Chapter 96 Premier Zhou who will always live in our hearts

I thank the Party Central Committee from the bottom of my heart for smashing the heinous "Gang of Four", so that I can finally write this condolence text with pen and tears on the first anniversary of the death of my beloved Premier Zhou! My overwhelming memories of Premier Zhou, even if I do everything together, cannot describe all the great contributions I have seen and heard with my own eyes. .I'd better rein in my pen that gallops like a wild horse, and only write the few paragraphs that I feel the most! In the spring of 1941, I had the pleasure of meeting Premier Zhou for the first time at the welcome meeting of the All-China Association of Literary and Art Circles Against the Enemy in Chongqing.This gathering is to welcome literary and art workers who came to Chongqing from other places.Not long after the meeting began, the Prime Minister hurried over from the suburbs.As soon as he entered the meeting place, it was like a ray of sunlight shooting into a dark room. The atmosphere inside was suddenly different, and people suddenly became joyful and active!The Prime Minister shook hands with several of us warmly and said some words of welcome.

I can't remember these words clearly, because this magnet-like figure immediately attracted my attention!I saw that no matter which corner of the venue he walked, he immediately attracted admiring eyes from all around him, and looked up with joyful smiling faces.He is a hot stream, a flame, giving everyone infinite light and hope!In the pessimistic, decadent, and suffocating life atmosphere of foggy Chongqing at that time, it was like a bright sunshine that was rarely seen a few times a year! Our longer conversation with the Prime Minister took place one early summer evening in 1952 after our return from Japan.In the afternoon of this day, we heard that the Prime Minister was going to meet us tonight, how surprised and excited we were!This afternoon, I just felt that the summer sun just refused to set for so long!Finally, when the time came, a car took us into the picturesque Zhongnanhai at night and stopped at the gate of the Prime Minister's Office.The Prime Minister greeted us from the door, held our hands tightly, and said with a smile on his face, "You are back! How are you?" At this time, we were like a shipwreck at sea. Children who have been rescued and returned hear the news of their relatives. Like the caressing words, so sad and happy that I can't speak.The Prime Minister very kindly invited us to sit down next to him, and asked us in great detail about our situation outside. We gradually calmed down, and happily poured out all our experiences to the Prime Minister.When it was midnight, the Prime Minister asked us to have dinner with him.When I saw that there were only four dishes and one soup on the table, and the only meat dish was a plate of scrambled eggs, I was surprised and happy.Surprised that the prime minister's meal is so simple, happy that the prime minister did not treat us as outsiders.Between our conversations and meals, there were staff who sent documents or whispered in the prime minister’s ear. Although we miss this precious moment very much, we also know that the prime minister has a lot of work to do every day, and it’s not easy to sit for a long time. , we reluctantly said goodbye.The Prime Minister has been enthusiastically sent to the car. He looked up at the starry sky in the summer sky and said to me with emotion: "How fast time flies, it has been more than 30 years since the May 4th Movement!" Very ashamed!What a tortuous path I have taken in the decades since the May Fourth Movement!

Since then, I have accompanied foreign friends to be received by the Prime Minister many times.These scenes are as vivid as the ones in front of us: the Prime Minister walked in with a smile, and everyone immediately felt the spring breeze of the full house, and stood up one after another... The Prime Minister is always so calm and generous, modest and kind to foreign friends, and dealt with them , talking and laughing happily.His every word, every move, every raise of his eyebrows, every wave of his hand, got the full attention of the guests.After the meeting, foreign friends always nodded to us and said:

"Your Prime Minister is really a rare politician in the world today! He is concerned about the major issues of human beings all over the world. He is familiar with the history and culture of each of our countries, and he even knows the experience of each of us. His demeanor , solemn and free and easy; his conversation is serious and humorous. One meeting left an unforgettable impression on us. He made us feel that the people-friendly work we are engaged in has a bright future. There are like For a person like him to be the prime minister of the country is your happiness and the happiness of our friendly people." Hearing these words, we not only express our heartfelt thanks to foreign friends, but also feel infinitely sincerely proud!

