January 1945.

The Kuomintang authorities in Shandong arrested a middle-aged man in his forties and asked him to tell the whereabouts of Zhou Enlai. But this person always kept secret, and eventually died under severe torture by the enemy.

And this middle-aged man is Zhou Enlai’s younger brother, Zhou Enpu.

Zhou Enpu’s ancestral home is Shaoxing, Zhejiang. The Zhou family in Shaoxing is considered a big family locally. However, under the general background of the time, a traditional family like the Zhou family inevitably declined.

But even so, many feudal patriarchal systems are still preserved by families. In fact, such phenomena abounded in old China. After all, modern China is in a state of social transformation - the original feudal society is disintegrating, and a new society is also brewing.

Shortly after Zhou Enlai was born, the elders of the Zhou family considered that Zhou Enlai’s uncle had no son, so they adopted Zhou Enlai to his uncle. In other words, according to past tradition, Zhou Enlai and his biological parents were no longer together. It’s a father-son, mother-son relationship.

Zhou Enpu was born one year later than Zhou Enlai. The birth of Zhou Enpu made Zhou Enlai's parents very happy - because they had a son again; and, according to the old rules, Zhou Enpu was considered the eldest son in the ethical sense of his parents.

In fact, in old China, due to the backward medical level, the probability that newborns could grow up safely was actually not high. Therefore, in the old days, many families would choose various methods to let their children grow up safely based on the objective reality that medical standards were lagging behind. Generally speaking, there are three main methods.

The first is to give your child a longevity lock. I hope that the child's lifespan can be firmly locked.

The second option is to give a nickname - such as Ergouzi. In the 1980s, many rural areas still had this naming custom.

The third method is to send the child to a temple or Taoist temple to be a nominal monk and Taoist boy, indicating that the child is a monk and hopes to be blessed by gods and Buddhas.

Zhou Enpu’s parents hoped that Zhou Enpu could grow up safely, so they chose the third method.

——They sent Zhou Enpu to the temple, and then asked the monks to perform a special prayer ceremony. They became a nominal monk in front of the Bodhisattva, so that they could get the blessing of the Bodhisattva. This experience also gave Zhou Enpu the nickname "Monk".

Zhou Enpu needed to find a job when he grew up. At that time, most people in old China were in a state of hesitation. The so-called hesitation can be understood as not knowing where to go.

Mr. Lu Xun has a collection of essays called "Wandering". Lu Xun explained: "The social environment at that time made him not know where his own road was and where the country's road was, and of course the people had no way to go."

In Mao Dun's novel "Midnight" It is interesting to mention such a detail - that is, for farmers, the result of farming is that the more they farm, the poorer they grow, but there is no way out without farming; and businessmen, faced with the financial oppression of imperialism, also fall into Similar to the strange circle of farmers farming.

This means that if Zhou Enpu wants to find a job, in that era, he may not be able to find a suitable one. However, even so, you still have to look for errands.

After all, when the Zhou brothers grew up, they made the choice to reach the same goal through different paths in the face of the tide of the times. Zhou Enlai chose to join the revolution, while Zhou Enpu initially followed his uncle to the Northeast to find a job to make a living.

At that time, Northeast China was divided into northern and southern parts by imperialism. Cities like Harbin have sprung up in the northern part; while cities like Dalian and Yingkou have emerged in the southern part.

According to our modern concepts, Harbin, Dalian, and Yingkou are all very ordinary declining cities. But in modern China, these cities were also prominent for a while.

For example, Harbin was nicknamed "Moscow of the East" in the old Chinese era. In Harbin, there were Belarusian businessmen, Japanese chambers of commerce, and some wealthy Jewish businessmen who chose to buy properties in Harbin. Moreover, many well-known international banks have chosen to open branches in Harbin. Dalian and Yingkou have also prospered because of their ports.

In addition, Japan initially made a lot of investments in the Northeast in order to occupy the Northeast and to support the Feng clique warlords in seizing power across the country. This caused a large number of people in Guandong to go to the Northeast to make a living, and a new peak in Guandong began.

