Chapter 90 Chen Renbing joked that he has become a "forbidden zone"

"I'm a 'forbidden zone', don't come to interview me!" On the afternoon of April 11, 1986, when I went to interview Mr. Chen Renbing, an old professor of Fudan University, in the building opposite the Shanghai Gymnasium, he said to me humorously. Mr. Chen Renbing called himself a "restricted area" because he was allegedly one of the "five people". The so-called "five people" refer to the central-level officials who "only took off their hats, maintained the original rightist case, and did not correct it" on May 8, 1980. There are five democrats, namely Zhang Bojun, Luo Longji, Chu Anping, Chen Renbing, and Peng Wenying.

Among these five people, four of them have gone to another world, only Mr. Chen Renbing is still alive. As a result, Chen Renbing became the only living "rightist" who "will not be corrected" at the central level, and of course he became a "forbidden zone". I was fortunate to break into the "forbidden zone" of Chen Renbing in 1986.After that, on the morning of December 9, 1990, Mr. Chen Renbing passed away unfortunately.Therefore, "the only living 'rightist' who 'does not correct' at the central level" also went to that unknowable world.

According to what Mr. Chen Renbing told me, he was born on the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1909, which is September 28 in the Gregorian calendar.He was born in a Christian family in Wuchang, Hubei.In 1932, he graduated from the Sociology Department of the School of Liberal Arts of Shanghai Hujiang University. In the same year, he went to the United States to study at his own expense.He first obtained a master's degree in sociology from the University of Southern California in the United States, and then a doctor of philosophy degree in sociology from the University of Michigan in 1936.Returning to China in the fall of this year, he taught at Huazhong University in Wuchang.He joined the China Democratic League in August 1945.

The old professor with gray hair and clear face pointed to the doctoral certificate hanging on the wall and said to me humorously: "Fortunately, this doctoral certificate is made of sheepskin and is very strong. During the 'Cultural Revolution', the Red Guards wanted to I tore it up, but it couldn’t be torn, so I had to crumple it up and throw it at the foot of the wall, and I picked it up. So, I’m hanging it up high now as a souvenir.” Mr. Chen also told me that his doctoral dissertation was 373 pages long and was lost during the "Cultural Revolution".A few years ago, he wrote to his alma mater in the United States, asking if he could make a photocopy of his doctoral thesis that year.The United States sent it to him soon, because the doctoral dissertation is kept as an archive in American schools.

Mr. Chen said that he originally had a room full of books, including many original English editions, which were all confiscated during the "Cultural Revolution".Later, when the "supplied materials" were returned, only 109 volumes were found! Mr. Chen said that in 1957 he was criticized as the "leader" of the "Zhangluo Alliance" in Shanghai.He remembered that there were reports in the newspapers at the time. According to Mr. Chen's reminder, I found this report in the "People's Daily" on July 13, 1957, entitled "Chen Renbing admits to being the chief member of the Zhangluo Alliance in Shanghai":

Chen Renbing, a key member of the Zhangluo Alliance in Shanghai, recently gave a preliminary account of some of his anti-socialist activities against the leadership of the party. Chen Renbing admitted that he was the chief member of Luo Longji's anti-Party clique in Shanghai.He said that he had been close to this clique since 1947, and fully joined this clique from 1948 to 1949.In 1949, the Democratic League held the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Committee, and Luo Longji nominated him as a member of the Central Committee.At that meeting, Luo Longji attacked Shi Liang and other progressive figures in the alliance, and Chen Renbing acted as a "thug" for Luo Longji.At that time, Luo Longji often invited him, Pan Dakui, Zhang Dongsun, Fei Xiaotong, Zeng Zhaolun and others to hold meetings at Fan Puzhai's home to study strategies.At the Propaganda Work Conference of the NLD Central Committee in 1951, Chen Renbing and other members of Luo Longji's small group fiercely opposed the NLD's class alliance nature, fearing that non-bourgeois elements would join in.Luo Longji also studied Pan Dakui's work with Chen Renbing and Pan Dakui.At first they thought that Pan Dakui's relationship with Chu Tunan in Sichuan was not good, and his work was not going well. They planned to transfer him to Beijing to work in the Central Propaganda Department of the Democratic League. Then they thought that the Central Propaganda Department already had Zeng Zhaolun, and Sichuan was very important. Luo Longji thought it would be better for Pan Dakui to be in Sichuan than not to be in Sichuan, and it would be better to arrest a vice-chairman first.Afterwards, Luo Longji and Pu Xixiu came to Shanghai and had close contacts with Chen Renbing.Chen Renbing also said that his status in Luo Longji's mind gradually increased because he was more "hardworking" than Peng Wenying.Luo Longji originally wanted to make Peng Wenying the deputy mayor of Shanghai, but later changed his mind to replace Peng Wenying with Chen Renbing...

