In the autumn of 1949, the compound of the Provincial Military Commission in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, welcomed a mysterious guest. The people who came were excited and kept expressing something in Mongolian and body language.
Although everyone was confused, they could roughly hear two meanings from his words:
Han Chinese, Red Army.
So everyone reassured him not to worry, and sent someone to find an interpreter.
As the translated voice landed, everyone present was shocked.
"What, this young man dressed as a Mongol and speaking fluent Mongolian is actually a native of Han Chinese, he even forgot how to speak Chinese, and he is still a Red Army on the Western Road?"
That's right, this mysterious visitor who made the compound of the Qinghai Provincial Military Commission blow up the pot is
A Red Army soldier who was exiled outside the country, Liao Yonghe.
Liao Yonghe
Liao Yonghe was born in 1916 to an ordinary peasant family in Guanmiao Township, Jinzhai County, Anhui Province. At the age of 14, Liao Yonghe joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. In 1934, at the age of 18, Liao Yonghe became a member of the Communist Party early.
In late October 1936, Liao Yonghe crossed the Yellow River with a large army and prepared to participate in the Ningxia Campaign. On November 11, just as the Battle of Ningxia was about to erupt, the army crossing the river received instructions.
They were asked to give up their participation in the Ningxia Campaign and form the Western Route Army, and marched to the Hexi Corridor.
Left behind on the way to the West
What Liao Yonghe did not expect was that in the process of the Western Expedition, the Red Army was chased and beaten all the way. In the battle of the Ni family camp, the second battalion he led was scattered during the breakthrough process, leaving only twenty-seven soldiers.
Soldiers of the Western Route Army who were brutally killed by Ma Jiajun
When they arrived at Pear Garden, they were surrounded and suppressed by the Ma family's cavalry, and in the fight with the enemy, Liao Yonghe's left leg was injured. On the Long March, which needed to cross mountains and mountains, Liao Yonghe knew that he could not keep up.
In order not to drag everyone back, he drove away the warriors who wanted to stay by his side and take care of them. A man, a cane, walked alone in the Qilian Valley, struggling to catch up with the footsteps of the large army.
At first, Liao Yong and himself were alone on the long road ahead, and as he walked, he met an instructor surnamed Hong who had dropped off the team like him. The two men, who were also fallen people, supported each other and continued to pursue the army.
Slowly, their ranks snowballed to twelve men, with experienced veterans, medics accompanying the army, and small soldiers of the machine gun company, who were only 14 years old.
Although everyone came from different troops, it was fate to meet in this vast desert, and under everyone's recommendation, Liao Yonghe became the leader.
Ma Jiajun
In the way forward, Liao Yonghe learned through talking that there was a person named Hu Chuanji in the team who was a fellow villager and a head nurse, and in the process of the Ni family camp breakthrough, the health center was scattered, and although Hu Chuanji broke out, he was also slashed several times by the enemy, especially the several wounds on his face were so shocking.
The fourteen-year-old little ghost came from Sichuan, everyone called him Fire Baby, the machine gun company was seriously damaged in the battle, the company commander was seriously injured, he stayed behind to take care of the company commander, unfortunately the company commander died halfway, leaving only the fire baby walking alone in the desert.
Liao Yonghe patted the fire doll's shoulder to show comfort, and then everyone continued to move forward.
A group of wounded and sick people moved forward step by step on the Gobi, and the yellow sand and dry bones everywhere made everyone uneasy. The fire doll carefully approached Liao Yonghe and asked everyone's voices.
"Battalion commander, don't the big troops want us anymore?"
Liao Yonghe smiled after hearing this, let go of his voice and said to everyone:
Even if the big troops don't want us anymore, we still need the big troops.
One sentence stabilized everyone's mood slightly.
The sun rose and set, set and rose, and on the Long March road where the road ahead was unknown and there were pursuing soldiers, each of them saved money and relied on picking up some wild vegetables on the road to eat. Until the last resort, everyone does not eat dry food.
