Several anecdotes about Mao Zedong’s Spring Festival.

　　Invited Zaoyuan people to dinner during the Spring Festival in 1945.

　　When Chairman Mao was in Yan ‘an, he invited villagers to dinner in the small auditorium of Zaoyuan every Spring Festival. There is a square table at the entrance of the auditorium, and Chairman Mao is at the table shaking hands with everyone. Every family’s parents wore new clothes to pay a New Year call to Chairman Mao. They brought him soft cakes, steamed buns, yellow wine, sesame candy and other gifts, and piled up a table. There are more than a dozen tables in the auditorium during dinner, and each table is accompanied by a leader.

　　Chairman Mao toasted everyone, saying that you are all my old neighbors. Don’t be polite. I will visit your home in a few days. Since Chairman Mao said this, every morning, women have swept the floor clean and packed the tables, chairs and benches, and they were afraid that Chairman Mao would suddenly come, and the kiln was unclean and treated his old man’s house badly.

　　It is not a gift to pay for the Spring Festival in 1945.

　　The communications and broadcasting of the Eighth Route Army were under the control of the Third Bureau, and many of the cadres and soldiers in the Third Bureau were young intellectuals from the rear area or enemy-occupied areas. During the rectification campaign, many of them were labeled as mixed agents. Later, although they were screened and rehabilitated, some people still carried ideological burdens. In the Spring Festival this year, Chairman Mao invited the cadres and soldiers of the Third Bureau to Zaoyuan and said to everyone, "The comrades of the Third Bureau came here today to pay a New Year call to me. Now I pay a New Year call to you. You have worked hard." Speaking of many people being wronged in sports, Chairman Mao took off his hat, bowed respectfully to everyone, and then said humorously, "Now I’ve taken off my hat, and I’ll make an apology, so what about the wronged comrades? Should you return a gift?" If you don’t reciprocate, I’ll have to keep this hat in my hand … "

　　In 1972, the chairman paid off his debts during the Spring Festival.

　　In 1920, in order to prepare for the founding of the Party, the revolutionary movement in Hunan and some comrades going to Europe to work and study, Mao Zedong was in urgent need of a large amount of money. He went to Shanghai to find Zhang Shizhao, and then Zhang launched donations from celebrities from all walks of life, raising a total of 20,000 silver dollars, all of which were given to Mao Zedong.

　　In 1963, Chairman Mao said to Zhang’s daughter, Zhang Hanzhi: This money has helped communist party a lot. From now on, he will pay back this debt that he owed for nearly 50 years, and he will pay back 2,000 yuan a year and 20,000 yuan in ten years.

　　Zhang Hanzhi went home and told his father that Zhang Shizhao laughed and said, "It’s true, the chairman remembers it!" A few days later, Chairman Mao sent Secretary Xu to send the first 2,000 yuan, and said that he would send 2,000 yuan every Spring Festival in the future. Zhang asked his daughter to tell the chairman that he couldn’t accept this generous gift. At that time, the silver dollar was raised and he couldn’t come up with this huge sum himself. After listening to the message, the chairman smiled and said, "You don’t understand either. I’m using my manuscript fee to give the bank a living allowance for the elderly … Just tell him that Mao Zedong said that the debt should be paid back anyway, and the money was paid from my manuscript fee." Since then, every year on the second day of the Spring Festival, Chairman Mao must send Secretary Xu to send 2,000 yuan, until 1972, when he delivered a total of 20,000 yuan.

　　Shortly after the Spring Festival in 1973, Chairman Mao proposed that "… interest will be repaid from this year. I can’t figure out how much interest should be for fifty years. In this way, as long as the old man is alive, this interest will be repaid. "

　　Wuhan in the Spring Festival of 1952: A child recognized Chairman Mao.

　　Mao Zedong spent this year’s Spring Festival in Wuhan, and Quan Yanchi’s "Mao Zedong from the altar" recalled one of the situations:

　　In 1952, Mao Zedong went to Wuhan, visited Guishan and Sheshan, and visited the Yellow Crane Tower. At this time, he can’t go to the masses as he pleases. The security department has repeatedly insisted that he had to compromise and wear a mask to go to the masses. At that time, people had fewer and fewer opportunities to see Mao Zedong, but portraits of Mao Zedong could be seen everywhere every day.

