In modern Chinese history, Chongqing Dregs Cave is a painful place name. Between 1939 and 1945, the old lime pit on the outskirts of Chongqing was converted into a secret prison by the Kuomintang government, where a large number of Communists and their supporters were held. The Dregs Cave is not just a simple prison, it is also a symbol of the Kuomintang's anti-communist high-pressure policy, witnessing the blood and tears of countless revolutionaries.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, although the Kuomintang and the Communist Party appeared to cooperate on the surface, the suspicion and suppression of the Communist Party within the Kuomintang never stopped. During the War of Liberation, as the Communist Party grew stronger, the Kuomintang's anti-communist policy intensified the search and crackdown on underground workers.
Sheng Guoyu, a woman born in a poor peasant family, fully reflects the struggle and struggle of ordinary people in the great historical torrent of that era. Her husband Yu Zicheng, as an underground intelligence agent of the Communist Party, made Sheng Guoyu also involved in this magnificent historical storm.
Early one morning in 1948, when the sky in Chongqing was overcast as lead, Sheng Guoyu and Yu Zicheng were awakened by a sudden knock on the door of their humble rented house. Outside the door, several spies in civilian clothes stared coldly at Sheng Guoyu, and a tall man asked in a cold voice, "Sheng Guoyu, are you a communist?"
Although Sheng Guoyu's heart was panicked, he pretended to be frightened and innocent on his face: "Wronged, wronged, I'm just an ordinary woman." ”
Her voice was deliberately raised, hoping to warn her comrades in the vicinity. The agents didn't say much and took her away. Under harsh interrogation, Sheng Guoyu insisted that he was just an ordinary person, and he did not admit any connection with the Communist Party to death.
A few days later, Sheng Guoyu was transferred to the infamous Dregs Cave Prison. Here, she meets Yang Hanxiu, a woman from a famous family who was also arrested for her revolutionary ideals, which became the beginning of her tragic friendship.
Yang Hanxiu told her that there was already a secret party branch in the prison, and they continued to fight in this dark environment.
In prison, Sheng Guoyu joined this organization, and suffered the torture of life and death with his fellow inmates, but always maintained his persistence in his beliefs.
Especially Jiang Zhuyun, who lives in the same room with her, a heroine known as Sister Jiang because of her indomitable fighting spirit, gave Sheng Guoyu great support and encouragement.
In the spring of 1949, the situation inside the dregs cave took a sharp turn for the worse. In order to crush the resistance groups in prison, the authorities began one harsh search after another and tortured interrogations.
During a late-night search, she wittily hid in the urinal of the men's restroom, taking advantage of the prison guards' taboo in this place to avoid the threat of death again and again.
In unimaginable circumstances, Sheng Guoyu did not give up hope. She studied secretly in prison and learned from Sister Jiang how to use small stones and branches to convey information and keep in touch with the outside world. This persistence is not only a desire to survive, but also a persistence in faith.
In a chaotic situation, Sheng Guoyu and several fellow inmates took advantage of the stormy night to plan a bold escape. Under the cover of wind and rain and darkness, they touched the high wall and escaped from this demon cave.
Sheng Guoyu, who regained his freedom, although he was physically weak, was extremely strong mentally. After liberation, she was placed in a new community and started a new life. In the years that followed, Sheng continued her career in education, educating a new generation with her own experience and knowledge. Yu Zicheng also reunited with Sheng Guoyu after the war.
Sheng Guoyu's story is part of the story of thousands of revolutionaries who used her own experience to show the world the power of faith and courage. In that turbulent era, countless ordinary people like Sheng Guoyu participated in extraordinary history in the way of ordinary people.
Looking back at the past today, we are not only commemorating the heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom and ideals, but also thinking about how to pass on this spirit of upholding faith and courageous struggle.
In the context of the current rapid development of society and the pluralism of values, Sheng Guoyu's story reminds us that no matter how the environment changes, inner faith and the pursuit of justice will always be the common wealth of mankind.