One day in December 1944, the Wang Mansion in Wuhu, Anhui Province was full of traffic, mourning and music, and a grand funeral was about to be held. Wang Zidong is a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, who studied in Japan, became a traitor after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, and was appointed as Wang's puppet deputy minister of commerce and Wuhu quartermaster.
He is a celebrity around the big traitor Wang, so his mother's funeral has become a good opportunity to tie the knot, attracting many little traitors to come to give gifts and pay tribute. At noon, a burly man of about 30 years old appeared in front of Wang's mansion, wearing a long robe and carrying five or six retinues.
The appearance of this man made the crowd of onlookers look sideways and guess his identity.
In an old mansion, as soon as a strange man entered the door, the entourage gave him a generous gift. The man burned incense and knelt down in front of the mourning hall according to etiquette, and said in a choked voice with heavy emotion: "Auntie, the little nephew is late!" ”
Wang Zidong was stunned from the side, he felt that the person who came was very strange, and looked up and down carefully, but he couldn't remember seeing it in **. "Brother, I don't think I've seen you? ”
Wang Zidong looked puzzled. When the person heard this, he was even more sad, and his voice choked: "Cousin, you have the ability, you don't recognize people, I am your cousin Wang Zi'an." Seeing Wang Zidong**, he continued: "The day before yesterday, I heard from a fellow villager in Shaoxing in Shanghai that his aunt had passed away, so I hurried to come to mourn my filial piety. ”
As he spoke, he took Wang Zidong's hand and walked towards the backyard. Wang Zidong said suspiciously as he walked: "Why can't I remember that I have a cousin like you?" Before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a chill in the back of his head, and he was pressed against something.
His instinct told him it was the cold muzzle of the gun, and he shuddered and almost fell to the ground. "Brother, if you have something to say, what are you doing here? "We are the New Fourth Army, please be honest! ”
The man said in a low voice. Wang Zidong said: "The mansion is full of my people inside and out......The man sneered when he heard this: "I know it's all your people, but if you shout and try, I'll send you to the west right away!" ”
Wang Zidong listened, and then he was like a deflated ball, and his tone softened. Although he is a traitor, he has never fought and killed on the battlefield, and he is very timid. Wang Zidong softened his tone: "What is there to say, can you put down the gun first?"
What should I do if the bullet doesn't grow long, and it goes off? Only then did the person put down the gun, reveal his identity, and tell his intentions. The name of the visitor is Ye Jinming, a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang, who joined the revolution at the age of 17 and has been engaged in underground work in Shanghai for a long time.
Soldiers and horses have not moved grain and grass first", Lai Chuanzhu, chief of staff of the New Fourth Army, gave Ye Jinming a task to raise food funds and prepare for the upcoming big war under the battlefield situation when the Japanese army is losing and retreating one after another.
This task is no easier than fighting a war, and it is not an easy task to solve the New Fourth Army ** under the blockade of the Japanese puppets and diehards. However, with his loyalty and his own shrewdness and ability, Ye Jinming did a good job in logistics work and was well received by his superiors.
After Lai Chuanzhu and Ye Jinming accepted the task, they immediately led the guards straight to Tuanshan Town, Wuwei County, Anhui Province, where the 7th Division of the New Fourth Army was stationed. Among the veterans of the New Fourth Army, there is a saying: "The first division fought many battles, the second division produced many cadres, the third division pulled out many strongholds, the fourth division raised more horses, the fifth division occupied more territory, the sixth division ran more distances, and the seventh division handed over more silver." ”
Although the 7th Division had the least number of troops and did not fight many battles, their garrisons - Wuhu, Chaohu and Wuwei -- had excellent natural conditions, smooth wind and rain, and were the land of fish and rice, which solved the military problem for the New Fourth Army.
Therefore, Ye Jinming went straight to the station of the 7th Division and met with the division commander Tan Xilin and political commissar Zeng Xisheng. They were not disappointed, and saw a large ancestral hall full of white rice.
