It was a sunny morning, and there was a bustle in front of the gate of the Supreme Procuratorate. An old farmer in a cotton coat bent his back and slowly paced at the gate. From time to time, he looked through the door, as if looking for someone. The head of the guard squad noticed that this depressed old man had been wandering here for a long time, and stepped forward to inquire about his intentions. Only then did the old peasant muster up the courage to ask the guard squad leader about a leader named "Huang Huoqing". Hearing this, the guard squad leader looked at the old peasant's shabby attire, and teasingly said that this leader is not something that anyone can see if they want to. At this moment, a black car slowly drove out of the gate, and the old farmer immediately straightened up his rickety body, ran desperately towards the car, and shouted loudly while banging on the car window: "Old chief, old chief, I'm Xiao Chengjia!" I'm your soldier, Xiao Chengjia of the propaganda team, from the Red 9th Army, don't you recognize me? The chief prosecutor who was driving the car was stunned by this sudden move, and the old peasant's excited eyes and words made him feel a little familiar and cordial. What happened, and what kind of relationship did there have between this tired old farmer and Xiao Chengjia, a member of the propaganda team back then? How will Huang Huoqing, the former director of the Political Department of the Red Ninth Army, respond to this old farmer who stopped the car?
Youth without regrets: reminiscing about the red years
In 1916, Xiao Chengjia was born in Ji'an, the old revolutionary base area of Jiangxi. His family has been farming for generations, and although they work hard, they can barely make ends meet. Fortunately, his parents cut down on food and clothing for Xiao Chengjia to go to private school for two years, making him one of the few literate people in his hometown.
However, poverty hindered Xiao Chengjia's path to continue his education. After dropping out of school, he could no longer be satisfied with the idyllic life of looking at the sky all day long. Mr. Private School often tells students about the vast world outside, which provokes Xiao Chengjia's yearning for a free life.
At this time, the workers' and peasants' revolutionary army led by Zhu De and Mao Zedong came to Ji'an. In 1928, 12-year-old Xiao Chengjia joined the Red Army and became one of the "red imps". Although he was still young, he was brave, witty, and diligent, and was soon assigned to the Red Fifth Army as a propaganda officer.
The work of propagandists was extremely important, as they disseminated revolutionary ideas among the various companies and boosted morale with singing, opera and allegro. With his outstanding performance, Xiao Chengjia was transferred to the famous Red Ninth Army Corps, the main force of the Central Red Army, as the head of the propaganda team.
In 1934, Chairman Mao personally issued an order, the Central Soviet Region was in an emergency, and the Red Army was forced to withdraw from the old area of Jiangxi. The 25,000-mile Long March began. The Red Ninth Army set off from Changting, Fujian, paving the way for the safety of the left flank of the Red First Army.
On the march, Huang Huoqing suddenly found Xiao Chengjia and asked him to take a small platoon of top soldiers to surprise the enemy army who was about to arrive. The young propagandist took the order with trepidation, even though he had never been on the battlefield.
Sure enough, after waiting for a long time, the enemy army came in a mighty way. Xiao Chengjia gave an order, and the bullets of the Red Ninth Army were scattered like hailstones. The enemy was crushed under heavy fire, throwing down his weapons and fleeing in panic.
Although he was slightly injured, propagandist Xiao Chengjia tasted the joy of victory for the first time, and he was extremely proud in his heart. This battle made him really change from civilian to combat sequence, and officially joined the steel torrent of the Red Army. Since then, Xiao Chengjia and his comrades-in-arms of the Red Ninth Army have fought bloodily, passed through many hardships and dangers, and embarked on a journey full of thorns.
Flames of War: A Turning Point in Fate
In 1936, after more than two years of arduous Long March, the Red Army finally arrived in Linxia, Gansu Province. At this time, there were only more than 3,000 people left in the Red Ninth Army, and there were heavy casualties. However, the suffering is far from over. In November of that year, the Red Army encountered a rendezvous with the recalcitrant Kuomintang army in Gulang County, Gansu Province, and fell into an unprepared and tragic battle.
The Red Ninth Army was ordered to act as the vanguard, personally charging into battle and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. Despite the small numbers, the commanders and fighters of the Red Army fought bravely to kill the enemy and regarded death as if they were home. Xiao Chengjia, the captain of the propaganda team, also took the lead, raising his arms and shouting in the battle to encourage everyone's fighting spirit.
However, the enemy forces were outnumbered, heavy weapons were fired, and the Red Army front was broken several times. During this period, a grenade exploded next to Xiao Chengjia, he was severely injured, his legs were broken on the spot, and he lost a lot of blood and was on the verge of death.
