In February 1986, the 82-year-old Deng Xiaoping returned to Chengdu to celebrate the New Year and visited his uncle Dan Yixing, who was only 2 years older than him. At the dinner table, the two recalled the past and talked about the vicissitudes of the past decades.

In February 1986, the 82-year-old Deng Xiaoping returned to Chengdu to celebrate the New Year and visited his uncle Dan Yixing, who was only 2 years older than him.

At the dinner table, the two recalled the past and talked about the vicissitudes of the past decades.

Before leaving, Deng Xiaoping said to Dan Yixing: "From next month, I will send you 5 more yuan every month, okay?"

Dan Yixing did not speak, but looked at Deng Xiaoping quietly and smiled. laugh.

After the two of them said goodbye, they didn't expect to see each other for the last time in this world.

Buy land for school

In 1904, when Deng Xiaoping was born, Dan Yixing was less than two years old.

Since Deng Xiaoping came to power, Dan Yixing has been particularly fond of his nephew. Although they are from two generations, they are more like "brothers" who have played together since they were young.

When they were older, the two went to the "Hanlin Courtyard" private school together, and then went to elementary school together. When he graduated from elementary school, Dan Yixing stopped studying because he needed to manage his family's property, while Deng Xiaoping continued his education.

During this period, the two formed a deep relationship.

In July 1919, Deng Xiaoping went to Chongqing to study at the Chongqing Preparatory School for Studying in France on the recommendation of his father Deng Shaochang.

At that time, the price of self-funded study abroad like this was about NT$300. The school would provide certain subsidies, but the bulk of it still had to be subsidized by the family.

In order to allow Deng Xiaoping to go abroad smoothly to learn new ideas, Deng Shaochang sold most of his family's property, but the money was still not enough. At the critical moment, the Dan family stepped forward. They sold their land so that Deng Xiaoping could go to school.

After this, the relationship between the two families got closer.

Deng Shaochang

In August 1920, on the eve of Deng Xiaoping's 16th birthday, he joined the team of students studying in France as he wished.

Before leaving, Deng Shaochang rushed to Chongqing from Guang'an to see him off.

In a restaurant near Taipingmen, father and son sat opposite each other.

Looking at his grown-up son in front of him, Deng Shaochang couldn't help but shed tears before the dishes he just picked up were even delivered to his mouth.

Early the next morning, the autumn wind began to pick up.

The relatives and friends seeing off at the Dongmen Pier stared blankly at the slowly sailing ship and kept waving their arms. Dan Yixing was among them.

The only difference between him and many relatives is that his inseparable family affection is mixed with a trace of envy.

Afterwards, Dan Yixing moved into the Deng family under the arrangement of Deng Ken.

When he first arrived in France, Deng Xiaoping felt that everything was novel.

He recorded everything he saw, heard and learned in a foreign country and sent them one by one to the small mountain village in Guang'an.

Whenever this letter came across the ocean, Deng's mother would ask Dan Yixing to read it to her over and over again.

Those longings and enthusiasm for revolution hidden between the lines make Dan Yixing excited every time he reads it, and he also feels sincerely proud of Deng Xiaoping.

He replied to Deng's mother's letters, writing about the current situation of his family and the changes in world affairs. However, these letters rarely reached Deng Xiaoping's hands.

Deng Xiaoping did not even receive the news of Deng’s mother’s death in 1926.

This is not because Deng Xiaoping was unfilial, but because at the end of 1925, the French police vigorously hunted down communists, which made him homeless and unable to settle down. Even when he returned to China two years later, he never revealed the news about himself to his family.

It was not until January 1938, after Deng Xiaoping became the political commissar of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, that news of his survival reached his family.

At that time, war was raging all over the country, and people's anti-Japanese enthusiasm was high. Deng Ken, who had been influenced by Deng Xiaoping's revolutionary thoughts since childhood, knew that his brother had become the leader of the anti-Japanese team, and his desire to participate in the anti-Japanese war became even stronger. He decided to study at the Northern Shaanxi Anti-Japanese University. .

But at this time, after the war and the death of his parents, the situation of the Deng family was no longer what it used to be. Not only did Deng Ken go to school, he could not even pay for his trip to Shaanxi.

When Dan Yixing learned about this, he frowned and squatted on the mound in front of his house in silence for a long time. Finally decided to convert more than 160 loads of grain stored at home into money to support Deng Ken in school.

In that era, old people often said, "If you have food in your hands, you won't panic." Now that Dan Yixing has sold off all the food stored at home, it must be a lie that his family has no objection. However, in order to help his nephew fulfill his dream of serving the country, Dan Yixing has no regrets.

