March 21, 1986 , Chen Yonggui was hospitalized for advanced lung cancer. When Chen Yonggui decisively chose to give up treatment even if he was treated, he might not be cured, and he would even live in "very painful".
"It will not be cured, why are you wasting that medical resources? Keep it to save others!"
72-year-old Chen Yonggui was lying on the hospital bed, thinking about his life. He went from being a fugitive child who had no fixed place to become the vice premier of the country, and did many practical things for the people and the country, and was also called the "civilian prime minister" by the people. How many people can do this?
A few days later, Chen Yonggui on the hospital bed reminded him of some things after his death, and then fell asleep at the age of 72.
How legendary is this civilian prime minister?
From the escaped child to the head of the village
Chen Yonggui was born in 1914. Due to social turmoil and war, the family lived a life of stagnation. He couldn't tell where his hometown was, and he only knew that he had lived a wandering life with his father since he could remember.
After they arrived at Dazhaizi Village in the hinterland of Taihang Mountains , they settled down. At this time, Chen Yonggui was only 5 years old.
After the father and son settled down, Chen Yonggui saw that others had parents and brothers and sisters at home, why did he have only his father and himself?
The little Chen Yonggui also asked his father, but his father was either furious or silent, his eyes were always red.
Only after he grew up did he realize that in a chaotic world, ordinary people either starved to death or were frozen to death, or were killed by thieves.
Chen's father passed away not long after, and the young Chen Yonggui was adopted by the kind-hearted Dazhaizi and would not become an orphan.
Chen Yonggui was full of gratitude to Dazhaizi Village. Although he is an outsider, he is simple and kind by nature. After finishing his work, the neighbors need help, so he goes on without saying a word. In this way, Chen Yonggui gradually became an integral part of Dazhai Village , and he also got married and had children here.
He not only helped the villagers in trivial matters, but also made unremitting efforts for the War of Resistance.
At that time, the Japanese army had already invaded the Taihang Mountains and established a thing called "Xingya Society" to find locals to manage this Xingya Society.
Although the farmers don’t know a lot of big words, they all know that doing things for the Japanese is a "traitor"!
But if people are not sent to join the "Xingya Society", the Japanese will definitely kill people. In order to protect the villagers, Chen Yonggui gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go!"
Chen Yonggui certainly did not really do things for the Japanese. Instead, he took advantage of his favorable conditions of "invading the enemy" and became an "undercover". On the surface, he was timid, but secretly tried his best to pass on the news he had heard to the Eighth Route Army, which made the Eighth Route Army win several battles.
He quickly aroused the suspicion of the Japanese. After the Japanese arrested him, they first detained him, and then prepared to execute him. Fortunately, he was rescued by the Eighth Route Army again.
However, because of this history, Chen Yonggui got to know many Eighth Route Army soldiers. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Chen Yonggui joined the party with the recommendation of the Eighth Route Army soldiers. Later, after the head of Dazhaizi Village passed away, with the support of the state, Chen Yonggui became the party branch secretary of Dazhaizi Village, which was enough to shine for ordinary people.
However, Chen Yonggui's blessing is still here!
Reclaiming terraced fields to increase income, not asking for grain from the country
After Chen Yonggui became secretary, he felt more responsible and also a little happy.
Because he had long wanted to do something for Dazhai Village, now that he has the title of Party branch secretary, it is more convenient to act.
The greatest thing he did was to reclaim terraced fields, turning the mountainous land with a yield of less than 200 kilograms per mu into terraced fields with a yield of more than 700 kilograms per mu!
At that time, because Dazhai Village was located in a mountainous area, the village was just a low-lying place, there was no extra arable land in the place where they lived, and there were rocks on the mountain. The seeds planted and the grain grown were also shriveled. Chen Yonggui saw it and was anxious in his heart.
But he soon had an idea. Since the mountain is big and there is no fertile soil, then bring the soil below the mountain. Isn’t this fertile?
He told the people in the village about this idea and also told him about the terraced fields.
The farmers' minds are simple. They don't understand what terraces are, but they understand that they can work with the secretary, so they can make more food and eat a full meal. They are not afraid of hardship or fatigue. As long as they have income from work, they will do it!
In this way, Chen Yonggui and the people of Dazhai Village began to build terraces. From the bottom of the mountain, carrying a basket filled with fertile soil with a shoulder pole, walked step by step to the mountain, and then started to build terraces. After ten years, the terraces were built and the farmers' arable land had increased several times. Chen Yonggui has also focused on building a water storage device. From then on, in the event of drought, he can also water the grain without relying on the weather for his life!
I have seen terraced fields in the photography photos, with fields staggered and the crops on it growing gracefully, and they can be called a beautiful rural landscape.
But I never expected that these terraces were not the creation of nature, but were artificially created by farmers with shoulder poles, baskets, hoes and shovels. The hard struggle of Dazhai Village is just a microcosm of thousands of farmers during the founding of New China during the period. With them, we have the foundation for our happy life today.
Chen Yonggui and the farmers in Dazhai Village were not in vain. The grain output increased from less than 200 kilograms per mu to more than 700 kilograms per mu!
Dazhai Village has completely achieved hard work and self-reliance since then. Even later, the village was hit by disaster and the farmland was washed away. Chen Yonggui was not defeated. Instead, he led the villagers to rebuild his home. During the famine period, Chen Yonggui also contributed 240,000 kilograms of grain to the country, and even Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou noticed the farmers in this mountain valley.
repeatedly meet noble people, and civilians become prime minister
The food donated by Chen Yonggui and Dazhai Village has saved many people. Such good things should not be buried. " People's Daily " has specially opened a column for Chen Yonggui and Dazhai Village to introduce the rural secretary.
