Comrade Zhou Enlai arrived at Xibaipo on April 23, 1948. At that time, he was the secretary of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, the Vice-chairman of the Military Commission and concurrently the general chief of staff. Everybody kindly called him “Vice-Chairman Zhou”. Vice-Chairman Zhou was very busy. He not only investigated the war situation with chairman Mao and the commander-in-chief Zhu, but also heard the report on the front line, checked the military information, drafted telegrams, read over documents and so on. The congratulatory telegrams, which were sent by the central military commission to Muqi campaign and the liberation of Jinan and Jingzhou were all personally drafted by Vice-Chairman Zhou.
The former room in the east of northen house was the office of Comrade Zhou Enlai. In the two back rooms, the east one was the office of Comrade Deng Yingchao and the west one was their bedroom. The room in the south of the western wing-room was the bedroom of Li Tao who was the minister of the Military Commission Operational Headquarter, and the room in the west of the southern house was the bedroom of Zhang Qinghua who was the vice-director of the Military Commission Operational Headquarter.
In the days of the decisive battles, Vice-chairman Zhou often worked day and night. The photograph, on the east wall of his office reflects his working circumstances. Vice-chairman Zhou was very serious and he supplied Chirman Mao with exact information and datum to dispose all of the campaigns. At one time, a staff officer reported to Vice-Chairman Zhou, however, after he reported, Vice-chairman Zhou immediately pointed out that he failed to report the number of an enemy camp that were destroyed. After being verified, it was really like this. Vice-chairman Zhou's seriety deeply educated the attendant staff officers.
Vice-chairman Zhou in deed lived with simplicity and industriousness during his life. On the way to Shanbei he had ever been lightly equipped three times, and when he arrived at Xibaipo only one pocket-on-horse of filling goods were left. The bookshelf in the bedroom had ever been used by Vice-Chairman Zhou and was specially made in order to march conveniently in those days, which had three boxes when joined and it was a bookshelf when spread. The dual-purpose radio of alternating-direct current on the desk in the office of Deng Yingchao was the spoils of Xuchang War and was sent by Comrade Chen Yi.
Vice-chairman Zhou was very concerned about the growth of the guard soldiers. In 1948, several guards were sent to central literacy remediation class to study, and Vice-chairman Zhou gladly talked with them and autographed for them:“Learn the truth of serving for people”.
Everybody will never forget that at the night of July 30, 1948, when it was ringing in torrents, several cave-houses collapsed and 4 people were buried inside. As soon as Vice-chairman Zhou heard about the news, he immediately took the lantern on the desk, wore a raincoat and, took an shovel and went to the site to organize the salvage personall. Vice-chairman Zhou carefully arranged and then checked other department dormitories, and until the comrades who lived in the cave-houses had moved to safe places Vice-chairman Zhou went back to rest. The attendant comrades were moved by f Vice-chairman Zhou's deep emotion to his revolutionary comrades.
From March 5th to 13th, 1949 Vice-Chairman Zhou attended the second meeting of the seventh conference of the Communist Party and made an important speech. On March 23 he accompanied Chairman Mao and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China left Xibaipo to Beiping. |
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