Introduction:
955, after the founding of New China, the first People's Liberation Army officer rank ceremony was grandly held in Zhongnanhai, Beijing. Among a group of majestic generals, a female general was heroic and listened to Chairman Mao’s speech on the stage with concentration.
Li Zhen
award ceremony officially began. Chairman Mao slowly walked towards her, picked up a first-class liberation medal and put it in the hands of the female general. The female general's eyes were filled with tears, and he couldn't say a word of excitement. Premier Zhou personally awarded the rank of major general to her, held her hand and said, "Congratulations, you are the first female general in New China."
Who is this female general, and why can she get the rank of major general?
Break free from the identity of a child bride
Before the founding of New China, women in the old society were sad. Most of them could not decide their own destiny. Their destiny was set on the cross in their lifetime and became victims of feudal society. But wherever there is oppression, there is resistance. Some women are unwilling to be merciless and try to break free from the shackles and find their own light.
The first female general in New China was the legendary woman who dared to fight feudal society. She was General Li Zhen.
1914, Li Zhen, who was only 6 years old, was sent to another family as a child bride. Just like thousands of ordinary women, her life was ruthlessly bound by feudal society from the beginning. To put it bluntly, the child bride was given free coolies. Li Zhen didn't understand these at that time.
Perhaps without the arrival of Red Army , Li Zhen's thoughts will gradually be assimilated by the surrounding environment, but Li Zhen has the courage to break through the shackles in her bones, so when the Red Army arrived, she resolutely embarked on the road to joining the army.
1926, 18-year-old Li Zhen heard her sister say, "The Red Army established the Women's Liberation Association here, and we women can finally stand up!" Li Zhen felt that the opportunity for liberation finally came. She and her sister participated in the Women's Association, and the comrade in charge of statistics asked her, "What's your name?" "Danwazi!" This is the name she has called for 18 years. Comrade
said, "Your surname is Li, not Dan." At this time, the word "Loyalty" appeared in Li Zhen's mind, and she said, "Then call it Li Zhen!" This name is excellent, and then this name accompanied her whole life.
Since joining the Women's Association, Li Zhen's thoughts have gradually broken free from feudalism. Due to her outstanding performance, she was also elected as a member of the Women's Federation of Yonghe District and joined the Communist Party of China in 1927.
soon, Hunan was shrouded in white horror, and Li Zhen was also listed as a member of the blacklist. He had long been disgusted with Li Zhen's in-laws' family worried that it would cause trouble, so he sent a divorce book to Li Zhen's mother's family. Li Zhen was not at all disturbed by this. She had long been dissatisfied with the marriage, and her husband's move was just right for her.
is not bound by her in-laws, and Li Zhen has no burden and is determined to join the battle. During the middle of this year, Communist Party members such as Wang Shoudao and Zhang Qilong were ordered to return to their hometown in Dongdong, Liuyang to form a party organization. The first thing they thought of was Li Zhen. This strong and capable woman had left a deep impression on them.
Li Zhen and they established the Liudong Special Branch of the Communist Party of China and the Liudong Guerrillas, and Li Zhen served as the chairman of the Soldiers Committee of the Guerrillas.
Zhang Qilong was brutally killed because of his identity as a Communist Party member. Out of sympathy, Li Zhen began to care about Zhang Qilong's life. After a long time, Zhang Qilong was also moved by Li Zhen. The two got married under the blessings of their comrades and became a loving couple.
But the happy life has not lasted for long, and the sinister war environment has hit this happy family again. In 1928, the Zhangjiafang Gang Defense Bureau was afraid that the autumn harvest uprising would break out again, and was worried that the guerrillas would attack at night, so they were particularly careful at night.
Wang Shoudao said to this: "Since they have strict defense at night, we will fight during the day." He and Zhang Qilong divided the team into two batches, the first batch of farmers dressed as farmers, hid their guns in the food, and first mixed them into them as internal responses.The second group dressed up as a team of sending off their parents and entered openly.
is very safe, but the bride has to be played by Li Zhen. Li Zhen blushed and said, "No, no, the last time I attacked Zhangjiafang, I was alone outside. This time I want to fight with you." Then he recommended a lesbian beside him.
