In 1990, mainland writer Zhou Liangpei went to Taiwan to visit Sun Liren. In the course of talking with Sun Liren, they had a brief exchange. When Zhou Liangpei left, 90-year-old Sun Liren refused his wife's support, stood up straight, and gave them a military salute. A few days later, Sun Liren died, leaving behind a mysterious last word that makes one wonder what it meant.
General Sun Liren is widely regarded as one of the bravest soldiers of China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. However, after the end of World War II, his actions with Lin Biao in the northeast became the focus of controversy. Fearing internal conflict, Chiang Kai-shek transferred Sun Liren and sent him to Taiwan.
Although the United States signed an agreement with Taiwan to strengthen its support, Sun Liren's status in Taiwan was much lowered. He no longer holds important positions, and some people are dissatisfied with him. One of the important trusted people, Du Yuming, was dissatisfied with him and constantly tried to cause trouble. This made Sun Liren's life very troublesome.
In addition to the troubles of his position and internal politics, Sun Liren's family life was also in great difficulty. Having lost his original source of salary, he could only receive a meager monthly living allowance. "Full of scarcity" has become a reality they often face. Moreover, Sun Liren's four children are still in school, and their financial support for him has become particularly important.
In order to make ends meet, Sun Liren had to borrow money from place to place. His wife was also actively involved in handicrafts such as embroidery to buy extra household items. Obviously he was a former revolutionary hero, but now he lives so hard, which is indeed helpless and incomprehensible.
Despite facing many difficulties, Sun Liren still stood firm in his beliefs and responsibilities. He was always concerned about China's future, and even during the Taiwan period, he continued to contribute to the country as much as he could. He firmly believes that Taiwan should belong to China and hopes that reunification can be achieved in the future. He actively publicized Taiwan's history and culture to the outside world in order to maintain China's traditional values and national consciousness.
Despite all kinds of troubles and setbacks during his time in Taiwan, Sun Liren never gave up, and his patriotic spirit and sense of dedication to the people remained the same. His sufferings and struggles during this period were for the future of China, for the sake of the places that he believed should belong to his country. This made Sun Liren's perseverance and dedication become the benchmark in the minds of the Chinese people later.
In order to prevent someone from rescuing Sun Liren, he and the chef at home also carried knives to use them, in case they could kill Sun Liren at any time. Sun Liren's every move was closely watched by Chiang Kai-shek. Once, when Sun Liren was sitting on the bench reading a book, the soldiers behind him quickly snatched the book and checked it before returning it to Sun Liren.
Sun Liren never had freedom again. He was placed under house arrest for 33 years, only regaining his freedom in 1988, when Chiang Ching-kuo died. In 1990, mainland writer Zhou Liangpei decided to cross the strait by boat and travel to Taiwan to visit General Sun, who was brave and fearless in the War of Resistance Against Japan. His purpose was not only to celebrate General Sun's 90th birthday, but also to bridge the gap between the two sides of the strait and look back on that turbulent period of history. When Zhou Liangpei saw Sun Liren himself, he couldn't help but express great emotion. Although Sun Liren walked with difficulty and his speech was slurred, his sharp and resolute eyes were still the same as they were back then.
Zhou Liangpei presented a birthday banner, and Sun Liren was very happy. The two sat together and enthusiastically talked about the changes in Chinese mainland in recent years, mentioning the growing strength of New China in the international community, which made Sun Liren feel gratified.
Zhou Liangpei also asked Sun Liren about his heroic deeds on the battlefield in his youth, and the already aged general enthusiastically recounted how he defeated the Japanese army. Through this affectionate conversation, the estrangement between the two seems to have been eliminated. When parting, Sun Liren abandoned his wife's support and gave Zhou Liangpei a standard military salute, as if he had returned to the appearance of his youth on the battlefield.
All this is almost Sun Liren's last-minute demeanor. He died soon after. On his deathbed, he kept saying "I am worthy of my country's ......".
After Sun Liren died, the Taiwan authorities buried him in an unusually solemn way, allowing him to enjoy a beautiful funeral. Admirers from all over the world came to the forum and expressed their deep condolences. There was even an 82-year-old veteran who cried bitterly at the time and couldn't help himself for a long time. According to the recollections of Taiwan scholars, as many as 10,000 military veterans and civilians came to participate in the mourning, which was an unprecedented grand occasion.
Today, more than 30 years after his death, Sun Liren's coffin is still not buried in the ground. It rests quietly in a quiet cemetery in Taichung, surrounded by green trees, like an eternal home. Only Sun Li is engraved on the tombstone
