Chapter 114 Mei Duo and Yao Fangzao became a "rightist couple"

The "Wen Wei Po" agency was the "hardest-hit household" in the press circle during the "Anti-Rightist Movement".Among the many "rightists" in "Wen Wei Po", Mei Duo and Yao Fangzao became a "rightist couple". Back then, Yao Fangzao was thirty years old, a member of the Communist Youth League, and also a very capable journalist.She and Mei Duo were both working in the Beijing office of Wen Wei Po.Mei Duo is on the editorial board of Wen Wei Po, and Yao Fangzao is a reporter. On April 9, 1957, "Wen Wei Po" prominently published "Comrade Zhou Yang, Vice Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Answers the Reporter's Questions", and also solemnly distributed the editorial "Reading Comrade Zhou Yang Answers the Reporter's Questions ".This "reporter" is Yao Fangzao.

Yao Fangzao asked Zhou Yang these five sensitive questions: 1. Since the Party Central Committee put forward the policy of "Let a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" last year, what important achievements have you made in the academic and literary circles? 2. Do you think the "Hundred Flowers Blooming" has been enough in these few months? Is "a hundred schools of thought contending" enough?If not, what do you think hinders the implementation of the policy of "let a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend"?

3. What is your opinion on the article "Our Opinions on the Current Work in Literature and Art" by Chen Qitong and other four comrades?Do you have any comments on the article "Drums and Drums of Movies" by the commentator of the literature and art edition?What is the significance of criticizing these articles for the development of "Let a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend"? 4. What is your opinion on the discussion of film issues in our newspaper? 5. How do you think we should further carry out "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" to make science, literature and art more prosperous?

According to Yao Fangzao, at that time, there were almost no reporters interviewing leaders, so she went to interview Zhou Yang and asked him five issues of public concern, which immediately became "big news" and the newspaper issued an editorial. ① From this incident, we can also see the energy and courage of the young female reporter Yao Fangzao of Wen Wei Po. After the "Anti-Rightist Movement" started, a wave of criticism quickly hit the young female reporter: The discussion about movies in Wen Wei Po was originally Yao Fangzao's idea.It was she and Tang Hai, deputy editor-in-chief of "Wen Wei Po", who went to visit Zhong Dianfu together.Therefore, as soon as Zhong Dianfu's "Drums and Drums of Movies" was criticized, she was immediately involved;

Criticizing the "Ding Ling and Chen Qixia Anti-Party Clique" also involves her.On August 7, 1957, "People's Daily" published the article "Breaking Ding Ling and Chen Qixia's Anti-Party Clique", which included a large section involving Yao Fangzao. At the end of May, Chen Qixia sent Liu Xi to find Yao Fangzao.On June 6, Yao Fangzao wrote "Whispering Whispers of Writers" (unpublished), and wanted to publicly report the issue of Ding and Chen criticized by the party group of the Chinese Writers Association in 1955.On the 7th, Yao Fangzao and Pu Xixiu went to visit Ding Ling again;

Even Wuhan's criticism of Yao Xueyin involved Yao Fangzao.On September 3, 1957, "People's Daily" reported that Yao Xueyin and "rightists Peng Zigang, Yao Fangzao, Mei Duo, Su Jinsan, etc. used to exchange frequent anti-Party 'inside news' and spread rumors everywhere. ". ... Because of this, Wen Wei Po published a report on September 16, 1957: "Yao Fangzao, the Vanguard of the Anti-Party Clique in the Literary and Art Circles, Openly Incited Party Members to Rebel the Party and Collaborated with Ding Ling, Zhong Dianfu, Tang Qi and Others to Attack the Central Propaganda Department"

According to the report, "Yao Fangzao not only actively acted as a pawn of Ding Ling and Chen Qixia's anti-Party clique during the Mingfang period, but also had inextricable relationships with other rightists in the literary and art circles, such as Wu Zuguang, Zhong Lianfu, and Xiao Qian." Yao Fangzao's husband, Mei Duo, has always had the nickname "I can't hide".Mei Duo has a lot of tenacity, he asks for a manuscript from any writer, and he must get the offer, so the writers call him "can't hide". In 1957, this passionate editor and film critic of Wen Wei Po "couldn't escape" that bad luck.

On September 7, 1957, Wen Wei Po published a report: "In the literary and art circles, calling for wind and rain to attack the party and Mei Duo is an insidious double-faced faction. Involved the Ding Chen Group's black line into this newspaper and called out grievances for the counter-revolutionary Hu Feng" The report said: During the two months of continuous anti-rightist struggles, the Beijing office of this newspaper has preliminarily found out that in addition to the criminal and anti-Party black line of the Luo Longji-Pu Xixiu-Wen Wei Po editorial department, recently exposed Another black thread came from the anti-party clique of Ding Ling and Chen Qixia in the literary and art circles, and the wires were drawn by Mei Duo and Yao Fangzao.On the one hand, they brought in Liu Xi, Chen Qixia's close friend, and Ai Qing, an active supporter of Ding Chen's anti-Party clique; The line is brought in.At the same time, he also colluded with Tang Yin and Tang Dacheng, the rightists in the party of the "Literary Daily".Mei Duo and Yao Fangzao colluded with these rightists inside and outside the party in the literary and art circles during the release period, and became "popular figures" among the rightists in the literary and art circles, and directly participated in their anti-party conspiracy activities. The party's literary and artistic leadership.

As a result, both Mei Duo and Yao Fangzao "couldn't hide" and became "rightists". After all, Yao Fangzao is young and has no historical grievances to settle. She was transferred back to Shanghai and worked in the rural areas of Fengxian, Baoshan and other suburban counties for a period of time.Then I went back to the newspaper office to deal with letters from readers, but I couldn't be a reporter anymore.She took off her "rightist" hat in 1960. Mei Duo's experience was much worse than that of Yao Fangzao. He was "reeducated through labor".First, he went to work in Qinghe, a suburb of Beijing, then transferred to Shanxi to work, and even went to Yangquan Coal Mine to dig coal...

It was not until the end of the "Cultural Revolution" that the suffering of this "rightist couple" came to an end. Mei Duo became "unable to hide" again.He served as the editor-in-chief of "Wenhui Monthly" and edited more than 100 issues in one go.One writer after another "can't hide" and wrote works for "Wenhui Monthly". Yao Fangzao also resumed his old career, still as sharp and pungent.