Red Figure in Bincheng: Zhang Yili: "Model Citizen" Who Regards Death as Homecoming

A "model citizen" who regards death as a homecoming - Zhang Yili

（1923-1943）

On the south slope of a river embankment on the east side of Yili Village, Kanbei Subdistrict, Binhai County, there is a less conspicuous grave. There are no pines and cypresses, no inscriptions, no bonsai flowers, only wild cauliflowers that bloom in early spring and are scattered on the top of the earthen tombs. However, it is such a humble and ordinary grave that affects the hearts of the broad masses and the teachers and students of middle and primary schools in the neighboring eight townships. Because here is buried the heroic soul of Zhang Yili, who died heroically to resist the Japanese invaders and for the liberation of his hometown. Whenever around the Time of the Qing Ming Dynasty, teams of Young Pioneers and Members of the Communist Youth League dressed in red and green, under the leadership of their teachers, flocked to place one wreath after another around the tomb and put one small white flower after another on and off the tomb. They used wreaths and white flowers to show their admiration and remembrance of the martyrs, and invited the old comrades of that year to tell the stories of the martyrs.

Zhang Yili was born in April 1923 to a poor peasant family in Huangtianzhuang, Huangnan Township, The Second District of Funing County (now Yili Village, Dongkan Township, Binhai County). As soon as he came to the human world, he encountered the era of war and chaos. My father was an honest farmer who struggled to maintain the life of the family of ten with his industrious hands. In order to make his children have a day in the early days, he saved money and sent 9-year-old Zhang Yili to a private school in Honjo to study. But in that troubled and war-torn society, there is a day of peace for the poor. Due to the increasingly difficult family situation, Zhang Yili's father had to tearfully suspend the children who had studied in private schools for three years and follow him to Danyang and Wuhu to escape the famine and ask for food. Zhang Yili, 13 years old, only knew that he was hungry and cold. He followed his father through the doors of one house after another, running through large households, hoping to order more soup and leftovers every day to fill his hungry intestines. At night, the father and son either slept next to the haystack or lay in the earth temple. In the days of begging for food, Zhang Yili witnessed the bitter things of the poor people under the sky, one after another, and his heart was angry. He asked his father, "Should the poor under heaven suffer?!" Father shook his head helplessly and did not answer. Zhang Yili had to bury hatred and doubts in his heart. Unable to continue begging in the field, the father and son returned to their hometown and continued to spend the hard years with the whole family.

On the morning of April 23, 1939, a large number of Japanese invading and puppet armies that had invaded Dongkan came and howled like wild beasts, surrounded Li She and Huangtianzhuang, robbed, plundered, killed people, and burned down houses, burning more than 210 houses of 53 families in the two villages with one fire. Zhang Yili's three broken earthen houses were not spared. He was so angry that his eyes were spitting fire, his fists were clenched, and he was going to fight with the Japanese. The father hugged him deadly: "Good boy, listen to your father," don't die in vain." Zhang Yili once again swallowed the bitter water of hatred. In the autumn of 1940, the Eighth Route Army liberated his hometown. In September 1941, the People's Anti-Japanese Democratic Government of Fudong County was established. Party organizations have successively sent Zhang Yeping, Xiang Nan, and others to the Sanba District to mobilize the masses, organize peasant associations, carry out the suppression of bandits and anti-hegemony, and launch an armed struggle against Japan. When zhang Yili, 18 years old, saw this scene of vigorous struggle, his whole body was boiling with blood, and he got up early in the morning to follow the anti-Japanese elements and democratic movement cadres to put up slogans, distribute leaflets, participate in various rallies, and publicize the anti-Japanese principles to the villagers.

With the deepening of the anti-Japanese struggle, the Japanese invading army also became more and more rampant. In the winter of 1942, the Japanese and the Pseudo-Japanese began a larger -- "sweep." In order to completely smash the "sweep" of the Japanese and the false. The Fudong County CPC Committee promptly mobilized the people of all walks of life in the county to actively prepare for the anti-"sweep" in the military, political, and economic fields. Because Zhang Yili had a fiery anti-Japanese enthusiasm, he was absorbed into the local armed "model class" and became a member of the township guerrilla group. Zhang Yili was very happy to carry a gun for the people for the first time, and he said to the villagers: "I will never put down the gun in my hand until I drive the Japanese invaders away." On February 19, 1943, the Japanese puppet army once again occupied Dongkan. Erkan, Huangtian, Dam and other places became the radiation areas of the pseudo-armed forces in Dongkanri, and they went to these places to burn and rob as soon as they stepped on their feet. Due to the large number of Japanese and puppets and their good weapons, the guerrillas generally did not fight hard with them, but divided into three-man teams and two-man groups, and used the ditch ports and ports in their hometowns to carry out guerrilla warfare and sparrow warfare with them, skillfully and flexibly attacking the enemy. From the first lunar month of 1943 to the end of July, the Japanese and puppets came to "sweep" more than 40 times, each time throwing away their armor and losing soldiers. At that time, although Zhang Yili was an ordinary guerrilla group member, he always bravely moved forward, fought bravely, and was not afraid of sacrifice when he encountered enemy situations. Due to the repeated setbacks of the Japanese and the Pseudo-Japanese, they hated the guerrillas around Huangtian very much and were always ready to take revenge. At five o'clock on August 30, more than 200 Japanese troops and more than 100 puppet troops sneaked out of Dongkan. Since the township guerrilla squadron had already planted four large gun sets in Nanyuan, Nan Wharf in Erkan, Zhao Zhuang, Daba Xu Wharf, and other places at that time, the enemy did not dare to come from the front, so he detoured from XiaoShangzhuang and surrounded the back road of Huangtianzhuang along the Qingkan River. At that time, Zhang Tingfeng, the commander of the Kanbei Township guerrilla squadron, and Zhang Tinggan, a member of the kanbei township guerrilla group, were sleeping behind the village, when they were awakened by the sudden enemy situation, they ran to the east of the pile to look at it, only to see that the Japanese puppet army was sneaking along the Qingkan River. At this time, Zhang Busheng, Zhang Tingfu, and Zhang Yili also came. Together, they discussed and decided: This time, the enemy will come more, the momentum will be fierce, and they must avoid it first and fight later. So they immediately went separately to inform the Self-Defense Forces to cover the mass transfer.

