In October 1945, when a young man graduated from the training team for training officers sponsored by the Joint Defense Headquarters of the Five Provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Jinsui, he was just in time for the disarmament agreement reached in the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, and he was a little confused and confused about the future, so he found a few classmates to consult with his father.
"Now that we are engaged in peace talks and talk about disarmament, will we not be able to become soldiers in the future?" The young man liked to be a soldier very much, and asked his father with some regret, and several of his classmates were also a little confused, looking at the young man's father with expectant eyes, waiting for the answer of the elders.
The young man's father was not an ordinary person, he was the commander of the Twenty-seventh Army as early as the Red Army, and at this time he was a neighbor with Marshal He Long, and the caves of the two families were next to each other. He Shuai is a humorous and funny person, and he also likes to join in the fun with the youth, and when he sees the neighbors' families crowded, he comes with a pipe.
Marshal He Long
"Now veterans must be laid off, and new recruits must be laid off even more, not to mention those of you who have not been on the battlefield," Marshal He Long said with a smile: "We of the older generation fight in Jiangshan, you can engage in construction, it is difficult to fight Jiangshan, it is even more difficult to engage in construction, it requires knowledge and culture, how about I send you to Beiping to study?" ”
The young man's name was He Yi, and his father was the founding general He Jinnian. It was only a pity that because of the drastic changes in the situation, Chiang Kai-shek tore up the armistice agreement, and they could not go to Beiping to study at that time.
Although they could not go to Beiping, with the improvement of the situation of the Chinese revolution, some of them also ushered in new opportunities and were given the opportunity to study in the Soviet Union.
First, the mysterious "4821" plan
From 1948 onwards, the revolutionary situation in the whole country was already very clear, the people's army continued to win victories on the battlefield, and by the eve of the liberation of the whole northeast in September of that year, the Kuomintang army collapsed and lost the strength to compete with the people's army, and the liberation of all of China was just around the corner.
Against this background, Chairman Mao has begun to draw up a blueprint for the construction of a new China: to build a new China, we must establish our own industrial system, and all walks of life also need a large number of high-tech talents. This is no small challenge for the people's power, which has been engaged in revolutionary struggle for many years.
Moreover, when the war ended, the builders of new China still had to receive systematic education in science and culture and training in professional knowledge and skills, and this matter was already the time that needed serious consideration, sooner rather than later.
To this end, Chairman Mao set his sights on the huge big brother of the north, the Soviet Union.
In the end, the CPC Central Committee decided that the Northeast Bureau would be responsible for selecting and dispatching a group of young cadres with outstanding abilities and political reliability to study in the Soviet Union and receive formal modern higher education in order to reserve talents for the construction of new China. After careful screening and consideration by the Northeast Bureau, a total of 21 young people obtained this valuable study abroad qualification.
These young people must be the children of martyrs at or above the military level or the children of senior cadres, and these people who went to the Soviet Union to study abroad are no longer mainly studying politics and military as in the past, and these people are mainly learning professional and technical knowledge centered on economic construction.
48 years, 21 ambitious young people, this is the mysterious 4821 project.
2. Assemble in Harbin
The list of the twenty-one young people selected was finally approved by Chairman Mao, which also shows the importance that Chairman Mao and the Party Central Committee attach to this matter. These people are orphans of martyrs or red descendants, and their fathers are almost all Chinese familiar heroes who have worn the liver and guts for the revolution.
Among these young cadres were Ye Zhengda and Ye Zhengming, sons of Ye Ting, Zhang Daixia, nephew of General Zhang Zongxun, He Yi, son of General He Jinnian, Luo Beibei, son of martyr Luo Yinong, Xie Shaoming, son of martyr Xie Zichang, Xiao Yongding, son of founding general Xiao Jinguang, Zhu Zhonghong, righteous son of Wang Jiaxiang, Li Peng, son of martyr Li Shuoxun, and descendants of some other revolutionary ancestors.
In addition, there were four girls among these twenty-one people, ye Chumei, daughter of Ye Jianying, Ren Yue, niece of Ren Bishi, Luo Zhentao, daughter of Luo Binghui, and Xiang Suyun, daughter of Xiang Ying.
From these lists, it can also be seen that the students studying abroad this time are the next generation who have grown up in the storm of the revolution, but some of them were even old revolutionaries at that time, and they were also young revolutionary cadres.
For example, as early as 1945, Xie Shaoming was selected by the central government to leave from Yan'an to work in the northeast to enrich the party's strength in the northeast. Although Xie Shao was not very old at that time, he could also be called an "old revolutionary", participating in the revolution as early as the Red Army period and joining the party at the age of fifteen.
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Chairman Mao attached particular importance to the northeast, and he once said at the Seventh National Congress of the Party: "From the perspective of our Party and from the perspective of the recent and future prospects of the Chinese revolution, the northeast is particularly important. Even if all our existing base areas are lost, as long as we still have the northeast, the Chinese revolution will have a solid foundation."
