From 1969 to early 1973, Deng Xiaoping, who had been branded the "second-largest bourgeoisie in the party" during the Cultural Revolution, was dismissed from work at the tractor repair factory in Xinjian County, Jiangxi.
This dismissal was entirely Lin Biao's idea. In October 1969, taking advantage of Mao Zedong's absence from Beijing and in the name of the tense situation on the Sino-Soviet border, Lin Biao ordered the whole army to enter a state of first-level combat readiness, and the capital implemented "war readiness evacuation", and a number of party and state leaders such as Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun, and Wang Zhen were dismissed to Henan, Guangdong, Jiangxi, and other places.
When Zhou Enlai learned of this situation, although he was angry, he could not do anything at that time. He had to report the situation to Mao Zedong in the field, and at the same time call the provinces to ask them to protect the old leaders.
When Wang Dongxing came to Deng Xiaoping's house to convey Lin Biao's orders, Xiaoping acted calm. He only asked Wang Dongxing one question: "The chairman said that whenever there is a matter, will he come to you, can I write to you after I arrive in Jiangxi?" Wang Dongxing nodded vigorously.
At the same time, Zhou Enlai called the Jiangxi Revolutionary Committee. On the phone, Zhou Enlai demanded that Jiangxi must place Deng Xiaoping well and at the same time ensure Comrade Xiaoping's safety.
According to the opinion of Cheng Shiqing, director of the Jiangxi Provincial Revolutionary Committee, Jiangxi was initially prepared to arrange Deng Xiaoping to Ganzhou. After hearing this news, Premier Zhou raised an objection: "Ganzhou is too far from Nanchang, and it is a mountainous area, the traffic is inconvenient, and the conditions are very poor. Xiaoping is already in his 60s, what should I do if I get sick? They should be placed near Nanchang for easy care. Let them live in a small two-story building, preferably a single house, and they can do some activities in the courtyard, and it is safe. ”
General Building
According to the instructions of Premier Zhou Enlai, the Jiangxi Provincial Revolutionary Committee decided to arrange For Deng Xiaoping and his wife to work at the Xinjian County Tractor Repair Factory, and their residence was set in the house of Major General Xu Guangyou, the former principal of the Nanchang Infantry School, not far from the factory, alias "General Building."
On October 22, 1969, Deng Xiaoping, Zhuo Lin, and their nanny, Xia Bogen, left Beijing for Jiangxi.
After getting off the plane, Deng Xiaoping and others were arranged at the Riverside Guest House in Nanchang. The two members of the special case team who arrived in Jiangxi with Deng Xiaoping inspected Deng Xiaoping's residence and made a telephone report to the central authorities: "Deng was detained at the former infantry school thirteen kilometers northwest of Nanchang, under the management of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, and sent a squad of 12 people to supervise the artillery regiment. Deng Shan lived on a small upper floor, and an officer and a soldier under him took care of him. Weekday labor, still use Deng Xiaoping's name. From this report, it is not difficult to see that the political environment in which Deng Xiaoping was located at that time was still very dangerous.
From this time on, Deng Xiaoping lived in the "General Building" and began his labor career. Fortunately, under the care of Premier Zhou, the external environment provided by Jiangxi Province for Comrade Xiaoping was still very safe and relaxed; they arranged Comrade Xiaoping in such a military unit as the Army Infantry School, stipulated that no organization or individual should interfere with Comrade Xiaoping's work and life, and moved some rebels who made a lot of trouble out of the factory where Deng Xiaoping worked, so as to avoid Comrade Xiaoping from being attacked by these people again.
At that time, Comrade Xiaoping was in very poor health, and Zhuo Lin also suffered from high blood pressure and heart disease, so the Jiangxi Provincial Revolutionary Committee agreed that the hospital would prescribe some commonly used medicines to Xiao Ping's family in case of emergency. However, Comrade Deng Xiaoping did not sleep well at that time, and he had to take sleeping pills every night to fall asleep, which made it difficult for the comrade in charge of Xiaoping's health care work. For this purpose, they specifically asked the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, and Cheng Huiyuan, director of the Revolutionary Committee, thought twice and told the doctor that he could let Xiaoping take the medicine, but this medicine must be in the hands of the doctor, and every night the doctor sent it to Xiaoping's hand, and then left after seeing him swallow.
