On April 19, 1984, He Zizhen, a veteran revolutionary soldier who had fought alongside Mao Zedong, passed away. At her memorial service, the presence of a middle-aged man attracted the attention of everyone present. From time to time, the man cried bitterly and shouted "Auntie, aunt" to He Zizhen's body. Who is he? Why is he so sad? What is the special relationship between him and the late He Zizhen? What kind of extraordinary life experience is hidden behind this seemingly ordinary middle-aged man?
The red base of Yongxin Sanjie and Jinggang Mountain
Jiangxi Yongxin is known as the "old revolutionary area". A group of revolutionary heroes were born here, the most famous of which are the three brothers and sisters of the He family.
The eldest brother, He Minxue, joined the Communist Party at an early age and became one of the earliest Communist Party members in Yongxin. The younger sister He Yi is also the elder brother and serves in the Women's Department of the Yongxin County Party Committee. The youngest, He Zizhen, although he did not officially join the party, had lofty revolutionary ideals and made outstanding contributions to underground work.
In 1927, the National Revolution suffered a serious setback, and the Communists were brutally suppressed. He Minxue and others were forced to leave Yongxin and move to Jinggangshan. Soon, He Zizhen and He Yi also came here, and the three siblings were reunited under difficult conditions.
At this time, Mao Zedong led the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising to Jinggangshan to seek a new world for the development of the revolutionary cause. The three brothers and sisters of the He family fully supported Mao Zedong and provided various help such as food, lodging, intelligence and other help for the Red Army.
On Jinggang Mountain, the like-minded Mao Zedong and He Zizhen fell in love. In 1928, they married in this red land and started a period of eventful years.
The Jinggangshan period was a key turning point for China's revolutionary forces from weak to strong. Here, Mao Zedong created the correct path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing power by armed force, established the party's position as the core of leadership, and laid the foundation for a national victory in the future.
The three brothers and sisters of the He family, as Mao Zedong's closest comrades-in-arms and confidants, played an important role in this historical process. With their blood and lives, they paved the way for the victory of the Chinese revolutionary cause.
A difficult choice on the Long March
In October 1934, the main force of the Central Red Army began the famous strategic shift - the Long March. It was a very arduous road, on which the officers and men of the Red Army paid a heavy price.
For He Zizhen, the Long March was also full of trials and painful choices. At the time, she was pregnant, and it stands to reason that she should stay behind. But He Zizhen insisted on following the main force of the Red Army, and she did not want to be separated from her husband Mao Zedong.
In this way, He Zizhen stepped on the road of the Long March while pregnant. Along the way, she had to endure tremendous physical and mental torture. The lack of oxygen on the plateau, the lack of food, and the relentless pursuit of the enemy are all difficulties that she must face.
What's even more difficult is that during the Long March, He Zizhen encountered a production crisis. In May 1935, when the Red Army arrived in Huining, Gansu, He Zizhen was in unbearable pain and gave birth soon.
However, at that time, the transfer of the Red Army was at a crucial moment, and the enemy planes and enemy troops were constantly attacking, and the situation was extremely critical. Producing in this environment is undoubtedly fatal. Doctors in the Red Army medical corps advised that a caesarean section must be performed immediately.
But the conditions were rudimentary: there were no sterile operating rooms, no basic medical equipment, not even anesthetics. The risks of surgery in such a terrible environment are enormous.
Faced with such a difficult choice, Mao Zedong and other leaders had repeated discussions and trade-offs. In the end, they decided to follow the doctor's advice for surgery, because if they don't give birth, both mother and child will be in danger of life.
So, the Red Army medical team performed a caesarean section for He Zizhen in a simple grass house. During the whole process, He Zizhen gritted his teeth and did not let out a single moan.
In this dangerous environment, a baby boy was born. Unfortunately, in order to cover the actions of the main force, the child had to be left to be raised in the home of a local villager.
After giving birth, He Zizhen was very weak, but she still gritted her teeth and insisted on following the Red Army. Soon, the Red Army was sniped and bombed by the Kuomintang army, and He Zizhen was unfortunately shot and wounded.
Although she escaped, He Zizhen's wounds could not be treated well due to the harsh environment, and shrapnel remained in her body, causing her long-term pain and suffering.
In such a difficult environment, He Zizhen still insisted on the revolution and did not flinch at all. With her actions, she exemplifies the tenacity of a true communist.
Just when He Zizhen was suffering a heavy blow, there was also a quarrel between her and her husband Mao Zedong. The quarrel began when He Zizhen wanted to stay in the northwest, while Mao insisted that she must follow the Red Army.
In the end, the angry He Zizhen left the main force of the Red Army and went to Xi'an. Then she went to the Soviet Union and began a long life of exile.
This decision caused He Zizhen great pain. During her time in the Soviet Union, she not only suffered the devastation of war, but also experienced the loss of her son, and was even imprisoned in an insane asylum for a time.
It wasn't until 1947 that He Zizhen finally returned to the motherland with her daughter Li Min, but her fate with her husband Mao Zedong was slim. Mao Zedong had married Jiang Qing at this time, and He Zizhen could only choose to stay away from Beijing and go to Shanghai to live.
Since then, the once close revolutionary couple has parted ways and never reunited. Although He Zizhen was loyal all her life, she eventually failed to spend the rest of her life with her husband. This is destined to be the biggest regret of her life.
The birth of a mysterious identity
In July 1931, in a secret place in the Hunan and Jiangxi Soviet districts, a newlywed couple married in the presence of the party organization. The groom is Mao Zetan, the party representative of the 31st Regiment of the Red Fourth Army, and the bride is He Yi, the women's minister of the Yongxin County Party Committee.