In this way, eleven wounded people and one child walked tenaciously on the road of hunger and cold for more than 30 days.
Bandits in the cave
On this day, everyone found a cave on the side of the mountain and prepared to spend the night here. The sky was just dark, and the sparse footsteps outside the cave woke Liao Yonghe up, and he saw a figure flash past the mouth of the cave.
So he said to the Hong instructor behind him:
"Old Hong, there is a situation".
When Lao Hong heard this, he immediately picked up the guy and alerted him, and he asked everyone to press the soldiers first and touch the outside of the cave alone. As soon as he stepped out of the cave, Instructor Hong was knocked down by a shot from the enemy and heroically sacrificed.
Soldiers of the Western Route Army who died
Liao Yonghe and another soldier immediately rushed up with their guns, and liao Yonghe was shot twice as soon as he rushed out of the cave, and the fellow soldiers were sacrificed under the enemy's muzzle. Liao Yonghe desperately picked up the gun and tried to shoot at the enemy, but the trigger in his hand was dead and did not make a gunshot——
There are no more bullets.
As the enemy snatched away the gun in Liao Yonghe's hand, Liao Yonghe, who had been shot in the leg, also fell down. After taking the gun, the enemy did not continue to poison Liao Yonghe and the others, it turned out that they were only trying to seize the gun.
In this way, the only three guns that Liao Yong and his party had were also taken away, making them even more vulnerable. Subsequently, Liao Yonghe arranged for everyone to hastily bury the two sacrificial warriors.
Just after taking care of the martyr's aftermath, Liao Yonghe could no longer hold on to fainting. After eight days and eight nights, the unconscious Liao Yong and his closed eyelids finally moved slightly, and the first thing that caught his eye was the yellow fire, and then he saw the nine warriors who were accompanying him and asked:
"How many days have I slept?"
"Eight days, battalion commander, you've slept for eight whole days, and you've frightened us all."
Fire Doll said excitedly.
"It's been eight days, confused you, why don't you go after the big troops?"
Liao Yonghe coughed as he spoke.
He struggled to get up, and the guys hurried up to comfort him:
"Battalion commander, we're going with you!"
"Don't you see that both of my legs are ruined, and no one can take me with you."
Liao Yonghe said angrily.
But no matter how he persuaded the nine people to be indifferent, Liao Yonghe wanted to force him to die when he saw that the soft one was not working, and his head slammed into the stone wall, but fortunately, everyone's eyes were quick to stop him in time.
In this way, under the insistence of Liao Yonghe, everyone decided to let the fire doll stay and take care of Liao Yonghe.
A camaraderie that never abandons
After the Eight Great Han left, Liao Yonghe and The Fire Baby continued to hide in the cave. Fortunately, under the careful care of The Fire Baby, Liao Yonghe's injuries gradually stabilized.
Although the two did not have enough to eat, clothing and warmth, they always survived. In order to let Liao Yonghe's body recover as soon as possible, the fire dolls looked around for animal bones, broke them with stones and boiled them into soup and fed them to the battalion commander one by one.
The barley noodles left by the comrades-in-arms were about to bottom out, and even the bones of the nearby animals were about to be picked up by the fire dolls, so he ran to the top of the mountain to dig wild vegetables and grass roots to eat, and the two stayed up for more than forty days, and finally survived the cold winter.
With the arrival of spring, Liao Yonghe was pleasantly surprised to find that his body had also improved a lot, and he asked the fire doll to pick up two pieces of wood and try to stand up.
The fire doll's excited voice trembled:
"Battalion commander..."
Liao Yonghe remembered the meticulous care of the fire doll for himself for some time, and his eyes became softer,
"Whatever the battalion commander is called, he will be called the big brother from now on."
Just as they were running out of food, the two people's strong desire to survive seemed to touch the heavens.
