Author: Dan Yan Editor: Li Jin
Source: Journal of Marriage and Family
ID：hunyinyujiating99
April 8, 1946, Yan'an Airport. Clouds shrouded and drizzled.
Bad weather did not affect people's mood at all,
Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Ren Bishi, and other central leaders and deputies were already waiting at Yan'an Airport.
A welcoming ceremony is about to begin.
At 2 p.m., accompanied by a loud roar,
An American C-47 transport aircraft appeared as scheduled.
However, the plane only circled around for a moment before turning around and leaving.
Three days later, Yan'an received a telegram: the plane crashed on the afternoon of the 8th in Heicha Mountain, 80 miles southeast of Xingxian County, Shanxi, killing all 17 people on board.
Including Mr. and Mrs. Ye Ting and their daughter Yang Mei and the youngest son, Ah Jiu.
This year, Ye Ting was 50 years old and his wife Li Xiuwen was 39 years old.
Zhou Enlai commented: "Ye Ting's life, like a comet in the sky, although the time of existence is very short, it has left a particularly dazzling light for people. ”
He has been with her for 20 years, and 9 children are a testimony to their love.
On the day of the big wedding, he said to her: "You can't be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, but I hope to die on the same day of the same month of the same year." ”
Shan Menghai swore an oath, but he did not expect it to become a rumor.
01
The first time we met, a glance of ten thousand years
Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen first met on a sunny spring day.
At that time, the Battle of Tamsui had just ended, and Ye Ting was promoted by Sun Yat-sen to the commander of the guard battalion of the Presidential Palace because of his outstanding performance in the battle. That day, he was invited to the home of his friend Li Zhangda.
When the two were chatting, suddenly a crisp and pleasant voice came from the opposite staircase.
"Baby, don't go down the road to play."
Ye Ting followed the prestige and spoke to a girl. White shirt and green dress, dark short hair with white handsome face plate, a pair of eyes, clear and agile.
Li Zhangda told him that the girl's name was Li Xiuwen, the daughter of his fellow villager Li Shaocun, who was studying at Zhixin Middle School, and because of her elegant temperament and beautiful beauty, she was known as the "school flower".
After that day, every time Ye Ting went to Li Zhangda's house, he would always casually glance at the opposite upstairs.
In fact, Ye Ting's name, Li Xiuwen has long heard of.
She had flipped through the magazine "New Youth" in the library and read a long article written by Ye Ting. Ye Ting wrote in the article: "Sacrifice is afraid of anything, but it is just a shock to the world and weakening..." Since then, she has been attracted by his ambition and talent. Unexpectedly, the two actually met in this way.
Li Zhangda had already sensed the thoughts of the two and decided to break the window paper.
Ye Ting finally admitted that he had a good feeling for Li Xiuwen, but worried: "But I still have a wife in the countryside of Huiyang." ”
Ye Ting's wife was named Huang Chun, and when Ye Ting was 10 years old, 12-year-old Huang Chun was sent to the Ye family as a child bridesmaid. At the same time, Ye Ting's parents also sent their two daughters, Ye Zhu and Ye Xiang, out to be child brides.
Ye Ting was extremely emotional when he found out, because before that, his second sister was sent to be a child bridesmaid, and it was not long before she was tortured to death. Although he was young, he was very opposed to this decadent feudal system and could not help but question his father:
"Do you remember how my poor second sister died?" Now you have sent your daughter to work in someone else's house, and you have taken someone else's young daughter home to work as a laborer. Do you want them all to follow the old path of the second sister?! ”
But how could his father, who was extremely feudal in thought, listen to it and loudly reprimand Ye For being rebellious. Under the intimidation of his father, although the young Ye Ting was unwilling, he could only obey orders. At that time, he secretly decided that when he had the ability, he must help these girls.
Years later, Ye Ting finally helped his two younger sisters leave their in-laws and move to Guangzhou.
