In the annals of China's reform, many people are not unfamiliar with the mention of Lei Yu's name. On the evening of November 10, 2007, at the Guangdong State Guest House in Guangzhou, in the name of the Liaoning Elderly Newspaper, I hosted Wang Guangzhong, Chen Suzhi, Li Guozhong, and other provincial veteran leaders from Liaoning Province who were inspecting Guangzhou. Before the banquet began, I heard an exciting news that Wang Xuan, the wife of the old leader Ren Zhongyi, who had worked in Liaoning, and Lei Yu, a famous reformer, would also be invited to the meeting.
This news attracted the attention of my peer, Zhao Nancheng, editor-in-chief of The Old People's Daily of Guangzhou Newspaper Group (Zhao Nancheng on the right and the author on the left). He told me that Lei Yu is very well-known in Guangzhou and is a news figure who is very concerned in the press, but it is difficult to interview him because he is low-key and refuses to be interviewed by various news media. He cherished the opportunity for Lei Yu to come to this scene and hoped that I could help them take the opportunity to interview Lei Yu. Although I felt that I was not sure about this, I still promised to let them act with me.
The reason why we admire Lei Yu is because he and Secretary Ren Zhongyi had a good reputation for ruling during their work in Liaoning. After the old secretary Zhongyi was transferred from the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee to the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, he was punished in 1985 when he was the deputy secretary of the party committee of the Hainan administrative region and the main person in charge of the administrative district government, because Hainan Island imported and resold a large number of automobiles and other materials. However, he soon perked up, and during his tenure as executive vice mayor of Guangzhou and vice chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, he continued to reform and achieved a career.
A few years ago, I went to Hainan to collect wind, and everywhere I went, I mentioned Lei Yu's name, and the people praised him a lot, and I still remember it, believing that during his work in Hainan, he entered the market economy for the people of Hainan Island in advance and found the first bucket of gold, thus helping the people get rid of poverty and get rich earlier. Of course, he personally took the risk for this. So, this encounter, my admiration for him rose sharply.
So I said in my toast:
Provincial feelings and nostalgia, a heart is so sincere,
Political achievements and life, step by step is a flashing process.
The tide rises and falls, do not be a hero with success or failure!
Get together and break up, don't forget to tell each other:
With the world in mind and the spirit of immortality, this is the most worthy of our toast!
At that time, 73-year-old Lei Yu, despite the ups and downs of the reform, was still full of energy, Ji Yu Xuan Ang, he listened to my toast, got up and raised a glass, laughed, and said to everyone: "The host's 'tide rises and falls, don't talk about success or failure on heroes' I understand the meaning of this, but, I want to say, I am not defeated! "A good Lei Yu, extraordinary speech, throwing sound, this is Lei Yu!"
(The picture shows Lei Yu and his wife)
Then he read aloud in a deep tone the poems of the famous Russian poet Pushkin:
If life deceives you,
Don't be sad, don't be angry!
Days of chagrin you have to tolerate:
Believe that the time of joy will come.
The mind is always in the future,
Reality is always boring:
Everything is fleeting and becomes the past;
And everything in the past will look wonderful.
Heart and heart touch, love and affection blend, this cup of wine, we and Lei Yu both drank it all. Naturally, Zhao Nancheng, editor-in-chief of Guangzhou's "Old People's Daily," also took the opportunity to borrow fine wine to express his pride and intoxicating affection and nostalgia, and successfully interviewed and reported on the recent situation of reformer Lei Yu.
(The author is the former editor-in-chief of Liaoning Elderly Newspaper)