In the spring of 1942, the sky of in Xuyi County was completely dark, and Zhang Yunyi, deputy commander of the New Fourth Army, sat under the tree worrying. In the afternoon, there was a meeting in Huanghuatang . The cadres smoked trumpet smoke rolled up by leaves in the room. The smoke was full of smoke, and people coughed. After the meeting, he caught a few small soldiers who were picking up their cigarette butts on the ground. He was so angry that he patted one of the guards on the head, frowned and said, " is too shameful. Do you want the image of the New Fourth Army? ”
The security guard pouted a bit wrongly, and said to himself: "Leader, we are having trouble eating now, how can we afford cigarettes."
Zhang Yunyi was a little angry and asked him, "Your addiction to cigarettes." It’s that big? Can’t you not smoke?"
The guard was a little embarrassed, blushing, and lowered his head: "Usually fighting is very hard, and the army stipulates that drinking is not allowed, so I can only smoke and relax. If you are homesick, you can also alleviate the homesickness ."
This sentence deeply hurt Zhang Yunyi. Soldiers usually have to pick up cigarettes and smoke in order to organize the birth and death. He patted the guard on the shoulder and said: "Okay, I see, you go back first, the organization will solve this problem."
Back in the yard, Zhang Yunyi sat down under the tree. After thinking about it, I decided to solve this problem for the soldiers, so he called in the Minister of Supply, Hu Biliang, and said: "We as leaders must care about the lives of the cadres and soldiers. We need to care about everything we eat, wear, and use. It’s because I didn’t think well and didn’t associate smoking with the revolution. It seems that we have to set up a tobacco factory so that the soldiers can smoke ."
Hu Biliang immediately said: "You Made this decision,I raise my hands in favor. How much money do you give to build a tobacco factory? "
Zhang Yunyi glanced up and down at Hu Biliang with his light, coughed, and took out a handful of money from his jacket pocket and stuffed it into his hand. Hu Biliang excitedly picked up the money and smiled so that the corners of his mouth reached his ears, but he Every time he counts one, the corner of his mouth drops by one point. After counting the money, his head becomes bigger and he says to Zhang Yunyi: " , my commander, you can buy a few packs of cigarettes with this little money. How can I run a cigarette factory? Ah? "
General Zhang Yunyi
Zhang Yunyi said sadly, ", as you know, our funding is too tight, and this year's grain harvest is not good." It is this 42 yuan that the soldiers saved by eating frugally. "
Hu Biliang spread his hands and looked straight at Zhang Yunyi with a pair of eyes: "It takes a lot of money to buy a 200-jin pig, let alone buying a machine. How can this be done?
Zhang Yunyi glanced wide and said loudly: "Are you the Minister of the Supply Department, or am I the Minister of the Supply Department?" There are always difficulties. You must find a way to overcome it. You must set up this cigarette factory! ”
Commander said so, Hu Biliang had to go back to find a way. He had never been in contact with a cigarette factory before, and he thought he couldn’t figure it out, so he decided to go shopping in the town and ask the peddler who sells cigarettes. News.
Hu Biliang, in casual clothes, wandered the street, and finally fixed his eyes on an aunt who sells cigarettes. He walked slowly to the side of the aunt, picked up a roll of "soil smoke" and put it under his nose to smell, marveling : "Oh, madam, you have a nice smoke! "
The aunt who sells cigarettes triumphantly said: "Of course, this is all produced by our factory itself. It was famous before it was not blocked."
Cigarette advertisements during the Republic of China
"How to sell?
"It's very cheap. A pack of cigarettes only cost you ten."
"Your cigarettes are not bad compared to'foreign cigarettes'. Why are they sold so cheaply? Isn't it a weird plan to frame me?" "Hu Biliang pretended not to believe, and wanted to get some useful information from the lady.
The lady became angry when she heard that, and said with her hands on hips: "What am I doing to lie to you!" That ‘foreign tobacco’ is just a shell, which is not the cigarette produced by our factory . We only sell ten per pack. They do it well, and it costs one dollar per pack for a paper case!
Hu Biliang's eyes lit up when he heard it. It seems that this lady knows something about "insiders", maybe she can ask more questions and she can tell her something, so he acted very interested and said, "Oh, it's true." of? Auntie, tell me about it. I like to listen to this kind of interesting stuff. After you finish talking, I will buy a cigarette.
The auntie immediately took a step back after listening to the cigarette basket, and glanced up and down Hu Bi with some suspicion, hesitatingly said: "You won't frame me, right?" "
Yuanfeng Tobacco Company's first cigarette making machine
"How can this happen?" I really wanted to smoke a bit before I came to the street to buy cigarettes. Isn't this just right to listen to you talk about new things and relieve my boredom? "Hu Biliang pretended not to care, his tone was brisk.