"Now that it is the Republic of China, feudal marriage should be broken. Since you can help your two younger sisters, why don't you know how to deal with your own affairs? Li Zhangda's words pulled Ye Ting back from his memories, and he patted Ye Ting's shoulder and said, "Only by truly getting rid of pain can we seek happiness." ”
Li Zhangda's words touched Ye Ting, and he finally made up his mind to return to his hometown to deal with his own affairs. Ye Ting has been away from home for many years, and although he and Huang Chun have the name of husband and wife, they do not have much emotional connection. But even so, when he divorced, he still handed over 300 yuan of ocean (a huge amount of money at the time) to Huang Chun and agreed with her: "If you have any difficulties in the future, you can find someone to write to me." ”
Breaking the shackles of feudal marriage, Ye Ting can finally pursue his own happiness without distraction. The more he knew About Li Xiuwen, the more he liked this girl: the two were the same in terms of hobbies and aspirations.
Li Xiuwen can recite the articles written by Ye Ting in his early years. Ye Ting was both surprised and delighted: "That was written when I was in school, very immature." Li Xiuwen smiled and said, "As long as you write it, I love to read it all." ”
Ye Ting told Li Xiuwen about the Xinhai Revolution, About Lenin, and about Sun Yat-sen. The common revolutionary conviction made their flowers of love bloom quietly.
In 1924, Ye Ting was sent to the Soviet Union to study, and before going to the Soviet Union, he proposed to Li Xiuwen, but he did not expect that Li's father, who had always been enlightened and open-minded, refused. He said solemnly to his daughter: "Ye Ting is a promising young officer, and now it is time for you to seek advancement, so let's talk about the marriage when he becomes the regimental commander." ”
Marriage, to be used as a force to encourage both parties to move forward, this is clearly a radical law.
Li Xiuwen relayed the words to Ye Ting. The old father-in-law's good intentions, Ye Ting immediately understood, he said to Li Xiuwen affectionately: "Ye Ting will not propose to the second person in this life!" ”
A year later, Ye Ting returned from the Soviet Union and served as the head of the Independent Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army and participated in the Northern Expedition.
On February 2, 1926, the wedding of Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen was held in Zhaoqing, the residence of the Independent Regiment.
Zhou Enlai was the main marriage, the wedding was very solemn, Ye Ting confessed to Li Xiuwen affectionately: "You can't be born on the same day of the same month in the same year, but I hope to die on the same day of the same month of the same year." ”
It was the happiest moment of their lives. Over the years that followed, he was in prison, and she accompanied him to meet one storm after another.
02
No complaints, no regrets, go to the ideal together
Soon after the marriage, Ye Ting went to the battlefield. He was fighting on the front lines, and she did everything she could to help him dot the house and the children. Although Li Xiuwen has always been worried about her husband's safety, she has never regretted her choice.
After the defeat of the Great Revolution, Ye Ting participated in leading the "August 1st" Nanchang Uprising, and led his army south to fujian and Guangdong. In 1928, he participated in leading the Guangzhou Uprising and was appointed commander-in-chief.
After the failure of the Guangzhou Uprising, Ye Ting was forced into exile abroad, and successively went into exile in France, Germany and other places, and broke away from the party organization. In order to make ends meet, the couple opened a restaurant and helped people pick fruit in the orchard. Although life is hard, Li Xiuwen has no complaints.
Five years later, encouraged by Zhou Enlai and Liao Chengzhi and others, Ye Ting's family left Germany and came to Macau. In Macau, Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen had a wonderful time, and several children were born here.
In the meantime, the Kuomintang sent people to ask Ye Ting to take up a post in Nanjing, but Ye Ting refused, and he only wanted to follow the Communist Party.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937, Ye Ting came to Yan'an to prepare for the construction of the New Fourth Army and met Mao Zedong.
Looking at the golden sun, he couldn't help but sigh: "The sky here is really blue!" ”
The New Fourth Army is very economically difficult and its equipment is backward. Ye Ting took a lot of effort to get hundreds of brand new box guns from some of the old subordinates of the Kuomintang. Li Xiuwen looked in his eyes and was more anxious than he was. He took out his parents' pension from his family, bought 3,600 pistols from Guangdong and Hong Kong, personally escorted the goods, and transported them to southern Anhui to supply the New Fourth Army to resist Japan.
In the following three years, Ye Ting, as the commander of the New Fourth Army, led his troops to fight in the forefront of the anti-Japanese resistance. Li Xiuwen accompanied Ye Ting and spent a difficult and turbulent time in the army.
