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Preface
In the spring of 1946, a precious group photo on the streets of Shanghai captured the image of Ling Weicheng, the widow of head Xie Jinyuan, and her four children. This is a picture full of pathos and tenacity: Ling Weicheng is only in her thirties, but her face is old, and under the black cheongsam is her endless longing for the loss of her husband and the burden of taking care of the family. The Anti-Japanese War has just ended, how can the family find a way out of material scarcity and the changes of the times, and how will Ling Weicheng lead the children to face the challenges of the future? Let's take a little history to learn about it.
Born into a respectable family in Shanghai, Ling Weicheng was educated at the Southeast Sports College, where she was known for her singing and dancing talents. Life was originally ordinary and smooth, until she met Xie Jinyuan, a tenacious young man from Guangdong, who changed the trajectory of her life.
Xie Jinyuan was born in Jiaoling County, Guangdong Province in 1905, in a typical peasant family, and was the fifth child in the family. In those turbulent times, his family lived a simple and tiring farming life. Xie Jinyuan, who has loved reading since childhood, after graduating from primary school in his hometown, he read many stories of protest, inspired by "serving the country with loyalty", and aspired to become a pillar of the country.
With the rise of the revolutionary trend, the Whampoa Military Academy was established in Guangzhou, attracting countless enthusiastic young people, and Xie Jinyuan was among them. In 1926, with the horn of the Northern Expedition, 21-year-old Xie Jinyuan and his classmates ended their studies early and joined the torrent of history. The following year, he attended the Second Northern Expedition in Wuchang, which marked a new climax in his military career.
By chance, Xie Jinyuan met Ling Weicheng at a friend's wedding in 1927. Ling Weicheng was born into a culturally rich family in Shanghai, and her mother was a well-known local musical talent, who grew up under the influence of art. When they first met, the two were attracted to each other's temperament.
As the Northern Expedition intensified, Xie Jinyuan rarely had the opportunity to meet Ling Weicheng. In 1928, during the Battle of Jinan, he was unfortunately wounded and forced to be hospitalized for a long time. During this difficult period, Ling Weicheng ignored the opposition of his family and frequently visited the hospital, and the relationship between the two deepened in the suffering. On the occasion of recovery, Xie Jinyuan solemnly proposed to Ling Weicheng.
Although Ling Weicheng's grandmother had reservations about this family affair and worried that the career of a soldier would be full of uncertainty and danger, Ling Weicheng firmly chose to spend the rest of his life with Xie Jinyuan. In September 1929, the two held a simple wedding and officially became husband and wife.
After getting married, they welcomed two daughters and a son. Although family life was full of love, the turmoil of war outside often cast a shadow over their lives. The Japanese invasion left countless civilians displaced and living in hardship. As a soldier, Xie Jinyuan frequently went to the front line, leaving Ling Weicheng worried in the rear, often facing the burden of the family alone and worrying about her husband's safety.
Xie Jinyuan's military career began, and he soon became prominent in the Northern Expedition and became the commander of the pioneer battalion. His bravery on the battlefield earned him the respect of his leaders and comrades. At the same time, his and Ling's family life became more and more fulfilling, and by 1936 the couple had three children.
Although their family was often affected by the war, Xie Jinyuan tried his best to make up for his absence from the child's growth every time he returned home from vacation. Every time he returned, he would bring back small gifts from all over the world to share his experiences on the front line with his children, and Ling Weicheng used her talents to add joy and artistic atmosphere to the family.
Although the uncertainty of the war has always loomed over the family, Xie Jinyuan and Ling Weicheng's shared ideals and hopes for the future have enabled them to stay true to their commitment to each other and continue to find the light of happiness in the turbulent times.
In 1936, during the wave of Japanese aggression in the south, the Shanghai front line fell into a severe war situation. The Japanese army broke through our defense line in the Chuanshakou and Wusong areas one after another, and the situation was urgent. After several unsuccessful counterattacks, our army was forced to retreat and gradually distanced itself from the downtown area of Shanghai. In order to prevent the Central Combat Army in Shanghai from being surrounded by enemy forces, Chiang Kai-shek decided to withdraw to the south bank of the Suzhou Creek to maintain strategic depth, leaving part of the 88th Division for cover.
At the critical moment, Xie Jinyuan, the deputy commander of the 524th Regiment, stepped forward and volunteered to stay behind to contain the Japanese army. By this time, the 524th Regiment had suffered heavy losses, and even the regimental commander had been killed. The remnants of the troops were only a few companies of 500 men drawn on a temporary basis. Xie Jinyuan led the unit, consisting of three infantry companies, one machine gun company and one mortar company, stationed at the Sixing warehouse.
The Sihang Warehouse was located to the west and north of the Japanese occupation, and the southeast side was adjacent to the Public Concession, forming an isolated battlefield. According to the Central News Agency, the unit was known as the "Eight Hundred Heroes", and their heroic resistance quickly became known throughout the country. Although he knew that this was a battle that was almost impossible to survive, Xie Jinyuan was determined to pledge his life to the country and ensure the safe retreat of the central troops.
Before the war, Xie Jinyuan and his soldiers strengthened the defenses of the Sixing warehouse, blocking all entrances and exits with grain sacks, leaving only the shooting holes that the muzzles could penetrate. He also ordered the destruction of all lighting installations and the burning of surrounding buildings that could be used by the enemy to ensure the concealment of the troops.
