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"As long as my body can hold on, I'm still coming." On June 27, in Danyang, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 85-year-old Ma Yong, on crutches, stood in Danyang People's Park for more than 3 hours. It has been 14 years since he held the Red Exhibition at his own expense. On weekdays, when he sees stories about the history of the Red Party that he is interested in in newspapers and books, he collects them. As a result of sitting reading newspapers and clipping newspapers for many years, the color of the place where his feet are placed on the floor under his desk has become noticeably lighter.
△ Ma Yong introduced the contents of the exhibition to the visitors
Two "footprints" bear witness to his persistence
In 1939, Ma Yong was born in Danyang, Jiangsu, and worked in Danyang County Power Supply Bureau (now State Grid Danyang Power Supply Company) in 1979, successively served as a transformer maintenance worker, material department warehouse keeper and other positions, he was an electrician for most of his life, and officially retired in August 1999.
△ Ma Yong likes to read newspapers
Coming from the war era, Ma Yong has witnessed the earth-shaking changes that have taken place in New China. He usually likes to read and read newspapers, and when he sees the stories of the history of the Red Party that he is interested in, he will cut them out and collect them. And because he has been sitting for many years reading newspapers and clipping newspapers, on the floor under his desk, the color of the position where his feet are placed has become significantly lighter, and the two "footprints" are particularly conspicuous.
△ The floor is deeply imprinted
In 2011, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Ma Yong looked at the large number of party history materials in his collection and decided to hold a red exhibition to present to the party in his own unique way, so that more young people can understand the development process of the Communist Party of China.
Combined with the history of the local revolution in Danyang, he carefully sorted out 1,280 newspaper clippings and photos from his lifelong collection and more than 20,000 books and newspapers, and made them into exhibition panels, and provided detailed explanations for each exhibition board.
After nearly two months of hard work, on July 1, 2011, Ma Yong's self-funded special photo exhibition of party history made its debut in Danyang People's Park. Ma Yong was deeply encouraged by the frequent praise of the visitors. Since then, he has been devoted to mobile exhibitions, and on special anniversaries, Ma Yong's red exhibitions and red story podiums will go into communities, schools, memorial halls, and remote villages......
After 14 years of holding exhibitions, Ma Lao sorted out more than 200 file boxes, more than 300 thematic exhibition boards, and more than 10,000 photos, with a total expenditure of more than 100,000 yuan and nearly 200,000 visitors.
△ The "tip of the iceberg" of the party history document box
Poorly fed and clothed, he joined the party at the age of 83
Ma Yong devoted himself to holding the exhibition, collecting all kinds of old objects everywhere, but he was very "picky" about himself. "He is never willing to spend an extra penny for himself, and he usually eats a scrambled egg with tomatoes even if it is a meat dish, and a red vest refuses to throw it away if it has holes...... he uses all the money he can save for exhibitions," said Ma Yong's daughter, Ma Hui.
△ Ma Yong's home
Years of experience in organizing exhibitions have allowed Ma Yong to know many revolutionary stories that can be sung and cried, which further inspired his determination to join the party organization. As early as 1981, Ma Yong submitted an application for joining the party to the Party Branch of the Materials Department of Danyang County Power Supply Bureau, but due to the quota at that time, he did not get his wish, but the label of "party activist" has remained in Ma Yong's file. In 2018, Ma Yong, who was in his prime, once again proposed to the party organization, "Please consider me and inspect my ......"
On June 30, 2022, 83-year-old Ma Yong officially became a member of the Communist Party of China, and the dream of joining the party that he had been holding in his heart for more than 40 years finally came true.
Xiaofang's Communist Party member service team will pass on the exhibition
"As a party member, I am very proud that my happy old age is given by the party! Knowing history and aspiring, advocating virtue and goodness, this is the driving force for me to persist so far. For 14 years, Ma Yong has enjoyed it, but now his body can't support it.
In April 2023, Ma Yong accidentally fell and couldn't move, and the doctor told him to recuperate. Because he subscribes to more than 10 kinds of newspapers and periodicals all year round, even when he is bedridden, Ma Yong asks his family to help him move books and newspapers to the bed, so that he can cut and paste newspapers, often for five or six hours at a time.
△ Ma Yong's bedside is full of books and newspapers
At the end of April this year, after his health improved slightly, Ma Yong held an exhibition in the community without telling his family, and at the end of the event, he was numb and weak in his legs and feet. ”
For the "closing battle" of the exhibition at the end of June, Ma Yong began to prepare early, he collected the party history materials, sorted out from a pile of documents, and then sorted them according to time, and selected suitable photos and newspaper clippings according to the major historical turning points after 1921. In order to find a "Victory Medal for Crossing the River", he went to the antique city to inquire about the merchants one by one on crutches for several days.
△ Ma Yong went out on crutches
After learning about the story of Ma Yong's exhibition, the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Danyang Xiaofang Communist Party Member Service Team was deeply moved by it and decided to organize the Communist Party member service team members to assist the elderly to complete their dreams. "The red gene is to be inherited, and the spirit of Ma Lao is admirable, and we will continue to pass on the exhibition."
△ Under the guidance of Ma Yong, the members of the service team cut newspapers and plastic seals
Correspondent: Liu Yutong, Modern Express/Hyundai + reporter Cao Dewei
(Photo provided by the correspondent)