In 1950, Chairman Mao sent Mao Anying back to his hometown to congratulate his grandmother on Xiang Zhenxi's birthday. When the banquet was about to end, Mao Anying found that there was no figure of his aunt and grandmother, and only after careful questioning did he know that his aunt and grandmother could not come because of illness.
After hearing this, Mao Anying rushed to his aunt Xiang Zhenkai's home, but what was surprising was that his aunt and grandmother said something to Mao Anying that he had never heard before. Xiang Zhenkai said to Mao Anying: "Aunt Mao is now a big person, if you can return the money you owed me that year, it will be perfect!" ”
So what's going on here? What is the story behind this debt? It all starts with the stories of the Yang family, the Xiang family, and the Mao family.
The origin of Chairman Mao and Xiang Jia
Speaking of the relationship between the Yang family and the Xiang family, Yang Shuqiao, Yang Changji's father, married Xiang Guoyuan's only daughter. Xiang Guoyuan's eldest son, Xiang Taichun, had 3 sons and 5 daughters, the eldest daughter was named Xiang Zhenkai, and the second daughter was Chairman Mao's mother-in-law Xiang Zhenxi.
If you calculate it this way, Yang Changji and Xiang Zhenxi are cousins and brothers, but everyone knows that in that era, close relatives could get married. Because of the early death of his parents, Yang Changji often took turns living and studying in Yang and Xiang families.
Yang Changji is talented and intelligent, and under the cultivation of the Xiang and Yang families, he gradually becomes a young man who is heroic and heroic and knowledgeable. In addition, Xiang Zhenxi and Yang Changji are similar in appearance, often playing together, and over time they will change from an ordinary cousin-brother relationship to a lover relationship.
In 1901, Yang Changji's daughter Yang Kaihui was born, and in 1903 Yang Changji went to Japan to study, followed by study in Britain and Germany, and finally returned to his motherland after a 10-year absence in 1913. However, everything in front of him was even worse than he imagined, so Yang Changji decided to save the country and save the people with practical actions.
Yang Changji refused many invitations to make him an official, and resolutely returned to his hometown of Changsha to teach at the Hunan First Normal School. At this time, the Hunan Provincial First Normal School in Changsha has long been full of talents and has become a well-known cradle of education.
Here gathered a group of high-character, talented teachers and a group of patriotic and enthusiastic young people. In the classroom and after-class exchanges, the students were gradually attracted by Yang Changji's profound knowledge and were also fascinated by his noble character.
In the crowd of people listening to the lecture, Yang Changji found that every time there was a large student with bright eyes listening attentively to the lecture. Over time, Yang Changji's impression of this student became better and better, and after class, he invited him to the office to talk, and after some conversation, he learned that the other party was called Mao Zedong and was from Xiangtan.
With the slow passage of time, the teacher-student friendship between Yang Changji and Chairman Mao has increased day by day, and among many students, Yang Changji attaches great importance to Chairman Mao, Cai Hesen and others, believing that they are the pillars of the future of the country. Yang Changji not only used his own ethical ideas to give Chairman Mao an edification, but also gave him a great encouragement.
Chairman Mao often came to Yang Changji's home to study, but he did not know that the god of love was quietly walking toward Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui. At first, Yang Kaihui was only full of curiosity about Chairman Mao who could speak eloquently in front of her, but as the days passed, she was slowly attracted by Chairman Mao's outstanding insight and impassioned words, and the two exchanged more and more closely and admired each other.
Xiang Zhenxi
Xiang Zhenxi often heard Chairman Mao's name from her husband's mouth, and gradually she also had a very good impression of this student. When Chairman Mao, Cai Hesen and others came to the door for advice, Xiang Zhenxi would warmly welcome them. Chairman Mao lost his mother in his early years, and his master's meticulous care for him also made him feel as if he had seen his mother, which made him feel deep maternal love again.
Therefore, when she carefully saw the relationship between her daughter and Chairman Mao, she did not poke it, but pretended not to know.
In June 1918, Yang Changji took his wife and children to Beijing to become a professor of ethics at Peking University, and soon after Yang Changji recommended his disciple Chairman Mao to work in the library of Peking University.
Because Chairman Mao's family was poor and he had no savings just after working, Yang Changji let him live in his own home. In this way, Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui had more opportunities to meet, and their feelings were constantly sublimated in many meetings.
Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui
Chairman Mao later recalled: "When I was working in the library of Peking University, I met and fell in love with Yang Kaihui, the daughter of my mentor Yang Changji. In my youth, Yang Changji had a deep influence on me, and later became a close friend of mine in Beijing. ”
And Yang Kaihui also said: "I didn't expect that I was also so lucky to get a lover!" I love him so much that I've fallen in love with him ever since I heard many things about him and read his many articles and diaries! ”
After Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui fell in love, the first person to find out was his mother, Xiang Zhenxi. Although Chairman Mao was only a poor boy at that time, and although he did not have any savings at that time, he could not guarantee that Yang Kaihui would live a good life, Xiang Zhenxi still did not stop them from interacting, because her greatest wish was that the children could be happy and happy.
At the end of 1919, Yang Changji became ill with exhaustion, and shortly before his death, he wrote a letter to his friend Zhang Shizhao, in which he strongly recommended Chairman Mao and Cai Hesen, and said: "If you do not say anything, you will save the country, and you must first save the country with two sons!" ”
On January 17, 1920, Yang Changji died at the age of 49. Chairman Mao, who was busy with his studies at the time, took care of Yang Changji's affairs as a son-in-law, and because Yang Changji was clean and honest in his life and did not leave much savings, teachers and students went around collecting donations, which raised a burial fee.
After the funeral, Xiang Zhenxi decided to marry his daughter to the responsible and responsible teenager in front of him, so in the winter of 1920, Yang Kaihui and Chairman Mao married. The two were very happy after marriage, and Yang Kaihui also gave birth to three children for Chairman Mao, namely Mao Anying, Mao Anying and Mao Anyong.
The birth of three children also made Xiang Zhenxi particularly happy, she worked tirelessly day and night, and her body seemed to have endless strength. The children gradually grew taller and fatter, but Xiang Zhenxi's face became sharper, wrinkles were carved into her face, and silver wires also climbed up her sideburns.
After Chairman Mao bid farewell to his relatives and went to Jinggangshan, Yang Kaihui's mother and son followed Xiang Zhenxi back to Bancang to live. Then, something that worried Xiang Zhenxi day and night finally happened.
In October 1930, Yang Kaihui was hunted down by the warlord He Jian in Bancang, and she took Mao Anying to prison and refused to reveal anything about our party. In prison, the Kuomintang threatened and seduced, promising her that as long as she was willing to break off relations with Chairman Mao, she would be free, but Yang Kaihui resolutely replied: "Death is not a pity, only hope that the runzhi revolution will succeed as soon as possible!" ”
Yang Kaihui and two children
On November 14, 1930, Yang Kaihui was killed in Changsha at the age of 29. The sacrifice of her beloved daughter was like a thunderbolt on a sunny day for 60-year-old Xiang Zhenxi, who felt the sky spinning and fell to the ground the next second.
After Xiang Zhenxi woke up, he saw his thin grandson and couldn't help but cry with them. In this way, the burden of raising the Kishi Ying brothers once again fell on Xiang Zhenxi's shoulders. Xiang Zhenxi's younger brother Xiang Dingqian feared that the enemy would cut the grass and remove the roots in the future, which would harm the Kishi Brothers, so he prepared to send them to Shanghai.
After Xiang Zhenxi returned to Hunan, her contact with her three grandchildren was broken, and she endured great grief and lived in anxiety for many years, which was also the last time Mao Anying saw her grandmother before she became an adult.
Mao Anying returned to his hometown to congratulate his grandmother on her 80th birthday
In August 1949, changsha was peacefully liberated, and when her relatives told Xiang Zhenxi the news, her tears fell like broken beads, and her mouth kept chanting: "I finally waited for this day, I finally waited for this day!" Where is Runzhi now? Kishi Ying, where are they..."
When Chairman Mao learned of the news that his mother-in-law was still alive, he immediately sent a telegram: "It is very comforting to learn that the old lady is alive!" ”
Chairman Mao
In early September, Chairman Mao entrusted Wang Jiaxiang's wife, Zhu Zhongli, with gifts and handwritten letters to Xiang Zhenxi. Looking at the familiar handwriting, Xiang Zhenxi's decades of sweet, sour and bitter spicy moments surged into her heart, and tears rolled out of her eyes.
