At the age of 15, she was chosen to dance in Zhongnanhai and became Chairman Mao's dance partner.
She was attacked during the special period, and Chairman Mao personally instructed her to follow her.
She accompanied the Chairman for the last 489 days and nights, took care of the President's food and living, and was one of the closest people to the President in his later years.
She was Chairman Mao's nurse, Meng Jinyun.
To the public, Meng Jinyun is an unfamiliar name and has no popularity, after all, she has no special status, unlike Chairman Mao's confidential secretary, who has participated in many important affairs.
Meng Jinyun was just an ordinary girl who had taken care of Chairman Mao, and was responsible for such ordinary things as eating and living.
However, Meng Jinyun accompanied the chairman in the last years of his life, and she witnessed the twilight of the great man of the republic.
This experience changed Meng Jinyun's life, and every time she recalled the past and the chairman's bits and pieces, she felt deeply precious.
Through Meng Jinyun's narration, we also learned about the little-known side of the chairman.
Chairman Mao, as we know him, is the great savior of the Chinese people, the leader of the Chinese revolution, and his image is tall and mighty.
Chairman Mao' efforts to make the Chinese stand up, to struggle with blood in the revolution, and to never compromise in the face of the enemy are the spiritual pillars of all Chinese people, so the people respectfully refer to Chairman Mao as a "great man."
Chairman Mao is of course a great man, but at the same time, he is also a mortal with flesh and blood, who will be tired, who will age, who will feel lonely and painful in his old age, and who also has the emotions of ordinary people.
We often ignore the soft and fragile side of Chairman Mao because we only focus on the great side of Chairman Mao, but in fact, it is precisely because of this side that Chairman Mao's image is more real and complete, and the life of chairman is more admirable to us.
Therefore, the author will take Meng Jinyun as the main line next, and at the same time tell the living conditions of Chairman Mao in his later years, and strive to present a complete and vivid image of the chairman.
Meng Jinyun, born in 1948, is a Hubei girl adjacent to the chairman's hometown of Hunan.
As the first generation of young people who grew up bathed in the glory of new China, Meng Jinyun had a confident personality, was full of vitality, and had a vibrant atmosphere, and like most young people in the same period, the person she most admired was Chairman Mao.
Meng Jinyun was tall and beautiful-looking, and she was admitted to the Air Politics Literary troupe at the age of twelve, and was selected into the dance academy class the following year.
The process of practicing dance is arduous and long, in addition to the course time set by the teacher, Meng Jinyun also practices the basic skills every day until he completely loses his strength.
In the summer, the practice is covered with sweat, the clothes are soaked, and sometimes the sweat wrung off in a day can fill several water glasses.
But Meng Jinyun never chose to give up, she gritted her teeth and persevered. Meng Jinyun's hard work and persistence paid off: in 1963, Meng Jinyun was selected to dance in Zhongnanhai.
The tradition of organizing dances by the central organs also dates back to the Yan'an base area, when the cultural life of the base area was very monotonous, and the dance party was the most important entertainment activity.
After the founding of New China, the central government still insisted on frugality, put an end to extravagance and waste, and did not add too many entertainment activities.
The chiefs are taking care of every opportunity every day, so it is most appropriate to hold a dance party with small expenses, cultivate sentiments, relieve stress, and relieve stress.
However, the chiefs of Zhongnanhai are all leaders of the country, and if they want to be their accompaniment dancers, the selection criteria are very strict.
The dancers are basically selected from the Air Politics Literary troupe, and they have to undergo strict political, stylistic and life scrutiny.
Meng Jinyun was only 15 years old at the time, too young, and it was easy to be afraid of the stage when he saw the leader, and generally did not consider it.
However, some of the "old" comrades who danced in Zhongnanhai in the past have established families, and some have married and had children, one is that it is not suitable to go again, and the other is that the performance task is heavy, and the time cannot be extracted.
Therefore, the regiment decided to let a group of young trainees visit and study first, adapt to it, and become more familiar with it, and naturally become "old comrades", and Meng Jinyun is one of them.
When Meng Jinyun sat in the Zhongnanhai Ballroom for the first time, everything she saw made her feel new.
The arrangement in the ballroom was solemn but informal, and Xiao Meng would look up at the gentle lighting and then look down at the red carpet on the ground. As time passed, the tension at first was gradually relieved.
However, when Chairman Mao steadily walked into the ballroom, Meng Jinyun saw it at a glance.
In the past, Meng Jinyun's understanding of Chairman Mao came from newspapers, books and the stories of the elders, as well as the songs praising the chairman, until today, Meng Jinyun finally met the real Chairman Mao.
I saw that the chairman was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, and the dress was very simple, which showed a sense of freedom.
It was also here that Meng Jinyun became Chairman Mao's dance partner.
When he learned that Meng Jinyun was from Hubei, Chairman Mao also called her "half a little fellow countryman."
