(Audio)
"Thirty years turned by, and the ambition was not rewarded. I will not hesitate to die first, and then frequently comfort jiuquan. This is the poem "Farewell" left by Deng Enming, a major representative of the Communist Party of China, in prison. Deng Enming joined the revolution at the age of 16, and in 1921, together with 12 other major representatives of the Communist Party of China, he witnessed the great moment of the birth of the Communist Party of China. On April 5, 1931, at the houjia compound execution ground on Weiba Road in Jinan, Shandong Province, Deng Enming was shackled and sang the "International Song", calmly and righteously, at the age of 30.
Fast forward a hundred years, and it's another April 5th. A hundred years ago, when he left, China was poor and weak, and wars were raging. Today, China has straightened its spine. Each of us is his eyes, seeing for him a China he has never seen but is looking forward to. A family letter, a long thought, this is a letter written by Deng Qingming's niece Deng Qingmei to the Great Uncle.
Dear Uncle,
90 years ago today, you were shackled and generously died. Do you know how sad we are as loved ones, because we have lost you forever! But how proud we are, because you died for the great righteousness of the motherland and for the rich and strong China. Time has passed for a hundred years, and I would like you to see for yourself the China for which you have thrown your head and spilled your blood. I can proudly tell you that China today can look up to the world.
When I was a child, I used to hear my grandfathers and uncles talk about you. They said you were a hero, and I didn't understand what a hero was. I only know that you went to Shandong to study at the age of 16, led the student movement at the age of 17, participated in the COMMUNIST Party Congress at the age of 20, and was betrayed by traitors and sacrificed heroically at the age of 30. When I grew up, I saw the family letters and poems you left behind, and only then did I gradually understand you and read you.
I admire you for breaking through the barriers of the world and persevering in your inner pursuit. I remember that you wrote a letter to your great-grandfather in which you wrote: "Children are different from others, and the most hated thing is fame and profit, so there are negative parents' expectations, but there is nothing to do about it." "You are the eldest son in the family, you grew up smart and studious, and your great-grandfather had high hopes for you, hoping that you could study and become an official, and honor your ancestors." But you deeply felt the corruption and incompetence of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, and despite the many persuasions of your family, you resolutely decided to bid farewell to your hometown and seek the truth of saving the country. In order not to allow you to participate in the revolution, the family terminated financial assistance to you. Your great-grandfather wrote many letters urging you to return to Libo's hometown to complete the marriage, trying to drag you back, but you categorically refused. You say, "Sons are established and will never change." "Until you died, you were not married, you had no children, you were bent on living for the revolution, and you died for the revolution.
In 1925, there was a drought in Libo, and the family could not open the pot. So, everyone thought of you, who was the secretary of the Shandong Local Executive Committee at the time, and hoped that you could send some money back to help your family survive the disaster year. But you said, "I knew from Jinan back to Qingzhou that my family was rich in rice, but I didn't send anything back, so that the old and the young suffered a little, which is really a sin." But my brothers have to forgive me, and I can only find personal food and clothing, and I can't take care of my family. "Although you are in charge of many of the party's funds, you have always lived in a cold life, and the living expenses paid by the monthly organization are mostly used by you to help comrades in difficulty. You are dressed simply, and you wear the same gray coat in spring and autumn. You have traveled from place to place for the revolution, and you have spared no expense for your life, but you feel guilty in the face of your parents and siblings thousands of miles away.
You were extensively involved in the founding of the Communist Party of China. In July 1921, you represented the Shandong Communist Group at the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China. You were only 20 years old at the time, the only minority representative, and we are very proud of you. Later, you held workers' night schools to spread Marxism to the workers. You launched the workers of the Jiaoji Railway and the Sifang Locomotive Factory to hold a general strike of the whole factory, and organized the May Thirtieth Movement, which laid the mass foundation for the founding of the Communist Party of China. The enemy hates you to the bone and brutally tortures you after you are arrested and imprisoned. You were indomitable, and in prison you led two hunger strikes and organized two escapes, enabling some comrades to escape from danger. I can't imagine what kind of pain and suffering you suffered before your sacrifice, but I think you would be very pleased if you saw the vicissitudes of our hometown Libo.
