One day in 1942, Chairman Mao was reviewing documents in the office, when suddenly the guard came in and put down a letter: "Chairman, this is your letter."
Chairman Mao took the letter and saw that the sender was a familiar name "Zhou Wennan". The letter read:
Brother, I fell in love with Wang Yingqiao, the teaching director of the Central Nursing Hospital, and planned to get married. I hope you will have your consent.
After seeing the letter, Chairman Mao immediately replied to her. So, who is this woman? Why ask Chairman Mao for approval?
Picture | Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao's third brother Mao Zetan's wife
Zhou Wennan is Chairman Mao's sister-in-law, and her husband is Mao Zetan, a martyr who sacrificed for the revolution.
Mao Zetan was born on September 25, 1905. He is 12 years younger than his elder brother Mao Zedong. He entered a private school at the age of 8. At that time, Mao Zedong had already gone to Changsha to study, and Mao Zetan was very envious of his brother.
13 years old, Mao Zetan followed his elder brother Mao Zedong to study at the primary school affiliated to Hunan No. 1 Normal School in Changsha. When he was in school, his grades were always among the best because his elder brother was studying in Changsha. Mao Zetan studied hard under the influence of Mao Zedong, and later learned Marxist books and made great progress.
Photo | Wen Qimei took a photo with her three sons
1923, Mao Zetan, who had mature thoughts, worked as a school teacher in Shuikoushan, working while conducting investigations. It was in this year that Mao Zetan joined the Communist Party of China.
A year later, Mao Zetan and Zhou Wennan met in Changsha. At that time, the child of a relative of Zhou Wennan also studied at the school where Mao Zetan taught. After a while, the two gradually met.
Although Zhou Wennan is not tall, she has good conditions, especially in the leadership of various student sports, she has always been decisive and has loved Zhou Wennan very much.
Picture丨Mao Zetan
1927, Mao Zetan followed Zhu De and Chen Yi to participate in the Nanchang Uprising, and then came all the way to the foot of Jinggangshan. At that time, Mao Zedong had already gone to Jinggangshan, and Mao Zetan was the middleman in it to establish a connection for them.
After many years of separation, the two finally met. Mao Zedong finally decided to leave Mao Zetan to work in Jinggangshan. He said, "Tell Commander Zhu, just stay in Jinggangshan to work, otherwise I, the eldest brother, would not be relieved."
When Mao Zedong was carrying out the peasant movement in Hunan, Mao Zetan was the eldest brother's right-hand man, and now he finally got together again. Soon, with Mao Zetan's efforts, Zhu De and Chen Yi led their troops to gather at the foot of Jinggangshan, and finally successfully met with Mao Zedong's team.
In addition, Mao Zetan also told his elder brother good news that his wife Zhou Wennan is about to give birth to a baby. It turned out that in the summer of 1927, Zhou Wennan received a marriage proposal letter from Mao Zetan from Guangzhou. With the support of her mother Zhou Chenxuan, Zhou Wennan came to Guangzhou in person and married Mao Zetan.
After getting married, Mao Zedong's wife Yang Kaihui and Zhou Wennan had a good relationship. Whenever she had time, Yang Kaihui would visit Zhou Wennan. When she learned that Zhou Wennan liked reading, she found her books such as "The Analects of Confucius" for her many times.
Zhou Wennan was amused by the couple. She took the kettle and poured water for her elder brother and sister-in-law. Mao Zedong took the water cup and looked at Zhou Wennan seriously: "Wennan, Zetan is busy with work and cares less about you. Don't blame him. When the revolution is successful, everything will be fine."
1927 Chiang Kai-shek launched the "April 12 Counter-Revolutionary Coup", the Kuomintang massacred Communists everywhere, and there was a bloody storm, but Zhou Wennan never expected that this separation would become their last side.
Mao Zetan said to Zhou Wennan before leaving: "The social environment is not good now, I want to go to my elder brother's army, so you can give birth to the child with peace of mind."