The reason why Meng Jinyun was able to leave such a deep impression on Chairman Mao may be precisely because of the vigor and childishness in her.
Meng Jinyun was not very old when she arrived in Zhongnanhai, only 15 years old, and after the initial nervousness was gone, her childlike mentality was immediately revealed.
Meng Jinyun is always unrestrained in front of the chairman, and many old comrades dare not ask questions, she dares to ask the chairman without thinking about it, which often makes the chairman laugh.
Once, Meng Jinyun suddenly looked at the chairman and said, "Chairman, there is a mole under your mouth, listen to my grandmother, this is a blessed mole." ”
Chairman Mao laughed when he heard this, and saw that Meng Jinyun's white and pure face also had a mole, so he said, "You also have a mole on your face, then you are also blessed!" ”
"That's different, your mole is a Hunan mole, my mole is a Hubei mole, the long place is different."
Meng Jinyun's playful answer caused the chairman to laugh.
Yes, Meng Jinyun is so unrestrained in front of the chairman, she is like a little girl in front of her loving father, there is no rule and regulation, she can say whatever she wants, and say whatever she thinks.
Chairman Mao is the supreme leader of the country, the leader of the whole Chinese people, and few people can be so open,away from it, so Meng Jinyun's sincerity and cuteness made Chairman Mao appreciate it so much that many years later, Chairman Mao still clearly remembers this eccentric little girl.
However, these experiences soon became memories, and Meng Jinyun not only could not see Chairman Mao, but she also suffered many twists and turns in that special period of time because of accidents, and her life was very difficult.
In 1973, Meng was transferred to a military hospital in Wuhan and became a nurse.
From dancing in Zhongnanhai to becoming a nurse, Meng Jinyun's life has changed insignificantly.
Meng Jinyun did not complain because her hard-working dance skills were useless, she just wanted to live peacefully, but because her "case" was not clean, even this simple wish became a luxury.
In the most difficult time, chairman Mao gave Meng Jinyun hope.
In 1975, Meng Jinyun saw Chairman Mao again with the help of his friends.
After a long time of reunion, Meng Jinyun is no longer the little girl of the past, and her appearance has changed a lot.
The years have also left their mark on Chairman Mao's body, and due to excessive overwork, Chairman Mao has shown fatigue under the torment of illness.
At that time, Chairman Mao could no longer see clearly because of cataracts, but he still remembered Meng Jinyun.
After listening to Meng Jinyun's story, Chairman Mao was very angry, and he personally instructed Meng Jinyun to stay by his side and work.
Meng Jinyun used to know the chairman, she studied nursing in the hospital, let her take care of the chairman is more appropriate, and now there is a chairman to speak, so Meng Jinyun's transfer is very smooth.
Meng Jinyun is mainly responsible for the daily life and medical aspects of the chairman, such as medication, reading books and newspapers, and processing documents.
These tasks are not easy, and Meng Jinyun does not dare to be a little sloppy in dealing with the chairman's diet and living, and her attention must be highly concentrated every day.
In his later years, Chairman Mao's eyes were not good and he could not see things clearly, but the chairman often said that "if you don't go out, you will know the affairs of the world.", and he had to read the newspaper every day and listen to major events at home and abroad.
So this task was given to Xiao Meng, and if the chairman wanted to read it for herself, she held up the newspaper in front of the chairman and moved along the chairman's line of sight. If the chairman was tired of reading, Meng Jinyun personally read the newspaper for the chairman.
It's a simple job, but it's not easy to stick to it day after day, year after year, every day.
But Meng Jinyun did not feel such a painful life, on the contrary, she said that the chairman took her out of the sea of suffering, and taking care of the chairman was a glorious mission for her.
Because Meng Jinyun and Mengzi have the same surname, every time they tell a story to Meng Jinyun, they will jokingly call her "Meng Fuzi".
Chairman Mao was strong all his life, and in his later years his physical condition deteriorated, so the doctor formulated a medical plan for the chairman, but the chairman did not like to take injections and medicines, and no one advised him to listen.
However, xiao Meng came and did ideological work for the chairman, and the chairman quickly agreed. Meng Jinyun's usual instructions and persuasions were also heard by the chairman in his heart.
However, Meng Jinyun had two requests, both of which were rejected by Chairman Mao.
The first request was that Meng Jinyun apply to the chairman to join the party.
Although Meng Jinyun is mainly responsible for the daily life of the chairman, confidential affairs are handled by the confidential secretariat, but Meng Jinyun accompanies the chairman after all, and sometimes assists the confidential secretary' work, so it is reasonable that she feels that she needs to join the party.
Chairman Mao listened to Meng Jinyun's words and expressed his support, but he did not use his power, but just laughed and said that everything followed the procedures of the party constitution.
Meng Jinyun submitted an application with the encouragement of Chairman Mao, but for various reasons it was not approved until more than ten years later.
Chairman Mao, throughout his life, served the country and the people, adhered to principles, whether it was family or friends, he never went through the back door, opened a small stove, and did what he did according to the process.
