Chapter 53 Chapter 95

In the summer of 1976, Mao Zedong's life was very weak. He was plagued by various diseases such as pulmonary heart disease, and had been bedridden for a long time.When he was breathing oxygen and lying in the large and dark room, he felt like a beacon light in the dark, tossing lonely in the turbulent sea.The sea is very wide, the waves are boundless, and its turbulence is also endless.Nurse Li Xiuzhi was guarding the bedside.His nephew Mao Yuanxin moved his tall and straight body and walked in with a serious expression. He leaned into Mao Zedong's ear and said, "They will all arrive in an hour." Mao Zedong nodded. The spirit is relatively refreshing, and he wants to call the important leading members of the central government in Beijing to make some arrangements.

The light in the room was very dim, and the air seemed dull. Li Xiuzhi leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Let's listen to a play." He closed his eyes and nodded.Li Xiuzhi said again: "Let's listen to "Legend of the White Snake." He closed his eyes again, agreeing. Li Xiuzhi picked out a record and put it in the record player, and the familiar opera immediately rang in her ears.The "Legend of the White Snake" sung by the famous Cantonese opera actor Lang Yunyu was sad and melodious. Mao Zedong listened melodiously. Mao Zedong would have tears all over his face.Once when he was watching "Legend of the White Snake" in Shanghai, when Fahai put the white lady in a bowl and suppressed her under the Leifeng Pagoda, he couldn't restrain his anger, slapped the armrest of the sofa, and stood in the first row of the theater. He got up and said, "Is it okay not to revolutionize? Is it okay not to rebel?" This became an anecdote among the staff around me.At this moment, tears flowed from the corners of his eyes again, dripping down his cheeks.Li Xiuzhi took the wet towel, gently wiped away his tears, and asked softly, "Let's listen to another one." Mao Zedong shook his head slightly, and he wanted to continue listening.

After listening to a few passages of "Legend of the White Snake", Mao Zedong closed his eyes.Li Xiuzhi wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with a towel, leaned into his ear and said, "For a happy one?" Mao Zedong closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.Li Xiuzhi asked, "What do you want to hear?" Mao Zedong opened his mouth and mumbled the word "tyrant".Li Xiuzhi recognized it all at once, and said, "Listen?" Mao Zedong opened his eyes and closed them again, expressing his affirmation.The tape that Li Xiuzhi took out was recorded with the magnetic tape of Japan Modern Resin Co., Ltd. and played by the band of Mei Lanfang Troupe.When Mei Lanfang's song rang in Mao Zedong's ears, he squinted his eyes, looking vaguely at the dimly lit room.Mei Lanfang sang more and more desolately, vividly depicting the tragic and desolate atmosphere of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, before his failure.The autumn wind is bleak, the battlefield is full of corpses, the setting sun is lonely, the sky is vast, and the thousand-year-old history is entwined with the walls, and the moon sky is pierced by a horn, and a solitary moon shines on the ancient city.Mao Zedong listened for a while, and then gurgled a few words. Li Xiuzhi leaned down and heard it, and asked, "Change to "Man Jianghong?" Mao Zedong closed his eyes.This is Yue Fei's "Man Jianghong" recorded by the Ministry of Culture, sung by Shanghai Kunqu opera actor and Yue Fei's 27th generation grandson Yue Meiti: "Where the crown is leaning on the railing, the rain is resting, look up, scream up to the sky, strong and fierce, thirty Fame and dust, eight thousand miles of roads, clouds and moons, don’t let the young man’s head turn white and be sad.” The song "Man Jianghong" resounded loudly and vigorously, Mao Zedong listened to it dimly, and it was a song he never tired of listening to. The first piece of music is like a river of water rolling and tossing to support him ups and downs. The sun sinks into the river, and the river is red, red to the horizon, and it is magnificent through the ages.He closed his eyes, and Li Xiuzhi leaned into his ear and asked, "Don't you listen?" He blinked his eyelids and answered.The record player was turned off.