In battle, the 800 brave men showed extraordinary courage and perseverance. On October 27, when the Japanese first tried to attack the warehouse, they met with stubborn resistance and were forced to retreat. The Japanese then increased their forces and attempted to capture the warehouses through successive onslaughts, but were thwarted by the defenders.
The sturdy construction of the Sixing warehouse and the heroic resistance of 800 brave men made the Japanese army very depressed. In the following days, the Japanese even used planes and tanks in an attempt to destroy the warehouses with overwhelming firepower. However, the sturdy structure made of reinforced concrete, combined with the carefully placed fortifications of the defenders, made all the efforts of the Japanese army go to waste.
The battle continued until the fourth day, and after losing a large number of troops, the Japanese offensive tended to frenzy. However, in the continuous battle of four days and four nights, the defenders of the warehouse not only destroyed many enemy tanks, but also caused more than 200 Japanese casualties, showing amazing combat effectiveness.
On October 29, he sent a telegram to his superior, Sun Yuanliang, expressing his determination not to retreat: "We will never retreat lightly, let alone do anything greedy for life and fear of death." Before the Jin Yuan battle to the last moment, the officers and men of our battalion will make the enemy pay the price. "Never disappoint, loyal to the country!"
On the night of October 30, when the order to retreat was received, Xie Jinyuan led his troops to withdraw to the British Concession. Under intense pressure from the Japanese, the British demanded that Xie Jinyuan and his troops surrender their weapons, and they were immediately restricted from their freedom and began a four-year period of isolation.
During this difficult period, the Nationalist Government seemed to have forgotten these brave warriors. When it was proposed that the fighters be quietly transferred in the name of refugees visiting the lone camp, Xie Jinyuan firmly refused, insisting: "I was ordered to retreat, and I came here openly, and I should leave with dignity." "He couldn't bear the offer to take advantage of innocent refugees.
Xie Jinyuan and his troops' lone stubbornness has attracted widespread attention in society, and his own influence has also grown. There have been several attempts by Japanese agents to infiltrate and assassinate him, but they have been unsuccessful. All this deepened his image as a hero in the hearts of the people, and his perseverance and sacrifice became a legend.
By 1941, Xie Jinyuan's daily life was seriously disrupted, and some officers and soldiers were dissatisfied with his decision. On April 24, Xie Jinyuan led the troops out of the exercise as usual. During a routine inspection, he noticed that four soldiers were late and publicly reprimanded them. This move angered some soldiers who had been bought by the Japanese puppet, among whom Hao Dingcheng and others chose to betray at this time, and they suddenly swung their knives at Xie Jinyuan.
This sudden attack resulted in Xie Jinyuan being fatally injured and died heroically at the age of 37. Xie Jinyuan's strong oath was Ling Weicheng's spiritual pillar in the face of suffering, illuminating her path in the long dark night. However, when the brutal war took her husband, the woman who had always been resolute almost collapsed.
Faced with the sad news of her husband's assassination, her heart was filled with grief and despair, and she once wanted to give up her life, but for the sake of her children, she reluctantly suppressed these impulses. After Xie Jinyuan's death, Ling Weicheng's life became even more difficult. In the autumn of 1941, she went to Chongqing with her four children, hoping to get the support of the Nationalist government. Because Xie Jinyuan was recognized as a national martyr, Ling Weicheng was received by Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling, but although the other party showed concern, the actual help provided was very limited.
The 50,000 yuan legal currency pension that Ling Weicheng received was used to buy some land in Jiaoling and struggled to make ends meet. With the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, she returned to Shanghai with her family in March 1946, a journey full of hope and unknown. On the way, thanks to the help of Xie Jinyuan's former comrades-in-arms, she was able to arrive safely.
After returning to Shanghai, Ling Weicheng published a news in the newspaper, saying that the widow of the anti-Japanese general Xie Jinyuan had arrived in Shanghai and was living in the Xinxin Hotel. This news quickly attracted widespread attention, and many old comrades-in-arms came to visit. Ling Weicheng saw that these veterans, who had fought alongside her husband, were now living in dire straits, and she resolutely took on the responsibility of caring for them.
Ling's actions are not limited to verbal support. She actively sought out resources and opportunities to help these veterans reintegrate into society, including organizing them to start small businesses, such as the production and sale of soap and socks. She also led them in securing jobs at the docks and other places, and even reclaiming real estate from the Japanese to generate income.
After unsuccessfully trying to seek help from Nanjing, Ling Weicheng repeatedly negotiated with the Shanghai municipal government in the hope of getting more support. However, the bureaucracy at all levels passed the buck and her efforts did not yield tangible results. In 1948, she organized veterans to fence Xie Jinyuan's cemetery and the surrounding land, and began to collect rent to fund the lives of these veterans.
After the liberation of the country, Ling Weicheng wrote a letter to Chen Yi, then mayor of Shanghai, who responded quickly, giving instructions to ensure that Xie Jinyuan's bereaved family was properly cared for, that the property on Wusong Road and the surrounding vacant land were used by her, and that the relevant fees were waived.
Ling's persistence eventually won her and her children a stable home. Although the government later offered him a better job, Ling chose to work in a nearby nursery and garment factory to take care of his children until his retirement in 1973.
Ling Weicheng died in 1991 at the age of 84. In accordance with her last wishes, she was buried in the Soong Ching Ling Cemetery, where she was buried in the same place as her husband Xie Jinyuan, leaving behind her legendary story of resilience and love.