A new county tractor repair plant was built
Perhaps by heaven's favor, Luo Peng, the head of the newly built county tractor repair factory where Deng Xiaoping worked, happened to be Deng Xiaoping's old subordinate when he was in Erye. Luo Peng has always been upright in character and has great respect for the old political commissar, and in the years when Comrade Xiaoping was in distress, he gave the Deng family the best care within his own ability. As Deng Xiaoping later said, "The military and civilians of Jiangxi protected me and allowed me to think calmly." Jiangxi is a blessed land for me. ”
In order to settle Xiao Ping, Luo Peng spent a lot of brains. Before Xiaoping's arrival, he tore off and washed all the slogans in the factory to overthrow Deng Xiaoping, arranged for Deng Xiaoping and his wife to work in the most relaxed repair workshop, and stipulated that no other workshop workers were allowed to enter the repair workshop or shout the slogan of "Down with Deng Xiaoping."
Luo Peng sent a veteran party member named Huang Wenhua to "supervise" Deng Xiaoping's family. Like Luo Peng, this Huang Wenhua was a comrade with a sense of justice and sympathy for Deng Xiaoping. After receiving Luo Peng's task, he immediately worried about one thing: How should he call Deng Xiaoping in the future? This problem was not solved until Deng Xiaoping took the initiative to greet Huang Wenhua after he entered the factory, because Xiaoping did not mind this, and he said to Lao Huang: "From now on, I will call me Old Deng, it is not natural." ”
Luo Peng assigned Deng Xiaoping the task of cleaning parts in the workshop, and Zhuo Lin arranged to dismantle the coils. It was the easiest job in the factory, but Deng Xiaoping was old after all, and it didn't take long to squat before he felt numbness in his legs and couldn't get up straight. So Luo Peng arranged for Xiaoping to draw the line, and later considered that Xiaoping's eyes were difficult to see the drawings, he was put in charge of the light work of the female worker such as filing and silk.
Sitting in front of the workbench of the file, Comrade Xiaoping had mixed feelings. He recalls that when he went to France at the age of 16 to work and study, he worked in the Renault car factory, which was the craft. Unexpectedly, decades later, this craft actually came in handy again in Jiangxi.
The person in charge of the repair workshop where Xiaoping is located, named Tao Duanjin, is kind and straightforward, and is very kind to Xiaoping. There are more than 20 employees in the whole workshop, most of them are honest and honest old workers, everyone is very skilled in business, and they are not keen to participate in any rebel faction. Comrade Xiaoping received spontaneous care from everyone in this workshop, which made Comrade Xiaoping unforgettable for a long time.
Every morning at eight o'clock in the morning, Deng Xiaoping would always wear a blue Zhongshan suit, pedal a pair of liberation shoes, and walk into the repair workshop without hurrying. As soon as he entered the workshop, Xiaoping would greet everyone in Sichuanese with a smile and a squint, and then come to his post. Xiaoping was very serious when he worked, and sometimes he sweated profusely and did not take a break. One day, Tao Duanjin saw that his face was white, so he jokingly asked, "Why don't you steal a little lazy?" Xiaoping said: "I am a person who has only known the two words of seriousness in my life, and if I am lazy, I will not be able to get up when I sit down." ”
One day, Deng Xiaoping was working in the workshop, when he suddenly turned pale and his body shook a few times before he fell. The workers immediately stopped their work and gathered around. Zhuo Lin rushed to hear the news and asked the workers with tears: "Who has white sugar at home?" Trouble to help him make a bowl of sugar water. The women's vocational project Hongxing said busily: "My family has it, I will go and get it!" After a while, he brought a jar of sugar water and handed it to Zhuo Lin. Everyone held Xiaoping, and Zhuo Lin fed it into her husband's mouth with a spoon. Looking at this couple who are in the same boat and share weal and woe, everyone's eyes are moist. After Deng Xiaoping drank the sugar water, he gradually regained his sanity, and the comrades' hanging hearts finally let go.
The news that Comrade Xiaoping was working in a tractor factory did not know how to get out, and it was known to some villains with ulterior motives.
