What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
When the People's Liberation Army conferred the title in 1955, there were not many female founding generals, but among the 12 female colonels, Zhou Dongping was among them.
For Zhou Dongping, the military circles are little known.
Why?
Because she hardly ever went to work in any unit, just in her own home.
Why was she in her own home?
Because her husband is General Xu Haidong, the work and task entrusted to her organizationally is to take good care of Xu Haidong.
During the war years, General Xu Haidong was known as "China's Xia Boyang", although he had not fought since 1940, but in the past 10 years he fought more than 100 major battles, 9 times were wounded, and 17 scars were left on his body. In the spring of 1940, due to a war wound attack, he fainted several times and began to recover from illness at the behest of the Central Committee.
His illness was very serious, he ate and drank on a stretcher, and was behind enemy lines in central China, so the organization gave Zhou Dongping a task: to take care of Xu Haidong full-time until he was well—at this time, Zhou Dongping was working in the new Fourth Army teaching brigade, only 23 years old.
Interestingly, Zhou Dongping's love and marriage with Xu Haidong also originated from Xu Haidong's injury, and she went to take care of him.
It was the end of 1934, in the Battle of Yujiahe, the Red 25th Army was surrounded by an enemy division, deputy commander Xu Haidong led the Red Army and the strong enemy from noon to dusk, repeatedly charged and killed more than 20 times, and finally defeated the enemy army, and defeated into victory. However, xu Haidong was penetrated from the bottom of his eyes by a bullet from the enemy in the fierce battle, shot from the back of his neck, and as soon as he was carried off the battlefield, he passed out. After that, he did not wake up for three days and three nights.
Therefore, the organization sent a female nurse Zhou Shaolan to take care of him.
Zhou Shaolan was one of the seven female soldiers of the Red 25th Army who participated in the Long March. Seven female warriors, known as the "Seven Fairies" by the whole army. She is also the youngest "Seven Fairies", only 17 years old.
Due to Zhou Shaolan's careful care, On the fourth night, Xu Haidong finally woke up.
It was this time that during the months of taking care of Xu Haidong, the two knew each other and fell in love, and soon got married. Before getting married, Xu Haidong helped her change her name to "Zhou Dongping" - a name she called for the rest of her life.
In the spring of 1940, after Xu Haidong had to retire from the battlefield due to a war wound attack, his condition became more and more serious despite Zhou Dongping's care. At this time, the Japanese army "swept" and encircled and suppressed from time to time, and Tan Zhenlin, commander of the 6th Division of the New Fourth Army, personally sent a company specifically responsible for protecting Xu Haidong.
Zhou Dongping watched Xu Haidong day and night. She did not expect that from then on, Xu Haidong had not completely improved.
In the winter of 1943, Xu Haidong was transferred to Ludong Ludianzi, suddenly vomited blood, and his condition was critical, and he fell into a coma. Zhou Dongping and the military doctor were helpless. A well-meaning local person found an old Chinese medicine doctor surnamed Shen in his 60s.
However, this old Chinese medicine doctor is not outstanding, and his name is not outstanding. The military doctor in charge of Xu Haidong's treatment was afraid that his medical skills were not high, did not dare to be responsible, and resolutely refused to let him be treated. Zhou Dongping saved her husband's heart, and a person decided flatly:
"Don't ask your superiors, immediately ask Mr. Shen to prescribe medicine."
As a result, Xu Haidong was actually pulled back from the death line by this old Chinese medicine doctor three pairs of medicines. Zhou Dongping saved Xu Haidong's life again.
In August 1945, the Japanese devils surrendered, and Xu Haidong's illness was still not cured. Xu Haidong said:
"My sick name has brought little Japan to its knees."
Zhou Dongping also had tears in his eyes.
By this time, she was 28 years old. Almost all of the best youth in life is spent in front of the hospital bed.
One of Xu Haidong's guards followed him for years. One day, he found Xu Haidong and said:
"I'm not going to do it anyway."
"Why didn't you do it?" Xu Haidong asked.
"I can't stand it, I'm going to go to war."
As a result, he was scolded by Xu Haidong.
With a patient for a long time, even a man can't bear it - Zhou Dongping has to take care of Xu Haidong's entire life, and what an amazing burden.
In June 1946, a full-scale civil war broke out, and Xu Haidong, an old sick man, was still lying on a hospital bed. Soon, accompanied by Zhou Dongping, he lay on a stretcher and was carried from central China to Shandong, where he lived first in Linyi and later transferred to Jiaodong. In September 1947, he sailed from Weihai and crossed the sea to Dalian. In Dalian, after examination by the Soviet military doctors, Xu Haidong was too badly injured in battle, and he became ill with overwork, most of the functions of his lungs had been lost, and his body was irreversible - Zhou Dongping originally had great hopes for the Soviet military doctors, and once again his heart sank to the bottom of the sea.
Her task of caring for Xu Haidong was not over.
They lived in Dalian from 1947 until 1956. During this period, they ushered in the victory of the War of Liberation, the founding of New China, the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and joyfully greeted the arrival of one victory after another in the cause of new China's construction. However, Xu Haidong's illness still did not improve.
In 1955, the People's Liberation Army implemented a rank system, Xu Haidong, who was ill, was awarded the rank of general, and Zhou Dongping, who had been "working" at home, was also awarded the colonel, becoming one of the 12 female colonels who founded the country. Because she was at home for a long time, when the list of titles was announced, almost no one knew who "Zhou Dongping" was except for a few people in the central government.
Some people say: "The life of General Xu Haidong is a book full of legends, and there are many chapters of his legend that are inseparable from Zhou Dongping." At the moment when Xu Haidong was seriously injured many times and his life was at stake many times, it was Zhou Dongping who nursed, fed medicine and fed him as a medical staff; in the many years when Xu Haidong fell ill, it was Zhou Dongping who guarded him day and night and devoted himself wholeheartedly. She holds a variety of roles: secretary, administrator, caregiver, and mother at the same time. All these years, she has always lived in hope and pain. ”
For himself, Zhou Dongping said: "I have always been an optimist. No matter how big the difficulty, grit your teeth will pass. It's just that in my lifetime, I've broken my teeth..."
In March 1970, General Xu Haidong died of illness. Zhou Dongping cried bitterly and said with tears in his eyes: "30 years ago, the organization gave me the task of caring for Haidong, and before, I always longed to complete it as soon as possible. Unexpectedly, I finally completed this task today, but I was even more heartbroken. ”
Zhou Dongping, with 30 years of life and love, fulfilled the promise he made when he married Xu Haidong, that is, her name: Dongping - "Haidong's Barrier".