Chapter 21 I did everything I wanted to do

... Ai: Evict your family and let them live by themselves? Liang: They occupied the north room and drove me to the south room; the south room had 5 rooms, and they drove me to the middle room among the 5 rooms; the middle room happened to be the narrowest room among the 5 rooms. Ai: So how long have they occupied it? Liang: They occupied the north room for about 21 or 2 days.Because at that time I had a phone at home, they thought it was good, the phone could be a joke.I'm still fine, but I didn't hit me, but I hit my wife and my wife. Ai: So is she injured? Liang: It was August 24 at that time, it was a hot summer.The clothes that people wear are thin, and they wear only one piece. As a result of beatings, blood seeps out of the clothes.

Ai: That's why they were hit hard. Liang: It wasn't too light, but it didn't hit me. Ai: Was it when they broke in, or... Liang: When he rushed in, he hadn't hit it yet. When he rushed in, he threw all the furniture in our room—a wardrobe and a glass wardrobe—from the north room, and made the bed we slept on. When it was dismantled, all the books on the bookshelves were taken out and thrown on the ground. The large books included "Ci Hai" and "Ci Yuan"—a kind of reference book with no ideological content, so he tore them up. Ai: What's the point? Liang: (laughs) He doesn't care about children.

Ai: Your wife called, and the furniture... Liang: It was destroyed. There were calligraphy and paintings in many boxes, so he took them out and burned them. Ai: Burn?This is a great loss. Liang: There are piles of ashes from the burning, and piles of paper ashes. The piles of ashes have to be picked up by trucks outside.It was very chaotic at that time. Ai: Then I made a mistake in my book. Your friend in Hong Kong has not heard that you have suffered any losses, so it seems that there was nothing wrong with the Cultural Revolution in the book... Liang: I have nothing to do with myself. They didn't hit me.

Ai: Yes, at least it broke something and hit your... Liang: The loss is huge. Ai: I thought that you were still an old friend of Chairman Mao's, and they didn't dare to do anything about it.So, there is a typo in the book.Your wife is bleeding from the beating, is she hospitalized, or... Liang: Not at all. Ai: Isn't she quite old? Liang: Over 70, I was 74 that year, she was 71. Ai: Oh, really?I got it wrong too. Liang: In addition to beating her at home, they also pushed her out to fight. The fight was not against her alone, but with others. Ai: To fight is to scold them...

Liang: Ah, struggle means criticizing and scolding, but I didn't fight against me (laughs). Ai: Yes, this is rather strange.Those kids, they know who you are? Liang: I know.They pushed me into a hut in the middle of 5 rooms and wouldn't let me out (laughs). Ai: Oh, this is strange.Are these children from Beijing or... Liang: No. 123 Middle School, No. 123 Middle School.The place where I live is called Xiaotongjing. There is a gap in the city wall. They are all in No. 123 Middle School outside the gap, which is a junior high school. Ai: The children nearby... Liang: Not too far, more than half a mile.

Ai: After these 21 days have passed... Liang: They just retreated. Ai: What happened after the retreat?Did something else happen? Liang: Relatively speaking, there is nothing. Ai: Nothing in comparison?This is not bad, it was in 1966, (Liang: August 24, 1966.) There was nothing else after that time... Liang: Nothing else. Ai: Did your student Huang Genyong still live with you at that time?Do you still live in Beijing, at that time? Liang: In Beijing. Ai: What I heard in Hong Kong was that he was driven back to Guangdong during the Cultural Revolution. Is this true? Liang: Really.Escorted back to Guangdong, all those on the train were in Beijing, they all rushed to the train, and were escorted back to the south by Red Guards.

Ai: Why did they do this and send them to the south? Liang: He wants you to go home, return to your hometown. Ai: Why did you let him go home?This is considered going to the countryside, what do you mean?Isn't he still in Beijing, and many people in your Beijing are not from here, why should you drive him away? Liang: A lot of people are like that. In general, people from the south rush back to the south. Ai: Have any other friends also suffered from this kind of... Liang: A lot. Ai: Can you give me an example? Liang: There are many. In Beijing, they were almost harassed and driven back to their hometowns. It can be said that there are tens of thousands of households, tens of thousands of households.

