In Changsha in 1967, the situation was turbulent. A burly general stepped into the compound of the provincial party committee, followed by a middle-aged cadre with a simple face. They are Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng, who are about to set off an earth-shattering change in Hunan. The two of them looked solemn, as if they had a premonition of a serious challenge they were about to face. How will this seemingly ordinary meeting affect the fate of Hunan and the whole country?
From the ravine to the big stage, the two grassroots counterattacked into provincial bosses
Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng, these two names were household names in Hunan at that time. One is the founding major general who came out of the countryside of Henan, and the other is a rising political star from a working family in Shanxi. Their life trajectories are completely different, but special times converge together.
Li Yuan was born in a poor peasant family in Henan, and his parents saved money to support his education. When he was a teenager, he showed extraordinary talent and made a name for himself at the Whampoa Military Academy.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he resolutely defected to Yan'an and joined the Eighth Route Army. In the Nanniwan large-scale production movement, Li Yuan led the soldiers to use the pickaxe made by the broken bell to open up the wasteland and farm, creating an amazing harvest miracle.
Hua Guofeng grew up in the revolutionary atmosphere of Shanxi. At a young age, he joined the anti-Japanese guerrillas, and soon became the propaganda minister of the county party committee with his extraordinary talent.
After liberation, he went south to Hunan and became famous step by step at the grassroots level. From the secretary of the county party committee to the secretary of the prefectural party committee, and then to the secretary of the provincial party committee, Hua Guofeng has shown outstanding leadership skills.
In 1967, the wave of the Cultural Revolution swept across the country. In order to stabilize the situation, the central government decided to send Li Yuan to lead the 47th Army into Changsha, and at the same time appointed Hua Guofeng as deputy director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee. Two men from the grassroots stood in the center of power in Hunan.
Two "outsiders" work together to govern Hunan and face many challenges
As soon as the "combination boxing" of Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng arrived in Hunan, they faced a grim situation. At that time, Hunan could be said to be a plate of scattered sand, with an economy on the verge of collapse and a chaotic social order. As "outsiders", they not only have to deal with the complex political situation, but also solve the common people's firewood, rice, oil and salt.
Although Li Yuan was a soldier, he was not familiar with local work. He was well aware of his shortcomings, so he took the initiative to "ask Hua Guofeng for advice". Hua Guofeng relied on years of grassroots work experience to put forward a series of pragmatic plans. The two hit it off and decided to start with the resumption of production to revive Hunan's majesty.
But how easy is it to get a large province back on track in turmoil? The various factions are fighting openly and secretly, the grassroots cadres are timid, and the life of the common people is not easy. Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng knew that what they faced was a tough battle.
From water conservancy projects to agricultural reform, the two "parent officials" have shown their strength
In the face of many difficulties, Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng did not flinch. They decided to start with the construction of water conservancy to lay a solid foundation for Hunan's development.
Hua Guofeng put forward the bold idea of building the Ouyang Hai Irrigation District. This water conservancy project in Guiyang County can not only solve the irrigation problem, but also demonstrate the revolutionary spirit. However, the 130-metre-high dam was a behemoth at the time, and many people were skeptical.
Li Yuan strongly supported Hua Guofeng's decision. He knows that if you want to do great things, you have to be courageous. The two trekked together and went to the scene to investigate in person. Hua Guofeng even plunged into the pile of drawings and studied the design plan without sleep or food.
Hard work pays off. With the efforts of the two, the Ouyang Hai Irrigation Area was finally completed. This water conservancy project, which adopts advanced hyperbolic thin arch dam technology, has solved the irrigation problem of 720,000 mu of farmland in four counties in one fell swoop. The common people saw the tangible benefits and became more supportive of Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng's work.
The two who tasted the sweetness did not stop there. They are also aiming at the long-standing and difficult problem of agricultural production. Hua Guofeng put forward the slogan of "Learning from Dazhai" and organized a huge visit and study activity. The Lebanese principle gave full play to the advantages of the armed forces and mobilized PLA soldiers to support agricultural production.
Thanks to the efforts of the two men, Hunan's agricultural production began to gradually recover. The newly opened fertile land and improved slopes have enabled Hunan's grain output to rise steadily. By 1973, the yield per mu had broken through the 1,000-kilogram mark.
Chairman Mao inspected Hunan twice and praised "Li Huapei".
A series of measures taken by Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng soon attracted the attention of the central authorities. In 1969, Chairman Mao came to Hunan twice to inspect. This is a lot of face, but also a lot of pressure.
During the first inspection, Chairman Mao went straight to the countryside. When he saw the green rice fields and the hot production scene, he had a relieved smile on his face. Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng truthfully reported on their work, neither exaggerating their achievements nor evading problems.
After Chairman Mao heard this, he said meaningfully: "The lake is wide and ripe, and the world is full." You have to do a good job in agricultural production!"
This sentence made Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng like treasures. They know very well that Chairman Mao is pointing out the direction for Hunan. After going back, the two were more energetic and set off a new round of agricultural production climax.
Half a year later, Chairman Mao came to Hunan again. This time, he mainly inspected the situation of industrial production. When he learned that the construction of the Hunan-Guizhou Railway and the Zhiliu Railway was in full swing, Chairman Mao nodded again and again.
He told Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng: "While grasping the revolution, we must promote production, work, and war preparedness. You're doing a great job!"
This is undoubtedly the highest praise for the work of the two. Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng were both excited and apprehensive. They know that Chairman Mao's affirmation means greater responsibility and challenge.
In the following days, Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng became more tacit. They have divided labor and cooperated, pushing all aspects of Hunan's work to a new height.
However, the good times were short-lived. In early 1971, Hua Guofeng was transferred to Beijing and served as deputy secretary general of the State Council. Li Yuan was also appointed deputy commander of the Lanzhou Military Region. The golden pair broke up and embarked on a new journey.
Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng, the "parent officials", have left us with a lot to think about. Their experience has taught us that at all times, hard work is paramount. In the face of difficulties, we must not just shout empty slogans, but solve problems in a down-to-earth manner.
At the same time, their collaboration demonstrates the power of unity. Although they came from different backgrounds, both of them took serving the people as their own responsibility, and finally won the support of the people and the affirmation of their superiors.
Today, we still need this spirit of action and teamwork. Whether it is poverty alleviation or rural revitalization, we need to be like Li Yuan and Hua Guofeng to face difficulties and work together.
The wheels of history are rolling forward, but those precious experiences and wisdom are always worth learning and inheriting. #头条首发大赛#