In the twelfth year of the Republic of China (AD 1923), in the "Cihuitang" on Cihuitang Street (in today's Jinjiang District), more than a dozen celebrities and gentry in Chengdu were solemnly discussing a major event.

Chen Guangzao (1890 AD - 1961 AD), a "supervision" official of the municipal government, named Hongwen, was only in his 30s. At this time, he talked eloquently: "There are mainly 'clan clans' in the history of our country." ', 'Religion', 'Government', and 'Social Groups' performed charitable acts. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, 'clan' forms of charity, such as righteous fields, voluntary schools, and righteous tombs, had appeared throughout the country after the Song Dynasty. It's everywhere."

Zhang Lixian of the Chengdu Red Cross said: "After the founding of the Republic of China in 1912, Yang Guoping, Li Shaoyan and I formed the provincial and municipal Red Cross at Wenchang Palace on Donggui Street, with Wu Songyao as the director. Chairman, I am the vice-chairman. In 1917, the Sichuan Army, the Guizhou Army, and the Yunnan Army were in chaos in the provincial capital. One day I took people to the Wuchengmen (now Xindongmen) for rescue, and saw the remains of the corpses being eaten by dogs. All of them. Suddenly I saw a man with unkempt hair and a hoe burying corpses... He said his name was Zhang Pengwu. He worked hard to make a living and did good deeds with several fellow villagers. Two fellow villagers had been buried here every day. The army arrested him, and three others were wounded by black guns. Now he is alone, and he still insists on doing good deeds even though he has no food to fill his stomach... He speaks softly and sincerely, and our Red Cross Society is ashamed of himself!"

Chen Guangzao nodded and sighed: "After the Republic of China, the land of Bashu and Sichuan has been fighting for years, and official charity is not as good as before the Qing Dynasty! Alas, Cihuitang, which has a history of nearly two hundred years in Sichuan, has fallen into ruin in recent years due to political chaos and financial embarrassment. Yin Zhong Old man, I think I have to rely on you to take charge of the affairs of the hall!"

The kind-hearted Yin Changling (1869 AD - 1943 AD), named Zhongxi, was from Pixian County. He was awarded Jinshi in 1892 and served as editor of the Hanlin Academy. After 1897, he successively served as the magistrate of Xi'an and became one of the famous "Five Elders and Seven Sages" in Chengdu. Yin Changling was silent for a long time, then stood up and slapped the table with emotion: "The teachings of Confucius and Mencius are based on benevolence and righteousness, and Mozi also talked about 'universal love'. I will take care of this hot 'charcoal element' (difficult matter) and host the Cihui Hall!"

There were many difficulties at the beginning. More than 300 old, weak, sick and disabled people in Cihui Hall were emaciated and dying. Yin Changling sighed and said: "They live on two meals of porridge every day, they are not nutritious!"

Yin Changling, the "prime minister" of Cihuitang, works hard every day in the hall without taking any salary. , but instead of saving money in the hall, they improved the food, from two meals a day to three meals a day, and porridge to dry rice. At noon, he spent 400 Wen from his own pocket to buy rice cakes (pa, which means soft in Chengdu dialect) and red sweet potatoes to fill his stomach, and he would never touch any food in the hall. The faces of the old, weak, sick and disabled gradually became rosy and their strength recovered.

Yin Changling said to them: "Cihuitang can also be transformed into a production institution! The lame can be used as gatekeepers; the blind can be used to practice singing; men can make bamboo dustpans and brooms, and women can be Engage in sewing... You can also be self-reliant!"

The old, weak, sick and disabled were delighted. Cihuitang opened a "people's livelihood factory" on Tianya Shibei Street, and gradually established thirty or forty production service agencies in various suburbs, such as ready-made clothing shops, shoe and hat shops, painting shops, printing shops, etc.

In 1924, Yin Changling received the help of Yang Sen, commander of the 20th Army of the Sichuan Army, and opened the "Bacon Match Factory" in Jiuyanqiao. The match trademark was originally called "Doll Brand", which depicts a child holding a bowl and eating, which means "nurturing babies". In July 1941, the name was changed to "Fan Brand Match". A folding fan was drawn on the box, and there were six lines of rhyme written by Yin Changling on the fan: "The surplus profit in the factory is dedicated to the orphans and the poor. If there is selfishness, heaven and earth will not tolerate it. With the fan "It symbolizes kindness and promotes benevolence." (Note: My friends in the collecting industry now say to me: "The sparkle of the fan brand has special meaning and is a treasure that collectors dream of!")

During the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese planes frequently bombed Chengdu. There are many fields in the suburbs of Cihui Hall, and more than 8,000 widows and widowers who were adopted in various places in the hall were quickly evacuated. But more than 400 blind people are afraid of leaving the countryside and are unwilling to leave the city. Yin Changling hurriedly summoned the tenant farmers closest to the city and said: "Please ask your family to get a caregiver and share the labor for me. All I ask is that when I first arrive at your house, the blind man can get used to the bed, bed and toilet, and that he has the same three meals as you."

After the autumn harvest, how much land rent you should reduce is based on what a blind man says! Can you do it? "

Yin Changling suddenly turned over and bowed to all the tenants. The tenants were so moved that they all burst into tears and said in unison: "It can be done!" ”

In order to let others understand charity, Yin Changling, a former high-ranking official and a famous Confucian, often knelt down to people. I checked old information from the Republic of China and found that from 1936 to 1937, there was a severe drought in Sichuan. Cannibalism is a common thing. As the chairman of the provincial "Relief Committee", Yin Changling finally raised some relief funds, but he was afraid of corruption before the relief workers set out. The old man burst into tears and cried to the relief workers. He knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly: "Please send all the relief funds to the victims. I kowtow to you on behalf of the victims in the fire and water!" "This situation is really touching. If you don't have the ambition to dedicate yourself to charity, you will never be able to do it!

Yin Changling devoted himself to charity in Sichuan. He died of illness in the factory in the winter of 1942 at the age of 74. Years old. According to his grandson Mr. Yin Daxi: "According to the commendation order of the National Government that year (1942), my grandfather served as the Prime Minister of Cihuitang for 20 years and never received a cent of Cihuitang's salary, and the value of Cihuitang's assets increased by A hundred times more, helping thousands of widows, widowers and lonely people. But when he died, his family did not have a private room. His family rented Hong Junliang's private house on the back street of Mawangmiao! ”

The people of Chengdu cast a bronze statue for Yin Changling, an outstanding philanthropist from Sichuan, in Shaocheng Park. There was an endless stream of people burning incense and worshiping... Unfortunately, the bronze statue was later destroyed. Although the bronze statue was destroyed, as the old saying goes Keep flying: "Charity will last forever, and your virtue will last forever"

? (To be continued)