Lao Qin wrote an article yesterday entitled "Hua Guofeng Delivered a Brief Speech at Chairman Mao's Memorial Service, Everyone Listened, And Nodded Without Tears," and the end of the article said: On September 18, 1976, at a memorial meeting attended by millions of people, Hua Guofeng solemnly swore an oath to "carry out the proletarian revolutionary cause to the end."
However, since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he has gradually "faded out" out of people's sight.
Why is that?
Because, he is recognized by everyone as an "honest man". He was well aware of his mission — to make the transition between the first and second generations of the CCP's leadership.
On May 31, 1989, Deng Xiaoping also made this point clear when talking about the three generations of ccp leadership: Hua Guofeng was a transitional leader.
Although it was only a transition, in the complicated context at that time, without this transition, the recovery of the mainland's economic production would not have been so fast, and the road of reform and opening up would not have gone so smoothly.
In fact, at the Third Session of the Fifth National People's Congress held from August 30 to September 10, 1980, Hua Guofeng voluntarily resigned as Premier of the State Council.
From November 10 to December 5 of the same year, at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, he resigned as chairman of the Party Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and proposed that Ye Jianying take up both positions.
Ye Jianying resolutely resigned.
Finally, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held from June 27 to 29, 1981, Hu Yaobang served as the chairman of the Central Committee and Deng Xiaoping served as the chairman of the Central Military Commission.
The detachment and indifference of "brushing away the clothes and leaving no merit and fame" is not something that ordinary people can have.
A few years later, I once asked Hua Guofeng: As the supreme leader, you are in the prime of your life, why did you retreat to the second line early?
Hua Guofeng's answer was very concise: I am an ordinary party member, but I am faithfully carrying out the party's orders, and I will go up when the party needs me, and I will retire when I am not needed, and there is nothing to say.
It can only be said that such "honest people" are too great.
Zhou Bin, a former Japanese translator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a former counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Japan, returned from his embassy in Japan in 1977 and was transferred to the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served as an interpreter for Hua Guofeng many times and was an old friend of Hua Guofeng.
He recalled an interesting incident in 2014, saying that in the early 1980s, CCTV Children's Department asked him to translate the Japanese animation film "Astro Boy". The cartoon "Astro Boy" has been loved by hundreds of millions of young children, so the Popular Science Publishing House asked him to translate the villain book of the same name, "Astro Boy". The day after that, he suddenly received a phone call from Hua Guofeng, specifically talking to him about the plot of asking astro boy.
Hua Guofeng said on the phone: "'Astro Boy' is so interesting, I watch every episode with the children. ”
Zhou Bin felt incredible.
He said: "Astro Boy is specially for children, what does it mean?" Moreover, after Chairman Hua was still busy and busy a few months ago, and after becoming a big idler, he would actually be in the mood to enjoy foreign children's cartoons without falling on the ground, which is unbelievable. ”
Whether Zhou Bin believed it or not, Hua Guofeng retreated like this, and he couldn't keep a low profile anymore.
He lived in the courtyard of No. 9 Gennan Street in the Imperial City of Jingxi, and lived in simplicity, mainly focusing on two things: raising grapes and practicing calligraphy.
Hua Guofeng's maternal uncle said: "As early as 1983, Hua Guofeng visited several vineyards on the outskirts of Beijing to learn how to grow and manage grapes. When he returned home, he erected two large grape racks in the yard and planted fifty or sixty grape varieties. Every harvest season, not only the whole family is shared, but also given to the soldiers of the army. ”
Hua Guofeng's granddaughter Su Jia added: "Although Grandpa likes to grow grapes, he suffers from diabetes, not only can not eat grapes, even the staple food has been controlled at 228 yuan. ”
In terms of calligraphy, the former non-Hua Guofeng's strength is his focus on exercise.
Hua Guofeng's son, Su Bin, said: "My father has been practicing calligraphy for many years, and from time to time he will consult with some famous calligraphers and painters, and he has also received the guidance of Qi Gong, and his works are mostly collected. There is a word, someone bid for 1.5 million yuan. ”
Su Bin also said: "My father rarely goes out, he does not want to be watched by the masses, he does not want to be interviewed - occasionally interviewed, and he does not talk about politics." ”
It is true that Hua Guofeng rarely goes out in ordinary times, but every time it comes to Chairman Mao's birthday and Chairman Mao's death day, he must go out -- taking a family of men, women and children to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in a neat line to pay respects to Chairman Mao's remains.
Hua Guofeng has been diligent and thrifty all his life, and his children have not been engaged in politics as a high official, have not been rich and noble in business, and have not gone abroad.
Hua Guofeng died of illness at 12:50 on August 20, 2008, and the obituary described him as "an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a tried and tested loyal communist fighter, and a proletarian revolutionary", and his body was cremated and his ashes were temporarily placed in Babaoshan in Beijing.
However, on the occasion of his death, Hua Guofeng once made a humane request to the escorts: "Let me go back to GuaShan, where there are many trees and clean." ”
Guashan Mountain is located 3 kilometers north of the county seat of Jiaocheng County, Shanxi, and is named for its resemblance to Bagua. Its eight peaks converge towards the center, with layers of greenery and ancient trees, and the environment is quiet and quiet.
Hua Guofeng is a native of Jiaocheng County, Shanxi Province.
"Returning to Gua Mountain" means that I want to return to my hometown for burial.
Chinese pay attention to the roots of the leaves, Hua Guofeng's last request is full of strong hometown feelings, wandering thousands of miles, not forgetting the hometown, people admire.