944 On September 5, 1944, the sky above northern Shaanxi was covered with clouds, and it was pouring rain for several days. In a dark cave in Yan'an, Chairman Mao looked out the window restlessly, as if something was about to happen.
Two hours later, Gu Yuanxing, captain of the guard, reported an accident to Chairman Mao, and a soldier named Zhang Side of the guard was killed.
Chairman 0
After hearing this, Chairman Mao looked serious and hurriedly asked Gu Yuanxing to report the details of Zhang Side's death. When he learned that due to heavy rains for several days, the cave collapsed due to water seepage, and Zhang Side died to save his comrades, Chairman Mao remained silent.
Although Zhang Side only stayed in the Chairman's Guard for half a year, Chairman Mao had a deep impression of him. Through this ordinary soldier, Chairman Mao saw the noble character of a Communist Party member.
Chairman 0
Chairman hurriedly asked, how to deal with Zhang Side's body. Gu Yuanxing replied that in order not to affect production, he should be buried on the spot. After hearing this, Chairman Mao was furious. He immediately ordered Gu Yuanxing to bring Zhang Side's body back with the guard squad and gave three instructions on the spot.
Why is Zhang Side worthy of the Chairman's attention? What are those three instructions?
Zhang Side in his youth
In April 1915, an ordinary farmer in Liuhe Township, Yilong, Sichuan Province, added a boy to his home. This is Zhang Side, but his birth did not bring any joy to this poor family.
(Sichuan people in the early days of the Republic of China)
China during that period was in charge of Beiyang government, with bullying from the outside and warlords fighting inside.
The Sichuan Province where Zhang Side was born was particularly serious. At that time, more than 100 warlords of all sizes were derived from this mere province. They fought for territory, causing a series of melee.
The local people were suffering under the rule of these people. The warlords of all sizes levy and tax revenues were subject to decades. The Sichuan people struggled to survive under such oppression.
Zhang Side's family is a microcosm of the tens of millions of people at the bottom. Not long after he was born, his mother was in a state of decline due to childbirth and overwork. She passed away when Zhang Side was less than 7 months old.
(Statue of Zhang Side)
Zhang Side ranked third in the family, with two older brothers on it. Not long after his mother passed away, the elder brother dragged his thin body to do heavy work in the farmland of the landlord's house, and soon died of hunger and fatigue.
Zhang Side's second brother is too young and he is not even qualified to be exploited. The landlord family does not have such a small child labor at all. They can only live on the streets and rely on begging to live on it. They will soon be corpsed on the streets.
In order to support Zhang Side, his father Zhang Xingpin adopted him to his younger brother Zhang Xingzhong family. He went to work in the mine and sent some money to his younger brother's house. Only then did the two families support this child.
(Sichuan warlords during the Republic of China period)
Zhang Xingzhong's family's life is not much different from Zhang Xingpin. The family relied on him to carry the work for the landlord's family to make a living. The years of fatigue had long emptied Zhang Xingzhong's body. Once the weather turned cold, he would cough and occasionally vomit blood.
Although life is so difficult, the uncle and his family have never treated Zhang Side badly. As long as there is a bit of food at home, they will eat with this nephew. A few years later, Zhang Xingzhong's wife gave birth to a daughter for him, and their family's life became even more difficult.
(Zhang Side adoptive mother)
In order to support this family, Zhang Xingzhong took his family hundreds of miles away to burn charcoal for a local businessman. In those years, their family worked hard, but they couldn't even keep up with food and clothing.
It is said that "poor children become the family early". Zhang Side was sensible early. When he was very young, he tried his best to help his adoptive parents do some work within his ability.
The old farmer in the Republic of China
After several years of accumulation, the Zhang family lived a better life, and re-leased the landlord's land and raised two pigs.
In 1926, Zhang Xingzhong and his wife discussed sending 11-year-old Zhang Side to a private school, but it was too difficult for such a poor family to raise a child who was studying. They sold the pig and collected the tuition fees.
Zhang Side cherishes this opportunity to study very much. After arriving in the private school, he studied hard and spent all his time reading and literacy. His husband also likes this motivated student very much.
