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Tracing Mao Zedong (21)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-26-04 03:36

Tracing Mao Zedong (21)
-------------------------------------------------

世界是你們的, 也是我們的, 但是歸根結地是你們的.
你們青年人朝氣蓬勃, 正在興旺時期, 好像早晨八, 九
點鐘的太陽. 希望寄託在你們身上..............................
世界是屬于你們的, 中國的前途是屬于你們的.

The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people full of vigour and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Our hope is placed on you.....................................
The world belongs to you. China's future belongs to you.

A quotation from Mao Zedong
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the teachers in the First Normal had the greatest influence on the students. He was Yang Changji (楊昌濟) whose influence was not only limited to academic studies but also extended to the stidents ways of living. Mr Yang opposed the Chinese feudal type of living. He advocated a new democratic and scientific way of living. He said that people should do away with breakfast, do deep breathing and meditation as well as having cold bath throughout the year including in winter. Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and others followed his teaching and for amost two years went without breakfast.

This was what Emi Xiao (蕭三 alias Xiao Zizhang 蕭子璋 who later became a writer and was famous for translating Chinese poetry into Russian) had recorded about his three classmates of Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and Zhang Kunding (張坤鼎) in his book "Mao Tse-Tung - His Childhood and Youth":

One year, during the summer vacation, Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and Zhang Kunding shared a pavilion on top of the Yuelu Mountain (岳鹿山), on the river bank opposite Changsha. [see the map of Changsha city on the right hand bottom of the map of Hunan, http://chungyn.webhop.net/hunan.jpg].
They went without breakfast and supper as well. Their diet consisted largely of fresh board beans. Of course, there was an idea of economising since none of them had much money. They went to the hilltop to meditate in the morning and then came down to bathe in a cold pond or in the river. This went on until the end of the vacation. They believed in the steady practising of this "austerity training" programme. They also enlarged what the term "bathing" usually connotes, often stripping and exposing their bodies to the elements: sun, wind and downpours. Mao Tse-tung preferred to these practices facetiously as "sunbath", "windbath", and "rainbath". When thesun was hot they took off their shirts and called it "sunbath". When the wind was blowing strongly they shouted that it was "windbath". When it was raining they took off their shirts and ran about shouting they were having "rainbath". They also frequented a little isle in the Hsiang River [Xiangjiang 湘江 see the map] where swimming was good. All this was intended to help build up a strong constitution.

Another hobby of theirs was "voice-training". They would go to the hills and shout or recite the poets of the Tang dynasty [唐朝 AD618 to 907]; or climb up the city walls and there inflate their lungs and yell to the roaring winds.....On certain points, their training was in curious agreement with popular modern methods, which emphasised sunlight, open air and shower-bathing.

During their stay in the pavilion, each of them had only one towel, one umbrella and some clothes. Mao Zedong was always clad in a long grey gown which distinguished him from the rest.

At night they slept out in the open, in a meadow, keeping far apart from each other, to give themselves plenty of fresh air. When they later went back to school they continued to sleep out in the playground right up to the cold season.

In calling these days, Mao Zedong once wrote the following words in his diary:

"To struggle against Heaven, what joy!
To struggle against Earth, what joy!""

In Yanan in 1936 Mao Zedong told Edgar Snow:

"We ...became ardent physical culturists. In the winter holidays we tramped through the fields, up and down mountains, along city walls, and across the streams and rivers.........All this went on under the title of "body training". Perhaps it helped much to build the physique which I was to need so badly later on in my many marches back and forth across South China, and on the Long March from Kiangsi [Jiangxi 江西] to the North-West."

CHUNG Yoon=-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 26042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (22)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-27-04 06:15

Tracing Mao Zedong (22)
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有工作經驗的人, 要向理論方面學習, 要認真讀書,
然後才可以使經驗帶上條理性, 綜合性, 上升成理
論, 然後才可以不把局部經驗誤認為即是普遍真理,
才可以不犯經驗主義的錯誤.

