In June 1998, Zhao Nan traveled north to North Korea and went straight to the martyrs' cemetery at the headquarters of the Volunteer Army in Hichang County to sweep the graves of his former comrades-in-arms.
The cemetery, only 300 square meters, is neatly lined with dozens of monuments, without exception looking north, as if staring at the distant motherland.
As far as Zhao Nan looked, the first row was Mao Anying's tomb, and there was a bust bronze statue standing in front of it.
Looking around, Zhao Nanqi seemed to see the laughter and laughter of his young comrades-in-arms, and they flocked to him; He stretched out his hand to caress the bronze statue, his heart tightened, remembering the past, sorrow came from it, and tears had quietly fallen.
In that quiet place, Zhao Nanqi's heart moved with the wind, remembering the past with Mao Anying, as if it were yesterday.
The cold light of the bronze statue reflects the past, and the old films of Anying talk with one heart
In June 1998, Zhao Nanqi went to the distant North Korean Hichang County alone with heavy thoughts.
His destination was the Volunteer Martyrs' Cemetery, which was located on the top of the hill, a quiet place with a radius of only 300 square meters.
In the cemetery, dozens of tombstones are arranged in a strict arrangement, looking north without exception, as if to convey silent respect to the distant motherland.
Among these stone monuments, the most conspicuous is the tombstone of the martyr Mao Anying, in front of which stands a bronze bust of him.
Zhao Nanqi stared at this bronze statue, and involuntarily thought of the bits and pieces of acquaintance and getting along with Mao Anying.
As if just yesterday, they were discussing strategies together and sharing the joys and pains of the front line.
At this moment, Zhao Nanqi felt that every tombstone seemed to have become a comrade-in-arms of his youth, and they were laughing or talking, as if beckoning him to join the indelible battle ranks.
Zhao Nanqi stretched out his hand and gently stroked the cold surface of the bronze statue, and his heart swelled up not only with endless thoughts, but also with deep admiration.
Before I knew it, tears had quietly slipped from the corners of my eyes.
recalled the first encounter with Mao Anying, it was a day in the winter of 1950.
As a Korean interpreter, Zhao Nanqi was sent to the headquarters of the Volunteer Army, directly under the command of Peng Dehuai.
He remembers entering his new apartment and finding a tall, slightly emaciated young man already in the room.
The man had a separate head, and his demeanor revealed a kind of maturity and stability that was different from ordinary people.
Zhao Nan only felt familiar at first, but after thinking about it, he couldn't remember where he had seen it.
The young man first stretched out his hand enthusiastically and introduced: "Let me introduce myself, my name is Mao Anying, and I am also a staff officer of the Operations Department, responsible for Russian translation. ”
The grip in his hand was warm and firm, and the watch on his wrist was unusually conspicuous, which was a rare style, and Zhao Nanqi instantly remembered this detail.
"Mao Anying!" Zhao Nanqi took off his backpack, recalled the anecdotes he had heard about the name, and asked tentatively, "Where are you from?" ”
Mao Anying smiled and replied, "You have probably heard some stories about me, I am from Hunan." My father was Chairman Mao. ”
Here, Chairman Mao's son is just an ordinary soldier, a comrade on the battlefield, fighting side by side.
Mao Anying is a talkative person, perhaps because of his troubled experience, which gave him many topics.
That day, as night fell, the two of them sat by the campfire, and Zhao Nanqi listened to Mao Anying talk about his years of exile.
Mao Anying told him that he had been wandering the streets of Shanghai as a child, and that he had been discovered by the organization and sent to the distant Soviet Union for further study, where he not only studied, but also participated in the thrilling Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union.
After the war, he returned to his homeland with enthusiasm and participated in the wave of land reform, all of which forged his firm faith and unyielding will.
"When I returned to China to participate in the land reform, my heart was full of ideas to serve the people with the knowledge and experience I had learned."
When Mao Anying said this, a trace of firmness flashed in her eyes, "Then, when the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea broke out, I didn't need to think about it, it was not only Chairman Mao's call, but also my personal choice." ”
In that quiet night, the distance between the two seemed to be instantly shortened, and unrestrained communication began.
They talked about their experiences and about their families.
Mao Anying once said softly that although he worked in the General Headquarters of the Volunteer Army, except for a few leaders, few people knew that I was Mao Zedong's heir.
Since they live in the same room, there is no need to hide it.
He paused, with a bit of sincerity in his tone, and asked Zhao Nanqi to help him keep this secret.
