In 1955, the workers of the match factory bragged, and the lover angrily reported it, and the truth of the unsolved case of the Eighth Route Army 11 years ago was revealed

In 1955, the workers of the match factory bragged, and the lover angrily reported it, and the truth of the unsolved case of the Eighth Route Army 11 years ago was revealed

On an ordinary day in 1955, in an ordinary match factory in Kaifeng City, an unknown worker was mechanically repeating his work day after day. His name is Lao Tian, and he is a thin, taciturn middle-aged man. Colleagues think he is honest and sometimes make fun of him. However, no one knows that Lao Tian has an earth-shattering secret buried in his heart. Until that day, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the factory, approaching in the direction of Lao Tian. When he looked up and saw the scene in front of him, it was as if a bomb had exploded overhead, and the sky was spinning. At this moment, an unsolved case of the Eighth Route Army, which had been sealed for 11 years, finally surfaced. What kind of secret made this ordinary worker the object of police attention? What kind of astonishing truth is hidden in Lao Tian's past?

In the workshop of the Kaifeng City Match Factory, Lao Tian is an inconspicuous ordinary worker. He arrived at the factory on time at 6 o'clock every morning, put on his work clothes, put on a mask, and started his day's work. Lao Tian is in charge of the cartoning of matches, a job that requires a great deal of concentration and patience. He moves skillfully and precisely, never makes mistakes, and rarely talks to people.

Colleagues knew very little about the taciturn middle-aged man. Some say he came from the south, while others speculate that he may have fled to Kaifeng. In any case, Lao Tian's past remains a mystery. The young people in the factory sometimes made fun of him, deliberately messing up the matchbox to see how he was in a hurry. In the face of these pranks, Lao Tian always endured silently and never resisted.

However, this seemingly honest match factory worker actually lives a two-sided life. Whenever the bell rings, Lao Tian is always the first to leave the workshop. He would quickly change out of his overalls and hurriedly walk out of the factory door. To outsiders, he was nothing more than an ordinary worker in a hurry to get home. But in reality, Lao Tian often takes a detour to a remote alley on the outskirts of the city.

There, waiting for him was a woman with a complex background. The woman's name was Li Fang, and she was the wife of a small local trader. Li Fang is more than ten years younger than Lao Tian, handsome and pungent in personality. Her relationship with Lao Tian began with a chance encounter and soon developed into an unruly love.

In front of Li Fang, Lao Tian seemed to be a different person. He was no longer reticent, but rather talkative. He would tell Li Fang about his "heroic deeds" when he was young, claiming that he was once a majestic cadre of the Eighth Route Army. Li Fang was convinced of these stories and often looked at Lao Tian with admiration, as if he were looking at a real hero.

Lao Tian and Li Fang's secret date lasted for almost a year. During this time, Lao Tian seems to have found meaning in life. He began to smile occasionally in the factory and even took the initiative to chat with his colleagues. This change has attracted the attention of some, but most people just think that Lao Tian has finally adapted to life in the factory.

However, Lao Tian's two-sided life is not without risks. There is a huge contrast between who he was and who he is now, and that contrast can lead to catastrophic consequences at any time. Lao Tian knew very well in his heart that he was dancing on the tip of the knife. But years of repressed life left him craving some thrills, even if they could be devastating.

Just when Lao Tian thought that he could live like this forever, fate played a cruel joke on him. One day in 1955, when he was busy in the factory as usual, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the factory. These footsteps approached quickly in the direction of Lao Tian, as if with some kind of ominous omen.

Lao Tian looked up and saw several uniformed public security officers walking towards him menacingly. At that moment, he felt like his world was spinning, as if a bomb was going off overhead. He knew that the illusion he had carefully maintained for 11 years was finally going to crumble at this moment.

Public security officers soon surrounded Lao Tian. They produced arrest warrants and handcuffed Lao Tian in front of all his colleagues. During the whole process, Lao Tian did not resist or defend himself. He lowered his head and let the public security officers take him away, leaving a workshop of stunned workers.

In this way, an unsolved case of the Eighth Route Army, which had been sealed for 11 years, finally surfaced. Lao Tian, an unknown match factory worker, turned out to be hiding such an amazing secret. And the revelation of this secret not only completely changed Lao Tian's fate, but also made many people begin to re-examine every "ordinary person" around them.

