preface
On the afternoon of May 25, 2006, this reporter came to the Science and Technology Committee of the General Armament Department and met with Lieutenant General Xu Xiaoyan.
Like all fathers in the world, he was simple and ordinary
Xu Xiaoyan was born in 1947 in Changzhi, Shanxi, graduated from Tsinghua University, studied in Canada at his own expense in 1980, obtained a master's degree, and is one of the few "returnees" and computer experts among the senior generals of our army. Xu Xiaoyan has been engaged in technical and management work in the army for a long time, and has successively served in five units, including the Navy, the Second Artillery Corps, the General Staff, the Nanjing Military Region, and the General Armament Department. Xu Xiaoyan's office is about ten square meters, and the layout is very simple, a desk, two sofas, and a camp bed. Xu Xiaoyan is about one meter and eight meters tall, tall and tall, his appearance resembles his father, and his two eyes are squinted together when he smiles, which is very affinity. He laughed and said: "Usually I don't have success in interviews, I don't have much to say." During the whole interview, Xu Xiaoyan said the most often: I really can't remember.
When talking about Xu Xiangqian, Xu Xiaoyan said: "He is like all fathers in the world, simple and ordinary. ”
When Xu Xiaoyan was born, Xu Xiangqian was already 46 years old, and he was extremely excited to have a son in middle age. When his son was born and had not yet been washed, he happily took his son's little feet in his mouth.
Like all families, Xu Xiangqian attaches great importance to his son's education and has strict requirements. Xu Xiaoyan later said in an interview: "I inherited from my father the simple and kind character, the studious and tireless attitude to life, and the rigorous military style. My father's words and deeds subtly affected my life. ”
Xu Xiaoyan said: "Since I started school, I have often participated in various sports activities, and when I was studying at Tsinghua University, I won the 200-meter breaststroke. ”
Xu Xiaoyan recalled: "What my father was most dissatisfied with me was that I didn't write well with my brush, because I was a science student, and he asked me to write every day, but in the end I didn't practice it." He said that my sister Xiaotao's handwriting was good, with both bones and flesh. ”
Xu Xiangqian, who has been simple all his life, did not take any special care of Xu Xiaoyan because he was an only child. When he was in elementary school, Xu Xiaoyan was in Bayi Elementary School, which was called the Beijing Military Region Children's School at that time, and most of his classmates were the children of cadres of the army.
On Sundays, many parents will send a car to pick up their children from school, but none of this has anything to do with Xu Xiaoyan. He knew that his father would never do that.
At that time, Xu Xiangqian's family lived in Shijia Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng District, and he had to pour a bus from home to school, and the first section sat in Xizhimen, which was a dime and a half cents. Then sit at home from Xizhimen is a dime, a total of two cents and a half cents.
Every time the family will bring him 3 cents, at that time the school food is not good, Xu Xiaoyan will take the remaining few cents to buy some fried enemas, small rice cakes and other small snacks to eat.
I don't know how big an official he is
Because they are all children of the army, in school, some children will also compare with each other to see whose father is the senior official, who is the general, who is the colonel, and often argue about it. Xu Xiaoyan said: "When I was a child, I never figured out what kind of position he held in the army, nor did I know how big an official he was. "Is it that fathers rarely mention this?" The reporter asked. "In fact, I didn't have a concept of these things at that time, I didn't know that the officials were big and the officials were small, but I heard others call me the head of my parents, but my uncle and aunt who came to visit my father were also chiefs."
He continued: "In our home, clear teaching and underlying rules are to respect people. If anyone shouts at the staff of Lao Liu or Secretary Guo, as long as the father hears it, he will definitely be criticized: 'Who let you call the secretary, the secretary is also what you can call?' In short, the father's rule is that you must know how to respect people, otherwise you will be scolded. ”
Saying that it is recommended is actually determined, and it is impossible to have such a clever thing
In 1966, Xu Xiaoyan graduated from Beijing No. 4 Middle School, just in time for the special period, which made him lose the opportunity to further his education and rebuild. In 1968, at the age of 21, he became a naval soldier and was sent to Garrison Rongcheng Stone Island in Shandong Province.
Before leaving home, Xu Xiangqian specially asked the cook to wrap dumplings for his son and send him off.
Four years later, a naval chief visited the Shuai Mansion, and when talking about the development of his children, he mused for a while and said: "He has reached his third year of high school, and I hope he can continue to return to school." ”
In 1972, as the second batch of workers, peasants, and soldiers, he was recommended by the Navy to study in the Department of Computer Science of Tsinghua University. Xu Xiaoyan said frankly: "Saying that it is recommended is actually internal determination, and it is impossible to have such a clever thing." ”
He has always acted according to the rules and never opened the back door for anyone, but in such a special period, he broke an example for his children. It was his greatest wish to let his son return to the school and sit in the classroom again.
If I could be his listener, he would be happy too
At the beginning of 2006, her mother was hospitalized due to illness, and Xu Xiaoyan would find time to visit her mother in the hospital every day. He knew that his mother needed him and needed to see him.
Xu Xiaoyan admired his parents all his life, he said: "When I grew up, I would never talk back to them, nor would I ever go against their will." As long as they propose it, I try my best to satisfy. I just hope they don't bother me. ”
Later, Xu Xiangqian was seriously ill and hospitalized, and he stayed in the hospital until his death. He said in an interview: "Later, I have always regretted it. When he was alive, he should communicate with him more, and he could leave more words. This is really a huge regret for me. ”
He paused and continued: "My father never told me about the party when he was alive, and many of his important documents were held by himself, and even the secretary refused to take him. A lot of things about the Western Route Army were told to me by some friends. ”
"Is that a regret?" The reporter asked.
"Yeah, if I had asked him, he might have been willing to tell me something." But this is also my family's habit, I never ask or care about him. It's not that I don't want to ask, it's that I don't dare to ask. Xu Xiaoyan said.
"In fact, now that I think about it, he must have a stomach full of things to say to people, but unfortunately there is no place to say them." If I could be his listener, he would be happy too. Now that I think about it, I regret it" After saying that, Xu Xiaoyan looked out the window...
In the following years, Xu Xiaoyan has been constantly searching for and collecting various historical materials about the Western Route Army, hoping to understand the true situation of the most important historical stage in his father's life.