Ye Ting was born into poverty, and in order to save money, he led by example. When you go out, you wear a military uniform or suit, and when you come home, you usually wear worn-out clothes. A shirt, Li Xiuwen made up and made up.
Ye Ting planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens in the small garden behind the house, and in the harvest season, Ye Ting often invited comrades to dinner. Li Xiuwen did not have the slightest big lady shelf, she bought paper and pencils, and taught the guards and soldiers to read. The guards were sick, and she cooked poached eggs for them.
The husband sings with the woman, and she is as willing as a rapture. The most beautiful love in the world is not to spend sweetness together, but to go to the ideal together.
In the autumn of 1940, Ye Ting led his army north. For the safety of his wife and children, Ye Ting decided to let Li Xiuwen return to Guangzhou first, and for the sake of the child, Li Xiuwen had to be separated from Ye Ting.
However, only a few months later, the Anhui Incident, which shocked China and foreign countries, 7,000 soldiers of the New Fourth Army were tragically surrounded and annihilated, and Ye Ting, as the commander of the army, was imprisoned in Shangrao.
When the news reached Hong Kong, Li Xiuwen almost collapsed and could not get up for 3 days to eat. More than a month later, Li Xiuwen finally saw Ye Ting through many checkpoints.
In the years when Shangrao, Chongqing, Enshi, Liuzhou, Guilin, and Ye Ting were imprisoned for 5 years, Li Xiuwen tried his best to see her husband 3 times, and these 3 times, Li Xiuwen almost scattered his family wealth and entrusted people everywhere to find relationships. Where he is, her heart is there.
In the past 5 years, the Kuomintang has threatened and seduced Ye Ting, and has tried many times to win Ye Ting over, but Ye Ting was not at all moved.
I thought that the arrival of his wife and children would impress Ye Ting, but in Li Xiuwen's mind, Ye Ting's career was sacred and just, and she would give everything to fight side by side with her husband and persist with him to the end.
Li Xiuwen's relief and encouragement further strengthened Ye Ting's fighting spirit.
The three armies can seize the marshal, but the piaf cannot win the will. Even if you are deeply imprisoned, this ambition will not change.
He is a big husband who can bend and stretch, and she is a tough and courageous female Haojie.
In 1942, Ye Ting was escorted to Guilin, and with the help of Li Jishen, Li Xiuwen made an important decision.
03
Life and death go hand in hand, and this ambition is unswerving
Li Xiuwen decided to accompany Ye Ting and was placed under house arrest. She brought her children to Guilin and lived together.
One day, Li Xiuwen secretly handed a red package to Ye Ting. Opening the package, inside were the precious objects they had when they were married, the sparkling gold and silver jewelry, which burned Ye Ting's eyes, "These things bear witness to our love and are our keepsakes." ”
"But I only care about you, as long as you are here, let me do anything, I am willing to do it." 」
When the jewelry was finally exchanged for 4 piglets and more than a dozen goats, Li Xiuwen took the children to beat pig grass and herd sheep every day. Ye Ting reclaimed 5 acres of wasteland, carried a hoe every day, and became a farmer.
On this lonely island in a troubled world, they depend on each other for their lives. Nothing is more precious than being together as a family, even if freedom is lost, even if the reunion is so short.
Soon, Ye Ting was once again escorted to Enshi, and they separated again.
In December 1943, in order to ease Li Xiuwen's burden, Ye Ting took his eldest daughter Yang Mei and two other children to the new house arrest place of Enshi. Li Xiuwen and his family took the rest of the children to start a life of fleeing.
In order to escape the Japanese invaders, she and her family first wandered to a ruined temple dozens of miles outside the city, living by begging and buying sweet potatoes from their hometowns. Soon, the family contracted malaria, had no medicine and ate less, and their lives were in a desperate situation.
Later, Li Xiuwen found Ye Ting's friend Mr. Tan Dongqing and temporarily lived in his home, and his life was slightly stable. Li Xiuwen went to the market every day to set up a small stall and exchange some money to support the whole family.
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, after bargaining and fierce confrontation between the two sides of the Chongqing negotiations, in March 1946, ye Ting was released in exchange. Li Xiuwen took his youngest son, Ah Jiu, to Chongqing to meet Ye Ting and Yang Mei. Other children were clamoring to go with them, and Li Xiuwen kissed the children's faces and said kindly: "Mother will definitely come back to pick you up in 3 months." This time, it turned out to be a farewell forever.
