As we all know, Chairman Mao has always shown himself with a "backward" image. His hair on the temples is shorter and his ears are exposed. He looks particularly energetic and solemn.
This was designed by Chairman Mao's full-time barber Qian Shuitao. Chairman Mao has maintained this hairstyle since 1959.
Even the huge portrait of Chairman Mao on the Tiananmen city wall has this hairstyle.
However, it was not Qian Shuitao who gave Chairman Mao the most haircuts, but Zhou Fuming.
Starting in 1960, he cut Chairman Mao's hair for a total of 17 years.
After the guards around Chairman Mao left one after another, Zhou Fuming took charge of Chairman Mao's daily life.
After Chairman Mao passed away, Zhou Fuming knelt down and cut Chairman Mao's hair for the last time.
Looking at Chairman Mao who was suffering from illness, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
From then on, Zhou Mingfu put away his tools and never cut anyone else's hair again.
How did Zhou Fuming come to Chairman Mao's side?
What touching stories happened between him and Chairman Mao?
Haircut for the mysterious "foreign guest"
Since ancient times, Yangzhou people have been famous for their three knives. One of them is kitchen knives . Yangzhou cuisine is famous for its fine workmanship, which also means that there are requirements for kitchen knives. Extremely high, and Yangzhou’s kitchen knives just meet this requirement.
The second one is pedicure knife . Yangzhou's pedicure knife is one of the best. Every bathing city across the country also uses "Yangzhou pedicure knife" as a sign.
Some pedicure masters are not only able to perfect their pedicure skills, but can even use various Chinese medicinal materials to treat foot diseases for customers.
And this third knife is a hairdresser.
Since and Manchu came to dominate the Central Plains, and the order " shaves hair and makes it easier to serve ", the new profession of barber was born.
When Emperor Qianlong visited the south , he was amazed by the skill of the Yangzhou head-shaving master with "seventy-two and a half knives" and was given a "first-grade knife" by the emperor. Since then, the reputation of Yangzhou barber knives has become world-famous.
Zhou Fuming came from here and mastered the art of barbering.
When he came to Hangzhou, he worked in a barber shop.
As the saying goes, if you practice three hundred and sixty, you will be number one.
Zhou Fuming is a top figure in the barber industry.
In 1959, he was elected as the "Youth Model" of the industry. Through this selection, he also had an unusual experience.
On December 26, there is not much time left before the Spring Festival, so everyone will get a haircut to welcome the new year with a new look.
Since this morning, there has been an endless stream of customers in the store, and people's faces are filled with cheerful smiles.
At around 11 o'clock in the morning, a customer came to the store. After he introduced himself, Zhou Fuming found out that he was the local Secretary Zhao.
Immediately afterwards, Secretary Zhao asked him: "Master Xiao Zhou, how long does it take for you to get a haircut? Is half an hour enough?"
When Zhou Fuming heard this, he nodded: "No problem."
He also got a haircut. I've been treating my hair for such a long time, and it can definitely be sorted out in half an hour.
Later, Zhou Fuming was led to the office, where two people were already waiting for him: "Now there is a 'foreign guest' in Hangzhou Hotel who wants a haircut. The organization has decided to send you there. Please pack up your tools and follow us. "
Barber box
At this time, Zhou Fuming was actually a little confused. Didn't the hotel have special hairdressing tools? Why did he need to bring them himself?
However, he didn't think much about it and quickly took his tools and went out.
After a while, Zhou Fuming was taken to Wangzhuang.
This was originally the residence of a tea merchant. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it became the reception hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee.
Zhou Fuming was arranged in a reception room. Just when he was at a loss, a young man accompanied an old man and opened the door. The young man said: "I would like to ask you to give the chief a haircut."
It turned out that this old man was Wang Fang, the director of the Provincial Public Security Department. This was the first time Zhou Fuming had a haircut for a "big shot". Although he was a little nervous, he still devoted himself to his work.
At this time, Several more people came in and wanted to ask Zhou Fuming to give them haircuts.
Through conversation, one person also called himself Captain Li.
However, Zhou Fuming had not dealt with these people before, so naturally he did not know the official in front of him. It was Chairman Mao's chief of guards Li Yinqiao .