"Are you studying?" Li Xiuzhi asked softly.Mao Zedong opened his eyes and closed them again, expressing his answer.Li Xiuzhi asked again: "Read "The Complete Works of Lu Xun"?" Mao Zedong shook his head slightly. "Read?" Mao Zedong shook his head slightly again. "Read?" Mao Zedong was still expressionless. "Read "Li Sao"? Read?" These were the books Mao Zedong read most often. Mao Zedong shook his head, and mumbled the word "report".Li Xiuzhi asked, "Read the newspaper?" Mao Zedong closed his eyes. "Read today's newspaper?" Mao Zedong made a negative move with his eyes.He mumbled a few more words, and Li Xiuzhi understood, so she went to the study to search.After a while, she brought out a newspaper from the beginning of April this year, and there was an article from Xinhua News Agency saying "Meteorite rain fell in China's Jilin Province".Li Xiuzhi asked: "Just read this newsletter? Jilin Meteorite Rain." Mao Zedong closed his eyes and waited quietly.Li Xiuzhi began to read: "On March 8, 1976, a meteorite rain, which was rare in Chinese history and also in the history of the world, landed in Jilin City, Jilin Province, China. At 15:1:59, a meteor fell over Jinzhu Township, Jilin City. An explosion occurred. After the meteorite exploded, it scattered radially in all directions. A large number of small meteorites were scattered in Lijia Village, Datun Township, Jilin City Suburb, and Jiangmifeng Township, Yongji County; Flying in a southerly direction, it landed successively in Santaizi Village, Jiuzhan Township, a suburb of Jilin City, Dahuangdi Village, Gudianzi Township, and Kaoshan Village, Huapichang Township, Yongji County. When the last meteorite fell to the ground at 15:2:36, it broke through The 1.7-meter-thick layer of permafrost plunged into the ground at a depth of 6.5 meters, forming a large pit on the ground with a depth of 3 meters and a diameter of more than 2 meters. , During the falling of the meteorite rain, fireballs can be observed, accompanied by loud explosions. As of April 22, more than 100 meteorites were collected, with a total weight of 2,600 kilograms. Among them, the smallest weighed less than 0.5 kilograms, and 3 The largest meteorite weighed 1,770 kilograms, which greatly exceeded the weight of the world's largest meteorite (1,078 kilograms) collected in the United States at that time."

After reading the newspaper, Mao Zedong fell into a quiet reverie.After reading this newsletter from Xinhua News Agency in early April this year, he was quite touched and pondered for a long time.For many days afterwards, the scene of this huge meteorite falling kept reappearing before my eyes.He could feel the vibration of the meteorite landing, and he could also feel the heavy weight of the meteorite, which was the same as the weight of his own body. If he couldn't stay in the sky, he was about to fall to the ground, and he fell to the ground to be stable.His heart is like a piece of land, and the meteorite fell on this piece of land.The "Fourth Five-Year" incident in Tiananmen Square has passed. Listening to Mao Yuanxin's report, Jiang Qing, Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao and others happily held up wine glasses to celebrate the victory. However, he was more preoccupied in the lonely room, and the sky of revolution was in front of him. Much dimmer than it used to be.Li Xiuzhi put down the newspaper and asked softly, "Do you still read?" He shook his head.What he often thinks of in his haze is: what will China look like behind him?When a person's strength is exhausted, he has no desire to promote everything in the world, but allows himself to float about things in the world.

Li Xiuzhi heard the movement outside, and hurried to the door, Mao Yuanxin appeared at the door again, and whispered a few words to Li Xiuzhi.Li Xiuzhi walked briskly to Mao Zedong, leaned over and said, "They are here." Mao Zedong nodded.Li Xiuzhi waved to Mao Yuanxin at the door, and Mao Yuanxin went out.After a while, I walked into the tall and burly Hua Guofeng, who was the first vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Premier of the State Council after the "April 5th" incident in Tiananmen Square. His initial position was Secretary of the CPC Committee of Xiangtan, Hunan, Mao Zedong's hometown.Behind him, Wang Hongwen, Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan and Wang Dongxing appeared, and they walked cautiously to Mao Zedong's bed.Mao Zedong raised his hand and asked them to sit down. Li Xiuzhi translated Mao Zedong's meaning to everyone, and everyone gently carried the chairs to sit by the bed.Hua Guofeng sat solemnly and cautiously on the head of the bed closest to Mao Zedong. Jiang Qing and Wang Hongwen sat on his left and right, and the others sat next to each other.Mao Zedong felt that he was going to tell the funeral, he said: "I called you here today, and I want to talk about the future." Li Xiuzhi sat on the other side of the bed and translated Mao Zedong's words to everyone.Hua Guofeng said again and again: "The chairman will recover." Jiang Qing also felt the need to express it. She said: "The chairman said that he is confident that he will live for two hundred years. We believe in the vitality of the chairman." Mao Zedong shook his head and said: "I know it myself, I'm going to report to Max soon, and I should have something to say to you."