Before the founding of New China, Libo, located on the border of Qiangui, was deeply disturbed by the war, and nearly 100 county houses were destroyed in the war, full of devastation and economic depression. After the founding of New China, the construction of county towns accelerated its development, but "remote and backward" and "old and young border poor" were once synonymous with Libo. From the beginning of the "Two Yaos" poverty alleviation in 1980 to the "Eighty-Seven" poverty alleviation, the county has continuously invested human, material and financial resources to help us. After the arduous years of eagerness for food and clothing, and the transformation of the economy from "black" to "green", we have overcome one difficulty after another and achieved one big thing after another.
Uncle, you know what? Our village has also lifted itself out of poverty, and the villagers no longer suffer from poverty. Fine fruits, Chinese medicinal materials, and tourism industries have become the pillar industries in the village. For so many years, we have never forgotten you, the village in our family to build a party sex education base, more than 50,000 people come to visit and study every year. There are also a lot of college students in the village, the children can basically finish high school or vocational school, will not go out after graduating from junior high school as before, there are more ways out, and the days of the villagers are getting more and more aggressive. Now in Guizhou, the counties are connected to the highway, and the villages and villages are connected to the highway. Culverts were opened, bridges were built, and mountains and canyons were connected into a line. How nice it would be if you could see that!
The best souvenir is to remember your spirit at all times. The foundation of the world is in the country, the foundation of the country is at home, from oneself to the home, from the home to the country, and to protect the country is to guard the family. Our Deng family's family training is to be a clean and innocent person and do things in a down-to-earth manner, and I have firmly remembered this training in my heart. While enjoying today's happy life, shoulder the responsibility of young people. Uncle Da, rest assured!
Your niece: Deng Qingmei
April 5, 2021
Not only Deng Enming, but in that era of awakening, groups of benevolent people followed the revolutionary pioneers, abandoned their families and businesses, left their wives and children, and stepped into the torrent of history of seeking independence for the nation and the liberation of the people without hesitation, and finally gathered under the banner of the Communist Party of China. Nie Rongzhen wrote in his family letter: "Although men do not dare to take the world as their own responsibility, it is the responsibility of young boys to save their fathers and elders from all kinds of water and fire and fight for national rights to save the danger. Guan Xiangying wrote his ambition in a letter to his uncle: "Willing to run all his life, do his best to save the people from ruin, sacrifice his family, and fight against the international imperialists with all his might." Flowing between the lines are the historical responsibility and firm determination of communists to sacrifice their lives for righteousness in pursuit of national independence and people's liberation.
"In order to have the courage to sacrifice more, dare to teach the sun and the moon for a new day." Their blood has never been shed in vain, and today's China has become an independent, democratic and free China, and their long-cherished dream has become a reality.
Red candle tears, sorrows; yellow flowers fly, yang loyal soul, the best memorial is to remember. Today, the mountains and rivers are unharmed, and the indomitable spirit must be remembered! Those heroes who have shed blood and fought for their lives must be remembered! As a young netizen wrote in a message: "Tracing the red footprints of our ancestors, we will build this China for you that you have never seen but look forward to." The future of China is left to us! ”
Prosperous as you wish, I believe not only as you wish, but also beyond your wishes!
Planner: Yang Yue, Li Huihui
Reporter: Li Huihui Mao Wanyi (Intern) Li Kexin (Intern) Wang Yating (Intern) Peng Bangyuan (Intern) Dong Yujia (Intern) Wang Yuye (Intern)
Design: Wang Shaowei (Intern) Guo Xinyuan (Intern) Xu Tianjiao (Intern) Min Ruizhi (Intern)
China Youth Daily, China Youth Network
China Young Writers Daily
School of Journalism and Communication, Henan University of Technology
Co-produced
Source: China Youth Network