In 1967, Li Lianqing, who had been working as a guard for Chairman Mao for 7 years, was finally able to return to his hometown to visit relatives, 17 years after he joined the army.
After a fellow villager recognized him, he made some random remarks and asked, "Have you been a soldier for so many years, but now you are a senior official in the army?"
It is a very lucky thing for a traveler to return and hear the local accent. Li Lianping felt proud in his heart, but then he suddenly remembered something and stopped talking. He touched his head and regained his composure: "I am still a cook now." After joining the army for many years, he has never been promoted. "
Picture | Rural children of the last century (old photos)
The fellow villagers suddenly sighed, and then they changed from expectation and envy to looking down upon Li Lianqing, and regarded Li Lianqing as a negative example. , said to the children in the village: "Don't be like your uncle Lian Qing. He has been in the army for 17 years and is still a cook! "
For this reason, Li Lianqing's trip home was not very pleasant, and made my mother worry about herself. , he wanted to explain but couldn't say it, just because everything related to Chairman Mao was the country's top secret.
As a time-tested central guard , he will naturally not make this unforgivable low-level mistake.
This article will take you into the glorious life of Li Lianqing and see how a wild boy from a poor mountain village transformed into Chairman Mao's bodyguard, and what kind of life experience did he have after Chairman Mao passed away?
Picture | Li Lianqing and Chairman Mao (old photos)
In February 1932, Li Lianqing was born in Helu Village, Lubu Town, Gaoyao City, Guangdong Province. His family has been farming for generations, but he has also been poor for generations.
What was even more difficult was that when Li Lianqing was 11 years old, his father unfortunately passed away. At such a young age, he could not go to private school like other children, but had to herd cattle and work to earn money for the family.
Gaoyao, Guangdong, is located in the mountains of southern Xinjiang. It has always been a place where banditry often occurs. In order to protect themselves, the local people have practiced martial arts for generations. Even the small Xiaohelu village where Li Lianqing lives has several good martial arts masters.
Li Lianqing worshiped a boxing master when he was young. After years of hard study and practice, by the time he reached adulthood, he was already a famous "boxing champion" in their area. He was also extremely agile and was called "Guo Shu" by the township party members. dragon".
Picture | Xiwu (Information Picture)
"Guoshulong" is a local venomous snake. When not angry, it has a gentle temperament. Once it is angered, it becomes fierce and moves like lightning, extremely cruel.
According to Li's mother's expectations, Li Lianqing is in good health and has good martial arts skills. He can stay at home and farm and work in peace. He is teaching boxing to his younger generations. In the future, he will marry a wife and have a son and live a stable life. This can also be regarded as an explanation to his father. .
Li Lianqing does not want to live like this for generations.
On October 18, 1949, Zhaoqing was liberated. The local government went deep into every village to implement the good policies of land reform. The original landlords and evil gentry were all removed, and the farmers owned more land, including Li Lianqing's family. in this way.
Picture | The People's Liberation Army enters Zhaoqing (old photo)
Li Lianqing was deeply moved by the Communist Party's actions and thought it would be great if he could become one of them.
However, at that time, the People's Army already numbered five million people, while the Kuomintang only had less than one million remnant troops left. Not only did the army not need to be expanded, but it even had to be greatly reduced, which was the way to join the army. It’s not easy to walk.
But he has no education, so it is naturally difficult for him to join this group.
There is no end to the road, or it may be due to luck. In late June 1950, the Korean War broke out suddenly.
Because the US imperialism intervened and extended the war to our northeastern border, Chairman Mao launched the Resist U.S. Aid Korea against all opinions, and volunteer troops went to foreign lands in batches, fighting desperately in that unfamiliar land.
Picture | The Volunteers crossed the Yalu General (old photo)
In eight months, the Chinese People's Volunteers successfully resisted the enemy's offensive with huge casualties, and returned the front to the 38th Line .
The stage of "talking and fighting" began in June 1951. Considering that the frontline battle situation was tense and the soldiers were tired, Chairman Mao constructively proposed the strategy of war in turns. At the same time, various places were also recruiting and training new soldiers to achieve a In total, they are not inferior to the enemy.