Ye Jinming was both surprised and delighted, and asked how he could get so much rice. Tan Xilin replied with a smile: "Wuhu is one of the best rice markets in the country, and it is not difficult to raise grain. ”
Hearing this, Ye Jinming clapped his hands and said, "Great, now we can make a difference!" Zeng Xisheng reminded: "So much grain cannot be eaten, and it must be sold into money and military supplies, which is a problem we need to solve at present." ”
When Ye Jinming was thinking about how to transport grain out of Tanggou Town, which was controlled by the Japanese puppets, he learned that Wang Zidong could help them. Although Wang Zidong used to be a traitor, he had no blood debts on his hands, and his cultural background made him an object to fight for.
Ye Jinming pretended to be Wang Zidong's nephew, went to Wang Zidong's mother's funeral to meet him, and signed an agreement on exchanging grain for silver dollars and military supplies. However, the day after the signing of the contract, Wang Zidong changed his mind.
Tan Xilin suggested not killing the messenger and leaving him a way out. Ye Jinming was skeptical, but Tan Xilin believed that Wang Zidong would take the initiative to come to them.
After Tan Xilin persuaded everyone with facts and logic, Wang Zidong began to encounter a series of unsmooth things. His cargo ship was blown up by mines, and the puppet army in the countryside was also ambushed and suffered heavy losses, and the ** line was also cut off, making it impossible to communicate with the outside world.
These circumstances made Wang Zidong feel very anxious, because he could not buy grain, could not pay to the Japanese, and might even lose his life because of this. After realizing the seriousness of the problem, he took the initiative to ask to meet Tan Xilin and Ye Jinming on the third day, and expressed his willingness to discuss cooperation again.
Ye Jinming and Wang Zidong met again on the patrol boat on the river, and Wang Zidong kept apologizing to Ye Jinming for his past mistakes. Ye Jinming welcomed and reminded Wang Zidong that if he had any more tricks, he would bear the consequences.
At this moment, a wild goose flew in the sky, and Ye Jinming's guard squad leader immediately shot it down. Wang Zidong was very frightened by this, admitted his mistakes, and expressed his willingness to mend his ways.
However, just as he was about to continue apologizing, he only heard a "click" and he saw a New Fourth Army Army taking pictures of them with a camera. He felt very nervous and asked Ye Jinming why he was taking pictures.
Ye Jinming explained that the cooperation between them is very rare, so it is necessary to take pictures. When Wang Zidong heard this, he felt his scalp tingle, and realized that he could not evade the sanctions of the New Fourth Army, so he could only continue to cooperate with them.
Wang Zidong reached an agreement with the New Fourth Army, and he purchased a large amount of materials and equipment for the New Fourth Army, including 20 tons of TNT explosives, 50,000 detonators, 100 machine guns, 50 mortars, 20 wireless transmitters, etc., as well as 5 tons of steel, 3 tons of brass, and 5 lathes.
In return, the New Fourth Army provided grain and mountain goods, of which 70 percent were grain and 30 percent were mountain goods. In addition, Wang Zidong also exchanged some of the grain for gold bars and silver dollars.
From the end of 1944, Wang Zidong became the "supernumerary logistics minister" of the New Fourth Army and served until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Through Wang Zidong's procurement and exchange, the New Fourth Army successfully increased its pockets, opened 10 rice shops, more than 20 salt shops, 13 firewood shops, and 15 coal shops.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, General Ye Jinming actively raised funds and military supplies, which not only ensured the supply of the New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army, but also provided strong support for the national anti-Japanese battlefield.
During the War of Liberation, he also served as the head of the logistics department of the Shandong Field Army and the head of the military station department of the East China Military Region. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as the director of the Shanghai Municipal Public Utilities Bureau and the director of the Transportation Office.
We deeply feel that General Ye Jinming has made great contributions to national independence and national prosperity, and he is a hero who deserves our eternal respect and learning.