Chen Renbing also said: "In addition to him, there are nearly 20 members of this anti-party group in Shanghai, including Peng Wenying, Zhao Wenbi, Sun Dayu, Sun Siming, and Han Ming. Their strategy of activities is especially aimed at intellectuals who are dissatisfied with the party. The three situations, that is, having a job but no power, laymen leading experts, and unemployment, provoke and set fire everywhere.” Chen Renbing himself confessed that he went too far in film, Beijing opera, local opera, literature, publishing, reading and so on.He used Yan Huizhu's opinions on work arrangements and Yan's husband's unemployment to incite dissatisfaction among the masses against the party.In the field of literature, he once specially invited writers such as Wang Xiyan to have dinner and conversations at the Culture Club, and later he used the conversation materials to exaggerate and exaggerate everywhere...

Yan Huizhu mentioned in the article is a famous actress of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater.On July 10, 1957, "People's Daily" published Yan Huizhu's article "Chen Renbing's Ghost Trick", saying: "Chen Renbing put on a hypocritical face on the surface as if he was complaining for me, but in his heart he was selling private goods to attack the party. He did not hesitate to fabricate facts and use false names to provoke the relationship between the party leaders and actors of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater. We Peking opera actors have experienced the pain of poverty, oppression, and humiliation in the old society. In the socialist society, their status has been improved, their lives have been stabilized, and all conditions are superior. The socialist society is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than the social system of the old society! Chen Renbing's provocative tactics are in vain."

Obviously, Yan Huizhu was "ordered to criticize".If she didn't "be ordered to criticize" like this, she would not be able to pass the "anti-rightist" test.Although Yan Huizhu finally passed the "anti-rightist" test, she could not escape the "Cultural Revolution".In 1966, shortly after the gongs and drums of the "Cultural Revolution" sounded, she hanged herself and left the world where the "left" was flourishing... On July 17, 1957, "People's Daily" also published an article ""Fire Wire Joins the Alliance"" signed by Dong Dai, calling Chen Renbing an "expert in arson".The article reads:

Chen Renbing, an arsonist expert, is an "inventor" of "FireWire Joining the Alliance".He set off a wildfire in the Shanghai Film Studio, which indeed constituted a very fierce "fire line", and he personally supervised the battle and held five symposiums on burning the fire.He made some preparations before the meeting, and accused the Shanghai Film Democratic League branch of being "weak and incompetent" and not "struggling". Moreover, there are only seven members in such a big factory, how can it be useful, What about major events?He also has a "route" for great development, not casual development.What he is looking for is someone who is always dissatisfied with the party, who has emotions, complaints, and historical burdens...etc., but he also wants to put a "test" on these people, and come to "join the alliance".The five symposiums were a battle on the front line. He found people who met his requirements and tried his best to fan the flames at the meeting, so this "line of fire" was full of "slander and abuse against the party". and compliments to the Democratic League".Chen Renbing, an arson expert, selected targets from this "line of fire". During the course of five symposiums, the number of members grew from seven to thirty-three, a fourfold increase in less than a month. , And these people are called "FireWire Joining the League" people.

Chen Renbing had the "title" of "expert in arson". On August 7, 1957, "Wen Wei Po" published such a satirical poem: