Background of the Jute Riots

The gunfire of the October Revolution and the wave of the May 4th New Culture Movement brought Marxism to Macheng, a city with traffic jams. In 1923, when Wang Youan, the earliest party member in Macheng, was teaching in a county higher primary school, he organized a Marxism-Leninism research group to actively promote Marxism-Leninism and cultivate progressive youth. Xu Qixu and other progressive students participated in this group. Under Wang Youan's guidance, he read some progressive books and periodicals and initially came into contact with some basic knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, which had a profound impact on his pure heart.

In 1924, Xu Qixu was admitted to Wuhan Middle School. Under the influence of Dong Biwu and Chen Tanqiu, he often studied "Xiangdao Weekly", "Xiangjiang Review" and other publications together with Macheng Han students Cai Jihuang and Liu Wenwei. He promoted books and periodicals, used holidays to conduct social surveys in factories and rural areas, and understood the sufferings of workers and peasants, which made Xu Qixu gradually mature politically.

In 1925, the May 30th Massacre occurred in Shanghai, and the party quickly launched a massive anti-imperialist movement. During the summer vacation, Xu Qixu and Macheng studied in Han Dynasty. Cai Jihuang, Liu Wenwei, Liu Xiangming, Deng Tianwen, etc. returned to their hometown and used methods such as visiting relatives and friends to promote anti-imperialist and anti-feudal ideas to the masses. During the summer vacation of 1926, Xu Qixu and others returned to their hometown to promote the revolutionary principles. They posted a slogan on the door of Wang Loukui's house: "Don't worry about the poor and praise the rich. How can we stay poor and rich for a long time? The local tyrants suppressed me from being poor. Prosperity can be obtained without hard work. As long as the farmers are united, the thousand-year-old iron tree will bloom." These propaganda ignited the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal sparks in the isolated mountain villages.

In the summer of 1926, with the lofty ideal of saving the people from fire and water and transforming society, Xu Qixu resolutely joined the National Revolutionary Army led by He Long and fought in Yichang, Shashi and other places. He fought bravely and soon joined the Communist Party of China. In September, Xu Qixu was dispatched by the party to return to his hometown to engage in agricultural movement work. He, Wang Shusheng, Guihua Chan, Liao Rongkun and others established the first party branch in Chengma area, and established branches in Xizhangdian, Yuandian and other places. Farmers Association. As autumn turned to winter, he was still barefoot in straw sandals, wearing homespun cloth and a coarse cloth belt. He looked like a simple farmer, weathering the wind and rain, running around in the mountain villages dozens of miles away from Xizhangdian and Quandian. With his efforts, peasant associations were quickly established in Xizhangdian and Quandian areas to punish local tyrants and evil gentry, open warehouses to release grain, and set off a vigorous revolutionary movement.