On the evening of May 16, 1979, on the shores of Jiaoyu Island on the southeast coast of Xiamen, Fujian Province, PLA fighters were on duty, and in front of them was Kinmen Island, less than 2 kilometers from Jiaoyu Island.
Inadvertently, the bright light of a flashlight appeared on the dark sea surface, and the staff standing guard immediately became vigilant, standing on the shore and raising their guns to question the origin of the "signal" in the sea.
The man with the flashlight shouted, "I'm here to surrender!" Don't shoot! ”
Cape Island
The warriors then took the man ashore, who was dressed in rags and had a miserable face, and what was even more memorable was that his tired eyes were still hot.
What the soldiers did not know was that this ragged "water ghost" was actually Lin Zhengyi, the company commander of Taiwan's "star" at that time.
What kind of person is this surrendered "star" company commander? What kind of "legend" will he create after coming to the mainland?
"Star" Company Commander Lin Zhengyi
Lin Zhengyi was born in 1952 in a poor family in Yilan, Taiwan, and his father wanted him to be upright and have a sense of justice in the future, so he named him "Lin Zhengyi".
In 1972, Lin Zhengyi, who came from a poor background, lived up to the expectations of his family and was admitted to National Taiwan University. Lin Zhengyi, who had just entered the university, had the idea of wanting to study at a military academy and become a soldier before the end of his military training, and this idea made him famous after being known to the officer in charge of military training at the school.
At that time, Taiwan's conscription was already in full swing, and now suddenly there is a highly educated college student who is willing to become a soldier, which makes the Taiwan side attach great importance to it. As a result, a large number of newspapers reported Lin Zhengyi as a typical recruitment model, and even selected him as one of the "Ten Outstanding Youths".
At that time, the whole of Taiwan knew about Lin Zhengyi's "Taiwan university students abandoning their pens and obeying rong", which became a propaganda image when the Kuomintang army recruited soldiers.
Later, after training at Chenggong Ridge, he applied to transfer to the Army Officers' Academy, and was often praised by the school. Since then, he has become a "star" of the military, appearing in front of the media from time to time.
In 1975, he graduated from the Army Officer Academy with the second place, and this young talent was deeply loved by Chiang Ching-kuo and received special treatment from a fully publicly funded scholarship to study at Chengchi University.
In 1978, after obtaining a master's degree, the highly educated man returned to the army, and he was further promoted to become the commander of the Kinmen Mashan Company.
Located in the northeast corner of Kinmen Island, Mashan is Taiwan's forefront of the mainland. So only the best officers in this place can be the commander of this company.
However, such a Taiwanese "star" company commander, who was deeply loved by Chiang Ching-kuo, disappeared one day in May 1979.
Under the sea forest justice ashore Lin Yifu
Although he is a "star company commander" in the army, as a company commander, he has always been curious about life on the other side of the strait, because in his heart, he has always had the desire to make the motherland rich and strong.
Later, the star company commander used his connections to get people to buy a radio on his behalf. In the eyes of the people in the barracks, this was just the commander of the Mashan Company passing the time, but what was unexpected was that he listened to the mainland radio in the dead of night.
From the radio, he learned about the situation on the mainland and got some news about China's current development, but these news have always worried Lin Zhengyi's heart, making him yearn for the mainland more and more deeply.
However, one night, the rumors of a certain platoon leader swimming to the other side of the river came from the radio, which made Lin Zhengyi's mind flash an idea that he also wanted to go to the other side.
Lin Zhengyi has kept in mind what Dr. Sun Yat-sen said since he was a child, "I only hope that the princes will put the responsibility of rejuvenating China on their own shoulders", and now that he is standing on Kinmen Island, this sentence has always come to mind, and the news of the mainland has always touched his heart, making him determined to return to the mainland.
After looking at Xiamen that night, he began to plan a "tour back to the mainland".
On May 14, 1979, Lin Zhengyi was sorting out documents in his office as usual, and sorting out documents was just a gimmick, and his main purpose was to find a report on the tide situation on Kinmen Island.
