"I am not old, my heart is not old, my body is not weak, and my ambition is not weak!" In April 1959, He Binglin, a veteran of hunan education circles who went to Beijing to attend the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said passionately at a meeting that he was 83 years old at this time.
During the meeting, He Binglin, accompanied by Zhou Shizhao, vice governor of Hunan Province, met chairman Mao at Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai, and as soon as they met, Chairman Mao shook He Binglin's hand and shouted"Teacher He, Teacher He!" ", the kindness, overflowing with words.
Looking at his most outstanding student, He Binglin was also very relieved, happy to have some hands and feet, the two of them chatted freely, talking about swimming, talking about Hunan, early than the prescribed time, on the occasion of parting, Chairman Mao sent He Binglin two sentences: "Diligent and thrifty school, ask Hanako to ask for rice and no money!" ”。
Looking at He Binglin's hunched body, Chairman Mao sighed again: "The old man is the wealth of the country, and he should rest well!" ”。
Indeed, He Binglin began in 1909, for more than 50 years, saving money and running schools, and in his old age, it was time to live a few days of comfortable life...
He Binglin, a native of Hunan County, was born in the local scholar Xiangmendi, He Binglin's grandfather He Qiyu, was a Qing Dynasty student, attached great importance to education all his life, once donated land to support the establishment of Meigang Academy in Shuxian County, his father He Chengjue was also a student, but unfortunately he could not aspire in his life, and taught the Mongolian Pavilion in the countryside all his life.
In 1900, at the age of 23, He Binglin was admitted to the Middle School Xiucai, and for the next three years, he successively studied at the Wuchang Wen General School and the Hunan Normal Hall, and in August 1903, he crossed to Japan and entered the Tokyo Industrial School for further study.
In Japan, He Binglin opened his eyes and deeply realized that if he wanted to change the weak motherland, he must have developed science and a strong physique, and at the same time, He Binglin also made friends with a group of aspiring young people who went to Japan to study.
In 1906, He Binglin's acquaintance in Japan, Liu Daoyi, launched a recruit uprising in Changsha and was brutally killed, which made He Binglin sad, unexpectedly, after He Binglin returned to China in 1908, he was slandered as coming back to avenge Liu Daoyi, although after many explanations, he regained his freedom, but lost the opportunity to go to Japan to complete his studies.
Unable to go to Japan any longer, He Binglin stayed in Hunan to teach, successively teaching at the Higher Industrial School and the Provincial Excellent Normal School.
In February 1909, He Binglin, together with Liu Guangmeng, Tang Zhanyun, Deng Guoxun and others, raised 2500 yuan to open the South Road Public School, which was the first school he founded.
Unfortunately, He Binglin's road to running the school was not smooth, from 1909 to 1912, in just 3 years, "the principal was seven easy, the school was moved six times", after the resignation of the principal Tang Zhanyun, He Binglin rose to the challenge and worked hard to cultivate excellent talents.
Finally, in 1914, a turning point appeared, Mr. Chen Yicheng, a famous Chinese medicine doctor in Shonan, funded a huge amount of money, the school had a fixed address, and was renamed "Hunan Private Yueyun Middle School".
He Binglin, who has stabilized, can finally put his energy into education, although Yueyun Middle School at that time did not have much fame, but He Binglin had his own goals from the beginning, running schools is to revitalize the country and revitalize scientific talents.
For running a school, He Binglin said two very interesting words, one is: "Running a school to accumulate wealth, the heavens are cursed and destroyed", and the other is: "The children of the wrong people, male thieves and female prostitutes."
In order to run the school well and not "mislead the children", he hired a famous teacher who enjoyed a high reputation in the education circles in Hunan, He Shuheng, Xu Teli, Fu Dingyi, He Luting and others, all of whom were teachers at Yueyun Middle School.
In addition, He Binglin also attaches great importance to cultivating teachers, he selects high-quality students of the school, sends them to the Higher Normal School for further study, and after graduation, he returns to the school to teach, and it is this strategy of "alumni governing the school" that makes Yueyun Middle School enduring.
From 1917 to 1922, He Binglin pioneered the implementation of scholarships to recruit free students, and for a while, students from poor backgrounds and excellent character and learning suddenly poured into Yueyun Middle School.
In 1921, He Binglin did another big thing, that is, in spite of the strong opposition of the conservative forces, he amended the "Regulations for Observer Students", Yang Kaihui, Ding Ling, Wang Peiqiong and other 6 female students had all studied here, and it was also because of Yang Kaihui that Mao Zedong had listened to He Binglin's class here.
As for "running a school to accumulate wealth", He Binglin is even more unsure, Yue Yun is a private school, often too poor to pay wages, in order to make teachers not hungry, He Binglin often borrows money from the outside to pay salaries, and even takes off his watches and leather robes, and exchanges money for salary.
By the 1930s, Yueyun Middle School had become well-known in hunan education circles and was no longer short of money, but He Binglin was still strict with himself, with a monthly salary of only 100 yuan, far lower than the average level at that time, not only that, he also donated more than 30 cartons of land rent left by his ancestors to the school.
During the 55 years that He Binglin served as The Principal of Yue Yun, he did not buy family property, wearing cotton jackets, long shirts, and not even a leather robe.
With such a principal, Yue Yun Middle School, naturally talented, Yang Kaihui, Ding Ling, Meng Shaonong, Deng Hua, etc., are all students of He Binglin, He Binglin's nephew He Mengxiong, but also with Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and other people closely associated, is one of the earliest 53 party members, unfortunately, in 1931, arrested in Shanghai, heroic righteousness.
After 1931, first 918 in the northeast, followed by the "128" in Shanghai, two incidents, let He Binglin understand that the National Government only knows to blindly compromise, the country is becoming more and more dangerous, in order to prevent accidents, he also founded Yueyun Branch School and Yueyun Senior Agricultural Vocational School.
In February 1938, the Japanese army invaded Hunan and bombed Changsha, because of the early preparations, He Binglin moved the school to the branch, and the students continued to attend classes, unfortunately, in September of this year, the branch was "borrowed" by the National Army, and became the military headquarters, He Binglin had no choice but to move the school to Baiguo, eighty miles away.
In 1944, after the fall of Nanyue and Baiguo one after another, Yueyun Middle School was moved to Lantian, until the victory of the War of Resistance, it was moved back to Nanyue, and within a few months of the return, the Liberation War broke out, and He Binglin's education was once again affected.
In 1949, when the People's Liberation Army hit Hunan, He Binglin's former Japanese classmates listened to rumors and wanted to flee to Guangdong and Hong Kong, ran to him, listened to his old friend's words, He Binglin cried and laughed, he said: "I have no land, assets, not afraid of communism, I do not have a wife (my wife has been dead for many years), nor am I afraid of a common wife." "Firmly stayed.
After the founding of New China, Yueyun Middle School was changed to public, He Binglin still served as the principal, as a famous old educator in Hunan education circles, He Binglin was very respected, and successively served as the first, second, and third people's representatives of Hunan Province, members of the Hunan Provincial People's Committee, vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Education Trade Union, and vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
In April 1959, He Binglin went to Beijing to attend the first session of the Third National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where he met Chairman Mao.
Although the time spent with He Binglin was not long, Chairman Mao greatly respected He Binglin's contributions to the revolution, which gave him the feeling that "he is the wealth of the country."
In 1966, He Binglin completed the road of life at the age of 89, and after his death, the state held a solemn memorial service for him, and his ashes were buried in the Nanyue Mid-Levels Pavilion.