by Qin Jiufeng
On the afternoon of September 25, 2002, the news of Zhou Erhui’s death suddenly came. That night, my eyes were blurred with tears and it was always difficult to sleep: Zhou Erhui is the nephew of the founding prime minister and a provincial-level cadre.
Although Zhou Erhui and I have only been dating for a few years, our relationship has reached the level where "there is nothing to talk about in depth, and there is nothing to treasure that cannot be shown." In particular, the two long talks between him and me on March 4, 1997 and September 2, 1999 are still fresh in my memory. Now that he is gone, I have compiled my memories and used the tone of his conversation during his lifetime as a memorial to him.
After the liberation of Huai'an, my grandma pointed to the portrait of Zhou Enlai in the gallery and said to us brothers: "This is your uncle. He is now a 'big official' in the Communist Party."
Our Zhou family moved to Huai'an during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. Huai'an settled. It was the uncle's great-grandfather and second-great-grandfather who bought a house and settled in Huai'an Prince Consort Lane, not the uncle's grandfather and second-grandfather as the society said.
's uncle's grandfather, Zhou Junlong, later changed his name to Panlong and Qikui, and his name was Yunmen. From being a master in the "Xuemu" to being the magistrate of the county, he has been working in Haizhou (today's Lianyungang), Funing, Andong (today's Lianshui), and Taoyuan (today's Lianshui) within the jurisdiction of Huai'an Prefecture at that time. He served in the area of today's Siyang (now Siyang) and Shanyang (now Chuzhou). Duke Yunmen had four sons, namely Zhou Yigeng, Zhou Yineng, Zhou Yikui and Zhou Yigan. Because the Zhou family is a big family, the rankings of the big families are four, seven, eight and eleven respectively. Yineng is my uncle's father, and Yikui is my grandfather. So many people ask me: "What is your relationship with the Prime Minister's family?" Here, I want to be more clear: I am my uncle's nephew. In the words of my hometown in Huai'an, my father Enshuo and my uncle are "close cousins".
My grandfather Zhou Yikui, also known as Huanchen, although he attended some private schools when he was young, it was difficult for him to achieve anything because of his disability. At that time, when the Zhou brothers went out to make a living, he could only stay alone in the old house in Huai'an Prince Consort Lane, living with his second-great-grandfather Zhou Junang's concubine Wang (later we all called her Mrs. Ya) and my father Enshuo. A difficult life with little food and clothing.
A family of several people has not had enough to eat for many years. How can they still have money to seek medical treatment for their grandfather? Fourth grandfather occasionally sent back some banknotes from other places, but it was only a drop in the bucket, making it difficult to support the family. Due to poverty and illness, my grandfather passed away when he was only 41 years old.
My grandfather’s death was recorded in the diary of my uncle Zhou Enlai’s trip to Japan on January 8, 1918: “I was overseas and suddenly received this bad news. At that time, I didn’t know whether it was pain or sorrow in my heart. Got it The next day, the uncle continued to write in his diary: "I remember that there is no important man in the family. What happened to the eighth uncle and the eighth mother in the past few years (this is Zhou Enlai's eleventh uncle) The hardships of Zhou Yikui’s title as heir I have suffered enough, debts are pressing me every day, and there is no money. The family needs to eat, they have pawned everything, and they have sold everything. There is still no place to borrow or credit, don't say My face is gone. Even if I don’t have the shame to ask for food from others, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. There are other places to go. Although Uncle Ba’s illness is old, how can he spend a single sum of money to cure it?” From what Uncle said, we can imagine. How difficult my family’s life had become at that time!
When my grandfather passed away, his only son, my father Zhou Enshuo, was only fourteen or fifteen years old. It was difficult for him to start a family, so the family's life was extremely difficult. Later, he had to follow in his uncle's footsteps and live with Enpu and Enshou. The brothers all went to Tianjin one after another and lived on Grandfather Four.
Not long after my father returned to Huai'an, the Anti-Japanese War broke out. The local party organization was afraid that my uncle's relatives would be murdered by the enemy, so they notified our family to move to the Linjia Wharf where my grandfather Tao's family lived to escape the chaos. My grandpa’s family was also very poor and could not accommodate our family of four generations and six, so we had to live in a cowshed. My father did not live there for a few days, and was elected as a county councilor by the anti-Japanese democratic government of Huaibao County, but he disappeared soon after taking office. Grandma nearly cried her eyes out and took her mother to search for more than a year but could not find it.Later I heard that he was killed by the lake bandit Water Tyrant. The family can only survive on the porridge and rice that grandma begs for.
In the autumn of 1948, Huai'an City was liberated. For the first time, large portraits of party and New China leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai were posted in the propaganda gallery of Huai'an County Cultural Center. My grandma led my brother and I to the front of the gallery, pointed at Zhou Enlai's portrait and said to us brothers: "This is your uncle. He is now a 'big official' in the Communist Party." Only then did I know that we I have such an amazing uncle.
