Chapter 3 The second chapter, Wenqu, flows in front of the former residence of Zhou Enlai

An ancient canal, built with bricks and paved with stone slabs, meanders through the city of Huai'an. It flows in the eyes of every Huai'an son and daughter, and also flows in the heart and dream of every wanderer. In July 1958 and April 1960, Comrade Zhou Enlai met with responsible comrades from his hometown of Huai'an, mentioned it, and fondly recalled his childhood spent by the canal... This ancient canal is Wenqu. Wenqu was first dug in the Ming Dynasty, diverting the water from the canal flowing from the west of Huai'an City, and divided it into three branches, east, south and north, to flow through the whole city.The branch going north flows through Huailou Consort Lane in the town of Chengzhong.

On March 5, 1898, Zhou Enlai was born in a house at the junction of Consort Lane and Ju Lane. The house consists of two small courtyards connected from east to west.These two courtyards were jointly bought by Zhou Enlai's grandfather Zhou Panlong and his second brother Zhou Haixiang when he was a county magistrate in Huai'an.Because Zhou Panlong was a county magistrate for a short time, he was not very rich.In Huai'an at that time, the residences he bought were only of middle or lower level.They have a large number of people in two houses, and they have no land property, and their living space is not spacious.Zhou Panlong passed away soon, and the family became poor day by day.

Zhou Enlai's father was honest and honest, he could only do small things outside, and he was unable to take his family members out to live. Adjacent to Consort Lane is the gate to the east courtyard, which is no more than three feet wide, and only two people can enter and exit side by side.Here, there are no tall gate towers, nor decorations such as stone lions and drums, but a pair of iron ruyis, which are commonly seen by ordinary people as a sign of auspicious family status, are nailed to the gate tower.Today, people hang a horizontal plaque inscribed by Deng Xiaoping "the former residence of Comrade Zhou Enlai" on Tie Ruyi.Regardless of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the gold characters on the red background on the plaque are shining under the reflection of the rising sun.

There are three stone steps to enter the door, and the hall is inside the door.Stepping into the gate, you can see tall cedars standing proudly in the simple yard, vigorous boxwoods with verdant green leaves, dense Guanyin willows drooping and fluttering, and wintersweet with iron branches still exudes a faint fragrance even though spring is over.The air is fresh and the sun is shining brightly. Standing quietly in the courtyard, everything in front of you seems to symbolize Comrade Zhou Enlai's upright fighting spirit and noble and easy-going character! The place where Comrade Zhou Enlai lived in his childhood was the "pavilion room" adjacent to the east and west courtyards. On the south side of the pavilion room was a lattice door of the same color, with thin silk paper pasted on it.This pavilion was originally the residence of Mr. Zhou Zanchen, the eleventh uncle of Comrade Zhou Enlai.When he was under one year old, he was adopted by Uncle Eleven.Two months after the adoption, his uncle died of illness, and he lived with his stepmother.His stepmother hired a wet nurse for him.

As a result, he had three mothers in his childhood: his biological mother Wan Shi, his stepmother Chen Shi, and his wet nurse Jiang Jiang Shi. From the "pavilion room" to the east and into the yard, there are three north rooms.A bedroom on the east side is where Comrade Zhou Enlai was born. Zhou Enlai's biological father, Zhou Yineng, was the seventh eldest among his uncles and brothers. He later changed his name to Shaogang and styled himself Maochen. He was a loyal and mature man.He has learned from the master, but he failed to learn, and can only do small things.The biological mother, Wan Shi, is the daughter of Wan Qingxuan, the governor of Qinghe County.

