Author: Forget about the jianghu
One day in February 1952, a 29-year-old woman hugged her husband and cried with joy.
Eight months ago, on June 1, 1951, the "General Association for Resisting US Aggression and Aiding Korea" called for the enthusiastic donation of aircraft and artillery to support the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. A few days later, the woman and her husband heard a sad report on the radio: a company of the Volunteer Army held the high ground and was indiscriminately bombed by more than 100 enemy planes, all of which were heroically sacrificed. After listening to the radio, she did not close her eyes all night, and said to her husband early in the morning: "The volunteer army is backward in weapons and equipment, so it is so hard to fight." Why don't we donate a plane? The husband is also not ambiguous: "Medium, you say that we are in the middle!" ”
The couple, Chang Xiangyu and her husband Chen Charter, wept with joy just because they had fulfilled a promise.
Chen Charter and Chang Xiangyu and his wife
Chang Xiangyu was born in September 1923 in Gong County, Henan Province, and his original name was Zhang Miaoling.
At the age of 9, Xiao Miaoling learned to sing with her father Zhang Fuxian and worshiped Zhai Yan and Zhou Haihai as her teachers. Unexpectedly, misfortune fell from heaven: my father was drugged and his throat was broken. Zhang Fuxian took Xiao Miaoling to the good brother Chang Boss, and Xiao Miaoling also changed her name to "Chang Xiangyu".
Chang Xiangyu took the stage at the age of 10, and starred in "West Chamber" at the age of 13 to become a famous Dan in Kaifeng, creating the "Chang Pai" and being known as the "Queen of Yu Opera".
In the old society, artists were "inferior", singing opera was called the "drama" of the "lower nine streams", and "drama was unjust" and "drama was wrong to the country" was circulated in society. After the founding of New China, artists, as part of the masses of the people, became the masters of New China, and "Mulan", "Kao Hong" and "Broken Bridge" became popular among the population.
It is also because of his love for New China that when Chang Xiangyu knew that the volunteer army lacked weapons and equipment, he first thought of donating a MiG-15 fighter.
Stills from Mulan
Chang Xiangyu's idea was supported by her husband Chen Charter.
In 1943, 20-year-old Chang Xiangyu was acting in Baoji, and Mr. Huang Zifang, the chairman of Daxing Flour Company, who wrote a play for her, introduced her to Chen Charter. One day, after Chang Xiangyu finished performing "Yuntai Guan", Chen Charter made an opinion, saying that Ya Gui sang the lyrics: "This person looks like an eyebrow Qingmu Xiu, and looks at people who are still quite loyal", how can Mei Qingmu Xiu be loyal? Huang Zifang patted him on the shoulder and said, Brother, your opinion is good.
At this time, Chang Xiangyu was less than 20 years old, Chen Charter was 26 years old, and he had already been married twice:
The first was an arranged marriage, in which Chen's wife died of illness after giving birth to a boy. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chen Charter studied in the art class of the Xi'an War Cadre Regiment, met a second girlfriend, and in order to escape the marriage proposal of a major general officer, the two eloped overnight, but the two later separated.
At this time, Chang Xiangyu met a goblin Li Yue Village, and asked Chang Xiangyu to come to the house to sing opera and stay overnight at night. Chang Xiangyu did not go to live and died, saying that listening to the drama can go to the drama club. This annoyed Li Yuecun and sent a lot of scoundrels to scold the front. The strong Chang Xiangyu took off a pair of gold rings on his hand and swallowed it. After being sent to the hospital, the doctor asked Chang Xiangyu to eat leeks and drink castor oil, but she was bent on death.
Young Chang Xiangyu
At this time, Chen Charter came, and Chang Xiangyu listened to people's advice for the first time and began to eat leeks and drink castor oil.
His father discovered the affair between the two of them, collected donations through charity performances, and led the troupe to Hanzhong. Originally, it was said that he would perform for the victims for seven days, but after seven days, his father used the excuse that there were many spectators and stayed for a while longer. Chang Xiangyu understood that her father was going to break up her and Chen Charter.
After staying in Hanzhong for 8 months, without any news from Chen Charter, Chang Xiangyu decided to secretly go back to ask for a clear question, so he paid for the way out and let a little master brother who went home to do things take him back to Baoji by the way. Chen Charter was single at this time, looking at chang Xiangyu who suddenly appeared, very excited.