In 1952, after the government changed the cadre system from a supply system to a salary system, my uncle sent my grandma and me to Beijing and left me to study in Beijing. At that time, there was a special school for cadres' children in Beijing to train the children of martyrs and senior cadres. The conditions were quite good, but my uncle did not let me go to such a school. Instead, he asked me to go to the ordinary No. 26 Middle School. This school was originally privately run, called Huiwen Middle School, and it was inferior to the school for cadres' children in every aspect.
We lived on campus since we were in junior high school. There were two types of meals, one was 9 yuan per month, and the other was 7 yuan per month. After the salary system was implemented for cadres, my uncle shouldered all my tuition, miscellaneous fees, and living expenses. He didn't let me eat at 9 yuan a month, but at 7 yuan a month, to prevent us from developing specialization and a sense of superiority from an early age. My uncle and aunt repeatedly told me not to reveal my relationship with my uncle, whether it was talking to leaders, filling out forms, or interacting with classmates. The uncle said: "If you reveal your relationship with me, people will know that you are Zhou Enlai's nephew, and they will take care of you and accommodate you, and you will gradually develop a sense of superiority. In this way, your progress will be slowed down."
In 1954, after graduating from the No. 26 Middle School, I was admitted to the Beijing Iron and Steel Institute. Not long after I entered school, someone knew about my relationship with my uncle.
"Didn't you say that when you joined the party, the organization conducted a political review and it was only discovered after an investigation in Huai'an?" This is a widely circulated matter in society, and I couldn't help but ask.
"You are an expert on our Zhou family, do you believe it?"
"I can't call you an expert yet. But this matter has been spread among the people of Huai'an since 1977..."
"Actually, that's not the case." Zhou Erhui recalled affectionately, "In my daily study and life, I did not forget my uncle's advice, and I never disclosed my relationship with my uncle to anyone. But, you think, I I have been studying with my uncle for more than seven years. The book, Zhongnanhai came out, Zhongnanhai entered, which classmate or teacher didn’t have eyes and ears? Also, at that time, I was going to the university to do the political review, so the identity of a person who often went to and from Zhongnanhai was still unclear? I was 'exposed' not long after I attended Beijing Iron and Steel Institute. "
In 1959, I graduated from Beijing Iron and Steel Institute and was retained by the school to work in the Graduate School of Teaching. My main tasks were to investigate teaching reforms and research on the integration of education and production labor. question. At that time, I was young and very dedicated to my work.
My uncle made "self-criticism" at the party group meeting because of my wedding.
Before the summer vacation of 1961, I reported to the Beijing Iron and Steel Institute and requested that my fiancée Sun Guiyun be transferred to Beijing and then get married. At that time, Beijing Steel Institute was preparing to open an affiliated primary school and kindergarten and needed teachers very much. The organization quickly helped me complete all the transfer procedures. During the summer vacation, I took Guiyun to Beijing and lived in an internal guest house in Xi'an Gate. The room rate was 1.5 yuan per day. I chose when my uncle had some free time, so I took Guiyun to the West Flower Hall of to meet my uncle and aunt. When the uncle saw Gui Yun, he smiled and nodded without saying anything; the aunt held Gui Yun's hand and asked questions. When we told them that we were both party members and planned to hold our wedding on July 1, the party’s birthday, my aunt said to us in a consultative tone: “Should we change it to the 2nd? Your uncle will have half a day off on the morning of the 2nd. Time." Of course we nodded in agreement.
Uncle is always busy, and it is rare for him to have half a day's rest. Our wedding was all organized by my aunt. 1961 was the last year of three consecutive years of natural and man-made disasters in our country.That year, the one-year plan supply voucher issued to a person was only 1 foot 6 inches, and those who received a marriage certificate could get an additional 8 feet discount with the voucher. I put together more than a foot of cloth tickets and bought a fashionable dress for Guiyun. At that time, fashionable goods like this could not be found at the counters of Huai'an merchants. My uncle and aunt gave us four wedding gifts: a brocade of "Songs and Cranes Live Longevity"; a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of trousers that my uncle had worn; a half-new and half-old plaid bed sheet; and a pair of vases. Now only the brocade of "Songs and Cranes Live Longevity" is still there, the clothes and bedsheets are old and worn out, and have long since disappeared. A pair of vases were accidentally broken in life. Because we had no awareness of cultural relics at that time and could not imagine the commemorative value of these things, we did not collect them as "treasures". Thinking about it now, it is a pity.
