One day in 1951, Yang Xiufeng, then chairman of the People's Government of Hebei Province, received news that his sister-in-law had come to find him.
This caused him a lot of headaches, and the reason why he said this was because he knew why his sister-in-law had come to find him, but he couldn't do anything about what she was asking for.
Yang Xiufeng (1897-1983), formerly known as Bifeng, also known as Xiulin, the character Xiushan. A native of Qian'an City, Hebei Province, he organized, led, and participated in the "Twenty Articles" and the May Fourth Movement against Yuan Shikai's acceptance of the traitorous treaty during his student years. In 1929, he went to France to study, joined the Communist Party of China in 1930, and later transferred to the Eastern University in Moscow, the Soviet Union. He returned to China in 1934. He worked as a professor at Tianjin Hebei Law Business School, and taught part-time at Peking Normal University, China University, Northeastern University and other universities, and secretly engaged in the party's united front work as a professor. After the July 7 Incident, as a special commissioner of the Jixi Civil Training Office of the Baoding Xing Camp of the Military Commission of the National Government, he organized the Jixi guerrilla group and served as the commander, creating the anti-Japanese base area in western Hebei. In August 1938, he was appointed director of the Ji'nan Administrative Office, in 1941 he was appointed chairman of the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Border District Government, in 1948 he was appointed vice chairman of the North China People's Government, and in 1949 he was appointed chairman of the Hebei Provincial People's Government. At the end of 1952, he was transferred to the Central Committee and successively served as minister of education, president of the Supreme People's Court, and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He died on November 10, 1983, at the age of 86.
Yang Xiufeng has three brothers, he is the eldest in the family, and he left home to study when he was a teenager. The second brother worked as a farmer at home and has now passed away. The person who came was the wife of the second brother. The second brother has a son named Yang Shuqin.
After graduating from middle school, Yang Shuqin participated in the anti-Japanese work. However, in 1947, he was arrested and defected by the Kuomintang, joined the Kuomintang's landlord armed homecoming regiment, and once killed many local cadres of our party...
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was sentenced to death by the Qian'an County People's Court.
On this day, Du Peishan, president of the Hebei Provincial People's Court, received a report from the Qian'an County People's Court on the case of "Sentencing Counter-revolutionary Murderer Yang Shuqin to Death", and she knew that the other party was Yang Xiufeng's nephew, so she took the case file and reported to Yang Xiufeng.
Yang Xiufeng carefully read the interrogation records and exposé materials of yang Shuqin by the Qian'an County People's Court, as well as Yang Shuqin's own confession. Very angrily, she asked Du Peishan:
You see whether the Qian'an County People's Court's judgment on Yang Shuqin was appropriate
?”
"The qian'an county people's court's judgment on the counter-revolutionary murderer Yang Shuqin is clear in fact, the evidence is conclusive and sufficient, the criminal himself confessed to the murder he committed, therefore, I believe that the conviction is accurate, the sentence is appropriate, the procedure is legal, and the judgment is in line with the "Instructions of the Supreme People's Court of the State Council on suppressing counter-revolutionary activities" for the killing of public officials and people for the purpose of 'counter-revolution... The most heinous offender shall be punished by death in accordance with the law'. ”
Yang Xiufeng agreed with Du Peishan's report. So he went on to say:
"Although Yang Shuqin is my nephew, he committed counter-revolutionary homicide, and he should be sentenced to death in accordance with the laws of the state and will not be tolerated." I can't think that he is my relative, so I bend the law for personal gain. By doing that, we will all become sinners of the people. The ancients said, 'The prince breaks the law and is guilty of the same crime as the common people.' 'Besides, we are Communists?' If those who commit counter-revolutionary homicide are not suppressed, why talk about the people's democratic dictatorship? How can we consolidate the newly established people's power?"
So Yang Xiufeng approved the death sentence of his nephew, although he did not kill his nephew with his own hands, but he also personally sent his nephew to the guillotine.
President Du immediately approved the transfer of the Tangshan Special Branch Of the Hebei Provincial People's Court to order the Qian'an County People's Court to execute the counterrevolutionary murderer Yang Shuqin to death and execute him immediately.
The purpose of the sister-in-law's visit this time was to ask Yang Xiufeng to pardon his nephew's death sentence.
As soon as she saw Yang Xiufeng, she burst into tears, crying and saying, "Although Shuqin is guilty, he is your nephew, so you can save him!"
