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Preface
At a warm family banquet in Xinxian County, Henan, an unexpected topic opened up the history that had been sealed for many years. When Cheng Rusong mentioned Xiongjiazui Village in his hometown of Hong'an County and a special cemetery there, Gao Dingxin suddenly realized that this might be related to his family's long-standing mystery.
This cemetery is not only the resting place of the Red Army martyrs, but also hides the relatives that the Gao family has been looking for for many years - "fine grandfather" Gao Defu. Gao Dingxin's heart is beating faster, is he about to solve the suspense of the family for many years? What kind of story is this, and what kind of history and sacrifice is hidden?
In the turbulent years of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, China was suffering from the double suffering of foreign invasion and civil strife, and people across the country were living in dire straits. Gao Defu was born in such a chaotic era, his family is located in Xinxian County, Henan Province, an ordinary peasant family, he is the second son of the family, and has an older brother Gao Deyan.
Due to his poor family, Gao Defu did not receive an adequate education since he was a child, and followed his parents to work in the fields at an early age. After becoming an adult, according to the arrangement of his parents, he married a virtuous wife, and had two children after marriage.
The turmoil and oppression of the outside world made Gao Defu feel the helplessness and hardship of life, and he was unwilling to be subject to the exploitation and oppression of feudal landlords for the rest of his life, and he was unwilling to watch the war ravage this land and let his family live in fear.
At that time, the flame of revolution had already been ignited on the land of China, and many people with lofty ideals threw themselves into the ranks of the workers' and peasants' Red Army and struggled for national independence and the liberation of the people. Gao Defu, who was deeply influenced by revolutionary ideas, also made up his mind to join the Red Army, and he was willing to devote himself to this great struggle for a better future.
When he made his decision known to his family, he was met with strong opposition, especially his elder brother Gao Deyan, who firmly disagreed with him to join the army. Gao Deyan is worried about how the wife and children left behind will survive if something happens to Gao Defu on the battlefield. But Goldford was adamant that he had to fight for the future of his country and for his family to live in a new world free of oppression.
In the reluctance and blessing of his relatives, Gao Defu embarked on a journey. At the time of parting, his wife silently sewed a new dress for him, hoping for her husband's safe return, while his sister-in-law Wu Hanqing carefully made a pair of cloth shoes for him, hoping that he could protect himself on the battlefield.
With the blessings and expectations of his family, Gao Defu joined the Red Army marching to Huang'an County, Hubei Province. There, he took part in the famous Jute Uprising and, together with the local peasants, bravely fought against the reactionary forces of the Kuomintang, seized the city, seized weapons, and achieved an important victory for the revolutionary cause.
In the following years, Gao Defu accompanied the Red Army in the southern and northern wars, experienced difficulties, and was gradually promoted to battalion commander with outstanding performance. Although he was tired from the brutality of the war, his heart was filled with strength when he thought of his family far away from home. With the help of his comrades-in-arms, he wrote letters to his family from time to time, informing him that he was well, encouraging his family to have confidence that the victory of the revolution would eventually come, and that he would return to them with honor.
It wasn't until 1932 that Gao Defu's brother, Gao Dingxin's grandfather, Gao Deyan, was extremely anxious when he learned that his brother had been wounded in a fierce battle in Qiliping, Hong'an. So he decided to go to Hong'an in person, hoping to bring his younger brother home so that he could be better cared for. He took a few villagers with him and embarked on a journey to find his younger brother.
After arriving at Qiliping, they began to inquire about Gao Defu's news, but because they were extremely sensitive when talking about matters related to the Red Army at that time, even if some people knew some clues, they did not dare to easily disclose them to a few outsiders. After several attempts, they still found nothing, and they were left disappointed.
Gao Deyan did not give up because of this, he returned to the Qiliping area alone or with others many times to continue the search, but due to the political environment and strict speech control at the time, the result of his search was in vain every time.
As the years passed, Gao Deyan passed away with endless thoughts and regrets for his younger brother, and Gao Defu's whereabouts are still an unsolved mystery.
Time came to a later era, as the older generation gradually passed away, the memory of that period of history became increasingly rare, and the Gao family's search for Grandpa Xi gradually slowed down. Fate always seems to love to joke, and on a seemingly ordinary day, the wheel of fortune quietly turns.
Gao Dingxin's wife, born in Hong'an County, has rarely had the opportunity to reunite with her father for the New Year since marrying in Xinxian County, Henan. In a long conversation late at night, the couple decided to invite their father-in-law to come to Xinxian for a festive season in the new year, hoping to make up for all these years of lovesickness.
The heroic deeds of the family have become a legend of pride, but with it comes deep worry and unease. When they learned that Gao Defu was wounded in the battle, the hearts of the older generation in the family were like hanging knives, and they were always worried about his safety.
They try to navigate the quagmire of troubled times in order to find the hero of their family and bring him home to recuperate, but the wheel of fate has pushed them in different directions, and missing out has become an eternal regret. As the years passed, the elders of the Gao family left one by one, but the longing and search for Gao Defu never stopped.
This burden is like the family's legacy, passed on to the new generation of Gao Dingxin. Gao Dingxin has been shrouded in this unfinished history of the family for a long time, and his heart is full of endless assumptions and unwillingness, and the reincarnation of fate has brought an unexpected turn.