In the autumn of 1951, Li Lianqing said to his mother: "Now that the country is in need, no matter how difficult the family is, we must overcome it."
Li's mother knew what her son was thinking. He wanted to join the army and go to the battlefield to repay the kindness of the Communist Party. There was too much reluctance and worry, but I still held it back without saying a word to stop him.
Picture | After the establishment of the Volunteer Army, the soldiers wrote a letter of invitation to fight (old photo)
A few days later, they packed their simple luggage, passed the registration process locally, and were sent to the Zhaoqing Military Division, where they experienced more than half a year of military training After training, he accompanied the army to the Korean battlefield in early 1952.
War flames and gunpowder smoke appear from time to time, but this is still far from the front line, but Li Lianqing has no fear at all. Instead, his heart is full of excitement, and he wants to carry guns and go to the front line to fight...
However, Li Lianqing's luck is a bit unlucky. After their group of recruits arrived at the Korean battlefield, they were immediately assigned to various ministries.
There was fire and smoke wherever Li Lianqing went, but it was not the flames of war and gunpowder smoke, but the smoke and fire in the kitchen, and Li Lianqing tragically became a cook.
Picture | Volunteer Army Cooking Class (Old Photo)
However, even a cook is a cook in the frontline troops. He often needs to go to the front line to deliver meals, and Li Lianqing's martial arts are of great use here, and he himself is also Try hard enough.
worked conscientiously at his job, and engaged in military training whenever he had free time. He was quickly recognized by his comrades and superiors, and was transferred from the cooking class to the regiment guard company.
In this way, Li Lianqing finally realized his long-cherished wish and became a true warrior.
As soldiers of the regiment's guard company, they are generally not used on the field, but when they are used, they must fight to the death and fight hard. Li Lianqing never flinches, always charging ahead, and his performance is extremely outstanding.
Picture | Soldiers of a certain unit of the Volunteer Army stood on a high ground in the Tiewuan City area to block the US invading forces (old photo)
In the summer of 1953, the Korean War ended, and Li Lianqing returned to the country with his troops to build the Zhaoqing Military Division. He should have retired in 1954 , but his superiors felt that he had outstanding qualities and extended his term for him.
Li Lianqing cherishes this rare opportunity and trains and performs tasks harder. At the same time, he also works hard to learn literacy to make up for his biggest shortcoming.
In the blink of an eye, it was 1957, and Li Lianqing's service period came once again. It seemed that demobilization and career change were his destiny, and Li Lianqing was very reluctant to give up.
At this juncture, Central Security Bureau came down to select people. After hearing this, Li Lianqing was moved and submitted the application materials to the company commander. The company commander smiled and told Li Lianqing:
Picture | Guards (old photo) )
"The Central Guard Corps can be regarded as protecting the country's leaders. The recruitment is very strict. Among the more than 100 people who signed up this time, only two people were admitted. You can give it a try, but don't be discouraged if you fail. "
Two people are selected from more than one hundred security elites. The selection factors include: origin, ability, experience, culture, etc.
Li Lianqing comes from a poor peasant family and is absolutely reliable. He has good martial arts skills and has served as a guard for five years. Apart from his shortcomings in cultural level, there is no doubt that Li Lianqing can win.
When the Central Guard Corps came, they finally selected Li Lianqing, a good prospect, but they also had a requirement for him. He must make up for his cultural shortcomings as soon as possible, otherwise he would be a guard for the central leaders. It is absolutely impossible to cause a big embarrassment!
Picture | Guards (old photos)
Li Lianqing was very studious. When he joined the Central Guard Corps, he could not even read. However, after more than two years of hard work, he was able to read, write and calculate smoothly, and this also came with it. The opportunity has laid the conditions.
This opportunity was none other than to work as a guard for Chairman Mao, and Li Lianqing once again successfully stood out.
He later recalled: "I never thought at the time that I would become a guard serving the Chairman and work for more than ten years."
It is well known that Chairman Mao likes swimming, which requires his guards to He can also perform security work underwater, but Li Lianqing is a landlubber who grew up in the mountains. He still can't even dog paddle .
