On a summer evening in 1932, in a secluded safe house in Xianning, Hubei Province, Qian Ying, a young Communist Party member, was anxiously awaiting her husband's return. Cicadas chirp outside the window, but there is an indescribable tension in the room. Qian Ying looked at the wall clock on the wall from time to time, and secretly calculated in her heart: If he doesn't come back in another half an hour, it means that something has happened. Little did she know at this time that a storm was about to change her life.
Background introduction: From a talented girl to an underground party, Qian Ying's legendary life began
Qian Ying was born in Xianning, Hubei Province, into a well-to-do merchant family. The family conditions are good, and she received a good education since she was a child. In that era when a woman was virtuous if she was not talented, Qian Ying showed amazing talent, and she was proficient in poetry and songs. The villagers praised her as a "talented girl" and affectionately called her "Sixth Sister Qian".
However, Qian Ying is not the kind of lady who is content with the status quo. Her thinking is very avant-garde, and she is not used to the feudal etiquette. When her parents wanted to arrange an arranged marriage for her, she resolutely refused and insisted on going her own way. In 1922, 19-year-old Qian Ying was admitted to Qianjiang Vocational Girls' School, opening a new chapter in her life.
In school, Qian Ying performed well and stayed in school as a teacher directly after graduation. It was at this time that she met Tan Shoulin, the person who changed her life. This Guangxi genius is not only knowledgeable, but also has lofty ideals. The two hit it off at first sight and soon fell in love and became husband and wife.
However, Qian Ying didn't know that her husband had another identity. It wasn't until one day that she accidentally found a letter that revealed Tan Shoulin's secret, and it turned out that he was a Communist Party member. Faced with his wife's questioning, Tan Shoulin confessed everything. Unexpectedly, instead of objecting, Qian Ying was deeply moved and decided to fight for her ideals with her husband. In this way, she also joined the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party.
The cause of the incident: a twist of fate, a chain reaction triggered separately
Not long after Qian Ying joined the Communist Party, the organization arranged for her to study in the Soviet Union. Before leaving, Tan Shoulin specially bought two notebooks and two pens, one for each person, to express his lovesickness. Who would have thought that this parting would become an eternal secret.
When she arrived in the Soviet Union, Qian Ying was pleasantly surprised to find out that she was pregnant. Although she was in a foreign country, her husband's letter gave her great comfort. When she returned to China two years later, Qian Ying had to endure the pain of leaving her newborn daughter in the Soviet Union. She thought it was only a temporary separation, but she didn't know that this decision would make her husband never have the opportunity to see her flesh and blood.
After returning to China, Qian Ying lived a seemingly peaceful life, working during the day and taking care of housework at night. However, undercurrents are surging beneath the calm surface. One night, as she waited for her husband to come home with dinner as usual, a sense of foreboding came over her.
Conflict development: life hangs by a thread, Qian Ying's witty response
Time passed minute by minute, but the husband did not return. Qian Ying remembered Tan Shoulin's advice: if he didn't come back too late, he would immediately destroy the documents at home and transfer them. She realized that danger was imminent.
Qian Ying didn't say a word, and immediately started to act. She quickly tossed her family's important documents into the brazier and watched the papers turn to ashes. After doing all this, she only took the pocket watch given by her husband and left the house in a hurry.
Not long after Qian Ying left, a group of spies suddenly broke into her house. They rummaged through the cabinets, but found nothing. Qian Ying's alertness and decisiveness made the enemy pounce.
After escaping to safety, Qian Ying immediately inquired about her husband's whereabouts. However, what awaited her was bad news: Tan Shoulin was betrayed by a traitor and unfortunately arrested. Under the torture of the enemy, he remained loyal and unyielding, and finally died a heroic death.
Hearing the news, Qian Ying was devastated. But she quickly wiped away her tears and was determined to continue her husband's unfinished business. However, fate played a joke on her again. In 1933, Qian Ying unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy while on a mission.
The climax: the line of life and death, Qian Ying's thrilling escape
At the moment of arrest, Qian Ying knew in her heart that the pocket watch on her body could become fatal evidence. This pocket watch, given by her husband, not only carries the feelings of the two, but also may reveal her true identity. If she is discovered by the enemy, not only will she be in danger, but she may also be involved in many more comrades.
Qian Ying's brain was racing fast, looking for a way to get out. At this moment, she had an idea and came up with a risky idea.
"Ouch, my stomach hurts, I need to go to the toilet right away!" Qian Ying suddenly squatted down, covered her stomach with her hands, and pretended to be in pain.
The agents escorting her looked at each other, apparently not expecting this to happen. They hesitated, but finally agreed impatiently: "Go ahead, don't play tricks!"
Qian Ying walked briskly to the toilet, her heart beating faster. She knew it might be her only chance. At the moment when the agent's attention was distracted, she quickly took off her pocket watch and gently threw it into the grass half a meter high on the side of the road, taking advantage of the cover of night.
"Okay, no? Don't grind!" The agents were urging impatiently.
Qian Ying took a deep breath and walked out pretending to be nothing: "What are you urging?" It's not that I won't give you back!"
In this way, Qian Ying, with her wit and courage, successfully disposed of the key evidence that might reveal her identity. However, this is only the beginning of the difficult trials she is about to face.
In the following days, Qian Ying was imprisoned. In the face of the enemy's interrogation and torture, she always gritted her teeth and insisted that she was just an ordinary person named Peng Yougu. Even after three months of torture, she did not reveal any valuable information.
The spies had nothing to do with her, and in the end they had to sentence her to 15 years in prison. Subsequently, Qian Ying was transferred to the Capital Introspection Institute. Even there, she persisted in fighting the enemy, preferring to be locked in a trumpet rather than bow her head.
In this way, Qian Ying spent four and five long months in prison. It was not until 1937, with the beginning of the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, that with the help of Zhou Enlai, Qian Ying finally regained her freedom.
After being released from prison, Qian Ying did not hesitate at all and immediately threw herself into a new struggle. She returned to the enemy-occupied area and continued to do underground intelligence work for the party, proving her loyalty and courage with practical actions.