Unfortunately, Zhang Side did not study for a long time. A few months later, they encountered a drought in the local area. The Zhang family could not afford the landlord's rent, so he had to drop out of school and go home to help his adoptive parents work.
The old farmer in the Republic of China
More than three years have passed like this. Due to the bad year, I have successively owed the landlord's rent. The acres of paddy fields were taken back by the owner and left the land. The family who suffered all the hardships had to go elsewhere to find a way out.
Liuhechang, more than 20 miles away from Zhang Side's family, became the only choice for this family. During this period, disaster once again came, and uncle Zhang Xingzhong unfortunately passed away due to excessive fatigue.
At that time, Zhang Side was less than 15 years old, and then the burden of life was on this underage child.
The hard work of the Republic of China
During this period in Liuhechang, Zhang Side worked hard to support his mother and sister. As the trend of the Great Revolution passed, the people's sense of resistance gradually awakened, and many new ideas spread among the workers. Under the leadership of progressive people, these workers united. It was during that time that Zhang Side and his workers fought against donations and taxes and participated in various sports.
But in the local area, the reactionary power is still very strong. Most of the resistance movements organized by the workers ended in failure, but this period of time has trained Zhang Side. His and the workers' sense of resistance are getting stronger and stronger, and they are waiting for an opportunity to come.
Joined the revolutionary team
1933, the flames of the revolution burned to North Sichuan . Our Fourth Front Army launched the Camp Battle . The Yilong County where Zhang Side was located was liberated. At the same time, our army established a Soviet government in Liuhechang Township.
At the founding meeting, 17-year-old Zhang Side, as a worker representative, was the first to speak on stage, denounced the oppression of this dark world on their family, and called on everyone to unite and fight against the old forces.
He was first appointed as the Young Pioneers of , and joined the Red Army a month later, becoming the first person to participate in the Red Army in the local area.
workers
On the third day after Zhang Side joined the Red Army, the two warlords, Yang Sen and Liu Xiang , organized 6 armies to siege our Fourth Front Army with the cooperation of the Kuomintang.
Zhang Side participated in this battle as a recruit. Facing the enemy's gunshots, he shot the opponent's machine gunner with one shot and was commended by his superiors.
In the battle at the gate of the gate, Zhang Side sacrificed his life even more. He and his comrades in the Sharp Knife squad cooperated to climb to the top of the village with a human ladder, blew up the door with a bomb, and opened the passage for the subsequent troops.
Red Army
In the subsequent battles, Zhang Side made many achievements. Once the battle started, he would rush to the front line, especially in the Battle of Maozhou in 1935, he seized two light machine guns alone.
Then, the Red Army began a great strategic shift - Long March , and Zhang Side also left his hometown with the large army. Just after he left, the local reactionary forces began to counterattack and counted. After the reactionaries occupied Liuhe Township, they persecuted some soldiers who participated in the Red Army.
Red Army
Zhang Side's relatives were even cruelly revenge by the reactionaries. The younger sister was forced to death, her adoptive mother was beaten seriously injured, and her biological father Zhang Xingpin was chopped off his head and hung up for public display.
More than half a month later, the enemy's atrocities reached Zhang Side's ears. He was in sorrow and angry that he was about to leave the team and return to his hometown to take revenge. His comrades quickly reported the news to the instructor.
Red Army
So the instructor found Zhang Side overnight and did political work for him. The instructor told Zhang Side that the misfortune of his family was caused by this unfair world. The reactionaries not only owed him the blood debts of his person, but also the blood debts of all the poor people. Only by breaking the old order can everyone welcome the light. Tragedies like his family are actually happening every day throughout the country.
After the instructor's heart-to-heart talk, Zhang Side also turned around. He wanted to be a staunch proletarian fighter and use his life to fight to liberate the working people.
Red Army
In the following battle, Zhang Side was even more desperate. Due to his excellent performance, he was focused on the organization and soon became a member of Communist Youth League and was selected into Independent Group . The superior leader even recommended him to go to Lenin Model School to study.
Zhang Side cherishes this opportunity very much. After entering the school, he tried his best to absorb new ideas like a sponge. After completing his studies, he took the initiative to help other comrades.