At this moment, Ma Jiajun, who was desperate due to the turbulence of the times, came to the rescue. The Ma Jiajun is the remnant of the old Northeast warlord army, and at this time they are trapped for most of their lives, eager to make a comeback in this battle. They found Xiao Chengjia dying, and immediately treated him, and at the same time captured Xiao Chengjia.
After the war, Ma Jiajun was allowed to return to his hometown. Xiao Chengjia was imprisoned in the Ma Jiajun arsenal. In addition to simple meals every day, he can only move in a small space, and his serious injuries have not healed. During this time, by chance, he escaped captivity, but he was already at the end of his crossbow. In the end, Xiao Chengjia was rescued by an old woman in the countryside at the moment of life and death, and nursed to restore his health.
After waking up, Xiao Chengjia was shocked to find that he was in his hometown of Ji'an. The former peasant boy is now disabled and disabled, and it is difficult for him to put on his uniform again and make a revolution again. He had to live in seclusion in the countryside for a while, waiting for the right moment. For Xiao Chengjia, it is a great regret to leave his comrades in the Red Army for many years, but the greater pain is that he does not know the whereabouts of the Red Army, and his life and death are tormented.
In the past few years in his hometown, Xiao Chengjia was quite ashamed, and the noble cause he had sworn to defend had to be put aside for the time being. He worked diligently in the fields as a farmer, thinking about the ups and downs of his revolutionary career, and his heart was sometimes full of nostalgia, sometimes he lost his direction. However, he never gave up his sincere revolutionary heart and still patiently waited for the opportunity to return to the war.
Interlude: Xiao Chengjia's adventures in a foreign land
In the first few years after returning to his hometown, Xiao Chengjia lived a peaceful rural life. But as a hot-blooded young man who once aspired to change China's destiny, he always couldn't let go of his heart. He often wandered among the fields, looking into the distance, thinking of his comrades-in-arms who shared weal and woe with him.
By chance, Xiao Chengjia met a mysterious stranger. The man claimed to be a member of a secret organization whose purpose was to overthrow the Kuomintang reactionaries and establish a just and free New China. Xiao Chengjia was very interested in and fond of the organization's goals.
The man saw Xiao Chengjia's enthusiasm and talent, and invited him to join the organization. After some hesitation, Xiao Chengjia decisively agreed. His desire to return to the revolution finally had an outlet.
Soon, Xiao Chengjia was arranged by this underground organization to go to a remote secret base for training. There, he met like-minded revolutionaries from all over the world. Everyone falsely claims to be farmers, but in fact they are all burning with the ambition and pride to transform China.
The training life was extremely difficult, they lived in simple caves, practiced martial arts with their bare hands every day, and raced against time to learn various skills such as explosives and codes. Due to his training in the army in the past, Xiao Chengjia soon became a leader in the organization.
Soon, the leader of the organization appreciated Xiao Chengjia and gave him an important task - to go deep into the enemy's interior to spy on his whereabouts. In order to show his loyalty and determination, Xiao Chengjia accepted this "honor" as a matter of course.
Xiao Chengjia disguised himself as a petty trader and infiltrated a local Kuomintang arsenal. By selling small goods, he gradually got to know the soldiers stationed in the garrison and gained their trust. Once, when a Kuomintang unit was attacked by local armed forces, Xiao Chengjia bravely came to the rescue, winning the appreciation of the commander of the arsenal.
With this solid identity cover, Xiao Chengjia was able to lurk in the arsenal for a long time, always keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the Kuomintang army. He passed on the valuable military information he had obtained back to the organization through various secret channels. There, he was regarded as a highly decorated spy hero.
Gradually, Xiao Chengjia began to doubt and waver about the purpose and practices of this underground organization. He found that this so-called slogan of overthrowing the Kuomintang and establishing a new China was nothing more than a fig leaf to cover up another shady purpose of the organization.
Chongqing Revolution Road: Belief Perpetual Burning
The days lurking in the Kuomintang army gave Xiao Chengjia a better understanding of the dark side of that mysterious organization. He discovered that this self-proclaimed revolutionary underground organization had another ulterior motive. They wantonly embezzled and amassed wealth, exploited the common people, and even secretly colluded with the Kuomintang warlords to do some things that hurt nature and reason.
Faced with such an absurd status quo, Xiao Chengjia was extremely angry in his heart. He began to wonder why he had joined the group in the first place, and was deeply disappointed by what they had done. As a Red Army soldier who had been loyal to the revolutionary cause, Xiao Chengjia was determined to completely break away from this evil organization.
But getting out is not an easy task, and the eyeliner of the organization is everywhere. Xiao Chengjia had to step up his preparations and look for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape. He secretly befriended several members who were also dissatisfied with the leadership of the organization, and discussed a risky escape plan.