"That's OK, you have to buy one after I finish talking."
"Eh, of course. "
Auntie glanced at him again, and then she began to talk about the smoke. At that time, the New Fourth Army had just captured the copper town of Tianchang County, but this copper town was previously occupied by the Japanese army, and the surrounding areas were all The area under the rule of the Kuomintang. The Japanese army blocked the town, "foreign smoke" could not enter, and the local "soil smoke" could not be supplied. Therefore, several merchants in the copper town got together and started a stock-holding operation. A "Mass Tobacco Co., Ltd." .
I don't know where these merchants have set up a cigarette making machine, produces a kind of "Shenlong brand" cigarettes . At that time, the Kuomintang taxed many and complicated taxes. In order to avoid taxation, the tobacco factory only packaged part of the cigarettes and sold the other parts to local small traders. This way, they would pay less tax. Nevertheless, this tobacco factory is about to close down.
The county town occupied by the Japanese army
Hu Biliang thought, I can discuss with the owner of this cigarette factory, maybe he can buy his machine at a low price, and he grinned happily and said to the auntie: "Listen If you say that, I’ll pick it up, so you can get one for me.”
When she heard the other party really wanted a cigarette, Da Niang Le’s eyes narrowed: "You’re really picking it up. This cigarette has The paper shell is a lot more expensive, I'll wrap it up for you." As he said, he quickly tied the cigarette with both hands for fear that he would regret it.
Hu Biliang gave money in one hand and cigarette in the other, pretending to ask casually: " is not managed by the New Fourth Army now, is the factory up and running? "
"It was the New Fourth Army that was in charge, but it was a loss in the past. There are too many. Now I hire workers and use electricity, but I don’t need money. The boss’s money has long been used up. Now we roll cigarettes by ourselves, and we can make some money after selling them. At least we can’t be hungry." He sighed and said that it was a pity that this factory was going to close like this.
"Where is the boss, I want to discuss with him."
"It's in the factory outside the town. You go out from the west, keep walking, and when you see a large forest, turn right, and you'll be there soon. Now." The aunt was very happy with the money, and didn't hide anything from him.
The cigarette factory established by the New Fourth Army. Soldiers are making cigarettes.
"That's all, thank you." After thanking you, Hu Biliang and my aunt went west and walked for more than half an hour to reach the cigarette factory. He first went around the factory to observe,I thought: The scale of this factory is not small, and it seems that sales in the past were indeed good. After thinking for a while, he walked into the factory to find the boss.
Hu Biliang hides his identity and only says that he is a foreigner. He comes here to do business and asks the boss if he is willing to sell him the cigarette maker. The boss was a little suspicious, and didn't agree to Hu Biliang, saying that he wanted to do it for a while. Seeing that the boss was unwilling, Hu Biliang had a discussion with the boss: "Boss, you see that your cigarette factory is like this. Why don't you sell the machine to me and still have some money left."
The cigarette factory was about to close down. The boss became a little angry when he heard what the other party said, and his temper gradually became irritable: "It'll be fine after a while! Now the New Fourth Army does not charge more taxes, my cigarette is so famous, I am afraid that I can’t do it? ”
Hu Bi brightened his eyes and smiled on his face: "That is, everyone in the town knows this brand, and you can definitely make it. But I heard that you don’t have much money. If I don’t buy the machine, how about I invest money in the factory? ”
Although the boss doesn’t believe in Hu Biliang, the tobacco factory does have financial difficulties. In case this person can really invest money, he asked him: "Can you How much to vote?"
General Zhang Yunyi
Hu Biliang smiled: "I have to ask me to be in charge of the work, if you agree, I will go back and ask now."
The boss nodded and asked him to ask Come to the tobacco factory again after that. Hu Biliang walked back to the army excitedly and placed the bundle of cigarettes he had bought in front of the commander. Zhang Yunyi picked it up and smelled it, and praised: "Well, this cigarette is good, how much money you can buy."
Hu Biliang didn't speak, only a few fingers stretched out. Zhang Yunyi squinted his eyes, suddenly patted the table heavily, stood up and pointed at him and said, "The organization stipulates that it is forbidden to take the crowds one stitch at a time, and you dare to force others to sell it to you at a cheap price! ”
Hu Biliang waved his hand quickly: "Not really,This is the price quoted by the aunt herself, and their tobacco factory will only sell cheaply when it closes. I went to see the owner of the tobacco factory. He was unwilling to sell the machine alone, but agreed to let us invest money in proportion to the investment.