"I was working as a district party secretary in Chifeng City at that time, and in the spring of 1948, I received a report from the Northeast Bureau asking me to go to Harbin to report and prepare to study in the Soviet Union," Xie Shaoming said when recalling this unforgettable study abroad experience.
"After May Day in 1948, I went to Harbin, where some people had gathered, including Li Peng, Ye Zhengda, Ye Zhengming, Ye Chumei, and others, who were working as assistants in the oil and fat factory, while others were studying Russian at a school in Harbin."
"At that time, everyone was staying at the guest house of the Northeast Bureau, they were studying, and I was still working, because Comrade Wang Jiaxiang heard that I came from Rehe and asked me to understand the acceptance of Rehe, we talked several times, and I spent a month to help him sort out a more detailed information." At that time, Li Peng had not yet left his work unit."
Luo Beibei, the son of the martyr Luo Yinong, was designated as the leader of "4821" because of his excellent Russian language. It is worth mentioning that Luo Northwest is also the prototype of Luo Xiaoman in the anti-fascist movie "Red Cherry". Luo Northwest went to the Soviet Union in 1941, where he lived and studied at the Ivanovo International Children's Hospital.
Luo Beibei later said: "At that time, we were waiting for news from the guest house of the Northeast Bureau on two fronts, one was to wait for the approval of the central authorities, and the other was to contact the Soviet side, and we were dealing with the passport of Harbin City, which was agreed by the Soviet side, but the specific reception unit was the Soviet Red Cross Association."
It was not until before departure that all the twenty-one people gathered, and the Northeast Bureau also held a banquet for them, and Lin Biao, Li Fuchun and other high-level people in the northeast all participated in this send-off activity.
Group photo of all members of 4821
The leaders of the Northeast Bureau put forward requirements for these red young people who were shouldering the mission: study the economy and industry well, return to build the motherland as soon as possible, and also stipulate that they were not allowed to fall in love until their studies were completed. Their study and life in the Soviet Union were also reported directly to the Northeast Bureau, and everything was contacted with the Northeast Bureau.
After everything was ready, everyone embarked on the glorious road of studying for the construction of new China with excitement, and they also secretly vowed to learn and succeed, master the skills and contribute to the future construction of new China.
3. Study for the revitalization of China
Among these 21 people, Li Peng was a more special one, because he was the only one of them to work in the enterprise, and at that time he also served as the assistant and secretary of the party branch of the Harbin Oil and Fat Company. Being selected for the "4821" plan benefited from the recommendation of Li Fuchun and Cai Chang.
At that time, Li Peng was still a little hesitant to go to the Soviet Union, and he also told his mother his thoughts: First, he loved his career; second, the liberation of the whole country was just around the corner, and he looked forward to witnessing such a great moment, and he was very eager for the scene of victory.
However, his mother encouraged him to take a long-term view; after the founding of New China, to carry out construction, it was necessary to understand the talents of science and technology, and the Soviet Union was the first socialist country, and it also had a relatively developed industrial base and many valuable experiences.
Just as Li Peng's mother said, these people went to a foreign country with the conviction of building and rejuvenating New China, also in order to better learn advanced experience and science and technology, apply what they have learned in the future, and make contributions to the party and the people.
In early September 1948, twenty-one young men with dreams left their homeland and embarked on a train to the Soviet Union, and before leaving, the Northeast Bureau prepared a proper suit and a pair of leather shoes for each of them. On the 21st, the group arrived in Moscow, and soon after they were arranged to study Russian in the city of Ivanovo, three hundred kilometers away from Moscow.
This arrangement was made because the Soviet Union and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government at that time still maintained diplomatic relations, and the identities of these students were also closed, and they could not enter the Moscow institutions of higher learning for the time being. However, the Soviets also did everything in their power to meet their professional needs.
Later, Li Peng, Zou Jiahua, and Lin Hanxiong went to the School of Electrical Engineering, Xie Shaoming and others went to the Textile University, Ye Zhengming went to the University of Chemical Engineering, and the four female students went to the medical school. After everyone was arranged, they began the difficult process of tuitioning the basics of mathematics, physics and chemistry in high school, after all, their foundation was relatively inferior to that of Soviet students who had received formal education.
Speaking of those days of study, Xie Shaoming also bluntly said that not knowing Russian made the road to study particularly difficult: "We listened to Soviet teachers every day to talk about geometry and algebra, using high school textbooks from Soviet decade-year schools. In order to facilitate the mastery of the Russian language, we were taken apart and housed, two Soviet students plus one Chinese student."
With the founding of New China, the education problems of the group have also been better solved. After the Soviet Union recognized the People's Republic of China, Xie Shaoming and others were also free to choose their favorite schools and majors, and at that time, Moscow's higher education resources were very rich, and this group of people was also very good at water, and soon swam in the ocean of knowledge.