Although the two sides of the strait are not far apart, the distance must be the shortest at low tide, which can save physical strength and ensure safety. Soon after, Lin Zhengyi saw the Tide Table, and the news on it was exactly what he needed.
"High tide at 16:00 pm, low tide at 22:00 pm"
Knowing this key information, Lin Zhengyi made up his mind to "return to the mainland" in two days.
On the evening of May 16, in order to ensure the success of the plan, Lin Zhengyi used his position as a company commander to issue orders to the platoon commanders:
"The troops are going to conduct exercises in recent days, and a curfew order is hereby issued, and all people are not allowed to leave the camp without permission, and the coastal sentries are not allowed to leave the barracks after being named at night, and those who violate the order are dealt with by military law."
After receiving the order, this group of officers and men was very puzzled as to why they had to withdraw from the guard post and stay in the camp. But then I thought about it, since it was an order from a superior, just obey it.
At ten o'clock in the evening, the officers of the company returned to the camp at the "military order" after the roll call, and the post along the coast was withdrawn to the garrison.
At this time, Lin Zhengyi was ready to "cross the sea" and came to the shore. At this time, the tide had faded, standing on the shore could already see the lights of Xiamen, he did not think much about a fierce son plunged into the sea, fluttering and swimming to the opposite shore.
Coincidentally, the clerk boy Jinyao of Lin Zhengyi's company came to Lin Zhengyi's office at this time to discuss matters with him, but when he came to the office, he found that company commander Lin Zhengyi was missing.
At first he didn't care, thinking that the company commander was just out, but after more than an hour, the soldiers he sent to look for the company commander did not find the company commander, which made him anxious.
Immediately he hurried to the office of the deputy company commander, and when the deputy company commander learned of this matter, he realized that there might be a "problem" in the matter, and that there were too many people who had "defected" in the past few days, but it was difficult for him to accept the "defection" of the company commander, so he ordered the whole company to search for the company commander.
After more than an hour, the news finally came. The soldiers shouted outside the door, "Found it!" Got it! ”
The deputy company commander and the clerk were overjoyed, and immediately slapped the table and stood up, and went out to inquire about the reason, but the soldier's answer made the two frown.
"There are a pair of shoes on the shore with the word 'company commander' written on them, and the footprints are in the direction of the mainland."
At this moment, Lin Zhengyi came to the shore of Jiaoyu Island after more than three hours of "hard work", and he first signaled the patrolling posts on the shore with a flashlight, and then used all his strength to explain his intentions to the PLA soldiers.
When the sentries helped him ashore, they learned of his intentions and took him to the barracks. In the barracks, he proved his identity and explained the purpose of his trip, and his special status made the leaders in the barracks attach great importance to him, so they gave him special care.
In a later period of time, someone came to interview him why he gave up his splendid future to come to the mainland, and his answer was:
"I want to make China rich and strong, but most of the Chinese live on the mainland, so if I go to the mainland, I can make a bigger contribution."
Subsequently, he changed his name, once his father named him Lin Zhengyi for "integrity and a sense of justice", and now standing on the land of the motherland, making China rich and strong has become his main orientation at present.
However, this road is a long way to go, so Lin Zhengyi resolutely chose Zengzi's words: "A soldier cannot fail to carry out his duties, and the task is heavy and the road is long." ”
Lin Zhengyi officially changed his name to Lin Yifu, and after coming to the mainland, he did not forget his original intention, and his name will leave a strong mark on the road of making China rich and strong.
Go abroad for further study, and the whole family will return home
Lin Yifu chose to go to Beijing after the military camp, and he wanted to turn his knowledge into a force for building the motherland. Therefore, on the recommendation of relevant departments, he came to Peking University to study economics.
He felt that if he wanted to contribute to the prosperity of the country, he had to care about the country's economy and politics. During his studies in the Department of Economics at Peking University, he also studied related politics.
He not only studied Marxist economic theory, but also thought about China's economic reform and development. But even with so much economic knowledge, he still felt that there was no improvement without comparison. In his slump, the appearance of a man exposed him to new knowledge once again.
