Chapter 139 The smallest and latest "Rightist"

On January 13, 1996, the author had just interviewed Sha Wenhan's wife, Chen Xiuliang. The next day, the doorbell rang at home.When I opened the door, I saw an uninvited guest who had never met before.He is thin and has white hair. He said that he had read a book twice and found out my address, so he came to look for me. I invite him to sit down in the living room.He said that he was a "rightist" back then, and after suffering for twenty years, he suddenly realized it after reading a book. He said that the book quoted the full text of the "Notice of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Not Classifying Rightists Among Workers and Peasants" dated September 4, 1957.It was the first time he had seen this "Notice".He is a worker. According to the provisions of this document of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he is not classified as a "rightist" among workers.However, he was classified as a "rightist" on September 29, 1958, one year and twenty-five days after this document was issued!

He sighed, if he had seen this "Notice" at that time, he would not have suffered so many years! He said that he has two "most" among the "rightists" in China: One is the smallest "Rightist" - because he is a worker; The second is to be classified as a "rightist" at the latest - because it was at the end of June 1958, the "anti-rightist movement" had been declared over, and even the "anti-rightist remedial classes" had been "made up" and had begun to enter The "Great Leap Forward" movement started.But he was labeled as a "rightist" in September 1958!

I told him that the two "most" you mentioned are only relative terms.There will definitely be "rightists" who are "smaller" and "later" than you. He said that after reading a book, the vast majority of what was written in the book were "big rightists". Compared with them, he was insignificant.However, since he has two "most" honors, can he be the "smallest and latest" "rightist" when the book is revised and republished? I agreed.I took out the tape recorder and asked him to explain in detail... His name is Chen Zhongxing, born in 1926 in the countryside of Caohejing, Shanghai, with only a primary school education.He grew up in the countryside and later worked as a worker at the Shanghai Communications Equipment Factory of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.He was very skilled in technology, so he was rated as a seventh-grade worker in 1956, and his salary was 105 yuan and 40 cents. He was only 30 years old at the time, and such a salary was considered very high among his peers. .

During the "Speaking Greatly" in 1957 and the "Anti-Rightist Movement" later, he was safe and sound.Because in his opinion, that is all about intellectuals, and has nothing to do with him as a worker. His accident happened in the spring and summer of 1958.At that time, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Instructions on Carrying out the Anti-Waste and Anti-Conservative Campaign", and this "double anti-campaign" was launched in the factory.The factory launched a "big-character poster competition".In this way, many workers write big-character posters during working hours during the day, and eat a bowl of Yangchun noodles at night, stay to write big-character posters, and have to eat when they return home.When Chen Zhongxing saw it, he thought it was a waste of time, and eating two dinners was a waste of food, so he wrote a big-character poster saying: "New waste has been created in the anti-waste process!"

As a result, he was seen as "disgruntled" with the movement.He was besieged by big-character posters. At this time, someone posted a big-character poster on Chen Zhongxing with the title "What to say?" ", exposed Chen Zhongxing's "shocking problem", saying that he "slandered the leader Mao Zedong" and "slandered the Chinese People's Liberation Army"! so, what happened? It was in 1953 that Shanghai's "Xinmin Daily" (the predecessor of "Xinmin Evening News") published a story about "Monkey King Raising Trouble in Heaven".With a primary school education, he was a bit educated among the workers at that time, and he worked as a newspaper reader in the study group.After reading the story of "The Monkey King Havoc in Heaven", he expressed his thoughts:

"Sun Wukong led the monkeys to resist the heavenly soldiers and generals sent by the Jade Emperor on Huaguo Mountain. It's really amazing. Chairman Mao led the People's Liberation Army and defeated Chiang Kai-shek's million-strong army. It's also really amazing." The big-character poster "What are you talking about?" " criticized Chen Zhongxing, saying that he compared the great leader Chairman Mao to Sun Wukong, and Sun Wukong is a goblin. Isn't it "slandering the great leader Chairman Mao"? !Comparing the Chinese People's Liberation Army to monkeys, isn't it "slandering the Chinese People's Liberation Army"? !

Now, Chen Zhongxing's problem has become "very serious". At that time, "anti-rightist make-up classes" were being carried out.Because in their factory, no "rightists" have been "picked out", and they are regarded as "rightist leaders".Therefore, the factory leaders are "looking for" "rightists" in the factory.They thought that Chen Zhongxing's "reactionary remarks" against the great leader Chairman Mao and the Chinese People's Liberation Army happened to be a lesson for "remedial lessons for the anti-rightists".Therefore, Chen Zhongxing has been designated as a "rightist" by default, but Chen Zhongxing himself is still kept in the dark.

From July 16, 1958, Chen Zhongxing was transferred to the tool shop to supervise labor.At that time, he thought that those classified as "rightists" were intellectuals and cadres, and he, a small worker, would not be classified as a "rightist", but he was posted a big-character poster, so he was "labor, labor". Finally, on September 29th, Chen Zhongxing saw two notices pasted at the entrance of the cafeteria in the factory, one of which announced that a technician was designated as a "rightist" because he was "anti-Party and anti-socialism"; The following notice announced that Chen Zhongxing was a "rightist" and was demoted from a seventh-grade worker to a third-grade worker.Below the notice are the signatures of the factory director and deputy factory director.