On a rainy night, Xiao Chengjia escaped from the arsenal by night. Several accomplices delayed his pursuit for him, and finally died tragically. Xiao Chengjia wandered alone with condolences and self-blame for his deceased comrades.
Clothed in drenched linen, he walked along the rugged mountain road, his eyes firmly headed northwest. That is the direction of Yan'an, where the Chinese Communists are based, and where all revolutionary fires originate. In the days and nights of his escape, Xiao Chengjia often recalled the bloody years when he joined the Red Army when he was young.
The desolate mountains and rivers of Datong in the northwest and the reckless climate of Yan'an gradually coincided, as if they were calling to him. The revolutionary fire in Xiao Chengjia's heart burned in this stop-and-go journey. He was determined to rejoin the revolutionary cause of the Communist Party of China.
After several months of wandering, Xiao Chengjia finally arrived in the Suide area of northern Shaanxi. It was one of the bases of the Red Army in Yan'an. Xiao Chengjia found the local underground party organization and re-reported his desire to join the party to the organization secretary.
In the face of this sincere and ardent request, the local party organization sent someone to examine Xiao Chengjia's origins. After verifying that he had been the propaganda captain of the Red Ninth Army, the local party attached great importance to it and welcomed it. Soon, Xiao Chengjia joined the Communist Party of China and rejoined the torrent of revolution.
From Suide, Xiao Chengjia went to Yan'an again to reunite with his Red Army comrades-in-arms who grew up with him. There, he was once again groomed by the party to learn to better serve the people in the future. Although he lost his way for a while, Xiao Chengjia finally rediscovered the highest meaning and goal of life with his sincere heart for the revolutionary cause.
Faith Forever: Fight for New China
After rejoining the Communist Party of China, Xiao Chengjia immediately threw himself into the flames of the War of Resistance Against Japan. In 1939, he was ordered to return to his hometown of Jiangxi to serve as a propaganda officer of the Fifth Division of the New Fourth Army, the same position he first joined the Red Army in that year.
In the war-torn years, the New Fourth Army continued to expand guerrilla warfare against the Kuomintang diehards and the Japanese puppet army. Xiao Chengjia was responsible for propaganda on the front line to boost morale and call on the masses to support the anti-Japanese base areas. He was well aware of the importance of propaganda work, so he carried all kinds of propaganda posters, portable printing equipment and other tools with him, printed and distributed leaflets and murals in various parts of the battlefield in a timely manner, and nourished the soldiers' faith with red culture.
In 1941, Xiao Chengjia's New Fourth Army unit was suddenly attacked by the Kuomintang army in Jiangxi. In order to protect and strengthen the anti-Japanese base areas, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China personally shouted to the Kuomintang, and the two sides finally signed the famous "Double Ten" agreement to stop the bloodshed of each other.
However, Chiang Kai-shek was not sincere, and soon launched an even bloodier campaign of extermination against the New Fourth Army. The two sides encountered a tragic battle in Nanxiong, and Xiao Chengjia was also caught in it. In the chaotic rain of bullets, he ran and shouted, organizing the soldiers of the art troupe to throw bright red propaganda materials in front.
In the midst of a fierce battle, a stray arrow attacked Xiao Chengjia from behind, and he fell to the ground in response, and a large amount of blood flowed wildly. Just when his comrades thought that he was going to die for a long time, Xiao Chengjia suddenly struggled to get up, raised the propaganda poster in his hand, and shouted angrily at the Kuomintang army position: "Comrades, do a lot of propaganda!" Stick to the end, and New China will be born! ＂
Surrounded by his comrades-in-arms, Xiao Chengjia was carried off the battlefield and immediately treated him. Due to the sudden change in the situation, the two sides were in a stalemate, and had to temporarily cease fire. Although Xiao Chengjia was seriously injured, he was rescued in time due to the opportunity.
In 1949, under the leadership of the party, after 28 years of bloody struggle, the Chinese people finally completely shook off the humiliation of a century and ushered in the dawn of national liberation. Xiao Chengjia personally participated in this magnificent historical torrent, and he fought side by side with countless revolutionary aspirants, contributing all his youth to the birth of New China.
During the Liberation War, Xiao Chengjia was caught in the rain of bullets many times and dealt with death countless times. His red revolutionary heart burned unquenched. Even though the bullets rained down, he still held high the propaganda poster and insisted on fighting to the end. It was this kind of loyalty that allowed him to escape death again and again in the smoke of war.
In 1979, the People's Republic of China had gone through 30 eventful years. A generation of revolutionary fighters is now old and dead, but their great achievements are immortalized. In this year, the old revolutionary Xiao Chengjia decided to return to Beijing and revisit the place where he fought bloodily. He was recognized by an old comrade-in-arms in front of the Great Hall of the People. So, there is the opening scene.