One day, the workers noticed a few fresh faces wandering around the factory and asked the workers for news of Deng Xiaoping. Everyone immediately reported to Luo Peng. Luo Peng immediately convened a meeting of the security group in the factory, asking everyone to heighten their vigilance and absolutely ensure Deng Xiaoping's safety, and no matter who inquired about Deng Xiaoping's whereabouts, they said they did not know. Luo Peng stressed: This is a discipline that no one can violate.
A few days later, several large cars suddenly stopped at the entrance of the factory, and on the cars stood a dozen rebels who flaunted their might. After these people got out of the car, they went straight into the repair workshop. At this time, Deng Xiaoping was frustrated in the workshop. Tao Duanjin immediately sent someone to inform Luo Peng, and he rushed to the door of the workshop with his comrades in the workshop, blocked these people, and resolutely prevented them from entering the workshop. Soon after, Luo Peng came to reinforcements with dozens of workers, and those people saw that the situation was not good, so they ran away in ashes.
It is precisely this relatively relaxed environment that allows Comrade Xiaoping to read and think with peace of mind during the period of devolution. Due to the care of the factory, Xiaoping only worked half a day, and every day after lunch, Xiaoping would take a nap and then take some time to read Mao Zedong's works and books on history, literature, philosophy and other aspects. After going to bed at night, Xiaoping would read for an hour. In a letter to Mao Zedong, he said: "In the past two years, I have gone to the factory every morning to work, and in the afternoon and evening, I have made a little progress in reading books, reading newspapers, listening to the radio, and doing some housework. ”
Deng's body was also restored in Jiangxi. When he first arrived in Jiangxi, Xiaoping was in a very bad state and had to take sleeping pills every night to fall asleep. After staying in Jiangxi for a period of time, because life and work are relatively stable, Xiaoping also has time to exercise, insist on washing his face with cold water, insist on walking and exercising every day, and his physical condition slowly recovers. According to Deng Rong's recollection: "My father was emaciated and gaunt during the time he was criticized in Beijing, and when he arrived in Jiangxi, his weight began to increase again, people gained some weight, their spirits improved a lot, and their habits of taking sleeping pills to fall asleep were also changed." ”
At first, Xiaoping went from his residence to work in the factory, and he had to take a big detour on the highway, which was not safe. After Luo Peng discovered this problem, he led someone to open up a short way for Xiaoping to go to work. They opened a small door on the wall of the factory, so that the small door was facing the General's Building, which reduced the distance and avoided contact with outsiders. After a few days of hard work, a trail appeared in front of people, and after that, Deng Xiaoping and his wife walked on this trail every day, and over time, people called it "Xiaoping Trail".
Although the comrades are very concerned about the Xiaoping family, there are still many difficulties faced by the Deng Xiaoping family. Not to mention that Comrade Xiaoping, who is accustomed to living in Beijing and is old, suddenly does not adapt to the wet and cold of the winter in Jiangxi, and even in the economy, the Xiaoping family is stretched thin.
In January 1970, the Xiaopings received their salary — just $120. Zhuo Lin inquired about this, and the answer was that this was their living expenses, and the remaining part of their salaries was temporarily kept by the Central General Office.
To this end, Xiaoping wrote a letter to the CENTRAL Committee Office, and at the same time said that her eldest daughter Deng Lin was not in good health and wanted to organize Deng Lin to work closer to herself. However, neither request was answered.
The money was not enough, and The Deng family began to save money. He and Zorin cultivate vegetables, raise chickens, chop firewood, mop the floor, cook, wash and so on. Later, he tried to find a way to take his eldest son Deng Pufang, who was disabled, to his side, and insisted on bathing his son every day.
Every morning, Deng Xiaoping had to go and see his vegetable garden. Watching the vegetables grow day by day, he was very happy. One morning, Zhuo Lin heard Xiaoping shouting in the courtyard: "Zhuo Lin, come and see, loofah blossoms!" Zhuo Lin walked quickly, saw his happiness, and asked, "Old man, what are you happy about?" "You see, loofahs have blossomed and little loofahs have blossomed!"
In the blink of an eye, Xiaoping has been in Jiangxi for more than half a year, and the Dragon Boat Festival will arrive soon. Cheng Hongxing, who was in a labor group with Zhuo Lin, said to Zhuo Lin: "We have wrapped up the preparations for your family's festival! She and some of her co-workers spontaneously bought glutinous rice and rice dumplings, and taught Zhuo Lin to wrap rice dumplings by hand. Zhuo Lin made a garland of gardenia flowers and gave it to Cheng Hongxing. In the long-term relationship, the workers and deng Xiaoping's family are getting closer and closer every day.
Comrade Xiaoping also encountered unhappy things in his life. After several chickens he carefully fed began to lay eggs, one night found that a hen had not yet entered the nest, Xiaoping and Zhuo Lin looked for a long time, only to find some chicken feathers left over from being eaten by the weasel under a tree, Xiaoping patted his thigh, very annoyed, saying that this chicken I was reluctant to eat, it was ready for the children to eat, and now it was eaten by the weasel, it was a pity! Since then, Xiaoping has made a fence for chickens out of wooden sticks, afraid that the weasel will come back to hit his chickens.
On November 6, 1971, the factory suddenly notified Deng Xiaoping and his wife to listen to the central documents. After returning home, Zhuo Lin took her daughter's hand and wrote four words on the palm of her hand: "Lin Biao is dead!" Xiao Ping finally let out a breath: "Lin Biao is not dead, heaven is not tolerant!" ”
On January 10, 1972, Mao Zedong mentioned Deng Xiaoping at Chen Yi's memorial service and juxtaposed Xiaoping with Liu Bocheng, then a politburo member. The chairman affirmed that Chen Yi was a good comrade and said that although Deng Xiaoping made mistakes in the early days of the "Cultural Revolution," it was a contradiction among the people. Zhou Enlai heard Mao Zedong's meaning and knew that Mao Zedong was ready to use a group of old comrades who had been overthrown. So he asked people to pass on this evaluation of the chairman to create public opinion for Deng Xiaoping's comeback.
At this time, Deng Xiaoping also keenly felt that there would be a major turning point in history. So he wrote a letter to Mao Zedong, talking about some of his views on Lin Biao, and said to Mao Zedong: "I feel that I am in good health, although I am 68 years old, I can still do some technical work, and I can also do some work for the party and the people..."
On August 14, Mao Zedong annotated Deng Xiaoping's letter, stating that Deng "had no historical problems and had not surrendered to the enemy." He assisted Comrade Liu Bocheng in fighting the war effectively and with military merit. After entering the city, it is not a good thing that has not been done. ”
Mao Zedong's instructions sent a signal to enable Deng Xiaoping. Zhou Enlai felt that this was the best time to resume Deng Xiaoping's work. He instructed the General Office of the CPC Central Committee to send Mao Zedong's instructions to the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and also notified the Jiangxi Provincial CPC Committee in the name of the CPC Central Committee, announcing that the surveillance of Deng Xiaoping would be immediately abolished and the party's organizational life would be restored.
On November 12, 1972, Deng Xiaoping and Zhuo Lin left the "General Building" and went to Jinggangshan to investigate. It was the first time he had gone out in more than two years. It wasn't long before Mao made the final decision to bring Deng back.
Leaving the new tractor factory where they had been for more than three years, Deng Xiaoping and Zhuo Lin did not forget to say goodbye to the workers. Zhuo Lin bought a lot of candy and snacks, gave them to the workers and comrades who helped them, and went to the door to say goodbye to Tao Duanjin, Cheng Hongxing and other workers. On February 19, 1973, Deng Xiaoping's family bid farewell to the small building where they had lived for three years and headed for Beijing amid the workers' farewell.
After Deng Xiaoping returned to Beijing, he worked for the party for another 20 years. This is the most glorious 20 years of his life experience, and it is also the highest 20 years of domestic and foreign evaluation.
Jiangxi was the birthplace of Deng Xiaoping's idea of reform and opening up. During his three years in Jiangxi, Deng Xiaoping had more time to think in addition to his labor and study. Every day, he strolled on the "Deng Xiaoping Trail," thinking in his heart about the essence of socialism and the major question of how to develop the productive forces. These reflections were the germ of the idea of reform and opening up later. As Deng Xiaoping said in a 1986 meeting with the President of Benin: "The experience of being knocked down is not all bad, and I have the opportunity to calmly sum up the experience." It is because of that experience that it is possible to put forward a series of existing policies, especially the question of how to build socialism. ”