One day in August 1983, the 78-year-old General Xu Shiyou suddenly said to his secretary, make a report to ** for me, apply for 43 jeeps, and I want to return to my hometown to visit relatives.
Isn't it too pretentious to apply for 43 jeeps to return home to visit relatives? The secretary was taken aback for a moment. But he didn't dare to ask more about what the chief arranged, so he had to do it.
Until now, 43 jeeps are nothing, but in the 80s of the last century, the mobilization of 43 jeeps at once was a huge project. It's no wonder that the secretary thinks Xu Shiyou is too pretentious.
Not only did the secretary say that Xu Shiyou was too pretentious, but the report was handed to the Military Commission, and everyone felt that Xu Shiyou was too pretentious like the secretary. It even attracted some criticism, and everyone said everything. Some said that Xu Shiyou was doing it with vanity, and some said that Xu Shiyou was putting on old qualifications.
After all, no one knows what Xu Shiyou used to return to his hometown for 43 jeeps. In the end, the report was transferred to Deng Gong.
So, why did Xu Shiyou apply for 43 jeeps to return to his hometown together, is it really to put on a show and take a picture?
Of course not! As everyone knows, General Xu Shiyou was born in cloth clothes and was frugal all his life, and he returned to his hometown twice in 1953 and 1957 to be very low-key, bringing only two guards with him.
So why did Xu Shiyou apply for 43 jeeps to accompany him when he returned to his hometown this time?
In the face of everyone's different opinions, Xu Shiyou finally gave an explanation, he said: "I want to bring them with me when I return to my hometown this time, and I want to bring them to the scenery and pomp, I don't want them to be too shabby." ”
Here, who are they in Xu Shiyou's mouth? Why do you have to put on a show when you bring them back home?
It all started 57 years ago.
In 1926, at the age of 20, Xu Shiyou joined a local peasant team. Because of Xu Shiyou's strong martial arts and brave combat, he was quickly elected as the captain by everyone.
Once, Xu Shiyou said to everyone: "I will lead everyone to do a big thing, whether you are willing to go or not." Everyone said in unison: "I am willing to follow Captain Xu." Xu Shiyou was very happy to hear this, and said: "Today, I will lead everyone to go out to make a revolution and let the toiling masses be the masters of their own affairs." When the revolution is victorious, I Xu Shiyou will definitely bring everyone back to their hometowns with scenery and pomp. ”
Later, Xu Shiyou led this peasant team to participate in the Jute Uprising and officially embarked on the revolutionary road. At that time, there were 43 young people from the Dabie Mountains in this team. In the difficult years that followed, the 43 sons and daughters of Dabie Mountain who came out with Xu Shiyou died on the battlefield one by one, and they sacrificed their precious lives for the motherland and the people.
Hometown, they can never go back.
Xu Shiyou has always remembered his promise to everyone at the beginning, and when the revolution is victorious, he will definitely bring everyone back to their hometowns with scenery and pomp.
Now, it has been 34 years since the victory of the Chinese Revolution, Xu Shiyou is also 78 years old, and he will eventually be an ancient.
So, he plans to apply for a jeep for everyone, and apply for a total of 43 jeeps from **, in this way, take everyone's "heroic soul" back to his hometown in a beautiful way, in order to fulfill his original promise.
This brings us to the scene at the beginning of this article.
No matter what others say, Deng Gong always believes that Xu Shiyou is not a person who plays the score, and there must be his own intentions in this. So when he saw Xu Shiyou's report, he didn't think about it, and commented in the application report: agree.
Later, the Nanjing Military Region prepared 43 jeeps to be dispatched by Xu Shiyou at any time. In the autumn of this year, the autumn rain in the Dabie Mountains continued, the mountain roads were muddy, and it was difficult for cars and horses to walk. Looking at the autumn rain outside the window, Xu Shiyou finally had to cancel the plan to return to his hometown. He said, "Since God won't let me take everyone back, then I won't go back." ”
On the last day of Xu Shiyou's holiday, the rain passed and the sky was clear.
On this day, Xu Shiyou, accompanied by everyone, climbed the highest mountain in the suburbs of Nanjing, and poured 43 glasses of wine, representing the 43 brothers in the Dabie Mountains, in the direction of his hometown, and dedicated it to his relatives in his hometown.
On October 22, 1985, Xu Shiyou passed away at the age of 80.