In 1950, Xiang Zhenxi's 80th birthday, Chairman Mao specially sent Mao Anying back to his hometown to congratulate his grandmother. One day, Chairman Mao said to Mao Anying, "You can go home now, visit your mother's grave on my behalf, and bring something back." The most important thing is to go to the old lady on my behalf, go to Xiangtan's hometown to see, and say hello to the villagers. ”
Because Mao Anying was transferred from the Central Ministry of Social Affairs to work at the Beijing Machinery General Factory, it was delayed for a while, and it was not officially set off until mid-May. Before leaving, Chairman Mao wrote to the Yang family:
"Little Boy Kishi Ying hui xiang to celebrate the old lady's birthday, and to visit his mother's grave, and at the same time come back to see you, and also ask you to give him advice as a reward."
Chairman Mao repeatedly told Mao Anying: "After arriving in Changsha and Shaoshan, you should go to your relatives, friends, and peasants' homes more, learn more about the situation, and publicize the party's policies to them more. ”
Chairman Mao and Mao Anying
Chairman Mao knew his son very well, and after Mao Anying returned from studying in the Soviet Union four years ago, he went to the "Labor University", participated in the land reform, and recently went to the factory to exercise. But Chairman Mao always felt that Mao Anying was still young, and he was worried that he would point fingers when he returned to his hometown.
Chairman Mao once said: "I am very worried about the children of our cadres, who have no life experience and social experience, but the shelf is very large, there is a great sense of superiority, and we must educate them not to rely on their parents and martyrs, but to live completely on their own!" ”
In this way, Mao Anying boarded the train going south with his father's instructions...
On the morning of May 19, Mao Anying, who had been away from his homeland for 25 years, led a horse and walked on a dirt path in the countryside with Mao Tefu, deputy county magistrate of Xiangtan County, and his cousin Mao Yuanxiang. Perhaps everyone will be very confused when they see this, why doesn't Mao Anying ride a horse?
In fact, before Mao Anying left Beijing, Chairman Mao once told him: "At present, the social order is not too good, and after arriving at Xiangtan, you can ride back to Shanshan, but you must get off your horse at the Yintian Temple, which is 30 miles away from home, and walk back!" ”
After Mao Anying rode to the Yunhu Bridge, he mistakenly thought that this was the Yintian Temple, so he got off his horse. After Mautev and the others explained to him, Mao Anying thought, since he had already dismounted, why should he ride again?
Mao Anying
At noon, Mao Anying and others came to the Yintian Temple District Government. At that time, several cadres were holding a meeting, and it was at this time that Mautev introduced himself to everyone: "This is Comrade Mao Anying, the eldest son of Chairman Mao. ”
Several people could not believe their ears and hurriedly asked Mao Anying to sit down. After a moment of greeting, the leader of the Yintian Temple District Government invited Mao Anying to stay for dinner, and Mao Anying shook his head and said, "I will not stay for dinner, and I will still go to Shaoshan Chong to visit the villagers." In a few days, I will celebrate my grandmother's birthday and visit my mother's grave! ”
The leader nodded after listening and did not leave him any longer. It was already dusk when Mao Anying came to Shaoshan Chong, and he first conveyed his father's greetings to the villagers, and then learned about the situation in his hometown one by one. Mao Anying sent away groups of villagers who came to visit him, but he could not take care of the fatigue caused by the journey, and was invited to a meeting in the evening.
The meeting was held late at night, people gradually left, and several village cadres scrambled to invite Mao Anying to his home to rest. Mao Anying insisted, he skillfully removed a door panel, put it on two benches, opened his duffel bag, took out a small cover from it, and said: "Let's go back, tomorrow I will visit again." ”
"Mao Anying Sleeping Door Panel" has become a big news that people in Shaoshan Chong chanted, and some people say: "Lao Tzu is in a high position, but his son is so commoner, it is really a different era!" When these words reached Mao Anying's ears, he did not think so, thinking that sleeping on the door panel was much better than sleeping in a broken temple when he was wandering in Shanghai as a child.
The next day and the third day Mao Anying visited many relatives again, and when he came to Mao Ruihe's home, Mao Ruihe was lying on the hospital bed, And Mao Anying's eyes flashed with tears of sympathy, and then he took out 10 yuan from his purse and said: "Rui and Grandpa, you can buy some grain to eat with this money." ”
Don't underestimate the 10 yuan, which can buy a carton of rice at that time! After hearing this, Mao Ruihe was very touched and said: "The son of Chairman Mao's education is good!" ”
In this way, Mao Anying visited the poor and asked about hardships, like pepper noodles, this family gave 5 pieces, that family gave 10 pieces, and the maximum was not more than 20 pieces. The bulging leather bag that Chairman Mao gave him also gradually collapsed. Mao Anying lived for 6 days before and after Shaoshan Chong and not only visited many villagers, but also learned about the life of farmers.
