Attending the fourth NPC was the last major event Zhou Enlai accomplished in the last years of his life. The Great Hall of the People is the center of the political and diplomatic activities of the Chinese Party and the state, the place where Zhou Enlai often deals with state and foreign affairs, and what happened and handled here has had a profound and long-lasting impact on China and the world. From every office space in the Great Hall to every hall, Zhou Enlai's footprints have been left behind, and Zhou Enlai has poured too much effort into it. His tireless figure was forever engraved in the hearts of the staff of the Great Hall of the People, causing many unforgettable thoughts and memories...
1. Shortly after the operation, he presided over the 1974 National Day reception
October 1, 1974 marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. On the evening of 30 September, a grand reception was held in the Great Hall of the People. The mood of the people present was extremely heavy, and in the silence, people waited - can Zhou Enlai still come? It is an open secret that he is seriously ill. People frequently looked down at their watches, and then their eyes turned to the entrance of the banquet hall. At this time, I don't know who said first: "Premier Zhou is here!" When the party and state leaders walked into the banquet hall to the rhythm of the welcome song, everyone saw Zhou Enlai at a glance, and the banquet hall of thousands of people instantly boiled, and everyone cheered excitedly for Zhou Enlai's arrival. Chinese and foreign guests sitting in the front row rushed to Zhou Enlai's side, excitedly shaking hands with him and greeting him. Yes, for several months, I haven't seen Zhou Enlai appear in public, and everyone is very worried. Today, I finally saw the long-awaited Zhou Enlai, how could I not be excited? I saw Zhou Enlai walking to his seat, stretching out his hands to signal everyone repeatedly, but the applause still lasted for a long time.
After the band played the "National Anthem", Zhou Enlai gave a toast amid warm applause. His clear and loud voice spread to all corners of the banquet hall, and people stared at it with eager eyes, and every guest familiar with this voice once again felt the charm of Zhou Enlai's unique speech. The short 5-minute toast was interrupted by more than a dozen applause.
The medical staff originally disapproved of Zhou Enlai's attendance and hosting of this reception. But their opinion was flatly rejected by Zhou Enlai. He said firmly: "I am going to attend this reception. "He not only attended the reception, but also spoke, and until the last sentence.
Zhou Enlai's final speech brought the warm atmosphere of the reception to a climax. After Zhou Enlai gave a toast, he symbolically ate some food on the guest table, because he was seriously ill and had just undergone surgery, he could not drink, the staff used empty Maotai bottles to fill boiled water and make a mark in advance to pour wine for him, and Zhou Enlai still toasted with high interest as before.
After the toast, Zhou Enlai followed the doctor's instructions, did not take a seat again, shook hands with the nearby guests apologetically, said goodbye, and left early. Seeing this scene, many people present couldn't help but huddle over and shake hands with him, wanting to say goodbye to him, and even more wanted to find some excuse to let him stay here for a while, even if it was for a second. At that time, many people only knew that Zhou Enlai was in poor health, and did not know that he was suffering from an incurable disease. No one would have expected that from now on, they would never see the beloved Zhou Enlai again. In this way, Zhou Enlai ended the activities of the last National Day reception he presided over and left the Great Hall of the People.
2. A story attracted by taking a group photo with literary and artistic workers
During Zhou Enlai's toast, Cantonese opera celebrity Kwong Kin Lian (stage name Red Line Woman) looked at Zhou Enlai for a long time, and she seemed to have realized that this was the last time she saw Zhou Enlai, and the sick Zhou Enlai may not stay alive for long. So he took the hand of Yang Chunxia, a Peking Opera actor next to him, and said: "Chunxia, go, let's go and toast the premier!" To toast Zhou Enlai on such a grand and solemn occasion, Yang Chunxia never dared to think about it. Moreover, at the same table as Zhou Enlai, Prince Sihanouk on the left and other central leaders on the right. However, since there is a red line woman taking the lead, Yang Chunxia is naturally very happy. So she didn't think so much, and quickly followed the red thread woman to Zhou Enlai.