If nothing else, if everyone knows Mao Anying's origin, I am afraid it will affect the simple relationship between the comrades-in-arms.
At that moment, Zhao Nanqi felt Mao Anying's trust, which was a tacit understanding between deep friends.
Many years later, even though the flames of war have long been extinguished, those night conversations and the tacit understanding that are deeply believed are still treasured in Zhao Nanqi's heart.
If there are heroes in the world, they may not all hold high the banner, but they may just confess their life stories to a friend in the dead of night.
The simple cousin shows his true feelings, and the son of the leader is also simple
In the company of life and work, Zhao Nanqi has a deeper understanding of Mao Anying.
Mao Anying, hidden behind this name, is not only the son of a revolutionary leader.
Although he went to the Soviet Union for further study and had an extraordinary identity, he seemed extraordinarily simple in life, and it can even be said to be extremely simple.
Zhao Nanqi often thought, if he didn't know his background, who would have thought that this comrade-in-arms who worked with him day and night would be the son of the famous Mao Zedong?
In the long-term contact, Mao Anying has never had the slightest superiority posture, let alone put the so-called "prince" in front of anyone.
Zhao Nanqi was deeply impressed by his firm organizational concept, doing everything himself, and never interfering in matters that did not belong to his duties.
General Peng Dehuai cared about Mao Anying like a child, but despite this, Mao Anying always insisted on treating himself as an ordinary staff member of the Volunteer Army Headquarters, living in harmony with his colleagues without any pretentiousness.
He shares the day-to-day service of a civil servant with Zhao Nanqi.
According to the regulations, they can let the civil servant take care of the daily tedious duties, including the hard work of going up and down the mountain and down the river to fetch water every day.
Civil servants have to traverse rugged mountain roads every day, not to mention the water journey, and have to be constantly vigilant against the threat of air raids, which is a hard job.
At first, Zhao Nanqi was apprehensive, always feeling that living in the same room with Mao Zedong's son should be as much as possible for Mao Anying's life, so he saved water in an attempt to reduce the burden on civil servants.
However, Mao Anying had already realized that he noticed the decrease in the amount of water, and after careful questioning, he learned the truth, and he felt guilty.
He immediately apologized to the civil servant and said sincerely that he had not paid attention to water conservation in the past, which was really negligent.
Since then, the two have decided to share a bucket of water, which has greatly reduced the labor intensity of civil servants.
Although this little thing is not enough to worry about, it deeply reflects Mao Anying's personality charm.
In Zhao Nanqi's memory, Mao Anying has always been such a person who is self-improving, frugal and unpretentious, adheres to principles, and knows that he has great responsibilities.
During the days when the two worked together, Zhao Nanqi gradually discovered that Mao Anying was not only passionate about politics, but also a diligent learner.
At that time, Mao Anying was in charge of translating Russian documents for General Peng Dehuai at the headquarters of the Volunteer Army, and in order to better fulfill this responsibility, he often took the initiative to ask Zhao Nanqi about the military and political situation in Northeast China during the Chinese Liberation War.
Zhao Nanqi worked in the research office of the Northeast Provincial Party Committee, and studied the history and policies of that area.
In the face of Mao Anying's thirst for knowledge, he unreservedly shared his knowledge and experience.
Mao Anying was not stingy with what he had learned, and taught Zhao Nanqi the Soviet policy toward China, the state of the armed forces, and the translation skills he learned during his studies in the Soviet Union.
One day, Mao Anying had a whim, he learned that Zhao Nanqi was born in Korean, so he wanted to learn Korean from him.
Zhao Nanqi readily agreed, teaching Mao Anying some basic Korean language, as well as the skills of communicating with the local Korean people.
Soon, Mao Anying was able to converse with him in Korean, and his learning speed made Zhao Nanqi admire.
In the process of teaching each other, Mao Anying did not forget to give back, and he taught Zhao Nanqi some basic Russian knowledge.
These initial language skills later laid a solid foundation for Zhao Nanqi to return to China to further his studies in Russian.
Zhao Nanqi remembers that Mao Anying always carries a small notebook with him, which records his study notes and daily thoughts.
He used to record his daily studies and thoughts about war and life in Russian.
However, it is a pity that this precious notebook was later lost in that fire, and those words full of wisdom and emotion can only be found in Zhao Nanqi's memory.
Pocket warmth, heart and soul loyalty
With the passage of time, Zhao Nanqi gradually gained insight into many secrets in Mao Anying's heart.
