On February 9, 1964, 12-year-old Long Mei and 9-year-old Yu Rong drove the commune's 384 sheep to graze on the grassland. At noon, the northwest wind rolled in a rare snowstorm, the grassland temperature quickly dropped to minus 37 degrees Celsius, the frightened sheep began to run wildly downwind. Long Mei and Yu Rong, one after the other, kept running, blocking, guarding the sheep. The next morning, the two guarded the sheep ran to more than 30 kilometers away from the Baiyun Ebo station, Yurong fainted in the snow, Long Mei blackened eyes also can not hold on. After being rescued due to severe frostbite, Long Mei lost her left thumb, Yurong right leg below the knee and left leg below the ankle for amputation surgery, lifelong disability. While only three of the commune's 384 sheep were frozen to death, the rest were unharmed.
March 14, 1964 "Inner Mongolia Daily" published on the front page of the "Little Sisters of the Prairie Heroes" newsletter, the "People's Daily" also reported, the Little Sisters of the Prairie Heroes of the moving story soon spread throughout the country, one after the other, written into a song, painted into a picture book, moved to the stage, filmed into a movie, but also into the textbooks of elementary school, becoming a typical collectivist education, inspiring the new China generation of children and young people. In 1964, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Party Committee awarded Long Mei and Yu Rong the honorable title of "Little Sisters of the Grassland Heroes". Long Mei and Yu Rong were also received by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Li Xiannian, Ulanhu, Luo Ruiqing and other party and state leaders. The animated film Little Sisters of the Prairie Heroes, released by Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio in 1965, can be regarded as one of the classics of new Chinese art films. After the screening in the country, a sensation, brilliant and wonderful picture, vivid and touching image, so far let a person vividly recall.
After more than 40 years, the change of times and the emergence of various values of life have made many people question: Is it worthwhile for the sisters Long Mei and Yu Rong to sacrifice their lives to protect the sheep? Long Mei calmly replied: "We sisters grew up in that fiery red era, we grew up with the ideal belief of loving the country and the collective, we were thinking, that is the collective flock! There is only one belief, just don't lose the flock!" That's what they said and that's what they did. Although the sisters are over 100 years old, will still selectively accept some invitations from all over the world, to all over the report speech, with the development of educational activities, they have been "Little Sisters of the Prairie Heroes" name registration, in their hometown to open a patriotic education base. They have registered the name "Little Sisters of the Prairie Heroes" and opened a patriotic educational base in their hometown. For the sake of the nation, for the next generation, to contribute everything.
Over the decades, the sisters have been working in different jobs to do what is good for society, while also living an ordinary life. But they want to let the spirit of collectivism shine forever, they are constantly striving, struggling and pursuing. Longmei and Yurong are not only the pride of the people of the grassland, but also the pride of the Chinese nation. They let the idea of collectivism put light on the Chinese land forever, inspire future generations to stride forward with their heads held high.