Debt honoured: China repays family who lent entire 850-kg grain supply to wartime army in 1947

A wartime grain loan certificate discovered within an old family home in eastern China has been donated to local authorities nearly eight decades later, illuminating a villager’s remarkable faith in the troops.In 1947, a major People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unit entered the Dabie Mountains, which stretch across the borders of three provinces in central China, during a counteroffensive against Kuomintang forces. The harsh conditions on the battlefield had left the troops desperately short of food and other essential supplies.According to Dawan News, Kuomintang forces had plundered villages in the area and forcibly conscripted Ding Wanmin’s son, a local farmer.However, when PLA soldiers arrived clad in thin clothing and straw sandals, they maintained strict discipline, opting to sleep outdoors rather than intruding into villagers’ homes.Mao Zedong on horseback in Shaanxi province during the Chinese Civil War in 1947. Photo: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesAfter observing their behaviour for some time, Ding made the decision to lend the unit over 850kg of grain, nearly his family’s entire reserve.In return, he received a handwritten receipt documenting the date, quantity, and officials involved. Known as a grain loan certificate, it served as a wartime IOU.Such documents reportedly date back to the 1930s, when the Red Army borrowed grain from villagers and local granaries during food shortages and issued promises of delayed repayment backed by Communist-led authorities.The grain loan certificate lay hidden for decades. In the 1990s, while the Ding family was demolishing their old home, relatives discovered a yellowed paper packet wedged between the bricks. Inside was the document, remarkably preserved.The Chinese government continued honouring these debts well after the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, allowing certificate holders to redeem them for grain or cash. Photo: CCTVDing’s grandson, Ding Guangyi, later recognised that the receipt was issued when the army borrowed grain from his grandfather.He shared with local media that the certificate had become a cherished family heirloom, even though neither his grandfather nor his father spoke of the event or sought repayment, even during difficult times.According to China Archives News, the government continued to honour such wartime debts long after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, allowing certificate holders to redeem them for grain or cash. In some instances, the repayment amounted to more than 10 times the quantity originally lent.Last year, Ding Guangyi learned that the local government was collecting historical artefacts and submitted this treasured family heirloom.Further ReadingAt a recent ceremony, he officially donated the certificate, which his family had safeguarded for nearly 80 years, without requesting any compensation in return.Last year, his grandson, Ding Guangyi, right, donated the family heirloom to the local government for a historical artefact collection, as shown in the photo above. Photo: CCTVUpon discovering that the wartime debt had never been settled, officials awarded the family 70,000 yuan (US$10,300), taking into consideration historical grain prices, inflation, and the cultural significance of the document.Ding junior then donated 20,000 yuan to a foundation supporting military veterans.“My grandfather lent the grain because he believed the Communist Party could help ordinary people build better lives,” he stated.“Handing over the loan certificate to the country, so that more people can remember this history, is far more meaningful than keeping it at home.”A framed certificate recognising the family’s valuable grain loan document donation. Photo: CCTVAn official described the document as a testament to the enduring bond between the Chinese military and the people. It is now on display at a local martyrs’ cemetery.The story has resonated with many on mainland social media.One online observer remarked: “During the war, having a receipt indicating that a family had supported the troops could have endangered the entire household. It speaks to Ding’s courage and the trust he placed in them.”“Grain was like gold during the war. Today, that trust has been repaid with a prosperous country,” another user commented.