Due to the limited funding of our party, the students in Lenin's model school cannot even get enough money.
Red Army
Zhang Side thought of a solution. He crushed the charcoal and made the ink, and used dry thatch as a pen. The organization praised his behavior very much. Everyone was also improving every day under the leadership of Zhang Side.
After systematic learning, Zhang Side understood a lot. He knew what the root of his suffering was? Also know whom I am fighting for?
The road of the Long March was long and dangerous, but Zhang Side did not retreat at all. He was the first to sign up for every dangerous task, which also made him more and more scars. When passed through grass , his body was already very weak.
Red Army Crossing the Grassland
At that time, most of our army had no food, and the soldiers squeezed out the remaining food and ate the wounded first. But whenever it was time for dinner, Zhang Side would leave one of his own portions to his comrades, and he secretly ran out to find some wild vegetables to fill his stomach.
Not long after, all the food in the team was used up. In order to take care of the wounded, the leaders even contributed their beloved war horses to kill them. Finally, after the organization's decision, they called on the soldiers to carry out the "Taste Hundred Herbs" activity.
At that time, there were poisonous weeds everywhere. The hungry soldiers relied on their experience to pick them, and poisoning accidents occurred from time to time.
In order to ensure the safety of the soldiers, the organization specially selected some comrades, asking them to try wild vegetables first, and then promote the edible varieties to the entire army.
pass grass
and Zhang Side is the activist inside. Every time he finds a new variety, he is the first to taste it. Poisoning has become commonplace. At a time, a little soldier found a " wild radish ". He was about to stuff it into his mouth, but Zhang Side snatched it and started chewing it.
Suddenly, his mouth felt numb, he shouted "toxic" and fainted. Fortunately, the doctor in the army found a folk remedy and poured it on him. He woke up after three days of unconsciousness.
Red Army
Days of being with Chairman Mao
After the victory of the Long March, Zhang Side entered Yan'an with the troops. At this time, his body was extremely weak. Both his superiors and his comrades around him advised him to take good care of his body and applied to the organization to send him to the Honorary Military Hospital.
But Zhang Side is a person who can't stay idle. During his hospitalization, he helped his comrades wash clothes and clean up when he was free, which was busier than those doctors and nurses.
Eighth Route Army
After more than a year of recuperation, Zhang Side left the hospital in 1938. To his delight, the organization approved his application for joining the party during his hospitalization, and 22-year-old Zhang Side became a glorious Communist Party member.
When Zhang Side returned to the team again, Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army had been adapted into the Eighth Route Army, and he was also appointed as the deputy squad leader of the first platoon and third squad of the guard company of the Yunyang Left-Back Office.
Like the Red Army period, the Eighth Route Army did not have a good life. The Kuomintang, represented by Chiang Kai-shek , only gave the soldiers a large amount of allowance every month. At that time, the Eighth Route Army soldiers were patched, and many people's shoes were worn out, all of them exposed their toes.
Eighth Route Army
Zhang Side felt very distressed when he saw this, so he used the allowance he had saved money to exchange some needles and threads with his fellow villagers, and took the initiative to help his comrades around him to sew and repair them.
In addition to his comrades around him, Zhang Side also helps the ordinary people as long as he can. After years of education from the organization, he has long put the interests of the people first and always demands himself as a Communist Party member.
During that period, Zhang Side's company was mainly responsible for transporting materials. At that time, bandits were everywhere around Yan'an, and Kuomintang spies were eyeing them. In addition, the winding mountain roads, accidents occurred at any time. Every time Zhang Side was escorted, he was cautious, for fear of making any mistakes.
Yan'an
In the spring of 1940, Zhang Side finished his escort work and was transferred to the Central Military Commission Guard Battalion as the communications squad leader. For Zhang Side, all work is for the revolution, and he will be serious and responsible in any position, whether it is a soldier or a squad leader.
In daily work, Zhang Side strives to complete the task. He delivers letters and intelligence on time every time. Once it rained heavily in Yan'an. Zhang Side received a task and wanted to deliver the letters to the military headquarters on time. He was worried about others and went to pass them in person.