　　It was the Spring Festival, and there were many people on a spring outing. A child actually recognized Mao Zedong wearing a mask, and the child shouted with surprise: "Chairman Mao! Chairman Mao! " The crowd immediately flooded in, and in a flash, people crowded and huddled together.

　　Luo Ruiqing, Li Xiannian, Wang Renzhong and Yang Qiqing are protected outside, and the guards are surrounded by Mao Zedong inside, which is turbulent with the crowd. There were people everywhere, crowding around, sweating a little, and finally crowded down the mountain and to the river, and everyone protected Mao Zedong from boarding.

　　Mao Zedong took off his mask and waved back to everyone. The applause was thunderous, and the cheers of Long Live shook the world.

　　Luo Ruiqing and Yang Qiqing later inspected the Politburo, saying that security was not done well. Mao Zedong didn’t mean to blame, but said with a hint of intoxication: "It’s really the Yellow Crane Tower that can’t get down!"

　　In the Spring Festival of 1947, Mao Zedong withdrew from Yan ‘an.

　　After the Spring Festival in 1947, Hu Zongnan mobilized 230,000 troops to attack Yan ‘an in five ways. After learning the information, Peng Dehuai sent troops to guard Yan ‘an Airport and personally persuaded Mao Zedong to leave Yan ‘an as soon as possible. Mao Zedong answered two sentences: "I want to leave Yan ‘an at last." "I want to see what Hu Zongnan’s soldiers are like!"

　　One evening, Mao Zedong was talking with Wang Zhen. Gunfire was heard in the southeast, and the enemy vanguard troops had invaded the Wu Zaoyuan. Wang Zhen said quickly, "Chairman, let’s call it a day. You must leave as soon as possible." Zhou Enlai also advised: "Chairman, it’s time to go." Mao Zedong sat firmly in the chair and asked, "Have all the organs and the masses been evacuated?" "It’s gone early." Several throats scrambled to answer. "Well," Mao Zedong snorted with satisfaction, "well, have a meal! Let me see the soldiers in Hu Zongnan. "

　　Boss Peng replied: "Go for a walk, the troops will watch it for you."

　　January 31, 1976 Zhongnanhai Swimming Pool: The Last New Year’s Eve in Mao Zedong.

　　During the Spring Festival in 1976, both the temperature and the reality made people feel chilling. On that cold winter night, the stars in the sky were dim, and it was dark outside Chairman Mao’s residence in Zhongnanhai Swimming Pool. Only the neat row of street lamps flashed faintly. There is nothing here but sad wind. On New Year’s Eve, the swimming pool is so lonely and deserted.

　　Chairman Mao has no guests here, and no relatives in his family. Only a few staff members around him accompanied him and spent the last Spring Festival of his life.

　　I fed the New Year’s Eve dinner spoon by spoon. At this time, the chairman not only lost the power of "reaching for food", but also "opening his mouth with food" and it was very difficult to swallow. On this day, he still lay on his deathbed as usual and ate a few mouthfuls of Wuchang fish and a little rice that he always liked. This is the last New Year’s Eve dinner of the great leader.

　　After dinner, we helped him out of bed and sent him to the living room. After he sat down, he rested his head on the sofa and sat there quietly. At night, he vaguely heard firecrackers in the distance, and he looked at several staff members who accompanied him day and night. The distant firecrackers reminded him of the scene of setting off firecrackers in previous years. He said to me in a hoarse voice, "Let’s set off some firecrackers." "You young people should also have a holiday." In this way, I informed several other staff in the duty room. They prepared some firecrackers and set them off outside the house for a while. At the moment, Chairman Mao listened to the firecrackers, and a smile appeared on his thin and flabby face. We all know in our hearts that the chairman’s smile is comforting those of us who accompany him. This is the last "cannon shot" that Chairman Mao heard after he led the suffering people of China to create People’s Republic of China (PRC) after decades of war and smoke. He set this firecracker for us. At the last moment of his life, he still encouraged us to get rid of the old and welcome the new.

Editor: Zhao Deli