On January 8, 1975, Xiao Han had just passed, the waxing moon had not yet arrived, the cold wind blew through, and even the thickest clothes felt cold, and on this night, Cai Chang called her husband Li Fuchun after dinner at Qingyun Hall in Zhongnanhai.
The content of the call is nothing special, nothing more than to care about the other party's condition, when Li Fuchun was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, is being hospitalized in Beijing Hospital, originally Cai Chang as long as time allows almost every day to go to the hospital to accompany Li Fuchun, but these days Cai Chang suffered from a cold.
Although the condition is not serious, she is afraid that when she goes to visit Li Fuchun, she will infect Li Fuchun, and this is likely to aggravate Li Fuchun's condition, so out of safety considerations, Cai Chang decided to go to the hospital to see her husband again after the cold, and before it was better, they contacted by phone.
On the phone this night, although both were ill, whether it was Cai Chang or Li Fuchun, the mood was happy, and this pleasure was related to the upcoming Fourth National People's Congress.
The convening of the Fourth National People's Congress undoubtedly has an important historical mission, and its preparatory work has been done for a long time, and Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, and other leaders have made a lot of efforts to this end.
The Changsha policy decision arose under such circumstances that Premier Zhou, who was suffering from cancer, flew to Changsha with a disease to meet with Chairman Mao, and had a good communication on the personnel arrangements of the Fourth People's Congress, which effectively promoted the convening of the Fourth People's Congress. Under the arrangements of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, Deng Xiaoping was pushed into an important position, and this was a crucial moment in determining the future of the party and the country.
Cai Chang and Li Fuchun went to bed after a little rest after talking, originally this night was no different from every night in the past, but this night was different in the end, Cai Chang slept until midnight, suddenly received a call from Beijing Hospital, saying that Li Fuchun's condition had deteriorated.
Cai Chang listened to her heart cluck a little, but also some surprises, she had not received such a call before, but basically it was daytime, but this time it was in the middle of the night, and obviously they were very good when they talked before, how did it suddenly deteriorate in the middle of the night?
She didn't think much of it, quickly got dressed, and took a car to the Beijing Hospital with the support of the staff. What Cai Chang did not expect was that when she got off the bus, she actually saw that the attending doctor had been standing there quietly, as if she had been waiting for her for a long time, and did not speak when she saw it, but just went forward to hold her hand tightly, her head was slightly lowered, and there was no other action.
But this just foreshadows something, but Cai Chang did not dare to think deeply, she released the hand of the attending doctor, walked up to the elevator, obviously only ten steps, but so long, not to mention that several doctors responsible for treatment came forward to shake hands with her, the same bowed head did not speak, the same cai Chang could not accept.
What else did she not understand? The doctors in charge of treating Li Fuchun were all already waiting for her here, and they were not in the ward, which could only mean that she was late.
But she still had the last glimmer of hope, what if her husband was asleep and didn't need a doctor to be by his side? The elevator door opened, she went in and pressed the second floor, but in an instant, the second floor arrived, the elevator door opened, and she saw Deng Xiaoping waiting there quietly, surrounded by sadness, at this moment, it seemed that something hit Cai Chang's heart, and her heart couldn't stop sinking.
Deng Xiaoping stepped forward and shook Cai Chang's hand and said heavily: "Elder sister, mourning and changing smoothly. ”
The four words of Jie Lai Shun Chang were so harsh that Cai Chang didn't know what it meant at that moment, and she asked sheepishly, "Xiao Ping, Fuchun, what's wrong with him?" ”
Deng Xiaoping said in a low voice: "Elder sister, the doctor did his best, Fuchun left us at 10 o'clock in the morning today..."
The most blunt words were the most unacceptable to Cai Chang, she looked at Deng Xiaoping in surprise, the black scarf in her hand fell on the cold ground, and after a moment of shock, she quickly ran to the ward.
The door of the ward was open, and Li Fuchun was lying there quietly, covered with white sheets, isolated from everything around him, and on the desk was piled up with piles of materials and documents about the Fourth National People's Congress, one of which was still open.