Comrade Zhou Enlai was the first-born boy, and his parents named him "Daluan". "Luan" is a "divine bird" as famous as the Phoenix.From the name, we can see the love of parents and the joy of the whole family. Wan Shi is a woman who is both culturally knowledgeable and capable.In order to save her uncle's life, she generously agreed to adopt Da Luan to Uncle Eleven as her son.However, she and Da Luan still maintain their parent-child love.After the father-in-law passed away, there were no successors in this family of officials.Si Bo Yigeng (Man Qing) worked as a "master drafter" (equivalent to a middle-level and lower-level employee like the current section chief) in a yamen in Fengtian, with limited income and little support for his family.Her husband, Shao Gang, did not succeed in his studies as a teacher, and he was unable to support the family as a clerk.One of the two uncles was not in good health, and the other died young.Although the way to get money is cut off, the "facade" of the magistrate's house must still be maintained.The burden fell on the twelve aunts.In order to solve the economic contradiction of making ends meet, pawn loans are required; in order to maintain the face of Zhou Mansion, a certain amount of ostentation must be paid attention to; During these major household affairs, Da Luan was often brought by his side, just like his father often brought her by his side when he was young.The young Daluan came into contact with the darkness hidden behind the beautiful veil. Although she was deeply impressed by her mother's ability to handle affairs, she gradually developed doubts and disgust for the things she did.

Comrade Zhou Enlai was talented and intelligent since he was a child, and he was famous among his brothers for his extensive knowledge and memorization.In the showroom, there is a four-inch long willow leaf-shaped paper cutter, and a pair of small willow buckets that are not too thick to hold type blocks.When he was young, he often played "puzzle" games with his children, that is, he wrote many poems one by one on a small piece of thick paper, and then scrambled them up, to see who could spell a complete poem accurately first, and Comrade Zhou Enlai Always fight first to get the top spot.Guo's stepmother, Mrs. Chen, was born in a family of scholars. She is knowledgeable, good at poetry, and good at telling stories about heroes and heroes in history.She was Comrade Zhou Enlai's earliest enlightenment teacher.She devoted all her efforts to Comrade Zhou Enlai.After her hard teaching, Comrade Zhou Enlai has long been familiar with "the day of hoeing, sweat dripping down the soil, who knows that the food on the plate, every grain is hard", "a grain of millet in spring, ten thousand seeds in autumn", Famous poems such as "Looking up to the sky and screaming, with a strong heart".Standing in the room, people will see the scene of Comrade Zhou Enlai's tireless and diligent study: sometimes he sings aloud, sometimes he frowns deeply, sometimes he revives with high spirits, how many nights with dark clouds are sent away, and how many golden roosters are ushered in dawn.

At that time, it was the end of the Qing Dynasty, and the imperial examination system was implemented. A student had to recite the scriptures of Confucius and Mencius first to go to school.This is the only way for school children to enter school.However, Comrade Zhou Enlai was not interested in the "Four Books" and "Five Classics" taught in private schools since childhood.From the age of six to nine, he lived in the family of his grandfather Wan in Qingjiangpu.He browsed through his grandfather's collection of books, whether it is poems and songs, or ancient and modern novels, and unofficial histories, he can't put it down and reads carefully.He also particularly likes to hear about the historical figures and cultural traditions of Huai'an.The ancient city of Huai'an itself is an inexhaustible historical scroll, presenting countless love legends to the latecomers:

Together with Xiao He and Zhang Liang, Han Xin, known as the "Three Heroes of Xinghan", lost his relatives at a young age, and his livelihood was difficult. The city people teased him and forced him to crawl under his crotch.Han Xin was humiliated and ashamed beyond words, so he had to go fishing by Shao Lake in the west of the city.Seeing Han Xin's hungry face, an old lady gave him her meals for dozens of days.Han Xin gratefully called her "Piao Mu" and promised to repay her kindness after she made a fortune in the future.But Piao Mu suddenly changed color, and said loudly: "You are an indomitable man, but you can't support yourself! I sympathize with you and only give you food. Is it for you to repay?" The voice that inspired him made progress, and finally became a generation of famous generals in the struggle to overthrow the Tyrant Qin.Later generations were grateful for Piao's mother's great love for Han Xin, and built a shrine specially for her.A pair of couplets in the ancestral hall is: "I feel Han Xin for a meal, among the women, I have lightened the gold and dung for a long time; I have worshiped the temple for thousands of years, and by the bank of the Huai River, who has blue eyes and knows heroes?"

