In the different stages of the founding and construction of New China, Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping and other proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation all spared no effort for the fate of the country; The latter has been a loyal follower of the chairman since the early days of the revolution, leaving behind countless stories of praise and emotion.
In his later years, Deng Xiaoping made a special trip to visit Chairman Mao's former residence in Zhongnanhai.
Visit Chairman Mao's former residence
Like other older revolutionaries and founding generals, Deng Xiaoping's life is entirely worth describing as magnificent.
His life was full of twists and turns and unexpected turns, which posed a great challenge to a person's heart and will.
But no matter what kind of adversity he was in, or even the long time when there was no hope in sight, he never lost confidence in the future.
It is precisely because of his persistence and perseverance that he has waited for the final dawn, and China has also stepped into a new era of construction and development.
In 1990, Deng Xiaoping decided to resign from his current position and enter the retirement stage of his life.
But before switching to another way of life, there was at least one more thing that had to be done, and he went to Zhongnanhai.
This is the place where Chairman Mao has lived, lived and worked for a long time since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and even though the Si people have gone, all the house furnishings still remain as they were.
In this invaluable old house, Deng Xiaoping stayed for a long time.
Although the owner of the room has been gone for more than ten years, the spirit and thoughts he left behind have always been imprinted in the hearts of later generations.
Last group photo
In 1975, deng xiaoping's work in charge had just achieved fruitful feedback, and because of its conformity to the people's wishes, it was through that period that the broad masses of the people came to know Deng Xiaoping more deeply.
Also in May of that year, the relevant staff took a group photo for Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping.
At the time, it was nothing more than a tried-and-tested old comrade-in-arms standing in the same trench and taking a picture that didn't mean anything special.
Neither of the two people who took the photo imagined that this photo would become their last group photo.
The last time Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping appeared in the same frame was at the end of the year, when they met with the SCENE of the event to entertain US President Ford and his wife.
Entering 1976, shortly after delivering a eulogy at Premier Zhou's memorial service, Deng Xiaoping was depressed.
His children prepared a deck of playing cards in case he had a pastime when he was bored.
However, in this period of time, which is definitely not a short time, this brand new deck of cards was actually arranged, drawn, and shuffled by him, and it was hard to put on the old, and even the corners of the cards were polished white.
Always comrades-in-arms and students
The Third Plenary Session of the Tenth Central Committee in 1977 was of great significance for Deng Xiaoping himself and even for New China.
Whether in interviews with European and American journalists, or on other occasions, Deng Xiaoping always expressed his attitude in a clear and clear manner.
That is, "without Chairman Mao there would be no new China, this is not an exaggeration", once this guiding force is lost, the entire Chinese people will have to grope in the dark for a longer time; Therefore, the statue of Chairman Mao in the Tiananmen Tower should also be hung from generation to generation.
These statements actually reflect his thoughts and feelings.
On the eve of his retirement, Deng Xiaoping, who had also long since entered old age, was confronted with the furniture that was still familiar and nostalgic in Chairman Mao's former residence, what did he really think?
In this year's China, it has been very different from the previous years.
The haze of the past has been swept away, and the new trend of reform and opening up has also been on the string, and how to make this country run to the high-speed track of prosperity and strength is exactly the issue facing that generation.
At this point in time, the purpose of going to Chairman Mao's former residence can be said to be very obvious, and after years of practice, Deng Xiaoping also had more feelings in his heart.
He took his family to look closely at the bits and pieces of the former residence, and said a sentence that has been remembered for many years, saying that he will always be Chairman Mao's comrade-in-arms and students.
New era, new task
Ever since he went to Guangxi at the age of 25 to lead the Baise Uprising, he had already decided the path that Deng Xiaoping would devote his life to.
It is also for this reason that he has always been regarded as one of the founders of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Since then, through the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, especially the battle of Dabie Mountain and Huaihai, which has undertaken heavy responsibilities, until the liberation of the great southwest, it has always won victory opportunities in the dangerous revolutionary years.
Some people believe that it is precisely because of personally experiencing the military career of those years that Deng Xiaoping's distinct personality of being good at making decisions and resolutely implementing them to the end has finally been tempered.