Obviously, it was a room that was all too familiar, but Cai Chang felt a little strange, except for the person lying on the hospital bed. She took three steps and made two steps to run to the hospital bed, standing there shyly, the tears fell to the floor in a flash, and she cried and murmured, "Fuchun, Fuchun, I am late, I am late." ”
She was late and never saw her for the last time. She didn't know what Li Fuchun thought at the last moment of his life this night, nor did she know that Li Fuchun had said to the staff around him more than once before his death: "I hope you take good care of your eldest sister, and I will always be grateful to you." ”
There were many things she didn't know, but she knew her husband had left her forever. After all, lung cancer is advanced, and hospitalization is only a delay in death, but no matter how well such preparation is done, when it really happens, it is still unacceptable.
Cai Chang and Li Fuchun have lived together for more than half a century, always with one heart and one mind, love each other, life has long been inseparable, Li Fuchun suddenly passed away, how can Cai Chang bear it?
As we all know, Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao were a famous revolutionary couple and a model couple, and their marriage lasted for more than fifty years, and after the golden marriage, until Premier Zhou died of illness.
In fact, Cai Chang and Li Fuchun are also a model couple, and the marriage between them can be comparable to that of Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao, and even the marriage has existed for a little longer, and they are also a golden couple.
Cai Chang and Li Fuchun are both Hunan people, and both were born in May 1900, seriously speaking, Cai Chang is 8 days older than Li Fuchun, and their first acquaintance was in France in 1920.
At that time, they were both working and studying in France, and the common belief and goal of struggle made the two acquaintances and love each other, and in 1923 they married, and since then they have struggled together, making outstanding contributions to the liberation of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation and the prosperity and strength of the motherland.
In this process, they supported each other, fought side by side, ate together, solved difficulties together, faced difficulties together, and went hand in hand on the revolutionary road, achieving mutual achievements, one became vice premier of the State Council, was Premier Zhou's right-hand man, and was the founder of China's economic planning work; one was the supreme leader of China's women's circles and the pioneer of China's women's movement.
Like-minded people still feel that they are not enough time together no matter how long they live together, but the disease has actually quietly come to the door, especially after the 1970s, Li Fuchun suffered from emphysema, tracheitis and dental disease, various elderly diseases on the body, the body is more and more emaciated.
Although Cai Chang always paid special attention to his body and was particularly worried about his diet and living, he could not stop the erosion of the disease, and eventually Li Fuchun suffered from lung cancer.
At first, Li Fuchun was able to continue to work and live in Zhongnanhai, but as his condition worsened, in October 1974, Li Fuchun was admitted to Beijing Hospital.
At this time, the national industrial and agricultural production has already shown a recovery phenomenon, the upcoming Fourth National People's Congress is also ready to put the national economy on the track, and the grand blueprint for the four modernizations is also being constructed. However, he was admitted to the hospital at such a critical moment, and he could not participate in many jobs.
But despite this, Li Fuchun was still very optimistic, and he said to Cai Chang: "Early on, Marx has not yet issued an invitation." He was looking forward to attending the Fourth National People's Congress with Cai Chang, and he and Cai Chang were already on the list of candidates for vice chairman of the Fourth National People's Congress, just waiting for the fourth people's congress to vote when the fourth people's congress was convened, but Li Fuchun did not wait for that day.
At 10:00 a.m. on January 9, 1975, Li Fuchun, vice premier of the State Council, director of the State Discipline Inspection Commission, and secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, died of ineffective medical treatment.
Cai Chang's crying and shouting echoed in the ward, which further aroused the cries of the crowd. When she had cried enough, she couldn't help but bend down and lightly print a kiss on Li Fuchun's cheek, and the kiss was very light, like a breeze blowing on her face, without a trace.
However, a tear slipped out of the corner of Cai Chang's eyes and landed on Li Fuchun's face, Cai Chang quickly wiped it with his hand, then stood up, re-covered Li Fuchun with a sheet, and waited for the staff to sort out Li Fuchun's remains, and then it was time for the body to say goodbye.
