Among the descendants of Chairman Mao, Kong Dongmei is the one who looks the most like his grandfather, with a round face and atmospheric features, especially the mole on the chin, which is very eye-catching.
Kong Dongmei once said in a book: "My mother did not inherit the mole on the grandfather's chin, but my granddaughter has inherited it. I feel very honored."
is the only female in the third generation of Mao family The successful businesswoman, Kong Dongmei's every move has attracted the attention of the world. When she appeared at social parties, she was a fashionable lady, but when she was sitting in the " chrysanthemum bookstore " she founded, she was a gentle and graceful female entrepreneur.
But no matter what kind of image she is, Kong Dongmei is more like a successful female entrepreneur, not like a famous daughter who is a famous lady. Among all the descendants of Mao's family, she seems a little maverick, but in fact she is in her bones. Completely inherited the life style of the Mao family.
So, what is the style behind Kong Dongmei's independence?
One: A lonely childhood, years with grandma
Kong Dongmei was born in Shanghai in 1972. Her mother is Li Min, the daughter of Chairman Mao and He Zizhen, and her father is Kong Linghua, the son of General Kong Congzhou.
In the year Kong Dongmei was born, his grandfather Chairman Mao is in his old age and his health is not very good. It can be said that her birth brought some comfort to grandfather.
Moreover, Kong Dongmei can successfully come into the world and has a great relationship with her grandfather. At that time, the country was in a difficult period, and Li Min's family life was also very poor, so when he learned that he was pregnant, Li Min hesitated somewhat.
Li Min has a deep relationship with her father. Whenever she encounters a problem in life, she always talks to her father, and this is the same. Li Min asked his father for advice, should give birth to this child (Kong Dongmei)?
After Chairman Mao listened, he replied firmly: "Yes,No matter how difficult life is, you should have children.
Picture|Chairman Mao and his daughter Li Min
Li Min followed his father’s advice and left the baby in the abdomen. However, because one is in Beijing and the other is in Shanghai, Kong Dongmei has no chance to be with her grandfather Meeting, this is also one of the biggest regrets in her life, but her grandfather got her name personally.
After her daughter was born, Li Min couldn't wait to show her photos to her father. Chairman Mao has always liked children. When he saw the photo of his granddaughter, his old face showed a gratified smile.
Seeing his father so happy, Li Min was also exasperated and said to his father: "Dad, you give your child a name!
Chairman Mao looked at the picture of the baby girl, and he thought for a long time and said: " is called Dongmei. Dong is my first name, and Mei is a very good name. It is my favorite in life. This is A very meaningful name, you can also tell Chairman Mao’s likes and expectations for his granddaughter.
Mentioned her name when she grew up, Kong Dongmei proudly said: ", my name was taken by my grandfather. One thing I'm so proud of.
Picture|Kong Dongmei
Because she had never met, she had a vague impression of her grandfather when she was a child, but she learned from her elders that her grandpa is a very powerful person. I really admire it.
When he was young, because his parents lived and worked in Beijing, Kong Dongmei lived with his grandmother He Zizhen. They have been living in the house at No. 262 Hunan Road, Shanghai, which was a three-story villa. Chen Yi’s residence.
In Kong Dongmei’s impression, that is a large and quiet yard, where four orange trees are planted, and oranges can be harvested every year, as well as peach trees, medlar trees, etc.
This yard carries the memories of Kong Dongmei's childhood.However, her childhood was not free at all. There were always staff guarding the door. The most rebellious thing she ever did was to run across the road to buy a popsicle.
Picture|Photo of Kong Dongmei with grandmother and mother
Although Kong Dongmei is rich in material life, her world is lonely, especially when she misses her mother, she also longs to be free in the lane like other children Play comfortably, but she knows it's impossible.
When Kong Dongmei was four years old, his grandfather passed away. He only relied on photos and imagination to outline the image of her grandfather, which is very similar to her mother Li Min.
Li Min was sent to the Soviet Union to reunite with his mother when he was three years old. She was unfamiliar with her father. For the first time she knew that her father or brother Mao Anqing told her through photos.
In comparison, Kong Dongmei's feelings for her grandmother are very deep. She spent her entire childhood in the company of her grandmother. She is familiar with grandmother's arms and preferences.
