preface
In the first half of 1949, Zhou Enshou, who was studying at the North China People's Revolutionary University in Beiping, in the process of correspondence with his brother Zhou Enlai, mentioned that his eldest daughter Zhou Bingde was about to graduate from primary school.
Zhou Enlai immediately said that he let Zhou Bingde come to Beiping to study, knowing that Zhou Enshou lived in a dormitory, and it was inconvenient to take the child, so he took the initiative to let Zhou Bingde live here.
So, one day in June, 12-year-old Zhou Bingde stepped on a train from Tianjin to Beiping.
Pictured by Zhou Bingde and Zhou Enlai
"What does your own mom think?"
After coming to Zhongnanhai, she was received by a guard chief named Cheng Yuangong. At that time, Zhou Enlai was in a meeting, and Cheng Yuangong led Zhou Bingde around Zhongnanhai.
Zhou Bingde played by himself for a while, Zhou Enlai came to the dust, saw Zhou Bingde, he walked over and took her hand, "I see who you look like?" Like Dad, also like Mom. ”
The first time Zhou Bingde saw Zhou Enlai, she did not know, she felt that the person in front of her looked very similar to her father, guessing that this should be her uncle Zhou Enlai.
She very obediently greeted Zhou Enlai, "Hello Uncle! ”
The people around him laughed, Zhou Bingde was unknown, so Zhou Enlai laughed for a while and said to Zhou Bingde, "Call me Uncle in the future."
The name "uncle" is not wrong, but the northeast region is called more often, Zhou Bingde grew up in the northeast when he was a child, so he is more familiar with the name of the northeast region.
Pictured: Deng Yingchao and Zhou Enlai
At this time, Deng Yingchao had something to go out, not in Zhongnanhai, a few days later, the mission was over, Deng Yingchao returned to Beijing, Zhou Bingde followed the staff of Zhongnanhai, and went to the railway station to pick up Deng Yingchao and go home.
Seeing Deng Yingchao, Zhou Bingde called out "Big Lady Good" according to the habit, Deng Yingchao did not react for a while, and later learned that Zhou Bingde was calling himself, and quickly pulled up the child's hand, "Call me Seven Mothers later."
For Zhou Bingde, who was a little confused about the title and dialect itself, he did not hear Deng Yingchao's "seven mothers" and listened to them as "pro-mother".
She also thought about it for half a day, thinking that her parents had discussed it and passed herself on to her uncle and aunt, but Zhou Bingde also wondered, "Why is it such a big thing, my parents didn't tell themselves?" ”
Thinking about it again, "Mom and Dad let themselves listen to their uncles and be a good child, so my aunt let herself call themselves like this, just call them like this." ”
Therefore, Zhou Bingde called "mother" for many years, and even his younger brothers and sisters followed suit.
Figure 丨 Deng Yingchao
Because the pronunciation of these two words is too similar, Deng Yingchao did not hear that the children's name was "pro-mother", until Zhou Bingde grew up and wrote "pro-ma" on the head when he wrote to Deng Yingchao.
Deng Yingchao said in his reply,
"Of course you call me 'mother', but what will your own mother think?" You call me 'Seven Mothers' because your uncle is ranked seventh, and there are two mothers here. ”
At this time, Zhou Bingde understood this somewhat funny oolong incident, although Deng Yingchao clarified that there was no need for Zhou Bingde to call himself "pro-mother", but in Zhou Bingde's heart, Deng Yingchao was "pro-mother".
She has lived in Zhongnanhai for 15 years, and she and her aunt and uncle spend time and night, and they have a deep affection. Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao did not have children in their lives, the children of the Zhou family, the children of the staff, and the children of the society, they will all be treated as if they were biological.
Picture Shu Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao
"I've never seen Enlai make such a big fire"
In fact, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao originally had the opportunity to become parents. In August 1925, the two married in Guangdong.
In October, Zhou Enlai, then director of the General Political Department of the Eastern Crusade Army, led the troops on the Second Crusade, while Deng Yingchao remained in Guangdong to carry out the Guangdong women's movement.
After Zhou Enlai left, Deng Yingchao began to feel uncomfortable in his body, often nausea and wanted to vomit, he was weak, he couldn't eat well and couldn't sleep, he lasted for a while, Deng Yingchao felt that the impact on his work was too great, so he went to the hospital for examination.
