Lin Boqu: "Three Legs" Supply Minister

Lin Boqu was born in Linli, Hunan Province in 1886. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1921. He is one of the respected leaders of our party. He is called "the five elders of Yan'an" together with Dong Biwu, Xu teli, Xie Juezai and Wu Yuzhang ". On the occasion of Lin Boqu's 60th birthday in March 1945, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a congratulatory speech personally revised by Mao Zedong, praising him as a "revolutionary veteran" who has always "stood at the forefront of the revolution" since the Revolution of 1911 ".

During the Red Army's Long March, Lin Boqu served as the Red Army's chief supply minister, whose main task was to raise food and raise funds. The organization assigned him a horse, but he seldom rode. He always carried the documents and the guards' backpack on the horse's back, and he walked one foot high and one foot low on a stick brought from Ruijin. The guard urged him to get on the horse many times, and he said wittily: "Everyone walks on two legs. I have one more leg now. Why must I use four legs?"

Every time he marched, he always carried a pony lantern and stood at the dangerous and difficult intersection to let the team pass. Li Jian, a female Red Army soldier, once sang in a folk song:

He is an old hero over half a century old, a minister and a soldier.

What is the fear of high mountains and deep water, holding a lantern to shine on the people.

Late one night after entering the grass, Lin Boqu came back from the health team and saw guard Xiao Huang pouring water into the thermos. He ordered: "Fill it with water and send it to the health team. The sick and wounded need it more than I do. Don't bring back the thermos flask." Xiao Huang knew the origin of this thermos flask, which was captured by the Red Army when it was fighting Zunyi, and has been carefully protecting it ever since. On the Long March, Lin Boqu had to rely on it to make dry food and take medicine. Especially after entering the grass, it has made great achievements. Thinking about these, Xiao Huang's tears could not help but flow out. Xiao Huang loathe to give up, but had to obey orders. He thought, the minister's hair is white, and he still insists on trekking mountains and rivers with everyone and sleeping in the open. In the most difficult time, but also their own life supplies to the wounded, how noble character ah......

During the Spring Festival of 1944, the wall newspaper in front of the Yan'an Border Region government attracted many people. A tall foreign journalist crowded in the crowd and carefully copied an article "My Production Savings Plan." This was written by Lin Boqu, chairman of the border government, and wrote it down in the form of a poem. This foreign journalist came here admiringly.

It turned out that the production saving plan formulated by Lin Boqu was unanimously praised by everyone. After seeing this, Mao Zedong also appreciated it very much and wrote back: if your personal plan can be implemented, it will have a good influence.

The foreign reporter was deeply moved by this production saving plan, so he interviewed Lin Boqu with curiosity and admiration.

When he came to Lin Boqu's residence, he saw only a plate of kang in the cave. The quilt on the kang was covered with patches. There was a shabby small square table with some semi-old chairs beside it. At this point, Lin Boqu was sitting in a chair, burying his head in sewing a pair of old trousers. He smiled and said to reporters: "There is a Chinese saying that the new three years, the old three years, sewing and mending three years, I have only worn these pants for three and a half years!"

The foreign reporter asked to see the vegetable field he planted, so Lin Boqu took him to a beach by the Yanhe River with a walking stick.

The foreign reporter squatted down, stroked the green seedlings in the field, and was full of praise: "You Communist Party cadres, not only mobilize the masses to do it, but also take the lead in doing it yourself, and do what you say. It's amazing! I want to tell the world everything here." He held Lin Boqu's hand tightly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Chairman! I have seen the light and hope of China in this land of northern Shaanxi."

Lin Boqu was the earliest one who died in the "Five Elders in Yan'an. In May 1960, he was diagnosed with severe myocardial infarction, but still buried in work. On May 29, Lin Boqu, 74, died because his condition suddenly deteriorated and the rescue was ineffective. Deng Xiaoping said in his eulogy: "Comrade Lin Boqu's great revolutionary struggle spirit, his firm stand in safeguarding the party's correct line, and his style of close contact with the masses and hard work and plain living are always worth learning from the whole party and the people of the whole country."

September 18, 2017 Source: Learning Times