In 1980, the Nobel laureate in economics Schultz visited China at the invitation of Fudan University and gave a lecture at Peking University before returning to China, and his translation work became a problem for the relevant departments.
However, this problem, Lin Yifu can solve it very well. Lin Yifu has learned English since he was a child, and although he is not proficient, he has no problem expressing meaning. Therefore, after Schultz arrived in China, Peking University arranged for Lin Yifu to translate for Schultz.
He did not disappoint the school, but was appreciated by Schultz during the days they spent together. Schultz was impressed by his excellent level of translation and understanding of economics, and after he returned to China, he personally wrote to Lin Yifu himself, inviting him to the University of Chicago to pursue a doctorate in the Department of Economics in his own name.
Schultz
The University of Chicago was the best economics institution among U.S. colleges and universities, and there was already a big gap between domestic economics education and foreign levels.
Lin Yifu realized that this visit will inevitably help the development of domestic economics, and new knowledge will inevitably be injected into the construction of the motherland. Without giving it much thought, Lin Yifu gladly went there.
In 1982, Lin Yifu went to the University of Chicago for further study, and when he came to the United States, his family in Taiwan also received news.
Because of the former "abandonment of the dark and the surrender of light," the Taiwan side has always held a grudge in its heart, so Lin Yifu was charged with "defection."
Lin Yifu, who is concerned about the country, is also often worried about his wife and children, and when he decided to go to the mainland, his wife Chen Yunying was already pregnant with Liujia, and his son was only 5 years old.
When he was in Beijing, he missed his wife and children many times, but his wife Chen Yunying could only send him photos, which was a photo of Chen Yunying with his son and his daughter he had never met, which made him cry with excitement.
When Lin Yifu came to the United States to study, Chen Yunying could not wait to take his 4-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son to the United States. At the University of Chicago he was finally reunited with his wife and children.
After receiving the comfort of his family, he devoted himself more to his studies, when Schultz had retired for ten years and had decided not to take students anymore, but after Lin Yifu came to the United States, Schultz made an exception and recruited him.
At the elite University of Chicago, Lin Yifu has made great efforts to make himself stand out from this group. His graduation thesis, "Rural Reform in China: Theory and Current Politics," was hailed by Schultz as "a classic of new institutional economics."
Yale University
Until 1986, Lin not only received his Ph.D., but also did a year of postdoctoral research at the Yale Center for Economic Growth. After her wife came to the United States, she did not just bring children, during which time she also became a master's degree from Edin Paul University.
At this time, foreign countries have repeatedly issued invitations to Lin Yifu, wanting Lin Yifu to stay in the United States, agree to all requests of Lin Yifu, and have preferential treatment.
In the face of foreign invitations, Lin Yifu did not consider it, and resolutely decided to serve the country. Lin Yifu said:
"You can work as a teacher in the U.S. or in a financial institution. But from my personal point of view, back in China, my heart will be very satisfied. Moreover, China is in a period of rapid development and rapid transformation, and if you can participate in it, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I thought, choosing to come back, it's something that doesn't need to be considered, it's something that has to be done."
In 1987, he became the first economist to return from his studies in the West since the reform and opening up. He threw away all his necessities of life and brought back 30 boxes of economic literature that he had spent a lot of time and energy and wealth in exchange.
In June 1987, Lin Yifu returned to the embrace of the motherland with his wife Chen Yunying and his two children.
After returning to the motherland, he immediately threw himself into the construction of the motherland.
China's top think tank
After Lin Yifu returned to China, he began to study China's agricultural problems and began to study economics.
He believes that domestic economics is still lacking, and people do not know enough about economics. He called on professors in The Department of Economics at Peking University to regard economics as a study of the world.
In October 1991, he led the "China Agricultural Science and Technology Priorities" research group to start a three-year investigation. Surveys were conducted in 29 provinces, municipalities and districts.
He pays attention to his own efforts in research, provides the most basic data for scientific research, and lays the foundation for the economic benefits of agricultural research projects.