Deng Ken and Deng Xiaoping took a group photo

"The Emperor's Straw Shoes"

When the Kuomintang reactionaries learned that the two Deng brothers had joined the Communist Party with the funding of Dan Yixing, they immediately led troops into his home and used him as a ask.

Dan Yixing, who heard the news in advance, decided to escape with his family overnight in order to protect his family from the torture of the Kuomintang. The valuable things in his home also fell into the hands of the arresters.

For a long time after

, Dan Yixing's family lived a wandering life.

Dan Yixing's education level is not high, and what he does most outside is a coolie. He feels that as long as he can exchange food for his family and keep them from starving to death, everything will gradually get better.

But the Kuomintang never let go of the pursuit of Dan Yixing. They believed that Dan Yixing's eldest son had reached adulthood, so they forcibly recruited him to work as a handyman in the army.

Perhaps influenced by communist ideas, the boss of the Dan family was extremely dissatisfied with the idea that the Kuomintang was infesting the countryside, and he wanted to take the opportunity to escape.

But before this idea was implemented, the Kuomintang officers discovered it. They broke the legs of the Dan family boss, threw him on the roadside, and left him to fend for himself.

The hard days lasted until the liberation of Sichuan. Ke Dan Yixing looked at the people packing their packages and preparing to go home, and a touch of pain emerged in his heart.

Back then, the Kuomintang confiscated all the ancestral homes in his hometown in Guang'an. Now he has no home to return to.

Just when he was in despair, a piece of news suddenly cheered him up - The Communist Party was dividing farmland and yards in Guang'an, and he had a home of his own.

Liberating Southwest

In the spring of 1950, after Dan Yixing heard the news that Deng Xiaoping had been appointed as the first secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, he immediately took Xia Bogen to Chongqing.

Since Deng Xiaoping went to France for a work-study program, the uncle and nephew have not seen each other for more than 30 years. So along the way, he was 30% angry and 70% excited.

When he arrived at the gate of the Chongqing Military Region, Dan Yixing's anger had gone away a lot, and he felt even more proud of Deng Xiaoping.

He didn't go on a rampage, he just announced his door and waited outside.

When guard Cui Lairu reported to Deng Xiaoping, Deng Xiaoping was having a meeting in the conference room. He was startled when he heard that his uncle and stepmother had arrived.

Cui Lairu has been following Deng Xiaoping for many years, and he still has the ability to observe people's words. He saw that Deng Xiaoping was inconvenient at this time, so he took the initiative to say: "How about informing Principal Zhuo Lin? Let her come back to say hello?"

Deng Xiaoping said after pondering for a moment. : "No, let the reception department arrange for them to stay in the guest house, and then take them home in the evening."

It was night, and it was already very late when Deng Xiaoping returned home. At this time, Dan Yixing had already been drinking for three times, and the food was ready. Over five flavors.

At this time, he felt very complicated. On the one hand, he was proud of Deng Xiaoping's achievements; on the other hand, he felt that he and Xia Bogen had been left out in the cold.

So when Deng Xiaoping walked in, Dan Yixing stiffened his neck and said unceremoniously:

"Well, my dear son (Deng Xiaoping's formal name is Deng Xixian), you have really become a high official, and you have disowned your relatives! The emperor and I have three more "Dear straw sandals!"

Deng Xiaoping heard the resentment in his words and knew that he had indeed not been back for a long time for the sake of the revolution and the construction of New China, so he could only call "uncle" with a wry smile.

Deng Xiaoping in Chongqing

Dan Yixing heard this and his uncle became even more angry, and his eyes suddenly turned red.

"Do you still recognize my uncle? Do you still remember your mother and I?"

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly cooled down. Zhuo Lin and Xia Bogen looked at the uncle and nephew at a loss.

Zhuo Lin had heard some things about Deng Xiaoping's parents, and she also knew that this had always been a regret in Deng Xiaoping's heart. Dan Yixing's bringing it up again today would undoubtedly reopen Deng Xiaoping's scars.

As expected, after hearing this sentence, Deng Xiaoping's expression suddenly dimmed, he lowered his head and whispered "remember".

Looking at Deng Xiaoping's appearance, Dan Yixing was unable to accuse, but the tears that had been lingering in his eyes for a long time suddenly flowed down. He cried and said:

"My poor old sister... Xian Wazi, do you know, you Less than 7 years after she left, your mother died in her early 40s because she missed you and cared about you. You were still in France at that time. You were her eldest son. She loved you the most during her lifetime. You thought about her before she died. "Are you in the mood?"

This sentence undoubtedly touched the heart of Deng Xiaoping. When he was studying in France, every time he looked up at the moon, he missed his relatives in his hometown.

