Chapter 107 Paying homage to Chairman Mao Memorial Hall——Letter from Beijing

Dear Kobayashi: I heard that your father came to Beijing to pay homage to Chairman Mao's remains a few days ago, but he only stayed in Beijing for one night.It's a pity that I didn't get the news beforehand, and I couldn't have a long talk with him! I myself went to visit Chairman Mao's remains on October 15th. Just as I expected five months ago, standing in front of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, it was "on a crisp autumn day, following a long, solemn and silent stream of people, slowly moving forward..." But my heart was not the same. Rush as expected.The wave of my heart, like a trickling stream, merged into the rushing Yangtze River. When flowing through the overlapping green hills, it sometimes swirls and sometimes splashes, but today it has flowed to the place where it flows into the sea. Surprised to see its own vast and boundless destination, it feels a strange tranquility and joy, it calmly and silently lets its thin stream of water slowly dissolve into this boundless "greatness"... …I walked into the North Hall, and under the light of one hundred and ten bright sunflower lamps, I looked up at the tall sitting statue of Chairman Mao carved out of white stone: his face is so kind and comfortable; His wise eyes are looking towards a bright and distant future.Behind his seat, there is a large velvet embroidery with bright and elegant colors, which is the sacred territory of our motherland of 9.6 million square kilometers.Comrade Mao Zedong once held high the torch of revolution, and together with his old comrades in arms, he led thousands of revolutionary people in China to triumphantly traverse the green hills of the motherland... Walking from the north hall to the south, passing through two bright and clean doors The heavy nanmu gate entered the hall of worship, and I suddenly felt a burst of fragrance and warmth rushing towards me!How happy you are, the nanmu on Wuzhi Mountain in Hainan Island!When you were thriving in the mountains, winds and seas, did you ever think that you would accept the order of our beloved Premier Zhou to take on the important task of guarding the remains of Comrade Mao Zedong, the mentor of our Chinese people?Now, you are closely lined up facing each other like the Great Wall, guarding here day and night, forever and ever.

At this time, next to Chairman Mao's crystal coffin, in front of my eyes, a great image of the beloved Premier Zhou suddenly appeared.As usual, his left arm is vertical, his right arm is slightly bent, and he wears a medal with "Serve the People" on his chest.With respectful and loving eyes, he looked down at Chairman Mao's rosy sleeping face, then raised his head again, and said in a solemn and soft voice that we are very familiar with: "Comrades, pay close attention to each other carefully, gently Let's go, Chairman Mao has worked hard for us all his life, now he is sleeping with peace of mind, don't wake him up!"

This momentary illusion made me suddenly feel that Chairman Mao really fell asleep, and that Premier Zhou never left his side!Wherever Chairman Mao is, Premier Zhou is by his side.At this time, I not only thought of Premier Zhou, but also many old revolutionary predecessors.Chairman Mao once said: "We have such a set of cadres: There were those during the founding of the Party, during the Northern Expedition, during the Agrarian Revolutionary War, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, during the War of Liberation, and after the liberation of the whole country. They are all valuable assets of our country. ... We have such a set of cadres who have been tested in different revolutionary periods, so we can 'sit firmly on the Diaoyutai despite the rising wind and waves'.Have this confidence. "

Dear comrades, if I were a silent trickle of joy flowing into the sea, these words of Chairman Mao would indeed make me burst into a wave of joyful dancing! isn't it?After overthrowing the "Gang of Four" that wreaked havoc on the country and the people, the millions of cadres educated and led by Chairman Mao who have been tested in different revolutionary periods are now holding high the great banner of Mao Tse-tung's thought with high spirits and full of confidence to serve the people. Will we work hard to build our country into a great socialist modern power within this century and strive to make a greater contribution to mankind?

I walked out of the viewing hall and stood for a while beside the white stone railing carved with Evergreen. What a bright sun is above my head!In front of me, thirty red flags representing thirty provinces and cities in our country fluttered in the wind.I took a deep breath of the free and fresh air in Tiananmen Square, I felt energetic, and I felt fifty years younger! As I write this, I received a long-distance call from you to urge me to write. After all, you are a real young man, much more motivated than me! If this letter can be regarded as an essay, let it be blamed! Hurry, I wish you health and progress!Bing Xin November 19, 1977.

(This article was originally published in the first issue of "Zhejiang Literature and Art" in 1978, and was later included in "Wan Qing Ji".)