Luo Beibei, Li Peng, Cui Jun, He Yi, Lin Hanxiong, and others chose the Moscow Power Institute, which was the cradle for training Soviet engineers; Zou Jiahua, Liu Husheng, and Zhang Daixia chose the Mechanical Department of the Bauman Higher Institute of Technology; Ye Zhengda, Ye Zhengming, and Zhu Zhonghong chose the Moscow Aviation Institute.
Soviet engineer
Some students also chose different colleges and majors in Moscow, such as the Faculty of Finance and Economics, the Faculty of Textiles, the Faculty of Geology and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
No matter where they study, no matter what major they study, these red international students devote themselves to learning with a positive and full attitude. They overcame the language barrier, got up early every day to learn Russian, took careful notes, and eventually mastered the Russian language very well, making learning more relaxed.
Many meaningful things happened during the study abroad period, but what touched these young students the most was to receive Chairman Mao's cordial reception.
Fourth, when Chairman Mao visited the Soviet Union, he received overseas students and encouraged them to become talented
After the founding of New China, Chairman Mao and the Party Central Committee strengthened their ties with the Soviet Union, and Chairman Mao also began his first visit to the Soviet Union on December 16, 1949.
Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai went to the Soviet Union this time on the one hand to sign the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance." In the midst of his busy schedule, Chairman Mao received these students at the Chinese Embassy in the Soviet Union and delivered a speech.
Chairman Mao said: "I hope that you will be able to do three things during your studies in the Soviet Union: First, you must struggle hard, do not compare with the Soviet classmates, our country has just been established, and it is not rich; second, you must exercise your body, the body is the capital of the revolution, and only when you have a healthy body can you better serve the motherland and the people."
"Finally, I hope that you will always bear in mind the purpose of coming to the Soviet Union, study hard, master your skills, and make more contributions to the motherland in the future."
Chairman Mao's earnest teachings made everyone's blood boil, and everyone expressed their willingness to study hard and master solid skills. Many of these people knew Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou in Yan'an, and Chairman Mao also heard about them. Looking at the descendants of these revolutions and heroes, Chairman Mao was greatly pleased.
When everyone took out paper and pen and asked Chairman Mao to sign, Chairman Mao also gladly accepted, he clearly remembered the situation of many children's parents, patiently signed for the students, and also asked them about their majors and studies one by one.
When asked about Ye Zhengda, Ye Zhengda said: "Chairman Mao, I am studying aircraft design and production, can you write an inscription for me?" ”
Chairman Mao was very happy after listening to it, nodded his head one after another, and immediately wrote down the words "Building China's Powerful Air Force" in Ye Zhengda's notebook. Then, Chairman Mao inscribed the words "Serving the People" on Li Peng's notebook, and also inscribed inscriptions for other students one by one.
Premier Zhou also wrote an inscription for each student, except that Premier Zhou wrote the same eight characters for everyone, "Hard Work, Hard Study", which contains the Premier's earnest message to everyone.
Chairman Mao's inscription is a great encouragement to these students studying in the Soviet Union, who followed the teachings of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, and most of them later became the pillars of the motherland.
During their studies in the Soviet Union, except for Xie Shaoming, Ye Chumei, and Ren Xiang, who were forced to interrupt their studies and return to China due to illness, everyone else completed their studies with excellent results and returned to China one after another around 1954 to participate in the "First Five-Year Plan" construction of New China.
At that time, China was in a fiery period of construction, and these young talents who had returned from their studies applied to work at the grass-roots level and in difficult places, and without exception, they all wrote down on the allocation volunteer form: "Resolutely obey the assignment and be willing to work in the most difficult places."
Li Peng went to the Fengman Power Plant in Jilin to exert his professional expertise; Luo Beibei stayed at the Chengdu Hydropower Survey and Design Institute for ten years; Zou Jiahua and Ye Chumei went to the Shenyang Second Machine Tool Factory together; Ye Zhengda and Ye Zhengming went to the Shenyang Aircraft Factory; He Yi was originally assigned to the Beijing Survey Institute of the State Administration of Water and Electricity, but he requested to go down to the grass-roots level and go with Cui Jun to the Shangyoujiang Cofferdam Construction Zone in Jiangxi
Many years later, these "4821" young talents, with the exception of Luo Zhentao, who died young and Zhu Zhonghong, who disappeared unexpectedly, have become the pillars of the motherland, and some have become important leaders of the party and the state step by step from the grassroots level.
Li Peng became the premier of the republic, Zou Jiahua served as vice premier of the State Council, Lin Hanxiong served as minister of construction, and others were also very good in different positions.
They did not fail to live up to Chairman Mao's entrustment, and eventually became the pillars of the motherland and served the people wholeheartedly.