"He is the first perfect man in the minds of billions of Chinese people." This is the famous Chinese writer Bing Xin's evaluation of Premier Zhou Enlai. He was a personable and elegant gentleman, and in him the demeanor of a great power and approachable man achieved perfect unity.
In 1954, Premier Zhou represented China at the Geneva International Conference, and the wonderful moment when he strides into the venue attracts the attention of everyone at the scene, and the wonderful speeches at the conference make the world impressed by his style.
In 1972, Premier Zhou was diagnosed with bladder cancer, but he could not put down his work, and in December 1975, Premier Zhou's condition continued to deteriorate, and he was awake for a while and unconscious, and the hospital suggested that Premier Zhou's wife, Deng Yingchao, should be mentally prepared.
One day, Deng Yingchao took his secretary Zhao Wei to visit Premier Zhou, and the secretary who was reading the newspaper for Premier Zhou saw Deng Yingchao come in, smiled at her slightly, and then stopped reading the newspaper.
Deng Yingchao walked to the bedside and looked at Premier Zhou, for half a day the two did not speak, just looked at each other sheepishly, after a while, Premier Zhou said: "There are still many things in my stomach that have not been said to you", although the voice was extremely weak, it sounded in the quiet ward, enough for everyone present to hear clearly, but they all silently lowered their heads as if they did not hear, and their eyes were full of tears.
Since Premier Zhou fell ill, Deng Yingchao endured grief every day and handled the large and small affairs of the West Flower Hall, and when she heard Premier Zhou's words, her feelings could no longer be controlled, and she instantly broke her defenses, and responded with tears: "I also have a lot of things I want to tell you."
The ward fell silent.
After a while, Premier Zhou jokingly said, "I have to take them all!" Deng Yingchao was just silent, her expression was full of solemnity, and the secretary Zhao Wei on the side gently touched her back to express comfort.
Premier Zhou pondered for a while, raised his head and solemnly explained to Zhao Wei: "Please help me take care of my eldest sister."
Zhao Wei, who could still be stretched, listened to Premier Zhou's words, tears instantly poured out, and she was afraid that she would cry louder and ran out in a hurry.
On January 8, 1976, Premier Zhou passed away in Beijing, and the "good premier of the people" left us forever with the reluctance and nostalgia of hundreds of millions of Chinese.
Premier Zhou was infinitely loyal to the party and the people and worked until the last moment of his life
Zhou Enlai was the founding father of the People's Republic of China and one of the main founders of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and Zhou Enlai was one of the most crucial and important players at any stage of the party's development.
After the founding of New China, Zhou Enlai served as the premier of the government, responsible for handling various heavy daily tasks of the party and the state, in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, under his organizational leadership, New China completed the recovery of the national economy, during the "First Five-Year Plan" period, he led as many as 156 construction projects, laying a solid foundation for the future industrialization of Chinese society. In the field of diplomacy, Premier Zhou has visited dozens of countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, making important contributions to enhancing the friendship between the Chinese people and the people of the world, and helping China open up a new diplomatic situation.
In February 1967, premier Zhou was diagnosed with heart disease due to perennial overload work and short sleep time, and in October 1970, when Premier Zhou received American journalist Snow, he mentioned his physical condition and said:
"Because I slept less, my health weakened, and I had heart problems in the past 4 years, and I was nearly 73 years old."
In February 1972, in order to ensure the safety of the visit of then US President Richard Nixon to China, Premier Zhou disregarded his own health and personally boarded a simple elevator to inspect the security situation, at this time Premier Zhou's physical condition had seriously deteriorated, and the phenomenon of blood in the urine began to appear, and people were even more emaciated, and the doctor warned him to rest more and drink less, but Premier Zhou still insisted on working.
The ill-fated Premier Zhou not only personally received Nixon at the capital airport, but also held a welcoming ceremony for him. At the state banquet that night, Premier Zhou even disregarded the illness and raised a toast with the US representatives one by one.
In May 1972, Premier Zhou, who had been overworked, was diagnosed with bladder cancer by doctors, and the doctor told him to recuperate and reduce his work, but the sick Premier Zhou still worked in a sleepless and uneaten way, resulting in repeated aggravations.