Wang Shoudao said: "Only you have the most combat experience here, you are more secure." Li Zhen also wanted to say that she could be a bridesmaid, but she was still rejected by Wang Shoudao. In addition, Li Zhen had already married Zhang Qilong at that time, so Wang Shoudao asked Zhang Qilong to persuade Li Zhen.
After Zhang Qilong's persuasion, Li Zhen agreed to be a bride. Sure enough, the enemy did not have any doubts about this "bride-sending team". Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, the guerrillas launched a surprise attack on the regiment defense bureau. In just half an hour, the Zhangjiafang regiment defense bureau was thrown into the trap and they achieved a huge victory.
Disperse maternal love to the orphans of martyrs
As a woman, Li Zhen could have taken care of her husband and children at home and stayed away from the battlefield, but she was unwilling to be a victim of feudal society. She resolutely participated in the revolution and defended the mountains and rivers with her husband Zhang Qiming.
After Li Zhen and her husband founded the Liuyang East Guerrillas, the enemy has been trying every means to destroy it. In a battle, the Liuyang East Guerrillas suffered heavy casualties and the enemy was about to form an encirclement. At that time, all efforts would be wasted.
In order to continue the revolution, comrades Li Zhen, Wang Shaokun and other comrades took the initiative to attract the enemy's firepower and cover other comrades to leave. time is tight, and they can no longer make plans, so they can only act according to Li Zhen's opinions. Li Zhen and a few people fought with the enemy in fire, while the other comrades moved from the back mountain.
Li Zhen, Wang Shaokun and others led the enemy to the Lion Cliff, but behind them was a deep abyss. Seeing that the bullets in their hands were about to be used up, the enemy was not in a hurry. The leader shouted: "Stop shooting, their bullets are about to be used up, and there will be rewards for those who catch them alive." The enemy's tiger-and-wolf-like eyes made Li Zhen and others grit their teeth in hatred. Li Zhen looked at the abyss behind him, then looked at the enemy's greedy eyes, and said to the comrades around him: "Comrades, when I participated in the revolution, I made up my mind and never looked back in my life. So even if I die, I can't become a prisoner of the enemy."
After saying that, he turned around and jumped off the cliff, and the other comrades also closed their eyes and twitched. The enemies on the edge of the cliff stared at the people who had disappeared into the darkness in disbelief, unable to come back to their senses for a long time.
Li Zhen was also afraid of death, but the revolutionary force in her heart defeated her fear, making her devote herself to the revolution without hesitation. I don’t know how long it took, but the pain in my lower abdomen woke up Li Zhen who had been unconscious for a long time. She looked around and there was no danger. It was at the bottom of the cliff, and there were several soldiers who jumped down with her. I don’t know whether they were dead or alive.
She struggled to get up, and pain came from her lower abdomen again. When she looked down, she found that a hole was poked by a branch in her lower abdomen, and red blood kept flowing out of the hole. She tore her top and wraps her lower abdomen for a few times, temporarily stopping the blood.
didn't care about the wounds on her body. She quickly checked the situation of other comrades, but found that all other comrades except her and Wang Shaokun had died. Deep guilt gradually rose from the bottom of her heart to her brain, as if the air had become stagnant, and she also had a responsibility for the death of the soldiers.
At this time, Wang Shaokun, who was unconscious, also woke up slowly. Seeing this tragic situation, he couldn't help but feel sad. The two hugged each other and felt in pain. After a long time, the two buried the bodies of their comrades and limped towards the nearby village.
Li Zhen (second from the front row right)
came to a village. Li Zhen found the doctor to treat the wound. After the treatment, the doctor told her two unfortunate news. Because the branches were inserted too deeply, Li Zhen's uterus had been infected and he might lose the right to be a mother. Another bad news is that Li Zhen was already pregnant, but this accident caused the child to have miscarriage.
Li Zhen felt a black look in front of her and almost fainted. Wang Shaokun beside her hurriedly comforted her, and Li Zhen finally stabilized. A few days later, Li Zhen and Wang Shaokun found the troops and continued to participate in the battle. Even though the war brought her great pain, she never changed her determination to revolution. It was because of the existence of a person as great as Li Zhen that revolution would usher in victory.
933, in order not to implicate Li Zhen, Zhang Qilong filed for divorce to her. Li Zhen also understood her husband's difficulties and agreed with tears. After being forced to divorce, Li Zhen was in a low mood. Later, the central government sent her to study at Ruijin Central Party School, and Li Zhen gradually got much better. In the following years, Li Zhen was sent to various places to take on important tasks. While participating in the Western Expedition with the Red Sixth Army, Li Zhen met her third husband Gan Siqi.
Gan Siqi is approachable, gentle and considerate. Li Zhen has a very good impression of him. Ren Bishi's lover also sees the friendship between them. With her matchmaking, the two finally tied the knot and became a loving couple.
Li Zhen (second from left)
After getting married, the two were respectful and loving, and Li Zhen was pregnant. The couple were surprised and happy about the arrival of the child. Li Zhen thought she would never have her own child in her life, but the child gave her the right to be a mother.
935, in the strategic battle of the Red 2 and Red 6th Legions, Li Zhen also followed the large army Long March . Along the way, she gritted her teeth and persevered, never dragging the troops back, and climbed over the snow-capped mountains with her extremely tenacious willpower, crossed the snow-capped mountains, crossed the Jinsha River, and followed the troops forward strongly. But the harsh environment still caused Li Zhen's child to be born prematurely. When the child was born, he was skinny and li Zhen warmly held the child in his arms and showed a happy smile.
The Long March was short of supplies and there was no food to eat. Li Zhen couldn't even eat food, so naturally there was no milk for the child to eat. The child was so hungry that he cried. Li Zhen felt as painful as the needle was pierced, but she had no way of doing it. Gradually, the child's crying became less and less until there was no sound.
Li Zhen held the child's body for a long time and refused to let go. The soldiers kept comforting her. Only then did Li Zhen let go and bury the child. With the old disease that has not yet been cured and the inadequate postpartum care, Li Zhen’s lower abdomen is in pain and he will always lose his fertility. During countless days and nights of the Long March, Li Zhen always dreamed of the child buried in the grass.
Li Zhen, who lost her child, was in a very bad mood and had a high fever that would not subside, and her condition was very dangerous. The comrades wanted to carry her away on a stretcher, but she refused to say anything. After arriving at , Hadapu , the troops rested on the spot for some days and took several doses of Chinese medicine in succession, and Li Zhen's condition gradually improved.
After the successful meeting between , Li Zhen and Gan Siqi were named "two model cadres and a revolutionary couple". Although she lost her child, Li Zhen's maternal love was still there. She could not bear to the suffering of the martyrs' orphans, and took the initiative to take on the responsibility of taking care of them.
Logistics Minister Chen Xiyun, the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, could not let go of her children when she was in danger. After Li Zhen learned about it, he visited him and said, "You can treat your illness with peace of mind. I will take care of your children, don't worry." She took Chen Xiyun's eldest daughter and Chen Xiaomei to her home and treated them as her own children, taking care of them from elementary school to work. After the death of illness, his daughter Zhu Yipu was left alone and helpless, and Li Zhen also took her to his home to raise her. Zhu Yipu suffered from a very serious stomach disease, and Li Zhen took out all his savings to treat her and ordered milk to nourish her stomach.
Li Zhen
Li Zhen and his wife adopted more than 20 orphans of martyrs, and worked hard to raise them, teaching them the principles of being a human being and the spirit of revolution. When these orphans grew up, they were very filial to Li Zhen and his wife and regarded Li Zhen and his wife as their biological parents.
The first female general of New China
After the end of the Long March, the War of Resistance Against Japan began, and Li Zhen and her husband Gan Siqi joined the battle without hesitation. The couple joined hands to fight the enemy until the founding of New China.
1955, the first People's Liberation Army officer rank ceremony of the People's Liberation Army of New China was grandly held in Zhongnanhai, Beijing. Li Zhen was also invited to attend the rank ceremony. Among the many generals, she was the only woman. She listened to Chairman Mao’s speech on the stage with concentration, and her heart was tightly surrounded by a sense of sacredness.
Chairman Mao presented Li Zhen with the medal
Chairman Mao presented the medal to all the generals, and gradually walked to Li Zhen's side. Chairman Mao picked up a first-class Liberation Medal and handed it to Li Zhen. Li Zhen took it but was so excited that he couldn't speak. Premier Zhou, beside Chairman Mao, personally awarded her the rank of major general, and held her hand and said, "Congratulations to Comrade Li Zhen, you are the first female general in New China!"
Li Zhen's excitement turned into tears, and she couldn't stop flowing out. The medal in her hand shines with a warm light, warming her strong heart. At this moment, all her efforts turned into honor and hung on her chest.
Li Zhen has lived a hard life for a long time, and Li Zhen has long left the habit of saving and thrift. Even though his living conditions have gradually improved, Li Zhen still retains his previous habits.
She never buys clothes casually. The shirts and coats she wears are repaired and repaired. She has worn a pair of cotton shoes for more than ten years. After the soles are worn, they only change the soles, and then wear them on the upper. Li Zhen always covered her with an old quilt and was never willing to replace it. Only when there were guests at home would they take out a new quilt to cover it.
Li Zhen’s salary is not high, and there are martyrs’ orphans who need to be raised. Relatives come to their families from time to time, so Li Zhen is often not enough. Li Zhen never complained about this.
975, Li Zhen lived in a very dilapidated courtyard at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain. No one has lived in this courtyard for a long time, some of the bricks and tiles have been cracked, and the furniture is not very complete, but Li Zhen just lived there. The city leaders arranged other places for her to live in good conditions, but Li Zhen insisted on living here. In winter, several families in the yard use a boiler to boil water. The indoor temperature drops to freezing point. If you don’t move, you will catch a cold. But she still didn't dislike it and said, "This house is not that bad, I have a way to keep the cold."
In fact, Li Zhen had no choice. She just put her previous cotton shoes on her feet and put two very thick cotton jackets to resist the cold. Due to the sequelae left behind in that year, Li Zhen's lower abdomen always felt a faint pain, so she put it in her arms with a glass bottle filled with hot water, and the pain was relieved a little. In such a difficult environment as
, Li Zhen still reviews documents and processes letters reflected by the masses, and never slackewed off for a day.
In 1980, Li Zhen's position was promoted again and again, but she still chose to live in this house and refused to move. Later, a leader came to visit her and saw the damaged furniture as soon as he entered the house. The leader felt guilty and said, "It is really our fault to let the revolutionary ancestors live in such a house." So he advised Li Zhen to move out of here and live in a cadre's office.
Li Zhen said, "Compared with the past, such conditions are already good. I have nothing to ask for, so that's good."
After another four years, the people in the organization have persuaded her several times, and every time she never tires about her moving away. After much persuasion, Li Zhen agreed to move to the cadre room not far away. Li Zhen spent 6 years in the cadre room.
Li Zhen (right)
985, 78-year-old Li Zhen wrote a letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission, which read: "I have a wish, and I hope the central government can approve it. I am 78 years old this year and want to resign as an advisor to give way to young comrades with stronger ability. This is my heartfelt wish." After retirement, Li Zhen lived a happy old age. People from the Central Military Commission often come to ask her for questions, and she will spare no effort to help. In 1990, Li Zhen finished her glorious life, and all the children she raised came back to attend the memorial service, and there were crying at the scene. When sorting out her relics, people were surprised to find that Li Zhen had very few relics, which can be described as "poverty".There are 4 old rattan chairs that have been used for 15 years, a marching box that has been used for 40 years, a refrigerator that has been used for 14 years, and there are 11,000 yuan, 2,500 yuan treasury bills , and two small gold bars left in the war years, and nothing else.
When relatives and friends read her will to everyone, everyone's tears couldn't stop flowing: one gold bar was donated to her hometown Liuyang County, and the other was donated to her husband Gan Siqi's hometown. Until she passed away, she did not forget to contribute to the motherland with her meager strength.
