In the early 1960s, China had a slogan: "Industrial Science Daqing, Agricultural Science Dazhai". In this slogan, Daqing must be known to everyone, referring to the Daqing oil field; then, where does Dazhai refer to? Why should agriculture learn from Dazhai? In fact, Dazhai refers to Dazhai, Xiyang, Shanxi, which is a place with an extremely harsh natural environment and almost no flat land, but Dazhai has completed the goal of "transforming the natural environment" under the leadership of Chen Yonggui, which has steadily increased the grain production of Dazhai.
There is a set of data that can prove the increase in grain production in Dazhai: in 1952, in the early days of the founding of New China, the grain yield in Dazhai was only 237 kilograms per mu, but under the leadership of Chen Yonggui, after ten years of hard work, by 1962, the grain yield of Dazhai had reached 774 kilograms, more than tripled. In 1963, Dazhai suffered a major drought, but under the leadership of Chen Yonggui, they used manpower to carry water, overcame the harsh natural environment, not only to meet the living needs of the members, but also handed over 1.75 million kilograms of grain to the state, Chen Yonggui suddenly became a typical, Chairman Mao also issued a call for "industrial science Daqing, agricultural science Dazhai".
After this, Chen Yonggui gradually entered the political circles, and in 1969 he was elected as a deputy to the "Ninth National Congress", and in 1975, Chen Yonggui was elected as vice premier and became a deputy state-level cadre. However, although he became a deputy state-level cadre, Chen Yonggui did not forget his duty, he always remembered that he was a peasant, so although he was an official at the deputy state level, Chen Yonggui did not receive a salary, but continued to receive "work points" in Dazhai. At that time, the "work points" given to him by Dazhai were enough for him to live, but Chen Yonggui was not very convenient when he visited abroad or worked in Beijing, and the organization took this situation into account and specially approved a living allowance of 120 yuan per month for Chen Yonggui, which solved Chen Yonggui's urgent need.
During his tenure as vice premier, Chen Yonggui implemented the "Dazhai model" throughout the country and was responsible for the country's agriculture, and it is worth mentioning that Chen Yonggui also specially proposed a new work model, which is: one-third of the time to the national survey, one-third of the time to return to Dazhai to work in agriculture, and the remaining one-third of the time to stay in Beijing to work.
In 1980, after the End of the Fifth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, In order to create opportunities for more young people, Chen Yonggui voluntarily resigned. There is also a story about Chen Yonggui's resignation: before resigning, he deliberately called his son to his side and asked his son to write a resignation report for himself. My son asked him how he should write? Chen Yonggui thought about it and said, "You can write simply, such as the culture is not high."
At Chen Yonggui's request, his son wrote him a brief resignation report, after which Chen Yonggui formally resigned as vice premier. After resigning, Chen Yonggui moved to an apartment in a high-rise building outside fuxing gate, and his family followed him to Beijing. Although Chen Yonggui enjoyed the time after the leisure, but after a long time, he was also idle. Three years after his resignation, in 1983, Mr. Chen offered to work for the state, and he was assigned to a farm in the eastern suburbs of Beijing as a consultant to continue his agricultural activities.
In fact, at that time, Chen Yonggui wanted to return to Dazhai to continue to be a farmer, but he still obeyed the organization's distribution and went to the eastern suburbs farm to take up his post. Chen Yonggui's addiction to smoking is very large, almost to the point of not leaving the hand, in his later years he did not quit smoking, in 1986, Chen Yonggui was diagnosed with lung cancer after a cold, and soon after he died of lung cancer, at the age of 71, it is estimated that his condition is also related to his excessive smoking.
According to Chen Yonggui's will, after his death, his ashes were placed in the Dazhai for which he fought.