Chang Xiangyu put forward three conditions: first, not to be a little wife; second, never marry an official; third, you can't dislike her for singing opera, and when you get married, you must follow her career. Chen Charter quickly agreed, and in June 1944, only 4 people attended the wedding ceremony.
Chen Charter fulfilled his promise, gave up the director of the Three Youth League, and concentrated on writing a script for Chang Xiangyu. Since then, the woman has been singing with her husband and has been with each other for 56 years.
Chang Xiangyu and Chen Charter in their later years
The couple decided to donate a plane to give the volunteers at the front "one more pair of wings to fly."
However, a MiG-15 fighter jet is too expensive, and the living expenses of the Chang Xiangyu family are only 500,000 yuan (old currency). Chang Xiangyu took out her savings for many years and sold the only transport truck, all the dowry and jewelry of the drama company, even the gold ring, but still paid a small salary.
After the secretary of the Northwest Bureau knew about it, he gave Chang Xiangyu an idea, and the "Xiangyu Drama Society" could tour the country in the name of donating fighters to the volunteers. It can not only fulfill the commitment to donate aircraft, but also play an encouraging role for the volunteer army and the people of the whole country.
The secretary instructed Ma Yunchang, Mao Yunxiao, and Jinghua to assist the "Xiangyu Society" in its national tour, and Chang Xiangyu submitted a tour report and did a good job in the work of the drama club. It costs 1.5 billion yuan (old currency) to buy a MiG-15 aircraft, and at least 200 performances. Many people in the drama club wanted to retreat, and advised Chang Xiangyu to donate a cannon or a tank, so that there would be less pressure, but Chang Xiangyu was very firm and rejected this suggestion.
Chang Xiangyu often said to several children: "After liberation, I am no longer a lowly drama, I want to protect this country, I want to love this country, at that time the whole country rose up to donate, the drama club donated three days of performances, I feel less, I want to donate a plane." ”
This simple and simple idea contains Chang Xiangyu's patriotic heart. But it is so difficult to implement.
In August 1951, Chang Xiangyu led 59 people from the troupe, starting from Xi'an, to Zhengzhou, Xinyang, Kaifeng, Xinxiang, Changsha, Guangzhou and other places to collect donations for charity performances, each performance lasted 3 hours, the finale was Chang Xiangyu's masterpiece "Red Lady", "White Snake Legend" and "Mulan", the charity performance was very successful, the field was full, but one by one, it was far from the 1.5 billion yuan of an airplane.
In order to raise donations for the performance, Chang Xiangyu entrusted 3 children to the Xi'an Nursery School, the eldest was less than 7 years old, and the youngest was only 3 years old.
During the Wuhan Charity Performance, Chang Xiangyu had a fever and still insisted on performing, and eventually fainted on the stage. The news spread, and people from all walks of life were deeply moved, triggering a wave of donations. In December 1951, the "Changxiang Opera Society" performed at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, and a Nanyang overseas Chinese went backstage to see Chang Xiangyu and donated a gold watch to the society, which was bought by an audience member for 600,000 yuan at auction. But this audience turned around and donated to the "Xiangyu Troupe", and the second audience concocted the same method, a gold watch worth no more than 10,000 yuan, and raised more than 10 million old coins before and after.
Xiangyu Drama Society
In February 1952, the "Xiangyu Opera Society" performed 178 times, with an audience of 312,300 people and 16 performances, with "Mulan" being the most popular and popular. The charity performance donated 1.52 billion yuan, and Guo Moruo inscribed the MiG-15 "Changxiangyu".
Chang Xiangyu donated the plane to release a huge star effect, countless girls donated their dowries, and many elderly people donated their life savings. By June 1952, the national donation was equivalent to S$556.5037 million, and 3710 MiG-15 fighters could be purchased.
Chang Xiangyu performed on the front line of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
In April of that year, after reading Chang Xiangyu's "Kao Hong", the chairman said in a loud voice: "You are a great Xiangyu, I should learn from you." ”
In 1953, Chang Xiangyu accompanied the delegation to the front line charity performance, and Peng Zong held her hand tightly: "Chang Xiangyu, you are really not simple! ”
[On March 22, 1992, Chang Xiangyu visited the "Changxiangyu" aircraft at the Aviation Museum. On June 1, 2004, People's Artist Chang Xiangyu passed away at the age of 82.
[Deeply cultivate the history of war, carry forward positive energy, soldiers say that all parties are welcome to submit articles, private messages will be restored]