Those experienced in work must take up the study of theory and
must read seriously; only then will they be able to systematize and
synthesize their experience and raise it to the level of theory, only
then will they not mistake their partial experience for universal truth
and not commit empiricist errors.

A quotation from Mao Zedong
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The map of the city of Changsha
The location of the First Normal School is maked with a red dot.
http://chungyn.webhop.net/changSha.jpg

The students at the First Normal School like to discuss about current affairs. One evening after supper Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong went for a walk along the bank of the Xiang River. Later they went up the little hill known as Miao Gao Feng (妙高峰) which was about two or three hundred meters in height just behind the school. From this hill they could see the tall school building below. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong found a comfortable seat on the grass. Immediately, they were immersed themselves in conversation about the events happening in China. They did not notice the time until they heard the trumpet sounded from the school for the students to get ready to go to bed. They were supposed to go back to the school but they ignored the call and continued their talking about Yuan Shikai the President of China.

Trumpet sounded again to tell the students that lights would be put out for bed time. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong decided to talk until morning. Other than Yuan Shikai they talked about Kang Youwei, Sun Yat-sen and many other topics about how China should be governed. They talked about forming an association and inviting the best students to join the association. Finally they agreed that they should form an association and called it Xin Min Xue Hui 新民學會 or The New People's Study Association. They agreed that three aims of the association should be:
(1) To encourage good moral conduct among its members,
(2) To interchange knowledge
(3) To form strong bonds of friendship.

Mao Zedong was to write a letter to all the schools in Changsha inviting students to join the association and he wrote [ I quote from Dr. Xiao Yu's book "Mao Tse-Tung and I Were Beggars"]:

"今日我國正處於危急存亡之秋. 政府當局無一人可以信賴.
吾人擬尋求志同道合的人, 共同組織團體. 團體之主要宗旨
是自策自勵及改造國家. 凡對此有興趣之同學, 皆請惠賜大
函, 俾能約期私下聚談, 以再作進一步之計劃.

"Today our country is in a very critical condition. None of the
members of the central government can be depended upon.
We want to form an association of all those with views similar
to our own. The principal aims of the association will be
self-improvement and reform of the country. All those who are
interested in this idea are requested to write to us and we shall
discuss it personally and make further plans."

They considered it was not advisable to sign their own names and they chose a pseudonym, Er Shi Ba bi 二十八筆 or "twenty-eight strokes" which was the full name of Mao Zedong (毛澤東) written with 28 strokes.

It was morning and they had spent the whole night working how to form an association to reform China.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 27042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (23)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-27-04 20:04

Tracing Mao Zedong (23)
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人的正確思想是從那裡來的? 是從天上掉下來的嗎?
不是. 是自己頭腦裏固有的嗎? 不是. 人的正確思想,
只能從社會實踐中來, 只能從社會的生產鬥爭, 階級
鬥爭和科學實驗這三項實踐中來.

Where do correct ideas come from? Do they drop from the sky?
No. Are they innate in the mind? No. They come from social practice,
and from it alone; they come from three kinds of social practice, the
struggle for production, the class struggle and scientific experience.

A quotation from Mao Zedong
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was how Emi Xiao, a classmate of Mao Zedong, looked at him as an outstanding student and a genius of organization, in his book "Mao Tse-Tung: His Childhood and Youth".on pages 48 and 49, first published in 1953 in India.

"Mao Tse-tung's many excellent qualities soon won him the profound respect of his schoolmates at the First Normal School. His studiousness and general behaviour, his thoughts and opinions, his initiative and progress, his well-poised yet unassuming appearance, his facile but sure way of doing things, were heartily admired and initated. Quite a few students fell under his influence and followed his example, working hard and striving for grogress. His manner was open and frank in genial company. He would talk about science and literature, personal virtues and current situation, but never about people's private lives. His erudition was acquired through steadfastness and diligence, and yet, in his conversation, which is clear and unhurried, he could penetrate to the core of the matter.

