No one knows where that team of Reds went.

It is difficult to know whether he caught up with the large army and went through the long march through hardships, or fell into the siege of the enemy and sacrificed heroically.

  What future generations can know through the six banknotes and the He family's narration is that although there are only a dozen people, although they have lost contact with the large army, although they are extremely hungry and exhausted, and although the hope of survival in the siege is slim, but They still maintained a high degree of discipline, and still did not offend the masses, and did not eat the masses one porridge and one potato for nothing.

  Xiaoshui is blue, white dew is frost, a team of veterans just disappeared on the battlefield, buried deep in the smoke and dust of history.

The spirit of the Red Army takes root

  However, they didn't really disappear.

  Although it was only a short stay, they kept their spirits in this family and on this land.

Comrade Mao Zedong said: "The Long March is a manifesto, the Long March is a propaganda team, and the Long March is a seeder." Zhouzishan Village, after the Red Army left, verified the correctness of this sentence and witnessed the power of the Red Army's spirit.

  The influence of the Red Army has already taken root in this family.

  After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yang Kai'e became the first batch of female cadres, and in 1952 she was elected as the representative of the Hunan Provincial Women's Model Army.

  "Don't eat a sweet potato from the common people for nothing, such an army is reliable!" The revolutionary style of the Red Army's strict discipline and caring for the people has always affected Yang Kai'e and her family.

In 1951, Yang Kai'e responded to the party's call and sent his son He Junquan to the army, and went to North Korea to participate in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea and the peaceful construction of North Korea until he was demobilized and discharged in 1957.

  In the second year of joining the army, He Junquan joined the Communist Party of China, and received many awards for his meritorious service in the army, and also served as a deputy platoon leader.

After being demobilized, He Junquan devoted himself to the construction of his hometown, and successively served as the director of the commune enterprise, the commune armed minister, the brigade secretary, and the commune forest farm director.

  For decades, He Junquan has been like a brick, moving wherever he needs it.

Indifferent to fame and fortune, selfless dedication... In the impression of the locals, he is such an ordinary person.

  Today's old man He Junquan is 94 years old. With a party experience of 70 years, he has never forgotten to pay party dues, and still insists on participating in the party members' meeting in the village.

Some people feel puzzled, "Others have never been leaders in so many positions, and they still ask the organization for this and that all day long. He only receives more than 1,000 yuan per month for veterans of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, and he has not seen any requests from him." However, he said that compared with those comrades who died on the Korean battlefield, he was much luckier and happier. The party and the country still remembered these veterans and they were still able to enjoy subsidies, which was very satisfying.

  "Chen Shuxiang is really a good commander of the Red Army. The team he led was brave and good at fighting and cared for the people, but unfortunately he sacrificed." Every time he talked about the story of the Red Army's banknotes, the old man He Junquan would be so excited, as if there were endless things to say.

After the completion of the Chen Shuxiang Martyr's Memorial Hall, he even rushed to pay homage to Master Chen regardless of his advanced age and inconvenience in mobility.

  In 2007 and 2009, He Junquan wanted to send his two grandsons to serve in the army, but for some reason he could not make the trip, which became the regret of the old man He Junquan.

  In 2021, due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the factory founded by He Junquan's grandson He Changli in Ningbo, Zhejiang was greatly affected and even stopped production for a time.

Nevertheless, when he learned that the epidemic prevention and control in his hometown needed masks, he immediately decided to donate a batch of masks to the local and hometown elementary schools, which was unanimously praised by everyone.

Now, He Changli is actively moving closer to the party organization and has submitted an application for joining the party.

  Influenced by his grandfather, He Changfeng, another grandson of He Junquan, was determined to become a soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army since he was a child. Unfortunately, he was unexpectedly unsuccessful in filling out the military academy during the college entrance examination.

Unable to admit defeat, he studied hard and performed well during the university. He was repeatedly rated as an outstanding Communist Youth League member, advanced element, and learning pacesetter, and joined the Communist Party of China in the school.

  Now, He Changfeng, who is about to graduate from college, has made two preparations. On the one hand, he studies hard and actively prepares for the national civil service exam. On the other hand, he strengthens physical exercise and improves his physical fitness. He hopes to sign up for the army after graduation and serve the motherland.

