A Small Stool

During the “ Cultural Revolution” (China’s sociopolitical movement from1966 to1976), Chen Yun was wrongly criticized and transferred to Nanchang, Jiangxi Province to “work at the grass-root level”. On October 18, 1969, Chen Yun and his staff boarded a train from Beijing to Nanchang. On the morning of October 20, they arrived in Nanchang.

Before Chen Yun’s leaving, Zhou Enlai called the core team of the Jiangxi revolutionary committee, asking the director to send Chen Yun to work at a factory since he used to stay in a Beijing’s factory. In addition, it would be better to let Chen Yun live in a room with the heater for his poor health. When Chen Yun and his staff arrived in Nanchang, they were sent to live in a suburban dormitory for cadres in Fuzhou Military Area Command of Nanchang, and work in Jiangxi Petrochemical Machinery Factory, about 1km away from the dormitory.

After making arrangements for a long-term stay, Chen Yun asked his secretary Xiao Huaguang to go to Qingyunpu District to see if there was a need to buy anything. Xiao, after his field trip to Qingyunpu, reported the situation truthfully to Chen and suggested to buy pans, bowls, dishes, spoons and kitchen ware for daily use. He also mentioned all spending could be reimbursed according to regulations. However, Chen responded with a wave of his hand, “There is no need for reimbursement, as it should not cost much. I can afford it.” He then took out 100 RMB from his own pocket to Xiao, telling him to ask again if more money was needed.

On the morning of November 12, 1969, an old beige Warsaw car arrived at the designated factory. Chen Yun stepped out, wearing a grass-green military coat with a coffee-colored plush collar, with a dark gray Chinese tunic suit inside, and a pair of black-fabric shoes. Employees of the factory had come early because they had been informed the day before that a central leader would come to the factory for work. Seeing him get off the car, the principal of the factory immediately stepped forward, greeting, “Welcome to our factory, commander.” Chen replied with a smile, “I’m not a commander. I was here to receive reeducation from workers.” After several small talks, Chen and his staff were led to a conference room for a meeting. Later, the principal introduced their office director Ma Jun to Chen Yun as his liaison in the factory. Chen cheerfully commended Ma Jun upon his name.

As time went by, Chen Yun soon became acquainted with the workers. Workers were impressed that he could even call everyone by name. After studying in the factory for some time, Chen planned to go somewhere else for more research. He, after the conclusion of the study meeting of the second wood pattern team of casting shop, told the team leader Zou Chengbiao his intention to visit rural areas for investigation and research in a few days later. Coincidentally, their talk was overheard by Chen Tianfu, a young worker who just changed shifts with his colleague. Chen Tianfu respected Chen Yun as an important, amiable carder very much. Now he learned that Chen Yun was going on an investigation trip two days later, he was eager to do something nice for the idol in his heart. