Historically, for thrilling historical events, or a bird's eye view of the overall situation, try to outline the ins and outs of events; Or in a strong ink, in the critical place, at the critical point of the effort, try to render... Fang Ji's essay "Between the Waves" faces the major historical themes of the Negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of Chongqing, but it is not conventional, ingenious and unique, giving us a new artistic enjoyment.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="4" > the original text of Fangji's "Between Waves"</h1>
In the early morning of August 28, 1945, looking down from Qingliang Mountain, I saw many people, and walked down the main road under the mountain towards the airport outside the East Gate. Our comrades in the "Liberation Daily" got the news earlier, and when they saw that Comrades Bogu and Dingyi had come down from the mountain together, they also followed one after another, joined the crowd to the east, and went to the airport together.
People's mood is very unstable. The development of the situation in the past two weeks is really like the sky, changing rapidly; It shows the complex relationships that are characteristic of a period of historical transition. I remember that on the night of the tenth day, the translator of the Xinhua News Agency ran all the way through the door of our cave with the news of Japan's surrender that he had just received, and before dawn, the news spread like a gust of wind through Yan'an. The next night, a spontaneous celebration rally of the masses appeared in the new market outside the South Gate. Farmers selling fruit throw basket after basket of red fruits into the air and shout for people to eat "victory fruits." Some school students took out the cotton from their coats, stuck it on sticks, dipped kerosene and lit torches, and paraded on the main road.
At that time, the enthusiasm of the masses for victory in the war of resistance was not excessive. However, two days later, infuriating news came one after another: Chiang Kai-shek issued an order not to allow the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army to be surrendered, and Yan Xishan sent troops to attack the Shangdang Liberated Areas. A new civil war crisis is suddenly imminent! Chairman Mao made a report on August 13 (i.e., "The Situation After the Victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan and Our Policy"), pointing out that "the danger of civil war is very serious, because Chiang Kai-shek's policy has already been set."
These days, don't say that those who burn cotton jackets can't help but regret it, many people have a stomach in their hearts; Turning the joy of victory into anger at Chiang Kai-shek, we have long ago been vigilant from the spirit a hundredfold.
A US plane flew from the Yan'an airfield the day before yesterday, and it was U.S. envoy Hurley and Zhang Zhizhong, a representative of the Kuomintang government, who came. What to do? "It's not a delay!" people said privately. Last night, the branch suddenly conveyed the circular of the Central Committee on peace talks with the Kuomintang government, and ideologically nothing could turn around; moreover, Chairman Mao was going to Chongqing himself! At that time, my heart was like pressing a stone, lighting a fire, heavy and anxious, and I couldn't sleep all night!
Perhaps, that night, many comrades in Yan'an, many comrades in the various liberated areas, spent their time in a state of anxiety and uneasiness? Who doesn't know that Chiang Kai-shek is the most untrustworthy and unjust hooligan? Who doesn't know that IT was US imperialism that supported Chiang Kai-shek's government in provoking China's civil war? Although Hurley pretended to run to Yan'an, it was difficult to guarantee that it was not a trap made by a gang of robbers!
It's disturbing to think back! Many comrades indignantly said: Negotiations are naturally possible, and this is nothing more than an expression of Chiang Kai-shek and US imperialism, and we cannot but recognize the strength of the people's forces under the leadership of the Party; we cannot but recognize the strong desire for peace of the Chinese people; It cannot but be acknowledged that after the victory of the Soviet Union over fascism, the international situation was more conducive to peace and democracy. But Chairman Mao cannot go! If we want to negotiate, invite Mr. Chiang Kai-shek to come to Yan'an, and we promise that like the "Xi'an Incident," there will come and go; it doesn't matter if the talks don't work, we have to fight a war, and we will see the high and low on the battlefield!
There are also many old comrades who say with deep feelings: Since going up Jinggangshan, Chairman Mao has never left us a step! Five "encirclement and suppression", the Long March, the eight-year War of Resistance, Chairman Mao was with us, never left his own army, his own base area; Now, he wants to go to Chongqing personally and negotiate with him Chiang Kai-shek!
However, the Central Committee has decided; the circular also makes it clear: this is a struggle! Under the circumstances at that time, the three slogans of peace, democracy and unity put forward by the Central Committee of our Party conformed to the demands of the people of the whole country. If Chiang Kai-shek dared to risk the world's great disobedience, refuse to negotiate peace, and launch a civil war, it would be nothing more than his self-destruction and the victory of the revolution would come sooner, as later history has proved.
This is precisely the only correct policy adopted by our Party at an important juncture in determining the fate of the country, and the selfless attitude of the Grand Duke that it has shown. Chairman Mao's personal visit to Chongqing was even more an act of great righteousness and courage for the sake of the country and the nation, putting one's personal safety at risk! This alone can already show the faith of the revolution to the world.
The crowd of people who sent off the airfield walked towards the airport one after another. Out of Dongguan Street, turn over a mountain mouth, not far from the airport. A green military landline was parked at the airport. I remember that when the airport was being repaired last year, many comrades in Yan'an took part in the labor, dragging large stones that were hewn flat and neatly from the mountains, laying them in straight lines one by one, laying them steadily, and smashing them firmly, and dozens of people pulled large stones and rolled them around. Commander-in-Chief Zhu and many other leading comrades took part in the labor, singing and shouting trumpets with everyone. At that time, people were very excited, working very hard, and thought in their hearts, in Yan'an, the airport has been repaired, that is to say, we will also have planes, the situation of the War of Resistance will undergo major changes, and victory is coming.
Yes, victory is coming. The life of independence, freedom, peace and democracy that people have hoped for and that they have shed their blood for will be destroyed by Chiang Kai-shek and US imperialism! In order to stop this catastrophe, defend the people's rights, and realize the people's wishes, Chairman Mao is now going to set out from here, from the airfield built by the comrades in Yan'an, to the forefront of the struggle!
There were more and more people in the airfield, and in a few moments thousands of people gathered. But no one spoke, and there was silence: the air on the whole airfield was very serious, as if it were on the front line, and the moment before the battle was about to begin.
The motor sound of the car was clearly heard, and people turned their heads in unison and looked at the road. A jeep drove out of the mountain mouth and into the airport. Comrade Zhou Enlai and Comrade Wang Ruofei jumped off the car, followed by General Zhang Zhizhong, who was neatly dressed and wearing a short sword. According to the situation at that time, General Zhang Zhizhong could only be an awkward character in the eyes of the Yan'an people; moreover, his standard Uniform of a Kuomintang general appeared very unnatural on the airfield. This unnaturalness, probably he himself felt, stood in front of the car and hesitated. At this time, Comrade Bogu stepped forward, shook hands with him, and seemed to have made a joke, which caused him to suddenly laugh loudly.
Then another jeep came. An American jumped out of the car, wearing black glasses, smoking a paper cigarette, and his clothes were particularly thin and short, which made him appear to have a face wider than his chest and legs twice as long as his upper body, which was the so-called "special envoy" of the United States, Hurley.
People turned and looked at him with bulging eyes—certainly not to welcome him. Hurley felt this clearly. He stood hesitantly in front of the jeep, holding the door with one hand and the other at his waist, as if assessing the current situation. After waiting for a while, I saw that the crowd was just quiet, looking at him, so I waved my hand, and the paper cigarette did not come down, shouted "Harrow" to the people, and hurried toward the plane.
No one paid any more attention to him; The motor sound of cars was heard again: a medium-sized car with a canopy familiar to Yan'an people was turning around the mountain mouth and heading toward the airport. Immediately, the crowd swept through the calm water like a gust of wind and rushed forward in a whole. Then, stop again; Just as the car stopped and the door opened, there was a thunderous applause at the airport.
Chairman Mao got out of the car. On weekdays, wear a semi-new blue cloth uniform, leather shoes, and a dark gray helmet hat. The whole outfit is completely like going out as a guest. This immediately caused a deep uneasiness and parting emotions; Tears poured out.
In the memory of the people of Yan'an, the chairman always wears an old gray cloth uniform, cloth shoes, and gray cloth octagonal hat that is always washed clean. His majestic figure, clear forehead, gentle gaze and enthusiastic voice appeared at the venue, in the classroom, on the side of the avenue when walking under Yangjialing Mountain. The President lives among the masses, among the comrades. The chairman's voice smiled, raised his hands and feet, people are familiar, understanding, with infinite trust and love, reunited around him, one step can not leave, one step has not left! Now, the chairman is wearing the clothes of a guest and is leaving us!
Suddenly, people's hearts were like the waves of the sea. Thousands of pairs of eyes, eagerly thrown to the chairman's side. The chairman stood still at the side of the car, looking at all the people who were sending him off, passing by everyone's face; It was as if all the people present, he saw. At this moment, he showed a kind, firm smile in his eyes and nodded to the people.
The comrades in charge of the Central Committee standing in front of them stepped forward. The Chairman held out his broad palm and shook hands with everyone to say goodbye. The Chairman's face was serious and calm, and his eyes were filled with infinite concern and encouragement. Then, stopping again, looking at all the people who were sending them off, he raised his right hand, waved it hard, and walked all the way to the plane parked in front of him.
The crowd at the airport stood silently, thousands of pairs of eyes following the chairman's tall figure moving in the crowd, watching the chairman approach the plane step by step, step by step on the ladder of the plane.
It's been a long time! People held their breath and looked motionlessly at the chairman's raised hand, until he stopped at the hatch of the plane, turned around, and turned again toward the crowd that was sending him off.
Once again, the crowd swept across the water like a gust of wind and rushed toward the plane. The Chairman stood at the hatch of the plane, removed the hat from his head, and looked at the people who were sending them off, as if comforting, like encouragement. People didn't know how to express their feelings, but they just waved their hands desperately in unison, like a gust of wind blowing on the airport, and a thousand arms were waving, from below, from a distance, reaching out to the chairman.
The Chairman also raised his hand and raised his dark gray helmet hat; But lifting very slowly, very slowly, as if lifting something very heavy. Little by little, little by little, lift up, lift up; When it was lifted above his head, he suddenly waved it hard, and then stopped in the air and did not move.
Between waves!
Take a photo at the airport.
This action of the Chairman made an extremely deep impression on all those present. It seems to express a process of thought, to make a decisive decision; as if it were to concentrate the moods of all those present, as well as all the revolutionary cadres, fighters and masses who were not present, and to express them in this motion. This is a specific, historical gesture that encapsulates the intimacy, the incomparable determination, the supreme heroism among the leaders, comrades, comrades-in-arms, and the broad masses of the revolutionary masses when that great period of historical transition arrives.
Please thank our photographers for leaving this momentary, permanent image for people; This is an incomparably vivid, historical record! It is between these waves that a profound historical process is indicated, and the great character of the chairman is expressed. May all people, through this photograph, understand and appreciate what contributions our Party and Chairman Mao made to the country and the people when the War of Resistance Against Japan was victorious, our country was at a crossroads, at a grave moment in the struggle between two destinies and two futures that determined victory or defeat!
The plane's engine sounded and the propellers turned. With this sound, people's hearts beat violently, and people's eyes did not leave the plane that was about to take off for a moment; the propeller rolled up the dust and sand covering the ground, covering people's eyes.
How heavy should this plane be! It carries the hearts of the people in the Liberated Areas, the hopes of the people of the whole Chinese, and the destiny of our country!
The chairman's face appeared at the plane window, and people once again rushed forward, waving desperately. The chairman put his hand on the glass of the window, and his fingers bent silently. Until the plane turned, ran up the runway, got up in the air, hovered overhead, and then flew south, people still looked up, looked over the top of the pagoda hill, looked at the southern sky, and refused to leave for a long time.
After that, everyone knows. Chairman Mao lived in Chongqing for forty-three days before finally signing the "Double Tenth Agreement." From the commentary on the article "On the Chongqing Negotiations" in the four volumes of the "Selected Works of Mao Zedong," we can see what kind of principled concessions our Party made and what kind of tit-for-tat struggle our Party made at that time in order to take into account the overall situation and to realize the peaceful and democratic life demanded by the people of the whole country. If it were not for the shangdang battle in September that wiped out 35,000 people in Yan Xishan, I am afraid that there would not even be such a "double ten agreement"!