The union of this couple is not only a good story, but also a rare episode in the history of the revolution. Mao Zetan is Mao Zedong's third brother, and He Yi is the sister of He Zizhen, who shared Mao Zedong's life and death.
In this way, through this marriage, the fates of the Mao family and the He family are once again closely intertwined. It's a pity that this marriage was too short-lived, and after only three years, Mao Zetan unfortunately died on the front line of the war.
At that time, He Yi, who was pregnant, was forced to leave the battlefield and go to Ganzhou to work underground. In December 1934, she received the bad news that her husband Mao Zetan had been killed. In order to protect the only flesh and blood, He Yi entrusted the child to his relative in his hometown, He Tiaoyuan, and he continued to adhere to the revolutionary cause.
In this way, a boy named He Lucheng was born, his father was the heroic Mao Zetan, and his mother was the tenacious He Yi. However, as fate would have it, not long after He Lucheng was born, his mother He Yi was forced to leave and go to work underground.
Since then, He Lucheng grew up in the home of his maternal grandfather, He Tiaoyuan. Fourteen years later, in 1949, He Yi finally found the whereabouts of his son, and the scene of mother and son recognizing each other made people cry. But fate made people, only three months together, He Yi died in a car accident, and He Lucheng lost his mother again.
The lonely He Lucheng can only continue to send people under the fence and live on the support of his grandfather. It wasn't until 1950 that after his aunt He Zizhen settled down in Shanghai, she finally took this nephew to her side and gave her meticulous care.
Under He Zizhen's careful care, He Lucheng quickly recovered and went to school as usual. His uncle He Minxue also made a special trip to visit his nephew and encouraged him to study hard and contribute to the construction of the country in the future.
Influenced by his relatives, He Lucheng gradually found the direction of his life. He was not only admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, but also obtained a valuable place to study in the Soviet Union after graduation, and eventually became one of the pioneers of the mainland's missile industry.
However, the origin and identity of this highly decorated scientist have remained a mystery. It wasn't until after the founding of the People's Republic of China that he was discovered, and it turned out to be He Lucheng, who was related to Mao Zedong.
In fact, He Lucheng's true identity is Mao Ancheng, the only son of Mao Zetan and He Yi. The name "He Lucheng" was used to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
He Lucheng was low-key and humble all his life, and never used his background to obtain any privileges. Even after Mao Zedong's death, he only appeared quietly to mourn the body of his aunt He Zizhen.
It is this unpretentious character that has earned He Lucheng the reputation of "a man like Lenin's nephew". He used his life to interpret the noble sentiments that a communist should have.
The rise of scientists and the death of my aunt
Under the careful care of his aunt He Zizhen, He Lucheng quickly recovered and went to school as usual. His uncle He Minxue also made a special trip to visit his nephew and encouraged him to study hard and contribute to the construction of the country in the future.
Influenced by his relatives, He Lucheng gradually found the direction of his life. He was not only admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, but also obtained a valuable place to study in the Soviet Union after graduation, and eventually became one of the pioneers of the mainland's missile industry.
During his college years, He Lucheng has always been diligent and studious, and never wasted time. He knew very well that his background did not bring him any privileges, and he had to rely on his own hands and wisdom to forge a future.
After graduation, He Lucheng was assigned to work in a national defense scientific research unit and engaged in missile research and development. He used his wisdom and talent to make outstanding contributions to the country's missile cause and became a contributor to the development of the mainland's first medium-range surface-to-surface missile, the "Dongfeng-2."
Due to his long-term service in the secret unit, He Lucheng's identity was not known to outsiders for a long time. It wasn't until after the founding of the People's Republic of China that he was discovered, and it turned out to be He Lucheng, who was related to Mao Zedong.
In fact, He Lucheng's true identity is Mao Ancheng, the only son of Mao Zetan and He Yi. The name "He Lucheng" was used to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
He Lucheng was low-key and humble all his life, and never used his background to obtain any privileges. Even after Mao Zedong's death, he only appeared quietly to mourn the body of his aunt He Zizhen.
It is this unpretentious character that has earned He Lucheng the reputation of "a man like Lenin's nephew". He used his life to interpret the noble sentiments that a communist should have.
It's a pity that when He Lucheng made great achievements in his career, his aunt He Zizhen had already entered the final stage of her life. Stroke, hepatitis, diabetes and other diseases struck one after another, causing this revolutionary soldier who had suffered many vicissitudes of life.
In order to save his sister's life, He Minxue exhausted all efforts, but his fate could not be changed after all. On April 19, 1984, He Zizhen died of illness in Shanghai at the age of 82.
He Zizhen's death shocked and mourned the entire party and the country. Deng Xiaoping personally instructed that a grand memorial service should be held for her, and her ashes should be placed in the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.
At He Zizhen's memorial service, there was an endless stream of people who came to see him off. Although He Minxue was unable to attend that day due to excessive grief, He Lucheng made a special trip to mourn his aunt's body.
When people saw the middle-aged man constantly shouting "Auntie, Auntie" to He Zizhen's body, they all became curious about his identity. It wasn't until later that people learned that he was He Lucheng, who was related to Mao Zedong.
end
He Zizhen's death marked the end of a generation of revolutionaries. She has gone through too many hardships and tribulations, but she has never wavered in her loyalty to the revolutionary cause. She used her life to interpret the tenacious qualities that a communist should have.