Mao Yuanxin sat down beside Li Xiuzhi and took out a notebook, and everyone spread out their notebooks on their knees.Mao Zedong said: "It is rare to live in the 70s. I am over 80 years old. People always think about the funeral. There is an old saying in China that the conclusion is determined after the coffin is closed. Even if I have not closed the coffin, it is almost time. The conclusion can be reached!" Li Xiuzhi confused Mao Zedong. Repeat unclear words to everyone.Mao Zedong looked at the faces, and when Li Xiuzhi finished translating, he continued, "I have done two things in my life. One is to fight against Chiang Kai-shek for decades and drive him to so many islands. In 2010, the Japanese were invited back to their hometown. They entered Beijing and finally entered the Forbidden City." Li Xiuzhi translated his words truthfully, and Mao Zedong watched people record them.

After Li Xiuzhi finished translating, he went on to speak: "There are not many people who disagree with these things. There are only a few people who are chattering in my ears. It's nothing more than asking me to take back those few islands as soon as possible." He paused , waited for Li Xiuzhi to finish the translation, and said with a sigh: "You all know the other thing, which is to launch the Cultural Revolution. There are not many people who support this matter, but there are many people who oppose it." He waited for Li Xiuzhi's translation and everyone Then he went on to say: "These two things are not over. This inheritance has to be handed over to the next generation. How to hand it over? If the peaceful handover is not successful, it will be handed over in turmoil. If it is not done well, what will the future generations do? It will be bloody." Now, what will you do, only God knows." After Mao Zedong finished speaking the most important words, he turned his eyes and looked at the crowd peacefully and tiredly.

The lights in the room were turned on, shining dimly.Hua Guofeng said honestly: "Chairman, take care." Wang Hongwen looked at Mao Zedong, blinked like a platoon leader reporting to a company commander, and said: "We will closely follow Chairman Mao's revolutionary line and forever consolidate and develop the achievements of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Jiang Qing also felt that he could not fall behind, and said to Mao Zedong: "We must pass on the legacy of the revolution from generation to generation, and from generation to generation." Mao Zedong shook his head slightly, like a parent who is about to leave the world, looking at the guardian children at their bedside.They seem to be in a dignified atmosphere, however, they are actually not really prepared for the future world.Who knows how they will inherit their inheritance in the future?I don't know if they will fight over the division of inheritance?On the big political stage of China, only he has a deep understanding of the balance of power here.When Jiang Qing, Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao and others celebrated the victory of suppressing the Tiananmen incident, he shook his head with emotion.