Ai: Then Li Zongren, Li Jishen, Chen Mingshu... Liang: None of them are here. They are not in Beijing at this time. Ai: Did Chairman Mao contact you during the Cultural Revolution? Liang: None. Ai: Then Zhou Enlai didn't contact you either? Liang: None. Ai: What relatives do you have in Beijing now?Both sons are in Beijing now, how many grandchildren do you have? Liang: 3 boys, 1 granddaughter. Ai: Other than that, are the members of your elder brother's family in Beijing, or somewhere else?Your brother has two daughters. Liang: I have a daughter who lives with me. She is Huang Genyong's wife, and she is married in Guangdong.Huang Gu has gone, she came to visit me from Guangdong and lives here.

Ai: Do you have any other relatives? Liang: There are other relatives in Beijing, such as my ex-wife and first wife. Her family members are also in Beijing. Her surname is Huang. Ai: Your mother's surname is Zhang. Is there a Zhang family in Beijing? Liang: Yes.My eldest daughter-in-law belongs to the Zhang family. Ai: Oh, a son is in the Academy of Sciences? Liang: In the Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences, this is the eldest son, Pei Kuan, (Ai: Oh, Pei Kuan.) The second is Pei Shu, Pei Shu is in the Soviet Research Institute of the Central Liaison Department of the Party Central Committee, (Ai: Soviet Institute?) to study the Soviet Union.

Ai: I don't know about studying the Soviet Union.Has he been studying the Soviet Union or... Liang: He used to work for People's Daily. Ai: Did he join the party?When did you join the party, very early or... Liang: His brother is earlier, he is later. (This statement is wrong, the second son Peishu did not join the party. ——Editor’s note) Ai: Is the war of resistance over, or... Liang: It was earlier after liberation. My eldest daughter-in-law was probably earlier. My eldest son was a little later than her before Beijing was liberated. When Beijing was first liberated, it was more than 30 years old.

Ai: What is the biggest disappointment or regret in your life? Liang: None. Ai: (laughs) Are you disappointed?how can that be possible? Liang: Because I have done everything I wanted to do.For example, after I started the Anti-Japanese War, I ran between the two major parties. Everything was done, and everything went smoothly. I launched the Democratic Alliance. Others thought I wanted to form a party. There is no need for any party, unlike the United Kingdom and the United States.So although I initiated an alliance, it was mainly to involve the two major parties on behalf of the general society, and not to fight and struggle between the two major parties, but to promote either the War of Resistance or the founding of the nation.Then I decided I didn't need it anymore, so I quit.Now the Democratic League and the Democratic National Construction Association still exist, but I did not participate. Ai: Then the civil war was still unavoidable. Is this a kind of regret or disappointment? You ran away... Liang: As I said just now, I never thought that the Communist Party would be able to unify, or that the mainland would be unified.So I didn't expect that it was because the conditions of the Kuomintang were so good that it shouldn't fail. The conditions were good, but it failed and couldn't stop it. So the reunification of the mainland in the hands of the Communist Party is also very good.The bad thing is to fight. Ai: Yes, for the people, war is always suffering.Well, even if you weren't disappointed. Liang: (laughs) I would like to ask, we go to a vegetarian restaurant for a meal, which day do you think is suitable? Ai: I think so, of course it's good, but can I be a host? Liang: It's still me. Ai: I'm sorry, I think if you... Liang: Which day are you more free? Ai: Today is Friday, and I have to go to Peking University on Friday afternoon. Tomorrow is Saturday, and there may be work after noon.Nothing after Sunday, oh, nothing on Monday, Sunday... Liang: If Sunday is the best. Ai: Do you think Sunday is better? Liang: On Sunday, I can ask my second son to come and go with me. Ai: Well, of course.I wanted to invite you to eat out, but I don't know what you are used to, maybe you don't like to eat out, so I dare not invite you.You will go to the vegetarian restaurant outside... Liang: There is a vegetarian restaurant. Ai: Are you tired now? Liang: We can finish today. Ai: OK. (August 15, 1980)