The first general of new China: the title of major general, but voluntarily returned to his hometown to work as a farmer for 29 years, and his last words made people cry
"I can't forget the words lao Gan left behind before he died: 'Next time you get a salary, buy fertilizer and give it to poor households.'" The people have given us honor, and there is no reason why we should not seek happiness for the masses. As long as you can still move and speak, you must do something for society and never fall behind. This is a touching word, and the person who said it was Gong Quanzhen, the wife of the founding major general Gan Zuchang.
In 1955, at the first ceremony of the new China, Gan Zuchang was awarded the rank of major general. However, just two years later, Gan Zuchang voluntarily resigned from the post of logistics director of the Xinjiang Military Region to the organization, and returned to Yanbei Village in Fanglou Township, Lianhua County, Jiangxi Province, with his wife, and became a farmer.
The general who made great achievements in battle took the initiative to become a peasant, which was the first person after the founding of New China, and was known as the "general peasant". In this regard, Gan Zuchang has no complaints, and his wife Gong Quanzhen is even more so. Looking through Gan Zuchang's experience, he successively participated in the Jinggangshan Struggle, five anti-"encirclement and suppression", the Long March, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the War of Liberation.
As the first person in New China to "become a general as a peasant", Gan Zuchang's move caused a huge sensation at that time, and people at the time commented that he was "an old Red Army, an old party member, an old general, who did not want to enjoy happiness and voluntarily returned to his hometown to become a peasant, which was not seen in China and rare in the world." ”
In August 1957, Gan Zuchang officially returned to his hometown, and when he saw the backward appearance of his hometown, his heart was very unhappy. Since then, Gan Zuchang has made up his mind to change the face of poverty and backwardness in his hometown and let the villagers live a good life. When all was said and done, Gan Zuchang took out the same vigor as the war in those years and led the villagers to increase agricultural output day and night.
For example, most of the cultivated land in Gan Zuchang's hometown is winter paddy fields, with a maximum yield of only 100 kilograms per mu. Gan Zuchang often conducted investigations and led the villagers to dig tunnels to remove sewage, which increased the grain yield by more than 50%.
In the 29 years since Gan Zuchang returned to his hometown, he has built 3 reservoirs, 4 power stations, 12 bridges and 3 highways in his hometown, making great contributions to the economic development of his hometown. In 1985, Gan Zuchang's old disease recurred. During Gan Zuchang's hospitalization, the head of the Xinjiang Military Region and his old comrades-in-arms came to visit him and offered to build him a house in Nanchang, but Gan Zuchang refused.
Gan Zuchang told the chief, "I am 80 years old, what else do I do to build a house?" Save the country some money. In the spring of the following year, Gan Zuchang died of aggravated illness at the age of 81. At the time of his death, Gan Zuchang was still related to the development of his hometown, and he said intermittently, "Received a salary... Leave living expenses behind... The rest all buy fertilizers and pesticides to support agriculture... I don't want a house, don't build me a house..." What a simple prophecy that brought tears to one's eyes.