A medal dedicated to heroes

One

On June 10, 2021, before six o'clock in the morning, Ma Maojie, who lives at a community health service center in Shushan District, Hefei City, Anhui Province, got up.

The youngest daughter, Liu Guanglin, knew her mother's habits and brought breakfast early. While eating, Ma Maojie kept looking at the time on her watch. Liu Guanglin said, no hurry, no hurry, it is still early.

Ma Maojie rushed to attend the ceremony of awarding the "50 Years of Glory in the Party" commemorative medal held in the province. Although she was already eighty-six years old and suffered from cerebral infarction more than ten years ago, the action was not too convenient, but when she received the notice of the meeting, she still did not hesitate to decide: "I want to go, this year is the centenary of the founding of the party!" ”

Just after seven o'clock, Ma Maojie went out. The staff of the service center and other recovered patients know her, this old lady who is always smiling, but she is the "hero of crossing the river" in the battle of crossing the river. They greeted her one after another: "Mrs. Ma, go out?" ”

Ma Maojie smiled and nodded, reached out and pulled on her clothes, and the kitten she adopted followed her, "meowed" and ran to the small garden to play.

Midsummer sunshine sprinkles through the leaves. The daughter suddenly asked, "Mother, have you ever calculated how many medals you have won in your lifetime?" ”

Ma Maojie shook her head: "I don't remember." ”

Two

However, Ma Maojie will never forget the first honor she received - the title of "First Class Hero of Crossing the River".

She was only fourteen years old.

Ma Maojie grew up in Wuwei, Anhui Province, to a poor fisherman's family, and from her home crossed a low embankment, which is the mighty Yangtze River. Relying on water to draft water, most of the people in the village are fishermen on the river, because of the oppression of the Kuomintang reactionaries and local fishing tyrants, the villagers live a poor life. Ma Maojie's parents have no culture, coupled with the fact that the old society did not attach any importance to girls, she has not had a formal name, because she ranks third in the family, everyone calls her "third sister".

Ma Maojie grew up fishing with her parents and brothers by the river and practiced a good water. At the age of twelve, in order to redeem her father, who had been arrested, Ma Maojie had to be sent to be a child bride. Those days were really too bitter, every day was either beaten or scolded, and Ma Maojie still had a sunken scar on her forehead - she was sick that day, but she had to get up before dawn to cook for a large family. Tired, sleepy and hungry, she was in a trance in front of her eyes, accidentally fell on the iron stove in front of the stove, and a large and deep opening came out of her forehead, and for a while the blood was dripping, but no one cared about it and no one asked, and the wound was also scabbed after a long time.

In June 1948, when her hometown was liberated, Ma Maojie finally ended her miserable life as a child bride and returned to her parents. Precious freedom was lost, and the names of the "People's Liberation Army" and "Communist Party" were deeply rooted in her young heart. In the early 1949, Ma Maojie went out to the river again to fish, and found that the villages along the river were garrisoned with PLA soldiers, and the walls were written with slogans such as "Fight across the Yangtze River and liberate all of China". Only then did she know that on the other side of the river, there were many places where people lived in a dark society just like before. The people there are waiting for liberation.

At that time, many plaster soldiers of the People's Liberation Army came from the northern region and were not familiar with water, so Ma Maojie went to the battalion headquarters of the troops early every day to teach the soldiers to pull sails, hold up pens and other boat work. She taught carefully and carefully, and the soldiers all gave her a thumbs up: This little teacher is so powerful! But Ma Maojie was not satisfied, she also wanted to do more for the People's Liberation Army, and wanted more people to live a good life of liberation as soon as possible. So, she and her progressive brother hid from their parents and signed up for the "River Crossing Commando" together.

On the evening of April 20, 1949, Ma Maojie and her brother hurried to the riverside and found the assigned wooden boat according to the number. Ma Maojie's hand had just touched the rudder handle, and a CADRE OF THE PEOPLE's Liberation Army saw that she was thin and small, and her face was childish, so he quickly stopped her: "Oh, little girl, what are you doing up?" We're going to war! Hurry home! Sister Ma Mao was anxious: "I know that you are going to fight, to engage in liberation, I am a commando, to send you across the river." In order to show that she was a skilled boatman, she also deliberately shook the rudder. But the PLA cadres still disagreed: "Too dangerous, no!" Get off the boat! Saying that, he drove her off the boat.