They thought they had won, but only he knew that the overall political situation in China was maintained by him lying here.As long as he is alive, his influence and prestige can subdue the entire country; however, once his heavy body loses his life, China is entirely likely to experience major turmoil.Now he is lying on a piece of land that looks quiet but is actually full of turmoil. Once he loses his weight, all kinds of uncontrollable turmoil may happen at any time.However, he can no longer control so much. When he is alive, he can arrange everything; when he is dead, the world is not arranged by him, and he can only let it go.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help sighing in desolation.His own body is lying here empty and weak, his thoughts and this body are inseparable, his current spirit can no longer reach every part of his body, and he can't control his hands and feet, it only gathers in his brain, forehead , eyes and face such limited parts.He remembered what Descartes said "I think, therefore I am". At this moment, when he was aware of his "self", he was actually only aware of his eyes and the expression on his face and the thoughts gathered on this expression.This part is bright, but the whole body is dark and empty from the neck down, separated from the "self".He talked about his revolutionary experience in a trance, in intermittent words, when he murmured these words to himself, he heard Li Xiuzhi translate them to everyone.He recalled how he first got out of the small house in Shaoshanchong, how he went to Beijing to find Li Dazhao, how he recalled the Autumn Harvest Uprising, the Jinggang Mountain Reunion, and then several anti-encirclement campaigns, and then the Zunyi Conference, twenty-five thousand miles away. The Long March; Arriving in Yan'an, it is considered a new stage, followed by the eight-year war of resistance, then several years of civil war, and finally entered Beijing and entered the Forbidden City; then things after liberation, until the Cultural Revolution.He sighed and said: "The Xiangjiang River can't be swam anymore, the Yangtze River can't swim anymore, and the sea can't swim either." He heard Jiang Qing's voice saying: "The chairman is back to health, and he can still swim." He sighed and murmured Said: "I'm afraid I'll never even be able to swim in the swimming pool." He murmured a few more words, Li Xiuzhi understood, turned around and picked up the newspaper with the news of "Jilin Meteorite Rain" that was put aside, Handed it over to everyone.Hua Guofeng looked at it, Jiang Qing took it and looked at it, and the others circled around to take it and looked at it again.Mao Zedong opened his eyes and said quietly: "The laws of nature are irresistible, you must let the meteorite fall." The newspaper finally passed to Yao Wenyuan, and his chubby round face lifted up after reading the newspaper.Mao Zedong quietly scanned the people around him slowly, and said, "It's still what I said just now. Only God knows what you will do." A whole room of people sat around him in an orderly manner, and no one dared to speak much.Mao Zedong allowed his thoughts to drift slowly, and continued to talk intermittently to himself. He seemed to be narrating a dream, recalling it while tracking it with words.After the dream was finished, the dim light in the air permeated serenely like the lingering sound of the dream.He felt tired, so he said, "That's all for today, and you can take care of yourself in the future." The people in the room looked at each other, and Hua Guofeng stood up first, and said, "Chairman, rest at ease." Everyone else was also careful. stood up, and whispered something similar.As if they were afraid of disturbing the stable atmosphere, each of them picked up the chairs they were sitting on and gently placed them in their original positions, and then reunited by Mao Zedong's bed again.Mao Zedong raised his heavy hand and said: "The earth will turn around if it is away from anyone, and it will turn around if it is away from Mao Zedong." Hua Guofeng leaned over and stretched out his hands to gently hold Mao Zedong's hand, saying: "Chairman take care." Everyone also said: "Chairman take care." Mao Zedong nodded.Everyone moved and retreated silently, and when they left the door, they all turned their heads to take a look. Mao Zedong watched them off, and nodded slightly. Both of them knew that there would not be many such meetings and conversations.Mao Yuanxin leaned over and asked, "Do you have any other instructions?" Mao Zedong waved his hand and let Mao Yuanxin leave too. The house was empty, and only Li Xiuzhi was left with him.After so many years, Li Xiuzhi has changed from a young girl to a grown woman.Looking at her virtuous and hard-working face, Mao Zedong shook his head slightly again, which was a denial of a faint thought of his own.Li Xiuzhi walked lightly around the room, arranged the chairs that everyone sat on more properly, and made the pillow under Mao Zedong's head more comfortable, and then sat on the chair left by the bed. down. She lifted the white sheet covering Mao Zedong's body, looked at it, and asked, "Shall I rub your legs?" Mao Zedong looked at Li Xiuzhi, but said nothing.Bedridden for a long time, the muscles of his legs have shrunk, his knees have become stiff, and he has let his life force decline in his body.Li Xiuzhi said: "It's better to rub it to let the blood circulate." Mao Zedong said: "Everything depends on self-reliance. If self-reliance fails, no amount of foreign aid can save it." , the external cause is supplementary, and the external cause works through the internal cause, so the external cause is also needed." As she spoke, she lifted the quilt again.Mao Zedong was wearing a pair of thin cotton wool trousers with wide waist and wide legs. Li Xiuzhi massaged Mao Zedong's legs through the cotton wool trousers, from top to bottom, and from bottom to top.The massage passed the knees again and again, and Mao Zedong lay quietly. Those two legs seemed to be his, but not his. There was a slight soreness in the numbness.When a person's life force fails to reach a part of the body, it loses not only drive but also a sense of wholeness about that part.His mind is still quick, but his body is already cumbersome. His two heavy and numb legs are placed on the bed, which reminds him of the idiom "the tail is too big to fall