In 1974, doctors suggested that major surgery must be performed, but for the sake of the upcoming National People's Congress, Premier Zhou rejected the proposal and asked for conservative treatment so that he could stay sober and convenient.
In July, Premier Zhou was admitted to the 305 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, and on the day of hospitalization, Premier Zhou underwent bladder cancer resection surgery, and the symptoms of blood in urine finally disappeared, but experts still did not dare to relax. As expected, Premier Zhou's cancer cells metastasized, and on August 10, with Chairman Mao's approval, Premier Zhou underwent another operation, and less than a week after the operation, Premier Zhou, who was a little more energetic, began to work again.
In March 1975, Premier Zhou's stomach and intestines were checked for problems again, and he underwent a third operation, after which Premier Zhou weighed only 61 pounds.
After that, Premier Zhou's body continued to send red signals, until finally, he never got out of the hospital bed again, but even so, he never forgot to care about national construction and people's livelihood, and let the secretary read reports and documents to himself.
In December, Premier Zhou was completely in a state of sometimes awake and sometimes comatose, and his condition was so serious that Master Zhu Dianhua, who had been in charge of cutting Premier Zhou's hair, wanted to see Premier Zhou, after his request for a meeting had been rejected twice.
Zhou Enlai, who learned the news, still refused Master Zhu's request, and he told the people around him:
"Master Zhu has been giving me a haircut for more than 20 years, and seeing that I am now sick like this, he will be uncomfortable, or don't let him come." Thank you for him. ”
Even though he has been suffering from illness, Premier Zhou still cares about others and thinks about others.
At the end of December, Premier Zhou was already difficult to eat, and could only rely on a tube to transport to the stomach, and the aggravation of the disease made Premier Zhou have to use sleeping pills and painkillers for a long time, but over time, antibodies seemed to have been produced in the body, and pain relief measures were ineffective.
Premier Zhou was often trembling with pain and sweating like rain, but he desperately controlled his breathing, always gritted his teeth and insisted, refusing to shout...
Once, Premier Zhou woke up from his illness, and he hurriedly asked the nurse next to him: "Did I shout?" ”
The nurse said bitterly: "It doesn't matter if you call it, if it hurts, you call it, it doesn't matter", but Premier Zhou still insisted on not saying a word. Only once, he couldn't stand the pain of drilling bones, and asked her husband: "Dr. Zhang, I really can't help but hurt, I want to hum, is it okay?" ”
The doctor comforted and said: "Prime Minister, Prime Minister, you shout in pain, it doesn't matter... How to hurt better, that's how! Prime Minister, don't you... Stop being constrained... Yourself. ”
From 1974, when he was hospitalized for surgery, to 1976, in less than two years, Premier Zhou had undergone a total of 13 large and small surgeries, and even when he was lying on the hospital bed, he insisted on understanding the dynamics at home and abroad every day and letting the people around him read documents and reports to him.
When Premier Zhou was dying, his last words were: "I have nothing to do here." You still have to take care of other sick comrades, where you are needed even more..."
At the last moment of his life, Premier Zhou was still thinking about the country and the people, and Deng Yingchao, who was guarding the hospital bed, also bid farewell to his lover and said bitterly: "Enlai, you are gone..."
Before his death, Premier Zhou made three demands:
1. Do not retain the ashes;
2, the handling of the aftermath should not be special, do not exceed anyone;
3. Do not hold a memorial service and do not say goodbye to the remains.
Deng Yingchao said that everything about Zhou Enlai's funeral was entrusted to the organization, and subsequently, the organization said:
"No, you can't take Premier Zhou to the knife without a memorial service." In this case, we will not be able to account to the people of the whole country. ”
In the end, a preliminary consensus was reached after unanimous deliberation:
"Not only must a memorial service be held, but also a farewell service for the remains, and as to whether the ashes are retained, Chairman Mao's approval is needed."
Premier Zhou's simple life has been thoroughly implemented from the masses and finally returned to the masses, and the "Ten Mile Long Street" is the nostalgia of the Chinese people for this good prime minister.
Deng Yingchao is independent in thought and a pioneer of the Chinese women's movement
On February 4, 1904, Deng Yingchao was born in Nanning, Guangxi, and when she was young, she wrote down the aspiration of "wangwu compatriots from now on to work together, lift up their spirits, and seek the progress of the country".
