On July 11, 1992, a great proletarian revolutionary went through her life, and she unreservedly dedicated everything to the cause of China's revolution, construction and reform in her more than 70 years of revolutionary career.
She is Comrade Deng Yingchao, a legendary woman born in Nanning, Guangxi, and her story is widely praised, she is a pioneer of the Chinese women's movement, an outstanding leader of the party and the country, and a revolutionary partner who has stayed with Comrade Zhou Enlai for the rest of her life.
Her departure was a major event mourned by the whole country, she had no property and no children, so Zhao Wei, the secretary next to her, became the host of her funeral.
On July 18, 1992, Deng Yingchao's funeral was held as scheduled, according to her last wishes, the secretary Zhao Wei scattered her ashes into the Haihe River, and her life came to an end, this year Comrade Deng Yingchao was 88 years old.
1
Deng Yingchao was born in a family of officers in Guangxi Province, his father Deng Tingzhong is the commander of the Guangxi Provincial Military Region, and his mother Yang Zhende is an intellectual woman.
Originally, such a family background could make her a worry-free lady, but there were too many variables in that stormy era, and when she was three years old, Deng Tingzhong was exiled to Xinjiang because she angered her boss.
The sudden change was a huge blow to the family, and Yang Zhende, who did not touch the spring water with his fingers, suffered a lot in order to survive and raise his daughter.
Mother and daughter went into exile all the way, although life was hard, but having the company of family in troubled times is also a kind of comfort, and finally they settled in Tianjin, Deng Yingchao's father returned to his hometown after the end of exile, originally wanted to reunite with the family, but died suddenly in an unexpected foreign country, since then, his father has become a vague symbol in Deng Yingchao's life.
Later, her mother took her to a civilian school in Beijing to be a teacher, and Deng Yingchao naturally became a student of this school, but fate changed again, the school's principal Chen Yilong was killed by Yuan Shikai for opposing the restoration of the imperial system, the school was closed, her mother lost her job, and she lost the opportunity to study.
However, her mother did not give up the idea of letting her study, in 1915, Deng Yingchao was sent by her mother to Tianjin No. 1 Women's Normal Preparatory Department to receive a new education, because of her young age, she falsely reported that she entered this school at the age of two, and it was here that she received the initial ideological enlightenment education and had revolutionary ideas.
The May Fourth Movement was the starting point for her formal revolutionary struggle, and the defeat of the Chinese diplomatic corps at the Paris Peace Conference aroused the anger of tens of thousands of Chinese, and the first to embark on this road of struggle was a group of university students, including Deng Yingchao, who spontaneously took to the streets, holding high banners and shouting slogans, demanding that "sovereignty should be fought for outside and national thieves should be eliminated from inside." ”
Although Deng Yingchao was still young at the time, he still participated in this parade, and the thousands of anger in his chest converged into the heat of the revolution. At that time, she did not expect that the lover who would be with her for life in the future would also participate in this event with her, serving as a student leader in the parade at Nankai University.
In 1924, at the age of 20, Deng Yingchao joined the Chinese Socialist Youth League, at that time she became a Chinese teacher in a primary school, and most of the children were enlightened by her, and later most of them embarked on the revolutionary road, and soon after, Deng Yingchao joined the Communist Party of China, and the revolutionary friendship with Zhou Enlai gradually sublimated.
They have the same revolutionary ideals and the same interests and pursuits, and in the process of getting along with each other bit by bit, their feelings take root and sprout. Before meeting Deng Yingchao, Zhou Enlai was a staunch unmarried, but there were often no signs of feelings, and the two eventually came together.
2
On August 8, 1925, Deng Yingchao and Zhou Enlai got married in Guangzhou, although they loved each other, they did not indulge in the love of their children, but continued to work for the revolution after getting married.
Soon after they got married, they went to their respective posts, Deng Yingchao served as a member of the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China and head of the Women's Department, while Zhou Enlai served as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Minister of the Military Department.