When others talked, he listened with his head slightly inclined, often confining himself to monosyllabic answers like "um" or "yes". Afterwards, he would make an orderly analysis, pick out the important points and sum up the problem on hand, all with a minimun of words. His remaks were all to the point and always inspiring. People often came to him with problems. After a brief talk with him, things seemed to clear up and straighten themselves out marvellously. He had a repertory of suggestions or solutions at his fingertips and his creativeness was virtually inexhaustible. There were other qualities: firmess of purpose, wisedom, a power of judgment and reasoning both acute and quick and a seemingly bold but carefully thought-out approach to all kinds of problems. His schoolmates........were at a complete loss for appropriate words to describe him.
'Mao Tse-tung is truly unique - he has unique talents'

He was know once to have told his schoolmates:
'There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are good at individual things and those who are good at organization. There are more of the former than the latter. However, everyone has his strong points. He should be encouraged to develop and put to good use these strong points, however limited they may be. In judging a person, we should first look at his strong points.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
28042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (24)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-28-04 11:33

Tracing Mao Zedong (24)
---------------------------------------------------------

The First World War started in 1914 and the events in China was greatly influenced by what was taking place in Europe. Seeing the Western Powers were at each other's throat, on January 18, 1915, Japan served on Yuan Shikai (袁世凱), the President of the Republic of China, the infamous Twenty-one Demands with the intention of subjugating China. The Japanese would support Yuan Shikai to become the Emperor of China if he would accept their demands. There were widespread fear that Yuan Shikai might sell the independence of China in order to buy a throne for himself. Japan's Twenty-one Demands were opposed by the British. Yuan Shikai presumed that the British would support him diplomatically. Resisting part of the demands, on May 25, Yuan Shikai accepted the rest.

A referendum was held to allow the Members of the Provincial Assemblies to vote by writing one of the two characters on a ballot paper. Besides this paper was a second sheet with the characters for "assent" on it as a specimen. Behind the seat of each member stood a soldier who repeated the word "assent" until the member recorded his vote. The result of the referendum was an unanimously vote for Yuan Shikai to assent the Dragon Throne on January 1, 1916 which would be the beginning of an new era called the First Year of the Hong Xian (洪憲) of the Zhonghua Diguo (中華帝國). Yuan Shikai declared that:
"Such is the will of the people"

January 1, 1916 came and Yuan Shikai became the Emperor of China. However, in the same month the province of Yunnan (雲南省) declared its independence and it was followed by the province of Guizhou (貴州省). In February Emperor Yuan Shikai abolished the Parliament. In March 1916 the province of Guangxi (廣西省) declared its independence. By the middle of March 1916 the revolt against Emperor Yuan Shikai was so widespread that on March 22nd the Emperor renounced the throne. A Republic Government was reinstated in April followed by the declaration of independence of the provinces of Guangdong (廣東省) and Zhejiang (浙江省).

Meanwhile a rival government was formed in the city of Guangzhou (廣州市). This new government stated that Yuan Shikai ceased to be the President of the Republic of China when he proclaimed himself the Emperor of China and that his place should be taken automatically by the Vice-President Li Yuanhong (黎元洪). In spite of this Li Yuanhong refused to accept the Presidency because it would have been dangerous for him to leave Beijing (北京). In order to save his neck Li Yuanhong stuck to Yuan Shi Kai.

The final revolt against Yuan Shikai came from the far west when, in May, the provinces of Shaanxi (陜西省), Sichuan (四川省) and Hunan (湖南省) declared their independence. On June 6, 1916 Yuan Shikai died of a broken heart. Li Yuanhong became the President. Duan Qirui (段祺瑞), the military commander, became the Premier and form a government in Beijing.

The summer vacation of two and a half months' holiday for that year was about to begin. A notice appeared on the bulletin board stating that all classes had completed their examinations and the school was going to close for summer vacation; and that all the students were expected to leave the school within three days. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong decided to become beggars to travel about the country without a cent in their pockets. They wanted to prove themselves if they were able to overcome physical and psychological difficulties in living outside the society. They also wanted to find out how the people in the countryside react towards them. There is a Chinese Saying: After three years of life as a beggar, one would not accept even a post as mandarin". Beggars are the freest and the happiest men alive. An officer has responsibility while a beggar has none.

