The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Express mail existed in the 1930s, especially for domestic airlines, which had few passengers all year round. On the contrary, the business of sending letters by plane was more popular.

By the mid-1930s, as competition among airlines became increasingly fierce, the cost of express mail dropped significantly. Many newspaper manuscripts and official government letters are sent by express mail, and these letters are often thrown into passenger planes and sent out by the way.

This situation also applies to international express delivery. For example, this time the Chinese reporter's Olympic manuscript was sent to China for publication by plane, which took about... five days.

When the news came out that Liu Changchun won the bronze medal in the men's sprint, it was enough for the Chinese to cheer and celebrate. When the news came out that the swimming team won six gold medals, newspapers across China went crazy. People everywhere beat gongs and drums and set off firecrackers to celebrate like the New Year.

Historically, the Chinese football team set off early and sold tickets to raise funds along the way. They have played continuously in Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, South Africa and other places, almost throughout Asia and Africa, and have won all but two draws.

The news spread to Europe. When the Chinese football team began to compete with European teams, the local overseas Chinese actually burned incense and worshiped Buddha, praying to Bodhisattva and Mazu day and night for the victory of the Chinese team.

It will be difficult for people in later generations to understand that feeling. This is an era in which national self-confidence is urgently needed.

When Zhou Hexuan and the others returned to China this time, they stopped at several ports along the way. Every time they docked, countless overseas Chinese came spontaneously to welcome and offer condolences. They played gongs, drums, and danced dragons and lions. They were often expelled by the port management staff, but they still enjoyed it.

Every Olympic team member was surrounded by people shaking hands, and their whole bodies were touched by overseas Chinese. It seemed that just touching an Olympic athlete would bring them magical energy.

Eggs, cigarettes, cloth, snacks, pickles, liquor, fruits... Most of the overseas Chinese are not very wealthy, but they bring all kinds of gifts and stuff them into the arms of the Olympic athletes without saying a word.

What impressed Zhou Hexuan the most was that a 60-year-old Singaporean overseas Chinese lady placed sacrifices and incense candles at the pier, kowtowed four times to the athletes and the sky and the sea, with tears in her dim eyes. In the Hokkien dialect that I don’t quite understand: “Mazu bless, Mazu bless, the Chinese people are proud now.”

At that moment, Zhou Hexuan's throat was choked with sobs, and indescribable emotions lingered in his heart.

When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, many of the overseas Chinese who came to greet them sent their sons to the battlefield.

Since the ports in the east and south were occupied by the Japanese army, the government could only open the Burma Road to transport international aid. At that time, there was an urgent need for a large number of drivers and car mechanics. Countless overseas Chinese gave up their decent lives, took off their suits and braved artillery fire to transport supplies. They dare not drive during the day, so they can only turn off their car lights at night and drive on the steep winding mountain roads in darkness. Some people accidentally drove and fell off the cliff and died.

At that time, there were more than 3,000 cars on the Burma Highway, of which more than 1,100 were donated by overseas Chinese. Most of the drivers of these 3,000 cars were descendants of overseas Chinese from Nanyang. More than 1,000 overseas Chinese died in wars, car accidents and diseases, and are buried forever in Yunnan. The sacrifice ratio is close to 50%.

When the ship docked at the Singapore port, the overseas Chinese leader Mr. Tan Kah Kee presented each athlete with a bag of rice and a dozen canned pineapples.

It’s not that Tan Kah Kee is stingy, he is a frugal person to begin with, and the things he uses in his home are ordinary things, without the luxury of a capitalist at all. During the world economic crisis, Tan Kah Kee's company owed more than 4 million yuan in bank debt and was already insolvent. However, he raised more than 900,000 yuan to run schools in Xiamen and other places.

According to statistics, based on the ratio of RMB to gold in the 1980s, Tan Kah Kee's lifetime donation to schools amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. That was hundreds of millions of dollars in the early 1980s.

It was also Tan Kah Kee who initiated the overseas Chinese in Nanyang to support the road transport between Yunnan and Burma. When he raised his voice, countless overseas Chinese sent their sons to the anti-Japanese front line.

From Europe, Africa, Nanyang to Shanghai, the overseas Chinese along the way brought Zhou Hexuan an indescribable spiritual baptism. From the excited, excited, ecstatic and crying faces, he felt the surging vitality and cohesion of this nation.

Those medals won at the Olympics are not just medals, but heavy hopes for the future.

Shanghai pier.

Passengers on the same ship automatically stood on the deck to make way for the athletes. Before even stepping onto the gangway, the pier erupted into cheers, followed by crackling firecrackers, and the lion dance team soared to the rhythm of gongs and drums.

The Olympic athletes lined up and disembarked from the boat one by one. Ye Beihua, who had his leg broken by a kick, went down on crutches and was supported by his teammates to stand upright.

Head of State Lin Sen came to celebrate the event in person, accompanied by Shanghai Mayor Wu Tiecheng, as well as a number of Shanghai officials and celebrities.

Lin Sen, the head of state, is very smart. What he is most busy with all day long is collecting and appreciating antiques. There are a bunch of fakes found on the antique street at home. Although he didn't take care of much, he was the nominal supreme leader of the Republic of China after all. Wang Zhengting was flattered by the fact that he personally came to pick up the ship.

Wang Zhengting walked up to Lin Sen with his head held high and shouted: "Report to Chairman Lin, Wang Zhengting, who is humble, led the Olympic athletes to return home in triumph. In this Olympic Games, our athletes won a total of six gold medals, Japan only had five, and the British The empire only has four, and our neighboring country India has only one! The gold medals ahead of us are Germany, the United States, Hungary, Italy, Finland and France, and China is tied for seventh with Sweden and the Netherlands! Chinese athletes are in swimming events , broke the world record eight times (the silver medal also broke the record)! Chinese athlete Liu Changchun, although he only won the third place in the sprint, broke the Asian record again! Chinese athlete Jin Guidi was injured by a malicious foul by a British boxer, and he still won the third place despite being injured. Four! Our country’s football team successfully entered the world’s top four and defeated the host Germany! Please give Chairman Lin a lecture!”

"good!"

"China will win!"

“China is number one in Asia!”

After hearing Wang Zhengting's report, the entire dock cheered. Even the coolies on the docks who were transporting the goods were happily standing in the distance and listening, and the usually harsh Chinese supervisors did not stop them.

"Okay, okay, good job!"

Lin Sen said a few good words one after another, with a smile on his face and a heart full of comfort. He stroked his white beard and said, "I want to shake hands with the athletes in person."

Wang Zhengting quickly stepped aside and said: "Chairman Lin, please!"

Lin Sen first came to Zhou Hexuan, shook hands and said with a smile: "I want to shake hands with Mingcheng first. You have contributed a lot to the Olympics. I want to thank you on behalf of the party and the country."

"Chairman Lin is so complimentary. I'm just waving the flag and shouting. It's the athletes who are really working hard." Zhou Hexuan shook hands and stepped aside.

I don’t know if he was showing true feelings or just pretending, but Lin Sen was very good at showing off. He actually took off his glasses to wipe his tears, and then shook hands with dozens of athletes one by one. Every time he shook hands, he would ask about the other person's age, place of origin and participating events, and would also say some words of encouragement and appreciation, which moved the athletes to tears.