After entering the construction period of economic development, it is still this trait in his personality, which supports him to continue to explore a path to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in his old age of gradually getting older and not waiting for me.
Standing in front of Chairman Mao's former residence this time, he still regarded himself as a student of Chairman Mao, but in fact, he was facing a new task.
At this time, more than a decade has passed since chairman Mao's death, but the deep friendship and firm conviction shown by Deng Xiaoping in various details are still touching.
This is not only the deep affection of comrades-in-arms tempered after they have overcome countless hardships and hardships together in the past, but also the commitment to continue the unfinished business as a latecomer. Comrades-in-arms who once fought side by side will always remain in the hearts of others, even if they take a step ahead.
At the critical moment when China was pushing it onto the path of economic development, Deng Xiaoping truly felt the pressure and sense of mission given by the times.
Around 1978, Deng Xiaoping visited the United States and Japan continuously, with the idea of observing the social conditions and economic development of other countries and other aspects of details, to further understand the world.
It was those visits that further deepened his worries, and the process of modernization and the development of national strength often took only a few years to look completely different.
"One in the fifties, one in the sixties, and another in the seventies," he wondered how to close such gaps and avoid being left behind by other countries.
In a word, history and the world have left little room for China's development.
In order to be able to unite forces and develop with all our might as soon as possible, ideological differences cannot sit idly by; first of all, we must ensure stable social operation before we can talk about development.
Correctly evaluating Chairman Mao and related ideas is an important condition for ensuring social stability and economic take-off, and Deng Xiaoping's repeated setting of the tone on this is also one of the manifestations of his farsightedness.
An earlier visit
In fact, long before Deng Xiaoping retired, he had visited Chairman Mao's former residence during a certain trip to Beijing to work, and that time he had visited the former residence of Shaoshan.
In October 1973, Deng Xiaoping, then vice premier, personally sent an important foreign guest to Guilin, and on his return trip, he deliberately took time to divert to Hunan, planning to visit Chairman Mao's former residence.
After the founding of New China, The local area of Shaoshan carried out the necessary protection and renovation of Mao's old house, and soon after it was officially opened to visit in the form of the former residence.
However, for Deng Xiaoping, things were very unfortunate, because of the busy work arrangements and the unsmooth schedule, his long-term desire to visit Chairman Mao's former residence was never fulfilled.
At that time, there was this opportunity, and Deng Xiaoping naturally did not want to miss it.
He only had two goals for going to ShaoshanChong, one was to see for himself what Chairman Mao's former residence looked like, and the other was to remember Mao Zeqin, Mao Zemin, and other old classmates and old comrades-in-arms.
The former residence of Shaoshan Chong has been protected, and the style is still the same, trying to maintain the appearance of Chairman Mao's former residence.
Because of the good family atmosphere, it looks clean and simple, orderly, and it is conceivable that the former occupants must have self-disciplined living habits.
Accompanied by the staff, Deng Xiaoping entered the inner room from the hall house and listened to the explanations of the accompanying people as he walked, walking very slowly and seriously.
When the group went to Chairman Mao's parents' bedroom, the explainer told him that the large wooden bed in the corner of the wall remained the same, and that Chairman Mao was born on this bed.
Hearing such a meticulous display explanation, Deng Xiaoping smiled.
Subsequently, during his visit to Chairman Mao's bedroom, Deng Xiaoping, while reading the explanatory words in the exhibition area, asked the explainer about Chairman Mao's early study and life, and also inquired in particular detail about the relevant situation of the Shaoshan Party branch.
This is because Deng Xiaoping always firmly believed that the establishment of party branches was one of the major decisive measures of the Chinese revolution, and Chairman Mao's decision to make this decision was also a sign of Marxism-Leninism with Chinese characteristics.
It is not difficult to see from all kinds of details that Deng Xiaoping was very respectful and convinced of Chairman Mao's various views and decisions, and Chairman Mao once praised Deng Xiaoping's ability, saying that he was "strong in political ideology and rare in talent." It is also these mutual evaluations and trusts that have become the cornerstone of the inheritance of faith in the future.
Remembering comrades-in-arms
In addition to Chairman Mao's own house, there are also rooms and materials of other relatives of the Mao family, such as Mao Zeqin and Mao Zemin.