This is no exception to Meng Jinyun.
If the chairman's first disagreement is admirable, then the second disagreement is deeply saddening, and this grief stems from Chairman Mao's answer.
Once, Meng Jinyun said to Zhang Yufeng, the chairman's confidential secretary: "Sister Zhang, I am almost thirty years old, I really want a child, you and the chairman talk to me." ”
Zhang Yufeng conveyed Meng Jinyun's idea to the chairman, but did not expect the chairman to ponder for a moment and replied: "Wait another year, when I die, she will want it again." ”
Chairman Mao's answer made people want to shed tears when they read it, and we can know from this sentence that Chairman Mao was not unkind, but that he had already realized at that time that he would soon die.
Meng Jinyun was already well taken care of, and if she had a child, she would have to change someone to take care of it, so it was really not suitable.
After listening to Chairman Mao's words, Meng Jinyun felt more deeply than anyone else, because this was not a refusal, but a recognition of himself by the chairman!
In Meng Jinyun's recollection, Chairman Mao was kind and humorous most of the time, but sometimes, especially in the last year of the chairman's life journey, his mood would be low, and he would feel lonely and painful in his heart.
At this time, Chairman Mao was like an ordinary old man, looking very helpless.
Chairman Mao has experienced too much, from the revolution to the construction of new China, dedicated his life to this country, his most beloved child Mao Anying was buried on the green mountains of Korea, most of his old comrades-in-arms have died, Premier Zhou, like him, has suffered from illness, and it is difficult for two people to meet each other.
At this time, the only person who can still talk to the chairman seems to be Xiao Meng.
Therefore, the chairman did not simply regard Xiao Meng as a nurse, in his heart, Meng Jinyun was already half a daughter, and if he had anything in his heart, he wanted to talk to Xiao Meng, even if Xiao Meng could not give himself an answer.
Yes, the chairman does not want an answer, Meng Jinyun is just an ordinary secretary and nurse, how can she give the chairman an answer? What the chairman wants is just to find someone who can talk to him, which is why Meng Jinyun waits for a year to have a child.
On December 26, 1975, Chairman Mao's last birthday, chairman Mao smiled for a long time, because his daughters Li Min and Li Ne came to visit their father, and Wu Xujun, the head nurse who used to take care of him, also came.
Their arrival brought joy to the chairman, who asked Meng Jinyun to help him sit on the sofa and chat with everyone.
Chatting and chatting, Meng Jinyun suddenly proposed to kowtow to Chairman Mao, who was an elder, according to the customs of his hometown.
Chairman Mao spent his whole life trying to make the people stand up and no longer have to kowtow to the landlords and bullies, so in the past birthdays, some people also proposed to kowtow, but without exception, they were rejected by the chairman.
This time, however, Chairman Mao made an exception, and he smiled and said to Meng Jinyun, "I don't dare to be one, I can't afford it!" This is completely different from the previous stern rejection.
Meng Jinyun's personality was very grinning, and after listening to Chairman Mao's words, she said: "You don't dare to be one, and who else dares to be, I will give you a bump first."
After saying that, Meng Jinyun did not wait for everyone's reaction, and prostrated his head three times to the chairman. Although Chairman Mao was very weak, he reluctantly stood up to show his respect.
Why did Chairman Mao accept Xiao Meng's prostration?
The author thinks that, first, Meng Jinyun has always been grinning and unrestrained, and Chairman Mao has no way to take her, and he knows her personality; second, Chairman Mao has a very clear understanding of his body, he knows that his time is running out, and he really regards Meng Jinyun as a junior.
After his last birthday, Chairman Mao said a phrase he usually said: "Seventy-three, eighty-four, the king of Yama does not tell himself to go." When the chairman said these words, the sadness flowing under Mu Ran's expression made people feel heartache.
At 00:00 on September 9, 1976, the people received the most heart-wrenching news: Chairman Mao had passed away.
The people of the whole country were plunged into a wave of sorrow, and there were cries in the streets and alleys, and everyone was reluctant to let the "sun" of new China set.
For Meng Jinyun, she can better understand the sadness, because Chairman Mao's last words were said to her.
The sentence was: "I'm very uncomfortable, call the doctor." ”
It was only then that the crowd seemed to realize that Chairman Mao was actually a mortal, and that his flesh and blood would also suffer.
After the chairman's death, Meng Jinyun sorted out the chairman's room and desk every day for a month.
Meng Jinyun no longer has to take turns on duty, she no longer has to concentrate every day, worry about the chairman's physical condition, prepare for medication, and do not have to raise the paper for the chairman to the arm pain, but Meng Jinyun's heart is not relaxed, only sad.
Because she knew that the beloved Chairman Mao would leave her forever.
More than a month later, Meng Jinyun left from Zhongnanhai, and during the more than a year of taking care of Chairman Mao, every word the chairman said to her remained in her heart forever, and she could not forget it for the rest of her life.