Central leaders came to the hospital one after another to bid farewell to Li Fuchun's body, and even Premier Zhou came. At that time, Premier Zhou had been living in the PLA 305 Hospital for half a year.
Two years after being diagnosed with bladder cancer, Premier Zhou had to be hospitalized, but as the premier of new China, the burden on his body was very heavy, and the ward was not only a place for him to treat diseases, but also a place to live and work.
He rarely leaves the hospital, unless it is necessary to leave at work, and when he leaves, he also has to seek the advice of the doctor, it can be said that unless it is a last resort, the medical staff does not recommend that Premier Zhou leave the hospital, after all, his physical condition is there.
But when he learned the news of Li Fuchun's death, he still ignored the persuasion of the medical staff and insisted on going to the Beijing Hospital to bid a final farewell to Li Fuchun's body, which was a ritual and a transmission of feelings.
When Premier Zhou dragged the sick body to the Beijing Hospital, Cai Chang was both touched and heartbroken, and when he was moved, Premier Zhou was sick like that, and insisted on sending his old friend for a ride, and the heartache was that Premier Zhou's condition was so serious, his hair was gray, his body was thin, his wrinkles crawled all over his palms and face, and he was old and tired visible to the naked eye.
Cai Chang quickly stepped forward to shake Premier Zhou's hand and said with a little complaint: "You see, why did you still come?" ”
Premier Zhou shook Cai Chang's hand back and said sadly: "I can't help but come, I have known Fuchun for more than half a century... We were hardly separated... Big sister, how can you say I can't come? If I don't come, my heart is uneasy. ”
When Cai Chang heard this, tears poured out again, how could she forget the half-century-long interaction between the couple and Premier Zhou?
Premier Zhou met Li Fuchun and Cai Chang in France.
Li Fuchun went to France for a year to work and study, and the common ideals made them closely united in a foreign country, and together they established the Chinese Communist Youth League in Europe, founded progressive journals, and published progressive articles.
They fought side by side in a high fighting spirit in France, and thus formed a deep friendship, and from that time on, they marched forward together, fighting for the liberation of the people and the prosperity of the country.
Later, Zhou Enlai returned to China to work in Guangzhou, while Li Fuchun and Cai Chang went to the Soviet Union to study for half a year and then returned to China. In August 1925, Li Fuchun and Cai Chang arrived in Guangzhou, and they happened to meet Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao's wedding banquet.
At that time, the marriage of revolutionaries was very simple, not to do the act of laymen, no palanquins, no dowries, no firecrackers, and no so-called matchmakers, that is, the free union under the like-minded.
It is extremely simple, but it also best highlights the essence of marriage, that is, living together based on like-mindedness, supporting each other, never abandoning, and moving side by side towards a common goal.
When Li Fuchun and Cai Chang got married in France, it was very simple, that is, Li Fuchun, Cai Chang and the witness Deng Xiaoping sat together and drank a little wine and ate a meal, and then they became husband and wife.
The wedding of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao was simpler, and on the night after Deng Yingchao arrived in Guangzhou, that is, on August 8, 1925, Zhou Enlai invited Deng Yingchao to eat a roast pigeon at the Taiping Pavilion, and then went home holding hands, thus becoming a real couple.
Although Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao were very low-key, when some of Zhou Enlai's colleagues at the Whampoa Military Academy knew that Zhou Enlai was married, they all clamored for the couple to entertain, and Zhang Zhizhong even had to see Deng Yingchao, the bride.
In late August, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao invited two tables, and the participants included Deng Yanda, Zhang Zhizhong, Chen Yannian, Deng Zhongxia, Chen Geng, and so on, as well as Li Fuchun and Cai Chang, who had just arrived in Guangzhou.
At the banquet, everyone made a strong toast, Deng Yingchao because he could not drink, Zhou Enlai drank the wine toasted by everyone on behalf of Deng Yingchao, and drank three glasses of brandy while drinking, faintly drunk, although it was not drunk, but in the end there was drunkenness.