After listening to his explanation, Zhang Yunyi sat down again. After thinking for a while, he said carefully: "You can let the cooperative support part of the factory's funds first, and it is most important to resume production. At the same time, cadres and soldiers are sent into the factory to participate in the management, and the factory can be set up separately in the future. "
Hu Biliang is a little embarrassed. It is a matter of principle to invest military expenses in private enterprises. Zhang Yunyi added: " Shanghai has state-owned and private companies, and there is also a kind of joint-stock enterprise, which can be invested by anyone. This is a joint stock company . "So, Hu Biliang, according to the leadership's instructions, prepared funds to invest in the tobacco factory, and then began to prepare for the new factory.
After several months of busy work, the tobacco factory was finally able to make a profit. In addition to meeting the needs of military soldiers, it can also produce surplus. The cigarettes were sold. Hu Biliang thought, if you want to sell, you must have a nice name, so he asked a scholar to name it. A scholar suggested that should be named "Pegasus" cigarettes, which means that the Red Army puts on its wings. Crossing across the ocean , Hu Biliang repeatedly said yes. In this way, the tobacco factory has a new name. The tobacco factory gets better and better, earning enough military expenses for the New Fourth Army, the army is equipped with good equipment, and food and daily necessities have problems. It's solved.
The Japanese puppet army exchanges equipment for cigarettes
"Pegasus" cigarettes are of good quality and cheap, and they are very popular once they are listed. , even Chairman Mao, who is as far away as Yan'an, smokes products produced by the New Fourth Army. Cigarettes are well-known. Such high-quality and inexpensive cigarettes have also successfully attracted the Japanese puppet army .
Chairman Mao
In the morning,Hu Biliang listened to reports from his officers that the Japanese and puppet troops wanted to exchange equipment for cigarettes. But this matter was not for him, so he hurried to Zhang Yunyi's room: "Commander, the Japanese puppet army wants to exchange equipment for our cigarettes. What do you think about this?" Knocked on the table, frowned and thought for a while before speaking: "Since they delivered it to the door by themselves, we have no reason to do it. You are responsible for this transaction. Take the 1st and 2nd battalions and lie on the side. If they cheat, we are welcome ."
Hu Biliang immediately went to prepare cigarettes, and brought the soldiers to the trading place ahead of time. The forces of the two battalions were ambushed in the reeds. When the appointed time came, the lights on the opposite side flashed three times, and the Japanese and puppet troops who sent the equipment came.
The two sides approached after confirming that their identities were correct. The head of the Japanese puppet army was Lu Jianhua. He looked at the smoke behind Hu Biliang and said, "How much you bring, if you have enough, I will give this to you." He patted his body. Kayak beside.
This is a good thing, very rare in the New Fourth Army. Hu Biliang looked at the other equipment behind the opponent again, a little greedy: " two hundred boxes, one box of ten cigarettes, change your kayak. I think the other things behind you are also good, I will add another fifty boxes, you How about keeping these too?"
"No, fifty cases are too few, so add another fifty cases."
"The deal, I will ask someone to go back and ship another 100 cases. I will send you a few wooden boats back in a while." Hu Biliang smiled boldly, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to Lu Jianhua. Now that the deal has been negotiated, both parties are relatively relaxed.
Lu Jianhua took the cigarette, lowered his head to get angry, tasted it carefully, and spit out a puff of cigarette before he said: " OK, then I will send you a message. Two days later, there will be a batch of Japanese soldiers from Tianjin. , About 30 people, go to Xuyi, Longshan direction to grab food .
"Thank you, the commander of the army, then." "After two days, you can ambush these Japanese troops directly. Hu Biliang deeply felt that this deal was worth it.
Soon, the New Fourth Army transported the 100 boxes of cigarettes. Lu Jianhua suppressed the cigarettes and ordered his subordinates to remove the hundreds of boxes of cigarettes. He carried it to the boat and left. Hu Biliang drove back in a kayak and reported to Zhang Yunyi with joy. Seeing that he had brought back so many high-quality equipment, Zhang Yunyi clapped and applauded. After the full-day mechanicalization, not only can you eat rice, but you can also receive 10 yuan of military salary every month.
"Pegasus" new packaging
"Pegasus" brand cigarettes in the war The Chinese military "provided" a lot of strategic materials. Zhang Yunyi, who relied on tobacco to raise his army, became the only general who led the marshal's salary after the founding of New China. After the war, the "Pegasus" tobacco factory was taken over by Shanghai China Tobacco Company. In 1954, the "Pegasus" cigarettes redesigned the outer packaging, deleted the wings of the flying horse, and transformed it into a flying horse , which was still sought after by the military and civilians until more than 20 years ago. It gradually disappeared before the eyes of the public.
.