Mao Zeqin was Chairman Mao's third brother and an old comrade-in-arms who had fought with Deng Xiaoping.
In order to create a revolutionary base area and protect the fruits of the revolution, they were born side by side in the rain of bullets and bullets and formed a deep revolutionary friendship.
At the beginning, the Jinggangshan Huishi, which was regarded as a glorious page in the history of the party and the military, was Mao Zeqin, who actively ran to contact mao Zeqin. He also participated in the defense of Jinggangshan and the Central Soviet Region five times against "encirclement and suppression", and was awarded the Second Class Red Star Medal for his military achievements.
At the end of 1934, the main force of the Central Red Army began the Long March, Mao Zeqin stayed behind to insist on guerrilla warfare, because of the cover of the guerrillas to break through and was wounded and sacrificed, at that time he was only 29 years old, looking at Mao Zeqin's portrait, recalling the years they had been together, many years later Deng Xiaoping could not help but be sentimental, he said affectionately "Mao Zeqin is a good comrade", and praised him as "a fierce general in the early days of our army".
Chairman Mao was also very saddened by Mao Zeqin's sacrifice.
He repeatedly mentioned that he had promised his mother at bed that he would take good care of his brothers. And this younger brother, Chairman Mao, has always thought that he is smarter and bolder than himself.
The people will never forget the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the strength of the country and the liberation of the people, and their relatives and comrades-in-arms will never forget.
Deng Xiaoping not only long remembered Mao Zeqin, who sacrificed heroically, but also deeply remembered Mao Zemin, who was killed at the hands of the reactionary warlord Sheng Shicai in Xinjiang.
Mao Zemin, Chairman Mao's second brother, has a dimly lit bedroom on the inside of his former residence, with photographs of Mao Zemin working in Xinjiang.
Mao Zemin successively served as president of the State Bank and other positions, mainly focusing on economic work, and there were a lot of his work and contributions in the economic development of the Soviet union and the growth of the Red Army.
In the face of the portrait of this deceased and comrade-in-arms, thinking of Mao Zemin's contributions and ultimate sacrifices, Deng Xiaoping could not help but feel a pang of sentimentality.
After visiting Chairman Mao's former residence, Deng Xiaoping carefully visited the Mao family's grain flat, as well as the nearby rice fields and vegetable fields.
At the door of the old residence, the staff took a souvenir photo of him.
The photograph also became the only time Deng Xiaoping visited The Former Residence of Shaoshan, which is still displayed in the memorial hall today.
Toast to Chairman Mao!
On the way from the old residence to the exhibition hall, also through the patches of rice fields, Deng Xiaoping was in a good mood, and he refused the arrangement of transporting by car, saying that walking was a good physical exercise.
At that time, it was the time when the rice was ripe, and there was a breeze blowing through Shaoshan Chong, sending a burst of rice fragrance.
Deng Xiaoping walked briskly and walked like a fly, he walked alone in the front, and the accompanying renren was thrown down by him.
At dinner that day, Deng Xiaoping's interest was still very high.
Although he was nearly seventy years old, he ate four steamed buns and four cups of Maotai at that meal, and was the first to stand up and make a loud toast: "Toast for our party, for Chairman Mao!" ”
It was not until 1981, when the new shaoshan administration bureau was established, that Deng Xiaoping also wrote two plaques with inscriptions for Chairman Mao's former residence and memorial hall at the request.
If Deng Xiaoping's first visit to Chairman Mao's former residence allowed him to remember his comrades-in-arms and to understand Chairman Mao and his people more deeply, then the second visit to the former residence was even more determined to continue along Chairman Mao's road.
When he said that he "will always be Chairman Mao's students and comrades-in-arms," the respect and pride in his tone overflowed into words, and as a revolutionary of the older generation who had experienced vicissitudes for a long time, Deng Xiaoping always maintained the original intention of that year for Chairman Mao.
Bibliography:
"Historical Moments", Hello Xiaoping; CCTV
"Inside Story of Deng Xiaoping's Visit to the Former Residence of Mao Zedong in Shaoshan in 1973"; Xinhua Net, originally published in "Party History Expo"; 2010-11-2
"Outstanding Revolutionary Hero | Mao Zeqin: Excellent Commander of the Red Army"; Changsha Evening News; 2021-06-01