In the Anti-Japanese War, in the New Fourth Army, compared with the magnificent acting commander Chen Yi, Huang Kecheng, the commander of the 3rd Division, was much more stingy. In his troops, military uniforms did not have small lapels, the two pockets under the tunic were also eliminated, and the brim of the military hat was thinner than others. He is known as the "most angry division commander".
Master Huang's "stinginess" has been taught by many people.
The 8 Brigade has a group of small scouts between the ages of 12 and 15. In the winter of 1941, none of them had only a single coat on them, and when the north wind blew, they all shivered from the cold. However, they are clever and brave, and have completed the tasks assigned by their superiors many times.
One day, Xue Weiwu, the head of the third district of Liandong County, came to visit them and found that the nine imps were thinly dressed, and their faces were blue from the cold, and some of them were coughing and running noses. District Chief Xue felt the seriousness of the matter, looked at these little ghosts distressedly, pondered for a while, and said to the little ghost Li Hengfu: "Tomorrow Division Commander Huang will hold a joint meeting of army cadres and local cadres in Beisha, and then you will say that you will hand over the affection directly to Division Commander Huang." As long as you can find a way to enter the venue, I can help you report the situation to Master Huang. ”
The next day, Li Hengfu rushed to the venue as promised. Seeing Li Hengfu coming in, District Chief Xue immediately introduced to Master Huang: "This is Li Hengfu, he is engaged in intelligence with a group of imps, and the work has been done very well, but the conditions are too difficult, and the winter is almost over, and they are still wearing single clothes." ”
Master Huang listened carefully to District Chief Xue's introduction, looked at Li Hengfu's clothes again, thought for a while, and opened a note, which read: Please ask the Second Section of the Liandong County Government to issue Comrade Li Hengfu 19 yuan to buy winter clothes.
Li Hengfu was carrying the note written by Master Huang, and he was very happy in his heart. However, he couldn't figure out why Master Huang had given me 19 yuan instead of 20 yuan? As a result, when he returned to the station, everyone excitedly discussed making cotton clothes. Calculate and calculate, no matter how you calculate, it is not enough for each person to make a set.
There happened to be a little ghost named Ni Xuefu, whose mother happened to come to the army and also participated in everyone's discussion. Finally, at her suggestion, they went to the pawnshop and bought some expired clothes that no one had redeemed, dismantled and washed them, and put them together to make winter clothes. Later, they asked for some old cotton wool from the more enlightened local gentry's home, and after some patchwork, sewing and mending, everyone happily put on the cotton clothes.
Why did Huang Kecheng only approve 19 yuan instead of 20 yuan?
The conclusion was: "Stingy." ”
However, it was Huang Kecheng who thought that the problem that could be solved by 19 yuan would never take 20 yuan, and the "stingy" he won another title: "The teacher who can live a special life". Even in 1941, when the economy of the anti-Japanese base areas in the country was the most difficult period, the surplus grain of Huang Kecheng's 3rd division was enough for the whole division to eat for 3 years (see Li Chunhua's reminiscence article "19 Yuan and Nine Cotton Clothes").
After everyone learned the news, they said: "'Spectaclesman' Master Huang is very far-sighted and diligent and thrifty. ”
Chen Guanren's book "The Great River Goes East: Why They Follow Mao Zedong" recounts this matter. The book is the society's annual bestseller, and once ranked ninth on China's political and military bestseller list (pictured).