Li Yinqiao
However, when Zhou Fuming was getting a haircut, these people kept asking him questions, such as "Are you nervous about giving a haircut to a stranger?" ” Or “Can I get my hair cut in half an hour?” "
Fortunately, Zhou Fuming is very skilled. Even though he kept answering questions, his hands did not stop and he completed everything as required.
After finishing their haircut, Wang Fang and the others looked in the mirror and were all surprised. He nodded with satisfaction.
Just when Zhou Fuming thought he could leave, he was left again.
Now, Zhou Fuming's doubts became more serious: They were testing me just now, but why?
Haircut for Chairman Mao
At around 10 o'clock in the evening, Zhou Fuming was picked up again. Looking at the scenery passing by outside the window, he couldn't help but feel confused.
Chairman Mao and Li Yinqiao
When the car stopped, Zhou Fuming saw that in front of him The person who came to greet him was Captain Li, who wanted him to get a haircut this afternoon:
"Master Xiao Zhou, I am Li Yinqiao, whom we met this afternoon. I invited you here today because I want you to give Chairman Mao a haircut. "
It turns out that Chairman Mao wants to get a haircut today, which is not a difficult task, because Qian Shuitao, who specializes in giving him a haircut, is also in Hangzhou.
Qian Shuitao (first from left)
Unfortunately, Master Xiao Qian had a high fever, and he had no choice but to do it. Next, they had to find a new barber, and Zhou Fuming, who had just become an "industry pacesetter", was chosen.
However, this news confused Zhou Fuming. Giving Chairman Mao a haircut? This was something he could not even imagine.
And Li Yinqiao also saw the other party's anxiety: "Master Xiao Zhou, don't be nervous, just get your haircut as usual. But there is one thing, and that is to give the chairman a haircut quickly and well. "
Only then did Zhou Fuming recover. He suppressed the joy in his heart and followed Li Yinqiao inside.
Zhou Fuming still had another confusion, that is, what should he call Chairman Mao when he meets him later? ? So, he asked Li Yinqiao for advice on this issue.
After hearing this, Li Yinqiao smiled and told him: "It's okay, just call him 'Chairman Mao' like everyone else." "
Zhou Fuming couldn't help but get excited when he thought of being able to give the great leader a haircut.
Not long after waiting, Chairman Mao walked out from another door.
Chairman Mao was seen wearing a long cloth pajamas, with his feet He was wearing a pair of black cloth shoes and holding a book in his hand.
Under the light, Chairman Mao looked particularly energetic. He even took the initiative to extend his right hand to Zhou Fuming.
Zhou Fuming also took the time to take two steps. Holding Chairman Mao's hands: "Hello, Chairman Mao! "
Zhou Fuming and Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao looked at Zhou Fuming for a while and said kindly: "Are you Master Xiao Zhou?
Zhou Fuming nodded repeatedly: "Yes, just call me Xiao Zhou."
Unexpectedly, Chairman Mao said: "That won't work. You are the master after all." "
After Chairman Mao sat down, the other staff members left. According to the Chairman's request, they did not wash their hair this time, only get a haircut.
When Zhou Fuming opened the tool box, Chairman Mao also opened the tool box he had brought. This book, and Zhou Fu Mingchao glanced at it, it turned out to be a thread-bound "Twenty-Four Histories".
It can be said that this haircut was the most nervous one in Zhou Fuming's life. In order to make Chairman Mao Reading with peace of mind, he decided to get his hair cut in the same way the chairman was reading.
It was winter at that time, and Zhou Fuming originally wore a thick cotton-padded jacket to keep out the cold, but out of nervousness and the heat of the swimming pool, he simply wore a thin shirt to give the chairman a haircut.
However, his move also attracted Chairman Mao's attention.
Chairman Mao put the book aside and chatted with Zhou Fuming. During the conversation, Zhou Fuming's nervousness gradually dissipated.
Soon, it will be time to give Chairman Mao a shave.
Zhou Fuming suddenly discovered that Chairman Mao blew a breath and puffed up his cheeks. He soon realized that this was Chairman Mao's move to make it easier for him to shave.
Zhou Fuming said hurriedly: "Chairman Mao, just relax. I can shave it with two fingers."
It only took about 20 minutes for Zhou Fuming to cleanly cut and shave Chairman Mao's hair. Got a beard.