The union with Zhou Enlai is the happiest event in Deng Yingchao's life, and the relationship between this "model couple" has touched many people, and until today, many people will feel "stuffed with a mouth full of dog food" when they read their letters, and the affection of those words is touching.
"Your letter is too official to say that you miss me. ”
"Premier Zhou is a busy man, how can he have time to think about me?"
"How do idlers know how much busy people want idlers. ”
These few sentences can almost be a model in the world of love stories, and they have been popular on short video platforms and various public accounts, this is a few love words that tell the love of the Republic of China, short, beautiful, gentle, and a little playful, and the words are affectionate.
Many people are accustomed to Deng Yingchao's identity as "Mrs. Zhou", but he is remembered by the world not only as "Mrs. Zhou", but also as legendary and wonderful.
When the White Terror spread, it was Deng Yingchao who cooperated with Zhou Enlai's work and covered his actions, she always stood firmly by Zhou Enlai's side, participated in revolutionary activities with a firm will, and warmed Zhou Enlai's life with gentle affection.
For the revolution, Deng Yingchao paid too much, she lost her first child, and the second child had a difficult birth when she gave birth, almost with two lives, and finally went through many twists and turns to give birth to a second child, but the child died soon after.
In order to protect other Communist Party members, Deng Yingchao could only temporarily let go of the pain of losing his child, and there was no way to take care of his body that had not healed after giving birth, and ran around.
Because of this incident, she lost the possibility of being a mother again in her life, which made Deng Yingchao very painful, but she still chose to cheer up, because the revolution needed her, and later after the founding of New China, Deng Yingchao once persuaded Zhou Enlai to divorce herself, on the grounds that she was infertile.
She has been showing her silent love all her life, she loves Comrade Zhou Enlai deeply, so she wants Comrade Zhou Enlai to leave her descendants, but Zhou Enlai still rejected Deng Yingchao's proposal, he loves Deng Yingchao deeply, and he can never agree to divorce.
In this way, they have been holding each other's hands tightly, working together through the war years, ushering in a new China, their work is busier, Zhou Enlai as the premier of the new China, the day is full of opportunities, Deng Yingchao is also busy with the women's movement and child welfare, she spreads her great love to the world.
Although they all have their own careers, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Deng Yingchao still chose to retreat to the position of a supporting role and became Zhou Enlai's virtuous helper, she did her best to help Zhou Enlai, whether in work or in life, she was also affectionately called Sister Deng.
Although Deng Yingchao has been taking care of Zhou Enlai, Zhou Enlai's work is too busy, many times he has to deal with things overnight, once a reporter wrote an article called "The Prime Minister's Night", we can see how busy Premier Zhou is.
In 1972, Premier Zhou fell ill, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, but for the future of the motherland and the future of the nation, he still insisted on working.
On January 8, 1976, Premier Zhou died of illness in Beijing, and the ten-mile long street saw off the premier, touching many people.
According to Premier Zhou's last wishes, Deng Yingchao divided his ashes into 4 parts, sprinkled them on the mountains and seas of the motherland, and sprinkled them on the land he loved, one of which was sprinkled into the Haihe River, which was the place where Premier Zhou's soul dwelled, and many years later, it also became the place where Deng Yingchao's soul dwelled.
3
Premier Zhou underwent 13 surgeries in the last moments of his life, but he didn't see Deng Yingchao for the last time before leaving.
When she hurried back to the hospital after processing, Premier Zhou had already left, she trembled and touched Premier Zhou's face, looked at her lover's emaciated and calm face, and once fainted from crying, her hoarse voice said: "Enlai, you are leaving, ......" said that she couldn't say anything more.
On January 15, 1976, after Premier Zhou's memorial meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People, Deng Yingchao took a box containing Premier Zhou's ashes and threw his ashes at the place designated before his death.
At that time, the relevant staff planned to send Zhou Enlai's urn to the memorial hall, but Deng Yingchao left the urn, when choosing the urn, Deng Yingchao chose the cheaper one in Babaoshan, yes, Premier Zhou's urn was not specially made.
