I have been collecting his two letters for nearly 30 years. The writer Yuan Ying, I call him Lao Tian Shanghai | Comrade | Letter

Lao Tian, Tian Zhongluo, pen name Yuan Ying. Comrades in the newspaper are accustomed to calling him "Lao Tian". On the evening of September 1st, it was learned from the WeChat group of "Wangfujing Old Newspaper" that Lao Tian had passed away at the age of 99. Although Lao Tian lived a long life, upon hearing this news, I still felt very sad and sorrowful for a long time. Until early in the morning, there was still no drowsiness. Find two letters that I have treasured for nearly 30 years, as well as two books that Lao Tian gave me in the year of Jia Wu, "Last Night's Stars, Last Night's Wind," and "Yuan Ying's Autobiography," and read them for a long time. The person has passed away, and style depends on it.

I was born too late. The first time I saw Lao Tian was in 1976, my second year at the People's Daily. At that time, the People's Daily was still on Wangfujing Street. Newspapers often hold editorial or party member meetings in the conference room on the 5th floor. One day when I was going to a meeting, a familiar comrade pointed to the two people in the front row who were talking with their heads down and told me that it was Tian Zhongluo, also known as the writer Yuan Ying. The person speaking to him next to him was Li Xifan, a "little figure" praised by Chairman Mao. I was surprised to find the writer Yuan Ying from the elementary school textbook right beside us.

In the summer of 1982, I worked at the Shanghai Journalist Station of the People's Daily. At that time, the journalist station had not yet been officially listed and was located in the "Declaration" hall on the third floor of No. 309 Hankou Road. The building belongs to the Liberation Daily News Agency, therefore, there are also many departments of the Liberation Daily News Agency in the building. One day, Chief Journalist Zhang Shihong accompanied a comrade in and said to us, "This is Comrade Tian Zhongluo, Director of the Literature and Art Department of the People's Daily. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was an underground party member in Shanghai and had worked for the" Shen Bao "newspaper. He came to Shanghai on a temporary basis and stayed in our press station office at night." I couldn't believe that the famous writer was so casual and simple. Lao Tian told us, "On May 25, 1949, comrades from the underground Communist Party of Shanghai and I edited the first newspaper of the People's Liberation Army entering Shanghai in the" Shen Bao "newspaper, ushering in the first dawn of Shanghai's liberation." In 2004, Lao Tian recalled in his book "Witness of Hankou Road", "Hankou Road in Shanghai used to be commonly known as" Sanma Road ". It was listed in the bustling areas of the concession era after" Da Ma Road "Nanjing Road," Er Ma Road "Jiujiang Road, and before" Si Ma Road "Fuzhou Road. Among the thousands of roads in Shanghai, it was not long, not wide, and even unable to accommodate public transportation vehicles. But in my mind, it has..." A heavy weight. The ancient building at 309 Hankou Road has engraved the life trajectory of an ordinary Communist Party member for most of his life. To put it broadly, it not only witnesses the 77 years of the old "Shen Bao" newspaper from the 11th year of the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi reign to 1949, and the 55 years of the "Liberation Daily" newspaper from May 1949 to the present, but also witnesses the more than 20000 issues of the "Liberation Daily" newspaper reflecting the vicissitudes of Shanghai over half a century. "

Lao Tian recalled, "On the afternoon of May 25, 1949, the People's Liberation Army of China had captured the urban area of Shanghai. The remnants of the Nationalist Army, who had fled in disarray, were still stubbornly resisting in some high-rise buildings in Suzhou and Hebei. The sound of machine guns was sporadic and scattered. I received a telegram from Comrade Xia Qiyan, the leader of the underground party organization, and hurriedly rushed from Caojiadu Huamo Middle School to No. 309 Hankou Road to report. Comrades such as Yao Qin, Chen Yusun, and Feng Binfu of the underground party committee entered the" Shenbao "hall in the morning of the same day, compiling the" Shanghai People "newspaper, mobilizing relevant personnel, and preparing to participate in the party newspaper that will be published publicly." The next afternoon, in the office of the former boss of the "Shen Bao" newspaper, Comrade Yun Yiqun, dressed in military uniforms, led a group of comrades who had entered Shanghai with the army to meet with comrades from the underground cultural and cultural committee. Some of them were familiar with each other, but the victory reunion was even more joyful. Comrade Yun Yiqun took out a wooden zinc plate newspaper head from his bag and said, "The central government has decided to give the names of the two party newspapers, the Liberation Daily to Shanghai and the Xinhua Daily to Nanjing. Both newspaper heads were personally written by Chairman Mao." Liberation Daily " This header was brought by Comrade Fan Changjiang from Beijing Someone asked, "What will the central party newspaper be called in the future?" Yun replied, "The Central Party Newspaper is now handled by the People's Daily in North China." I sat by the door listening to their conversation, my heart filled with excitement and joy. From that day on, he began a long career as a party newspaper worker, working from morning till night on the third floor of No. 309 Hankou Road, until the end of 1952 when he was transferred to the Beijing People's Daily After arriving in Beijing, Lao Tian still maintained the habit of reading the Liberation Daily every day.

