There is also a phrase often mentioned in the first chapter of the Analects of Learning:
"Friends come from afar, aren't they happy?" The word "friend" refers to disciples and like-minded people.
In the autumn of 1945, Mao Zedong went to Chongqing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek. During this period, the painter Yin Shoushi and the poet Liu Yazi were preparing to hold a joint exhibition of poetry and painting. The day of the group exhibition is approaching. One day, Yin Shoushi went to Liu Yazi's apartment to discuss the group exhibition.
After the discussion was completed, Liu Yazi suddenly patted his thigh and said:
"Alas! I almost forgot that Chairman Mao asked me to talk today. You and I go with me, and we ask for a picture of the Chairman. If he can agree, we will exhibit in the group exhibition, which will surely greatly comfort the people's hearts and shock Yuzhou. ”
"Wow! But can he agree? ”
"I'm going to call."
After a while, the car that picked them up came. Yin Shoushi was obviously a little excited, and as he walked, he fastened his clothes and patted his clothes.
The car stopped in front of a small courtyard. Yin Shoushi helped Liu Yazi out of the car, and Liu Yazi told him, "This is Guiyuan." ”
Qian Zhiguang, the director of the office, was already waiting at the door, and after a little greeting, he let Liu Yin and the two of them into the living room on the right. After the two sat down, Qian Zhiguang went out to report to Mao Zedong. After a while, there were steady footsteps on the stairs, and then the two people entered the living room one after the other.
"Brother Yazi is coming, and there is a long way to go!" Mao Zedong walked and entered the living room.
"How dare you. This is my friend Mr. Yin Shoushi, a young painter. This is Mr. Mao Zedong Runzhi. ”
"Friends from afar, welcome, welcome!" Mao Zedong held out his right hand to Yin Shoushi.
Yin Shoushi held the thick and powerful hand and hurriedly said, "Mr. Mao, long look up, long look up!"
After everyone was seated, Mao Zedong lit a cigarette and said, "All undertakings in our country need a great development, and the same is true for fine arts." There is a Luyi school in Yan'an, and Mr. Yin may have heard about it, but they played a great role in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression..."
Mao Zedong also talked about an interesting thing when he was a child: "Like painting, I just don't know anything. I remember when I was a child in art class, I drew a few lines with a red pen on the paper, and circled a circle on the line.
Sir asked me what it was, and I said it was a poetic painting of "Sunrise River Flowers Winning Fire". ”
Liu Yazi, a famous poet in China, was born in 1887 in Wujiang, Jiangsu. He was on good terms with Mao Zedong. The two first met in Guangzhou in 1926 and attended the Second Central Committee of the Second Kuomintang. During the meeting, we had a tea tasting together. This gathering left a deep impression on both Mao and Liu's hearts.
After the September 18 Incident, Liu Yazi, because of his opposition to Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance, often painted inscriptions by members of the "Friends of The Cold Society" organized by He Xiangning to express the indignation in his chest. He Xiangning bound the paintings into a book and entrusted them to Mao Zedong in Yan'an.
Mao Zedong and Liu Yazi were old friends and knew him well. In his letter to He Xiangning, he mentioned Liu Yazi, calling liu Yazi "an old literati with backbones." In 1941, Liu Yazi condemned Chiang Kai-shek for creating the "Anhui Southern Incident", and as a result was expelled from the Kuomintang. Since then, he has been more devoted to the Communist Party
This time, Mao Zedong went to Chongqing for negotiations, and the two met again. Liu Yazi specially gave a poem of the Seven Laws of "Yuzhou Zengjiayan Presents Chairman Mao", the first sentence of the cloud:
"Farewell to Yangcheng Nineteen Autumn, reunion shake hands XiyuZhou."
Express the joy of a long-lost reunion. When Mao Zedong first met the young painter Yin Shoushi, he blurted out, "There are friends from afar, welcome, welcome!" ”
It reflects Mao Zedong's state of mind at that time in Chongqing, where he was concerned about the world and made friends in order to form the broadest united front and achieve peace at an early date.
Mao Zedong's use of this phrase here is clear. Having friends from afar not only brings happiness to people, but is mainly beneficial to the cause of the people and the cause of the revolution!