Yang Kaihui
On November 14, 1930, Chairman Mao's beloved wife Yang Kaihui died heroically in Changsha at the age of 29. A month later, Chairman Mao, who was far away in Jinggangshan, learned from the newspaper that his wife had died, and he was devastated. Chairman Mao immediately wrote a letter to his mother-in-law Xiang Zhenxi and sent 30 yuan as funeral expenses.
In the letter, Chairman Mao was full of self-reproach for Yang Kaihui's sacrifice, and he wrote: "Kaihui's death is irreparable. From the winter of 1920 to the time Chairman Mao went to lead the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927, Yang Kaihui lived with Chairman Mao for only 7 years, and the two had three children, Mao Anying, Mao Anying and Mao Anyong.
Chairman Mao's cause was too big, and he wanted to change the fate of the most miserable people in all of China, which was in the eyes of countless people at that time, but Yang Kaihui firmly believed that her husband would succeed. She was the wife; she was the mother; she was the secretary; she was a staunch revolutionary companion, unswerving to the death.
When the enemy offered to announce that she could be released by breaking off relations with Chairman Mao, Yang Kaihui flatly refused, saying: "You want me to break off relations with Mao Zedong, unless the sea is dry and rotten!" Before the sacrifice, when the executioner asked Yang Kaihui what his last words were, she shouted: "I am not sorry to die, but I hope that the revolution of Runzhi will succeed as soon as possible!" ”
At the last moment of his life, Yang Kaihui picked up his son Mao Anying, who was arrested together, and said to him: "My dear child, in the future, when you have the opportunity to go out and see your father, you will say that I have not done anything to be sorry for him, and I will say that I have always missed him very much." I can't help him anymore, please take care of him. ”
At the end of 1945, Mao Anying returned to Yan'an from the Soviet Union, and when he informed his father of his mother's last words, Chairman Mao was in tears before he could finish speaking. In February 1957, Li Shuyi, Yang Kaihui's best friend in his youth and the widow of the martyr Liu Zhixun, wrote a letter to Chairman Mao.
Chairman Mao and Mao Anying
In the letter, Li Shuyi hoped that Chairman Mao would give her a copy of "Yu Meiren Pillow", which had been written to Yang Kaihui that year. Chairman Mao wrote back to Li Shuyi in May of that year, not copying "Yu Meiren on the Pillow", but the famous "Butterfly Love Flower Answering Li Shuyi":
I lost pride in Yang Jun and lost willow, and Yang Liu flew straight up to the heavy Xiao Jiu. Asking Wu Ganghe everything, Wu Gang held out osmanthus wine.
Lonely Chang'e Shu wide sleeves, long miles in the sky and dance for loyal souls. Suddenly reported that the human world had ambushed the tiger, and the tears flew down as a downpour.
"Proud Of Yang" is Chairman Mao's praise for Yang Kaihui. Logically, the title of the child should have been "jiao", his friend Zhang Shizhao asked the reason, Chairman Mao blurted out, "The woman revolution and lost her yuan (head), not proud!" At that moment, everyone knew that Chairman Mao's thoughts of Yang Kaihui had not stopped.
About three weeks after replying to Li Shuyi, Chairman Mao met in Beijing with his nanny Chen Yuying (sun sister-in-law) who was in Qingshuitang, Changsha. This is the second time the two have met after a gap of 30 years, and Chairman Mao thanked Chen Yuying for risking his life to take care of the children. After learning about Yang Kaihui's situation before and after he was imprisoned, Chairman Mao fell into pain, saying:
At that time, Kaihui was actively advocating armed struggle. The Yang family's favor to me is not shallow, and Kaihui has helped me a lot. Kaihui's sacrifice is heroic, and there is Kishi Ying around! Seeing you, I was like seeing Kaihui. I hope you can often come to Beijing in the future and come to see me. ”
Yang Kaihui and Mao Anying and Mao Anying
According to the recollection of Mao Anqing and Shao Hua, once the two hoped that their father would copy a copy of "Butterfly Love Flower Answer Li Shuyi" to them as a souvenir. Chairman Mao didn't say anything, got up from the sofa and walked slowly to the table. After a long time, Chairman Mao took up his pen and wrote down four words, "I lost Yang Hua."
On November 15, 1962, his mother-in-law Xiang Zhenxi died of illness. Chairman Mao sent Yang Kaizhi a telegram of condolences on the same day and sent 500 yuan. In the condolence telegram, Chairman Mao particularly stressed: "Funeral rites can be shared with Comrade Yang Kaihui and my dear wife. We are two families in the same family, regardless of each other. ”
At this time, 32 years have passed since Yang Kaihui's sacrifice, and Chairman Mao is already a 69-year-old man, "my dear lady" is from the mouth of the top leader of the country, and his infinite affection for Yang Kaihui can be imagined. For a long time, many people have regarded Yang Kaihui as Chairman Mao's first wife, but in fact, she is not.