A drawing by Dr. Xiao Yu of himself and Mao Zedong as beggars.
http://chungyn.webhop.net/theBeggars.jpg From Dr. Xiao's book "Mao Tse-Tung And I Were Beggars 我與毛澤東行乞記"
Mrs Xiao Yu (凌孝隱 Ling Xiaoyin) translated Dr. Xiao poem into English.

Umbrella and bundle supported by the shoulders,
Without hat on their head, without a cent in the hand,
We started out to see a million li of rivers and mountains,
To find if we could manage with an empty fist.

(Translated by Mrs Xiao Yu)

Note: The seal on the lower right-hand corner signifies a Chinese proverb which says: "Be a beggar for three years, then you would not be even a mandarin"

---
CHUNG Yoon

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Tracing Mao Zedong (25)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-29-04 03:01

Tracing Mao Zedong (25)
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出門三里地,---Chu men2 san li3 di4,
就是他鄉人.---Jiu4 shi4 ta xiang ren2.

Three miles from home,
You are a stranger.

A Chinese Saying
--------------------------------------------

Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong set off as beggars to see the province of Hunan. They intended to travel for one month without bringing any money. They also wanted to prove themselves that they could overcome difficulties. Each of them brought an old umbrella and a clothe bundle containg a change of clothes, a towel, notebook, writing brush and the ink box. They did not even take a cent on the journey as they had to beg on the way. They carried their umbrellas over theit shoulders and slung the bundles over the end and off they began their journey.

During one summer vacation Xiao Yu became a beggar for one day just for fun. He begged only from sun rise to sun set. Finding it interesting the following summer vacation he bacame a beggar again for three days. This year he wanted to travel round the counties begging with the intention to prove that he could overcome difficulties and how the country folks reactto a young beggar. Mao Zedong decided to join him and becoming a beggar too.

Since Xiao Yu had the experienced of being a beggar Mao Zedong suggested that Xiao Yu should walk in front and he would follow him. They began their adventure from the First Normal School. They turned left. A few minutes walk from the West Gate of Changsha city they arrived to the bank of Xiang River

The river was five or six hundred meters wide and it was very deep becuase large steamships could navigate through. They did not know how to cross the river. Half a mile up the river there was a free ferry taking pssengers to cross the river. The considered it was too easy for them They could not swim across because they were no good in swimmers. Besides they could get all their clothes wet. They sat down near the river and watched the water flowing north. There were several little boats taking passengers across but they required to pay a fare of two copper coins on crossing the river but they were penniless Thinking that the ferrymen could be generous Mao Zedong went to ask one of them if he could take them across the river free. The boatman refused and they did not know what to do. It was only their first obstacle and they were already in trouble.

Finally they decided to force themselves across the river without paying. They boarded one small boat that had just arrived. They stood to the corner of the boat while other passengers were boarding. Altogehter, including Xiao and Mao, there were about 16 passengers. The boatman shouted, "We're off!" as he pushed against the bank of the river with a long pole. Quickly the boat glided forward. Soon after there was a little girl holding a plate collecting fares from the passengers. Each passeger paid two copper coins to the little girl. When she came to collect fares from Mao and Xiao, Mao Zedong told her that they had no money. Seeing Mao and Xiao were not paying the boatman said loudly and requesting Mao and Xiao to pay the little girl. But Mao and Xiao insisted that they had no money. The boatmen told them that they should take the free ferry instead of trying to get a free ride from him. By then the boat was in the middle of the stream. The boatman told them that he had to send them back. On hearing that they had to return, the rest of the passengers protested as they were in hurry to reach the other shore. An old man wanted to pay the four coppers for Xiao and Mao. But Mao Zedong told the old man not to do that bacause it was unfair for him and making it too easy for them. The rest of the passengers thought these two young men were crazy. Eventually, the boatmen had no choice but rowed the boat to the other side of the river. The boatman called Mao and Xiao the robbers, but they said they would pay the boatman on their return trip after one month. Mao and Xiao left the boat while the boatman was cursing.