Zhou Enpu came to the Northeast to make a living, which was actually a way to enter Guandong. But Zhou Enpu may not know that his invasion of Guandong had a certain impact on subsequent Chinese history.

In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei successively massacred progressive people. Before that, the Beiyang warlords also launched crazy revenge against progressive people. This series of changes meant that the revolutionary work needed to enter a new stage.

According to the previous revolutionary struggle program, we mainly focused on the workers’ movement, the peasant movement and the student movement.

The crazy killings of progressives by the Beiyang regime and the Chiang Kai-shek regime also alerted us to the need to consider armed struggle to compete with the enemy.

Therefore, at the "August 7th Conference" in 1927, party representatives proposed that the "Sixth National Congress" should be convened as soon as possible to determine the next revolutionary trend. But, where should the "Sixth National Congress" be held? This issue has caused controversy, after all, there are few safe places in mainland China at this time.

Although the Red Army has opened a base in Jinggangshan, Jinggangshan is actually surrounded by enemies. It is actually very unrealistic for the representatives to cross the enemy's blockades.

After much thought, some representatives advocated holding this conference in Hong Kong, under the rule of the British Hong Kong authorities, or in Macau, under the control of the Portuguese and Macao authorities. However, this proposal was still rejected by mainstream representatives.

The reason is simple - the Portuguese and Macao authorities are unwilling to offend Nanjing, while the British Hong Kong authorities hate the red forces. Especially after the "October Revolution", the British repeatedly threatened to interfere in the Russian revolution.

Finally, after discussion, the delegates decided to hold the conference in Moscow. This is also the only record in the history of our party that a party congress was held in a foreign country.

Although Zhou Enpu was not qualified to participate in this meeting, Zhou Enpu played a great role in convening this meeting.

The leader of our party at that time was Chen Duxiu. However, after the failure of the "Great Revolution", Chen Duxiu and the correct path had drifted away. Therefore, the Communist International decided to appoint Qu Qiubai and Zhou Enlai to be temporarily responsible for the overall work of the party.

For such a major event as the "Sixth National Congress", according to past practice, Qu Qiubai and Zhou Enlai should go to Moscow in advance to make preparations. They cannot wait until the meeting is about to start before making specific preparations for the meeting.

Going to Moscow to hold a party congress? Sounds like a safe environment. After all, no matter how powerful the Kuomintang is, it cannot go to Moscow to arrest people. However, a very difficult question lies before us: how to get to the Soviet Union?

For the delegates, there were two ways to go. One is the sea route, which can be taken by ship, departing from Shanghai Port, then landing in Vladivostok in the Soviet Union, and then taking a train directly, following the Siberian Railway into Eastern Europe, and arriving in Moscow.

The other is the land route. This land passage is also divided into two roads.

The first road starts from Harbin, arrives in Manzhouli, and then enters the Soviet Union from Manzhouli. This road is very dangerous, because even during the Puppet Manchukuo period, there were still a large number of bandits on the road from Harbin to Manzhouli. Therefore, even if you can avoid being chased by the Kuomintang authorities by taking this road, you are still prone to encounter emergencies such as bandits.

The second road also starts from Harbin, but runs to Suifenhe, and then enters the Soviet Union from Suifenhe.

After repeated weighing, Zhou Enlai finally decided to go through the Northeast and enter the Soviet Union from the Northeast.

Regarding the news that the "Sixth National Congress" was about to be held, Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing also heard about it through the intelligence agency, so Chiang Kai-shek ordered the spies of the "Fuxing Society" (later the predecessor of the Central Unification Organization), as well as people from various places to The police agency used all social resources to find out the situation of the delegates going to the Soviet Union for meetings and be prepared to intercept them halfway.

Compared with taking the land route, the water route is much more convenient. Our people know this, and the Kuomintang certainly knows this too. Therefore, the spies, the police and even the gendarmerie have stepped up their efforts to investigate the situation of ship passengers on the Shanghai-Vladivostok route. This leads to an increase in the risk of choosing this channel.