After the death of Premier Zhou, Deng Yingchao was busy with the development of women's cause on the one hand, and the development of child welfare on the other hand.
When Deng Yingchao took away the urn, he said to the staff around him: "The prime minister will take the box home and keep it when he finishes it, and he will use this urn after I die." This is a kind of affection, a nostalgia for a pair of lovers, and of course the selfless simplicity of a communist.
On July 1, 1978, two years after Premier Zhou's death, 74-year-old Deng Yingchao began to write a will, and she chose to arrange her own afterlife.
Soon after, she handed over her will to her secretary, Zhao Wei, who said, "I will write it when I can now, otherwise I may not be able to write it later." ”
In fact, she was mainly afraid that the relevant leaders would make a big deal about her funeral, and she would simply leave, which was something she had discussed with Zhou Enlai very early.
Deng Yingchao's suicide note mainly includes the following:
"The body is cremated after autopsy, the ashes are not kept, scattered, no farewell to the body, no memorial service, the above requirements are announced as the news that she has passed away, the house where she lives is handed in, the former residence and commemoration are not carried out, and their relatives are not taken care of because of their relationship between husband and wife. ”
Because she had no children, she told her secretary Zhao Wei a lot of things, and she hoped that Zhao Wei could be the person in charge of her funeral. Zhao Wei has followed Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao in the West Flower Hall for 37 years, although it is said that it is the relationship between superiors and subordinates, but more often they are like mother and daughter.
After Deng Yingchao arranged her own funeral, she was not depressed, but actively participated in many major meetings and policy decisions of the country, she has the mission of a lover, she shouldered Premier Zhou's wish to continue to walk, and she was more of a calm attitude towards death, so she wrote a suicide note early.
In December 1979, Deng Yingchao took up the post of head of the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, conscientiously implemented Comrade Deng Xiaoping's principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems," promoted cross-strait exchanges and exchanges, and devoted a great deal of effort to the great cause of the motherland's reunification.
This is also Zhou Enlai's wish, she continues her husband's unfinished business, she is doing her best to complete what he wants to accomplish, she believes that Zhou Enlai can see all these efforts, maybe in another world he will also be happy, this is a kind of affection, but also a silent agreement between revolutionary comrades.
In 1988, 84-year-old Comrade Deng Yingchao retired from the leadership position, but she did not enjoy a peaceful life, but continued to pay attention to the fate of the party and the country, and the development of the socialist cause.
When she was young, she collapsed her body because of the revolution, so that she could never have a chance to get pregnant again in this life, although she did not have her own children, she became the mother of countless orphans, she adopted countless martyrs' orphans, taught these children how to behave, and raised these children.
In 1992, 88-year-old Deng Yingchao's health was not as good as before, and she was sent to the hospital, accompanied by her secretary Zhao Wei, Zhao Wei promised Premier Zhou Enlai that she would take good care of Deng Yingchao, she took care of Deng Yingchao for 16 years, and had long regarded Deng Yingchao as a family member.
In July 1992, Deng Yingchao left the world she loved, Zhao Wei held a funeral for her according to her wishes, and the funeral was simple, although Deng Yingchao's will said that there would be no farewell to the body and no memorial service, but none of the leaders of the Party Central Committee agreed to these two items, and finally chose to hold a farewell and memorial service for her.
Almost all the things behind Deng Yingchao were done according to Zhao Wei's arrangement, everyone knew that it was Deng Yingchao's last wish, and finally decided to set up a mourning hall in the West Flower Hall, allowing the masses to come to mourn, and to carry out a farewell ceremony for the body in Babaoshan, and the staff and relatives could come to the vigil.
After these matters were reported to the Central Committee, they were supported by all the central leaders, and many leading comrades of the Central Committee also came to attend the memorial service.
The begonia flowers in the West Flower Hall bloomed and fell, sending away Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, the flowers are still blooming, those stories are still circulating between the begonia flowers and the falls, the two of them have followed each other, those gentle and delicate past, those paper short and long thoughts, are blooming among the begonia branches in the West Flower Hall.
