In autumn-winter 1934, the Central Red Army arrived in Shazhou. Three female soldiers stayed at the home of Elder Xu Jiexiu. Before leaving, they cut their only quilt in half and gave one half to her. This act stayed with Xu for life; she often told her family, "Follow the Communist Party-they'd share even their last quilt with the people."

Qiao once wondered why the Red Army, short on food, clothing and equipment, still helped locals. The answer lies in the Party's core mission: the Red Army, led by the Communist Party, is a people's army dedicated to "serving the people." No matter how hard their own struggle, they shared warmth with the people-exactly what Xu meant by "the Communist Party shares its last quilt."

Qiao realized the faded half-quilt is proof of the army-people bond (like fish and water) and China's national spirit of "weathering storms together." Ninety years later, Shazhou has thrived: villagers grow fruits, run guesthouses and live well through rural tourism.

To Qiao, the ancestors' sentiments now shine in peacetime. Shazhou's transformation is a vivid part of China's development story. He sees China's "global community with a shared future" reflected here: true civilization lies in the warmth of sharing, even the last half of a quilt.

SOURCE Hunan Today

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