Deng Xiaoping shed tears and talked about the complex that he had never made public over the years.

He said that no matter where he goes, he will never forget his hometown, his relatives there, and his mother's face.

He said that his father was still outside at that time, and all the household affairs were shouldered by his mother. During the day, he washed and cooked, raised silkworms and reeled silk, and sewed and washed starch at night. She was busy until late at night before going to bed.

He said that he remembered that before going to France to study, his mother took her younger brothers and sisters from one trip to another, and the tears on her face never stopped.

He held his mother's hand and told her that it was not for him that he went abroad to study abroad. He would come back when he finished his studies, and he would take her over to enjoy her happiness when he had a job in the future.

He said that he had lived up to too many expectations and had been burdened with too many hopes.

He also said that now that New China has been established, it is a pity that his mother is no longer there...

Looking at Deng Xiaoping, who was already crying in tears, Dan Yixing's anger had long dissipated. Now he just feels a little sorry for this man who is only two years younger than him. Year old nephew.

He pulled Xia Bogen to him and told Deng Xiaoping that when the old man left, Xia Bogen was the one who took care of his affairs.

Xia Bogen was indeed honest. When the Deng family was extremely poor after Deng Shaochang's death, all the women in the same village as her had remarried, so she stayed with the Deng family.

At that time, it was normal for the family not to open the pot. In order to feed Deng Shaochang's children, she begged alone on the street.

Although she doesn't understand politics, she knows that what the Deng family is doing must be right.

Deng Xiaoping and his wife took a group photo with Xia Bergen

When Deng Xiaoping's sister Deng Xianfu participated in underground party activities, she took a Communist member of the Huayingshan Guerrilla home, and she hid him without saying a word.

She said that she, a woman, did not know much about the outside world, but she knew from the bottom of her heart that the Communist Party was good for the people.

Now that she heard Dan Yixing's introduction and saw that Deng Xiaoping became the first secretary of the Southwest Bureau, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, "I heard that you were back, so I wanted to come over and see you. I had no other intention."

Deng Xiaoping Looking at the rural parents in front of them, who were only a few years older than themselves, their eyes filled with tears again. She took Xia Bogen's hand and said affectionately: "Mother Xia, let's live together from now on, and we will provide for you in your old age!"

said, It made Xia Bogen, who was nearly 50 years old, burst into tears.

Farewell

Starting from August 1978, Deng Xiaoping began to send living expenses to Dan Yixing regularly, and he entrusted Zhuo Lin to handle this matter.

"Uncle Yao: The August living subsidy of 10 yuan was sent on August 7th and 8th. I forgot to write to tell you. I wonder if you have received it. Now I have sent the September living subsidy of 10 yuan. I hope you will receive it. , we will send it to you on the seventh and eighth day of every month. Please estimate when it will be delivered, and ask when it arrives. "

In those days, the price level was low, and 10 yuan was enough for a large family in rural areas for a year and a half. of.

So whenever Dan Yixing received living expenses from Zhuo Lin, he always talked about his nephew's kindness to his family, saying that today's life is inseparable from the help of Deng Xiaoping and his wife.

In 1985, Dan Yixing's health was deteriorating. He wrote to Deng Xiaoping about his family situation and the news about his short time, saying that he wanted to see their family again.

But unfortunately Deng Xiaoping was too busy with work at this time, so he could only ask his sister Deng Xianqun to reply: Uncle, you should take care of yourself as you get older. We will come back to visit when you have time.

In February of the following year, Deng Xiaoping took time out of his busy schedule to return to Sichuan for the New Year, and the uncle and nephew finally met again.

When seeing him off, Deng Xiaoping was fascinated by the old bus carrying Dan Yixing back home. He refused to put down his arms waving goodbye until the bus was submerged in the horizon.

He knew that this separation would be forever.

Three years later, Deng Xiaoping, who was far away in Beijing, learned of the death of his uncle. After a long silence, he slowly said three sentences:

"I know." "The specifications are high enough." "No more gifts."

Liaolao Three sentences, but it expresses Deng Xiaoping's sadness and responsibility.

When the Guang'an County Party Committee received the oral message from Deng's office, it understood its intention: "I am the son of the Chinese people." The "standards" of the funeral arrangements for my uncle were already "high enough", including wreaths and condolences. "I won't give it away anymore" or anything like that.

Conclusion

Looking back at Deng Xiaoping's life is like half of China's modern history .

Most of this history is written on old papers, and some is hidden in the context of family ties.

Those secret and unknown stories are different from the boldness and far-sightedness of reform and opening up; they are also different from the co-ordinating and reprimanding in the political, civil and military field.

But it allows us to see a more real and flesh-and-blood image of the great man.