Seven soldiers of the Red Army
2022-06-24
He began to tell this story when he was ten years old. Up to now, the 95-year-old Yang Jialin still tells the story.
One day in November, 1934, the ten-year-old Yang followed his father to sell firewood at the market and then went home together. When they approached their home, they saw the Red Army troops rushing from Liuguan to Guanheng on the ancient Hunan-Guangdong Road, who were fighting fiercely with the following Kuomintang troops. A plane roared to circle in the sky and dropped three bombs. Both sides targeted at the high points of Qingshi Village, so they fought desperately with heavy casualties. Finally, the Yanshou River was dyed red with blood. Yang Jialin and his father hurried home to hide and dared not come out.
At dusk, the enemies chased the Red Army to the Lion-shaped Ridge. Only seven people of the Red Army platoon survived. Without water, food or bullets, they were driven to the cliff near Yang Jialin’s house by the enemies. With no way out, the platoon leader gave an order: “We will never surrender or be prisoners. Jump!” The seven soldiers jumped off the cliff without hesitation.
Yang Jialin, who lived in the bullpen house, witnessed what happened just now. Later, he found the seven soldiers of the Red Army lying and moaning slightly under the pumpkin shed at the foot of the mountain. He hurriedly told his mother, Zhang Jianxiang, to find the doctor Yang Lianghua in the village. They placed the four seriously wounded soldiers in a hidden side room, and helped to bandage the other three lightly wounded ones.
Zhang Jianxiang secretly contacted several members of the Farmers Association and Women Rescue Association for several days to protect the Red Army. She also mobilized the masses to secretly deliver sweet potatoes and other food to the Red Army, reminding everyone to pay attention to the search from the enemies.
The seven soldiers of the Red Army, who were injured after they jumped off a cliff, were rescued and treated in time under the protection of the masses. Then, some of them rushed to catch up with the troops, and others returned to the Central Soviet Area in Jiangxi Province. Wang Shubao was the most seriously injured and did not leave Yanshou for Jiangxi until 1945. He changed his name to Yang Shubao to thank Yang Lianghua and his wife for their meticulous care.
