One day in September 1949, Li Zhongquan, political commissar of the 46th Army of the People's Liberation Army (a native of Daxian County, Sichuan, founding major general), and Yang Meisheng, deputy commander of the army (a native of Xiangtan, Hunan, a founding lieutenant general), went together to inspect Yijiawan, Xiangtan, Hunan, where the logistics department of the 46th Army was located.
Although Yijia Bay is only a simple pier on the banks of the Xiang River, because it is in a very important geographical location, pedestrians and boats passing through here are endless.
A month ago, Hunan was peacefully liberated, but some of the defeated enemies still wreaked havoc on the railway lines in the province, and when the PLA personnel and materials passed through Hunan, Yijiawan became a very important transit station.
After Li Zhongquan and Yang Meisheng arrived at the wharf, they discussed some work problems while walking along the river embankment.
At this time, it is close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sky is high and cool, the clouds are light and the wind is light, and the autumn scenery on the riverside is pleasant. Boats are constantly passing through the river, and there is a bustling flow of people passing by the docks.
Xiangtan is Yang Meisheng's hometown, and since he joined the Red Army in 1927, he has been following the troops in the southern conquest of the northern war, and has not returned to his hometown for many years.
The scenery of his hometown is intoxicating, and the 44-year-old Yang Meisheng is in a good mood. Suddenly, his gaze stayed in the crowd on the dock, and a very surprised expression appeared on his face.
"Old Yang, what's wrong?" Li Zhongquan asked.
"Political commissar, I'll take a look at it and I'll be right back..." Before he could say anything, Yang Meisheng hurried to the crowd that was walking past the dock, as if he was afraid that if he was not careful, he would miss someone who was particularly important.
Li Zhongquan felt even more strange, having worked with Yang Meisheng for many years, he had never seen such an unusual move from him.
Yang Meisheng went straight to an old woman in the crowd before stopping his steps.
The old woman, with her pale hair and haggard face, was dressed in rags, with a stick in one hand and a basket in her hand, looked like an old man who had been begging for a long time.
Yang Meisheng looked at the old man carefully, suppressed the excitement in his heart, smiled and said hello to her, and then helped her to talk.
Not long after, Yang Meisheng returned to Li Zhongquan's side with tears in his eyes. Li Zhongquan asked in surprise, "Old Yang, what are you doing?" ”
"That old man," Yang Meisheng said with a sigh, pointing to the white-haired old woman, "do you know who she is?" ”
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"She is..."
"She's my mom, a mom who's been away for 22 years!" Yang Meisheng's tone suddenly became very excited, and tears fell down in large pieces.
"Huh?!" Not only Li Zhongquan, but several cadres accompanying him invariably exclaimed in unison.
"Because she is a family member of the Red Army, my mother was persecuted, and she had no choice but to beg for food to survive, and it has been many years..." Yang Meisheng choked.
"Old Yang, don't be sad, it's a good thing to see your mother!" that...... Does the old man recognize you? Li Zhongquan asked.
"They have been separated for too long, and the old man's eyes are not good, and he has not recognized me yet." I didn't dare to recognize her old man right away. Yang Meisheng said.
"Why don't you recognize each other?"
"I... I don't dare. Yang Meisheng said sadly, "I haven't seen my mother for so many years, and she thinks I'm going crazy." If I knew her now, I was afraid that she would not be able to bear it for a while. I don't know how to be good now, commissar, what do you say? ”
"Well, I'll deal with it first." Li Zhongquan said confidently.
Immediately after, he asked his driver to take a guard to drive Mrs. Yang over, tell them in detail what to do, and repeatedly instructed the two to speak clearly and not to scare the old man.
After the driver and the guard chased after them, the guard, in accordance with the method taught by the political commissar, said to the old lady kindly: "The old man please stay behind, we are here to pick you up." ”
"Pick me up? I don't know you guys? The old lady said in surprise.
"Your son sent us."
"Son... Son..." The old lady suddenly became sad, "I haven't seen my son in more than twenty years, he, he...?" ”
"Is your son named Yang Xunmei?"
"Huh? Yes, yes... His name is Yang Xunmei..." The old lady's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Old man, your son is back to see you now, and he's our deputy commander!"
When the old lady heard this, the whole person suddenly froze, showed an unbelievable expression, and then became excited and almost fell to the ground.
Lieutenant General Yang Meisheng and Major General Li Zhongquan
The guards and the driver hurriedly helped her to sit in the car and drove back.
When the guard helped the old lady out of the car, Yang Meisheng took off his military hat, fell to his knees in front of her with a thud, and cried out with tears: "Mother, I am Xun Mei, I am back..."
The old lady touched his face with excitement, and finally saw clearly that the person kneeling in front of her was her son who had been separated for 22 years, and then she and Yang Meisheng hugged his headache and cried.
Yang Meisheng joined the revolution at the age of 21 and left his hometown at the age of 22 when he joined the Red Army, when he was still a spirited young man, and now he is a middle-aged general with outstanding military achievements. In these 22 years, he had sent people to inquire and search for his mother countless times, but he never got his wish, and he did not expect to find his mother begging everywhere in the crowd by the dock.
Seeing the scene of Yang Meisheng and his mother hugging and crying, everyone present was moved, and the political commissar Li Zhongquan, a general who has experienced hundreds of battles, was also in tears.
Yang Meisheng himself was even more mixed feelings, he really did not dare to imagine that if he did not magically recognize his mother who had been thinking about it day and night for 22 years from that accidental glimpse, what a great regret he would leave in this life...