On September 19, 1958, Chairman Mao finished his inspection in Hefei and was about to go to Wuhu. In these days, every time Chairman Mao went out for a visit, he was surrounded by the enthusiasm of the people and could not escape.

On September 19, 1958, Chairman Mao finished his inspection work in Hefei and was about to go to Wuhu. In these days, every time Chairman Mao went out for a visit, he was surrounded by the enthusiasm of the people and could not escape. When there are more people, it is difficult to maintain order, which is a hardship for the security personnel. But we cannot completely hide Chairman Mao, and we cannot block the streets and forcibly drive the people away. What should we do?

So when Chairman Mao left Hefei, the Anhui Provincial Government decided to organize an orderly and well-prepared "farewell" so that more people in Hefei could see Chairman Mao with their own eyes. What an honor it was. ah. The key is that this matter was approved by Chairman Mao himself, which was unprecedented. Among them, it is inseparable from Zhang Zhizhong’s unremitting efforts.

Chairman Mao specially approved Zhang Zhizhong to accompany him and toured the north and south of the country together. On the way, Zhang Zhizhong made suggestions to Chairman Mao more than once, asking him to go to Anhui and visit Huangshan. Chairman Mao's ears were ringing with noise, and he once deliberately replied: "Who is going to that remote place of yours?" Finally, Chairman Mao went to Anhui to inspect the work.

When Chairman Mao left Wuhan and came to Anhui, Zeng Xisheng, then secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee, left Hubei first and returned to Hefei to prepare. Before Zeng Xisheng left, Zhang Zhizhong specifically found him: "This is Chairman Mao's first visit to Anhui. Let the Anhui masses see Chairman Mao's style. This has been the desire of the Anhui people for many years. Can we organize the masses?" On both sides of the avenue, let the Chairman sit in a convertible for a parade. "

Zeng Xisheng naturally wanted it, but he knew Chairman Mao's temper and routine and did not want to be public. He liked to travel lightly and did not accept greetings and farewells on the road. arrange. Zeng Xisheng expressed his concerns and worried that Chairman Mao would be angry and would not give in. Zhang Zhizhong took over the responsibility and said that he would talk to Chairman Mao and give it a try. Upon hearing this, Zeng Xisheng realized that this was feasible.

On the day Zeng Xisheng returned to Fei, Zhang Zhizhong actually brought up the matter at dinner and asked Chairman Mao if he would object. Before Chairman Mao opened his mouth, someone next to him couldn't help but said: "You said you would welcome me across the street." Chairman Mao picked up a piece of food with chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and then swallowed it: "You have criticized me many times for not Go to Anhui. Comrades from the Anhui Provincial Party Committee also said many times No matter what you do this time, I don’t care!”

Chairman Mao’s words really made Zhang Zhizhong overjoyed. He immediately conveyed the good news to Zeng Xisheng and asked him to make arrangements.

The original plan was that when Chairman Mao arrived in Hefei, the masses would line the streets to welcome him. However, the comrades of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee who were accompanying Chairman Mao thought of another problem: the masses would stand on the streets to welcome Chairman Mao, and many people would inevitably follow Chairman Mao there. Go to his residence; this will inevitably lead to a large number of people standing at the Chairman's residence all day long, waiting for Chairman Mao to come out; such cheers and noise are not conducive to Chairman Mao's work and rest, and security work is not good either. Do.

So it was decided that when Chairman Mao left Hefei, there would be a "farewell" along the aisle. Therefore, Chairman Mao's first visit to Hefei City was kept secret for the time being; only after he went out for inspection did the people of Hefei know that Chairman Mao was here. Chairman Mao arrived in Hefei on September 16 and left three days later on September 19. On this day, all the preparations for the farewell were in place. But there was still a little accident.

The news of farewell to Chairman Mao spread, and the whole of Hefei was moved. People in several nearby counties were also moved by the news. 150,000 people were originally notified to attend the farewell, but after gathering, the number of people was as high as 300,000, which was equal to the number in Hefei at that time. About half of the city's population.

From the residence of the Provincial Party Committee to the train station, both sides of the more than 10-mile road are lined with dense crowds. They include workers, farmers, citizens, teachers, students, soldiers, and retired uncles and aunts. At this moment, they only have one common identity, that They are the Chinese people who love Chairman Mao. It started to rain gradually, and there was mud under their feet, but they remained unmoved. They chatted quietly, looked forward to it, and waited while holding up a long banner reading "Long Live Our Dear Leader."

At 2:15 pm, Chairman Mao, accompanied by Zeng Xisheng, took the first green convertible and drove slowly to the train station. In order to let everyone see clearly, the convoy moved very slowly; Chairman Mao stood on the car, without an umbrella like everyone else, and waved his arms to the people on both sides under the soft autumn rain.

Wherever the motorcade passes, there will be waves of people, cheers and applause, each place higher than the other; parents with children are trying their best to lift their children above their heads to let them see our leader clearly. Many people who participated in the farewell were moved to tears. The convoy walked for more than half an hour before arriving at the train station. Even the 65-year-old Chairman Mao stood there in the rain for such a long time.

After entering the station and arriving in the carriage, Chairman Mao walked out of the carriage many times and waved to everyone. Every time he appeared, it caused a tsunami. After the train started, many people were still at the train station, reluctant to leave. At two or three o'clock in the morning that night, the Hefei post office was still busy with people writing letters and sending manuscripts, all talking about meeting Chairman Mao. The next day, the provincial newspaper circulation tripled from usual, but many people still did not buy it, which caused people to complain: it was too conservative and too few newspapers were sold.

On the special train that had gone away, Zhang Zhizhong lamented to Chairman Mao: "The mood of the masses today is so fanatical, and the scene of them supporting and respecting their leader is really touching." Chairman Mao replied happily: "This is They feel they are in charge, they are the masters of the country.”