Then Mao Anying came to Changsha to celebrate his grandmother's birthday, and when he stood in front of his grandmother, he shouted loudly and affectionately: "Grandma, hello!" ”
Mao Anying (middlemost)
Mao Anying's arrival made Xiang Zhenxi particularly happy, and the old man wiped his tears, and gently touched his wrinkled hands up and down, left and right, and said incoherently: "Boy, Kishi Ying, is it you, is Daddy okay?" What about my brother? Grandma is old..."
She also said to her grandson: "Don't look at your father is a big man now, but he also has an ordinary heart!" Xiang Zhenxi also said: "In the past, I used to make him some delicious food, but now that my health is poor, I can't do it." ”
Mao Anying asked his grandmother long and short questions, conveying his father's greetings and respect for the old man, which also gave the old man great comfort. In addition, Mao Anying also handed a letter to his grandmother, which was personally written by Chairman Mao: "Today the old lady's 80th birthday, specially ordered the little boy Kishiying to return to his hometown to celebrate the birthday, and sent ginseng, deer antler and other gifts to congratulate!" ”
Everyone knows that Chairman Mao was a very frugal man, whether it was in life or eating, and now he can use the fee to buy so many nourishing supplements for his mother-in-law, which is enough to see his filial piety. The most important thing is that Mao Anying returned to his hometown to congratulate his grandmother on his birthday this time, which was also mentioned by Chairman Mao on his own initiative, and it has to be said that Chairman Mao's feelings for his mother-in-law are really deep.
Chairman Mao's "Creditors"
On May 25, Xiang Zhenxi's 80th birthday, relatives entered the table early, and Mao Anying also sat next to his grandmother. Everyone was very happy at the family banquet, and Chairman Mao frequently gave his grandmother dishes, but at this time Mao Anying found that his aunt and grandmother were not present, so he asked his grandmother: "Grandmother, why don't you see your grandmother's figure?" Is something delaying? ”
Xiang Zhenxi said, "Your aunt and grandmother got sick a few days ago, and now she is not getting better, and she is recuperating at home." When Mao Anying heard that his aunt and grandmother were sick, he hurriedly said, "Then when I celebrate your birthday, I will go and see her!" ”
So as soon as Mao Anying finished eating his hair, he rushed to the home of his aunt Xiang Zhenkai, not knowing that this visit made Mao Anying learn a very shocking thing. Xiang Zhenkai's daughter Zhong Jinhuai said to Mao Anying: "Shore Ying, Aunt Mao is now a big person, if you can return the money from that year, it would be better." ”
At this time, Mao Anying knew that his father had borrowed Money from Xiang Zhenkai, so what was going on?
Xiang Zhenkai and Xiang Zhenxi are siblings of a mother, and Xiang Zhenkai is the eldest daughter in the family, and when they reach the age of marriage, they marry into a family in Pingjiang County. Xiang Zhenkai gave birth to a son and a daughter, which should have been a happy and happy life, but he did not expect that her husband died early and her son died early, leaving only Xiang Zhenkai and her only daughter Zhong Jinhuai.
Xiang Zhenkai and her daughter still have the same disease, and Zhong Jinhuai's husband died very early, so only two widows are left to live together, and life is very difficult. No matter how difficult life is, it cannot stop the patriotism of mother and daughter.
Xiang Zhenkai and Zhong Jinhuai borrowed Chairman Mao 100 silver dollars under extremely difficult circumstances. So what's going on here? Why did Chairman Mao need these 100 silver dollars?
Everyone knows that there was a "propaganda movement" in those days, and its organizer was Chairman Mao. After Zhang Jingyao was expelled from Hunan, Tan Yanmin allowed the people of Changsha to publish freely in order to show democratic autonomy. Chairman Mao saw this as a good opportunity to propagate Maxi's thought, and he planned to publicize it in the newspapers.
But everyone knew that it took money to publish a newspaper, and it was a lot of money, but at that time Chairman Mao and others were poor and white, and they could not come up with the money to publish the newspaper. Chairman Mao was very worried, and every day he was trying to figure out how to make money, so as to propagate Maxi Thought.
Xiang Zhenkai had a very good relationship with Chairman Mao and his wife, and when she learned of this, she did not hesitate to lend Chairman Mao the 100 silver dollars she had accumulated. 100 silver dollars was a "huge amount of money" at that time, and the situation in Xiang Zhenkai's family was not good, but she was able to take money to help Chairman Mao at such a time, which was enough to see her feelings for Chairman Mao.