After Mao Zetan left, Zhou Wennan could no longer get news about her husband. Now the two parted ways. Like Yang Kaihui, she could not receive any letters from Mao Zedong. Due to the white terror, it was difficult to send even a letter.
But fate was unpredictable. In the spring one year later, Zhou Wennan was unfortunately arrested. The young child was sent to prison together. The child was weaned. In addition to the harsh environment, Mao Chuxiong encountered a difficult childhood. Zhou Wennan had no choice but to let his grandmother take the child home for treatment and care.
pic | Zhou Wennan and his child Mao Chuxiong
Until the summer of 1930, Peng Dehuai led his army to attack Changsha. Finally, Red Army rushed into prison and rescued the detained comrade. Zhou Wennan went straight to his home to visit the child as soon as he was released from prison.
She picked up Mao Chuxiong and said, "Chuxiong, do you still know your mother? I am your mother. "Mao Chuxiong was naturally unfamiliar. As he cried and made a fuss, his grandmother also comforted her with tears in her eyes: "Child, she is your mother." "
After being released from prison, Zhou Wennan decided to go find her eldest brother Mao Zedong and her husband Mao Zetan. She resolutely joined the Red Army and decided to follow the Red Army to leave Changsha. Before leaving, she said to her son: "Don't worry, mother will definitely come back. ”
However, the social environment at that time was getting worse day by day. From 1930 to 1934, the Red Army fought against the enemy again and again in Soviet area , and finally they could only be forced to Long March .
Unfortunately, Mao Zetan did not go with Mao Zedong, but was ordered to stay and fight guerrillas. Mao Chuxiong dreamed of seeing his father, but Mao Zetan died heroically in the end.
Father and son both sacrificed their lives for the revolution
1934 Before the Red Army began the Long March, Mao Zetan was ordered to stay and fight guerrillas. At that time, under extremely difficult conditions, he led his troops to deal with the enemy in the mountains and ridges. On April 26, 1935, the troops were attacked by the enemy. In order to cover the large army, Mao Zetan personally led a small team to block the enemy, but was hit by a bullet.
He said to the guards: "You go first, and you can't leave with me! "In this way, Mao Zetan relied on a gun alone to hold the enemy back and finally died heroically.
1936, Zhou Wennan returned to Changsha from the Soviet Area with this sad news. As soon as he returned home, he saw Mao Chuxiong doing his homework. She said to Mao Chuxiong: "Chuxiong, mother is back! "
Mao Chuxiong plunged into his mother's arms and cried, "Good boy, you have grown up so old, stop crying, isn't mom back now? "
"Mom, are you still leaving? "
" won't leave anymore, my mother will not leave this time when she comes back. ”
In the difficult years, how many families are suffering and suffering. The organization cares about Mao Zeqian's children and has been looking for Mao Chuxiong and Zhou Wennan, but the situation in Changsha is very bad and I haven't contacted Yan'an for a long time.
Zhou Wennan has worked hard all the way, so I can only go to the Eighth Route Army Office in Changsha first. Mr. Xu Teli learned that this was Mao Zeqian's wife and children, so he immediately sent someone to take care of them and told Chairman Mao about this.
Chairman Mao learned that Zhou Wennan and Mao Chuxiong had both whereabouts, and immediately asked Zhou Wennan to take his children to Yan'an to study. Xi and asked someone to send 20 yuan as travel expenses. Chairman Mao said in the letter:
Our party worked specifically for the country and nation, sacrificed personal interests and everyone was equal. Now the family is in a difficult situation, and this is not a family of one person...
When Zhou Wennan received this letter, it was already 1938. She was excited in her elder brother's letter. Mao Chuxiong even cried over and over again while reading his uncle's letter.
Mao Chuxiong once studied in a private elementary school in Shaoshan, with excellent grades, especially his writing of the composition. The teachers praised him many times. Even in the composition, Mao Chuxiong, who was young, had a patriotic consciousness.
pic丨Mao Chuxiong
For example, in an article, he wrote that in life and the universe, one must do a grand and vigorous thing in order to be worthy of the teachers who raised me and not let down those relatives.
One night in August of the lunar calendar in 1945, several guests suddenly came to Mao Chuxiong's house. It turned out to be subordinates of brigade commander Wang Zhen, .
"Chuxiong, your uncle has sent a letter to ask Brigade Commander Wang Zhen to pick you up to Yan'an."
Mao Chuxiong was very excited when he heard this. He wanted to see his uncle. He said, "Okay, I'll pack up immediately and go to Yan'an now." After waiting for this day, Mao Chuxiong didn't know how long he had been waiting for, but he finally arrived today.
It turned out that Wang Zhen led the 359th Brigade to the south to open up a base. Chairman Mao specifically instructed him to take Mao Chuxiong to the army and send him to Yan'an.
On the day before leaving, 18-year-old Mao Chuxiong went to say goodbye to his grandmother. He said, "Grandma, forgive me for leaving you temporarily. I want to go to find my uncle."
Grandma said happily: "This is a good thing. Your uncle is now the leader. When you are with your uncle, grandma will feel at ease."
picture丨From left: Mao Zetan, Zhou Chenxuan, Zhou Wennan, and Mao Chuxiong cried and said, "The Kuomintang specializes in massacreing Communists. My father, aunt and aunt have all died. I want to participate in the revolution."
In September 1945, Mao Chuxiong followed the army north, crossed the stunning river water, and came to Huangpi County, Hubei Province. Wang Zhen fought guerrillas here, and Mao Chuxiong followed him all the way.
In early 1946, the weather was extremely cold as winter began. Mao Chuxiong only had a pair of military pants and a pair of straw sandals. When the squad leader saw that he was young, he asked him to give the squad leader some of the burden on his body. He said: "I want to exercise. Don't look at me as young as I am, I am very strong."
In fact, since Mao Chuxiong joined the army, many people have not known that he is Chairman Mao's nephew, and they treat him as an ordinary little soldier, but Mao Chuxiong never said that he has always strictly demanded himself.
The troops broke through Jingzi Pass and entered the Qinling Mountains in southern Shaanxi. Due to the severe shortage of food in the army, the mountainous areas were sparsely populated and could not be supplied. They found some millet, sorghum, , and potatoes in the mountains to satisfy their hunger.
Kuotees send planes to bombard them from time to time. Our army should change places frequently and squeeze in mountainous areas. One day, a war horse stepped through the palm of the hoof and could not walk anymore, so everyone killed the horse to make it use to satisfy their hunger. But there was no pot to cook. Mao Chuxiong ignored the bombing and strafing of the plane and ran to the nearby farmers' homes and found a basin as a pot to cook horse meat for everyone to eat.
During this period, Mao Chuxiong did suffer hardships. The climate in the mountains is changing and he often needs to march in the rain. Mao Chuxiong's shoes have long been out of his head, so he had to march barefoot on the muddy mountain road. The mud, water, gravel and thorns made his feet scarred.
At that time, the Kuomintang began to play the trick of "peace talks" and asked Li Xiannian to send people to Xi'an to negotiate. Zhang Wenjin and Wu Zuyi were ordered to carry out the mission. Wang Zhen decided to let Mao Chuxiong disguise himself as Wu Zuyi's guard and could go north.
However, when they arrived in Jiangkou Town, the Kuomintang intercepted them. The Kuomintang officer said, "I am inspired by the superiors. I will be welcomed by you for one night. It is still time to continue traveling tomorrow."
It turned out that the officer had already received the order from Hu Zongnan and temporarily "detained" them. Not long after, the Kuomintang cruelly killed four people secretly, when Mao Chuxiong was only 19 years old.
When Zhou Wennan learned all this, she was in a state of pain and lost her husband. Now even her beloved son has sacrificed her. Now her relatives are only an old mother.