Picture | Chairman Mao swimming in Shaoshan (old photo)
Maybe you can work with Chairman Mao as a guard. How lucky you are. Li Lianqing just changed from a landlubber to a slut in the surf in a short period of time.
In 1961, the 29-year-old Li Lianqing came to Chairman Mao and officially became Chairman Mao's bodyguard. He guarded Chairman Mao until his death and completed his posthumous affairs, ending this sacred mission.
Li Lianqing clearly remembered that it was a sunny morning when he was taken into Zhongnanhai by the staff and walked all the way to Juxiang Bookstore .
Along the way, I was in the mood of a pilgrim, solemn and anxious. After all, what I was about to see was the great Chairman Mao!
Picture | Chairman Mao and Zhang Dongxing (old photo)
At the moment he met the people's leader, Li Lianqing felt very uneasy, fearing that he would be driven away soon if he did not meet Chairman Mao's requirements.
Fortunately, this was just his overthinking. Chairman Mao was very kind and approachable, and took the initiative to invite him to sit down and chat with him. Especially after learning about his childhood experiences, his expression was quite moved, as if he was I thought of my relatives.
Chairman Mao has always affectionately called "Li Lianqing" "Little Guangdong". After learning that his educational level was average, he asked the guards who were outstanding in this aspect to work for him.
Over the past few years, Li Lianqing used his spare time to obtain a high school diploma through hard study in addition to heavy training and tasks.
Picture | Chairman Mao (old photo)
The moment Li Lianqing received his high school diploma, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
After losing his father when he was young, he was unable to study. This has always been his great shortcoming. But now, because of Chairman Mao's care, he has a high school education and has become the most educated person of his generation in his village. He couldn't help but say with emotion: "Without Chairman Mao, I would not be a cultural person."
Whatever you gain, you must lose something. Being a guard for Chairman Mao is a great honor, and behind it is a great sacrifice.
Due to the need for confidentiality, his work content cannot be disclosed to his family.
His family only knew that he was in the army, but they did not know the specific situation. Even when his wife gave birth, he could not go home to accompany him because he was on duty, which caused a lot of dissatisfaction and complaints from his wife's family.
Picture | Chairman Mao (old photo)
In 1967, Chairman Mao's health was already inconvenient, but the whole country was in a state of chaos. Chairman Mao had to sit at the center to control the overall situation, so he could not truly understand the situation in various places. .
Chairman Mao considered that many of the guards had not been home for a long time, so he asked them to take turns going home to visit relatives, see the situation in various places, and see what the people were lacking and what they lacked.
It was precisely because of this that Li Lianqing was able to return home. After cleaning up and returning, the villagers were quite curious about him, thinking that his wife would not be able to return after giving birth, fearing that he would have a big future in the army.
A fellow villager who watched him grow up curiously asked: "My child, you have been in the army for more than ten years now. What kind of officer have you been in the army? You don't come back often."
Picture | Scenes of rural labor in the last century (old photos)
This is the scene at the beginning of the article. Li Lianqing wanted to answer: I am Chairman Mao's bodyguard.
But before the words came out, he suddenly thought of the confidentiality discipline, quickly swallowed the rest of the words, touched his head and said: "I am still a cook, and I have never been promoted in the army for many years."
Been a soldier. In 17 years, he was still a cook, which made the people in the village feel contempt. They thought that after living outside for so long, they would be able to make a difference, but they did not expect that they would not be as good as the young people in the village. At least they could live. Feel the atmosphere and freedom!
At the same time, it was difficult for Li Lianqing to come back for many years, but he suffered a great deal from his mother and wife. Labels such as "unfilial", "disregarding family" and "worthless" were quickly slapped on Li Lianqing, which made him feel quite sad. feel bad.
Picture | Rural family in the last century (old photos)
Li's mother knew but said nothing, which made Li Lianqing feel even more guilty. He knelt down to his mother and said: "Mom! It's my fault that you have been wronged!" ”
In mother’s eyes, even if he is useless, he is still her treasure. This is the case for Li's mother. Her son has been in the army for 17 years and has been laughed at for not having a big future. He must be feeling even more miserable.