Almost at the same time, Pei Fenggang, deputy commander of the township guerrilla group in the south of the village, and 3 other people had rushed up, "Boom! trumpet! Boom!" 3 shots were fired. The Japanese and the pseudo-japanese could not understand the situation for a while, thinking that there were many guerrillas, so they deployed heavy troops and surrounded Pei Fenggang and 3 people, and the bullets were like rain, so that they could not lift their heads. When Zhang Yili saw that his comrades were surrounded by the enemy, he was very anxious and said to Zhang Tingfeng: "Squadron Leader, quickly think of a way to save them." I went from the north to lure the enemy away. "You can't do it alone, don't mess around." Zhang Tingfeng said cautiously while considering. He quickly and categorically decided: "Go up to six people, go east along the Longgang Ditch, and lead the enemy to the north." Zhang Yili took the lead. Six men quickly ran to the Longgang pier and crouched behind a mound in the dock. "Boom! Six men opened fire together, firing one gun after another, and the Japanese were so frightened that they immediately turned their guns. The deputy squadron leader and 3 others were saved, but Zhang Tingfeng and Zhang Yili were bitten by the Japanese puppet army. The enemy howled like a wolf and pressed over step by step. Zhang Yili they had no choice but to fight and retreat. Since there were Japanese puppet armies in the south, east, and north, they had to retreat to the west. When retreating to the small lease behind the second ridge, it was found that the small lease also had enemies. Therefore, they crossed their hearts and broke through to the southwest to Dazhangzhuang. However, the Japanese puppet army pressed against Da zhangzhuang. It was already noon, and they were scattered by the Japanese puppet army. Zhang Yili and Zhang Tinggan crossed the abandoned Yellow River, but the Japanese puppet army still pursued them. Zhang Yili, who had been diarrhea in recent days, was really unable to move around, so he squatted in a rain ditch on the river beach and said to Zhang Tinggan: "You go fast, I will cover you!" No, I'll carry you. "No! You can't run fast on my back, and if you don't go fast, we'll all die. Zhang Tinggan was still hesitating. Zhang Yili was angry, and he said, "Good comrade, you go quickly!" While throwing his gun into the river, he pushed Zhang Tinggan away. The Japanese puppet army crossed the river, captured Zhang Yili to Dazhangzhuang, and asked him what he was doing. He said, "I'm a guy. "Wherever nichiren believed, they took him to Dongkan. During this "sweep," the Japanese puppet army gained nothing but capturing Zhang Yili, and was very annoyed. So he concentrated a thousand times of hatred on Zhang Yili. They locked Zhang Yili in a small earthen round house and tortured him every day: whipping, beating him with sticks, pouring pepper water, and forcing him to say the names and residences of the guerrillas and party leaders. Zhang Yili resisted the torture and never uttered a word. When the enemy saw that it was not good, he came to the soft and said to him, "As long as you take us to capture the guerrillas, let you be the squadron leader." Zhang Yili cast a contemptuous look and did not answer a word. On the afternoon of September 17, 1943, the executioners with green faces and fangs said to Zhang Yili with a strange smile: "Release you today, you will always be free, follow us." Zhang Yili's hands were tied behind his back, and his clothes were torn apart by these "mad dogs", covered in blood. His already unflubby face had lost a lot of weight, his hair was stained with straw and blood clots, but he glared at him, clenched his teeth, and walked slowly and the Zhongshi Bridge. He looked up into the distance, looked around the vast land of his hometown for the last time, and walked step by step to the execution ground, and he shouted: "Dog bastard!" Hurry up, your end is coming. The Japanese soldier named Kojima pounced on Zhang Yili like a mad dog, raised his waist knife and brutally slashed it. 20-year-old Zhang Yili fell, his thin body fell on the grass next to the South Dragon King Temple in Zhongshi Bridge, fell on the land of the motherland, lying in the arms of his mother...

On the day after Zhang Yili's death, the people of his hometown pushed his body back with a trolley. At that time, Xiang Nan, secretary of the Sanba District CPC Committee, and Zang Wei, the mayor of the district, came, and they silently bid farewell to the martyrs and called on the villagers with tears to follow Zhang Yili's example, unite, and continue the struggle to completely defeat the Japanese aggressors. Although Zhang Yili was an ordinary guerrilla group member, he died to resist the Japanese invaders and for the liberation of his hometown, and his death was extraordinary. A month later, the district received an order from the Fudong county government to change Huangtianzhuang to Yilizhuang. He also awarded Zhang Yili the honorary title of "Model Citizen".