She was surprised and delighted by the results of the examination – she was pregnant. Deng Yingchao was very happy to have the crystallization of Zhou Enlai, however, the current revolutionary cause was too busy, she was fully committed to the women's movement, and this child did not come at the right time.
At this time, Deng Yingchao was only 21 years old, when he first came to Guangdong, his husband and mother were not around, if the child was born, did he have the time and energy to take care of this new life?
Deng Yingchao thought about it for several days, and finally made a decision that she regretted for the rest of her life - to kill the child without Zhou Enlai.
Picture 丨 Yang Zhende and Deng Yingchao
She went to the market to buy a proprietary Chinese medicine, and after taking it, Deng Yingchao was covered in blood, rolling in pain on the bed, and had no choice but to take a week's sick leave.
When her mother, Yang Zhende, rushed from Tianjin to Guangdong, she sternly said to her, "Such a big thing, don't discuss it with Enlai." ”
Seeing Deng Yingchao lying weakly on the bed, with tear marks in the corners of her eyes, Yang Zhende could not bear to continue to blame her.
Fortunately, Yang Zhende knew a little about Chinese medicine, she stayed in Guangdong, took care of her daughter for a period of time, and slowly, Deng Yingchao recovered her health and continued to work.
In November, Zhou Enlai led the political department of the Eastern Expeditionary Army into Shantou, Guangdong Province, and Deng Yingchao also went to Shantou as a special commissioner of Chaomei to carry out women's work.
As soon as they met, Zhou Enlai discovered Deng Yingchao's strange appearance, and he asked with great concern, "Xiao Chao, what's wrong with you, why is your face so ugly, is it sick?" Why didn't you tell me? ”
Deng Yingchao knew that he could not hide from the careful Zhou Enlai, so he informed him of the matter in 1510. After Zhou Enlai listened, he lost his temper with Deng Yingchao for the first time.
"Xiao Chao, why would you oppose having children against the revolutionary cause?" The child is not your private property, he belongs to the state, belongs to society, what right do you have to kill him at will, and also ruin your own body, this is irresponsible action! The body is the capital of the revolution, not exclusive to yourself, not how to deal with it, if necessary, we will shed blood and sacrifice for the revolution, but we must not waste it at will. How do you deal with it, you should also write to me to discuss it, how can you make your own decisions. ”
Deng Yingchao was also very uncomfortable in her heart, and after taking the drug, she was already regretting her rash behavior. Previously, she had always believed that her children would affect her work, which was contrary to her revolutionary ideals.
Therefore, after knowing that she was pregnant, Deng Yingchao just panicked and wanted to hide this matter, and did not think of consulting with her mother and husband at all, so no one patiently told her that the revolution and the child were not opposed.
Deng Yingchao admitted his mistake to Zhou Enlai, and Zhou Enlai looked at Deng Yingchao's remorseful expression and could not bear to continue to accuse, he patted Deng Yingchao's hand and told her that when he was not by her side, he must cherish his body more.
Later, when Deng Yingchao mentioned the matter, he said, "In the following decades of common life, I have never seen Enlai make such a big fire."
"As long as the revolution has a back, what if you and I have no future?"
In 1926, Deng Yingchao became pregnant again, this time, she shared the good news with Zhou Enlai for the first time, and the husband and wife looked forward to the arrival of this little life together.
Figure丨 "Zhongshan Ship Incident"
However, the revolutionary situation fell into a trough. In March, Chiang Kai-shek launched the "Zhongshan Ship Incident", arresting and slaughtering the Communists, and by the end of the year, the wind of exclusion and attack on the Communists was getting stronger and stronger, and a great storm was coming.
In December 1926, Zhou Enlai received an order from the central government to go to Shanghai to work in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, serving as secretary of the Central Organization Department and secretary of the Central Military Commission.
Zhou Enlai returned home, saw Deng Yingchao's big belly, and did not know how to open his mouth for a while, Deng Yingchao saw Zhou Enlai's expression of wanting to talk and stopped, and guessed what Zhou Enlai wanted to say.
She smiled and asked him, "Are you leaving?" ”
"You already know?"
Deng Yingchao lowered his head and rubbed his bulging abdomen, "I already know, you don't have to worry, there is a mother around, you can rest assured to go, when the child is born, I will go to you!" ”
Zhou Enlai was touched by Deng Yingchao's understanding, out of confidentiality, the trip to Shanghai was doomed to not be able to communicate, and Zhou Enlai had a lot to confess.
