She completed her legendary life, from the general's wife to the "old aunt"
"The respect of the people is the most beautiful medal in your life."
"Auntie left!" On the evening of September 2nd, an obituary announcing the death of Auntie Gong Quanzhen caused countless people to cry.
According to CCTV news, Comrade Gong Quanzhen, the fourth National Moral Model, National Excellent Communist Party Member, and recipient of the title of "Most Beautiful Struggler", passed away on September 2, 2023 at the age of 100 due to ineffective medical treatment.
Gong Quanzhen was the wife of the founding general Gan Zuchang and the former principal of Nanpi Primary School in Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province. In the 1950s, less than two years after being awarded the rank of Major General, Gan Zuchang voluntarily resigned from his position as the Minister of Logistics of the Xinjiang Military Region and returned to his hometown of Yanbei Village in Lianhua County, Jiangxi Province with his whole family. He voluntarily changed from a general to a farmer. 34 year old Gong Quanzhen takes her husband as a role model and wholeheartedly devotes herself to the education industry in mountainous areas.
From the end of her youth, she chose the path of simple material life and fulfilling spiritual life without regret, practicing the original aspiration and mission of communists.
Revolutionary passion and love
In 1923, Gong Quanzhen was born in Yantai, Shandong. In high school, she was deeply moved and had difficulty sleeping and eating when she saw the invading Japanese army harming her Chinese compatriots. "They wanted us to learn Japanese, so I didn't learn it. I got a zero point in Japanese and came back," she said.
In early 1938, Gong Quanzhen's third brother joined the Eighth Route Army. Gong Quanzhen, who was still in fifth grade of elementary school, bid farewell to his third brother with tears in her eyes and said, "Third brother, take me with you. I also want to go to the front line."
San Ge shook his head and said, "Quanzhen, study hard at home. San Ge will come to pick you up during the autumn harvest."
The third brother left, but his full of enthusiasm ignited the patriotic passion for the young Gong Quanzhen.
A few years have passed in a blink of an eye, and Gong Quanzhen is both a wandering student and searching for the Eighth Route Army. She traveled from Shandong to Anhui, from Henan to Shaanxi, and participated in anti Japanese and national salvation activities while studying.
During this time, Gong Quanzhen, who was eager to learn, never put down her books and was admitted to the Education Department of Northwest University with excellent grades.
·The National Northwestern University Freshman Survey Form filled out by Gong Quanzhen.
In the year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Gong Quanzhen graduated from the Department of Education at Northwestern University and joined the Communist Party of China. In response to the call, she went to work as a teacher in the Xinjiang Military Region.
One day in 1952, Gong Quanzhen, dressed in military uniform, was teaching students at the Bayi Children's School of the Xinjiang Military Region. Halfway through class, Principal Li Ping rushed over and interrupted Gong Quanzhen's class, saying, "Teacher Gong, please stop for a moment. Minister Gan of the Logistics Department of the Military Region will come to investigate and ask you to report on your work as soon as possible."
Gan Zuchang, that's a famous place! He participated in the peasant association in his early years and walked up the Jinggangshan Mountains from the farmland. He participated in the old revolution of the 25000 mile Long March of the Red 6th Army, the 27000 mile Long March of the 359th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army, and the First Field Army's march into Xinjiang. His "iron feet" and "iron abacus" are famous throughout the army. As a key general in the logistics of our army, Chairman Mao has received him multiple times.
Why did Minister Gan listen to her report? Gong Quanzhen timidly followed Principal Li Ping out of the classroom.
After Gan Zuchang joined the revolution, there was no news of him for many years. His original wife thought he was no longer alive, so she remarried someone else. Gan Zuchang, who serves as the Minister of Logistics of the Xinjiang Military Region, is still a bachelor, which has attracted the attention of the acting commander of the Military Region, Wang Zhen. He always looks for a partner for Gan Zuchang whenever he has the opportunity. Later, when he heard that several teachers who had graduated from universities and joined the military at the Bayi Children's School had not yet started a family, he approached Li Ping and entrusted her to help Gan Zuchang introduce a partner.
Principal Li Ping carefully considered and thought that Gong Quanzhen was the most suitable, so he carefully planned this meeting.
Gan Zuchang took a glass of water and glanced at Gong Quanzhen, who was looking down. "Xiao Gong, how is working here? Are there any difficulties?" he said
Gong Quanzhen blushed shyly, but when it comes to work, she forgot everything. She talked about the learning of students, their lives, and the survival status of martyrs and orphans... Speaking of these, Gong Quanzhen spoke eloquently, showing respect for heroes and deep love for revolutionary descendants in her words.
After the meeting, Gong Quanzhen also gained a deeper understanding of Gan Zuchang.
After the peaceful liberation of Xinjiang, Gan Zuchang suffered a serious head injury and a root cause of illness when he went out to inspect work. Due to enemy spies cutting off a wooden bridge, his jeep fell off the bridge. Meanwhile, he also suffers from severe emphysema and bronchitis.
Such an experience shocked Gong Quanzhen. She didn't expect that the tough guy like an iron tower would be covered in pain, and this pain was left behind for the people's liberation cause.
Two like-minded people came together and established a lifelong belief in each other.
·Gan Zuchang and Gong Quanzhen.