He said that whether it is to apply for the civil service examination or join the army, they are all contributing their own strength to build a strong motherland.

Memories that will never be forgotten

  "This is a precious cultural relic collected by the memorial hall in Chenyang Village, Simaqiao Town, Dao County, and He Jun's family. Although these six banknotes are worn out, the historical stories behind them are touching."

  The six banknotes mentioned by Chen Zhijun, deputy director of the Chen Shuxiang Martyrs Memorial Hall, have a total of two denominations, "one yuan" and "five corners", of which one is "Wujiao" and five are "one yuan", with the words "Chinese Soviet Republic" printed on them. The words "National Bank" were verified by experts to be true.

Today, these banknotes have become important historical relics in the memorial hall.

  The discovery process of cultural relics is very accidental.

  In August 1985, Zhouzishan Village suffered a once-in-a-century flood. The entire village was soaked in flood water, and the villagers had to relocate as a whole.

In the second year after the disaster, when the villager He Fao was demolishing the old brick house, he found several old banknotes in the cracks of the old brick wall of his house.

  He Fafa, who was 24 at the time, handed over the old banknotes to his old age, but Yang Kai'e, a sober-minded grandmother, recognized the memories.

Yang Kai'e told her family that this was the banknotes left by the Red Army who passed by their house during the Long March and bought the sweet potato, which has since uncovered the mystery of the story of these six banknotes.

  Today, these six banknotes have settled in the Chen Shuxiang Martyr's Memorial Hall, and the people who come to visit tell the story of the historical past written with gunpowder smoke and blood.

  Regarding the bloody battle on the Xiangjiang River, in the "Political Instructions of the General Political Department on preparing for long-distance marches and battles" (telegram of October 9, 1934), it was emphasized: "In the long-distance marches and battles that break through the enemy's blockade, the political commissars and The Department of Political Affairs must ensure that the reconnaissance vigilance and rearguard tasks are carried out by the most politically strongest forces."

Obviously, the Red 34th Division can take on this important task, not only from the high trust of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, but also from the full trust of the General Political Department of the Red Army.

  "If Chen Shuxiang and the Red Thirty-Fourth Division led by him were a little slower when he executed orders, a little more cowardly when he blocked the enemy, and if his beliefs were shaken in the slightest, perhaps, in the bloody battle on the Xiangjiang River, the Central Red Army would not be able to cross the Xiangjiang River." Daoxian He Dongsheng, vice-chairman of the Federation of Social Sciences and senior lecturer of the county party school, said with emotion that he did not always adhere to the "revolutionary ideal higher than the sky", and he did not have the spirit of willingly throwing blood for the motherland and the people. No.

  On September 10, 2009, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, Chen Shuxiang was named one of the 100 heroic and exemplary figures who made outstanding contributions to the founding of New China.

  In December 1934, Chen Shuxiang died in Shimashen Village, Bengba Town, Daoxian County, and his body was buried on Feixia Mountain on the banks of Xiaoshui River.

In 2014, the Daoxian County Party Committee, the County People's Government and some descendants of the Red Army generals renovated the cemetery.

  In April 2019, in accordance with the wishes of the general public, the tomb of the Chen Shuxiang Martyr was moved from the original site to the Daoxian Martyrs Memorial Garden.

  The tomb of the Martyrs of the Red 34th Division is near the tomb of Chen Shuxiang, where the loyal bones of the heroes who fought bloody battles with their division commanders are buried.

The red hot soil watered by the heroes with their blood has long since gotten rid of poverty, and the "flower of happiness" is blooming everywhere.

  "No one knows the names of heroes, and the merits of martyrs live forever."

  This couplet, engraved on the stone pillar in front of the tomb of the martyr Chen Shuxiang, was made by Liu Taiyang (Liu Meng), the son of Marshal Liu Bocheng.

  This couplet was written to the martyr Chen Shuxiang, and also to the martyr of the 34th Red Division.

  In front of the tombs of the martyrs, the people who kept coming, remembered the revolutionary predecessors in various ways, learned the spirit of the martyrs, inherited the red culture, and told Chen Shuxiang and the soldiers of the Red Thirty-Four Divisions led by him, "This prosperous world is as you wish!"