After Chairman Mao stood up, he first thanked Zhou Fuming.
After learning that Zhou Fuming could swim, he invited him to swim with him.
Zhou Fuming never expected that not only could he give Chairman Mao a haircut, but he could even swim with him. What a supreme honor it was for him.
Since Chairman Mao’s itinerary needed to be kept secret, Zhou Fuming moved into Wangzhuang.
Whenever Chairman Mao needed a haircut, he would take Zhou Mingfu over.
After some time, Chairman Mao told Zhou Fuming: "Xiao Zhou, I want you to come with me to Beijing to give me a haircut. Can you go back and discuss it with your leader and your wife?"
Zhou Fuming did not hesitate at all: "I Everyone listens to the chairman."
In fact, it is not unreasonable for Zhou Fuming to be favored by the chairman. When
was in Beijing before, the Security Bureau also found a young barber for Chairman Mao.
Perhaps because of Chairman Mao’s prestige, the barber was both nervous and excited.
When it came time to shave Chairman Mao, the barber's hand holding the razor began to shake involuntarily.
Although Chairman Mao also walked through a hail of bullets, he was still an old man after all. Faced with a trembling knife so close at hand, no one would feel comfortable.
But this time, Zhou Fuming's hairdressing skills were good, and there was nothing wrong with his background. He even tried his best to move closer to the party organization in his personal thoughts. He was a probationary party member at a young age, so it was not surprising that he was selected by Chairman Mao.
In this way, in April 1960, Zhou Fuming followed Chairman Mao to the north, and his days with Chairman Mao began.
The days with Chairman Mao
At the beginning, Zhou Fuming’s main task in Zhongnanhai was to give Chairman Mao a haircut.
Chairman Mao told him: "When you are cutting your hair, you do your business and I do mine, and neither of us bothers the other."
The reason why Chairman Mao has such a requirement is because Chairman Mao always uses various He takes time to learn, even when he is getting a haircut, and when he sees interesting plots, he will bend his head forward and back, which places extremely high demands on the skills of the barber.
Slowly, Zhou Fuming gradually mastered the skills and followed Chairman Mao's posture to get a haircut.
Later, he also made some small improvements to Chairman Mao's hairstyle. Originally, Chairman Mao's original hairstyle was a bit short on the temples and seemed a bit rigid.
After careful consideration, Zhou Fuming decided to grow the chairman's hair on the temples longer and comb it back.
In this case, Chairman Mao's face will look plumper and more natural than before.
After seeing his new hairstyle, Chairman Mao also nodded with satisfaction and praised Zhou Fuming as "worthy of being a barber."
Since then, Chairman Mao has continued to have this hairstyle.
After every haircut, you must blow dry your hair to fix the style.
However, Chairman Mao did not like to use a hair dryer. In addition, although Chairman Mao would get a haircut every few days, he would wash his hair twice a month.
After the 1970s, Chairman Mao became older and even more unwilling to wash his hair. Then, Zhou Fuming had to find a way to fix Chairman Mao's hairstyle. After
worried for a while, he finally thought of a way to solve this problem.
That is, after cutting Chairman Mao's hair, first apply a hot towel for a while, and then use a grate to carefully smooth the hair.
In this way, Chairman Mao's hair can be fixed even without washing or blow-drying.
In 1961, Chairman Mao specifically talked to Zhou Fuming: "Xiao Zhou, you see that you only cut my hair two or three times a week, and you have nothing to do the rest of the time. Let me tell you, you can do other jobs as well."
Chairman Mao and his staff
At that time, there were seven guards around Chairman Mao. In addition to a chief guard who had to arrange work, the other two worked in pairs and were responsible for all issues in Chairman Mao's life.
Although Zhou Fuming did not participate in the guard duty, he often helped them, such as preparing meals for Chairman Mao and taking charge of internal affairs.
At the end of the year, the guards who were responsible for Chairman Mao's daily life were all transferred to other places, and there was only one guard left on duty.
In 1962, Chairman Mao went to Beidaihe to work. This time, when Zhou Fuming had his haircut as usual, Chairman Mao told him: "Xiao Zhou, you have dinner with me today, and then join the shift."