Picture|Kong Dongmei and grandmother
Many years later, whenever he recalled the deep house compound, Kong Dongmei would think of the rockery in the yard and the different plants planted in the yard, and the most impressive thing was the grandmother sitting in a chair and looking at her. I was in a daze from afar, and then smoked one after another. In the smoke, my grandmother recalled the past.
Kong Dongmei has lived in Shanghai for six years. There are the first memories of her life. Although lonely, she also has good things. She still doesn't know that she will be the third generation of red, and her grandfather is the creation of new China. The person.
2: Mother is a life leader and supports her to study abroad
In 1978, Kong Dongmei was accepted by her parents to live in Beijing, and she finally realized her long-cherished wish to get along with her mother day and night.
Although Chairman Mao's daughter, Kong Dongmei recalled that in that era when the material was not rich, their family had a very difficult and difficult time.
For a long time, the father’s salary was frozen, and a family of four could only live on the mother’s monthly salary of 50 or 60 yuan.In order to ensure that she does not get hungry, her mother makes careful calculations every day.
Picture|Kong Dongmei and mother Li Min
Although the years are gone, Kong Dongmei still remembers the life of that period of time still fresh. At that time, the mother would wake up early every day, and then rush to the vegetable market to buy vegetables before going to work, and rush home after get off work at noon to cook and cook by herself.
In order to save money to the utmost extent, the mother was not willing to throw away the clothes worn by the brother, so she would wear it to Kong Dongmei after the change. Such a hard environment has also tempered Kong Dongmei's character. She started to be independent very early and learned to knit sweaters and cook. Sometimes her mother was too busy and she would take care of all the housework.
Although life is difficult, her mother has never relaxed the education of Kong Dongmei. She has been encouraged to read more European and American literature, as well as Chinese classical literature.
Influenced by her mother, Kong Dongmei has a soft spot for literature and even fantasizes about opening a small bookstore. In college, she chose Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics English and American literature.
Picture|Kong Dongmei and mother Li Min
In addition to knowledge education, Li Min did not neglect the inheritance of family traditions. Back then, his father always taught them to be humans with their tails in their hands and not to specialize.
Li Min's father's teachings are unforgettable for life. At the same time, she is also the educator of her daughter. She is not allowed to proactively say that she is a descendant of Mao Zedong with anyone, do not mention her family, and be low-key and humble wherever she goes.
Therefore, even if it is a successful career, people have been unfamiliar with Kong Dongmei's background for a long time, let alone she is the granddaughter of Chairman Mao.
Figure | Kong Dongmei
In 1996, Kong Dongmei graduated from University and entered a newly established company. She hid her identity as a "red descendant", like all employees.Starting from the basics of serving tea and pouring water, it is more common to work overtime until eight or nine o'clock.
Three years later, thanks to the efforts of Kong Dongmei and everyone, the work has already achieved a certain scale, and Kong Dongmei has also undergone a radical change.
However, this year is destined to be uneven for her. First, her father Kong Linghua passed away, her mother Li Min was seriously ill, and her brother went overseas to work.
When people grow up, sometimes it's just a moment. In the past, Kong Dongmei was the youngest child in the family and was loved by her parents and brothers. Now, one after another, she grew up overnight, and these changes also made Kong Dongmei a little overwhelmed, and even felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Picture|Kong Dongmei
When she was the most difficult, she wrote a letter to the organization with the idea of "going out", in which she explained all the difficulties and encounters in her home. After that, with the help of many old comrades, my mother's medical expenses were reimbursed and the housing problem was solved. Kong Dongmei was grateful for all this.
This year, Kong Dongmei is 27 years old. After experiencing the washing of fate, she has become more mature. But at this time, Kong Dongmei was a little confused. She suddenly wanted to step out of her comfort zone, go abroad to open her horizons and study again.
When Kong Dongmei told her mother Li Min about her thoughts, Li Min supported her daughter's decision, thinking that she had also grown up abroad, and she unconditionally supported her daughter's eagerness to study overseas.
In this way, before the coming of the millennium, Kong Dongmei was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, and went overseas with a suitcase to study for a master's degree at this university,
Figure | Kong Dongmei
But life in a foreign country is not as good as she imagined. When she got off the plane and faced the unfamiliar excesses and faces, she suddenly understood what "wandering" was.
