Naming Chen Yi in Six Sisters of Yimeng
1947 In May, the East China Field Army, under the command of Chen Yi and Su Yu, annihilated the seventy-four divisions reorganized by the elite Kuomintang troops and a reinforcement in Meng Lianggu, totaling more than 32,000 people. Six girls who were only eighteen or nineteen years old at that time were called the "six sisters of Yimeng" who supported the former model.
The title of "Six Sisters of Yimeng" was named by Marshal Chen Yi himself. Old Ji Zhenlan can still clearly remember seeing Chen Yi for the first time. "Riding a horse and leggings, I don't know who he is. He is a very kind person." The old man said, I couldn't see clearly what he was in charge of at that time. He was in a hurry and was going to fight. I didn't expect him to be Chen Yi.
Then one day, I informed Sixth Sister to go to Mengyin headquarters. There, Ji Zhenlan once again saw the man who rode last time, and kindly asked his sisters if they had any difficulties in spreading some pancakes and making some shoes these days.
Ji Zhenlan said, after asking the situation, the man smiled and said, give you a name, saying it's sister-in-law. Some of you are unmarried and some are married, so call it "Six Sisters of Yimeng".
Ji Zhenlan knew this man was a big head at this moment, but he didn't know that he was the famous Chen Yi. Many years later, I saw a picture of Chen Yi in Meng Lianggu Memorial Hall. Ji Zhenlan felt familiar, and the person next to her told her that it was Chen Yi.
According to the old man's memory, as soon as they heard that there was going to be a war, the six sisters summed it up and took the initiative to stir up the village to support the troops, mobilize the men, women and children in the village, serve as guides for the troops, send ammunition, send food and grass, bake pancakes, wash military uniforms, make military shoes, and take care of the wounded and sick. During the campaign, guns rumbled, and the six sisters and their villagers only ate one meal a day and were busy all day for support. In half a month's time, they went to bed at five o'clock in the middle of the night, sometimes staying up all night, often eating only one meal a day, and transporting more than 5,000 kilograms of grain from the wild shop back to the village to be processed into pancakes. I transported 24 boxes of bullets, burned more than 700 kilograms of firewood, and walked back and forth for more than 20 miles. I washed more than 800 clothes for the army and made more than 300 pairs of shoes ... When I stop, I will sing to the soldiers, make propaganda and boost morale.
On June 1947 and June 10, the then Luzhong Popular Newspaper, the organ of the Luzhong Military Region, reported this model group with the title "It was all for the good of women before supporting the army". Since then, the name of "Six Sisters of Yimeng" has spread all over Yimeng Mountain Area.