Before leaving, Zhou Enlai told his mother-in-law that after Deng Yingchao gave birth to the child, he would take the child to Shanghai to join him. The figure on the shore became more and more blurred, and Zhou Enlai's heart flashed with worry...
After going to Shanghai, Zhou Enlai immediately threw himself into the workers' movement. The child in Deng Yingchao's belly grew up day by day, and a week before the due date, Deng Yingchao had palletical pains, and Yang Zhende quickly sent his daughter to a maternity hospital run by a German church.
On April 12, Chiang Kai-shek tore off his last disguise and raised a butcher's knife to the Communists, and a bloody massacre began in Shanghai...
Just as this fierce wind and rain swept in, the child in Deng Yingchao's belly was about to be born in a hurry.
One day, two days, three days... Deng Yingchao also did not expect that the child would be too big to be born, she had difficulty giving birth, and in the intense pain, Deng Yingchao persisted until the fourth day.
The child was born, more than 8 pounds, and it was after the midwifery doctor used many methods to induce labor without effect, and then used forceps to clamp the baby's head and drag it out of the mother.'
Deng Yingchao looked at this baby boy who had tossed him for three days and three nights, shrugged his head, and felt despair for the first time without a trace of breathing.
For three days, she experienced the unimaginable pain of others without leaving a single tear, and now, she holds the child who died prematurely, silently crying.
Figure丨 "April 12 Counter-Revolutionary Coup"
However, this was not the biggest blow, Deng Yingchao had just come out of the delivery room, and he heard about the "outbreak of the April 12 counter-revolutionary coup".
Deng Yingchao was impatient, not knowing how zhou Enlai in Shanghai was in danger, guangzhou was also in danger, and the reactionaries would rush into the hospital at any time to conduct a search.
At this critical moment, a fashionably dressed noblewoman walked into Deng Yingchao's hospital room, and Deng Yingchao thought that the other party had walked into the wrong room, and after taking a closer look, he realized that it was Chen Tiejun, who worked with him in the Women's Department of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee.
Chen Tiejun came to the hospital this time in order to inform her that the situation in Shanghai and Guangzhou is not optimistic, the party organizations have all gone underground, and Deng Yingchao must leave Guangzhou as soon as possible.
At the same time, Deng Yingchao received a telegram from Zhou Enlai, in which Deng Yingchao and Yang Zhende hurried to Shanghai, and when they arrived in Shanghai, they contacted him through the way of searching for people and announcing.
Figure 丨 Yang Zhende
However, how could Deng Yingchao avoid the reactionaries' search and go to Shanghai to find Zhou Enlai? As a last resort, she told the doctors at the hospital.
The doctors did not help Deng Yingchao keep the child, and they felt very guilty, however, Deng Yingchao did not blame everyone, but comforted them, "I know that you have tried your best, and this is also something that cannot be done."
Therefore, after learning of Deng Yingchao's situation, the doctors came up with an idea to let Deng Yingchao pretend to be a nurse and Yang Zhende dressed as a nurse and take the German consul's ship to Hong Kong.
While waiting for the ship to set sail, doctors placed Deng Yingchao and Yang Zhende in a small house in the backyard, and in order to prevent the reactionaries from suddenly searching for them, someone would deliver food for three meals a day.
Sure enough, shortly after Deng Yingchao moved out of the ward, the reactionaries rushed into the hospital and asked, "Where is Deng Yingchao?" ”
The doctor told them that there was indeed a pregnant woman named Deng, but the child died and she had been discharged from the hospital.
The reactionaries did not believe it and continued to stay in the hospital, at which time the German president came out and scolded loudly, "This is a hospital run by the German church, and the Chinese army will never be allowed to search!" ”
The reactionaries bullied the soft and feared the hard, and slipped away in ashes. A few days later, Deng Yingchao and Yang Zhende disguised themselves as nurses and nurses and successfully boarded the ship bound for Hong Kong.
On May 1, Deng Yingchao and Yang Zhende came to Shanghai, and as soon as they got off the boat, Deng Yingchao immediately felt the tense atmosphere around them, and there were patrol members everywhere, and they could be arrested at any time.
Figure丨 Declaration
Deng Yingchao and his mother stayed in a hotel, and then published a search notice in The Declaration, the largest newspaper in Shanghai.
"Wu Haojian, you have not seen your wife for a long time, now, I am taking her to find you in Shanghai, after you see the newspaper, come to xx hotel, mother-in-law Zhende."