On this day, outside the cave, there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves from far and near. The fire doll came back and told Liao Yonghe that a woman and a teenager had come.
"Who?"
Liao Yonghe asked warily.
"It looks like a Mongol!"
The fire doll replied.
Just as Liao Yonghe was contemplating, the two walked in. The woman who came was none other than the Mongolian aunt Jiangxi Li, who politely greeted Liao Yonghe. When he saw the confused expressions of the two people, Jiangxi Li changed to speaking in un fluent Chinese:
"Hello".
Seeing that the people who came were so humble, Liao Yonghe let go of his guarded heart. He told Jiangxi Li that the two wanted to go to Xinjiang to make a living, but on the way they accidentally encountered a wild beast and were injured and recuperated here.
Kind Mongolian aunt
Jiangxi Li was a kind woman, she saw liao Yonghe in front of the clear soup water, did not say anything and turned away. When Jiangxi Li came back the next day, he brought liao Yonghe some rice and noodles and salt.
The two looked at Mi and Mian in front of them and thought they were dreaming. The fire doll quickly got up the pot and boiled water to cook a pot of porridge, which was this simple white rice, and the two of them ate it like a unique delicacy.
After that, Jiangxi Li sent his son to invite Liao Yonghe to live in his home many times, and Liao Yonghe was grateful but worried, he did not dare to go down the mountain, for fear of tiring jiangxi Li's family.
A month later, Jiangxi Li himself came, and she told Liao Yong and Chun Mu that they were about to start, and that bandits would also rise up and live in caves that it was very unsafe. Under the painstaking persuasion of Jiangxi Li, Liao Yonghe finally agreed to follow her down the mountain.
In order to reduce the target, Jiangxi Li arranged Huowa to his brother's house, Liao Yonghe was very moved, but he was reluctant to live with him day and night. Before leaving, the fire doll said to Liao Yonghe:
"Big brother, you must come to see me!"
Looking at the unwilling expression of the fire doll, Liao Yonghe stepped forward and hugged the fire doll heavily, choking and saying:
"Good brother, rest assured, the big brother will be fine, then the big brother will definitely go to see you, you have to remember, no matter how difficult and bitter you have to grit your teeth and hold on."
In this way, the fire doll who cried into tears was taken away. After the fire doll left, Liao Yonghe's heart was empty.
Slaves of the Landlord's House (Stills)
Later, Liao Yonghe learned that he and the fire doll were taken in as slaves. During his time as a slave in the Jiangxi Li family, Liao Yonghe had a fairly good life. Except for the man who often spoke harshly to him and beat him, everyone else was good to him.
In order to better hide his identity, he followed Jiangxi mechanics to develop Mongolian language and Mongolian customs, and Jiangxi Li, seeing that he had a good understanding, passed on the craft of repairing Mongolian boots to Liao Yonghe.
It didn't take long for the Majia cavalry to kill them, and they came to search for the scattered Red Army soldiers, and fortunately, Liao Yonghe, who could speak fluent Mongolian under the guidance of Jiangxi Li, easily escaped this fate.
Liao Yonghe, who escaped the disaster, became more cautious, knowing that this was not his destination after all. Whenever he thinks of his hometown in the distance, this iron-boned man will also show a vulnerable side, he often sits outside the yurt and stares at the distance, sometimes wiping a few tears.
Jiangxi Li looked in his eyes and often comforted him:
"Boy, it's all going to pass!"
The Mongols of the old society
The feeling of homesickness became more and more intense day by day, and Liao Yonghe finally waited for the opportunity. One night, Liao Yonghe, who was asleep, was awakened by a sharp gunshot, and he got up to see that it was Kazakhs who were robbing the Mongols of their property.
The Mongols are weak, and in general everyone moves as a family. Just when Jiangxi Li's family was nervously packing up, Liao Yonghe realized that his opportunity had come, so he took advantage of the night to plan to escape.
