In China in the 80s of the last century, the No. 9 Academy was the core of rural policy research. It was here that the first "Central Document No. 1" on rural policy was born. I have worked in this place full of history and mystery for more than a decade, and I have left many deep impressions, not only with various experiences with policymaking, but also with some people who are called "old".
These "veterans" are usually people with more revolutionary experience, and their experiences may reflect the changes in China's politics, appreciate the changes in the era of reform and opening up, or even more.
There is also an "old" in the ninth courtyard, that is Hua Guofeng. When I was in high school, Chairman Mao died, and Hua Guofeng succeeded him to the top leadership position, and for a time also served as the premier of the State Council. At that time, he was called a "wise leader", and his photo and Chairman Mao's hung in the classroom.
As soon as I came to work in No. 9 Hospital, a colleague told me: "Hua Guofeng lives here." "His home is in the courtyard, and there is a special guard at the door. I haven't been into his house, but I often see him walking in the yard. As far as I know, my colleagues and I have never communicated with him for more than a decade, and he only smiles or nods when he greets us, but he likes to chat with the children in the yard. When my son was four or five years old, he was playing in the yard once, and Hua Lao happened to come out for a walk, and he actually started a conversation with him, asking him which kindergarten he went to and where he lived.
When he walked, he would occasionally stop under the begonia tree, and then continue to walk silently, ignoring the people around him, and his expression was a little melancholy. When I first arrived at No. 9 Hospital, I felt an inexplicable excitement when I saw him, but after many years, every time I saw him, it was more of a thought. Sometimes, I watched him walk through the courtyard through the glass in my office, and I couldn't help but wonder: what was he thinking? What did he feel and think about his years in charge of China? Didn't he want to talk to the world? Why didn't he say it? Every time I saw him, I fell into this kind of thinking.