Among them, the most touching thing is his deep affection for his family.
In Mao Anying's jacket pocket, there is always a four-inch photo, which is a portrait of his new wife Liu Songlin.
In the war-torn days, this photo seemed to be the most tender consolation in his heart.
Whenever he was at leisure, he would gently take it out and stare at it for a while; And in the dead of night, he carefully placed it next to his pillow, as if he could be attached to his wife who was far away.
When Mao Anying mentioned Liu Songlin, her eyes always showed endless tenderness and longing.
However, before going to Korea, his wife was hospitalized, and since he stepped on the train to the north, he has not heard from her, and he does not know what her current situation is, which undoubtedly deepens his concern.
Zhao Nanqi sensed this friend's concern, and asked him in confusion why he didn't use the frequent domestic communications of the headquarters, or the people who came and went, to try to understand his wife's situation.
Mao Anying was silent for a long time, and finally replied seriously.
It turned out that Mao Anying didn't want to be thought by everyone that he was doing something special, after all, it was a violation of discipline.
Moreover, if the chairman is made known, there will definitely be criticism, after all, this is a time of war.
In addition, Mao Anying often mentions the sacrifices of his family during the revolution, especially his uncle Mao Zemin and many other relatives.
He especially misses his mother Yang Kaihui and often praises her as a great mother.
He also told how he and his younger brother lived on the streets after his mother's death, and from his words, it is not difficult to feel the loneliness and helplessness of that childhood.
It is these helplessness and tribulations that shape Mao Anying's personality.
Mao Anying is indeed a person with a strong independent spirit and practical action, and every decision he makes is deeply rooted in unlimited loyalty to the country and the people.
In Zhao Nanqi's eyes, Mao Anying is not only the son of a leader, but also a true revolutionary and hero.
The sea of fire remembers the comrades-in-arms, and the snow field cries and returns
November 24, 1950, this day is an unforgettable day for Zhao Nanqi.
The night before, US reconnaissance planes circled over Dayu Cave like birds, constantly spying on them.
The Volunteer Army Command was extremely alert to this, and after breakfast, it gave an order: some of the personnel went up the mountain in concealment, and some went into the air-raid shelter to work.
Zhao Nanqi had breakfast, then sorted out his belongings and went to the mountain for refuge.
At about 10 o'clock in the morning, the sudden sound of sirens broke through the silence, and four US planes broke through the clouds and skimmed over the Great Elm Cave at a low altitude.
As soon as the plane left, the alarm was not solved, and Zhao Nanqi was still on the mountain.
A short time later, the group flew back up, and one of them swooped down, dropping dozens of napalm down the hillside. As the napalm hit the ground, the flames soared into the sky, and the flames rose into the air.
In this furnace-like sea of fire, a figure suddenly rolled out and shouted for help: "Quick, come and save people!" ”
Zhao Nanqi was shocked when he heard this, and a thought flashed in his heart: "Mao Anying is missing, could it be that something happened to him?" ”
Thinking of this, he ran down the mountain desperately.
However, everything seems to be predestined.
When he and his comrades arrived at the scene, they saw a sea of fire, the blazing flames blocking all possible approach.
Soon, bad news came: Mao Anying and Gao Ruixin, staff officer of the combat department, were unfortunately killed.
After extinguishing the fire, the comrades found two charred remains in the ashes, almost unrecognizable. If it weren't for Mao Anying's Soviet-made watch, it might be difficult to confirm his identity......
That night, Zhao Nanqi saw General Peng Dehuai, who was living in the same air-raid shelter with him, and he couldn't sleep all night and sighed frequently.
And himself, under the pain of witnessing Mao Anying's relics and losing his close comrades-in-arms, tears welled up.
was worried that it would affect Mr. Peng, so he had to grit his teeth and tears lingered in his eyes.
Years later, when Zhao Nanqi witnessed the signing ceremony of the Korean armistice negotiations, his heart swelled with mixed emotions.
At that moment, he recalled the countless comrades-in-arms who had fallen in the flames of war, and deeply felt the hard-won victory.
As the years go by, Zhao Nanqi often recalls the years of the Jin Ge Iron Horse in many silent nights, and spent life and death with his comrades on the snowy fields of North Korea.
Resources:
Zhao Nanqi: I worked with Mao Anying
Wu Zhifei
General Zhao Nanqi and Mao Zedong's two descendants met very differently
Red Man