Liao Yonghe, who had just walked out, encountered a familiar figure, which was Jiangxi Li. The kind aunt gently stroked Liao Yonghe's face and told him:
"Son, go, go where you belong."
While Liao Yonghe was moved, Jiangxi Li gave Liao Yonghe ten yuan and gave his son's horse to Liao Yonghe, and Liao Yonghe shed tears.
Sex in a shoe repair shop
Liao Yonghe knelt down and prostrated his head three times at Jiangxi Li:
"Auntie's great kindness, Liao Yonghe toothless unforgettable."
When he got up, he flew onto his horse and galloped away into the distance in the night.
Liao Yonghe, who had escaped, soon fell into confusion again, and he wanted to return to the troops, but he did not know where the troops were. Considering that it was not appropriate to find the Red Army, he built his own house on the banks of the Bayin River and started a business of repairing boots.
In order to hide his identity, he named himself Huang Yonghe, because of his good craftsmanship, Tong Shu was not deceived, his business was very good, and he was also very popular with the locals.
Mongol weddings
It was raining so badly that a young Mongolian woman hurried to Liao Yonghe's shop. She asked softly:
"Can I come in?"
"Haven't you already come in?"
Liao Yonghe said.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to come in and hide from the rain."
The two sat facing each other, Liao Yonghe took the lead in breaking the silence, and in the conversation with the other party, he learned that the girl's name was Ge Neng, and she was working as a helper to others as before.
Knowing that Ge Neng did not have enough to eat and wear in the place where he helped, Liao Yonghe made a full meal for Ge Neng. After that, Ge Neng often sent some fuel to Liao Yonghe, and Liao Yonghe often left her at home to eat, and in one contact after another, the two sides had feelings for each other.
On a full moon night, the two simply worshiped heaven and earth and became relatives, and lived a happy nomadic life ever since.
Yet the peaceful life was once again broken.
Veteran soldier of the Red Army who did not speak Chinese
On this day, Liao Yonghe was preparing to eat dinner as usual, when suddenly his good friend Nyima came in, and he told Liao Yong and Xining that they had liberated and that the Red Army he had been thinking about had returned.
After repeated confirmation with Nyima, the excited Liao Yonghe tossed and turned, unable to sleep at night. Ge could see his husband's restlessness every day, and knew that his heart had already flown to the Red Army troops thousands of miles away. So he exhorted him:
"Since you want to go to the Red Army, then go, there is me at home, you don't have to worry."
Platon soldier
With the encouragement of his wife, Liao Yonghe came to Huangzhong County, thousands of miles away. At this time, the county seat of Huangzhong had just been liberated, and the Communists were holding mass meetings for the locals.
Liao Yonghe heard from others that the person who was speaking on the stage was Shang Zhitian, secretary of the county party committee. So after patiently listening to Shang Zhitian's speech, he followed the secretary of the county party committee all the way to a compound and looked at the big flag hanging on the wall, wasn't it the flag of the Red Army?
Memories of the past flooded liao yonghe, and he was even more certain that he had found the organization.
Shang Zhitian entered the room before sitting down, Liao Yonghe rushed to the secretary excitedly, he grabbed Shang Zhitian's hand tightly, and said in Mongolian:
"Hope for the stars and hope that the moon will finally bring you here."
Looking at the excited Mongolian man in front of him, Shang Zhitian was at a loss for a while, but he still said to Liao Yonghe with a pleasant face:
"Do you speak Chinese?" Don't worry, speak slowly".
Liao Yonghe heard the two words in Chinese, such as being struck by lightning, the mother tongue that had accompanied him for decades, and at this moment he could not say it. He said sheepishly:
"Han... language? ”
Shang Zhitian saw that he could speak some Chinese, so he asked him where he was from.
Liao Yonghe couldn't say anything when he got to his mouth, and he was sweating profusely. Shang Zhitian saw that he was in a hurry and there was no way, so he sent someone to find an interpreter.