Chairman Mao took a group photo with Chiang Kai-shek, Hurley, and others during the Chongqing negotiations.
Now, re-reading such great historical documents as "The Situation After the Victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan and Our Policy," the "Circular of the CPC Central Committee on Conducting Peace Talks with the Kuomintang," and the "Negotiations on Chongqing," and recalling the scene of sending off Chairman Mao at the Yan'an airport at that time, it is really like a mirror of history, illuminating the past, as well as illuminating the present and the future...
The signing point of the "Double Tenth Agreement" --- Chongqing Special Garden.
Later, it was in war. Chiang Kai-shek tore up the "Double Tenth Agreement" he personally signed and, with the support of US imperialism, launched a large-scale attack on the Liberated Areas. The War of Liberation was in full swing. One night, on the chengde front, I read Chairman Mao's "Spring Snow in Qinyuan" copied in a small notebook by a comrade from the "Military Investigation Department" in Beiping -- this poem was published for the first time in Chongqing, which shook the entire so-called "great rear" people, and from here they saw the real force that determined the fate of history and heard the footsteps of the revolutionary process! And we, on the front line, in the sound of artillery fire, in the shining light of the fire, look at the figure of the soldiers leaping forward with guns, and the thoughts and emotions in this word have completely become the image of reaching out, and the realm in which they are placed. Thus, every word of the word, like a torch, burned. Suddenly, the entire forward position seemed to be clear! The artillery fire of the War of Liberation is destroying all the dark forces of old China. The enemy at that time, it seemed, was powerful; However, as the words write, it is not the Qin Emperor Han Wu, tang emperor song zu who determines the fate of history, but the people themselves, who are contemporary "popular figures"!
I remember when I first arrived at the front, the comrades of the troops told me: In the early morning of August 28, the troops conveyed the notice that Chairman Mao personally went to Chongqing for negotiations, and at ten o'clock that day, all the soldiers looked westward, looking in the sky for the plane that took off from Yan'an, listening to the sound of the plane; and seriously, they seemed to hear the heavy rumble of the plane! What kind of mood did our warriors feel at that time? They clutched their weapons and waited for the end of the matter. Now, the weapons in the hands of warriors are exerting their own power. So, in the midst of the deafening sound of artillery fire, we couldn't help but recite aloud —
……
All in the past,
Count the merry figures,
Look at this dynasty!
The scene of the send-off at Yan'an Airport appeared in front of the eyes again: the figure of Chairman Wei An, standing at the hatch of the plane; the firm gaze, looking at the crowd of send-offs; the wide palm, holding the dark gray helmet hat; Slowly lifted, lifted, then with a strong swing, stopped in the air...
In front of him, there were countless warriors, marching courageously in the direction he had guided.
———— October 1960
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="4" > Fangji's "Between The Waves" appreciation</h1>
Historically, for thrilling historical events, or a bird's eye view of the overall situation, try to outline the ins and outs of events; Or in a strong ink, in the critical place, at the critical point of the effort, try to render... Fang Ji's essay "Between the Waves" faces the major historical themes of the Negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of Chongqing, but it is not conventional, ingenious and unique, giving us a new artistic enjoyment.
The novelty of this essay is first and foremost that the angle of entry is quite unique. After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Two Parties held negotiations in Chongqing, which had a bearing on China's future future and destiny. The complexity of its background, the difficulty of the process, and the significance of it are self-evident. In the midst of the variety of choices to choose from, the author avoids the boring and tedious laying out of simple background materials, nor does he focus on the twists and turns of the negotiation process that ordinary people will imagine. It carefully avoided the simplicity and hollowness of historical significance, and unexpectedly fixed its gaze on the moment when Mao Zedong waved goodbye to the Yan'an military and civilians before he was about to go to Chongqing for negotiations. It can be said that the choice of this moment is quite elaborate, and it is the biggest reason for the success of this article.