Lao Tian's true identity gradually emerged. It turned out that he joined the Eighth Route Army in 1942, which was the most difficult period of the Anti-Japanese War. Lao Tian was born in a small landlord family, although the family was not wealthy, but he also had no worries about food and clothing. However, with the invasion of the Japanese army, his family soon fell into trouble. In a desperate situation, Lao Tian chose to join the Eighth Route Army, hoping to contribute to the country and also seek a way out for himself.

When he first joined the Eighth Route Army, Lao Tian was very active. He participated in various political studies, worked hard to master military skills, and was soon appreciated by his superiors. In less than half a year, he was promoted to the vice-captain of a squad. However, as time passed, Lao Tian gradually revealed his selfish nature.

In the spring of 1943, Lao Tian's unit was sent to the Heze area of Shandong Province to carry out a mission. During a reconnaissance mission, Lao Tian unexpectedly met a landlord named Wang Baofang. This Wang Baofang was a well-known local traitor and had close ties with the Japanese army. He saw Lao Tian's vanity, and began to tempt him with money and beauty.

At first, Lao Tian was a little hesitant. But when Wang Baofang came up with a large sum of money and promised to help him regain his status as a landlord after the war, Lao Tian wavered. He began to provide Wang Baofang with information on the Eighth Route Army, including important information such as the unit's plan of action, weapons and equipment, etc.

After Wang Baofang got this information, he immediately sold it to the Japanese army. Based on this information, the Japanese army launched several surprise attacks on the base areas of the Eighth Route Army, causing a large number of casualties. However, because Lao Tian's identity is deeply hidden, and he usually behaves very actively, no one suspects him.

As time passed, Lao Tian became more and more emboldened. He not only provided information to Wang Baofang, but also began to contact the Japanese army directly. At the beginning of 1944, he obtained an important piece of information: the Eighth Route Army planned to set up a new base in a village in Dongming County, Heze. Lao Tian immediately told the Japanese army the news.

Based on this information, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the village. The attack caused a large number of casualties among the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army and innocent villagers. After the incident, the top brass of the Eighth Route Army realized that there might be a traitor inside, but it was impossible to determine who it was for a while.

Just when the Eighth Route Army was conducting an internal investigation, Lao Tian got an even more important piece of information. The Eighth Route Army planned to hold an important meeting in Daliuzhai Village, Changxingji Township, which would be attended by a number of high-ranking generals. Lao Tian once again revealed the news to the Japanese army.

When the Japanese received this information, they immediately planned a night attack. They sent an elite force and took advantage of the darkness to quietly surround the village of Daliuzhai. That night, just as the generals of the Eighth Route Army were meeting in the village, the Japanese army suddenly attacked. The sneak attack caused heavy losses, many high-ranking generals of the Eighth Route Army were killed, and a large number of important documents fell into the hands of the Japanese army.

After this incident, the top brass of the Eighth Route Army finally realized the seriousness of the problem. They intensified their internal investigation and quickly zeroed in on several suspicious targets, including Lao Tian. Lao Tian, who felt that the situation was not good, took advantage of the chaos of a battle and secretly fled from the troops.

After escaping, Lao Tian did not directly defect to the Japanese army, but chose a more hidden path. He disguised himself as a refugee and blended in with a retreating group. In the process of retreating, he encountered a puppet army unit. With his previous experience in the Eighth Route Army, Lao Tian successfully joined this puppet army and started a new "career".

In the puppet army, Lao Tian behaved very actively, and was soon appreciated by the Japanese officers. He used his knowledge of the Eighth Route Army to provide valuable intelligence to the Japanese army many times. However, as the Japanese army retreated on the Chinese battlefield, Lao Tian realized that his situation was becoming more and more dangerous.

In August 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. Lao Tian knew that sooner or later his crimes would be revealed. On a dark and windy night, he chose to flee again. This time, he fled even further and fled all the way to Kaifeng. There, he changed his name, went incognito, and started a new life.

However, as the old saying goes: paper can't hold fire. Lao Tian's crime was finally revealed 11 years later. This former traitor to the Eighth Route Army could not escape the punishment of the law in the end.

In September 1945, the haze of war finally dissipated, and the land of China ushered in a long-lost peace. For Lao Tian, however, this was not a time of celebration, but the beginning of an escape. He left the familiar Shandong and headed west, eventually arriving in Kaifeng, an ancient city in Henan Province.

Kaifeng, the ancient capital with a history of nearly 3,000 years, was once the ancient capital of the Seven Dynasties and was prosperous for a while. However, after the baptism of war, the city also became devastated. Lao Tian chose to settle here, perhaps because of the large population flow here, which makes it easier to hide his identity.