After the break, Zhou Enlai left Li Fuchun and Cai Chang behind, not because of the old days, after all, it was already evening, and the next day everyone still had work to do, but because they left two people to help.
In fact, Li Fuchun and Cai Chang's residence is opposite Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao's home, is a neighbor, usually contact is very convenient, Cai Chang and Deng Yingchao will be slightly drunk Zhou Enlai to the balcony to blow the wind to rest, Cai Chang went to hit a basin of cold water, Deng Yingchao used a towel dipped in water to wipe Zhou Enlai's face, and also prepared something to sober up.
When Zhou Enlai woke up and came to drink, it was already the second half of the night, he quickly thanked Li Fuchun and Cai Chang, who were still accompanying him, and let them go back to rest, this night was the first contact between the two couples in the true sense, and later they had more contact, and also formed a deep friendship and walked side by side.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Cai Chang has been the supreme leader of China's women's circles, and has always served as the president of the All-China Women's Federation, while Deng Yingchao has served as the vice chairman of the Women's Federation, and they have been working partners for many years and good sisters.
As vice premier of the State Council, Li Fuchun is in charge of financial and economic work, is one of the founders of China's economic planning work, assists Premier Zhou in leading economic work, and is Premier Zhou's right-hand man, they are working partners for many years, and they are also good brothers.
These two couples can be regarded as each other's assistants, and they are both lifelong revolutionary partners, which can be said to be very rare in Zhongnanhai, and the deep friendship between the two couples is still a friendship that has lasted for half a century, which is even more rare.
You know, Li Fuchun was most relieved at the time of his death, except for Cai Chang, who was Premier Zhou, who once lay on a hospital bed and said to the people around him: "I don't know how Zhou Enlai's health is, I am worried about his condition, I hope it will not deteriorate, China's economic construction is inseparable from Zhou Enlai, especially in difficult times." ”
This kind of reassurance is based on the deep feelings between friends and the deep worry of serving the country and the people, and Premier Zhou has a heavy burden on him, and this burden is related to the future of the party and the country, but he is also suffering from cancer, and history has not given him much time.
Premier Zhou at the time had already undergone two major surgeries during his hospitalization, but he was only trying to prolong his life as long as possible.
In January 1975, the month of Li Fuchun's death, doctors had discovered that Premier Zhou had a tumor grown in the place where the liver abscess perforation to the intestine during the Long March was in urgent need of surgical removal, but considering that premier Zhou had devoted a lot of effort to the fourth national congress, the doctors chose to temporarily conceal this situation, only to wait for the successful conclusion of the fourth national congress, and then surgically remove it.
Who would have thought that Premier Zhou had not yet waited for the opening ceremony of the Fourth National People's Congress to wait for the news of Li Fuchun's death.
Li Fuchun's death was a big blow to Premier Zhou, who lost his comrades-in-arms, right-hand men, and brothers. In the old age, people can't accept the departure of relatives and friends, it seems to be a signal, a signal that once existed and is about to be lost forever, once turned on, more and more will be lost.
After Li Fuchun's death, Premier Zhou insisted on going to the hospital to say goodbye to Li Fuchun's body, and he and Cai Chang talked for a while, rested for a while, and then said to Cai Chang: "Go, I will go to see Fuchun." After saying that, he stood up, and Cai Chang saw that Premier Zhou had some difficulty getting up, his nose was sour, and he endured the sadness in his heart and went forward to help Premier Zhou.
Many people should know that Premier Zhou is very attentive to manners, even if the condition is serious, he will not let anyone support him when he goes out, always relying on strong willpower to insist on walking on his own, but this time when he saw Cai Chang in front, Premier Zhou raised one arm slightly, and Cai Chang quickly pulled it up and walked together to Li Fuchun's body.
This is not so much about Cai Chang supporting Premier Zhou, but rather about the two giving each other strength and facing the death of a very important person in life together.