html On July 2, my aunt notified all the relatives of the Zhou family in Beijing to Xihuating. My mother and brother Ercui in Huai'an were not notified to Beijing. I was wearing the short-sleeved shirt and pants that my uncle had worn, and Guiyun was wearing the new dress. Attending our wedding were Tong Xiaopeng, deputy director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Prime Minister's Office, Sun Weishi, the daughter of Sun Bingwen, the revolutionary martyr during the Great Revolution, and later the daughter of Bo Boqian, and Long Xiaohu, the son of Long Feihu, etc., from Beijing Iron and Steel Institute , uncle’s staff also sent representatives to participate. During the meal, the two tables could not fit together, and the children had to stand between the adults. Everyone was talking, laughing and beaming with joy. After the meal, my aunt arranged for all the wedding attendees to take a group photo. Auntie asked Guiyun and I to sit in the middle, and uncle happily sat beside me, while Tong Xiaopeng and Sun Weishi stood behind. Auntie said happily while making arrangements: "Guiyun, when your uncle and I got married, there were not so many people and it was not so lively!"Our new house is located in the east wing of the West Flower Hall. There is a wooden bed in the room, a wooden table and two wooden chairs. The bed was covered with the plaid sheet given to us by our uncle and aunt, and the brocade was hung on the wall inside the bed. The quilt cover and quilt cover were brought by us from Huai'an. This kind of wedding cannot be compared with modern young people. Even at that time, it was considered simple. However, later I heard that my uncle made "self-criticism" at the party group meeting for my wedding, saying that although Erhui paid for the wedding banquet himself, it should not be such a "big" scene. I hope Comrades, don't follow his example.
Originally, Guiyun came to Beijing to marry me with all the necessary procedures including transfer order, household registration transfer certificate, organizational relationship, transfer introduction letter, and grain and oil supply transfer certificate. But uncle didn't know these things beforehand. A few days after our wedding, Guiyun and I were called to our side again by my uncle and aunt. I told the two old people about Guiyun's work transfer to Beijing. After hearing this, my uncle said, "Oh, how easy is it? What if people don't accept it?" I thought, how could that be possible? Because the leaders of Beijing Steel Institute have promised me to place Guiyun in the primary school affiliated with the Institute. She was a primary school teacher in Huai'an and still works as a primary school teacher in Beijing without any special care.
It turns out that on the day of our wedding, my uncle had a conversation with the representatives of the Steel Institute. He tactfully criticized the leaders of the Steel Institute: "Of course you can take care of the relationship between husband and wife, but why can't you transfer from a big city to a small city and why should you go to Beijing?" The leaders of the Steel Institute accepted his uncle's criticism and did not accept Gui. Yun's household registration and all other "relationships" allowed Guiyun to return to Huai'an.
Auntie was afraid that we would not be able to figure it out. A few days later, she came to our new house and said to Guiyun and me in a sincere voice: "Baby, because of your uncle, it will be easier for you to do things that are difficult for others. But. , this is something your uncle will never It’s allowed. Take Guiyun’s registered permanent residence in Beijing as an example. Your uncle is in charge of the nationwide work of reducing the urban population, and he must take the lead in implementing this policy. “Both of us, husband and wife, understand what my aunt said. As soon as the summer vacation is over, Guiyun. He happily returned to Huai'an with the transfer order.
In 1962, Guiyun became pregnant. I felt that since my uncle did not agree with Guiyun's transfer to Beijing, I should be transferred back to Huai'an so that I could take care of her nearby.I took advantage of the opportunity when my uncle and aunt were present to express my thoughts. My uncle laughed and agreed, but he immediately said to me: "But we are not allowed to go through the formalities now." I was at a loss. My aunt told me: "I will notify you then." I later learned that my uncle asked his secretary to go to the relevant unit to investigate, fearing that I would be transferred back to my hometown under "special care." After I was convinced that I was not receiving any special care, I was transferred back to Huai'an Middle School as a teacher during the summer vacation of that year.
I was transferred back to Huai'an Middle School to work as a teacher. My aunt wrote a letter to the Huai'an County Party Committee, asking the county Party committee to do two things.
Huai'an is my hometown. I grew up drinking water from the Huai'an River. I have a special affection for Huai'an. Returning to my hometown There is also indescribable joy in working.
On May 23, 2002, the day before Zhou Erhui's death, when the author was attending the "2002 International Academic Seminar on Wu Chengen's "Journey to the West" by Wu Cheng'en in Huai'an, China" at Huaiyin Normal University , I met the secretary who worked in the Huai'an County Committee Office of the Communist Party of China in 1962. Comrade Xu Zhong. While chatting during the break, Xu Zhong still clearly remembered that Deng Yingchao specifically wrote a letter to the Huai'an County Party Committee when Zhou Erhui was transferred back to Huai'an. The letter said that on behalf of Zhou Enlai, she requested the county committee to do two things after Er Hui was transferred to Huai'an: first, not to squeeze out any staff member of the unit he transferred back because of Er Hui's transfer; second, not to because of Er Hui's transfer to Huai'an; Any special consideration given to our relationship on issues such as work arrangements.
Zhou Erhui also recalled that after his aunt asked about it, the county party committee also wrote back: Erhui's transfer was a normal transfer without any special factors; he was just an ordinary teacher in the new unit, without any assignments or other care. In this way, I became a "teacher" at Huai'an County Middle School until the end of the "Cultural Revolution."
(To be continued)
Editor in charge: Zhang Xinyu
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This article is an original version of "Party History Expo"
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