They saw that Zhou Enlai, dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit, looked thin and thin, and seemed to be a little old, but his manners and speech were still so dashing and elegant, and his voice and smile were still so amiable. When Zhou Enlai saw them walking towards him, he stood up and toasted them. It could be seen that his body was weak and his movements were slightly slow, but when he saw them coming to toast, he also raised his glass happily. As soon as the red-threaded woman saw Zhou Enlai, her first words said: "Premier, we miss your body very much. Zhou Enlai immediately replied: "I also think about you..." Zhou Enlai said something later, but unfortunately because they were too excited at that time, they didn't remember, only Zhou Enlai's pale and wise face was deeply imprinted in her mind. Zhou Enlai clinked glasses with them very happily and drank this glass of wine full of everyone's good wishes. Photographer Du Xiuxian snapped this touching shot across from them. Unexpectedly, this photo will lead to a short story 20 years later.
In 1993, the magazine "Children of China" published several photos of Zhou Enlai, one of which was a photo of Zhou Enlai clinking glasses with Yang Chunxia and the Red Line Girl. Yang Chunxia accidentally found this group photo while flipping through the magazine and was pleasantly surprised, because in the past, she didn't know that she had left a photo when she toasted Zhou Enlai, so after several twists and turns, she finally found photographer Du Xiuxian. This particularly memorable photograph hangs in her bedroom today. 3. At the Fourth National People's Congress, the baton for completing the "four modernizations" was handed over to Deng Xiaoping. At 8 p.m. on January 13, 1975, the hall of the Great Hall of the People was brightly lit and solemn, and the Fourth National People's Congress opened. At this time, 77-year-old Zhou Enlai was already seriously ill, and he showed a special expression in the face of the expectations of 2,864 delegates.
Deng Xiaoping knew very well about the health of this comrade-in-arms and brother who had gone through the revolutionary process together for half a century, and that the government work report read by Zhou Enlai today was drafted under his auspices in accordance with Mao Zedong's opinions. The delegates found that the Zhou Enlai in front of them seemed to be a different person than he was 10 years ago - he was so emaciated that he was almost deformed due to overwork; The face and hands are covered with wrinkles and age spots; The movements and voices also look so old and tired...
In the hall of 10,000 people in the Great Hall of the People, Zhou Enlai's firm and clear Northern Jiangsu accent sounded again: "In accordance with Chairman Mao's instructions, the political work report of the Third National People's Congress once proposed that starting from the Third Five-Year Plan, the development of the mainland's national economy can be conceived in two steps: The first step is to build an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system in 15 years, that is, before 1980; The second step is to comprehensively realize the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology within this century, so that the mainland's national economy will be in the forefront of the world..." In this report, the most striking thing is that it has issued a great call to the people of all nationalities throughout the country to realize the "four modernizations." This was Zhou Enlai's last "Government Work Report" at the Great Hall of the People. On the afternoon of February 1, Zhou Enlai came out of the hospital again with his illness and went to the Great Hall of the People to preside over the executive meeting of the State Council.
As soon as the meeting began, Zhou Enlai said straight to the point: "I am not in good health, and the work of the State Council in the future will be presided over by Comrade Xiaoping." The hospital doesn't want to let me out, but I still want to try to meet with you once a week..." Then, Zhou Enlai said in a solemn tone: "Chairman Mao said that Comrade Xiaoping 'has rare talents' and 'strong political ideology.'" At present, the new leading body of the State Council is headed by Comrade Xiaoping, and such meetings in the future will be presided over by Comrade Xiaoping. I hope that the new State Council will have a new atmosphere and lead the people of the whole country to work hard to complete and exceed the quota of this year's national economic plan and the fourth five-year plan! Zhou Enlai's speech won warm applause from the audience. Attending the fourth NPC was the last major event Zhou Enlai accomplished in the last years of his life. 4. "I have come to see you, to talk to you, to listen to you sing." ”
Zhou Enlai was a well-known revolutionary and politician at home and abroad. At the same time, he is also a leader known for his love for his people and his approachable style. As the prime minister of a big country, he has many opportunities to deal with, but his concern and concern for the staff around him is meticulous, which is touching.