In 1994, Lin Yifu led 6 faculty members and 3 administrators to establish the China Economic Research Center at Peking University. This institution is already a ceiling level in today's Chinese economic circles, and in the eyes of foreign countries, this is the economic think tank structure that the mainland government plays an important role in.
In 1999, Lin Yifu first proposed the concept of "New Rural Movement", which provided academic support for the central government's proposal of new rural construction. After 1999, he also participated in the formulation of the national "Tenth Five-Year Plan" and "Eleventh Five-Year Plan".
In the years after returning to China, he actively participated in the formulation of major decisions of the central government and provided suggestions for national construction. On the public opinion platforms at home and abroad at that time, Lin Yifu was regarded as one of the main think tanks of the official.
In addition, Lin Yifu also attaches great importance to the development of his descendants, he often said that he has "wasted" a lot of time in his years of study, and after learning knowledge, he has "wasted" many opportunities to build the country.
Therefore, he attaches great importance to the cultivation of students. He said:
"I still hope to be able to teach a group of good students, let my own students see the opportunities given by this era, and let them work hard later to create a better era."
Under the influence of his ideas, his students are scattered all over the world, whether it is Peking University or Foreign Schools such as Harvard, his students are always at the forefront of economics.
Homesickness
On May 9, 2002, Lin Yifu's father, Lin Huoshu, died in Taiwan. Lin Yifu's heart ached, and looking at his past achievements, he felt even more ashamed of his parents.
And his request to go to Taiwan to mourn was also rejected, and for various reasons he could not set foot on the land of his hometown again. Taiwan's obstruction also made his expectations of returning to his hometown for his father's funeral in vain, and he could only worship the dead through video at Peking University.
Lin Yifu opened up a new world for the motherland, but for his father, he was "born can not be raised, death can not be sent to the end."
In 1979, he gave up his "immeasurable future", left his pregnant wife and elderly parents, and jumped into the sea and swam to the mainland regardless of life or death.
In these more than ten years, although he was reunited with his wife and children in the United States, it was difficult for his elderly parents in his hometown to pass on a greeting. He often thinks about the economy and development of the country, but never thinks about what happens behind him.
Now that his parents have passed away, he has not fulfilled his filial piety when he is alive, but after he dies, he cannot personally attend the ceremony due to the opposition of the relevant departments in Taiwan. Kneeling in front of the cold screen, he never felt heartache.
"The greatest glory of the general is the death of the battlefield Ma Ge shrouded in the body, and the greatest glory of the scholar is to die of exhaustion on the desk"
This is Lin Yifu's motto, he is willing to give everything he has for the country, and this determination was decided when he jumped into the sea.
When it comes to his hometown and parents, his eyes always flash with tears, how can he not miss his hometown and parents, but this "nostalgia" can only be put in his heart after all.
He wrote the Confession of the Father:
"There are many mountains and mountains, and there is no way to return to the family, but now it is 'the son wants to raise and does not wait for his relatives.'"
End
Lin Yifu once said in a family letter that he went to the mainland:
"We are all descendants of the Chinese nation, regardless of each other. As a Taiwanese, I deeply love the place where I was born and raised, and I am willing to dedicate my life's energy to its prosperity and happiness, but as a Chinese, I think that in addition to taiwanese Taiwan, Taiwan should also be able to make the greatest contribution to China's history. ”
Taiwan has always been an inseparable part of the motherland, and in the future cross-strait reunification, Mr. Lin Yifu will once again set foot on the land of his hometown to worship his late parents.
In Taiwan, he said that "we are all descendants of the Chinese nation, regardless of each other", and in foreign countries, he said that "choosing to come back is something that does not need to be considered, but something that must be done.".
The matter of "giving up the small self and becoming a big me" is truly vividly reflected in Mr. Lin Yifu. Chivalry is the greatest, for the country and the people.
I salute Mr. Lin Yifu, a Chinese who has struggled for the country all his life, and hope that in the near future, we will see the reunification of the two sides of the strait.
Reference: The Legend of Lin Yifu. Liang Yu
"The Great Man of Lin Yifu, For the Country and the People". Two water