When he heard Liao Yonghe's experience from the translator's mouth, Shang Zhitian did not dare to delay and immediately reported to the provincial party committee and the Central Military Commission.
Liao Hansheng
Liao Hansheng, the political commissar of the First Field Army of the People's Liberation Army who led the liberation of Xining at that time, was very surprised to hear that there was a veteran soldier of the Western Route Army who could not speak Chinese because he had been in the local area for too long, so he planned to personally investigate the matter.
So Liao Yonghe went from the county seat to the provincial capital of Xining and entered the compound of the Provincial Military Commission. Liao Yonghe was even more excited to see Liao Hansheng. He knew that Liao Hansheng must be a big chief, so he anxiously told Liao Hansheng about his experience over the years, and Liao Hansheng did not understand a word.
Looking at Liao Yonghe in front of him, he was amazed that a veteran soldier of the Red Army of Han Nationality could not speak Chinese. If you don't see it with your own eyes, most people can't believe it.
Liao Hansheng comforted the excited Liao Yonghe while asking people to find an interpreter.
"My name is Liao Yonghe, from Anhui, I joined the Communist Party of China in 1934, I fell out of the team when I was wounded on the road of the Long March in 1936, I didn't know where to go to find the organization after I was wounded, and I was later taken in by a Mongolian aunt and made a slave. In order to hide my identity, I did not dare to speak Chinese anymore, and under the instruction of my Mongolian aunt, I learned Mongolian and the technique of repairing boots. The man often beat and scolded me, and even threatened to kill me after learning my red army identity. I escaped without being humiliated, and now I have opened a boot shop of my own, and years of displacement have made me forget my native language. But I never dared to forget my identity in the Red Army, thinking that I would have the opportunity to return to the embrace of the organization. Now that you have come, twelve years later, my wish can finally come true..."
As the translator translated Liao Yonghe's words sentence by sentence, everyone present was shocked.
A SOLDIER OF QINGHAI
"What? This young man who spoke fluent Mongolian and exuded the mongolian atmosphere on his body was actually a native Han Chinese, and he was also a veteran soldier who had participated in the Long March. ”
Everyone you look at me, I look at you, no one dares to make a conclusion.
Just when everyone was making up their minds, Liao Hansheng spoke, and he said to Liao Yonghe:
"You say you are the Red Army, you are the Communist Party, you must have a witness, otherwise you will have to go back from where you came from."
When Liao Yonghe heard this, his emotions became agitated again. When he saw that the chief still did not believe himself, Liao Yonghe anxiously reported to Liao Hansheng the names of the various commanders he knew during the Red Army.
The more Liao Hansheng listened, the more surprised he became, and his mouth opened wider and wider. Because among the names reported by Liao Hansheng, many of them are familiar to him, and some are unfamiliar but have heard of them.
Looking at Liao Yonghe, who was in tears in front of him, he remembered the hardships that Liao Yonghe had just mentioned that he had rushed for eighteen days and worked hard to find here. Liao Hansheng's half-belief gradually changed, and he began to believe the words spoken by the young man in front of him.
Liao Yonghe in his later years
Liao Hansheng sighed for a moment, and then ordered Liao Yonghe to be arranged to study in his training class for young cadres. When he heard liao Hansheng personally recognize his red army identity, the excited Liao Yonghe could no longer hold back.
In March 1950, due to Liao Yonghe's good performance in the training class, the organization re-incorporated him into the Communist Party. In May of the same year, Liao Yonghe graduated from the training class, and was subsequently transferred to the delingha district of Dulan County as the district chief, working for more than 20 years to build a new socialist pastoral area.
He Yande, the "fire baby" who accompanied Liao Yonghe, successively served as the township chief and deputy county magistrate of Subei County, Gansu.
In 1973, Liao Yonghe took the initiative to leave and returned to his hometown in Anhui with his wife to spend his old age in peace.