After coming to Kaifeng, the first thing Lao Tian did was to forge a new identity for himself. He chose a name that was so ordinary that it couldn't be more ordinary: Zhang Dashan. To further disguise his past, he also deliberately soiled his clothes and shaved his hair short to make himself look like an ordinary peasant.

With this new identity, Lao Tian began to look for work in Kaifeng. At that time, Kaifeng was waiting to be prosperous, and all kinds of factories were recruiting. After several days of searching, Lao Tian finally found a job at the Kaifeng Match Factory. Although this job is hard and the salary is not high, it is the best choice for Lao Tian. Because here he can be one of thousands of ordinary workers and will not attract anyone's attention.

The work of a match factory is monotonous and repetitive. Every morning at 6 o'clock, Lao Tian has to get up, hurry to the factory after a simple breakfast. His job is to assemble matchboxes on the production line. The job requires a high level of concentration and patience, with the same movements repeated thousands of times a day.

At first, Lao Tian felt very uncomfortable with this job. His hands were often scratched by match heads, and he was sometimes reprimanded by the foreman for his unskilled movements. However, over time, he gradually adapted to the job. He became more and more proficient in his movements and more efficient, and soon became the leader of the production line.

In the factory, Lao Tian deliberately kept a low profile. He rarely talks to other workers, and even when someone takes the initiative to talk, he simply responds to a few words and ends the conversation. Over time, the other workers got used to his taciturn and treated him only as an introverted ordinary colleague.

Although the life in the factory is monotonous, it is a relief for Lao Tian. Here, no one knows about his past, and no one will pursue his origins. He can fully immerse himself in this ordinary and stable life, and forget about the crimes he has committed for a while.

Over time, Lao Tian's position in the factory gradually became solid. He worked very efficiently and almost never made mistakes, which earned him the appreciation of the foreman. In 1950, when the factory began to implement the policy of workers' participation in management, Lao Tian was elected as the leader of the production team. Although this position is not high, it means that for Lao Tian, he has finally fully integrated into this new environment.

As the team leader, Lao Tian's job responsibilities have increased. In addition to completing his own production tasks, he is also responsible for coordinating the work of other workers in the team and solving various problems encountered in production. This new job made Lao Tian feel a sense of accomplishment that he had not felt for a long time. He began to study production technology seriously and how to improve production efficiency. Under his leadership, his team has repeatedly exceeded production tasks and has become a model team in the factory.

However, even in such an ordinary life, Lao Tian has never been able to completely let down his guard. Whenever a new person joins the factory, or a stranger visits, he is extra vigilant. He was always worried that one day, someone would recognize him and reveal his true identity.

In order to further disguise his identity, Lao Tian even took the initiative to participate in various political learning activities organized by the factory. He listened attentively, spoke actively, and behaved like a model worker who loved New China and supported the Communist Party. Far from arousing suspicion, this performance made him more famous in the factory.

In this way, Lao Tian spent nearly 10 years in the Kaifeng Match Factory. In the past 10 years, he has watched New China prosper step by step, and watched the ancient city of Kaifeng rejuvenated. He also went from an obscure ordinary worker to a backbone member of the factory. On the surface, he seems to have fully integrated into this new identity and become an ordinary and loyal worker.

However, only Lao Tian himself knows what kind of secrets are hidden under this calm surface. Every night, when he lies alone in his humble dormitory bed, the crimes he once committed always reappear in his dreams. Even in such an ordinary life, he has never been able to truly escape the shadow of the past.

In the spring of 1956, the Kaifeng Match Factory welcomed a special visitor. The visitor was a retired veteran of the Eighth Route Army named Li Ming. The purpose of Li Ming's trip was to find a comrade-in-arms who had disappeared in the Heze area of Shandong Province. He took an old yellowed photo and asked the factory workers one by one.

When Li Ming came to the workshop where Lao Tian was, Lao Tian was working intently. Hearing someone ask, he subconsciously raised his head, but instantly froze when he saw the photo in Li Ming's hand. In the photo, he was a young man, wearing the uniform of the Eighth Route Army, standing in the middle of a group of comrades-in-arms in high spirits.