The last longer conversation between the Prime Minister and I was in the autumn of 1972.That day, I attended a banquet for foreign guests. I arrived a little earlier and waited outside the hall. When the Prime Minister came out and saw me, he asked me to come in and "have a cup of tea and talk."On the wall of this hall is a large landscape painting of Yan'an. The Prime Minister asked me, "Have you been to Yan'an?" I said, "Not yet, I really want to pay a visit when I can walk around. The Prime Minister smiled and asked: "How old are you?" I said: "I'm already seventy-two years old!" The Prime Minister laughed and said, "I'm two years older than you." Then he said earnestly: "Comrade Bing Xin, you and I are not young, and we only care about the Party and the people. Could it be the words 'dedicated to yourselves'!" I didn't know that the Prime Minister was seriously ill at that time, and I hadn't realized the painful meaning of the words "dedicated to my heart and soul"!How strong is the Prime Minister's revolutionary will!Now it reminds me of the National Day Banquet in 1974. The Prime Minister appeared in the banquet hall full of cheers with a smile on his face. He was so energetic, and his concise speech was so powerful and powerful!Finally, in January 1975, on the night of the Premier’s political report at the Fourth National People’s Congress, he stood at the gate of the rostrum and shook hands with all the delegates entering the venue.When I came to him, he smiled and asked me:

"Comrade Bing Xin, how are you?" When I told him that I was in good health, he held my hand and said, "Take care of yourself." What about my final order? ! In the Great Hall of the People that night, the lights were like daylight, and everyone was silent. The Prime Minister's voice was so loud and full of optimism!He read this government work report, which is related to our party and the country's century-old plan, from beginning to end word for word. The stormy applause shook the majestic Great Hall of the People!This is the last political report of our beloved Premier Zhou. How the Premier persisted to the end and exhausted his life's energy!

I have also participated in several conversations between the Prime Minister and a few people. It was like a family chatting with each other. The Prime Minister's conversations were always sincere and cordial.When talking about the ideological remolding of old intellectuals, the Prime Minister sincerely talked about his family background and his experience of participating in the revolution, emphasizing that ideological remolding must be voluntary, and only with a revolutionary consciousness can we work hard on ideological remolding. In order to continue to improve. The Prime Minister also emphasized that through ideological remolding, intellectuals can make due contributions to the new China.The Prime Minister's many conversations have taught me a lot, and they are deeply imprinted in my heart.

On January 8, 1976, our beloved Premier Zhou bid farewell to us forever! When the bad news came, the world shook and the whole country mourned.However, in order to usurp the party and seize power, the lucrative "Gang of Four" tried their best to overthrow the lofty image of the prime minister as a mainstay.They blinded their eyes with one leaf and covered the sky with one hand, and used their propaganda tools to try to block and belittle the deep condolences of hundreds of millions of people at home and abroad to Premier Zhou.They are also not allowed to hold memorial services, lay wreaths, wear white flowers and black gauze... But the torrent of grief from the bottom of the people's hearts cannot be stopped!Photos of the Prime Minister were hung on the walls of every household. Thousands of black yarns and white flowers were worn on people's arms and chests. Wreaths, large and small, were sent to Tiananmen Square in an endless stream!In the few days after the death of the Prime Minister, Tiananmen Square in the harsh winter became a sea of ​​flowers!During those nights, the silver light of the full moon reflected the tears on the faces of thousands of people!The tears of grief and indignation merged into a torrent that poured thousands of miles away, pouring and rushing towards the "Gang of Four", a wall of dung where everyone covered their noses. He wrote: "Rest in peace, dear Premier Zhou! The party has won, the proletariat has won, and the people have won! Today, the high-spirited Chinese people are following the teachings of Chairman Mao that you described, 'We must maintain the past revolutionary war period Such a force, such a revolutionary enthusiasm, such a desperate spirit', under the strong leadership of the party, we will work together to build our modern socialist country in full swing.

"As for ourselves, please rest assured that we will spend our happy old age comfortably in the socialist motherland under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. We will always learn from you, educate and reform ourselves with Mao Zedong Thought, In my job position, I dedicated myself to the revolution and construction of the socialist motherland, to the liberation of Taiwan, and to the reunification of the motherland. "Rest in peace, dear Premier Zhou, your white ashes scattered on the land of the motherland will reflect the endless and luxuriant crops and flowers on this land in the bright spring every year. Your scatter The white ashes in the rivers and rivers of the motherland will flow into the vast ocean together with the Yangtze River rushing eastward. Every wave that laps on the shores of the world will carry Chairman Mao's "the spirit of the people of all countries in the world" that you proclaimed. Just struggle, we all support each other' This inspiring consolation was sent to the ears of revolutionary people all over the world.

"Rest in peace, dear Premier Zhou, you will always, forever live in our hearts." December 22, 1976 (This article was originally published in the first issue of "People's Literature" in 1977, and later included in "Wan Qing Ji", the first edition of Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House in September 1980.)