Ma Maojie's heart was particularly lost, and tears flowed down. But she was not reconciled, so she hid in the nearby reeds. The signal flares rose up, illuminating the river surface and illuminating Ma Maojie's eyes. She jumped out, took three steps and two steps to run to the river, and jumped hard toward the boat that was about to go offshore, landing on the boat without any danger.

Sister Ma Mao, who got on the boat, looked like an old sailor, and she went out of the river as usual, and she and her brother went their separate places. The brother's eyes were not good, but he had great strength, so he sat on the side of the mast and was responsible for pulling the sails; Sister Ma Mao was flexible in her hands and feet, with one rudder and the other oars. Through the faint waves, Ma Maojie saw that the reeds around her shot out like arrows off the string, and each boat was full of PLA soldiers.

Ma Maojie's hands did not stop, and the ship quickly advanced towards the south bank, and the shadow of the river embankment on the opposite bank was already faintly visible. Suddenly, enemy flares rose and the boats crossing the river were exposed to the river. Suddenly, the bullets on the other side fell like raindrops, some broke the sails, some pierced the side of the ship, some fell into the river, and splashed on the river, and the river water seemed to boil!

The surface of the river this night was more dangerous than any time That Ma Maojie had ever experienced. But at this moment, she forgot her fear and had only one thought in her heart: send the People's Liberation Army to the other side! She rowed the oar desperately, and suddenly, her right arm was numb, and then it hurt fiercely. She looked down, blood on her arm, and she had been hit by a bullet. In the rain of bullets and bullets, the SOLDIERs bandaged her wounds, she tried, and she was still able to make her strong, so she continued to cooperate with her brother, relying on excellent punting skills, and quickly advanced to the south bank to break the waves.

Once, twice, three times... In this way, Ma Maojie and her brother crossed the Yangtze River six times in one night, transporting three groups of PLA soldiers. After the victory in the Battle of Crossing the River, Ma Maojie was awarded the title of "First Class Meritorious Hero of Crossing the River", and she was the youngest of the more than 3,000 "Heroes of Crossing the River" in Wuwei Area.

Three

After attending the morning forum of veteran party members and cadres in the province on "50 years of glory in the party" and receiving the commemorative medal, Ma Maojie hurried back again. She carefully packed the medallions, put them in boxes, and stored them on the bedside table.

As she did this, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the wall calendar on the wall. On the wall calendar is a portrait of Chairman Mao and his poem "Bu Operator Yongmei". Looking at the wall calendar, she couldn't help but think of the scene when she was received by Chairman Mao.

After becoming a "first-class hero of crossing the river", Ma Maojie did not feel that she had done anything, still doing farm work in the village during the day and going to night school to study. She did not expect that New China would remember her as an ordinary fisherwoman— in September 1951, Ma Maojie received an invitation signed by Chairman Mao Zedong inviting her to Beijing to participate in the National Day celebration.

In Beijing, Chairman Mao cordially received Sister Ma Mao and wrote an inscription for her: "Sister Mao: Study well and improve every day." Excited, touched, happy... All kinds of beautiful emotions filled Ma Maojie's heart. Her days in Beijing have become a beautiful memory that she will never forget in her life.

After returning from Beijing, Ma Maojie studied at schools such as the Binghui Martyrs' Children's School in Anhui Province, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1954. After graduating in 1957, he took up his post and successively worked in the front line of production of Hefei Station Hemp Spinning Factory, Knitting Factory, Quilt Factory, Hat Factory, Dongfeng Garment Factory, etc., serving as the director of the workshop, the chairman of the trade union, the secretary of the party branch, and later served as the deputy manager, chairman of the trade union and party committee member of Hefei Garment, Footwear and Hat Industrial Company. In these ordinary jobs, she strictly demanded herself, studied and worked hard, and won the titles of provincial and municipal model workers and advanced workers for many times. She solemnly treated the honors conferred by these party and the people and cherished them doubly.

After the medal was packed, Ma Maojie was just about to take a break in her wheelchair, when suddenly, a yellow and black figure "whizzed" into her arms, it was the kitten. This kitten will not only catch mice, but also "report" in advance that someone has visited. She said humorously that the kitten jumped and the guests arrived.

Four

Recently, Sister Ma Mao's guests have been really many.

This year marks the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and the Party Central Committee has decided to award the "July 1st Medal" for the first time and solemnly commend a group of party members who have made outstanding contributions to the party and the people and created valuable spiritual wealth. In this incomparably glorious list, Ma Maojie's name is prominently listed.