Li Ming didn't recognize Lao Tian at first. After all, more than a decade is enough time to change a person's appearance. But when he looked closely at Lao Tian's face, those familiar facial features gradually overlapped with the images in his memory. Li Ming called out Lao Tian's name in surprise: "Lao Tian, is it really you?" "

This call was like a thunderbolt from the sky, instantly breaking the peaceful life that Lao Tian had worked hard for ten years. The surrounding workers all looked at them in amazement, not understanding what was happening. Lao Tian denied it in a panic, claiming that Li Ming had recognized the wrong person and that he had never been a member of the Eighth Route Army.

But Li Ming didn't believe it. He insisted that the person in front of him was his comrade-in-arms who had been missing for many years. Under Li Ming's questioning, Lao Tian's lies began to show flaws. He showed unusual familiarity with some details that only the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army knew, which aroused more suspicion.

Things quickly spiraled out of control. The leaders of the factory were alarmed and sent someone to bring Lao Tian and Li Ming to the office. There, Li Ming recounted in detail Lao Tian's experiences during his time in the Eighth Route Army and how he suddenly disappeared during a battle.

In the face of more and more doubts, Lao Tian finally collapsed. He admitted that he was the same soldier of the Eighth Route Army, but insisted that he did not defect, but was captured in a battle, and later took advantage of the chaos to escape. However, his justification was not recognized.

The plant leadership immediately reported the situation to their superiors. Soon, the police intervened in the investigation. Lao Tian was taken away for interrogation, and his dormitory and workplace were thoroughly searched. During the search, investigators found a number of suspicious items, including a number of forged documents and a significant amount of cash.

As the investigation deepens, Lao Tian's true identity and past crimes gradually emerge. By comparing archival records with witness testimony, investigators confirmed that Lao Tian was the soldier of the Eighth Route Army who had defected in the Heze area of Shandong Province. He not only provided a lot of important information to the Japanese army, but also directly led to the failure of many military operations and the sacrifice of a large number of comrades.

Faced with conclusive evidence, Lao Tian finally confessed his crime. He explained how he was bribed by the Japanese army, how he provided information to the enemy many times, and how he fled to Kaifeng and lived incognito after the war. His confession shocked everyone, including those factory colleagues with whom he had spent their days and nights.

In August 1956, Lao Tian was formally arrested. After the news spread, the entire Kaifeng match factory was in shock. The workers who had worked with Lao Tian could not believe that their colleague who had been with him day and night could be a traitor. Many people recalled Lao Tian's daily behavior, and these seemingly ordinary details have now become suspicious.

Lao Tian's case quickly attracted nationwide attention. Exposed as a traitor who had been dormant for many years, the case was seen as an important victory in the elimination of hostile elements. All major newspapers reported on this, and for a time, Lao Tian became the target of verbal criticism from the people of the whole country.

In March 1957, Lao Tian's trial was held in the Kaifeng Intermediate People's Court. In court, the prosecutor gave a detailed account of Lao Tian's crimes, including treason to the enemy, providing intelligence to the enemy, and causing the death of a large number of revolutionary comrades. In the face of these accusations, Lao Tian lowered his head and said nothing.

The trial lasted three days, during which a number of witnesses testified. Among them was Li Ming, who gave a detailed account of the fighting in the Heze area of Shandong Province and a series of suspicious events that occurred before and after Lao Tian's disappearance. There are also some surviving veterans of the Eighth Route Army, who recounted the tragic losses caused by Lao Tian's leakage of information.

In the end, the court sentenced Lao Tian to death based on conclusive evidence. The verdict reads: "The defendant Lao Tian, as a soldier of the Eighth Route Army, should have fought bravely for the country and the people, but betrayed the revolution and defected to the enemy and treason, and his behavior caused the sacrifice of a large number of revolutionary comrades, and the crime was extremely serious and should be punished according to law." "

In May 1957, on a gloomy morning, Lao Tian was escorted to the execution ground to be executed. At the last moment before the execution, he finally raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd around him, as if to engrave the last appearance of this world in his mind. With the sound of a gunshot, this former soldier of the Eighth Route Army, a traitor, and an ordinary worker, closed his eyes forever.

Lao Tian's case has aroused widespread discussion across the country. It not only exposes a traitor who has been lurking for many years, but also warns people to always be vigilant against the infiltration of hostile elements. At the same time, this case also provokes people to think about deep-seated issues such as war, betrayal, and loyalty.

The aftermath of the Laotian case continues to ferment inside and outside Kaifeng City. In the summer of 1957, the workers of the Kaifeng Match Factory were still immersed in shock and bewilderment. Many people began to reminisce about their time with Lao Tian, trying to find clues about how this former colleague was able to hide his true identity for a decade.