Before Chairman Mao rushed out of Shaoshan Mountain, his parents arranged a marriage for him. As we all know, arranged marriages in feudal society are a common phenomenon, especially for Shaoshan Chong, who was closed in the late Qing Dynasty. So, who was Chairman Mao's wife? Why are there so few stories about her today? Chairman Mao was full of affection for Yang Kaihui and He Zizhen, but what kind of attitude did he have toward his wife?
To answer these questions, we must start with Shaoshan Chong, where Chairman Mao was born. In the late Qing Dynasty, Shaoshan Chong was a small, nearly enclosed mountain village, and there were too many small mountain villages like this in China at that time. More than half of the cultivated land in Shaoshan was occupied by landlords and gentry, and many villagers were forced to go out to beg during the famine years. At that time, there was a song that sang:
"There are three knives on the head of the peasants: heavy rents, high interest rates, and harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes; there are three roads in front of the peasants: throwing themselves into the river, hanging themselves, and going to prison." "Shaoshan rushed to rush and rush, nine of the ten families were poor, there were female Mo married Shaoshan Chong, sweet potato sticks to spend their lives."
Shaoshan Chong Chairman Mao's former residence
Compared with other poor families in Shaoshanchong, Chairman Mao was born into a relatively solid family. In July 1936, the famous American journalist Edgar Snow interviewed Chairman Mao in northern Shaanxi. Chairman Mao was 43 years old, and it had been nine years since he returned to Shaoshan Chong in 1927.
Chairman Mao impressed Snow when they first met, writing in the book: "He has a thin face, looks very much like a Lincoln character, is tall and Chinese, has a somewhat hunched back, has thick black hair that is very long, his eyes are bright, his nose is very high, and his cheekbones are prominent." ”
During Snow's stay in Yan'an, he had long talks with Chairman Mao throughout the night. At that time, Snow was very interested in Chairman Mao's life in his hometown and asked many questions, while Chairman Mao directly gave his childhood, adolescence and interrogation, which is also the most authoritative historical material on Chairman Mao's life in his hometown so far.
Chairman Mao informed Snow of his place of origin and parents from the very beginning:
"I was born in 1893 in Shaoshanchong, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province. My father's name was Mao Shunsheng (毛贻昌, literally Shunsheng), and my mother's name in her mother's house was Wen Qimei. My father was a poor peasant, and when he was young, he had to go to the army because he was in too much debt. He was a soldier for many years. Later, he returned to the village where I was born, did small business and other livelihoods, worked hard, saved a little money, and bought his land. At this time, my family had fifteen acres of land, and became a middle peasant, and by this means they could harvest sixty quintals of grain every year. ”
From Chairman Mao's self-introduction, it can be seen that his father, Mao Yichang, is still quite a business acumen, which may be related to the fact that he went out to serve as a soldier at the age of 16 and saw the world. There was a relatively large rice market in Xiangtan at that time, and Mao Yichang, who was good at business, saw an opportunity, concentrated on the business of rice and livestock, and finally issued "Mao Yi Shuntang" circulation paper tickets.
Chairman Mao's father, Mao Yichang
When Chairman Mao was born, the Mao family was already quite wealthy. There were many more acres of land in the family, and Mao Yichang hired many long-term and short-term workers. On December 26, 1893, Chairman Mao was born, and Mao Yichang and Wen Qimei were excited and deeply worried, and they had already had two children who had died before.
After consulting with her husband, Wen Qimei decided to send this son to the tang family in Xiangxiang to raise him. Chairman Mao spent almost all of his childhood at his grandmother's house, and it was not until the age of 8 that he was taken back to Shaoshan Chong by Mao Yichang and entered a private school. Wen Zhengying, the second brother of Wen Qimei (the eighth brother in the clan, chairman Mao later called him the eighth uncle), was quite knowledgeable, and he opened a preschool private school to teach the children of the clan to read.
When Chairman Mao was a little sensible, he listened in the private school of his eighth uncle. Wen Zhengying was strict with the children of the clan, often requiring them to "do the right thing, take the right path, and become a great instrument." When Chairman Mao returned to Shaoshan, he had read a lot of books and had his own views on learning, especially dissatisfied with the feudal teaching methods of private school teachers.
Sure enough, in just 4 years, Chairman Mao had changed several private schools, and the master could either not answer his questions, or he felt that he had nothing to teach. From the moment he first entered a private school, a contradiction between Chairman Mao and his father arose. Mao Yichang sent his son to study, the idea is very practical, in the future to inherit his own career can be, never expected his son to create a big career.