Mao and Xiao continued their journey along the way. They did not known where there were going. It was the road from Changsha to Ningxiang and they strolled toward Ningxiang district.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 29042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (26)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-29-04 22:37

Tracing Mao Zedong (26)
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In 1916, the main road from Changsha to Ningxiang (寧鄉) was only about three meters wide paved with slate slabs in the middle. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong continued their walking to Ningxiang after they had crossed the Xiang River (湘江). There were rice fields on both sides of the road. The sun was hot and they did not wear hats to protect their shaven heads and they did not used their umbrellas either. Feeling their feet were hot by walking on the slabs because they were wearing heavy-spled cloth shoes, they changed to straw sandals and walked on the grass.

As they walked along they talked and talked of all sorts of interesting things. The scenery was beautiful. Neither of them wore a watch and they could only judge the hour by the length of their shadows cast by the sun. They did not know for how long they hed been walking. They began to feel hungry. The more they thought about hunger, the hungrier they became.

Soon they arrived at a wayside restaurant alongside the road. They sat on the chairs. They were so tired that, soon, they were fast asleep. They did not known for how long they had been sleeping. Xiao Yu was wakened by the vibration of a big, heavy cart passed by. When he opened his eyes he saw Mao Zedong was still fast asleep and snoring away. Mao Zedong always slept well no matter what had happened. Soon Mao Zedong awoke. The first thing Mao Zedong said was that he was very hungery and suggested to Xiao Yu that they should beg for food from the lady restaurant owner who, seeing them were wide awake, asked if they wanted to order for food. Since they had no money to buy food and drink they answered negatively.

The lady went inside and soon came out with two bowls of hot tea for these two strange young men. As soon as they had thanked her they gulped down the hot tea. Their hunger increased after the tea. Mao Zedong suggested that they should beg for food from the lady but Xiao Yu said that, since the lady was so kind she would give them food. That was too easy for them and they decided to go and beg for food from somewhere.

Before they left the restaurant they asked the lady-owner if there were any intellectuals living in the vicinity. The lady told them there were a few learned men living nearby but the famous one was a retired Official who had no sons but several married daughters. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong decided to go and beg from this retired Official who was an Imperial Doctor of Arts. Xiao Yu said that the best way to beg from an official was to write a poem and present it to him. So Mao Zedong composed a poem and Xiao Yu wrote the poem with his best calligraphy.
This was the poem:

翻山度水之名郡,
竹杖草履謁學尊.
途見白雲如晶海,
沾衣晨露浸餓身.

Tolling over the mountains, following the rushing streams,
we finally reach a famous district,
With sticks of bamboo and straw sandals,
we come from afar to pay homage to the great scholar,
The road we have traveled was deep in white clouds like a celestial sea,
And the dew from our wet clothes soaked into our gungry bodies.

(Translated by Mrs Xiao Yu (凌孝隱 Ling Xiao-yin])

Opening his bundle Xiao Yu took out his brush, ink paper and envelopes. With his best calligraphy Xiao Yu carefully wrote Mao Zedong's poem on the paper.They both signed their real names. On the envelope, Xiao Yu wrote: "To Imperial Doctor of Arts Liu"

Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong, following the direction given by the lady restaurant proprietor, they walked to Doctor Liu's House. They arrived at a big house with
these words on the polished wooden gate:

照人秋月---May the autumn moon shine on us,
惠我春風---Give me the spring breeze.

They knocked the door and asked for Doctor Liu and gave the envelope the calligraphy to a housekeeper saying it was for his master. Soon after they were invited by Doctor Liu to the lounge. After conversation for sometime Doctor Liu gave them a red packet containing money because, by reading Mao Zedong's poem, he knew what they were coming for. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong thanked and said goodbye to Doctor Liu.