Liang Hongyu in the Southern Song Dynasty was also a strange woman.When the Jin soldiers invaded the south, she lived in Jingkou with her mother, married Han Shizhong, and assisted her husband in fighting against the Jin.In the battle of Jinshan, the enemy was outnumbered.Liang Hongyu went into battle, holding the drums herself, and the sound of the drums heated up the river.The eight thousand soldiers fought bravely, everyone vying for the first place, and finally defeated the one hundred thousand enemy.Liang Hongyu was stationed in his hometown of Chuzhou (now Huai'an) with her husband.She weaves books to make a house, and shares joys and sorrows with the soldiers.Due to the siege of the Jin soldiers and the lack of food and salaries, she took the lead in pulling out cattail grass in the lake to eat, and then led the soldiers and common people to eat.Since then, the crisp and tender cattail cattails have been called "the best bamboo shoots in the world", and have become a famous dish in Huai'an that has been passed down to this day.Liang Hongyu and her husband were stationed in Huai'an for ten years, "there were only 30,000 soldiers", and "the golden men dare not commit crimes".There is also a couplet in the ancestral temple, which says: "Blue eyes know a hero, so what's wrong with being cold? Recalling that year, the northern captives were open, and the drums were played by each other. Half of the mountains and rivers extended to Song Zuo; the beauty destroyed the enemy, and the eyebrows are ashamed. Look at this day, Dongfeng The majesty, the reorganization of the temple, and the reputation of the Qianqiu will look up to the Huaihe."