Wu Haojian was the pseudonym that Zhou Enlai used to communicate, and the reactionaries did not know that Zhou Enlai was living in a worker's house at this time, and he was slightly relieved to see the search notice in the newspaper.
However, when he saw the name of the hotel, Zhou Enlai became nervous again, and it was at this hotel that several central cadres had been arrested a few days ago, and now the reactionaries were staring at the hotel.
Zhou Enlai guessed correctly, and after Deng Yingchao and his mother stayed in the hotel, the reactionaries reported the news of "a pair of suspicious mothers and daughters staying" to their superiors.
The reactionaries immediately sent people to search the hotel, but did not find the figure of the mother and daughter, and it turned out that Zhou Enlai reacted quickly and had already transferred Deng Yingchao's mother and daughter to a Fumin Hospital opened by the Japanese.
Picture 丨Fumin Hospital
Deng Yingchao stayed in Fumin Hospital for two weeks, and the people who came to inquire were not interrupted, but because it was a hospital run by the Japanese, the reactionaries did not dare to investigate, so there was no danger.
Two weeks later, Zhou Enlai took advantage of the reactionaries to relax their vigilance and took Deng Yingchao's mother and daughter to a remote and safe house, and after several fierce dangers, Deng Yingchao finally met her husband.
During his stay at Fumin Hospital, the doctor told Deng Yingchao a cruel news, because there was no rest after giving birth, Deng Yingchao's uterus could not be restored, and there may be little chance of childbearing in the future.
She cried and apologized to Zhou Enlai, and with a cry of "I'm sorry", Zhou Enlai was in pain, and he forced himself to endure grief and comfort Deng Yingchao, "As long as the revolution has a future, what if you and I have no future." ”
"All the young people of China are my sons and daughters"
After the founding of New China in 1949, once, Deng Yingchao went to the hospital to check the gynecology department, and the gynecological expert Lin Qiaozhi told her that her fallopian tubes had been blocked, and she could help dredge them, and maybe there was a possibility of childbirth.
Deng Yingchao, who was already 45 years old, shook his head and refused, "There is no need, it has been more than twenty years, where is it so easy to dredge." ”
Once, Deng Yingchao, who felt that he had not been able to leave an heir for Zhou Enlai, also persuaded Zhou Enlai to marry another one, which greatly annoyed Zhou Enlai.
"The constitution of new China is monogamous, and I am the premier of the State Council of a great country, and if I do this, will the whole world be in chaos?" I'd rather be desperate than let people point at the spine and scold! ”
In the company of Xiang Yimu, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao looked down on the fact that they could not have children, so when Lin Qiaozhi made a suggestion, Deng Yingchao would not hesitate to refuse.
Because they had no biological children, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao shared their love with more children, and they often said that "all the young people in China are my children."
They raised many martyrs and orphans, those who lived on the streets, and they tried their best to find them, and Zhou Enlai would send them to Yan'an or the Soviet Union to let them live and study in a relatively stable place.
They recognized three daughters: Ye Ting's daughter Ye Yangmei, Sun Bingwen's daughter Sun Weishi, and Chen Zhidu's daughter Chen Manli, all of whom were adopted through the approval of both parents and formal procedures.
In addition, there are many children, such as Li Fuchun's daughter Li Tete, Liao Mengxing's daughter Li Mei, etc., zhou Enlai every time he sees them, he will take out the sugar in his pocket to give to everyone, the children especially like Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, and have always called them "Zhou Dad" and "Deng Mama".
Picture 丨Party group photo of some members of the Wartime ChildCare Association
When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out in 1937, countless families were broken and children were displaced, Deng Yingchao actively promoted wartime child care, and asked someone to persuade Song Meiling to win the support of the Nationalist government for children's relief activities.
In 1938, the wartime childcare association ushered in the first children's day, Deng Yingchao published an inscription in Xinhua Daily,
"The care of children is a rich and great cause, not only to help and educate children, but also to cultivate children with a resolute spirit and let them become the masters of building a new China."
In this job, Deng Yingchao did it for 7 years, and in 7 years, Deng Yingchao led the creation of 35 nursery schools, which sheltered nearly 30,000 children who were in distress.
In the first few years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhou Enlai's relatives proposed to pass on a child to him, but Zhou Enlai did not agree, he believed that this would easily lead to this child having a sense of superiority over other children and unfair to other children.
Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, who have raised and cared for too many children in their lives, treat all children equally, and they leave the world with a loving and open-minded mind.