Chapter 42 "I can't be special"

In Zhidan, the leaders of the central government live the same life as ordinary soldiers. They abide by the food standards and live in extreme poverty. Most of them are fried vegetables with millet rice, occasionally there is some meat in the dishes, and sometimes they are steamed buns with thick noodles. Mao Zedong liked to eat chili, and it seemed that rice with chili would be delicious.During Snow's interview, he also sang his favorite "Chili Pepper Song": Guests from afar, please sit down and let me sing a chili song. Guests from far away, don’t laugh, Hunan people love to use chili peppers.

Although it is a local product from the village, three meals a day are indispensable. Want to ask what is good about chili?I can say a dozen casually: Remove moisture, calm the heartbeat, invigorate the spleen and stomach, and refresh the mind. Fried and stir-fried with fire, everything tastes good. No chili is not considered a dish, a spicy dish is better than a delicious dish! Mao Zedong worked day and night, and became thinner and thinner. Although the guards usually tried to slice, shred, or cut potatoes, Mao Zedong praised his cooking skills every time he ate.However, the guard knew in his heart that no matter how it changed, it was still a potato dish.Once, when the guards accompanied the Chairman for a walk outside the city, Mao Zedong suddenly saw a half-foot-high sawtooth-shaped green plant, and happily said to the guards: "Look, this is a wild vegetable called winter amaranth. I ate it on the Long March." , very good, we can eat this dish.” The winter amaranth Mao Zedong mentioned is actually a bitter vegetable with moss.This discovery reminded everyone that from then on, the guards often went to the mountains to tease the vegetables, boiled them in boiling water, soaked them in cold water to remove the bitterness, and after cold dressing or stir-frying, there was an extra fresh dish on the dinner table.Under the influence of Mao Zedong, other comrades in the central unit also went to the mountains to dig vegetables, which not only improved their lives, but also filled their stomachs.

One day, the security squad leader Li Jiujiu discussed with the other three security guards how to make up for the chairman.Bai Haishan said: "You can't buy anything in the city, how can you make up for the chairman?" He Qinghua said: "I heard that the people in the countryside are used to marinating pork, and every household raises chickens. If you can buy these things, it will be the best All right." Finally, everyone agreed that He Qinghua would ride Mao Zedong's little yellow horse to buy chickens in the area around Yongning Mountain, where the KMT county government was originally located.That afternoon He Qinghua bought two chickens and some peppers in Yaozichuan.After bringing them back, everyone was very happy, killed one and kept the other.Since there was no seasoning, Li Changjiu made "white crispy chicken" according to the method of his hometown in the south, and fried a plate of chili, and served Mao Zedong on the table for dinner.

The guards thought that Mao Zedong would be happy to eat these chickens and vegetables.However, Mao Zedong was silent, and calmly criticized: "It's not good for you to do this. Everyone's life is very hard. I should be like everyone. I can't be special." With tears in his eyes, He Qinghua said, "You are different. Your work is busy and tiring. If you go on like this, your body will collapse." Several other guards also entered the kiln, eagerly trying to persuade Mao Zedong to eat chicken. . Mao Zedong said seriously: "Our life now is much better than that in Jinggangshan. We must eat according to the standard and find a way to save money. If you buy it this time, you must not buy it again next time." Mao Zedong gave himself a bowl Picked up a few pieces of chicken and said to the guard, "The rest of the chicken, you guys eat it. As long as there is chili, I can eat more."

Once, He Qinghua and Bai Haishan went to Zhouhe to wash Mao Zedong's clothes. They saw many finger-thick loaches in the river. They grabbed a washbasin with sheets and told Mao Zedong that there were fish to eat.Mao Zedong said: "Raise it first, Vice Chairman Zhou will be back tomorrow, let's eat together when he comes back."The next day, Zhou Enlai really came back, and as soon as he met Mao Zedong, he shook hands and greeted each other.Zhou Enlai brought some cigarettes and a pack of green peppers to Mao Zedong.Mao Zedong said happily: "It's raining just in time, and there is no cigarette to smoke. The guards have caught a lot of loaches, and they are waiting for you to come back to eat." The two comrades laughed heartily.On the dinner table are bitter vegetables, fried potatoes, apricot peels, fried loach, stewed loach, and fried peppers.Zhou Enlai praised and said: "The food is so rich. Tell other comrades that the loach in the river is delicious."

The weather is gradually getting colder, and the stone cave dwellings become icy cold.He Qinghua saw Mao Zedong working on the desk for a long time, shaking his legs and stomping his feet constantly, so he made his own decision, got charcoal from the supply place, and lit a brazier under the desk.When Mao Zedong saw the brazier, he said earnestly to He Qinghua: "It's not yet the prescribed time to warm up the fire. Think about it, so many comrades in the central government are suffering from the cold, how can I do anything special? When will everyone start to warm up? Build me a brazier."

With a sore heart, He Qinghua returned the charcoal to the supply place, but he didn't know how to keep Mao Zedong warm from the cold.Coincidentally, there are fairs in the city, and many sellers of mountain goods come from all directions.When He Qinghua saw a fellow villager selling camel hair, he had an idea. He remembered that he had been herding sheep since he was a child, and learned the technique of twisting wool. He bought a catty of camel hair with the money given by the villagers when he joined the army, and spent three days twisting the camel hair into wool. , woven into socks and given to Mao Zedong.

