On December 13, 1937, the Japanese army captured Nanjing, and the 6-week-long massacre turned this former ancient capital of the Six Dynasties and the bustling Jinling into a hell on earth! The nanjing massacre shocked the whole world. It also shattered the illusions of some people in the National Government about the Peace Talks between Japan and strengthened their determination to resist Japan.
The Japanese army had intended to intimidate the Chinese by slaughtering the city of Nanjing and disintegrating the will and determination of the Chinese people to resist the war, but unexpectedly, the entire Chinese people were not only not intimidated by the beastly behavior of the Japanese army. On the contrary, it aroused greater anti-Japanese enthusiasm, and the whole country was united as never before, and went to the country to share in the difficulties.
This incident also aroused great indignation among overseas Chinese in countries far away in Southeast Asia, and although they were in a foreign country, they also cherished the safety of the motherland. They established the "Nanyang Overseas Chinese Relief Association for Refugees from the Motherland" (hereinafter referred to as the Refugee Federation) in Singapore, and the famous patriotic businessman Tan Kah Kee was elected as the president of the association.
While exposing the brutality of the Japanese army to the world and gaining the support of the Governments of Nanyang governments for China's resistance to Japan, the "Refugee Federation" also called on more overseas Chinese, patriots, and organizations to donate money and materials to the motherland's resistance to Japan. In 1939 alone, the "Refugee Federation" sent more than 400 million yuan to China, donating a total of 1.5 billion yuan in more than four years from the outbreak of the All-out War of Resistance to the outbreak of the Pacific War, which was directly remitted to the then Chinese Nationalist Government.
In March 1940, in order to support the motherland and to publicize China's determination to resist Japan to the world, Chen Jiageng personally and the "Refugee Association" formed a "condolence inspection team". It was decided to return to China for condolences and inspection.
Before returning to China, Mr. Chen Jiageng said to the members of the delegation: "When the country is in trouble, my colleagues of my generation try not to disturb the people. Do not add a burden to the motherland. Food and clothing, everything from Jane". All the members of the delegation expressed deep understanding and were prepared to endure hardships.
Their first stop was Chongqing, the rear area of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the capital of the Nationalist government. On March 26, 1940, when a group of more than 50 people led by Chen Jiageng, chairman of the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Association, arrived at Chongqing Coral Dam Airport by plane, it was warmly welcomed by thousands of people from more than 200 local groups.
When they stepped off the plane and saw such a grand situation, their hearts were very touched, they felt that this trip was worth it, and they also saw the determination of the people to resist Japan, but the next two months of travel made this inspection and condolences change the taste! The condolence group was arranged to stay at the Jialing Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Chongqing at that time.
The facilities here are elegant and the availability of goods is no less than that of countries that have not been affected by war. Chen Jiageng inadvertently learned that this was actually the private property of Chiang Kai-shek's brother-in-law and Kong Xiangxi, an important member of the Kuomintang.
Later, when asked in person whether Kong Xiangxi's incident was true, Kong Xiangxi generously admitted that there was no trace of guilt. Chen Jiageng wrote in his diary that night that he was stunned at the time. But that was just the beginning, and the next situation was even more jaw-dropping.
Chen Jiageng has been "busy" every day in Chongqing for more than 60 days, and every day he has been invited to a banquet by different government departments or important generals and government officials under different names. Two times a day, ushered in the delivery, so that the 66-year-old man tired of running, shouted "can't eat", issued a "front to eat tight, rear to eat tight" sigh.
If it were not for the fact that Japanese planes often flew over Chongqing, Chen Jiageng almost thought that the motherland was in an era of peace! Seeing their daily extravagance, Chen Jiageng's heart ached like a knife, because every penny of their donation was saved by thousands of overseas Chinese.
Who knew that their donations had not been turned into bullets to kill the enemy, nor into cold cotton coats for the warriors, but they were consumed in this way. How could this not make him feel sad! Mr. Chen Jiageng, who could not bear it, published a "strike banquet" announcement in the Central Daily for three consecutive days, in which he said: "In this difficult and difficult period of the War of Resistance, I hope that the government and the people will practice economy and do not consume material resources!"
Afterwards, Chen Jiageng learned that in order to welcome his arrival, Chiang Kai-shek ordered that he should do a good job in receiving him at all costs and make him "satisfied." In accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, the Kuomintang government set up a "welcome committee," and under the circumstances of such a tight War of Resistance, Liezhi received him with "special funds" and set up a reception banquet alone for 80,000 yuan.
And this 80,000 yuan can make a fully staffed military-level combat unit (about 10,000 people) each wear a new cotton coat.
Is the National Government already so "rich"? However, he often saw ordinary people in the streets and alleys with hungry faces and ragged clothes, and some people even sold their children and daughters in order to eat a full meal.
Moreover, he also heard that the tax levied by the government on the peasants in Sichuan had been levied for 70 years in the Republic of China, that is, in 1981 AD; every senior member of the National Government he met must say that he would resist Japan to the end, but his actions were sluggish, and he could not help but feel absurd.
Some people are drunk and dreaming of death every day; some people are stealing arms, smuggling scarce materials with the convenience of resisting Japan, and burying their hair in the country's difficult wealth; all this has aroused great doubts, and whenever he asks the relevant people about these questions in his heart, the other side is vague and vague about his opinion.
This made him feel deeply disappointed, and he couldn't stay in Chongqing for a day! Chen Jiageng felt sorry for those overseas Chinese compatriots in Nanyang who trusted him. It was under such circumstances that Chen Jiageng set his sights on the communist-led base areas in the far northwestern frontier.