After the founding of New China, Chairman Mao became the leader of the country, and Xiang Zhenkai was also very happy after learning about it. But at the same time, she was also very troubled, and she didn't know whether to tell the chairman about this matter and ask the chairman to help her.
It was not until Xiang Zhenkai's health became worse and worse that she told her daughter Zhong Jinhuai about the money that Chairman Mao owed, and only then did Zhong Jinhuai "ask for debts" from Chairman Mao.
Mao Anying also heard about this matter for the first time, and he immediately said: "Please rest assured that my aunt and grandmother and aunt will definitely tell my father about this matter after I go back, and I will definitely give you an explanation!" ”
On the morning of May 26, at a family banquet for the Mao family, the Yang family, and the family reunion, Mao Anying repeatedly thanked his relatives and friends on behalf of Chairman Mao. When talking about this visit to relatives in Xiangxiang, Mao Anying said:
"Dad's requirements are very strict, he made three rules for me, first, no soft sleepers, only hard seats, in Changsha can only walk to visit relatives, not allowed to take small chartered cars; second, not allowed to interfere in relatives' work arrangements; third, not allowed to bring guards."
As for the last one, because Hunan has just been liberated, the situation is more complicated, so the provincial party committee has arranged guards for me. ”
Mao Anying also told his relatives and friends: "As relatives of Mao Zedong, we must take the lead in abiding by discipline and the law, do a good job, and absolutely cannot think of ourselves as relatives of the chairman." Once we have a sense of superiority, we will be separated from the masses, and the expectations of the people of the whole country are very high, and we must pay attention to the influence everywhere and not be arrogant. ”
Unconsciously, it was already noon, and Xiang Jia specially invited a famous Hunan chef to cook many hometown flavor dishes to celebrate the reunion of the Mao family, the Yang family and the Xiang family. Not long after, Mao Anying said goodbye to his grandmother and others and returned to Beijing.
The first thing Mao Anying did when he returned to Beijing was to tell his father about his aunt and grandmother. Chairman Mao listened to his son's words and was silent for a long time, and then said: "I am not right in this matter, I owe them debts, and I will not be able to pay them back in this life..." Then Chairman Mao ordered: "Take her to live with your grandmother, and I will provide for her together." ”
Everyone must have understood when they saw this that Chairman Mao was taking care of every opportunity every day, and there were too many things to be busy with every day, so it was normal for him to forget about this matter. However, the most rare thing is that Chairman Mao will not only take Xiang Zhenkai to live with his mother-in-law after he knows it, but also offer to take care of her for the rest of her life.
In October 1950, when the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea broke out, Mao Anying resolutely went to the Korean battlefield and died in that strange land. Xiang Zhenkai and Xiang Zhenxi were very sad when they learned of this incident, Mao Anying was the eldest son of Yang Kaihui and Chairman Mao, but a highly anticipated child!
In 1951, Chairman Mao sent his second son, Mao Anqing, back to Xiangxiang to visit his grandmother and relatives and friends. After the national supply system was changed to a salary system, Chairman Mao sent monthly living expenses to Xiang Zhenkai and Xiang Zhenxi, without interruption, until the old man died.
In 1960, on Xiang Zhenxi's 90th birthday, Chairman Mao heard that Yang Kaihui's cousin Yang Kaiying was going to return to his hometown, so he wrote a letter to her and paid her money to buy some gifts for her to celebrate her birthday. The letter reads:
"Comrade Kaiying, Mrs. Yang is 90 years old this year, I have nothing to send, I will send 200 yuan, please ask you to convey it on your behalf." Or buy a gift to send, or send 200 yuan directly, all up to you to decide, trouble you! ”
In the spring of 1962, Chairman Mao asked Mao Anqing and Shao Hua to return to Hunan to visit their grandmother and visit Yang Kaihui's grave. After Mao Anqing and Shao Hua returned to Changsha, they brought their father's greetings to their relatives and friends. In November 1962, Xiang Zhenxi died in Changsha. After this bad news came, Chairman Mao was very sad, and immediately sent a letter of condolence and sent 500 yuan as burial expenses for the old lady.
For more than a century, Yang and Xiang have shared weal and woe and helped each other in the same boat, and have interpreted many stories that can be sung and wept. Today, most of the elderly people of Chairman Mao, Yang and Xiang have passed away, but their spirit will live forever!