On April 2, 2007, Shao Hua, Mao Xinyu, Li Min, Li Na and others appeared in the auditorium of Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing to commemorate Mao Anqing, who passed away on the 23rd of last month.
Mao Anqing, wearing an old military uniform, a hat with a five-pointed star, and a bright red party flag, lay quietly in the funeral parlor.
As the youngest son of Chairman Mao, he lived a life of "obscurity".
There were two old people in the crowd who had just arrived from Hunan - Mao Anping and Zhang Tingjie . They were specially called and invited by Mao Anqing's wife Shao Hua in accordance with his last wish.
Shao Hua burst into tears after seeing them. He tearfully told them Mao Anqing's last words and conveyed Mao Anqing's longing for them and his hometown people.
What did Mao Anqing say before he died? What kind of story is there between Mao Anping, Zhang Tingjie and Mao Anqing?
Looking back on the past, deep love and deep friendship
On March 28, 2007, the sixth day after Mao Anqing's death, his wife Shao Hua was in Mao Anqing's mourning hall, looking through the photo album and explaining Mao Anqing's past to everyone.
The photo album was collected and compiled by Shao Hua a year ago when Mao Anqing was seriously ill.
There are more than 80 photos, covering Mao Anqing's life from learning English to being in his prime, from studying abroad to working hard, from getting married and having children to enjoying family happiness in his later years...
" I didn't expect that this was actually given to Anqing by me. The last gift . "
Shao Hua carefully touched the photos that solidified her husband's life.
Facing two Hunanese, Mao Anping and Zhang Tingjie, Shao Hua said sincerely, " Anqing loves her hometown, loves her parents and loves her brother.". The most photos in the
album are photos of him with his parents and brother.
"This photo is the earliest photo of him and his mother, when he was just learning to walk."
In the photo, Yang Kaihui is holding Mao Anying, and her brother Mao Anying is standing beside her. According to time estimates, the photo is more than 80 years old, but there is no damage or stain on the photo and it is very well preserved.
When talking about the photo of Mao Anqing and his brother Mao Anying, Shao Hua told a detail. Before the two brothers went to the Soviet Union, they "wandered on the streets of Shanghai for several years."
This experience was too bitter. It was at this time that Mao Anqing was arrested by a foreign country. Because he had no money to go to the hospital for medical treatment, and no one cared about his life or death, he was not able to receive timely treatment, which resulted in Mao Anqing's cranial nerve problems, which remained uncured for the rest of his life.
Mao Anying once recalled, "Except that Anqing and I didn't steal anything and didn't become godsons to rich people, everything else was just like the '三毛' in Sanmao's Wanderings."
Brother Mao Anying was 28 years old. Sacrifice on the Korean battlefield also became an important reason why Mao Anqing did not want to recall his youthful years.
After Mao Anying died, he was buried in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army Martyrs Cemetery located in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. There was no way to pay homage every year, so I could only look at the photos and miss him.
"But every year on September 9th and December 26th, he would take us to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall to remember his father. "
There are many photos in the album recording Mao Anqing's narration to the descendants of the Mao family at the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall While remembering my father's deeds, I also hope that future generations can inherit and carry forward his father's excellent qualities.
When he turned to the photo of his mother Yang Kaihui, Shao Hua's face was full of regrets. "After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he went back to Bancun, Qingtai Township, Hunan (now Kaihui Village, Kaihui Town) many times to worship his mother."
Zhang Tingjie on the side was inspired by Shao Hua and recalled the past related to him, "I once hosted an event to commemorate the birth anniversary of Comrade Yang Kaihui."
Shao Hua expressed his gratitude again and wanted to tell him one thing: "Mr. Zhang, An Qinglin I told you before his death that I must tell you the news of his death. "
They met at work and became close friends.
The relationship between Mao Anqing and Zhang Tingjie was from 1990 to 1993, when Zhang served as his director. secretary.
A few months before Mao Anqing's death, Zhang Tingjie went to Beijing to visit him. At that time, Mao Anqing's physical condition was not very good.
"Although I knew Lao Guo was in critical condition and was hospitalized, when Comrade Shao Hua called me to tell me that he had passed away, I still couldn't believe it."
The "Lao Guo" in Zhang Tingjie's mouth refers to Mao Anqing.
It turns out that Mao Anqing’s family and familiar friends all called him this. Zhang Tingjie explained the reason, " Comrade Mao Anqing once used the name 'Guo Liang' when he was studying in the Soviet Union. "
It can be seen that Zhang Tingjie and Mao Anqing have a very close relationship, and their initial acquaintance was purely coincidental.
After Zhang Tingjie graduated from the normal school, he returned to his hometown and participated in rural work just in time for the " to go to the mountains and countryside".
Later, he worked as a teacher in a private school. In 1979, the county cultural center recruited people. After being recommended by others, he became an ordinary employee of the cultural center.