Doctor Liu gave them fourty copper mei (40 copper dollars?). Hurriedly they rushed back to the lady's wayside restaurant and had a good meal which cost them four mei. They still had plenty of money left. After their stomachs were filled they continued their journey. It was getting dark and they decided to spend a night in a little inn by the side of the road since they had the money.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 30042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (27)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-30-04 09:28

Tracing Mao Zedong (27)
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The next morning when Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong got up they decided to visit their friend He Shuheng (何叔橫) who lived in the district of Ningxiang. He Shuheng was a teacher teaching at Chu Yi Secondary School in Changsha (長沙楚怡中學). Xiao Yu had He Shuheng's address in his diary. They asked the innkeeper the distance to He Shuheng place. The innkeeper told them that the place should be about seventy kilometrs away. After paying the innkeeper they started their journey. They said they had to walk ten kilometers before they had their breakfast. They began to walk towards the direction of Ningxiang Town as He Shuheng's house was about half way to Ningxiang Town. As usual they walked and talked.

Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong were always being carried away by their own conversations. They lost themselves in talking until the sun was very hot shining on their bald heads then they realized that they had not had their breakfast. They stopped at a roadside teahouse and rest for awhile. The shade was so pleasant that they fell asleep. When they wakened they were very hungry and then they realized they had not had their breakfast. They did not have to beg for food as they had the money. They ordered something to eat. It was getting late. After food the innkeeper told them that it was about forty kilometers away to the He Shuheng's place.

Now they walked in silence as they wanted to catch up with the time lost. They were expecting to get to He Shuheng's place by night. So they concentrated in walking without saying a word to each other. In the evening they reached a restaurant and they had supper there as they still had some leftover money. The restaurant proprietor told them it was about twenty kilometers to the place where He Shuheng lived. Quickly they had their supper and set off at a steady pace. However, when they arrived at a crossroad with a number of tracks leading to different directions. There were no signposts on the crossroad and they did not know which direction to take. They had no choice but to wait for someone to pass by.

Fortunately someone told them to take one direction which should take them to He Shu Heng's place. But soon they arrived at another crossroad. It was really late at night and they did not expect to meet any stranger at that hour. They either had to turn right or turn left. Xiao Yu led the way and turned right.

The moon was shining but it was dark in the mountain forest. Animal noises could be heard and they were not afraid because it was a small forest and they presumed there were no tigers in small forests. Besides they were two of them. After about an hour's walk it was the end of the track. In front of them there were two houses without light as they had already retired. They had no aternative but went to knock at one house and asked for direction. Someone inside the house told them that they had made a wrong turn and they should turn left and the place they were going was about fifteen kilometers away.

Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong were not disappointed because they knew the Chinese Saying: "行百里者九十半 or In a hundred-mile walk, the first ninety is half way"

They returned to the crossrad junction and turned left and started all over again. They had at least wasted for about two hours. They were walking as fast as they could because it was already past midnight. Finally they arrived at He Shuheng house. They knocked at He Shuheng's house calling loudly for He Shuheng to open the door. When He Shuheng opened the door he could not believe his eyes seeing Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong standing in front of him in the middle of the night. He Shuheng embraced them and let them in. All the members of He Shuheng's family came out to meet the two strange friends of He Shuheng. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong were dead tired.

When He Shuheng's father told his daughter-in-law to cook some food for Xiao and Mao Zedong they protested that they had eaten supper. They were offered some fruit. While they were eating the fruit, Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong told He Shuheng's family why they wanted to be beggars and how they had ended up in their house in the middle of the night. It was two o'clock and He Shuheng's father suggested that they should had a good sleep and talk about it the next morning.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 30042004

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Tracing Mao Zedong (28)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-01-04 02:52

Tracing Mao Zedong (28)
-------------------------------------------

Members of He Shuheng's family got up as soon as the sun rose as they were farmers and they had plenty to do every day. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong decided to get up too. They wrote their diaries. They were invited for breakfast. It was the custom of the people of Hunan to have a heavy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since the province Hunan is a big rice producing place people could afford to have heavy meals everyday.