As we all know, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao's lives have always been very simple and low-key. Premier Zhou Enlai has not changed new clothes for a long time, and since 1956, he has instructed Deng Yingchao not to buy him new clothes.
Zhou Enlai was still wearing the old shirt when he died, it was Zhou Enlai who specially told Deng Yingchao, and it is said that he had been wearing that shirt for more than ten years.
At that time, Han Zongqi, the director of Beijing Hospital, was very sad when he saw this dress, and he asked the staff why they chose such a suit, and how could the new Chinese premier leave in an old dress?
In fact, the hearts of all the staff members are also uncomfortable, the prime minister has worked hard all his life, and he should have left decently, no matter how grand the farewell ceremony is not an exaggeration, but the prime minister chose the most simple and low-key one.
After Deng Yingchao heard about this, she stood in front of Han Zongqi, she endured the grief in her heart and said gently: "The old and the new are the same, and a fire will burn it." ”
She is Premier Zhou's wife and Premier Zhou's confidant, she understands what the prime minister means, even if she is uncomfortable, she can only do so.
After the funeral, Deng Yingchao said to Zhao Wei, the secretary next to him: "Zhao Wei, you help me put away this set of clothes, you put it on for me when I leave, I like it." ”
But that dress, Deng Yingchao has been wearing it for more than ten years, very shabby, and when she was about to die, she mentioned this matter again, Zhao Wei felt that the dress was too shabby, and wanted to help her choose a new one, but Deng Yingchao insisted on wearing this dress.
So Zhao Wei and the staff around him had to re-sew the damaged parts of the clothes, and then put them on for her after Deng Yingchao's death, for her, this shabby dress is more meaningful than other clothes, which Zhou Enlai gave her, and it was also what she wore when she saw off Zhou Enlai, carrying her deep nostalgia and love for Zhou Enlai.
When Deng Yingchao died, Zhao Wei took out the dress from sixteen years ago according to her wishes, the dress was so torn that it was impossible to see, the sleeves, collar, and lining were all torn, and there was almost no good place.
The staff's eyes turned red when they saw it, and several people cried and said: "Why do you have to wear this dress for the eldest sister, which set of clothes is not better than this one, let's choose a better one?"
On July 18, 1992, the sky was just dawning, the sky of the whole Beijing city was gray, and a great revolutionary was silently bidding farewell, the hearse in black gauze slowly walked through the street, it was still very early, but the whole street was already full of people who spontaneously came to bid farewell to Comrade Deng Yingchao, people had tears in their eyes, solemn expressions, and all of them were holding white flowers.
The hearse walked through Zhongnanhai, walked through the Lianghua Hall, walked through Tianjin, and finally the urn was sent to the "Xinhaihe", from here into the mouth of the Haihe River, responsible for this matter is Zhao Wei and Gao Zhenpu, which is also carried out in accordance with Deng Yingchao's wishes.
Deng Yingchao confessed before her death, she said: "I have no children and no daughters, after my death, the funeral will be responsible for the party branch before my death, and Zhao Wei, secretary of the party branch, and Gao Zhenpu, secretary general of the guard, will scatter the ashes." ”
She wants to be with Premier Zhou's soul, this is the last wish in her life, to follow her beloved, and in another world, she still has to find her beloved.
As they once wrote in their letters: "I am a staunch materialist, but because of you, I am willing to believe in the afterlife." ”
At that time, Bingxin was 92 years old, and she didn't write much anymore, but Deng Yingchao's death made her very sad, and the emotions in her heart could only be put into writing.
In the sky, Premier Zhou, who has been separated from you for 16 years, is welcoming you with open arms, and there are thousands of people of different ages and different colors who want to pursue and learn from your example, and they are working hard behind you step by step!"
This is the life of a great proletarian revolutionary, the sea is still choppy, and Premier Zhou and Sister Deng will be immortalized together with the mountains and rivers of the motherland.