Once, Mao Anqing and Shao Hua came to visit the cultural center, and it was Zhang Tingjie who served as the docent. At that time, Zhang Tingjie was very nervous, fearing that he would make mistakes during the explanation.
"They all advised me not to be nervous and be as normal as usual."
Zhang Tingjie realized that Mao Anqing and his wife were very approachable, so he put aside his worries and explained seriously.
At that time, Zhang Tingjie did not expect that his life would change precisely because he was responsible for this explanation.
In 1990, it was the 60th anniversary of the death of Comrade Yang Kaihui, Mao Anqing's mother. Mao Anqing and the local government were preparing to organize commemorative activities. They needed someone to control the entire event. This person must not only understand the local customs and customs, but also have certain cultural literacy. I searched for a long time. Never found the right person. Comrades from the
County Cultural Center suggested that Zhang Tingjie be put in charge.
Mao Anqing still remembered Zhang Tingjie who had done explanation work for him, and immediately agreed that he would be responsible for this work.
The commemorative event was successfully completed. Mao Anqing was very satisfied with Zhang Tingjie. For this reason, he proposed to the county culture to let him be his secretary.
Zhang Tingjie lived up to the expectations of Mao Anqing and his wife. In 1991, it was the 90th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Yang Kaihui; in 1993, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Chairman Mao... Zhang Tingjie was able to successfully complete the work arranged by Mao Anqing every time.
These commemorative activities were specially organized for Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui. It was Shao Hua who conveyed Mao Anqing's gratitude to Zhang Tingjie, "helping him realize many dreams."
Zhang Tingjie also recalled the first time he went to Mao Anqing's home.
“Before I went there, I always thought it was a very mysterious place.”
Mao Anqing’s home is in Xishan, Beijing. According to Zhang Tingjie’s recollection, “The family has lived in Mao’s courtyard for decades. Far away from the busy city, it is simple and unpretentious. It is not made of Qin bricks or Han tiles, but it is just an ordinary small courtyard. The furnishings in the house are also very simple. "
Mao Anqing's family lives a very simple life. There are many jars in the kitchen filled with various pickled foods. Plant vegetables.
Breakfast is very simple, usually just porridge and pickles.
"The whole family prefers Hunan cuisine, and Mao Anqing likes to eat stinky tofu from Hunan the most."
The chef generally does not make the taste so strong, considering Mao Anqing's health problems. Stinky tofu is an exception. "That's what I eat." "
Every time Zhang Tingjie returns to Beijing from Hunan, he always brings some Hunan specialties to Mao Anqing and his family to give them a taste of his hometown.
In addition to eating, the family still maintains the habits of Hunan people, and their speech and expression have not changed.
"Mao Anqing speaks Changsha dialect . We communicate in Changsha dialect. When he reads articles written by Chairman Mao, he also uses Changsha dialect."
According to Zhang Tingjie, Mao Anqing has always been in poor health and attached great importance to self-cultivation in his later years. Shao Hua, who was a nurse, also specially compiled a set of aerobics for him.
When he has nothing to do, he basically watches TV, plays chess and reads at home.
"Mao Anqing reads the Russian version of Mao Zedong's Selected Works basically every day." The cover of the book has been worn and the pages have turned yellow, but he continues to read.
Recalling the years when he was Mao Anqing's secretary, Zhang Tingjie always had a lot to talk about. In addition, he would also talk about how difficult Mao Anqing's childhood was.
Therefore, after Zhang Tingjie was shocked to hear the news of Mao Anqing's death, in order to express his condolences, he wrote four couplets, one of which summarized Mao Anqing's life:
The pines on the shore are high/The revolution is so difficult, how can you care about yourself/Mother drinks bullets/Zi wanders/Lai He is a brother-in-law/has only gone through the wind and rain/death and life separation/tragic death and hell;
青中白老 / 无码不了不了的你的意思 / 死了了 / elder brother sacrifices his life / because my husband and wife love each other / Fang Kezi makes grandchildren / the party favors the people / you exceed the family’s father’s happy family
...
I am deeply attached to my hometown and have returned many times. Township
In addition to Zhang Tingjie, Mao Anping was also specially invited from Hunan by Shao Hua.
She told Mao Anping, "Anqing said that every time he went back, you would take care of him and cause you trouble. He asked me to call you because he wanted to see his relatives in his hometown in the end."
Mao Anping is Mao Zelian His son, Mao Zelian, is Chairman Mao's cousin. Therefore, Mao Anping's family is Chairman Mao's closest relatives in Shaoshan .
Before receiving the call from Shao Hua informing him of Mao Anqing's death, Mao Anping knew that Mao Anqing was in poor health, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
years later, Mao Anping was still filled with emotion when being interviewed: The first time Mao Anqing returned to
shaoshan to visit relatives was in 1952."Mao Anqing rode a horse from Xiangtan to Shaoshan Chong. After visiting Chairman Mao's former residence, he went to their old house in Shaoshan."
Speaking of this, Mao Anping also added one more thing thing.