Chairman Mao: I will not interfere with your marriage
After the national liberation, Zhou Wennan contacted his mother Zhou Chenxuan. At that time, Zhou Chenxuan was nearly 70 years old and had inconvenient life, so he really wanted to take his mother to the Northeast where she worked, but her mother was old and had difficulty moving. In the end, she could only write a letter to Chairman Mao and ask Chairman Mao to help him.
In fact, Zhou Wennan is very grateful to Chairman Mao. She and her current husband were agreed to marry her.Since Zhou Wennan received a letter from Chairman Mao in 1937, she really wanted to go to Yan'an, but she had not been there for other reasons. It was not until 1940 that she contacted the Chongqing Eighth Route Army Office and finally followed Zhou En to Yan'an.
At that time, Zhou Wennan worked in the Central Nursing Hospital in Yan'an. He met the director of the teaching, Wang Yingqiao, and fell in love, so she wrote a letter to Chairman Mao.
Chairman Mao was very happy after seeing the letter. He also hoped that his sister-in-law could find his happiness. Then he replied to Zhou Wennan:
"Marriage is free, I have no objection, I have only one condition, I hope you can always remember that Mao Zetan sacrificed for the revolution, his spirit is immortal, and it is worth remembering by us living people."
Zhou Wennan was moved and cried after seeing the letter. Soon, she married Wang Yingqiao and lived a happy life. Now she asked Chairman Mao again for help, and Zhou Wennan felt mixed feelings.
In her letter to Chairman Mao, she wrote that her mother is old and hopes that Hunan Provincial Party Committee can provide subsidies according to relevant standards. After seeing Zhou Wennan's letter, Chairman Mao immediately replied to her:
Comrade Wennan:
The letter was received. I think it's good to take your mother to live with you in the Northeast. I can write a letter to Hunan to pay the travel fee. In addition, is your mother safe on the road alone? Do you need to go back to Hunan to pick it up? Please consider suing me. If you come back, you can just take my letter with you.
I wish you good health.
Mao Zedong
May 12, 1950.
After reading this letter, let alone Zhou Wennan, even everyone else was filled with tears. Chairman Mao is such a delicate person. He always considers problems so thoroughly, which is really touching.
After receiving the letter from Chairman Mao, Zhou Wennan decided to go to Hunan to pick up his mother in person. During this period, he passed through Beijing and went to Zhongnanhai to visit Chairman Mao.
It turns out that Zhou Wennan has never told his old mother Zhou Chenxuan about Mao Chuxiong's death. The old mother has always liked this child. What if she knows? In response to this, Zhou Wennan came to ask Chairman Mao again for help.
Chairman Mao said emotionally when he learned about it: "Tell my grandmother, just say I said that Chuxiong is a very ambitious child and the good son of Shaoshan villagers. Now he has sent him to study abroad, don't worry."
Although it is a kind lie, Zhou Wennan dared not say it. Chairman Mao pondered again and said, "Anyway, you can't say it suddenly. It's better to have time. Chuxiong died even though he was young. , but he is still honored even though he dies! "
Zhou Wennan looked up and saw Chairman Mao's eyes with tears in his eyes. He quickly said, "Please don't worry, brother, I will do it well."
Before leaving, Chairman Mao told her again: "Take good care of grandma in the future and let the old man spend his old age in peace."
Under Chairman Mao's care, Zhou Wennan finally brought his old mother to the Northeast, and the family reunited and enjoyed his old age. Zhou Wennan has been working in a court in Harbin.
Zhou Wennan always remembers Chairman Mao’s kindness and goes to Beijing to visit him whenever he has time. On September 9, 1976, Chairman Mao passed away in Beijing. After Zhou Wennan learned about it, she was in pain and she was missing another relative.
In 1980, Zhou Wennan applied for retirement due to frailty and illness, and died in Harbin in September 1992.
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