Chapter 2 The first biography of Ma Mingfang

Ma Mingfang, whose baby name was Luo Zeng, whose scientific name was Ruzhou, and whose nickname was Jimin, was born in Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province. Born in a peasant family in Yejiacha Village on December 14, 1905.His father, Ma Jucai, had a rough knowledge of characters and made a living by farming.In addition to cultivating the seven or eight acres of his own mountain land, he also rents out part of the land from the landlord, and at the same time acts as the "Yin and Yang" Mr. Feng Shui.His mother, Luo Shi, was hard-working and frugal all her life, loyal and kind-hearted, harmonious with her neighbors, and happy to help others, which had a great influence on Ma Mingfang when he was young.Ma Mingfang has a younger brother and a younger sister, and his younger brother also participated in the revolution when he grew up.From the age of 8, with the support of his mother, Ma Mingfang went to Wangjiawan to study in a private school for several years. The first teacher Wang Jiaren carefully taught him to read, read and write, which laid a good foundation in Chinese. At the age of 12, he transferred to Shenjiaping Primary School and graduated with honors in 1923.When he was in private school and elementary school, he used his spare time and winter and summer vacations to often participate in labor such as chopping firewood, mowing grass, delivering manure, and farming.

In 1924, he served as a primary grade teacher at Shenjiaping Primary School.At that time, although he knew some history and current situation of the imperialist invasion of China, the disasters brought by the domestic warlords to the people for years, the miserable life of the poor peasants and the extortion by the government servants, and he was dissatisfied because of this, but he still did not Understand the historical and social roots of these phenomena, but do not know where the way out for China lies.He was just a rural teacher who was dissatisfied with the society at that time and had a sense of justice and patriotism.

In the spring of 1925, he was admitted to the Suide Shaanxi Provincial Fourth Normal School (hereinafter referred to as Suide), and began the transformation of his life. Suishi was the only normal school among the 23 counties in northern Shaanxi at that time. In 1924, Li Zizhou took over as the principal.Li Zizhou is a native of Suide. He graduated from Peking University. He was an early Communist Party member in northern Shaanxi who was personally trained and introduced by Li Dazhao.During Li Zizhou's tenure as the principal of Suishi, he successively hired Yang Mingxuan as the director of teaching affairs, Chang Hansan as the director of discipline and education, Tian Boying, Wang Maoting, Wang Fusheng, Han Shuxun, Cai Nanxuan, He Yuchu and other Communist Party members and progressive intellectuals as teachers, and greatly rectified the school. , carry out the New Culture Movement, promote Marxism, and organize progressive groups to join the society. In the second half of 1924, teachers and students began to develop party and league members, established party and league organizations, and established civilian schools, making Suishi the earliest birthplace of party organizations in northern Shaanxi, and the climax of the great revolution was in the center of northern Shaanxi.

At that time, the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation had been formed, and preparations for the Northern Expedition were underway.After the "May 30th" tragedy in Shanghai, massive anti-imperialist movements were launched across the country, and the Chinese revolution saw its first climax.Under the influence of this revolutionary environment and situation, under the education and influence of Li Zizhou and others, Ma Mingfang's thoughts and understandings changed rapidly. He began to realize that overthrowing imperialism, warlords, and feudalism is the only way for China to get rid of poverty and backwardness and become prosperous and strong.Therefore, he actively participated in the struggle against imperialism, feudalism and warlords. In the autumn of 1925, he was introduced by Ma Ruisheng (later mutiny), and joined the Communist Party of China with honor.From then on, began his revolutionary career.

Ma Mingfang is a very hardworking student.All courses have good grades, and the composition is the best in the school.I usually don't like to talk too much, but I am deep and thoughtful, and I am respected by my classmates and appreciated by my teachers.When he was in school in Suishi, he read the "Communist Manifesto", "Historical Materialism", "A Brief Introduction to Socialism", "ABC of Communism", "On the Dictatorship of the Proletariat", "New Youth", "Guide" and other books and periodicals, and accepted the idea of ​​communism. . The first sentence of the "Communist Manifesto" is "a specter, the specter of communism, lingering in Europe." This "ghost" attached to him and determined the direction and path of his life.

While studying in Suishi, under the leadership of the party, Ma Mingfang participated in some social activities and political struggles. Shortly after Sun Yat-sen's death in 1925, a memorial meeting was held in the Suide Normal University. Teachers and students from all schools in Suide agreed to inherit Sun Yat-sen's three major policies of uniting Russia, uniting the Communist Party, and supporting agriculture and industry, and carry the national revolution to the end.After the meeting, they lined up to the hometown of King Han Qi (Han Shizhong) in Bianshan and set up a monument for Sun Yat-sen.Ma Mingfang participated in this meeting and was deeply moved by Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary spirit of "imitating the West" to "taking Russia as a teacher".