Zhou Enlai chose the Shanghai-Dalian route, landed in Dalian, and then arrived in Harbin from Dalian. Zhou Enpu has lived in the Northeast for many years, has some acquaintances, connections, and some local rules. Therefore, Zhou Enlai contacted his younger brother and hoped that his younger brother would help him.

At this time, Zhou Enpu had already married, and his wife's name was Wang Lanfang.

Of course Zhou Enpu was very clear about his brother's situation. Moreover, Zhou Enlai was in charge of the Special Kosovo work in Shanghai at that time. Specialkoto eliminated many traitors in Shanghai. At the same time, Specialkoto also dealt a heavy blow to those who helped the tyranny. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek hated Zhou Enlai deeply and offered a large reward for Zhou Enlai's capture.

However, Zhou Enpu understood and admired his brother's actions - after all, if it weren't for the decadent old China, why would he have to leave his hometown to make a living? At the same time, Zhou Enpu was also moved by his brother's feelings: he knew that his efforts and struggles, as well as the risks he took, were not for his own benefit, but for the country and the future of 40 million people.

Thinking of this, Zhou Enpu became a little excited - he was Zhou Enlai's younger brother. This alone was worthy of his pride, and even more worthy of his dedication.

Therefore, Zhou Enpu and Wang Lanfang risked their lives to entertain Zhou Enlai in the Northeast, and devoted a lot of effort to cover Zhou Enlai's successful entry into the Soviet Union.

Before and after this, Wang Lanfang also made an "unkind request" to Zhou Enlai, that is, he also wanted to participate in the revolution. Since the "eldest brother-in-law" was currently in charge of affairs within the party, could it be convenient? , let yourself take a back door?

After hearing these words, Zhou Enlai was also very moved and pleased.

You must know that this "back door" is not seeking benefits, but asking for trouble. Because participating in our revolution when the Kuomintang had an absolute advantage at that time meant a bloody storm, and even a narrow escape.

After Zhou Enlai left for the Soviet Union, Zhou Enpu and his wife breathed a sigh of relief. After that, Zhou Enpu and his wife lived an ordinary life for more than ten years. Until 1938, Zhou Enpu came to Shandong.

At this time, Japan had occupied Northeast China for seven years. During this period, Japan continued to plunder the social wealth of Northeast China, and Zhou Enpu's life became embarrassing.

——Especially in 1937, after the Japanese army fully invaded China, in order to raise funds for the war, Japan's search for Northeast China reached an unprecedented level. The value of Manchukuo's currency is also getting worse day by day. Zhou Enpu was also unemployed again. In desperation, Zhou Enpu came to Shandong.

Of course, Zhou Enpu did not want to trouble his eldest brother. Because Zhou Enpu knew that his eldest brother was the leader of the "poor team" and basically had no extra money to support himself.

After Zhou Enpu came to Shandong, he discovered that the situation in Shandong at this time was relatively complicated, and the three parties were equally matched - at this time, the Japanese army occupied cities such as Jinan; and the Yimeng Mountain area had the Anti-Japanese base of the Eighth Route Army. There are also some areas where the defeated Kuomintang troops are entrenched, but they still obey orders from Chongqing. The three parties' forces are intertwined in Shandong, and the situation is very complicated.

Zhou Enpu also joined the anti-Japanese team in Shandong at this time, but in January 1945, he was arrested by the Kuomintang opposition.

——The Kuomintang agents at the time got the news from nowhere and learned that Zhou Enpu was Zhou Enlai’s younger brother, so they tortured Zhou Enpu and asked Zhou Enpu to tell Zhou Enlai’s recent actions in preparation for Zhou Enlai’s death. unfavorable.

But of course Zhou Enpu would not reveal a word to the enemy. In the end, he died heroically because he could not withstand the torture of the enemy. He was only 46 years old.

It is true that although Zhou Enpu did not play a leadership role in the tide of the times like his brother, Zhou Enpu, like his brother, was a responsible and ambitious person.

——In order to cover his brother's trip to the Soviet Union, he took risks that many people did not dare to take; and he never sought help from the Eighth Route Army because of his brother's identity. In the end, because of protecting his brother, And dedicated his life.

Zhou Enpu’s spirit is worth learning from our contemporary people. Because most of us are very ordinary people, but how to be a responsible ordinary person? Zhou Enpu used his life to tell us the answer.

Zhou Enpu did not become a big figure in history, a man of influence, or a promoter of the historical process like his brother, but Zhou Enpu did his best to contribute to his brother's career.

The reason why China can progress is not only through leaders like Zhou Enlai, but also through ordinary people like Zhou Enpu who try their best to contribute!

Fortunately, although Zhou Enpu is no longer alive, he still has family members left in the world who have witnessed the founding and prosperity of New China.

His wife Wang Lanfang had proposed to join a revolutionary organization as early as when she was in Northeast China, to contribute to the upliftment of the poor and the liberation of the country and the nation. Therefore, after the fall of Northeast China, Wang Lanfang joined the guerrillas and fought against the Japanese invaders.

The Northeast Anti-Japanese War was as arduous as the Red Army’s Long March. The Northeast region was in a freezing state in winter. Every winter, some Anti-Japanese soldiers suffered frostbite from surviving the winter.

In addition, after the Japanese established the puppet Manchukuo regime in the Northeast, they often gathered the puppet Manchukuo military and police to cooperate with the Japanese army and carry out crazy encirclement and suppression campaigns against the guerrillas. When Wang Lanfang was participating in guerrilla warfare, he was also wounded by the enemy.

After the founding of New China, there were actually very few surviving anti-alliance fighters. Therefore, the state gave these veterans certain treatment based on the actual financial resources at the time. According to Wang Lanfang's qualifications, she is eligible for cadre treatment.

However, Zhou Enlai considered the financial burden, so he took the initiative to express to Wang Lanfang: "I hope Wang Lanfang will give up the treatment provided by the state, and said that he will provide Wang Lanfang with a source of living." Wang Lanfang readily agreed to Zhou Enlai's proposal.

Zhou Enpu and Wang Lanfang also have a son named Zhou Rongqing.

Zhou Rongqing served as a soldier in the army when he was young. However, little did his comrades know that Zhou Rongqing was Zhou Enlai's nephew. Zhou Rongqing is also very low-key, thinking that he is just an ordinary person.

Later, when I was working at Jiulishan Iron and Steel Factory in Jiaozuo City, I established a romantic relationship with a little girl named Jin Juqing in the factory. But even in front of his girlfriend, he never mentioned Zhou Enlai.

Hearing this, Jin Juqing was also a little moved. After that, after marrying Zhou Rongqing, she, like Zhou Rongqing, kept a very low profile.

Today, Zhou Rongqing’s descendants still live in Jiaozuo, Henan. His descendants are as low-key as Zhou Rongqing, passing on and continuing Zhou Enlai’s simple and restrained family style from generation to generation.

At one point, Zhou Enpu’s wife Wang Lanfang was seriously ill, and Zhou Enlai called the local government. The staff searched for a long time before finding Zhou Rongqing’s home, and found out that their family had been crowded together for so many years. In a house of more than ten square meters.

If it weren’t for Wang Lanfang’s serious illness, everyone wouldn’t even know what happened to Zhou Enpu’s descendants!

In fact, whether it is Zhou Enpu or his son Zhou Rongqing, their lives have such a characteristic, that is, they regard themselves as ordinary people.

However, although ordinary, he also tries his best to make his own contribution to society and the people. For example, in times of chaos, one stands up and does one's best; but in times of peace and prosperity, one remains anonymous and does not use a penny from the government or a brick from the people.

I would like to dedicate this article to those unknown heroes of troubled times like Zhou Enpu and his descendants!