Gong Quanxin, Gong Quanxin,
Are you wholeheartedly serving the people
In 1955, the entire army was first awarded the rank of founding major general, and Gan Zuchang was also awarded the Second Class August 1st Medal, Second Class Independence and Freedom Medal, and Second Class Liberation Medal.
One day, Gan Zuchang suddenly fainted while reading documents at home. According to the doctor's diagnosis, Gan Zuchang has a large accumulation of blood in his brain and severe sequelae of concussion, which will accompany him for a lifetime.
Several consecutive faints made Gan Zuchang realize that he was no longer able to work in a leadership position. He decided to request the organization to resign from all official positions and return to the old household farmer in Jiangxi.
Gan Zuchang fully expressed his thoughts, which surprised Gong Quanzhen.
Returning means that everything will start over again, let alone going to the difficult countryside. Colleagues, classmates, and friends have been persuading about this. However, Gan Zuchang's decision to leave has been made, and Gong Quanzhen is also determined to follow suit.
·Gong Quanzhen recalled her husband Gan Zuchang in her old age.
In August 1957, after several resignations, the organization approved Gan Zuchang's request.
From a general to a farmer, for Gan Zuchang, it was a transformation of identity, but for Gong Quanzhen, it was undoubtedly a brave abandonment.
My hometown is really too poor! Gan Zuchang looked at the mountain ridge and felt a surge of passion in his heart. He thought of Nanniwan and wanted to implant the spirit and experience of Nanniwan into the land where he was born and raised, and lead the villagers to work hard, so that they can truly live a good life.
Just returned to Yanbei Village, Gong Quanzhen and Gan Zuchang's two younger brothers and three families crowded together in an old house. The county civil affairs department has repeatedly proposed to build a "General's Mansion" for Gan Zuchang in the county town, but has been politely declined. Gradually, as the family grew larger and the old house could no longer fit, Gan Zuchang paid out of his own pocket to build an ordinary residential house.
Gong Quanzhen grew up in a city and had never done any agricultural work. After much thought, she said to Gan Zuchang, "I have low labor efficiency and cannot exploit others. In Xinjiang, I am a teacher. When I come to Lianhua County, I can still go and teach."
Gan Zuchang expressed full support for Gong Quanzhen's ideas.
So Gong Quanzhen put on her backpack and walked about 20 kilometers to the Education Bureau of Lianhua County, introducing herself to the director and hoping to continue teaching.
Gong Quanzhen was assigned to teach at Jiudu Middle School.
Jiudu Middle School is a newly established school with poor hardware and software. It doesn't even have a principal, only three teachers. However, Gong Quanzhen didn't hesitate at all and went to school the next day. Later, due to work needs, she was transferred to become the principal of Nanpi Primary School, where she taught for 13 years. Later on, she was transferred to Ganjia Elementary School.
"Gong Quanxin, Gong Quanxin, are you wholeheartedly serving the people?" Gong Quanzhen has a habit of writing diaries, in which she changed her name to one character and constantly examined her inner self.
·Gong Quanzhen and the students.
"Zuchang, am I doing this right?"
On March 28, 1986, Gan Zuchang passed away due to illness in Lianhua County. In the final moments of his life, his will was: "When he receives his salary, he must first pay his party expenses and leave his living expenses. The rest will be used to buy pesticides and fertilizers and support agriculture."
After Gan Zuchang left, Gong Quanzhen moved into the Happiness Courtyard of the County Civil Affairs Bureau. She wrote this passage in her diary: "Zuchang, I have really come to the Happiness Courtyard. This road is what you pointed out. I also think it is the most suitable place." "I will serve your comrades and their families as a proud volunteer waiter."
During her years at the Happiness Institute, she treated herself as a staff member, using her salary to buy nutritional supplements for everyone, cleaning floors and patching clothes herself, and even building a "Happiness Study Group" for nearby school students to guide them in their studies.
·Gong Quanzhen was with the children of the "Happiness Learning Group" in her old age.
The spirit of her husband Gan Zuchang serving the people has always guided Gong Quanzhen. Even years after Gan Zuchang's death, when faced with major or minor matters, she would stand in front of the general's portrait and ask, "Zuchang, am I doing this right?"
For many years, Gong Quanzhen has actively carried out education on revolutionary traditions and ideals and beliefs, dedicating herself to donating funds to aid education, poverty alleviation, and poverty alleviation. She has established the "Gong Quanzhen Studio" to serve the community and the masses, and has done a lot of practical and good things for the general public, earning the respect and love of the local people.
After the meeting, Gong Quanzhen, who wore the National Moral Model Medal, exclaimed excitedly, "The speech of the General Secretary has inspired me greatly. The General Secretary respects the older generation who have made contributions to the new China and fully affirms our spirit of hard work and struggle. We must persist in carrying forward the revolutionary tradition and make every possible contribution to realizing the Chinese Dream!"
·Gong Quanzhen wears the National Moral Model Medal on her chest and holds a certificate of honor.
When Gong Quanzhen was named the "Touching China 2013 Person of the Year", the award speech read: "When you were young, you saw light; when you were young, you met love; when your old age comes, your heart is still vast. You have followed revolution, love, and faith throughout your life, wandering through battlefields, fields, and classrooms... The respect of the people is the most beautiful medal of your life."
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