Yang Xiufeng was very angry in his heart, but he still patiently explained: "Yang Shuqin counter-revolutionary killing, violating the criminal law, the national law is intolerable, the crime is deserved, you don't talk about it, go back!"
"Look at the love of your dead brother Bi Tong, leave him this single seedling!"
"No, the Qian'an County People's Court's judgment on Yang Shuqin is in accordance with national law, and no one has the right to change it!"
When the sister-in-law heard this, her legs were weak, she sat down on the chair, and pleaded: "Yang Shuqin is the flesh and blood that fell from your brother's body!" He was shot, don't you feel bad? Big brother, just beg you this time, please intercede, leave the child's life!"
The words of his sister-in-law deeply stung him, how Yang Xiufeng did not feel sorry for his own nephew, and the nephew's death sentence was even more personally approved by himself, which was even more sad. However, his own identity and position are not allowed to favor themselves. He could only firmly say: "Yang Shuqin's death sentence was approved by me, who do you want me to intercede with?" ”
……
Soon after, Yang Shuqin was executed in Qian'an.
All along, Yang Xiufeng is a person who strictly demands himself.
In the summer of 1938, Yang Xiufeng was leading the Jixi guerrillas stationed in Xiaolingdi Village in the Taihang Mountains.
On this day, Yang Xiufeng received an order from his superiors to immediately go to Ji'nan to cooperate with the Eighth Route Army and open up an anti-Japanese base area in southern Hebei.
The next morning, he held an emergency meeting of the county chiefs to convey the spirit of the instructions of his superiors. At the meeting, he saw Guo Xianrui, the county magistrate of Guangping County, still wearing those tattered cotton clothes in winter, and his heart was very unpleasant. At noon, he ordered the song assistant in charge of life affairs in the guerrilla group to send the new military uniform that had just been issued to him to the governor of Guo Xianrui.
Assistant Song was anxious when he heard this, and said: "Commander, you are still wearing a cotton coat, this set of military uniforms is issued to you, is it okay to give it to Governor Guo County?"
"Give this set of uniforms to Governor Guo, and you can get me another set from the logistics department."
Assistant Song had two hands and a stall: "Commander, it is not enough that all the uniforms of the Logistics Department have been issued to the troops, and the military uniforms have been given to the governor of Guo County, what are you wearing?" "
"Less bullshit! Quickly send the military uniform to the governor of Guo County. Then he said with a calm face: "I have my own solution for my single clothes." ”
Assistant Song reluctantly sent the military uniform to the governor of Guo County.
At night, he was waiting to mend his old washed white coarse blue military uniform. At this time, Assistant Song handed him a new gray military uniform.
Yang Xiufeng stopped the needlework in his hand and asked him where the dress came from, and when he heard that it was sent by Guo Xianrui County, Guangping County, his heart giggled. He suspected that Assistant Song had not sent it and taken it back.
Thinking of this, he asked solemnly, "What did you say when you gave the military uniform to Governor Guo County?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Really?"
"Seriously."
"Then, governor Guo County received the military uniform, how did he send it back again, do you think about it?"
Assistant Song thought for a moment and said, "After dinner, the traffic officer of governor Guo County handed me a note to the effect that governor Guo thanked me for solving the problem of military uniforms for him. I hurriedly said to the traffic officer that the uniform belonged to Commander Yang, and I would like to thank you..."
"Thanks to Commander Yang, right?" Isn't this equivalent to asking Governor Guo for military uniforms?"
Yang Xiufeng interrupted what the assistant was about to say and said, "Go, please ask the county magistrate to come to me."
After a while, the governor of Guo County came and asked, "What instructions did the commander give me to come?"
Yang Xiufeng put down the needlework in his hand and asked, "Governor Guo, how did you get this single military uniform for you back?" Is it discomfort to dress?"
"Suitable."
"Why don't you put it on?"
"Commander, you haven't worn a single garment yet, so how can I wear yours?" Besides, the commander is busy with military affairs, the temperature in southern Hebei is higher than in the west, and you have not yet worn a single coat, which will affect the work, so, I..."
"It's sent back, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Yang Xiufeng handed the new military uniform to Guo Xianrui's hand and said in a serious tone: "Comrades in the county are busier at work and have a more difficult life.
Guo Xianrui excitedly changed into the new military uniform given by the commander.
Yang Xiufeng's spirit of being lenient with others gave warmth to every warrior.
One night in the winter of 1938, Yang Xiufeng's wife, Sun Wenshu, was waiting to weave a pen sleeve below.
Yang Xiufeng walked in and asked, "What are you weaving?"
