" with Mao - (Revised Edition)"

Author: Li Yinqiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: While Chairman Mao always maintained his old habits, he didn’t fuss over food as long as it was spicy, and he’d eat a bowl of braised pork when tired. Jiang Qing often complained that Chairman Mao didn’t understand science or nutrition, always eating fatty meat, and also criticized him for keeping his hair too long. But everyone knew that Chairman Mao’s long hair was because he didn’t have time to groom it. While directing the three major battles from the small village of Xibaipo, any slight mistake could have cost the front line dearly. Chairman Mao worked day and night without proper rest, so it was only natural for him to enjoy a bowl of braised pork after winning a victory. Back then, we didn’t understand nutrition, and we all found Jiang Qing’s attitude unbearable.
We weren’t just annoyed by her being particular; we were annoyed by her being fussy. We didn’t just appreciate Chairman Mao’s lack of pretense; we appreciated his kindness. That’s why everyone felt close to Chairman Mao, while Jiang Qing was quite difficult to handle. But we couldn’t avoid serving her—it was part of the job. Every morning, after Jiang Qing woke up, she wouldn’t get out of bed but would sit wrapped in her blankets and press the button to summon a guard to bring her water for washing her face and mouth. After finishing her morning routine, the guard would serve breakfast on a tray to her bed. She claimed foreigners did this too. It wasn’t a big deal, because she’d done the same thing during the time in Yangjia, and everyone had gotten used to it. But in Xibaipo, she pressed the button far more often than Chairman Mao did. She grew increasingly accustomed to ordering people around. One day, guard Zhang Tianyi heard the bell ring and quickly ran into the room to ask what she needed. Jiang Qing said, "Bring me a warm water bag." Zhang Tianyi looked and saw the bag was right beside her feet—just a reach away—but she refused to take it herself and demanded someone else put it in her hand. After she finished speaking, the guard sighed deeply, and we all fell silent.
The five secretaries often worked late at night, and their workload was indeed exhausting. To provide better nutrition for the central leaders, the logistics department kept a cow and milked it to supply fresh milk. Although I wasn’t in charge of Chairman Mao’s daily life, I sometimes helped the guards when they were busy. Once, I went to warm the milk but had no experience and didn’t know how to do it properly. I put the milk pot on the stove, assuming it was the same as boiling water, and then went to do other things. When I returned, the pot was already red-hot, but all the milk had evaporated, leaving only a terrible smell of burnt milk in the room. Thinking Chairman Mao wouldn’t get his milk, I broke down in tears.
When Jiang Qing saw this, she flew into a rage. Chairman Mao learned the whole story and comforted me, saying, "It’s nothing—just be more careful next time."
Afterward, Jiang Qing scolded the staff, saying, "You are here to serve me and Chairman Mao. If we’re not happy, it means you haven’t done your job well!" Li Yinqiao secretly pouted. When Jiang Qing left, he whispered, "If you argue with Chairman Mao, that’s also our fault." Guard Zhang Tianyi said, "Go report her to Chairman Mao—she’ll get what she deserves." Li Yinqiao restrained him, saying, "The decisive battle has already begun. Don’t cause trouble for Chairman Mao."