Mao Zedong said in surprise: "You still have this skill, it's not easy." After trying it on, it was still the right size.When he found out that He Qinghua had spent 50 cents on the camel hair, he took out his own 50 cents and handed it to He Qinghua, "Tsinghua, I accept your wish, thank you. You want to accept my money, you want I don't want your socks if I don't charge you." After the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek detained Zhang Xueliang in Nanjing and sent additional troops to Xi'an. Civil war was imminent.Mao Zedong participated in the Politburo meetings for days, busy trying to win Chiang Kai-shek to maintain peace and fulfill the promise of joint resistance against Japan.One morning, He Zizhen was about to give birth.

Mao Zedong's guard ran to the residence of Mrs. Liu Zhidan and Gui Rong panting, and said in a hurry: "Quick! Hurry up! Sister He is going to give birth. Chairman Mao please hurry over and deliver the baby!" After General Liu Zhidan died on the front line of the Eastern Expedition, the Central Committee has been taking good care of Tong Guirong, mother and daughter.Although Tong Guirong suffered an unbearable mental blow, she is still full of honesty, kindness, and helpful qualities, and is highly respected by the central leadership and Red Army soldiers.Whenever relatives visit her for eggs or noodles, she will take some for the pregnant He Zizhen.A few days ago, Tong Guirong, whose life was already very difficult, took out the money he had saved from living frugally, bought cloth and cotton, and prepared for He Zizhen to give birth. He carefully sewed a small quilt stitch by stitch. , small clothes, small pillows, wrapped in cloth, waiting for He Zizhen to use when giving birth.

Hearing what the guard said, Tong Guirong took the wrapped quilt and clothes and ran to Mao Zedong's residence. From afar, I heard He Zizhen screaming in pain in the watchtower outside the courtyard. Mao Zedong saw Tong Guirong, pointed to the watchtower and said, "Sister-in-law Liu, come quickly!" The thin He Zizhen, with a sallow complexion, was lying on the floor in the watchtower, shivering from the cold.The walls of the watchtower are built of stones, and the roof is built with sorghum poles and mud.It was the cold winter, and the north wind was howling outside, and the wind was blowing in all directions, and it was chilly.

Tong Guirong complained to them angrily: "How can you choose this place to have a baby?" Mao Zedong said: "The stone kiln is too cloudy and humid. Zizhen came here by herself." Looking at Tong Guirong, he asked anxiously, "What should I do?" Seeing the blood, Tong Guirong said, "It's too late, let's live here!" Tong Guirong hurriedly asked others to boil water and fed He Zizhen half a bowl to warm her body.Then, Tong Guirong put his arms around He Zizhen, comforted him softly, and adjusted his delivery position.After a while, the child was born, a girl.At this time, the doctor came after hearing the news and tied the umbilical cord for the baby.Tong Guirong washed the doll's body with half a basin of hot water, wrapped it in a small quilt he had prepared, and showed it to Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong carefully took the baby with both arms, looked at it carefully, with a happy smile on his face, and told He Zizhen: My daughter is as delicate as she is.He Zizhen nodded wearily and responded with a smile. News of He Zizhen's birth spread immediately, and Kang Keqing, Deng Yingchao, and Liu Ying all came to He Xi and asked about the situation of the mother and child.Mao Zedong said humorously: "It was born, it was born. Like a hen laying an egg, it laid a big egg." This child is the fifth child of Mao Zedong and He Zizhen. The two brothers and two sisters born before this child , all died in the war environment or were given away. Deng Yingchao held the baby in her arms, looked at the delicate and tender face, and said affectionately: "What a little girl, what a little girl." Mao Zedong, who hadn’t had time to name his daughter, felt comprehensible when he heard it, and thought of the words “Wen Junjiao Hao” in “Xijing Miscellaneous Notes”, and said, “Yes, it’s called Jiaojiao!” He Zizhen also thought the name was very suitable. girls. This year, Mao Zedong was 43 years old and He Zizhen was 28 years old. The empty cave dwelling was very cold, and He Zizhen, who was weak, lacked milk, and Jiaojiao was always crying, and everyone was anxious to find a way.At this time, Sun Yuxiang, a resident of the street, knew about the situation, and went to the small courtyard to tell the guard Li Jiujiu: "My baby is several months old, and my mother-in-law has a lot of milk. If you don't mind it, let my mother-in-law give it to Jiaojiao every day." Hey, hello." Li Jiujiu became happy when he heard this, and hurriedly told He Zizhen about it.He Zizhen was overjoyed immediately, and said: "Very good, very good!" In this way, Sun Yuxiang's mother-in-law and aunt went to the Hongshi courtyard every day to feed Jiaojiao. More than 20 days later, Mao Zedong and He Zizhen took Jiaojiao to Yan'an.When leaving Zhidan City, He Zizhen went to Sun Yuxiang's home to express his gratitude to the couple, and left the allowance he had saved in the sun's kang. In 1947, Jiaojiao returned to northern Shaanxi from the Soviet Union. At that time, Mao Zedong changed his name to Li Desheng and was fighting in northern Shaanxi, so he named Jiaojiao Li Min.