Zou Chunpei, a private school master on the south bank, saw that Chairman Mao was talented and intelligent, and was a material that could be made, so he said to Mao Yichang: "Ling Lang will one day ascend to the rank of gaoke, and the guangzong will honor his ancestors." Mao Yichang did not expect this, and his idea was very practical: "The children of the farmers are not rare in fame and fortune, as long as they count a few numbers, remember a few accounts, and write a few letters and letters, they will get it." ”
Seventh sister Wen and her three sons took a group photo
Mao Yichang's attitude toward reading in this way caused Chairman Mao to be dissatisfied, and every time he came home from school, he also had to keep accounts and do farm work. The contradictions between father and son continued to intensify, and Chairman Mao said to Snow:
"As soon as I read a few words, my father asked me to start keeping accounts for the family. He wanted me to learn abacus. Since my father insisted, I remembered the account at night. He was a strict overseer who could not see me idle; if there was no account to be recorded, he told me to do farm work. He was hot-tempered and used to beat me and my two younger brothers. ”
From the age of 13 to the age of 15, Chairman Mao simply stopped school at home. As soon as he had time, Chairman Mao held the book and read it, and Mao Yichang was quite dissatisfied. One day in the winter of 1906, Mao Yichang hosted a banquet at his home. Chairman Mao was fascinated by reading in his room and forgot to come out to help.
Mao Yichang scolded on the spot, Chairman Mao rushed out of the house, shouting while running to run away from home, and the contradiction between father and son completely intensified. Chairman Mao also mentioned this to Snow:
"When I was about thirteen, once my father invited many guests into the house; the two of us argued in front of them. My father scolded me in public for being lazy and useless. This infuriated me. I scolded him and left the house. My mother caught up with me and tried to persuade me to go back. My father also came and scolded me while ordering me to go back. I ran to a pond and threatened that if he went any closer, I would jump. In this context, both sides have made demands and counter-demands for a cessation of the civil war. My father insisted that I prostrate myself and admit my mistake. I said that if he promised not to hit me, I could kneel on one leg and prostrate my head. The war was over. ”
This incident touched Mao Yichang greatly, and he realized that he must let his son have a strong sense of responsibility, how can it be realized? Mao Yichang thought of arranging an arranged marriage for his son. In this context, Roche entered Mao Yichang's vision.
Arranged marriage scene during the Republic of China period
In volume 15 of the "Shaoshan Mao Clan Genealogy and Lineage Table" (Zhuxi Branch), we find a record of Chairman Mao's original match:
"Originally with Luo Shi, qing guangxu fifteen years of his own ugly september twenty-six ugly time, Xuan unification two years of Gengshu first month of the second yin time, buried shaoshan south bank land chong nan bamboo, youshan 卯 direction."
According to genealogical records, Luo Shi, full name Luo Yixiu, was born on October 20, 1889, she was 4 years and 2 months and 6 days older than Chairman Mao, and died on February 11, 1910, at the age of 21. According to research, Luo Yixiu's family lives in front of the chiwei village building in Yanglin Township, Xiangtan County, and her family is relatively wealthy.
The Mao family and the Luo family are family friends, Luo Yixiu's grandmother is the eldest daughter of Mao Yongtang, and she and Chairman Mao's grandfather Mao Yichen are cousins. In the old society, cousins opened relatives, and Luo Yixiu was meek by nature, and he was a good helper to manage the housework. Therefore, in Mao Yichang's view, this distant cousin niece is very suitable for his son.
Therefore, one day in 1907, under the help of the parents of both sides, 18-year-old Luo Yixiu and 14-year-old Chairman Mao married, and the combination of the two can be described as "kissing and kissing", and both parents are relatively satisfied. But Chairman Mao was very unhappy about this, he thought that this was imposed on him by his father, and his heart was sullen, and he did not regard her as his wife and did not live together.
From left: Mao Zeqin, Mao Yichang, Mao Fusheng, Mao Zedong
However, Luo Yixiu is married to the Mao family by the Ming media, and her identity is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Mao family. Feudal society was strictly disciplined, and Luo Yixiu was a member of the Mao family when he married into the Mao family, which could not be changed. Luo Yixiu did not read much, but she was good at handling housework and honoring her in-laws, especially her mother-in-law Wen Qimei, who was under her care, and her physical condition improved.
However, looking at the husband in front of him every day to do farm work in the field, or to lock himself in the room to read, Luo Yixiu's expectations for a better married life gradually disappeared... It is not difficult to imagine that Luo Yixiu's heart is very uncomfortable, but she can't change anything, which is caused by the old society.
Chairman Mao also mentioned Luo Yixiu to Snow, saying:
"When I was fourteen, my parents married me to a twenty-year-old woman," but I never had a baby with her—and I did. I didn't think she was my wife, and I didn't think of her at this time. ”
Chairman Mao's attitude made Mao Yichang helpless, and the only thing he could do was to run the family well, let this virtuous daughter-in-law eat and wear without worry, and write her name into the Mao family tree. Luo Yixiu lived in the Mao family for 3 years, and died of illness in 1910 at the age of 21.