Zhou Fuming knew that this This means that he will have another identity in the future, that is, Chairman Mao's bodyguard, and the burden on him will be even heavier.
Since Chairman Mao developed the habit of "night fighting" during the war, this also led to Chairman Mao choosing to work at night most of the time.
In order to adapt to the chairman's schedule, Zhou Fuming usually rests during the day and works with the chairman at night.
In addition, Chairman Mao would occasionally be unable to sleep, so Zhou Fuming taught himself massage so that Chairman Mao could relax and fall asleep faster.
In 1963, only Zhou Fuming was left among Chairman Mao’s bodyguards.
Chairman Mao told him: "Xiao Zhou, Xiao Zhang is gone now. I think you are quite capable, so please come and take care of this house for me."
Zhou Fuming was extremely excited about the burden on him. After all, This means Chairman Mao's trust in him.
At the same time, he couldn't help but worry that if he made a mistake, not to mention it would affect Chairman Mao's image, how would he explain himself to the party and the people?
He asked Chairman Mao: "Chairman, I have never done this before, can it be done?"
Zhou Fuming held a photo with Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I believe you It will definitely work."
Chairman Mao then added: "The work here is not easy, and you will have to work harder in the future."
Chairman Mao's words gave Zhou Fuming great encouragement, and also made him He became the barber who worked for Chairman Mao the longest.
Keeping the Household for Chairman Mao
In 1976, Chairman Mao became increasingly unwell, and eventually he could only lie down in a hospital bed.
At this time, Zhou Fuming could no longer give Chairman Mao a haircut, and could only rely on medical staff to cut off Chairman Mao's long hair bit by bit.
On September 9, 1976, Chairman Mao passed away due to illness. When he learned the bad news, Zhou Fuming was stunned. He knew that Chairman Mao was already on his deathbed, but he did not expect that this day would come so soon.
Recalling every bit of his time with Chairman Mao, Zhou Fuming was heartbroken and couldn't believe the news.
After he completely recovered, Zhou Fuming submitted an application to Premier Zhou: "I have been cutting Chairman Mao's hair for more than ten years, and I want to do a good job for the Chairman one last time."
He waited until about three o'clock in the morning the next day. Zhou Fuming couldn't sleep until the news of the request for approval came.
When he saw Chairman Mao lying there peacefully, Zhou Fuming couldn't help but feel sore. Ever since he came to Chairman Mao, he had never seen Chairman Mao sleeping so peacefully.
Zhou Fuming combs the hair of Chairman Mao’s wax figure
Until now, Chairman Mao finally stopped thinking about the people and had a solid sleep. How could he bear to disturb him?
Zhou Fuming said softly: "Chairman, don't worry, I will never disturb your sleep."
When his fader gently fell on Chairman Mao's hair, Zhou Fuming seemed to have returned to Chairman Mao before. Sitting on a chair and reading a book, he was giving Chairman Mao a haircut.
When Chairman Mao finished cutting his hair for the last time, he could no longer control his emotions, and tears welled up from his eyes.
After Chairman Mao passed away, Zhou Fuming could have gone to work in an office, but he took the initiative to find his leader and applied to manage Chairman Mao's former residence.
However, the leadership also encountered difficulties regarding his application.
Without this precedent, there is really no way to pay him a salary.
However, Zhou Fuming expressed his position: "I volunteered to be Chairman Mao's housekeeper. Even if I have no money, I will do it."
After all, he worked for Chairman Mao for 17 years. During this period, Chairman Mao also Always help these guardians as much as possible.
At the beginning, Zhou Fuming's child was suffering from sepsis and his life was hanging by a thread. It was Chairman Mao who gave 500 yuan from his royalties to Zhou Fuming before the child had an operation.
It can be said that whenever the comrades around Chairman Mao have any difficulties, Chairman Mao will do his best to help them.
In this way, Zhou Fuming has been responsible for managing Chairman Mao's former residence and introducing Chairman Mao's great achievements to people.
On April 4, 2022, Zhou Fuming passed away in Beijing. He finally realized his mission and followed Chairman Mao, whom he admired most.
References:
Secretarial Work: Entering Fengze Garden - Remembering Chairman Mao’s Life Administrator Zhou Fuming
Xinxiang Comments: Barber Box