It will not be forgotten that on the eve of May Day in 1974, before Zhou Enlai underwent another operation, when receiving a foreign head of state, he named all the old waiters who had served him in the past to come and serve the banquet. Most of the old waiters had learned that Zhou Enlai was seriously ill, but did not know that he was terminally ill and its possible consequences. After the banquet, everyone sent Zhou Enlai out of the north gate, from the banquet hall on the second floor to the north hall on the first floor, looking at his back and his increasingly thin face, and unconsciously felt a pain in his heart. Everyone understood what Zhou Enlai meant, and Zhou Enlai also understood the mood of these waiters who had worked beside him for many years, and his kind eyes swept over everyone, and he shook hands with everyone one by one and asked long and short questions as usual. Everyone sincerely wishes Zhou Enlai to come back after an early recovery. But no one said this common heart because of the infarction of the throat, and only a waiter said softly: "Please take care of the prime minister." Suddenly, tears that had already been in the corners of everyone's eyes burst out of their eyes.
It is often said that tears are the most sincere expression of feelings. Everyone's sincere feelings for Zhou Enlai come from his careful care and teaching for the Great Hall of the People and its staff, and from his admiration for his noble character.
In the last period of his life, Zhou Enlai had unlimited nostalgia for the Great Hall of the People, the place where he had worked and the staff who served him. In July 1975, Zhou Enzi felt that his days were numbered, and he came to the Great Hall of the People for the last time to see the halls where he had worked in the past and the old comrades he was familiar with. The waiter greeted them at the door, and when Zhou Enlai saw them, he said: "I haven't seen you for many days, I really miss you!" I came to see you, to talk to you, to listen to you sing." People feel that this time is not the same as before, or receiving foreign guests or attending other meetings and activities, as if they came to visit the Great Hall of the People on a special trip, but it is not like that. Afterwards, everyone realized Zhou Enlai's condition, he knew that his days were numbered, and he actually came to the Great Hall of the People to say goodbye to life!
That day, he went to every hall where he had worked and moved, he walked and looked, sometimes greeted the staff present, sometimes stopped and looked carefully, browsing every room, every piece of furniture... Every service staff had tears on their faces and shook hands with Zhou Enlai, mixed with excitement and sadness, but no one would have thought that this would be the last time they saw Zhou Enlai. Everyone saw that Zhou Enlai's body was thinner and harder. With a reluctant mood, Zhou Enlai visited the many halls and rooms where he had held meetings, worked and received foreign guests from the northern, middle and southern sections of the Great Hall of the People. As in the past, Zhou Enlai talked as he walked, asking about the work, study, family, and children of each comrade who accompanied him, and said in a serious voice: "In the future, you will be the elders of the Great Hall, and you must do a good job in passing on the new comrades who will follow, and teach them the good ideas, good work styles, and good traditions of the Great Hall." ”
Zhou Enlai came to the east hall and sat down to rest. He used to know that there was a young man here who could play erhu, so he asked people to call him here. The young man specially pulled his favorite "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon" and "Honghu Water Waves" for Zhou Enlai. The young man played intently, and the prime minister listened carefully to the music while playing a beat in his hand ... The huge east hall is silent except for the beautiful melody.
Zhou Enlai was leaving, and when shaking hands with Zhou Enlai to say goodbye, a comrade saw the spots on his hands, and he smiled and said: "This is caused by poor blood circulation." "It was to cover up people's worries that he was seriously ill." In order not to let Zhou Enlai see everyone's sadness for his condition, people forced him to send him to the car with a smiling face like a torn heartache.
At the moment when the guards helped him to get into the car, he suddenly turned his head and gazed affectionately at the Great Hall of the People - this is a touching and heart-wrenching turn back. The car started, and he never returned to the Great Hall of the People after that, and he had made his final farewell to the Great Hall of the People!