In 1925, Deng Yingchao officially joined the Communist Party of China and began her revolutionary career, and in the same year, she married Zhou Enlai.
In the face of the attack of the revolutionary storm, Deng Yingchao had extraordinary courage and strength, even in the most severe period of persecution by the warlords of the Chinese Communist Party, Deng Yingchao was always one of the few female party members who were active in the front line. When people around her mention her, they always describe her as "clear-headed and independent-minded".
After marriage, friends began to call her "Mrs. Zhou" when chatting with her, and after hearing this, Deng Yingchao said to her friends around her: "I have a name, called Deng Yingchao", she always insisted on maintaining her personality independence. After that, Premier Zhou always called her "Sister Deng", and people began to call her that.
As an early member of the Communist Party of China, Deng Yingchao's qualifications and work ability were enough to be qualified for important leadership positions in the country, but her power and status never had a place in the hearts of her and Premier Zhou:
"We are servants who serve the people, not heroes. Serving the people is endless and unlimited. ”
After joining the Communist Party, the nephews of the two men, Zhou Erjun, hurriedly wrote to them to share the good news, and Deng Yingchao then wrote back to him, and at the beginning of the letter, Deng Yingchao called him "Comrade Erjun's nephew", putting the comrades in front, and from this detail, we can see Deng Yingchao's attention to the identity of a Communist Party member.
In addition, Deng Yingchao also put forward three requirements for Erjun, and from the "three musts", we can see Deng Yingchao's pure party spirit and strict requirements for future generations:
You must strengthen the tempering of Party spirit, overcome non-proletarian thinking, constantly strive for the eight criteria of Party membership, do not live up to the title of glorious Communist Party member, and strive to become a full Party member as scheduled. You must pay attention to maintaining close ties with the masses, showing concern for the masses, and learning from the masses so that you can better serve the people. You know that you should not be arrogant, but you must continue to practice it in thought and action.
In addition to the identity of Premier Zhou's wife, Deng Yingchao himself is also a pioneer of China's great women's movement. Her ability to work was tested during the Revolutionary War.
In 1937, the Kuomintang planned a second cooperation, and of the six Communist party representatives, Deng Yingchao was the only female senator, which was enough to show her personal ability.
After the founding of New China, Deng Yingchao continued to do fruitful work for the party's cause and was deeply loved and respected by people from all walks of life; in particular, after serving as the head of the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Work in 1979, he did a great deal of work to promote cross-strait exchanges and the great cause of the reunification of the motherland.
Since the reform and opening up, Deng Yingchao dragged her elderly sick body and resolutely fought in the front line of seeking progress and happiness for the party and the people, and only retired from her leading post in 1988.
During Zhou Enlai's tenure as premier of the country, Deng Yingchao also served as vice chairman of the All-China Women's Federation for decades; according to regulations, the cadres of new China set their salary standards on the basis of revolutionary seniority and position; Premier Zhou took the initiative to demand that he receive an administrative second-level salary, leaving the first-level salary to the family of the martyrs; Deng Yingchao also gave up his administrative third-level standard and applied to his superiors to receive an administrative fifth-level salary.
Later, Premier Zhou, considering that Deng Yingchao was not in good health, once again discussed with her to reduce the salary standard to the sixth level of administration, and Deng Yingchao, who heard this proposal, readily agreed and quickly submitted an application report to the central government.
On July 11, 1992, Deng Yingchao, who had been worried about the party and the country all her life, died in Beijing at the age of 88, and the will she made before her death once again explained the life realm in which she would dedicate her life to the party and the country:
1. Do not take rescue when he is ill and cannot be saved;
2. Pay all unused wages;
3. The house where he lived with Zhou Enlai was handed over to the public for disposal;
4. The Central Office of the CPC Central Committee issued Zhou Enlai's large-character theoretical and historical books, retired to the organs, and handed over other books and publications to the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League for discretion to be distributed to units where young people read intensively;
5. Personal documents, correspondence, clerical documents, speeches, recordings of conversations, and all photographs of them and Zhou Enlai shall be submitted to the Central Literature Research Office for storage and clearance;
6. Relics that can be handed over to the public or to relevant units for use;
7. Personal relics, clothing and miscellaneous items, to be used for souvenirs and use by the land used in conjunction with the land and the comrades working around them, as well as some relatives who have contacts.