After breakfast He Shuheng's father showed them the big fat pigs the family reared for cash. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong were very impressed by the sizes of the pigs. Seeing an extraordinary big fat pig, Mao Zedong asked He Shuheng's father the age and weight of this particular pig. He Shuheng's father Mao Zedong that it was eleven months old and weighed about a hundred and sixty kilos. Mao Zedong had never seen such a big fat pig before even though he hard started work in his father's fields at the age of eight. He remembered a case years ago at home about a pig that his father told him to fetch from a neighbour. It was like this:

One day, a neighbour, also by the surnamed of Mao (毛), sold Mao Rensheng (毛仁生), father of Mao Zedong, a pig. A gentleman's agreement was reached and a down-payment made. Mao Rensheng did not take home the pig immediately, thinking that the vendor of the pig would continued to feed the pig.

Ten days later, the price of the pork went up sharply. Mao Rensheng quickly sent his eldest son over to fetch the pig. When Mao Zedong arrived there the pig vandor protested:

"The price for pork has gone up, hasn't it? And I've been feeding the pig for the last ten days too. Unless you pay the pig the new price otherwise I wouldn't sell."

Mao Zedong replied:

"Why yes, you've been feeding the pig for the last ten days. Of course you don't want to sell it at the same price. I see your point"

Mao Zedong went home and told his father that the neighbour was right for not selling the pig at the old price. Mao Rensheng did not want to argue with his eledest son.

After the pigsty He Shuheng's father showed them the family's vegetable garden where many types of excellent vegetables were grown. When Xiao Yu commented that there were no weeds in the garden He Shuheng's father was very happy and replied him metaphorically:

"莠草有如人品低劣, 心術不正之徒, 一定要剷除之, 其對秀美之菜蔬之為害也,
大矣哉., '君子乎' 聖人乎'!
"The weeds are like low, evil-minded individuals and they must all be got rid of because they are a bad influence on the refined and noble vegetables, the 'gentlemen' the 'sages'!

Everyone laughed and praised the-head-of-the-family's excellent classical reply particularly his son He Shuheng who said that, "Like father like son!".

Then they visited the rice fields where He Shuheng's younger brother was working. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong were told that the rice would be ready for harvest in two months time. The rice crop would be sufficient for the family's consumption for the whole year. Rearing pigs for cash, with vegetables from the garden and planting their own hemp for spinning the He family was a self-sustaining family. As He Shuheng was educated and a teacher in Chu Yi Secondary School in Changsha, the He family was a "Geng Du Zhi Jia 耕讀之家 or Half-plough and half-study" family.

They went back to the house for lunch. After the meal Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong thanked the host family and were ready to continue their journey. However, He Shuheng's father insisted that they should stay for a few more days. Xiao Yu and Mao Zedong felt that the old man would be offended if they would not stay. So they agreed to stay. Secretly, they asked He Shuheng to persuade his father to let them go the next day.

He Shuheng's father took them up the mountain to see the woods they planted for firewood. They also planted bamboos for bamboo shoots for eating in spring and canes for making household articles. They stayed in He Shuheng's house for the night. The next day, He Shuheng's father allowed them to go. They thanked the host family for their hospitality and they were off to become beggars again. They walked towards Ningxiang Town (寧鄉鎮)

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 01052004

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Re: Chairman Mao Zedong

Author: KF Chew
Date: 05-09-04 05:16

Mr Chung, it's really good that you are compiling the story of Chairman Mao. I'm looking forward to read further compilation from you in this site.

All the books written in English by Western authors that I come to know about ( other the Edgar Snow's book) tend to be ideologically driven and extremely anti-Mao. Perhaps your writing and research from different perspective will give us better understanding of this great man.

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tracing Mao Zedong

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-09-04 05:41

Dear KF Chew,

I shall continue to write about Mao Zedong as soon as I have completed my fourth book called "100 Chinese Stories". I have already selected the best 100 stories out of a few hundred. Now I am going through them and arranging them for pubication. It should not be long before I restart writing about Mao Zedong.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
09052004

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