Chen Zhongxing was not a "rightist" in the first place, not to mention that even at that time, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China had stipulated "no rightists among workers and peasants" as early as a year ago.However, he was actually labeled a "rightist". From then on, Chen Zhongxing was pushed into the mud pit.Drink enough bitter water. Chen Zhongxing was looked down upon everywhere, dwarfed and inferior everywhere, and became the object of "supervising labor" and the "dictatorship object" of the "dictatorship of the proletariat".Although in Shanghai at that time, "Master" was a very common address for older people, and Chen Zhongxing was a serious master, young people were no longer allowed to call him "Master Chen" in the factory—because "rightist Molecules" cannot be called "masters".Of course, it cannot be called "Comrade Chen Zhongxing".

Chen Zhongxing's salary dropped from 105 yuan and 40 yuan a month for a seventh-grade worker to 57 yuan and 50 yuan for a third-grade worker.He has two parents, three sons and a daughter, and lives in a family of "the upper is old and the lower is young". He was originally the pillar of the family, but now the pillar has collapsed. His wife is a female worker. She was rated as an advanced worker in 1956 and has been listed as a target for the CCP to develop and join the party.Since he was branded a "rightist", his wife was also unable to join the party.The burden of the family fell on the shoulders of the wife, and the wife's hair turned gray prematurely, becoming a "white-haired girl".

In desperation, Chen Zhongxing gave his daughter to others. Chen Zhongxing is not enough to be a "rightist", so when he takes off the label of "rightist", he can be included in the first batch of "removal list".However, he did not have the "honor" of "removing his hat", and was instead sent to Shanghai Qingpu Farm for reeducation through labor. The reason is that he was hit again when he criticized Peng Dehuai's "Right opportunism" in 1959. It was during the climax of the "Great Leap Forward", young workers in the factory "dare to think and do it" and proposed to manufacture "ideological lathes".The so-called "thinking lathe" means that whatever you think in your mind, the lathe will "automatically" do it.As an experienced veteran worker, Chen Zhongxing naturally shook his head at this "thought lathe".As a result, he was charged with "throwing cold water on the technological revolution".He was originally a "Rightist", and when he criticized "Right Opportunism", he was criticized as a "Right Opportunist"... Chen Zhongxing was sent to Qingdong Farm in Qingpu County, Shanghai for two years of reeducation through labor. Chen Zhongxing couldn't figure it out.He was extremely lonely, depressed, and mentally disturbed.He even contemplated suicide several times. On April 16, 1963, Chen Zhongxing finally ended his life in reeducation through labor, took off his "rightist" label, and returned to the factory.However, his wages were reduced to thirty-nine yuan a month—it was reported that he returned to the factory from the farm as a new worker, and the salary of a new worker was thirty-nine yuan a month! He saw a summary report of the "Anti-Rightist Movement" in an old newspaper, which mentioned that "Rightists" were not classified among workers.Based on this, he wrote a letter to appeal to the authorities, but he was said to be a "rightist overturning the verdict". Soon, in December 1963, Mao Zedong's "Seven Laws He Comrade Guo Moruo" was published.Mao Zedong wrote in his poem: Chen Zhongxing found "theoretical basis" together, because Mao Zedong praised Sun Dasheng, which shows that what he said when he read the newspaper in 1953 was not wrong. However, what is the use of Chen Zhongxing's "learning experience"? During the "Cultural Revolution", Chen Zhongxing suffered a lot, because he was a "rightist who took off his hat" and was criticized and ransacked his home. His parents died unjustly during the "Cultural Revolution", but he was not even qualified to host the memorial service, so he had to ask his brother-in-law to come forward because his brother-in-law was a member of the Communist Party of China. He has been serious and hardworking in his work, and has never heard a word of praise.However, after crushing the "Gang of Four", in 1977, for the first time ever, he was praised at a factory meeting and called him "comrade", which made him very excited.He felt "it's dawn"! In 1977, his monthly salary was increased by five yuan, and young people also called him "Master Chen".His mood became better. On September 28, 1978, the party branch secretary said to Chen Zhongxing: "Congratulations! Congratulations!" He thought that his "rightist" injustice must have been vindicated, but the party branch secretary told him congratulations on his promotion for the technician.The factory posted a red list for him, which has never happened before. Finally, on December 15th of that year, a meeting was held in the factory, announcing that Chen Zhongxing would vindicate the "rightist" unjust case and restore his original wages. Chen Zhongxing was overjoyed, and couldn't help sighing: From September 29, 1958 to December 15, 1978, twenty spring and autumn, the golden years of life, under the shadow of the "rightists" spend it! Nowadays, many young people don't know what the "anti-rightist movement" is.Chen Zhongxing said that young people must be made aware of the catastrophe of the "Left" in 1957.He said repeatedly: "Never forget the past, and guide the future." From now on, there should never be such sufferings as the "Anti-Rightist Movement"!