Later, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou noticed Chen Yonggui, and Chairman Mao also specially invited Chen Yonggui to attend his birthday party.
Chen Yonggui didn't know at first that this was Chairman Mao's birthday party. When he saw that "Mao Zedong" only existed in the newspaper was right in front of him, Chen Yonggui's legs were weak! Because he has always admired Chairman Mao very much, after entering the "literacy class", he studied Chairman Mao's thoughts every day.
The real person was right in front of him, and Chen Yonggui smiled foolishly.
This meeting, Chairman Mao also had a good impression of this honest and simple farmer. After Chen Yonggui returned to Dazhai, Chairman Mao launched the " Agriculture Learning Dazhai " campaign across the country, and Chen Yonggui became famous nationwide.
With the support of Chairman Mao, Chen Yonggui quickly took up a higher position and became the deputy secretary of Shanxi Province. In 1975, , Chen Yonggui was summoned to Beijing again. Premier Zhou, who was on the hospital bed, met him in person and told him that the country decided to let him serve as Vice Premier of the State Council and take charge of agricultural work across the country.
In this way, a semi-illiterate farmer became the Vice Premier of the State Council. He is said to be semi-illiterate because he is not educated but has participated in literacy classes. However, Chen Yonggui has worked in the fields for a long time, and in agriculture, experience is more important than theoretical knowledge. This also shows that Premier Zhou’s foresight and knowledge of people have maximized the value of talents.
met Hua Guofeng during his tenure
Although he became the vice premier of the country, Chen Yonggui did not have the airs of the premier at all. He is still dressed as a farmer. When he is fine, he often runs to the fields to check the growth of grain in various places.
During this period, Chen Yonggui spent one-third of his time in Beijing, one-third of his time in Dazhai, and the remaining one-third of his time was to go to all parts of the country to inspect the arable land situation. He sorted out the situations he observed one by one, which made great contributions to the increase in agricultural output across the country.
At first, because he was a farmer, he had simple thoughts and straightforward words, and many places were different from those of intellectual leaders. Chen Yonggui couldn't understand the intellectuals and couldn't say the key points, and intellectuals couldn't stand Chen Yonggui's straightforwardness. It can be said that when Chen Yonggui first took office, it was not very smooth.
At the beginning of his term, Chen Yonggui met Hua Guofeng. After getting along, both of them discovered each other's shining points. Chen Yonggui admires Hua Guofeng's knowledge and talent. Hua Guofeng also admires Chen Yonggui's ability to become a prime minister, but he has not become arrogant and always maintains the quality of his original intention. The two gradually became friends. Of course, at work, if there is any inconsistency, they will still quarrel.
He did not know Hua Guofeng in vain. During his later period, Hua Guofeng gave him countless support and comfort.
Some people say that Dazhai’s output is false, while others say that Dazhai is doing so well because of the support of the state. It is not his credit for Chen Yonggui.
Chen Yonggui felt very wronged. When complaining to others, he said, "If you say that I have a low education and poor work, I will admit it, but I have never done these things before!"
Hua Guofeng knew Chen Yonggui, so he spoke to Chen Yonggui in many ways. However, in order to avoid suspicion, Chen Yonggui resigned from all positions in 1980 and then went to the farm of in the suburbs of Beijing, , until his death.
Chen Yonggui in the eyes of the family
Before Chen Yonggui passed away, he warned his family and colleagues that funerals must be kept simple and not made big fuss. So at the farewell ceremony for Chen Yonggui's body at the Babaoshan funeral, it was deserted, with only his family and a few cadres from Dazhai Village!
Finally, it was Hua Guofeng who insisted on saying goodbye to Chen Yonggui, so that everyone knew about Chen Yonggui's death. Soon, people surrounded the Babaoshan Funeral Home. Although Chen Yonggui ordered "simple funerals" to be simplified, Hua Guofeng did not regret it at all, because Chen Yonggui shouldn't have left in obscurity.
Because Chen Yonggui is very low-key and simple, no one knows that this civilian prime minister has too many stories. Later, when a show interviewed Chen Yonggui's wife Song Yulin and his youngest son Chen Mingliang, they realized every bit of Chen Yonggui's life.
Song Yulin said that Chen Yonggui's life is very simple. He did not get a salary and had to work in the fields to earn work points to support his family. Song Yulin himself also needs to work in a nursery to get some money to subsidize his family. When Chen Yonggui died, his deposit was only 8,365 yuan. Even so, Chen Yonggui still had to donate it.
When old man Song Yulin said that, everyone around him was filled with tears.
When Chen Yonggui and Song Yulin's youngest son Chen Mingliang mentioned his father, he also yearned for his longing for him, "My father didn't let me ask him to go through the back door, otherwise it would be 'embarrassing'. I have been a child, taking the exam and doing business. If he had his help, I would have been well-developed and made a lot of money, but because of the people who could not lose him, I gave up."
Chen Mingliang finally settled in Australia, but he also had his own career through hard work. The family of this family has lived the life they want with their own efforts.
The reason why Chen Yonggui, a civilian prime minister, is praised by many people because he shows us the unique simplicity and steadfastness of Chinese farmers, and the quality of being in a high position and not forgetting his original intention. This is also a microcosm of all of us Chinese. We believe that efforts will bring rewards. As long as we work hard and work hard, we will definitely create a prosperous China!