Mao Yichang and Wen Qimei were very sad, and they held a funeral for their daughter-in-law. In fact, Chairman Mao did not hate Luo Yixiu at all, at that time his self-consciousness had awakened, and he knew that it was feudal etiquette that "cannibalized people", and such phenomena emerged endlessly in that era. However, some of the events that happened later also proved that Chairman Mao was full of deep feelings for the Luo family, and the friendship between the two families lasted for decades.
In 1959, chairman Mao visited the graves of his parents when he returned to Shaoshan Chong
Luo Yixiu was buried in Chong Nan Bamboo, Shaoshan Mountain, and the cemetery was not far from the cemetery of Chairman Mao's parents, but unfortunately, the tombstones of the old age were nowhere to be found, and the uplift of the tomb was also very inconspicuous. In the autumn of the year in which Luo Yixiu died of illness, Chairman Mao finally left Shaoshan Chong, where he had lived for many years, and came to xiangxiang Dongshan Primary School to study.
This opportunity was also vigorously fought for by Chairman Mao, when Mao Yichang wanted to send his son to a rice shop in Xiangtan as an apprentice, so that his career could be followed by someone. Chairman Mao resolutely disagreed, and he mobilized his mother, uncle and others to persuade him, and Mao Yichang finally compromised.
Going to Xiangxiang Dongshan Primary School to study was a key step in Chairman Mao's life, and then he went to Changsha to study, which began a magnificent life. During the Spring Festival in 1925, Chairman Mao returned to Shaoshanchong from Shanghai, and this time he lived in his hometown for nearly 6 months, in addition to recuperating from illness, in order to "set fire to the wilderness" and ignite the raging fire of the peasant revolution in his hometown.
During his life in his hometown, Chairman Mao took advantage of the opportunity of investigating and developing the peasant movement to visit the Luo family many times and to eat at the Luo family several times. Obviously, Chairman Mao treated the Luo family as if they were relatives, and this affection continued after the founding of New China.
Luo Yixiu has two younger sisters, who are married to Huang Puchen of Shanshutang in Guanwang Village, Jinshi Town, Xiangxiang City, and Maohua Village in Shaoshan Chong. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao still regarded the Huang family and the Mao family as relatives. In January 1950, Chairman Mao received a letter from Huang Puchen informing him that he was working in the liuzhou railway department in Guangxi.
Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao quickly replied: "I am very happy that I received the letter on January 24. It is very good to work only in the Guangxi Railway, and I hope that you will continue to work this work, and you do not have to go elsewhere or return to your hometown. Whether your wife is still the second daughter of Mr. Luo Helou, if so, please greet her on my behalf. ”
In May 1950, Chairman Mao sent Mao Anying back to Changsha to wish his grandmother Xiang Zhenxi a happy birthday. Before Mao Anying set out, Chairman Mao specially told him to go back to Shaoshan to visit his relatives by the way, and told him: "Shore Ying, now from Xiangtan to Shaoshan is still a small road, you still have to ride a horse when you go back, but when you get to Shaoshan, you can't ride a horse, you must get off your horse at the Yintian Temple, which is more than 10 miles away from Shaoshan, and then walk home, which is our minimum courtesy to our hometown and to the people of our hometown." ”
After speaking, Chairman Mao also repeatedly explained to Mao Anying who he wanted to see and what gifts to give. Among the people Mao Anying needed to visit was a man named Luo Shiquan. This Luo Shiquan was Luo Yixiu's younger brother, and after Mao Anying returned to Shaoshan Chong, he specially notified him to come to meet him.
Mao Anying inquired in detail about the situation of the Luo family, and also sent tea and 200 yuan to Luo Shiquan when they were separated. Chairman Mao was so concerned about the situation of the Luo family, obviously because of Luo Yixiu. Shortly after Mao Anying returned to Beijing for Beijing, Luo Shiquan wrote to Chairman Mao to express his gratitude, mentioning that he hoped to have the opportunity to visit Beijing.
Chairman Mao has always made a clear distinction between public and private, especially after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and he has repeatedly refused to return letters from his relatives asking for work arrangements. However, in the face of Luo Shiquan's request, Chairman Mao made an exception and agreed, which once again reflected his true feelings for the Luo family.
In 1959, Chairman Mao talked to the villagers in front of his former residence
When Luo Shiquan was in Beijing, Chairman Mao personally arranged all his activities, and sent him to accompany him for a walk in Zhongnanhai many times, asking about the current situation of the Luo family and what needed help. Luo Yixiu's life was only a short period of 21 years, full of tragedy. However, Chairman Mao cared deeply for the Luo family, and this care continued until his death. If Luo Yixiuquan knew, he should be able to see it.