After the "May 30th Massacre" in May 1925, the people of the whole country set off a wave of anger against imperialism, followed by the "Shaji Massacre" and the general strike in the provinces and Hong Kong.The Suide Party organization led the teachers and students of various schools to hold demonstrations against Japan and British imperialism.Ma Mingfang also held a small flag, chanted slogans, distributed leaflets, posted slogans, gave speeches on the streets, went to the countryside to carry out publicity activities, and mobilized the masses to donate money to support the Shanghai workers' strike.From this, he further realized the imperialist crime of aggression against China, began to see the great power of the Chinese people, and strengthened his determination and confidence in fighting imperialism.

In May 1925, after the incident in which Shaanxi reactionary warlord Wu Xintian assaulted and injured students of Xi'an Provincial No. 1 Middle School, the Shaanxi Party and Youth League organizations launched a massive campaign to drive Wu out of the province.The Suide party organization held a drive-out meeting in Suishi on June 24.Li Zizhou, Han Shuxun and others spoke, and after the meeting, they held demonstrations and distributed leaflets, which were widely circulated in the urban and rural areas of Suide, causing great shock and influence.Ma Mingfang also participated in the struggle to drive out Wu, and gained a deeper understanding of reactionary warlords.

Participate in the "Not the Christ" movement.After the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, Christianity developed even more in various places.The Christian activities in northern Shaanxi are also very strong, with their footprints extending into the poor and remote areas, spreading rumors, exploiting usury and even taking lawsuits, setting up private courts, arbitrarily judging the rural music, and exploiting the people. On Christmas Day in 1925, a grand student demonstration was held in Suide to expose the reactionary face and behavior of Christianity, which brought Christian activities to a standstill in Suide.

Participate in the fight against the "Mule Cabinet". "Mule Cabinet" is a feudal organization established by the government and gentry in collusion to control the folk "foot households" (that is, people who use donkeys and horses for transportation) in order to profit from it. The masses hate it to the bone.The Suide Party organization mobilized the "Jiaohu" organization "Jiaohu Self-protection Association" to carry out the struggle against corruption, and mobilized students to fight the "mule cabinet" several times.Ma Mingfang also participated in this struggle, forcing the "Mule Cabinet" to disband, and the government servants did not dare to arrest people at will.This struggle dealt a heavy blow to the reactionary arrogance of the government tyrants and strengthened the fighting spirit of the masses.