Premier Zhou bowed slowly three times in front of Li Fuchun's body, then stared at the sleeping Li Fuchun and choked up: "Brother Chun, you are younger than me, and you get sick later than me... But why are you so impatient? To report to Marx before me... The party and the state still have a lot of work to do... Comrade Fuchun, rest in peace..."
At that moment, Premier Zhou's whole body was shrouded in grief, and even if he looked at it from a distance, he could feel the grief in his heart.
But due to physical reasons, he did not stay long and quickly left the hospital, and Cai Chang and Deng Xiaoping put Premier Zhou in the car.
After Premier Zhou got into the car, he suddenly rolled down the window, stuck out his head, and said to Cai Chang: "The festival is changing, and time will tell everything." Take good care, it's important. ”
How could Cai Chang not understand Premier Zhou? With tears in her eyes, she said, "Enlai, you should also take care of yourself, this is also very important." ”
After saying these words, Premier Zhou's car slowly drove away, and seeing that there was no longer the shadow of the car in sight, Cai Chang turned around, wiped his tears with a handkerchief, and followed Deng Xiaoping beside him and said softly:
"Big sister, didn't the prime minister just ask you to take care of yourself?" The life of the eldest brother is a life of revolution, a life of fighting, others do not understand him, we still do not understand him? As the saying goes, real gold is not afraid of fire refining, Big Brother Fuchun is real gold, and the old man of history is fire, do you say? ”
Cai Chang did not know what Deng Xiaoping meant, she wiped the tears from her eyes, and returned to her former composure and firmness, Li Fuchun left, she wanted to take Li Fuchun's share and continue to move forward.
At that time, Cai Chang did not know that Premier Zhou would not only come to the hospital to bid farewell to Li Fuchun's body, but also preside over Li Fuchun's memorial service.
Li Fuchun's memorial service is scheduled for January 15, the third day of the Fourth National People's Congress, and will be held in the Great Hall of the People. Although the medical staff advised Premier Zhou to rest more and try not to leave the hospital, Premier Zhou still arrived at the Great Hall of the People early to say a final farewell to Li Fuchun.
Looking at the statue of Li Fuchun hanging directly in front of the auditorium and the countless wreaths on both sides of the urn, Premier Zhou seemed to have finally determined that Li Fuchun was really gone, and he did not dare to look more, for fear that he would not be able to control the tears in his eyes, so he hurried to inquire about the preparations and details of the memorial service.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the memorial service officially began, Premier Zhou slowly walked to the microphone, announced the start of the memorial service with heavy words, and then the mourning music sounded, and everyone bowed their heads in silence at li fuchun's portrait, and three minutes later, Premier Zhou again announced that Deng Xiaoping would give a eulogy.
Deng Xiaoping was also a good friend of Li Fuchun and Cai Chang, and they were also friends who had been friends for more than half a century, and when Li Fuchun and Cai Chang married in 1923, Deng Xiaoping was a witness to the marriage and witnessed a crucial moment in the lives of the two people; and in 1975, Deng Xiaoping gave a eulogy for Li Fuchun, covering Li Fuchun's coffin in a dull and low tone.
The former is happy, the latter is sad, and in the middle is the half century of years, that is the years of their common struggle, that is the years when they fight side by side, and the years when they pay for the country and the people regardless of gains and losses.
Half a century of ups and downs, how can it be said clearly, it is the thrill hidden in the years, half a century has passed, the people have been liberated, the country has become strong, and many of the heroes who have struggled for the country and the people all their lives have gradually come to the end of their lives.
Deng Xiaoping came to give a eulogy with a heavy heart, which is a special way to say goodbye to his friend forever, after the eulogy, Premier Zhou continued the next process, he always stood, stood at the end of the memorial service, said goodbye to his friend in this way, and then returned to the 305 Hospital.
Deng Xiaoping also said goodbye to Cai Chang, he still had a lot of work to do, at that time he did not think that after a full year, that is, on January 15, 1976, Deng Xiaoping once again delivered a eulogy for a good friend, this time it was Premier Zhou who died of illness.