In his distant hometown in Henan, Gao Defu's relatives received the news that his life and death were uncertain. The anxious family sent Gao Defu's brother on a long journey to find him. However, in that era of information blockage, despite great efforts, nothing was found, and the family fell into a long wait and silence for Gao Defu's whereabouts.
With the passage of time, the story of the "guardian of the cemetery of the Red Army" became known to more and more people. The attention of the government and society has given new life to this martyr's cemetery, and the cemetery surrounded by pines and cypresses has become a sacred memorial site.
Jiang Nengshan's response to all help and donations has always been to use it for the maintenance and repair of the cemetery. Whenever someone asks him why he keeps doing this year after year, he always says, "I'm just waiting here, waiting for their family to come and take them home."
In a casual conversation, Gao Dingxin heard from his father-in-law about an old party member named Jiang Nengshan, who had been spontaneously taking care of the martyrs' cemeteries for decades, including the grave of his grandfather Gao Defu. Jiang Nengshan used his actions to interpret the deep respect for the martyrs and loyalty to the faith.
Jiang Nengshan's story is like a warm current, warming the hearts of Gao Dingxin and his family for a long time. Touched by this silent perseverance, they decided to go to Hong'an County in person to pay their respects to this guardian who suddenly appeared in his life, and more importantly, to say goodbye to the remains of their ancestors.
In the hearts of Gao Dingxin and his family, Jiang Nengshan is not only an ordinary old party member, but also a bridge connecting the past and the present, his perseverance not only protects the peace of the martyrs, but also brings long-lost comfort and peace to the Gao family. This trip is not only for the pursuit of a family hero, but also a tribute to historical memory and a deep reflection on the meaning of life.
It was not until 2011 that the government, with the support of the villagers and kind-hearted people from all walks of life, finally paid attention to this problem and decided to fund a comprehensive renovation of the martyrs' cemetery, erecting a permanent and honorable marble tombstone for each martyr to highlight their heroic deeds.
However, the long river of history has taken away the names and deeds of many martyrs, making it difficult to confirm the identities of many martyrs. Despite the best efforts to find and sort them out, in the end, many heroes could not rest in peace with their real names, so they had to erect a monument to the unknown heroes as a way to express their sorrow and respect.
Just as the family was discussing these unsung heroes, Gao Dingxin's father-in-law, who was also a retired veteran party member, suddenly became extremely excited and insisted on sharing the heroic deeds of the martyrs whose names could be confirmed. In these stories, the father-in-law mentions a battalion commander named Gao Defu, who died heroically in a battle in Xiongjiazui.
This name struck Gao Dingxin's heart suddenly, and his heart was surging with complicated emotions - could it be that this Gao Defu battalion commander was the "fine grandfather" he had been looking for? He never thought that his relatives would reappear in his life in such a way.
This discovery made Gao Dingxin fall into deep thought, and he began to try to connect the family history with the past of the martyr battalion commander, trying to find a possible connection between the two. With further understanding and exploration, Gao Dingxin gradually firmly believed that this martyr named Gao Defu was the long-lost hero of his family - his "fine grandfather". This unexpected discovery not only piqued his interest in family history, but also made him feel the continuation of a family emotion that transcends time and space.
In 2021, the 83-year-old Jiang Nengshan still sticks to his promise and takes care of the quiet cemetery, where 73 Red Army martyrs are rested. During the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he told the participants the stories of the young heroes who died heroically in the storm of revolution and gave their precious lives for the faith and the future.
Initially, the descendants of the Gao family wanted to move Gao Defu's remains back to their hometown so that they could be more closely worshipped and commemorate, and their thinking changed over time. They recognize that Goldford and his comrades have gone through the trials of life and death together, and that the brotherhood between them goes beyond blood ties. Therefore, the Gao family decided to let Gao Defu stay with his comrades, and this land carries their common memories and sacrifices.
Entering 2022, the old man Jiang Nengshan, who is over eighty years old, is still loyally guarding the martyr's cemetery full of heroic atmosphere. Although the traces of time have made his steps no longer light, and he needs to rely on a cane to support his fragile body, his heart is still unwavering, full of deep respect and nostalgia for the martyrs.
In an interview with the media, the old man Jiang Nengshan said in a slightly hoarse but firm voice: "As long as these legs can still support me to stand, I will never give up my mission." This sentence, like the belief he has adhered to for many years, shows an old party member's endless respect for heroes and persistent pursuit of career.
"In this era, we need to remember the heroes, and we will never forget those martyrs who sacrificed for peace and justice. Jiang Nengshan's words, like the echo of the times, remind everyone not to forget history, cherish peace, and pay the highest respect to those heroes who have worked tirelessly for national independence and people's happiness.
The story of the old man Jiang Nengshan, like a bright light, illuminates the way forward, he is not only the guardian of the martyrs' cemetery, but also the messenger of the heroic spirit, with his own actions to interpret the respect for heroes and the responsibility for history. In his view, guarding the resting place of this hero is the best commemoration of that period of blood and fire, and it is also an expectation and commitment to the future.