Guan Tianpei's name has been deeply engraved on the stele of modern Chinese history.He is very filial to his mother.When he served as the commander-in-chief of Susong Town, he specially took his mother to live with his wife and children.When he was ordered to go to the coastal defense of Guangdong, he also wanted to help his mother go with him.Guan's mother, who understands righteousness, knows that her son has heavy responsibilities on her shoulders, and she doesn't want her son to be distracted by herself, so she only asks her grandson to send her back home. Do yourself a filial piety.On the occasion of parting, Guan's mother repeatedly asked her son to "transfer loyalty and be a filial piety" and not to think about herself.Remembering his mother's teachings, Guan Tianpei assisted Lin Zexu in banning opium and building coastal defenses without any slack.Later, Lin Zexu resigned from office, the coastal defenses were all withdrawn, and Qi Shan did not send reinforcements.Seeing that the fort was not safe, Guan Tianpei sent someone to send back a wooden box.In the wooden box were some old clothes, a few falling teeth, and a lock of hair.The parents who received the skin and returned it to the parents, Guan Tianpei used this to express his determination to live up to the country and his mother's will.Guan Tianpei was buried in Huai'an after his death.His hometown also built a shrine for him.The couplet in the shrine was written by Lin Zexu himself: "Six years of solid gold soup, ask who suddenly destroyed the Great Wall? Soldiers devoted themselves to the teachings of empty space; two loyal people are in the same camp, and hearing the difference is also a great festival! Returning to the soul and seeing each other is like life. " There are also famous Han fu masters, Mei Cheng, the author of "Qifa", and Wu Chengen, a literary master who wrote mythological novels... These shining historical celebrities, evocative national heroes and their glorious footprints on the journey of life in their hometown make the Zhou Enlai's thinking was sublimated, his vision was broadened, and his ability to observe society and understand life was improved.It is this land with rich historical and cultural heritage that gave birth to a great generation of Zhou Enlai. In the middle courtyard of the former residence, there is an ordinary well.The well rails carved in stone were left with traces of marks worn by the ropes.When meeting comrades in his hometown, Zhou Enlai recalled: "The groundwater level is very high in our place, and the water in the well can be pumped up with a long rope." Comrade Zhou Enlai's youthful figure.Looking down at the well water, the level is as bright as a mirror, clear to the bottom.In front of the kitchen door not far from the well, there is a small vegetable bed.At that time, under the care of mother Jiang, the nurse, it was evergreen all the year round and the vegetables were endless.There are black vegetables and green garlic in spring, eggplant and pepper in summer, yellow sprouts in autumn, and spinach in winter.He often stays with Jiang's mother, watching planting vegetables and learning to water the garden.In the late autumn of one year, the family burned pumpkins to eat. After the meal, he followed Jiang's mother's example and quietly buried a few pumpkin seeds, watered them every day, and visited them every day, but there were no melon seedlings unearthed for several days.When I opened it, the seeds had turned black.Jiang's mother told him that only when the seeds are planted in spring can they emerge.If you sow melons, you will reap melons, and if you sow beans, you will reap beans. Why do the seeds not come out?Because the season for planting is not right.Mother Jiang made him understand the truth of growing crops.He often helped Jiang's mother carry water, whether it was the scorching sun in midsummer or the icy winter, his thick eyebrows were frowned, his teeth were clenched tightly, beads of sweat rolled on his thin cheeks, Stubbornly carrying the bucket, he followed Mama Jiang, walking step by step on the brick path to the kitchen and to the vegetable garden... He loved his wet nurse deeply.The wet nurse is uneducated, and her husband is a tailor and bearer at the bottom of society.When he was nine years old, his biological mother and stepmother passed away one after another.Seeing that a ten-year-old child plays the role of "head of the family", the kind nurse often takes him to the vast and generous nature and takes him to visit relatives in the countryside.Zhou Enlai felt his nurse's love for him.While studying in Nankai, the wet nurse went to visit.He stayed with the nurse for four or five days, and asked his uncle to give the nurse the travel expenses for the return trip.Before leaving, he also gave the nurse a towel, a tea mug and a porcelain bowl, and also gave the nurse a sincere love.Decades later, Comrade Zhou Enlai, who has served as the Premier of the State Council and has a lot of opportunities, still asked about Mama Jiang with concern when he met with the responsible comrades in his hometown, and deeply missed Mama Jiang. When he had free time, Comrade Zhou Enlai in his childhood would step out of the gate of the house, invite his friends to play in the water, and laugh happily on the bank of Wenqu.A little longer, Comrade Zhou Enlai often boarded the boat in front of the gate, and Nanda stood in front of the Zhenhuai Tower in the city.Zhenhuai Tower was built in the Song Dynasty. It was originally called "Qiaolou", with a two-story building on it, about 18 meters high.Comrade Zhou Enlai often climbed a building to look far away, or flew a kite to send his childhood longings to the distant sky.Board a boat and go north, turn west to reach the Wentong Pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty.Standing in the northwest corner of the city, the Wentong Pagoda has seven floors and eight corners, and is thirteen feet and three feet high.After the two mothers passed away one after