Because this seemingly bland moment condenses a lot of deep meaning: First of all, this moment condenses the expectations and expectations in the hearts of all righteous people after the victory of the War of Resistance. After eight years of arduous and turbulent war, the people's hearts are full of longing for peace and burning their confidence in rebuilding their homeland in the years of peace.
In "Between the Waves", Fang Ji spent a lot of time rendering the moving scene of the people of Yan'an celebrating after the victory of the War of Resistance. It is followed by a portrayal of the people's loss and anger after discovering the Kuomintang civil war plot. The Communist Party of China headed by Mao Zedong went to Chongqing to negotiate for peace, which was based on the ups and downs and wars between these two emotions. It can be said that it represents the voice of the people.
Because of this, Mao Zedong's special "waving" is not only his personal charismatic move, nor is it just the behavior of a single political party, the Communist Party of China, but also a condensation of the people's strength and expectations, and even an implication of China's future prospects.
Second, this moment of "waving" also powerfully reflects the flesh-and-blood relationship between leaders, political parties and the people. Mao Zedong resolutely went to Chongqing to negotiate without regard for his personal safety in order to preserve the fruits of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression to the greatest extent, safeguard the interests of the people, and implement the political propositions of a political party.
Thousands of people flocked to Yan'an Airport to reluctantly bid farewell to the leader, a great thank you and a silent support.
Thus, a strong "wave of the hand" is a commitment that has long been made up at the level of leaders and political parties; Speaking from the level of the masses of the people, it is a kind of tacit understanding of the heart. It can be said that the special moment of "between the waves" is to fully expose the flesh-and-blood relationship between the two.
The novelty of "Between the Waves" is also that the layout of the plot is clear and well-organized. Although the focus of the writing is chosen to be "between the waves", Mao Zedong's appearance is quite backward. The author spends almost half of the time meticulously laying out this moment: the eager and anxious mood of the Yan'an masses is rendered as a kind of superficial depiction; the depiction of the few smiles and smiles of Zhou Enlai, Wang Ruofei, and other members who accompanied Mao Zedong to Chongqing for negotiations is to create an effect of "the stars holding the moon"; the portrayal of the embarrassing expressions of the Kuomintang negotiators on the Hurley and Zhang Zhi sides is "first suppressed and then raised", hoping to achieve a counter-contrasting effect. In this way, the sound and color of several aspects of cooperation makes Mao Zedong's appearance ready to come out, and has an extraordinary charm, and also sets off a rich atmosphere and makes a deep impression on the "between the waves" depicted later.
In addition, the author's grasp of the key action of "waving" is relatively successful. Mao Zedong's "waving" appears three times in the ccp throughout the text. The first and second are live-action depictions.
The first description is more brief, only highlighting the "force";
The second time was much more detailed, "lifting very slowly and slowly", "little by little", "stopping in the air, motionless". The description of this series of details not only gives people a sense of concreteness in the process, but also highlights the heavy sense of mission, responsibility and firm determination contained in it. It can be said that the description of the second "waving" plays a role in deepening the impression compared with the first; Put it in the scope of the whole text, it is undoubtedly another finishing touch, which pushes the whole text to a climax.
The third "waving" is a fictitious writing, which appears after the signing of the Double Ten Agreement at the end, when the Liberation War begins, and the author embeds the second "waving" in the form of memories and retrospectives, emphasizing its inspiring power, thus deepening and prolonging the historical significance of "between the waves".
Fang Ji (1919 – April 29, 1998) was a famous modern and contemporary writer from Xinji City (formerly Shulu County), Hebei Province, whose original name was Feng Ji. Born in 1919 to a peasant family in Shulu County, Hebei Province. He is the author of more than a dozen novellas and poetry collections, the representative work "Between the Waves"; "Autumn of the Three Gorges", of which "Autumn of the Three Gorges" is recorded in primary school textbooks. "Between the Waves" records the important historical moment when Mao Zedong went to Chongqing to participate in the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communists after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1945.
Author essayist Fang Ji
—— End of full text, thank you for reading ——