On March 4, 1946, several slogans were posted on the whitewashed wall of Zengjiayan, where the Chongqing COMMUNIST Party representatives were stationed: "Welcome General Ye Ting out of prison." The 13-year-old's little yangmei was particularly happy, and she squeezed a small clay figure with a clay sludge and carried a note in her hand that read: "Welcome Daddy!" ”
"The commander is coming!" Ye Ting, dressed in the old uniform of the New Fourth Army, stepped out of the car. The people were ecstatic and rushed forward, and firecrackers sounded.
Returning to his freedom, he chose to go to Yan'an, back to the high sky and thick soil, back to the golden sun. 10 hours later, Ye Ting, under the lamp, wrote a telegram to the Party Central Committee applying to join the Party.
Three days after the telegram was sent, Ye Ting received a reply from the Party Central Committee:
Dear Comrade Ye Ting,
You have fought for more than twenty years for the cause of the liberation of the Chinese nation, and have experienced all kinds of serious tests, and the whole of China is already familiar with your infinite loyalty to the nation and the people. I hereby decide to accept you as a member of the Communist Party of China and extend my warm condolences and welcome to you.
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China march 7
Ye Ting held the telegram and was excited: Go back to Yan'an, go home.
On the same day, Li Xiuwen and his son Ah Jiu flew to Guangzhou.
When they met again, the years had carved marks on each other's faces, and they stared at each other but could not speak, as if they were separated. Looking at his wife, whose face was haggard and emaciated, Ye Ting's tears burst out of his eyes. In this life, he owed her too much.
Li Xiuwen looked at her husband with silver silk and sideburns, his heart was like a knife, he was a goshawk with wings tied, and he had the ambition to soar to the sky, but he was consumed to this point? They hugged each other tightly, crying, laughing.
Ye Ting hugged Xiao Ah Jiu and led his wife and Yang Mei to the plum blossom tree in the courtyard, and the family of four took a commemorative photo.
He was in a very good mood and quietly said to her: "Xiuwen, it seems that the two of us are married again!" ”
Li Xiuwen smiled: "You, for decades, I have never seen you so happy as today!" ”
In the photo, the daughter Yangmei is sitting on the branch, Li Xiuwen is standing next to her, Yangmei is snuggling up to her mother, and Ye Ting is smiling and holding her young son Ah Jiu, standing behind the mother and daughter.
Behind the grass long warblers flying, the spring light is just right.
This is the last group photo of them before they die.
At about 2 p.m. on April 8, Ye Ting and his party flew over Yan'an, but due to their low visibility, they could not land, so they decided to fly back to Xi'an Airport. On the way, the pilot lost his way, crossed the Yellow River, mistakenly entered the territory of Shanxi, and crashed in the rain, killing all the personnel on the plane.
After all, God did not give Ye Ting the opportunity to compensate his wife. You are born, I follow; you go, I follow. This time, Li Xiuwen went with him.
When the bad news came, the whole country grieve.
Mao Zedong issued a eulogy in the Liberation Daily: "To die for the people is still glorious." ”
In September 1955, at the ceremony of awarding titles, Ye Jianying said to Chen Yi: "If Ye Ting is still there, your New Fourth Army will have two marshals." ”
Chen Yi replied, "If Ye Ting were still alive, how good it would be to see today!" He was there, and I must give the marshal's laurel to Commander Ye. ”
He is no longer there, but his dedication and loyalty to the pursuit of ideals have forever been recorded in the history of the Party.
He has been, as he says in his poem, that he has been immortalized in fire and blood.
Reference Articles:
1. Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen are in love with each other: from love at first sight to accompanying her husband to prison (People's Daily - Chinese Communist Party News Network)
2. Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen's Troubled Husband and Wife ("History of the Party")
3. Li Xiuwen accompanied Ye Ting to sit through the bottom of the prison (reference network)
4. Ye Ting and his wife Li Xiuwen (Enshi News Network)
5. Ye Ting and Li Xiuwen's troubled marital relationship (Yellow Sea Morning Post) and so on.