As a mother, all she can do is use her arms to comfort her son.
That's not all. Li Lianqing was quickly regarded as a negative teaching material in the village. When educating children, he often said: "Don't be like your uncle Lian Qing. He joined the army for 17 years and was still a cook!"
Picture | Rural Areas of the Last Century (Old Photos) )
This made Li Lianqing more helpless, and Li's mother felt even more uncomfortable and guilty about it. She thought that if she had found a way to let her son read some books, this would not be the case.
Li Lianqing knew his mother's thoughts and said in his heart: "Your son is working as a guard for Chairman Mao, so he has a big future..."
What he can say to his mouth can only be some dry words of comfort and comfort. I can't tell anyone my identity as Chairman Mao's security guard.
Regarding the tasks assigned by Chairman Mao, Li Lianqing did not give up or fool him because he was looked down upon by the villagers. Instead, he conscientiously went to each house to inquire, and recorded the information in detail for reporting to Chairman Mao.
Picture | Rural Areas of the Last Century (old photos)
The family leave soon ended. Amid his mother’s reluctant tears and instructions, Li Lianqing boarded the train heading north.
But this time, mother and son will never see each other again. Because of his special mission, Li Lianqing was unable to go home to see his mother off for the last time when she passed away. It can be said that the word "unfilial" was firmly established.
On September 9, 1976, a great man passed away. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country shared the same grief, but Li Lianqing was one of the saddest people.
In his heart, Chairman Mao is not only the leader of the country and the person he protects, but also a father and teacher.
As a person close to Chairman Mao, of course he cannot damage Chairman Mao's image at this time, and all his sadness can only be hidden in his heart.
Picture | Chairman Mao’s death (old photos)
At that time, Li Lianqing could only hide in bed and cry during rest, but on weekdays he had to stand on the last duty for Chairman Mao, and when Chairman Mao’s death was completely settled, His mission was successfully completed.
Li Lianqing then submitted an application for job change to the organization, intending to return to his hometown to spend time with his family.
But at this time, the organization assigned him a new mission, serving as the chief of the guard for Marshal Ye Jianying.
At that time, Ye Shuai was the pillar of the party and the country. There were too many storms gathering on him, and there must be someone who was absolutely trustworthy and capable enough to take charge of his security.
Picture | Marshal Ye Jianying at work (old photo)
It is extremely rare for Li Lianqing to serve as Chairman Mao's security guard for sixteen consecutive years, and to perform his duties conscientiously without making any mistakes, so he was entrusted with such an important task.
Li Lianqing took over this important task without any hesitation. It was not for personal gain, it was just the responsibility of a soldier of the Republic, and he just lived up to Chairman Mao's teachings.
Under the protection of Li Lianqing, Ye Shuai, with his extraordinary courage and wisdom, and Comrade Xiaoping and others successfully brought the entire country back on track during that critical turning period, and made great strides forward at an even faster pace.
On October 22, 1986, Marshal Ye Jianying passed away at the age of 89. After Li Lianqing also served his last duty, he finally ended his more than 30 years of guard career.
Picture | Li Lianqing (first from right) and Marshal Ye Jianying (old photo)
Li Lianqing was transferred to work in the Guangzhou Liaison Bureau of the General Political Department. When he retired in 1997, he already had the rank of senior colonel. He took his family to live in Beijing and enjoyed the experience of being a deputy military officer. level treatment.
In everyone's imagination, Li Lianqing could finally take a good rest and live peacefully and happily with his wife and children. Until the last moment of his life, he was quite complete.
However, Li Lianqing's later years were not like this, but as extraordinary as his youth.
It was the Spring Festival of 2008. When Chen Riming came to Beijing to visit relatives, Li Lianqing invited him to his home for a reunion. When talking about the current situation in his hometown, Chen Riming felt a little regretful when talking about his hometown:
Picture | New Year’s Eve dinner (data picture )
"There are more than 400 people in the village, but the collective income of the village is less than 3,000 yuan."
"The ancestral hall is also declining day by day, and the life of the villagers is difficult. Alas! Now all the young people in the village have gone out to work, and only some are living alone. The old man stayed at home, and the whole village was in a state of desolation..."