another, the family situation became even more difficult.Comrade Zhou Enlai, who was only ten years old, often went to the high counter of the pawn shop to pawn clothes, or knocked on the door of rich relatives to borrow money. He also often accompanied poor children to dig wild vegetables under the Wentong Tower and taste the hardships of life. . When he was a child, Zhou Enlai often walked out of the city along the Wenqu that went east.After the death of his two mothers, his poor livelihood forced him to drop out of school early. It was his cousin Gong Yinsun who helped him get out of the predicament and regain the opportunity to go to school.Gong Yinsun lived near Dongyue Temple in Huai'an City. His mother and Zhou Enlai's grandmother were aunts and sisters, so Zhou Enlai called him uncle.He was progressive in thinking, took the lead in cutting braids, forbade his daughter's feet to be bound, did not believe in ghosts and gods, and advocated equality between men and women... He is a revolutionary figure and a loyal believer of Mr. Sun Yat-sen.Gong Yinsun had been to Japan and met many members of the Tongmenghui.He sold his property and often traveled around Shanghai, Suzhou, and Nanjing to support the activities of revolutionary figures.Gong Yinsun admired Zhou Enlai's talent and diligence, so he took him to study in his own family school.During his study in Gong's family, Zhou Enlai not only made great progress in cultural knowledge, but also learned a lot of social knowledge.His uncle often told him stories about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Opium War...thus gradually deepening his understanding of the society, having a certain understanding of the root causes of social corruption, rich and poor, and gradually breeding in his young mind. The germination of the idea of ​​pursuing progress and yearning for light.As time went by, Zhou Enlai became more and more unbearable for the rules of the feudal family he was born in and the poverty of the dilapidated family, and he even hated the hypocritical ethics and morals that corresponded to it.He has a strong desire to break free from the shackles of the suffocating feudal family and move towards a new world. In the spring of 1910, Zhou Enlai, who hoped to get out of the family cage and seek the truth like his cousin, finally got his wish.He stepped out of the threshold of his former residence for the last time, bid farewell to the old house where he lived for twelve years, the simple and industrious people, and the magnificent hometown. new journey. Every square of blue bricks and every inch of soil in the former residence is deeply imprinted with Zhou Enlai's childhood footprints, and many moving stories of him are also engraved.Lingering in front of the house of the former residence, I often think of the "three chapters" that he had made with the comrades of the county party committee many times during his lifetime: no decoration is allowed to be opened to attract people to visit; the original house is not allowed to be moved; if the house is damaged, let it go, and no more Repair.Fearing that the comrades of the county party committee would "follow the public and violate the law", he often checked with his relatives who went to Beijing, and asked his secretary to call to remind him.In the late 1950s, Huai'an published a county newspaper, and asked him to write the masthead.Later, he was asked to write an inscription for the Huai'an Martyrs Memorial Tower, and he said: "Writing a few words is fine, but I want to make a 'business' with you, that is, you first demolish my old house, and then I will write for you. "How can the people in his hometown have the heart to tear down his former residence?Therefore, this "business" was not completed after all. Until his death, the words "Huai'an Martyrs Memorial Tower" were not written, but his former residence was never opened to the public. When history entered that tear-soaked January, the People's Premier finally bid farewell to the people he loved so much.At that time, although the "Gang of Four" waved a big stick and issued a series of bans.However, the people in their hometown still wear black gauze on their arms, white flowers on their chests, and wreaths of wreaths. They line up in an endless queue and walk with heavy steps towards the former residence of the Prime Minister, where they express their mourning.Those blue bricks, that soil, and the tears of thousands of people... Only after the conspiracy of the "Gang of Four" was shattered, people could freely enter the former residence of Premier Zhou. Representatives from all walks of life at the prefectural and county levels.Only more than two years after the death of the prime minister, the renovated former residence of Zhou Enlai was officially opened to the public.Since then, nearly four million spectators have come here. After the renovation, Zhou Enlai's former residence is still divided into three courtyards: East, West and Back.There are 20 large and small houses in the east courtyard, and there are still the rooms where Zhou Enlai was born and studied, as well as the relics of watering the garden - a well and a small vegetable field.The pavilion where the stepmother and wet nurse lived was also restored as it was.The West Courtyard was originally the residence of Zhou Enlai's second grandfather, but now it displays pictures of Zhou Enlai's childhood and some real objects, as well as the introduction of Zhou Enlai's care for his hometown and the memory of Zhou Enlai and the construction of a new Huai'an by the people in his hometown. Wenqu, gently flowing past the former residence of Zhou Enlai. Wenqu, gently flowing past the gate of Zhou Enlai’s former residence, reflects an endless stream of admirers: people take pictures in front of the plaque inscribed by Comrade Deng Xiaoping, linger in front of the inscription of Comrade Hu Yaobang’s “model of the whole party”, and some even stop On the shore of Wenqu, melt into my own reverence and longing.