On the way to his old house in Shaoshan, Mao Anqing passed by a section of farmland. Mao Anqing was in a stalemate with the oncoming firewood carriage. The field ridge was too small to allow the two of them to walk at the same time. Mao Anqing took the initiative to give way to the carriage, but he failed to control it well. "He and the horse fell into the farmland together."
After that, Mao Anqing returned to Shaoshan about six or seven times..
"I came back once in February 1986, just in time for the New Year."
Mao Anqing's family also returned to Shaoshan to worship Mao's ancestors and visit family members. They also visited Dishuidong, where Chairman Mao once lived. .
In June 1959, Chairman Mao returned to his hometown after 32 years. He loved swimming and went to Shaoshan Reservoir in Dishuidong to swim.
He enjoyed the tour so much that he told Zhou Xiaozhou, then secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, "Build a few thatched houses in this valley so that I can live there when I get old."
This was superficial, but in fact it was still Of great use.
Zhou Xiaozhou understood the implication of the chairman's words. Therefore, when building a house in Dishuidong in 1960, Zhou Xiaozhou arranged for the architectural designer to refer to the structure of the house in Zhongnanhai .
html Six years later, Chairman Mao returned to Shaoshan for inspection again and stayed in Building 1 here for 11 days. No one knows what he went through during those 11 days.A month later, during an inspection in Wuhan, he used "a cave in the west" to refer to Dishui Cave in his letter, which shows that this place was of vital importance to him. In 1970, a 100-meter-long air-raid shelter was built behind the building, and military facilities such as an earthquake-resistant room and a command room were also built.
This "Western Cave" has always been kept secret from the outside world and is extremely strictly managed. Few people even know about it. was only opened to the public with the approval of relevant departments in the autumn after Mao Anqing's family visited.
Mao Anqing wrote the five characters "I love Shaoshan" for Dishui Cave in both Chinese and Russian. Later, the management staff of the scenic spot took it and rubbed it on the rocks.
In 2007, when the news of Mao Anqing's death spread in his hometown in Shaoshan, many people came to express their condolences in front of this stone monument. Some villagers said, "Although I can't go to Beijing, coming here to visit is a kind of memorial."
Mao Anqing's wife When Shao Hua saw this scene, he thought of Chairman Mao, and wrote a poem to commemorate him: A trip to his hometown during the Lantern Festival, returning to Shaoshan to visit his neighbors. Reunite together to express deep feelings, and remember your loved ones in the dripping cave.
The last time Mao Anping saw Mao Anqing was in 1997. At that time, Shao Hua and his son Mao Xinyu were also returning to Shaoshan.
"At that time, his health had deteriorated a lot. He could not walk very well and was not very talkative. He had always been taciturn."
Guo Xinmin, who was responsible for the reception work together with Mao Anping, also saw that Mao Anqing's physical condition was not as good as before, " His health was not very good, but he still insisted on coming back to visit. Mao Anqing and Shao Hua were the chairman's children who returned to Shaoshan the most."
Precisely because Mao Anqing often returned to Shaoshan during his lifetime, people there had deep feelings for him. After learning of his death, they mourned him in various ways.
After the news of Mao Anqing's death spread, many people approached Mao Anping, hoping that he could convey their condolences on their behalf.
Mao Anping can understand everyone's mood, please rest assured, " Mao Anqing is from Shaoshan. I have two purposes for going this time: first, to attend Mao Anqing's memorial meeting; second, to express condolences to his family on behalf of Shaoshan relatives. "
Mao Anping told Shao Hua that the folks in his hometown missed Mao Anqing and commemorated him in various ways after learning the news of his death.
Shao Hua burst into tears and thanked everyone for their affection for Mao Anqing. "Anqing also misses all the fellow villagers," and then conveyed Mao Anqing's last will and testament to Mao Anping, " Anqing wants to return to his hometown. Buried next to his mother's tomb. "
Mao Anping was a member of the Mao family. He was naturally willing to help Mao Anqing fulfill his last wish. He also discussed specific burial matters with Shao Hua and his son Mao Xinyu many times.
But no one expected that in the summer after Mao Anqing's death, Shao Hua also passed away. Shao Hua followed her husband's last wish and told her son Mao Xinyu that she would be buried next to Yang Kaihui's tomb together with Mao Anqing.
Half a year after Shao Hua's death, on December 21, 2008, the couple's ashes were buried in Yang Kaihui Martyrs Cemetery in Changsha County under the escort of their son Mao Xinyu, daughter-in-law Liu Bin, grandson Mao Dongdong and others.
ends with
Mao Anqing was too low-key during his lifetime. Therefore, he had the title of "mortal".
After his death, some media gave this "mortal" a high evaluation - "obscure, but also shown to be great."
Looking back on his life, although he was the son of the Chairman, Mao Anqing did not use his privileges for personal gain. He went through many hardships as a child and wandered around. As an adult, he was approachable and did not forget his homeland. This was the continuation of Chairman Mao's "low-key and close-to-people" style. quality.