Many old colleagues and friends from the past saw the news from the newspapers and periodicals and rushed to see her. Among them, there are also some special guests who used to be her "listeners" -

After retiring, Ma Maojie did not forget the original mission of a Communist Party member, and often volunteered to make reports on revolutionary traditions in organs, schools, factories and other units, and to carry out cultural education in the Red Revolution. Before Ma Maojie suffered a cerebral infarction in 2005, she had to make one or two reports for hefei's primary, secondary and primary schools almost every week.

Daughter Liu Guanglin still remembers that when she was in the fourth grade of primary school, the school also invited her mother to make a report. It was the first time she had heard her mother give a report, and she did not expect that her mother would speak on the stage for more than two hours in one breath, talking about her painful life in childhood, about her experience in participating in the Battle of crossing the river, and about the situation when she was received by Chairman Mao. When I said this, my mother always said that I did not do anything for the party and the people, and the party and the people gave me too much honor. Usually look at the mother who does not speak much, do the report but do not have to read the manuscript, she said it with feelings, after saying it, the classmates applauded desperately. Later, Liu Guanglin joined the work, met past classmates, they would also talk about her mother, and even repeat what her mother said when she made a report.

On March 28 this year, on the eve of the Qingming Festival, Wuwei City wanted to ask Ma Maojie to return to her hometown to have a look at the centenary of the founding of the party, give a party lesson to the villagers and children, and make a report. Ma Maojie agreed, but refused the kindness of the local government to send a car, let her son-in-law drive a private car, and sent her back to her hometown of Maba Village, where she had been away for many years.

As soon as she got out of the car, she sighed that the former dilapidated fishing village has long been lined with buildings, the roads are spacious, the surrounding farmland, crab ponds, and lotus ponds have formed a beautiful ecological environment, and the rivers and ponds inside and outside the village are connected together, frogs are singing fish, and the water is shining with sparkling waves.

When the villagers learned that Ma Maojie had returned, they were very enthusiastic and pulled up a banner to welcome her: "Salute to the hero of crossing the river!" Welcome home! ”

Some old people shouted out her nickname: "Third sister, third sister!" ”

In the village activity square, Ma Maojie gave a patriotic party history education class to the children in school. Although I haven't made a report for many years, as I talk about it, those past events come alive in my mind. She told the children with her own personal experience: I summed up one sentence, that is, "without the Communist Party, there would be no new China"!

After making the report, Ma Maojie and her family went to visit the graves of her mother and eldest brother.

After the memorial service, she looked at the gushing river by the river, as if she had returned to the night many years ago, and heard the loud military song again:

forward! forward! forward!

Our team towards the sun,

Stepping on the land of the motherland,

Carrying the hopes of the nation,

We are an invincible force.

…………

Five

The visiting guests are gone. After a simple dinner, it was getting dark.

The kitten climbed onto her knees again, enjoying her touch; outside the neighborhood, there was a cry for fruit sales... Ma Maojie was a little tired. On this day, in addition to participating in the morning activities, she received several groups of guests, came to visit and greet, came to interview the video, and invited her to talk about the history of the Party.

The daughter told Ma Maojie that tomorrow morning the TV station people invited her to go to the Memorial Hall of the Battle of the Crossing River to make a film.

In the memorial hall of the Battle of Crossing the River, there is a group portrait sculpture showing the people sending the People's Liberation Army across the river, including the scene of the fourteen-year-old Ma Maojie helping the People's Liberation Army row a boat across the river. In that year, when the opening ceremony of the memorial hall was held, Ma Maojie was invited to participate, and her daughter accompanied her. When the daughter saw the footage of the small wooden boat bravely marching forward in the rain of bullets and bullets in the documentary on the battle of the river on the big screen, she asked Ma Maojie, was this really the case at that time? Ma Maojie said, that's it, that's it, when we went out together were four boats, and as a result, two boats were sunk. Ma Maojie said, tears flowing down.

Hearing her daughter talk about the "Memorial Hall of the Battle of crossing the River", Ma Maojie pondered for a moment and seriously said to her daughter that if the "July 1st Medal" was awarded, she would donate the medal to the Memorial Hall of the Battle of Crossing the River after a hundred years.

"Why?" The daughter asked.

"Many of the people who participated in the Battle of the Crossing River in those years died, but I survived and have today." Therefore, this medal does not belong to me personally, but to everyone. ”

People's Daily ( 2021-07-28 20th edition)

(Editor-in-charge: Zhou Tian, Zhang Jun)