off".Thinking back to when the Cultural Revolution was launched ten years ago, he still swam in the Yangtze River, which was so beautiful; now, he can only sleep in a quiet and empty house. Li Xiuzhi focused on massaging his two feet again, which had become a distant territory for her body.In the past, when I massaged my feet, the feeling of soreness, numbness and swelling was always clearly conveyed, but now it seems numb and indifferent.One's own body is one's own country, and when it appears so passive and indifferent to the command of the capital, the brain, the power of the brain is dying.Thinking of what Li Xiuzhi once said that she had already created feelings when she took care of her feet, Mao Zedong felt a little emotional.The once fat feet are now much thinner, like two dying ducks standing there.After massaging for a while, after all, I had more feeling, and my legs became numb again. Seeing that Li Xiuzhi was already sweating profusely, Mao Zedong said, "Stop for a while, you rest." Li Xiuzhi massaged her legs from bottom to top again, massaged her legs up and down several times, and then pulled up the cloth sheet Mao Zedong covered it, raised his bare arm outside the short-sleeved shirt, wiped the sweat from his forehead and face, and sat down beside him.Mao Zedong looked at her and said, "Go and wipe off your sweat." Li Xiuzhi stood up, took a towel and wiped the sweat off her face and arms, and asked Mao Zedong, "Do you want to wipe it off? I'll twist a hot towel." Mao Zedong nodded.Li Xiuzhi walked to the washbasin stand at the side, picked up the thermos and poured hot water on it, wrung out a towel, walked over and unfolded the towel, and gently wiped Mao Zedong's face.The movement was very delicate and light, as if wiping his own face, he wiped the corners of the eyes, nasal grooves, and ears very comfortably, then wiped the bottom of the neck again, went to the washstand to rub a towel, and walked back Gently wiped Mao Zedong's face again, and wiped Mao Zedong's hands again.Finally, she rubbed the towel by the washbasin stand, hung it up, walked back, sat down on the bedside again, gently took Mao Zedong's hand, and gave him a massage. Mao Zedong held Li Xiuzhi's hand weakly and peacefully, and said, "God knows what you will do in the future." Li Xiuzhi said while massaging, "I, a little commoner, don't need you to worry about it." Mao Zedong said with a sigh: "Little When the common people come together, they become a great common people, who can carry a boat or overturn it.” Li Xiuzhi said: “The broad masses of the people must closely follow Chairman Mao’s thoughts to the end.” Mao Zedong blinked noncommittally.Li Xiuzhi said again: "Your thoughts and works will always be passed down." Mao Zedong shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily true. Some may be passed down, but some may not." Li Xiuzhi asked: "In your writings, what can be handed down?" Mao Zedong held out two fingers.Li Xiuzhi asked: "Two theories: "On Contradiction" and "On Practice"?" Mao Zedong shook his head: "It is two poems: "Qinyuanchun"." Li Xiuzhi asked: ""Qinyuanchun Changsha"?" Mao Zedong nodded.Li Xiuzhi said: "Let me recite it for you." Mao Zedong closed his eyes and agreed.Li Xiuzhi massaged the whole arm from Mao Zedong's hand, while reciting "Qinyuanchun·Changsha": "Independent cold autumn, the Xiangjiang River goes north, the head of Juzizhou. See Wanshan red, the forests are dyed, the river is clear, Hundreds of boats compete for the flow. Eagles hit the sky, fish fly in the shallow bottom, and all kinds of frosty sky compete for freedom. Feeling sad, ask the vast land, who is in charge of ups and downs? Bring a hundred couples to swim, recalling the past. In the prime of life, the book business is vigorous, and he reprimands Fang Qiu. Pointing to the country and encouraging the writing, the dung and dirt are waiting for thousands of households. Have you ever remembered that when you hit the water in the midstream, the waves hold back the flying boat?" After Li Xiuzhi finished reciting, Mao Zedong's gaze fell into a hazy reverie.Li Xiuzhi asked: "Is there another song, "Qin Yuan Chun" too?" Mao Zedong nodded.Li Xiuzhi asked: "?" Mao Zedong closed his eyes.Li Xiuzhi said: "Then let me recite it for you again." She turned Mao Zedong's loose arm over and massaged, and at the same time recited: "The scenery of the northern country is covered with ice for thousands of miles, and the snow is drifting for thousands of miles. Looking inside and outside the Great Wall, only the vastness and the great river Up and down, suddenly lost the torrent. The mountain dances silver snakes, the original galloping wax statues, wanting to compete with the gods. The sun must be sunny, and the red makeup is wrapped in plain clothes, which is extraordinarily enchanting. There are so many beautiful mountains and rivers that attract countless heroes. Pity Qin Huang Han Wu, Slightly inferior in literary talent, Tang Zong and Song Zu, a little less coquettish. A generation of Tianjiao, Genghis Khan, who only knows how to bend a bow and shoot a big eagle. It’s all gone, counting the romantic figures, let’s look at the present.” Mao Zedong fell into a haze again listening to Li Xiuzhi’s recitation reverie. Li Xiuzhi finished massaging this arm, moved the chair over, sat on the other side of the bed, grabbed Mao Zedong's other arm and massaged.Mao Zedong said: "It's a pity that I can't write now. Otherwise, I would copy these two poems and give them to you." Li Xiuzhi shook her head and said: "The chairman will recover. Don't lose confidence. You are not Have you ever talked about two hundred years of self-confidence? You are only eighty-three years old this year, and there are still one hundred and seventeen years left." Mao Zedong said, "It was a sigh of relief to say that, but now the breath is gone." Li Xiuzhi said with relief : "When people feel uncomfortable, they tend to be pessimistic, and when they recover, they become optimistic again." Mao Zedong showed a slight smile, which is a pattern he has often experienced in the past two years. Could it be that his health will really get better?He thought for a while, finally shook his head, and said, "The waves behind the Yangtze River drive the waves ahead." Li Xiuzhi glanced at him and asked, "Who will the waves behind be?" Mao Zedong shook his head slightly: "God knows."