On the way, he was worried that the letter would be wet by the rain, so he took off one of his shoes, clamped the letter with two shoes, held it in his arms, and ran dozens of miles of mountain road. His feet were grinded with gravels and thorns, and he could not get out of bed and walk for a week.
Yan'an
942, in order to cope with the blockade of the Kuomintang and the Japanese invaders, the organization decided to implement the "simplified military and simplified administration" Zhang Side changed from a squad leader to a soldier.
At that time, Chairman Mao called on everyone to "reliance". The organization considered that Zhang Side had rich experience in burning charcoal, so he asked him to do this job. Burning charcoal not only requires technology, but also has to face smoke and fire all day long, but it is dirty and tiring.
(Zhang Side and the soldiers burn charcoal together)
Zhang Side did not complain at all. While working, he also actively innovated and reduced the burning of charcoal every ten days to 7 days, improving production efficiency.
Chairman Mao and Zhang Side have known each other for a long time. As early as early 1941, Chairman Mao went out to do business by car. Due to the difficulty of roads, the wheels fell into ice holes. After Zhang Side, who was patrolling, saw it, and two soldiers immediately went to help.
In order to get the chairman out of trouble quickly, Zhang Side took off his shirt and jumped into the cold and bit by bit mud. He lifted a big stone, smashed the ice lump in front of the wheel little by little, and then pushed the car out with everyone. Chairman Mao personally asked his name and wrote the three words "Zhang Side" in his heart.
Yan'an
Two years later, when Chairman Mao inspected the construction site of the Eighth Route Army Auditorium, he saw with his own eyes that Zhang Side fell off the shelf to protect his comrades. Chairman Mao ordered him to be sent to the hospital and went to rescue him with all his might.
This time, Zhang Side was seriously injured. He stayed in the hospital for three months. After being discharged from the hospital, he was transferred to the inner bathroom class by the chairman to be responsible for standing guard. Zhang Side cherished the opportunity to serve the chairman very much. In those days, in addition to sticking to his post, he helped his comrades do some cleaning.
Yan'an people
In order for the chairman to travel safer, Zhang Side used his rest time to level the often-passed dirt roads little by little. In order to allow the chairman to have a stable sleep, he got up early every day to drive the chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep around him far away, and even the birds on the trees were not spared.
Every time Chairman Mao travels by car, Zhang Side stands on the pedal behind the car. This position is most vulnerable to attack and the most dangerous, but Zhang Side leaves the most dangerous position to himself.
(the inner guard force at that time)
At that time, the weather was cold, and Zhang Side's ears were frozen so cold that the chairman could not bear it and invited him to sit in the car. Zhang Side refused. The chairman retreated and asked him to put his cotton hat's ears down to block the cold wind. Zhang Side still refused. He believed that this would affect his hearing and be detrimental to the Chairman's safety.
The chairman was very moved to see his soldiers so devotedly and responsible. Not long after, because Zhang Side had experience in burning charcoal, he was arranged to be responsible for burning charcoal in the southern region.
On September 5, 1944, due to the heavy rain for several days, the cave collapsed. Zhang Side, who could have escaped, was buried in the soil and rocks in order to save his comrades. He was less than 29 years old at that time.
Kiln
Gu Yuanxing reported the accident to the chairman as soon as possible and explained that in order not to affect production, the sacrificed soldiers would usually be buried on the spot, which led to the opening scene.
Chairman Mao was very angry after hearing this, and he immediately gave three instructions: First, quickly restrain Comrade Zhang Side's body to prevent it from being destroyed by wild animals; Second, prepare the coffin and transport it back to Yan'an; Third, hold a memorial service, and the chairman must attend it in person.
After Gu Yuanxing left, Chairman Mao's mood still could not calm down for a long time. He pondered for a long time and wrote down the five big words " Serving the People " with a brush.
Chairman Mao’s article
A few days later, Chairman Mao attended Zhang Side’s memorial service and wrote a speech in person with the title of “Serving the People”. The next day after the memorial service, this article was published in “Liberation Daily” and was later selected into our primary school textbook.
Although Zhang Side was just an ordinary soldier when he died, his short life was interpreting the five words "serving the people". It was because of thousands of ordinary soldiers like Zhang Side that we can form our invincible army.
