Chapter 14 preface

Dad has made many reports on the Long March of the Red Army, usually on the tenth anniversary. When I was in Zhongzhi Yuying Primary School, my father was the secretary-general of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He told the story of the Long March to the teachers and students in the primary school auditorium. Cinardin recalled that it seemed to be in late 1955 or early 1956. All I remember now is that when the Red Army was hungry and had no food to eat, they boiled leather (it must have been real cowhide at that time, not modern artificial leather), and even picked up the undigested black beans left by the feces washed by the rain. Cook and eat.

Wang Xiuwen said that what impressed him the most was that my dad always lifted his pants when giving reports (my dad is a very lively person, and the children in the compound call him "Uncle Xiaopeng"). Li Kunyu said that she had heard several reports in elementary school, but now she only has two impressions.One is Professor John Ma from Tsinghua University talking about how to exercise, because he looks like an Englishman, with a red face, black tie, shorts, and very energetic speech.One is my father's report on the Long March. The deepest impression is the forced crossing of the Dadu River.Everyone in the rapid march tied a white towel so that people behind could see them when they marched at night. They couldn’t stop, and they would fall asleep when they stopped and stood up. I still remember that the red army and the white army on both sides of the Dadu River raced towards the chain bridge; The Guizhou soldiers of the Kuomintang are all "two guns", and they would rather hand over their rifles than their bongs...

Most of the classmates said they couldn't remember clearly, didn't they?This happened 50 years ago, when we were the successors of the revolution, and now we are all successors over the age of 60. From October 9th to 28th, 1966, the Central Work Conference was held under the proposal of Chairman Mao.Dad is the deputy director of the General Office of the Central Committee and the director of the Secretariat of the Central Office. He is preparing intensively before the meeting and attends the working meeting of the Central Committee as a nonvoting delegate.If the whole party wants to unify to Chairman Mao's strategic deployment and set off the climax of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, it is impossible to look back on the Long March 30 years ago.So I dare to assure Chairman Mao that Dad will never give a report on the Long March.

In October 1976, the "Gang of Four" had just fallen, and everything was in turmoil. The central government couldn't care less about commemorating the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.However, Dad still took advantage of the opportunity of resuming work in the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee and organized dozens of veterans from the Red Army to hold a symposium at the Revolutionary History Museum. 1986 was the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March. My father was the deputy head of the Central United Front Work Department at the time. He suggested holding a symposium for the old Red Army and presenting each old Red Army with a new Red Army cap as a souvenir.

In 1996, at the age of 82, my father completely retired and settled in Zhangzhou, Fujian.To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, he took his son and niece on a "mini-Long March", that is, at the beginning of the year to Yudu, Jiangxi Province where the Long March started, and at the end of the year to Wuqi Town in northern Shaanxi where the Long March ended.Review the history of the Long March and educate the next generation.Back then, I braved the scorching heat in July and August to review party documents, inquire about party history materials, and prepare reports on the Long March.What is the concept of the scorching heat in Zhangzhou?Dad wrote a doggerel in 1991 - "Zhangzhou Furnace Praise": "When the temperature is thirty-five, I am so hot; when the temperature is thirty-six, sweating profusely; when the temperature is thirty-seven, sweat drops ; the temperature is thirty-eight, and it is so hot that it climbs up; the temperature rises again, and the old 'Panda' will die of heat" ("Panda" means that the leaders and the masses take care of their father like a national treasure). The high temperature of 36 degrees and the humidity of more than 60% are like a natural sauna. If you don’t turn on the air conditioner, you will sweat profusely. If you turn on the air conditioner, you will easily suffer from hot cold and rheumatism.My mother died in Zhangzhou on July 14, 1993 because of arthritis, rheumatism, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and she couldn't turn on the air conditioner and couldn't adapt to the hot weather at that time.

At 8:30 a.m. on October 9, 1996, at the West Lake Hotel in Fuzhou, five units including the Fujian Party History Research Office of the Communist Party of China jointly held the "Fujian Provincial Report Meeting to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Red Army's Long March Victory". Dad was invited to give a special report .When my father, wearing a red army cap, a red army uniform, and cloth sandals on his feet, walked up to the podium of the conference with the majestic appearance of a veteran of the Red Army, the eyes of the 300 delegates were brightened, and their spirits were lifted. There was warm applause.

Dad's report is entitled "Great Feat, Glorious Course", which is divided into ten parts.Dad was very excited when he talked about it. "Originally scheduled for 1.5 hours, I talked until ten o'clock in one breath. I still focused on the main points. Take a break to measure blood pressure, 200/90. Rest. After eating oxygen, it went down to 160, and I talked for another half an hour. It was very popular." (Excerpted from 1996) Zhangzhou Diary, October 9).After the report was finished, Dad sang with great enthusiasm, and concluded the report with "International Xiong Nair must be realized", expressing the old Red Army soldiers' firm belief in communism and the confidence to keep moving forward to win.It won thunderous applause from the audience for a long time.

This is the last time my father gave a report on the Long March, because he has settled down in Beijing to spend his old age peacefully since he suffered from cerebral infarction on April 20, 2001.This report on the Long March was written by a Red Army soldier who personally experienced the Long March and kept a diary of the Long March, a member of the Military History Editing Committee of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s First Front, a deputy director of the Central Party History Materials Collection Committee, and a follower of Zhou Enlai. In the hands of the prime minister's confidential secretary and director for 40 years, the authenticity of the historical materials and the accuracy of the opinions in the report, the main content of this report is not outdated until now.So, take this report as a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.In the past 10 years, the profound influence of the Long March at home and abroad is left to the readers to extend.