In the first days, everything did not go so smoothly. In order to save money, she stayed in a hotel and moved three times before and after. At that time, Kong Dongmei suddenly felt sad.Even thought about going home.
But in the end she overcame language, culture and other obstacles and chose to persist. During this period, calling her mother became the greatest joy in her life. As a filial child, Kong Dongmei always reported good news but not bad news. During
, her mother Li Min also mailed her a memoir "My Father Mao Zedong". This book deeply touched Kong Dongmei and gave her a deeper understanding of her father.
Later when recalling the experience of reading, Kong Dongmei said emotionally: " I cried when I saw it. I haven't slept for several nights. Many details make it difficult to calm down."
Picture|Photo of Kong Dongmei with his parents
Of course, everything has two sides. Although there is a deep sense of loneliness abroad, at the time, except for Li Zhaoxing, the then Chinese ambassador to the United States, who knew her identity, no one knew that she was from the east and had a chin on her chin. The woman with moles is Mao Zedong's granddaughter, which makes her life easier and makes many close friends.
In her spare time, Kong Dongmei did not enjoy life, but went into different forms of cultural venues, such as museums, theaters, bookstores, etc., where she learned about diversified careers.
At the same time, Because no one knows her true identity, she tells her classmates or friends around her as an ordinary "Chinese young woman" about China's history, Chairman Mao's great and legendary life, and promotes China's red culture.
During this process, Kong Dongmei understood her mission, which is to inherit the red culture, as if she was a call of duty. The day after the graduation ceremony, she chose to pack and return to China, only to devote herself to her home country With her embrace, she has more motivation and expectations.
3: Inheriting the red culture and inheriting the Mao family style
After returning to China, Kong Dongmei registered and established Beijing "Dongrun Juxiang Bookstore" Co., Ltd. The name is also very meaningful. "Dong" is the name of his grandfather and himself "Run" is the name of the grandfather, which also reflects Kong Dongmei's determination to inherit the red culture.
On the column of the bookstore, Kong Dongmei posted a portrait of her grandfather, and there are many different versions of Mao Zedong's albums on the shelves. She wants to study a century of China and the Mao family from various angles, and spread and promote the red classics.
Figure | Kong Dongmei
After the establishment of the company, Kong Dongmei went to many places where his grandfather lived and fought, while walking and writing books. At the same time, she went to Jinggangshan and Chairman Mao’s hometown Shaoshan with her mother Li Min, where she had a deep understanding of her grandpa’s life experience.
Kong Dongmei said: “I want to write a different Mao Zedong and tell the world that he is not only a great man, but also an ordinary father.
In 2003, after more than two years of hard work, Kong Dongmei launched the title The book "Opening My Family's Old Photo Album", through which she let people know in more detail the emotions and life experiences of the three generations of the Mao family.
Figure | Kong Dongmei
Since then, Kong Dongmei has continued to work hard. "Listening to Grandma Speaking about the Past-Mao Zedong and He Zizhen" and "Days to Change the World-Talking about Mao Zedong's Diplomatic Past with Wang Hairong" have been published. In these books, she disclosed to the world that many outsiders Mao Zedong is little known.
In addition to promoting the red culture and classics to the world, Kong Dongmei has also perfectly inherited the Mao family's family tradition. Over the years, she has been actively engaged in philanthropy. When the country is in trouble, she will make donations in time.
Although Kong Dongmei did not receive her grandpa’s education directly, her mother Li Min always told her about her grandpa’s principles and style of life and work, especially his hard work and simplicity, which benefited Kong Dongmei a lot.
Figure|Li Min
Today Kong Dongmei has become a representative of the inheritance of "red culture". She feels that she has not done enough, and she has a long way to go in the future. She will work hard to inherit the inheritance and let the future generations. Knowing the story of the revolutionary martyrs, this is her responsibility as well as her obligation.
Kong Dongmei has always kept in mind the teachings of her mother,Just rely on her own efforts. should not feel special just because she is a descendant of the Mao family. For this reason, Kong Dongmei walks one step at a time, and she doesn't want to live under the aura of grandfather.
Low-key, humble, calm, socially responsible and caring, do not rely on the power of the family, but rely on their own hands to realize the dream of life.
, Kong Dongmei, did not live up to the title of Mao Zedong's granddaughter...