After he left as a child, Li Lianqing could not calm down for a long time. He thought of all the things that happened in his childhood, what his old mother was like when she was alive, and Chairman Mao's earnest teachings. He decided He has to do something for his hometown, otherwise his conscience will be uneasy.
After making the decision, Li Lianqing gathered his family together and solemnly announced his decision: "I feel that my hometown is calling me, and the folks also need me. I must go back and do something for them. What! ”
Picture | On the left is Li Lianqing (old photo)
At this time, Li Lianqing is already 76 years old, how can his family trust him to go?
In addition, when Li Lianqing was unable to reveal his identity, his family members were often looked down upon and ridiculed by the villagers in those years. Why bother to spend so much effort to help them now?
Although his family did not support or understand him, Li Lianqing was extremely determined.
He still resolutely embarked on the road back to his hometown alone after the National Day that year, giving up the comfort and happiness in Beijing to take on the huge responsibility with a slim future and no need to bear it as an old and weak body.
When Li Lianqing went back, he took with him more than 1.3 million yuan in savings that he had accumulated throughout his life. After returning, he built ancestral halls, tidied up the village, hardened roads, renovated schools, and built vegetable greenhouses based on the actual situation in the village...
Picture | Li Lianqing (old photo)
Soon he ran out of money, but he was still far away from his dream of making all the villagers rich.
Li Lianqing did not give up. Instead, he and his grandson borrowed more than 1 million yuan to establish a cattle-raising company, hoping to promote the development of the entire village.
As long as a person abandons complicated desires, does things sincerely, and follows the social trends of the time, it will be difficult not to make achievements.
In just a few years, Li Lianqing's cattle breeding factory has a breeding scale of more than 300 cattle. On the one hand, it provides a place for the villagers to work. On the other hand, if they want to run this business, they can be taught and cooperated for free. Some upstream and downstream small-scale operations.
Picture | Li Lianqing (old photo)
Soon Helu Village has undergone tremendous changes. It took off its old poverty hat and became a model village in Guangdong Province.
Li Lianqing was called "Commander Niu" by the villagers. Those who had made rude remarks came to apologize one after another, hoping that Li Lianqing would forgive them for their ignorance.
Li Lianqing never cared much about this, and told them sincerely: "It doesn't matter, I am a farmer's son. This return to my hometown is not to honor my ancestors, but to do more things for the villagers in my lifetime."
Later, a reporter came to interview and asked about the ownership of the cattle farm in the future. Li Lianqing said: He will not hand it over to his children, but only to the young people in the village.
Picture | Renovated Helu Village (File Picture)
When a reporter asked him why he was persistent, Li Lianqing replied: "As an old party member, if I still have some energy, I should repay the people. No matter what, I will persevere. "As long as I live, I will shine and contribute to the people!"
Looking back on Li Lianqing's life, he found that otherwise he would not have achieved great success in boxing when he was young, and would not have been favored by fate in his middle age. You can’t keep up your efforts, you can’t continue to be extraordinary in your old age.
These qualities, after being continuously refined and sublimated by the troops, have become a great spirit of dedication, which is the infinite enthusiasm for the country and the people, is the foundation of a Chinese Communist Party member, and is the basis for our country to continue to move forward. source.
Leo Tolstoy once explained himself in the words of the great proletarian revolutionary Paul Korchagin (the protagonist of the book) in his article "How Steel Was Tempered". Values:
Picture | Leo Tolstoy (old photo)
"A person's life should be spent like this: when a person looks back on the past, he will not regret for wasting his years, nor be ashamed of being inactive; in this way, When he was dying, he could say that I devoted my whole life and all my energy to the most precious cause in life - fighting for the liberation of mankind."
The author believes that this passage is the ultimate tribute to Li Lianqing's life. What a good portrayal, his life was never wasted, he was always fighting for the country and the people!
Today, Mr. Li is over 90 years old, and his legs and feet are not as flexible as before, but he still sticks to his position as "Niu Commander" to dedicate his light and heat to the villagers.
Here, I would like to wish Comrade Li Lianqing a long life, happiness and good health!
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