INVESTIGATION AT MU-K'OU VILLAGE

21 November 1930

[Text] On 18 November 1930, the Red Army abandoned Chi-an. On the 19th I went with Comrades Ku Pai [0657 2672] and Haieh Wei-chun [6200 0787 0193] from Chi-an to Heng-t'ien [5899 3944], which belongs to Yung-feng [3057 6265], to meet with the Main Force of the Red Army. Passed through Shui-nan [3055 0589] to Tai-sha [4101 3097]. At lunch at Mu-k'ou [2606 0656] Village, and investigated the composition of the members of the village government and the reactionary elements killed in this village. This investigation proved that, in the equal distribution of land, the middle farmers not only do not lose but even gain; and that wealthy farmers and small landlords, in the intense struggle of the farmers, will go over to the counterrevolutionary camp.

Mu-k'ou Village of the 8th Township, Shui-nan District, Chi-shui [0679 3055] County

There are 200 people in the entire village.

There are 46 able-bodied adults, all of whom have been enrolled in Red Guards units.

The village government is established in the ancestral hall.

There are nine functionaries in the village government: Chairman, Secretary, Committee Member for Land, Committee Member for Social Insurance, Committee Member for Red Guards, Committee Member for Food, Committee Member for Adjudication, Committee Member for Women, and Committee Member for Youth.

Chairman Liu Hsing-nan [0491 5281 0589] (small landlord), two persons to feed, has 56 shih of land (each shih of land produces 3 baskets of grain and each basket of land 10 catties). Farms over 10 shih and rents 40 shih. Because of his liking for gambling, he has no money to lend. During this distribution of land most of his land was given up. Secretary P'eng Chia-fa [1756 1367 4099] (middle farmer) eight persons to feed, has land for 48 shih of grain and rented [from others] over 20 shih more [of land], enough to eat, and has no debts. By this distribution each person received

7 shih and 8 tou, totaling 64 shih; thus he received 16 shih in the distribution, that middle farmers receive land in the distribution. Committee Member for Land Liu Hsing-wen [0491 5281 2429] (poor farmer), three persons to feed, land for 10 shih of grain, and not enough to eat. He received 14 shih in this distribution, and in the past had debts of 60 yuan. "Committee Member for Social Insurance" Wu K'ai-lien [0124 7030 6647] (poor farmer), has four persons to feed, 16 shih of grain land, not enough to eat, and rented over 20 shih from others. He received 15 shih and 6 tou in this distribution and had debts in the past. Committee Member for Red Guards P'eng Chia-hsiung [1756 1367 038] (middle farmer), one person to feed in the past, 12 shih of grain land, sold 4 shih to repay high-interest debt, leaving 8 shih which gave him enough to eat. He is working as a day laborer, had no wife, and could not feed pigs. Liking to gamble, he had debts of 30 yuan. After the revolution, he "acquired" a wife. The wife brought with her a 13-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter-in-law. Now, with four people to receive distribution of land, each person receiving 8 shih and 8 tou, they receive a total of 31 shih and 2 tou. Speaking in terms of the individual, originally having only 6 shih and now receiving 7 shih and 8 tou, an increase of 1 shih and 8 tou, is another proof of middle farmers receiving land from the distribution. Committee Member for Food Hsu Yuan-chen [1776 0278 6455] (poor farmer), one person to feed, had only 2 shih of grain land, which was not enough and he had to work as a day laborer. Now he has received through the distribution 8 shih and 8 tou, and still does not have a wife. Chairman P'eng [sic] Hsing-nan also serves as Committee Member for Adjudication. Committee Member for Women Yang Chiu-ying [2799 0046 5391] (middle farmer), five persons to feed, has 50 shih of grain land. With her husband and her father farming, there is enough to eat but no excess, and she has no debts. From this distribution, she received 6 shih of grain land--another proof of middle farmers receiving land through distribution. Of the above seven functionaries of the village government, one small landlord, three middle farmers, and three poor farmers, all middle farmers received land through the distribution.

Revolution began in this village the year before last, and land was distributed in January of this year (distribution was from Tung-ku [2639 0942] District--this village previously belonged to Tung-ku). All members of the village government feed themselves, and the revolution came along without arousing violent opposition.

A total of seven reactionaries have been killed in this village: P'eng Chi'ang-kuei [1756 1367 038], P'eng Chia-chun [1756 1367 0810], P'eng Chia-chun [1756 1367 0193], P'eng Chi'ang-chen [1756 4971], P'eng Chi'ang-tung [1756 2490 7127], P'eng Chi'ang-hsi [1756 2490 4406], and Wen Chih-kuei [3306 1807 6311]. P'eng Chia-kuang (small landlord), three persons to feed, had over 30 shih of grain land, was proprietor of a cloth shop in Shui-nan, rented his land to others to farm and collected the rent. Business was bad in the shop, which lost money every year. Handled the collection of taxes of the 38th Tu and sought profit in so doing. Smoked opium, a scholar and a very villainous member of the gentry. P'eng Chia-chun (wealthy

farmer), younger brother of Chia-kuang, five persons to feed, had over 40 shih of grain land, and had money to lend. Saddened because of the cancellation of debts, he joined with Honan bandits, and was captured and killed along with his elder brother in July of last year. P'eng Chia-chun [1756 1367 0193] (vagrant), three persons to feed, had no land and owed debts to others. During the revolution, he served as adjutant in the Tung-ku guerrillas. He also served as executive officer and quartermaster. Later he deserted, acquired three guns and became a bandit, preying on local tyrants. He was captured last year and killed. He liked to play cards. P'eng P'ei-chun (wealthy farmer), four persons to feed, had 120 shih of land, which he employed two old persons to farm, and also rented one-half to others to farm. He had money to lend. When the masses divided the land and burned [land] titles, he was unwilling and was killed. P'eng Ch'ang-lung (small landlord), four persons to feed, had 60 shih of land, all of which was rented to others to farm. Lent peppermint oil money, lent jute money. A scholar, taught school in Chi-shui County. Went with the Honan bandits, a capture on the front line, and killed. P'eng Chang-hsi (small landlord), three persons to feed, P'eng Cheng-lung's younger brother, 60 shih of land, lent peppermint oil and jute money, receiving three baskets of grain in return for each yuan lent, killed in March the year before last. Wen Chih-kuei (wealthy farmer), seven persons to feed, 30 shih of grain land, rented over 100 shih, besides his own labor, he hired an old person and many day laborers, did not lend money, but engaged in small business carrying ducks and oil seeds to sell. He plotted with the Honan bandits to leak information of the revolution and was killed. (The so-called Honan bandits were part of the Honanese who had moved to Chi-shui County in Kiangsi, some of whom became bandits.)

The above seven reactionary elements who were killed--three small landlords, three wealthy farmers and one vagrant--proved that, when land reform deepens, many small landlords and wealthy farmers will move in the direction of counterrevolution. Whether every one of these seven persons should have been killed, however, is a question.

o Investigations of Farming Villages, Liberation Press, July 1947.