Under the command of Chiefs Liu and Nie, we occupied the city of Ningcheng, the only way to enter the Yi area, at night.
After the troops rested, Comrade Li Lin and I were at the place of Chiefs Liu and Nie to listen to Comrade Xiao Hua of the working group that accompanied the advance team to give a briefing on the situation in the Yi area. Unexpectedly, Yin Guochi, the commander of the three battalions who was the vanguard, came to report that when the county magistrate of Mianning County and his wife escaped, they were caught by the Yi people, and not only were all their belongings confiscated, but even their clothes were stripped off. Yin Guo said indignantly, "These guys are not ashamed or noisy, and the men and women are all naked and come to us for clothes."
"Give them a little." I say.
"Yes." Yin Guochi said, "But this matter has a great impact on the troops. The warriors are worried, afraid that they will not be able to pass through this 'country of the beggars'!"
Comrade Li Lin said solemnly to Yin Guochi: "First of all, cadres. You should not call it a 'country of protection', but you should call it Yi compatriots, Yi brothers and sisters.
This is not a simple matter of appellation, it is a matter of respecting minorities. Didn't you say that? Because of the long-term exploitation and oppression of ethnic minorities by the Kuomintang reactionaries, it was natural for them to suspect and be hostile to the Han Chinese. Just now, Commander Liu and Political Commissar Nie also particularly stressed that after entering the Yi area, no matter what happens, we cannot shoot. You go back and tell Sun Jixian (the commander of the first battalion), Chen Zhengxiang (the commander of the second battalion), and Wang Yaonan (the commander of the corps engineer company) to explain the reasoning to the soldiers clearly and explain the discipline to themselves. After dawn, the regimental commander and I will go separately to tell you. ”
We stayed with Chiefs Liu and Nie all night, studying the various situations that we might encounter and the ways to deal with them. For us, what is important is how to manage the troops well and ensure the resolute implementation of the party's ethnic policy under complicated circumstances. Not only to smoothly pass through the Yi area, but also to leave a good impression here.
The Yi compatriots are more oppressed than the Han poor, and they also want revolution. Commander Liu said to me, "Comrade Dezhi, now all the comrades in the army are looking at us and waiting for us!"
After the great light, Comrade Li Lin and I came out of Chief Liu and Commander Nie and went to three battalions and engineer companies respectively, repeatedly briefing everyone on the situation, explaining the party's policies, and stressing the need to implement the ethnic policy to the letter. This education lasted all day.
Early the next morning, the troops began to enter the Yi area. The area is full of dark, dark green mountains. The mountains are densely wooded, like a deep and unpredictable barrier. In some places, the rocks are pressing down steep slopes, and the strange rocks are suspended in mid-air, as worrying as if they could fall to the ground at any time. Many decaying old trees are crooked from side to side, and thorny vines grow among the moldy leaves and weeds, wrapped left and right, and sometimes they can't be pulled out when they step on them, making it very difficult to walk. We had no choice but to let Comrade Wang Yaonan lead the sapper company to the front to open the way.
I took three battalions to cover Commander Liu and Nie and walked behind. Who knew that shortly after the sapper company set off, a comrade ran back breathlessly and said, "Commander Yang, the gun of our company commander was taken down by the Yi people, and the clothes were also robbed!"
"What about people?" I asked, "What about your people?"
The comrade said, "The Yi people do not hurt anyone, they only want things." Wang Company Commander they came back. ”
"Go," I said, "you take me to see." ”
We were hurrying forward when Comrade Wang Yaonan came over. In normal times, he was really ridiculous like that, but in the circumstances at the time, no one could laugh. I asked Wang Yaonan, "How is the situation?" What about troops?"
Comrade Wang Yaonan smiled. He said; "The troops have all been withdrawn."
I asked, "Is there a loss?"
Wang Yaonan still smiled and said: "Guns and tools have been 'confiscated'. There was no loss of personnel. ”
"How did they let you go?"
Wang Yaonan said: "When I met a compatriot of the Yi nationality, I said that he was the representative of the leader of the people and wanted to see our chief. He grumbled with them, and we couldn't understand what he was saying. So, they let us go."
Looking at Comrade Wang Yaonan's look, I couldn't help but smile and said, 'Hurry up and find clothes to put on.' I went to report to Chief Liu and Nie. You have to take the troops well, and you have to open the way ahead!"
Comrade Wang Yaonan said: "Please rest assured Commander Yang that we will guarantee the completion of the task. I think the Yi compatriots are good, they just shout in their throats, but they don't shoot. It's a pity that the language is not understood, otherwise, to clarify the reason, I think they will let us pass. However...."Wang Yaonan paused, shook his head, and smiled again, "Our engineer company of the Red First Army, this is the first time to 'fight' such a 'lost battle'!"
Our comrades are so good. They were "disarmed" and even stripped naked by yi brothers who did not understand the Red Army—not only for engineer companies, but also for nothing in the history of the Red Army's warfare—not only did they not complain, but they firmly believed that the Party's ethnic policy would certainly be understood by the Yi compatriots and would surely win victory.
Later, we found a "Tongsi" (translator) through whom we met Xiao Yedan, the leader of the local Yi people. Commander Liu personally came forward and swore an oath of blood with him and became a brother. They also donated guns to help them establish the "Chinese Yimin Red Army Chicken Selling Detachment". This was the first mass armed force among the Yi compatriots. This song of unity and friendship between the Red Army and the Yi compatriots, composed under the illumination of the party's ethnic policy, has been passed down to the present.
After Commander Liu allied with Xiao Yedan, Xiao Yedan sent representatives to lead the way for us. The deputy shouted a few times in a long voice, "Oh one by one," and many Yi compatriots ran out of the mountains and forests. They stood on both sides of the road, looking at us with amazement and delight. Sometimes also "Oh. Oh one by one", he shouted. Although we did not understand the meaning of the shouts, we understood their good wishes for the Red Army from their simple and straight faces and eyes. So the warriors followed their example, shouting, "Oh one oh! Oh one by one!" Later, I heard someone shouting: "Red Army Changsha Sha!" Red Army Kashasha!" I asked the representative what that meant, and he said, "Kashasha is thank you." The Red Army Kashasha means to thank the Red Army. "I said;" It should be said that the Yi compatriot Kashasha. Thank you Yi compatriots!"
The representative laughed. He gave us more than twenty miles to go, stopped and said, "The front is not our place." Originally, the Yi area was divided into tribes at that time. Xiao Ye Dan's tribe was called "Gu Ji", and the tribe in front of it was called "Luo Hong". Xiao Yedan's representative invited a member of the "Luohong" tribe to show us the way. With the experience of passing the 'selling chicken', it is smoother to pass the "Luo Hong".