Yuan Ying

Later, Lao Tian stopped several times as a journalist in Shanghai. This is not only due to his simplicity, but also his nostalgia for the "first dawn" of Shanghai's liberation and the years when he "made efforts to liberate and build Shanghai" here. In Lao Tian's opinion, the two simple wooden beds used for rest during work breaks in our journalist station are much more comfortable than the Ximengsi soft beds in high-end hotels. He likes to live here every time he comes to Shanghai. He is very easygoing and close to the comrades at the journalist station. The driver and staff member of the journalist station, Mr. Ma, always affectionately called him "Comrade Tian Zhongluo". He is also here to witness our efforts and joys and sorrows. In July 1985, the master fell ill and was hospitalized. One noon, when Lao Tian came back and saw me, he said, "Xiao Guo, do you know? Master Ma passed away last night." I was stunned and lay on the desk where Master Ma had wiped me countless times, crying in pain. Lao Tian, like an elder, gently came over to touch and comfort me. Later, Lao Tian went to the funeral home with us to deliver Master Ma's funeral.

In May 1986, I was appointed by the newspaper to work as a resident journalist in Mexico City, and since then, I have never seen Lao Tian again. However, I often remember Lao Tian in my heart. In the autumn of 1992, I returned to the Shanghai Journalist Station. Before the Spring Festival in 1993, my mother passed away. A year later, I wrote an article in memory of my mother, "The Last Rose," which was published in the Liberation Daily on May 3, 1994. Unexpectedly, Lao Tian read this short article in Beijing. A few days later, I received a letter from Lao Tian on May 4th, which deeply moved me. Lao Tian said in the letter:

Comrade Wei Cheng: Hello! After returning from abroad and returning to Shanghai, you rarely meet, but you often see your news and communications in the newspapers. From them, you can see and imagine the hard work and busyness of several of you in Shanghai, just like Shanghai's soaring footsteps, full of energy and enthusiasm. Are you all healthy?

Today, I am writing to pay my respects as I have just read your essay "The Last Rose" in "Morning Flowers". You wrote in a simple and natural way, yet with deep and sincere emotions, writing about your ordinary and great mother. She is truly an ordinary and great mother, a remarkable woman, a respected mother. Please pay my respects and condolences to an unfamiliar Communist Party member on her deathbed and in front of her portrait; Please also extend your condolences to your father. Although I don't know their names, we have both worked in Shanghai and contributed to the liberation and construction of Shanghai. My thoughts are also interconnected, right. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Shanghai's liberation, the significance of your article is not only to commemorate your mother, but also to offer that bouquet of roses to all pioneers like her

After finishing reading, my mood couldn't calm down for a long time. At that time, Lao Tian must have been very busy. He had to lead the literary and artistic department of the newspaper, liaise with well-known figures from all walks of life, and serve as a leading member of the National Writers Association to undertake social work. However, he still took some time out of his busy schedule to write this letter to me. At the same time, this is not an ordinary letter, but is filled with the warm emotions of an old Communist Party member and the older generation of journalists who are constantly striving for revolutionary ideals. Later, with the consent of Lao Tian, I opened my first collection of essays, "The Last Rose," with this letter.

On April 17, 1996, Lao Tian read the People's Daily and wrote me a letter again. At that time, he had already retired, so he even specially pasted stamps himself to mail. He said in the letter, "Comrade Wei Cheng: Hello! I am very happy to read your lengthy communication on the front page of this newspaper today. Advanced figures like Xu Hu are a true star. They are countless times higher and brighter than those hard hyped stars! I suggest you continue to track and explore, and even write a reportage or other documentary work, which is very worthwhile..."

The communication that Lao Tian read was awarded the People's Daily Excellence Award that year. To my shame, I did not delve deeper into the topic as suggested by Lao Tian; What moved me was Lao Tian's consistent care for me and the young comrades of the newspaper. It can be imagined that Lao Tian was able to write so many excellent works and become one of the most accomplished writers in China as a journalist, which required such arduous and diligent labor. I feel ashamed that I have only dabbled in any subject matter and have never worked as hard and painstakingly as Lao Tian in my lifetime.

After finishing my writing, I would like to conclude with a poem called "Dream like Order" written by Lao Tian in his "Yuan Ying's Autobiography" to express my endless sorrow: "Looking back on the long journey, how sad and joyful were the past? Time is full of emotions, let alone in the midst of waves and dangers. Fortunately, we have encountered each other. We have walked through the spring breeze and autumn rain."