At the end of May, he politely declined the "goodwill" advice of the Nationalist government to see what the Communist Party was doing, and traveled all the way to Yan'an, Shaanxi Province.
After arriving in Yan'an, he was greeted with the same warm welcome as in Chongqing, and the leader of the Communist Party of China, Chairman Mao, and the top level of the Communist Party of China all came forward to receive the condolence group, and a sense of disappointment arose in his heart, believing that the Communist Party and the Nationalist Government would be as vain as form.
The first place to stay was a well-looking cave, at least the window was pasted with newer hemp paper. The kiln was clean. Without being arranged to live in a luxury hotel, Chen Jiageng's heart was somewhat relaxed, at least the frugality on the face was still done.
Chairman Mao used the vegetables he personally planted to set up a "reception banquet" for the group. Just in the courtyard where Chairman Mao lived, a small broken table looked like there were many plates and plates on the top, and a table was set up in full of dishes, and when you looked closer, cabbage, beans, potatoes... Vegetables of the same color.
But it seemed as if the Communist Party could come up with the best meal it could, the most extravagant of which was a small bowl of chicken soup per person after the feast. It was so clear that even a few shredded meat could not be fished out, but all the people drank it very well. During the banquet, Chairman Mao repeatedly sandwiched dishes for Chen Jiageng and let him taste the flavors of northern Shaanxi.
For the first time in two months, Chen Jiageng ate a meal in a down-to-earth manner. Chairman Mao told him that as early as 1939, the government of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region launched a large-scale production campaign to lighten the peasants' burdens and actively help themselves. People from all walks of life in Yan'an, the party, government, and military academia have all taken action, and everyone has something to do, planting fields and spinning threads.
This made Chen Jiageng so surprised that his mouth could not be closed. After the meal, Chairman Mao personally accompanied him to the field to see the scene of busy farming, and Chairman Mao showed him Zhu De's vegetable garden and the self-cultivation fields of other leaders. When I went to Chairman Mao's own field, the most planted was red and spicy seeds.
Chairman Mao said sheepishly: "I love chili peppers the most, and recently I have opened up another piece of land to plant a little red mulberry." Chen Jiageng, who was lying in the cave that night, could not sleep again, and he wondered what kind of army this was, and how it was different from what Chiang Kai-shek had told him!
At that time, the domestic and foreign press circles were accustomed to Hearing Chiang Kai-shek's deliberately distorted propaganda against the Communist Party of China and his troops, and everything he saw here made Chen Jiageng feel curious and mysterious, and he was determined to walk around and see more in Yan'an.
He wondered if the leadership of the Communist Party would have its own industry in Yan'an. There is a small street about 100 meters long outside Yan'an, the local people call it Xinshi, which is the only commercial street in Yan'an, Chen Jiageng and people have looked over, here is still thriving, the types of operation are also complete, I can't imagine that there is a photo studio, here it seems a little foreign.
Chen Jiageng asked a shopkeeper, "Is there any industry for a communist official here?" The shopkeeper looked at him unexpectedly, expressing incomprehension, saying, "There are no big officials in the Communist Party!" It all looks ordinary. Not to mention the existence of industry, the living standards of some leaders of the Communist Party are not as good as those of us who do business!"
Chen Jiageng is still not dead hearted, secretly to a female student who returned from Nanyang to Yan'an, there are no shops run by the Communist Party here, the female students affirmatively replied no, all the shops here are run by the people independently.
Chen Jiageng remembered what Chairman Mao had said to him, and once he asked Chairman Mao what he thought of an ideal society to look like. Chairman Mao replied: "There is no difference between the leaders and the common people, everyone is the same." There is no corruption, no one is making a fortune for the country."
Chen Jiageng saw with his own eyes the life of the residents of Yan'an, although there were no rich and noble people, but there were no beggars on the street. Everyone seems to be the same, able to live happily and happily. There is also no distinction between the leader and the people. He saw Zhu De, as commander-in-chief, sitting with a group of servicemen, eating in a thick porcelain bowl, which was the same coarse grain as the bowl of the common people.
Once he sat in the courtyard with Chairman Mao and chatted idly, many local people ran to the courtyard to see him, the big boss who had been down to Nanyang, full of circles, not even enough to sit on the bench, a service soldier simply squeezed on the bench where Chairman Mao was sitting, Chairman Mao also subconsciously moved to the side, the movement of the two people is very natural, it seems to be a perfectly normal thing, it does not affect the chat with Chen Jiageng at all.
But for Chen Jiageng, a wall collapsed in his mind, and he thought of everything he saw in Chongqing, even a small government clerk shelf was too big. This strong contrast could not help but say without emotion: "The ideal society mentioned by Chairman Mao is not the current Yan'an" is not it?"
Chen Jiageng then understood that when he first landed in Yan'an, he let him live in a cave and eat a whole-dish feast really not specifically for him to see, but the real life of the Communists in Yan'an.
After the visit to Yan'an, Chen Jiageng formed a completely different view of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. He came to the conclusion that China's hope was not in Chongqing, but in Yan'an. After returning to Nanyang, in accordance with Chairman Mao's request, he mobilized merchants to donate a large number of medicinal materials and medical instruments and transported them to Yan'an.
Mr. Chen Jiageng's prediction was not wrong, and only nine years later, this political party that had seemed to be in the soil seized power in the whole country and took all of China to a new path. He was also invited to the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and when he ascended the Tiananmen Tower and looked south, the Kuomintang, which had once been the largest party in China, was already in a corner of Taiwan.