2.
This is a huge turning point of my life. Even years from
the event, anxious and discomposure feelings still takes
up spaces in my mind whenever I think about it. I am Lin
Jianhua, a former professor teaching the mathematics in
Bei Da.
I used to love my job a lot back in the time when I am still in school. Students are
all pure, simple and kindhearted. Even though some of them might be a little
over fond of playing, I still love them all.The revolution has change all of them.
The students, my family, and every important parts of my life. While struggling
from the criticizes from my students who are usually kind and polite, I start to
infer: what has caused all of the mess?
MystudentsandIinBeiDa.
3.
1966.08.19
“Breaking the
Four Olds”
The act of “Po Si Jiu” was announced
in 1966, commanding people to get rid
of all old cultures, old customs, old
ideas and old habits.
4.
Screams. Shouts. Cries. Everything seemed like a total Chaos yesterday.
I read Lin Biao’s speech on the newspaper last afternoon. He declared and ordered everyone, especially
the Red Guards, to “break the Four Olds”. After the command was posted, the havoc started.
I had seen many students broke into my colleagues’ houses in the city center and smashed everything
they could see. “It was the command.” They answered with contempt and coldness after they spotted the expressions
with full of shocks and confusion on the professors’ face.
To be honest, it was one of the few times in my entire life that felt scared. I could not dare to think about
what would happen next. I realized that I was on my own. No families, no friends, no children. If the Red Guard came
in and started to destroy my house and everything they defined as one of the “Four Olds”, there would be no one that
could stand out and help me.
I still remember that a few months ago, I read an article on the People’s Daily titled “Sweep Away All
Monsters and Demons”. It was the fuse that caused the overall movements. The article declared the “Four Olds”
caused by the exploiting class was the main reason of people suffering in the situation, therefore we should get rid of
the “Four Olds” and every type of culture came from the west.
However, I had been having the exact opposite idea. In my opinion, this movement was totally
unnecessary. When I was younger, our professor had told us “there is no limit for knowledge.” Nothing had been perfect,
and everything could be improved. Therefore we had to look at different cultures and take the advantages into our
own to make it better. Also, the “olds” they said were built, right on this land, for hundreds or even thousands of years
earlier from now. From the Great Wall, the Palace, the Imperial Garden, to traditional holidays and food … they were
all there, standing on our motherland, ever since we became civilized.
“Break the ‘Four Olds’! Get rid of the old customs, old habits, old culture, and old ideas that ruined our
lives for thousands of years!” People were yelling slogans about breaking “Four Olds” on the street, loudly, with vague
harshness. I had been afraid to go outside since yesterday. The dazzling flames were everywhere. The smokes
spreading in the air made me started chocking. I saw people replaced the name signs of shops with Mao’s quotes,
making a very loud voice after the signs were thrown on the ground. I saw priests that were originally in the temples
on the street, holding papers written with insultingly sentences toward their believes. I saw teenagers with red colored
armbands were standing on the sidewalks, laughing, chattering, and looking at the entire mess with a careless
expression written on their young faces.
I was staring outside the window, and soon my heart was chilled. It felt like I had fallen into the bottom
of the hell, with both my mind and my body suffering. They were slowly destroying their own culture without even
noticing, I thought, brainwashing themselves, and thinking that this action would make their lives better. But it would
never. It would never change our lives in a positive way, neither in the present, nor in the future.
6.
Lin Biao died.
Not very surprising.
Under the control of an over powered leader, every single person that tried to oppose him
could fall into the same situation as Lin.
I just came back from the countryside yesterday. I was walking on the street, realized that
no one really took Lin’s death seriously. And I had to admit that I did not either. “Hoorays for
chairman Mao! Lang lives Chairman Mao!” People parading, holding signs written with messages
supporting the chairman. Even though the causes of the sudden death of Lin were still a mystery,
people still chose to believe that Mao Zedong was right.
I was sent down to the countryside a few years ago, in 1969, as a Zhi Qing. It meant
educated youths in Chinese. The officials told us that the purpose of the movement was to “limit the
gap people have between cities and the countryside.” When I arrived at the place, Le Shan, I realized
that all I needed to do was help the peasants to improve the agriculture. I wake up very early in the
morning, usually as the first beam of sunlight shine through the window, and get down into the fields
to water the crops. I slowly started to become fond of the place. The life was calm and piece, until one
day the same official came back again.
He decided to take a huge part of the field to build new houses. He told us that it was the
command from the chairman Mao. We had to agree. However, he used the famers from the
countryside as the workers to build the houses. Soon, most of them passed away because of excessive
fatigue. I could not stand how this worked; therefore I had a fight with the official. I hit his head too
hard, and he was sent to the hospital imminently. Then, I was sent back to the city, Beijing, all over
again.
That was when I noticed that Lin died. Most people decided to think that Lin was a
betrayer, and his death was the consequences. He disobeyed the rules Mao had listed. Nevertheless, I
also heard some people whispering into each other’s ears, that the airplane Lin’s family was driving
had been shot down by Mao.
I did not know which side to support. This was a total mess. Well, I would just stay aside
and watch how this might go on.
8.
Today might be the happiest day I ever had since the revolution started.
The Gang of Four was arrested, and the end of the revolution was announced!
Finally.
There were more than hundreds of millions of people gathering in front of the Tian An
Men Square. They all hated the Gang of Four. Everyone hated them. That might be a
reason of the police arresting the gang. The Gang was made of four members named
Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen. Its original purpose
was for Mao to criticize Zhou Enlai, an revolutionary working in the government, and
Lin Biao. However, Mao died last month, and his body was kept inside a crystal coffin,
right inside the Square. No one could help them anymore.
Also, I realized that the purpose of Mao starting the revolution might be good. However,
he was utilized by the Gang of Four and Lin Biao, which made the movement worse.
To be honest, the revolution did impact our lives in many different ways. Many shops
and stores still kept the name they had during the movement of “Breaking Four Olds”.
Many famous painting and buildings were torn apart or smashed. I could still see the
frustrated face of the students who were once the red guards after the revolution ended,
and how shock they were after they realized they had done to their own family land. The
revolution mostly affected us in a negative way.
However, we passed through the disaster. We passed through the “Break of the Four
Olds”, passed through the death our families, and the criticism and struggles we have
had.
This period of time would become a memory that I would remember forever.