Sun Wenshu saw that her husband was a little angry, and quickly replied: "Knit a pen sleeve." ”
"For whom did you weave it?"
"I'm sorry for myself."
"Where's the pen?"
"Bought it." Sun Wenshu seemed to have suffered a great deal of grievance, and she also became angry, and she said loudly: "What prestige do you want from me?"
Yang Xiufeng ignored Sun Wenshu's accusations and continued to ask, "Where did you buy it?"
"A friend from Tobeiping bought it."
"How much did it cost?"
"$12."
"Where did you get so much money to buy a fountain pen?"
"This..." Sun Wenshu stopped talking and did not continue to speak.
"Say!" Yang Xiufeng, who has always been gentle, is furious with his lover today. Then he threw a note in front of his wife and shouted, "You see, what is this?"
The wife picked up the note and looked at it, it was an IOU that she bought a fountain pen to embezzle public funds, and she did not dare to say a word.
It turned out that the pen that Sun Wenshu had brought out of Beiping had been lost in a battle, which greatly affected his work and study. Today he received a pen bought by a friend, but it cost 12 yuan at a glance, which made him sad.
According to the supply system of the line at that time, he could not come up with so much money for a while, so he wanted to return the pen. But the comrades said that since the pen had already been bought, they should not return it. First embezzle 12 yuan from public funds and give money to others. Then deduct 1 yuan per month from Yang Xiufeng and her allowance, and make up for it in half a year.
Therefore, she decided to temporarily embezzle public funds to leave this pen, and no one expected that this matter would be known to Yang Xiufeng so quickly.
"Hmm, did you eat some bear hearts and leopard bile, or did you let the ghost get confused?" You say?"
Yang Xiufeng was very angry, and he slapped the table and knocked on the stool again, and his eyes were very round: "How dare you embezzle public funds and take the lead in destroying the organ system?" You're bent on destroying yourself!"
Seeing that her husband was so angry, he quickly explained: "When I received the Venus fountain pen bought by a friend of Tobeiping today, I was too expensive and wanted to return it, but comrades..."
Yang Xiufeng interrupted what his wife was about to say: "You don't subjectively recognize the mistake of using public funds, but instead push the mistake on the comrades, is this IOU written by the comrades according to your handwriting?"
"Yes... Is to blame me. ”
Although she said so, she still didn't turn her head and said, "Xiu Feng, are you making such a big fuss about such a small thing and moving such a big liver fire?"
"What? Is this still small! The bureau has a rule that no one can embezzle public funds, do you know?"
"I know."
"Look, didn't you just knowingly commit the crime?"
Yang Xiufeng then calmed down and went to his wife and said, "Wen Shu, you are a person with great ambitions, but you can't wrestle on the way forward..."
Hearing her husband say this, Uncle Sun Wen realized the seriousness of his mistake.
Finally, Yang Xiufeng said in a serious tone: "Wen Shu, although some of my words are not heard, I am for the cause of the party and for you!" The ancients clouded, from frugality to luxury, from luxury to frugality. 'You should buy a pen, and I'm willing to spend a little money.' However, now is the most difficult period of the War of Resistance, and the conditions do not permit it! You and I only have a monthly allowance of 4 yuan (side currency) per person, except for the expenses of buying some towels, soap, etc., there is very little left. So now we can't just add anything. You're wrong about embezzlement, and that's fine. It is not terrible for a person to make a mistake, it is terrible to know that it is not to change it. Lenin said that small things are the root of big things, and doesn't the famous Chinese saying that the of a thousand miles collapses in an ant nest confirm this truth?
Speaking of this, Yang Xiufeng turned his words around and said: "Wen Shu, the party has entrusted us with the anti-Japanese work of more than 50 counties and more than 2 million people in southern Hebei, and we must not arbitrarily use the power entrusted by the party and the people for personal gain, nor can we let the party's reputation tarnish a little dust, are you right?"
Sun Wenshu listened to her husband's words, felt deeply guilty, and couldn't help but cry. During the 129 Movement, she was arrested and imprisoned by the Kuomintang Beiping City Public Security Bureau, and never frowned in the face of the enemy's butcher's knife. But now, she was crying.
"So, what about this Venus pen?"
Sun Wenshu replied decisively: "I will immediately return the pen."
In 1939, Deng Xiaoping was on his way to Yan'an, when talking about Yang Xiufeng, he said
：
"Civilian officials don't want money, and military subjects are not afraid of death—Yang has both."
"Remembering Yang Xiufeng"