There are all sorts of rumors circulating in the factory. Some people say that Lao Tian is actually a double agent who has provided us with a lot of valuable information; It is also said that he still has accomplices in the factory, and he has not yet been discovered. Although these rumors lack factual basis, they reflect people's inner turmoil and confusion to a certain extent.

In order to reassure the workers, the factory leaders decided to hold a plant-wide meeting. At the meeting, the secretary of the party committee of the factory explained in detail the ins and outs of the Lao Tian case, emphasized that this was an isolated incident, and called on everyone to be vigilant, and at the same time to believe in the organization and comrades.

However, the congress did not completely dispel the doubts in the minds of the workers. Instead, it sparks more discussion and reflection. Some of the older workers began to reminisce about the experiences of the war years, and the younger generation took a keen interest in that history.

In such an atmosphere, the Kaifeng Municipal Archives unexpectedly became a popular venue. Many people go to the archives in the hope of finding out more about the period of the Sino-Japanese War and the Civil War from historical documents. The staff of the archives were surprised to find that the number of people consulting the historical materials of the Anti-Japanese War had increased nearly tenfold in just a few months.

At the same time, Kaifeng's cultural circles also took a keen interest in the Laotian case. Some writers and theatre workers began to create works on this subject. At the beginning of 1958, the Kaifeng Repertory Theatre launched a drama called "The Hidden Traitor", although Lao Tian was not directly named, but the plot obviously borrowed from this real case. This drama caused a sensation in Kaifeng, and it was staged for a month, and the venue was full.

The impact of the Lao Tian case has even extended to the field of education. The Kaifeng Municipal Education Bureau organized a series of lectures on patriotism, inviting anti-Japanese war veterans to the campus to tell the students about those arduous years. These lectures not only gave the students an understanding of history, but also made them aware of the boundaries between loyalty and betrayal.

However, as time went on, people's attitudes towards the Lao Tian case began to change subtly. Some people began to question why Lao Tian was able to work in the match factory for so many years without being discovered. Is there a loophole in our censorship? Or has our vigilance of the past diminished in times of peace?

These questions sparked a deeper discussion. Some intellectuals began to reflect on the trauma that the war had inflicted on ordinary people. They believe that people like Lao Tian may not have been born traitors, but have made wrong choices in extreme circumstances. This view, while not accepted by the mainstream, resonates in some circles.

In 1959, a retired soldier named Zhang Fu came to Kaifeng and claimed that he had been in the same unit as Lao Tian. Zhang Fu brought some new information, saying that before Lao Tian was captured, he was an excellent soldier and received many awards for meritorious service. This information adds a new dimension to Lao Tian's story and makes people think about what led a good warrior to become a traitor.

Zhang Fu's arrival sparked a new round of discussion. Some believe that this is a testament to how important the environment is to people; Some people believe that this highlights the shame of Lao Tian's betrayal. In any case, these discussions are pushing people to think more deeply about history, about human nature.

In the early 1960s, as the domestic situation changed, people's attention to the Lao Tian case gradually decreased. However, some of the deep-seated issues raised by this case, such as how to remain vigilant in times of peace, how to treat "traitors" in history, and how to understand the complexity of human nature, are still being discussed in academic circles and among the people.

In 1965, the Kaifeng Cultural Center organized an exhibition with the theme of "Reviewing the Anti-Japanese War". In the exhibition, the Lao Tian case is presented as a small chapter. Through this case, the curators of the exhibition try to lead the audience to think about the profound impact of war on individuals and society.

Although the name Lao Tian has gradually been forgotten over time, the reflections and discussions triggered by his story continue to influence later generations in various forms. Among some old residents of Kaifeng, the phrase "don't be a second old field" has even become a common saying to warn and educate younger generations.

It was not until the beginning of the 21st century, when some historians began to re-examine various historical events during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, that the story of Lao Tian was brought up again. This time, scholars have tried to understand the case from a broader perspective, placing it in a specific historical context. They point out that cases like Lao Tian's actually reflect the complex relationship between the fate of the individual and the fate of the state in that particular era.

Although the Lao Tian case is only a small episode in the long river of history, it is like a mirror, reflecting the complexities of that era. It is not only a story of betrayal and loyalty, but also an allegory of human nature, choice and fate. Today, in times of peace, this story can still provoke people to think deeply, let us re-examine history, and think about the relationship between individuals and times, individuals and countries.