Participate in commemorating "March 18" activities. On March 20, 1926, the Suishi Party Organization led the teachers and students of the school to hold a meeting to commemorate the "March 18". At the meeting, Yang Mingxuan made a report, and teachers such as Zhang Xiufu and Han Shuxun made speeches one after another.And the three-act drama "The Destroyed Blood Book" was co-starred by teachers and students.Written by Wang Zixiu, Yang Mingxuan played Duan Qirui, and Tian Boying played Zhang Zhongchao. The audience was full of grief and indignation, and the venue was passionate, and many people shed tears.A resolution was passed at the meeting: send a telegram to condolence to the families of the martyrs who died, send a telegram to warn the ministers of various countries, and declare the crimes of the traitors Duan Qirui and Zhang Zuolin.Then they marched and demonstrated, shouting slogans along the way, and the masses were moved. Use Sundays to go to the countryside to publicize and mobilize farmers, organize farmers' associations, and fight against taxes, donations, rents, and grain.The peasant movement was initially launched.By February 1927, Suide had established a district peasant association, 23 village peasant associations, and more than 650 members. During the summer vacation of 1926, Ma Mingfang met two yamen servants in his village who were urging to requisition grain and grass. They first asked for 600 catties of grass. "The yamen servant later reduced it to 400 catties, but asked the peasants for two silver dollars behind Ma Mingfang's back.When Ma Mingfang learned about it, he said angrily: "You guys are asking for two yuan for a reduction of 200 catties. It is really abominable. I must sue you." Jin, obediently left.Although it was a small matter, it left a deep impression on him.He talked about this incident many times to people later, saying that he realized a truth from this incident: "The reactionaries seem to be aggressive, but they are actually the work of external forces." After the above-mentioned social activities and political struggles, Ma Mingfang's revolutionary thought became stronger and was initially tempered. In the spring of 1926, Ma Mingfang successively served as the party group leader and branch secretary of the Suishi Division.At the same time, in accordance with the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he joined the Kuomintang that implemented the three major revolutionary policies.He has done a lot of work in propagating the views of the Communist Party of China, developing the party organization, propagating the national revolution, and maintaining the united front, and has accumulated some experience in party work. Although Ma Mingfang had been in Suishi for less than two years, it was an unusual two years, the two years when the national revolution was at its climax, and the two years when the work of the Suishi Party was the most active.Here he was first baptized by the revolution, which had a decisive influence on his life. In October 1926, Communists Shi Kexuan, Chen Jiazhen and Wang Guisan came to Suide.Shi Kexuan was serving in Feng Yuxiang's national army coalition at that time. He went to Xi'an via Suide and asked the Suishi party organization to send several party members to work in his army.Li Zizhou sent Ma Mingfang, Wu Pimo, and Deng Chongqing to Shi Kexuan's department to do political work.At that time, Xi'an was besieged by the warlord Liu Zhenhua. They first lived in Sanyuan for a month, and entered Xi'an after Xi'an was relieved on November 28.Shi Kexuan served as the head of the political security department of the National Army's coalition headquarters in Shaanxi and the principal of Xi'an Zhongshan Military School.His troops (more than 1,000 people) were organized into a political security team, with Yao Danfeng (non-Communist) as the captain, and three battalions under it. Ma Mingfang was the political instructor and party branch secretary of the second battalion; political instructor.Ren Gengsan, the battalion commander of the Second Battalion, sympathized with the Communist Party. Some company platoon leaders were also good, and they had demands for progress. Among the soldiers, there was also a strong desire to change the status quo and improve their lives.Ma Mingfang suggested recruiting party members in the army, but the higher-level organization disagreed at the time, saying that the army was very revolutionary, and Shi Kexuan was a party member, so don't rush to recruit party members, lest Feng Yuxiang be suspicious.This force later participated in the famous "Weihua Riot". During Ma Mingfang's work in Shi Kexuan's department, the Chinese revolution experienced sudden turmoil. In April 1927, when the national revolutionary situation was moving forward, the Kuomintang Rightist Group headed by Chiang Kai-shek compromised with imperialism, betrayed the revolution, and launched the bloody "April 12" massacre. In a pool of blood.Under such circumstances, the Shaanxi-Gansu District Committee of the Communist Party of China mobilized the masses to denounce Chiang Kai-shek's counter-revolutionary forces, and actively helped Feng Yuxiang lead his troops out of Tongguan to support the National Revolutionary Army in Wuhan to continue its northern expedition and join forces in the Central Plains.At this time, Feng Yuxiang's department was renamed the "Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army" on April 20 by the order of the Military Commission of the Wuhan Nationalist Government on April 6, and the headquarters of the Allied Forces of the National Army in Shaanxi was subsequently renamed "Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army". Group Army Headquarters in Shaanxi".The General Political Department of the Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with the Communist Party member Liu Bojian as the acting minister, organized and led the Communist Party members in the various armies and ministries of the Second Army, and carried out powerful ideological and political work and mass work in each army. It played an important role in the victory of the Second Army's Eastern Expedition.Following the "April 12" massacre, Fengjun Zhang Zuolin hanged 20 people including Li Dazhao in Beijing on April 28, causing the tragic "April 28" tragedy.When the bad news came, the Shaanxi-Gansu District Committee of the Communist Party of China led all walks of life, groups and garrisons to gather, angrily exposed the heinous crimes of imperialism and reactionary warlords, and vowed to continue to fight for the realization of Li Dazhao's revolutionary ideas before his death.Ma Mingfang took an active part in this struggle. From June 20th to 21st, Feng Yuxiang and Chiang Kai-shek held a meeting in Xuzhou, and adopted reactionary resolutions such as anti-communist, anti-Soviet, and Ning-Han cooperation, and began to "purge the party" in the Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army.The military and political authorities of Shaanxi under Feng Yuxiang's orders publicly launched the "July 15" counter-revolutionary coup at the same time as the Wuhan Wang Jingwei Group on July 15, strictly prohibiting all activities of the Communist Party and Communists participating in the Kuomintang.So far, the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation has completely broken down, and the vigorous revolution has failed in the Northwest. At this time, Ma Mingfang was also expelled from the army by Yao Danfeng, captain of the political security team of the Second Army Headquarters in Shaanxi.He has done a lot of work in the army for more than half a year, which has played a certain role in improving the political quality of the army.He did not know at that time that the rightist capitulationism promoted by Chen Duxiu was the subjective reason for the failure of the Great Revolution.During this period of time, he saw the revolution turn from victory to failure. He was unprepared in his mind and suffered a lot in his heart.But he firmly believes that the revolution will triumph and the darkness will pass. In September, the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, which was established after the end of the Shaanxi-Gansu District Committee of the Communist Party of China, decided to let him go to Qingjian in northern Shaanxi to work in the army where Communist Party member Xie Zichang was.When he arrived at Gangu Station, he learned that Xie Zichang and others had led an uprising to go south to Yichuan and failed.So he returned to Suide, got in touch with the local party organization, and started a new battle.