The couple have a deep affection, but they never ask much at work
In 1974, due to some problems with the physical condition of both Premier Zhou and Chairman Mao, the Fourth Npc session had entered the countdown, and the Politburo proposed to recommend Deng Yingchao as vice chairman of the NPC to help prepare for the NPC session. Comrade Deng Yingchao's contribution to New China is obvious to all, and moreover, she has rich experience and theoretical knowledge, and her work ability has been unanimously recognized by people inside and outside the party, and Chairman Mao immediately agreed to this proposal and believed that it was a very reasonable proposal.
Therefore, after receiving the document sent by the Politburo recommending Deng Yingchao as vice chairman of the NPC, Chairman Mao immediately made a review, but after thinking of Premier Zhou's temper, Chairman Mao deliberately added the following sentence: I agree to arrange Comrade Deng Yingchao to be a vice chairman at the Fourth NPC.
However, after this instruction was handed over to Premier Zhou, he secretly hid the document of his appointment in his file cabinet, and in this way, Deng Yingchao's appointment was dismissed without her own knowledge.
It was not until the death of Premier Zhou that the staff discovered this "secret" when they sorted out the relics, and after understanding the situation, people began to cry bitterly, and the premier never thought of seeking a little fame and fortune for himself and his family in his life.
In fact, Premier Zhou has always been a little "unkind" when dealing with his family and friends. Although he and his wife adopted many descendants of martyrs and cared for them in life and study, Premier Zhou never gave any special care when it came to power and treatment, and all his sons and nephews mentioned it invariably: Premier Zhou and his wife never gave them any special care, and the Zhou family was an ordinary family.
In the treatment of his wife Deng Yingchao, Premier Zhou did not have any special care.
After the founding of New China, according to Deng Yingchao's ability and qualifications, there was no advantage in holding a position in a new Chinese government, but Premier Zhou, who was responsible for forming and selecting candidates, did not let Deng Yingchao hold any position.
Many people in the party protested against this, believing that Premier Zhou's mistreatment of Deng Yingchao was too obvious, and Comrade Jiang Xianyun also expressed his dissatisfaction and demanded that Premier Zhou respect equality between men and women and arrange suitable posts for Deng Yingchao.
Premier Zhou always believed that the mixing of family affairs and state affairs was not conducive to the development of the country's cause, and he firmly said to Jiang Xianyun: "As long as I become prime minister for one day, your little sister super sister will not be able to serve in the government." ”
Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao accompanied each other, from the revolutionary war to the founding of New China, everyone in the party witnessed their deep feelings, on all issues, whether it is life or work, the two can almost reach an agreement, Deng Yingchao always respects Premier Zhou's decision.
When China was preparing to carry out the first hydrogen bomb explosion test, due to the change in wind direction, Premier Zhou did not approve the detonation for a long time, and it lasted for nearly 20 hours of high-intensity work, which made Deng Yingchao very distressed, so she asked the staff on duty about the situation, and the staff whispered to her: "I heard that the wind direction is not right, and the test is difficult to carry out." ”
Deng Yingchao, who learned the reason, walked into Premier Zhou's office and said to Premier Zhou, who was working: "Enlai, I heard that the wind direction is not right, you should rest first, the wind direction is always right!" ”
Premier Zhou, who heard this, instantly raised his head, his face was iron blue, and asked Deng Yingchao: "What wind direction is not right?" Who do you listen to? ”
Deng Yingchao did not expect Zhou Enlai to be so serious, so he had to respond: "What Old Qiao said just now."
"You call old Joe here!"
As soon as he entered the door, Premier Zhou solemnly said to him: "Old Joe, I am a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee, and Little Miss Chao is a member of the Central Committee. So, I didn't tell her about this, and she couldn't read or ask about the documents I brought back, because it was a matter of discipline and a matter of enforcing the system. Old Qiao, who realized his mistake, made a profound review to Premier Zhou.
It can be seen from this small matter that Premier Zhou has very strict requirements for himself, and there is no ambiguity in the implementation of various systems.
Since then, Deng Yingchao has also been more cautious, respecting the confidentiality requirements of Zhou Enlai's work, and concentrating on his work.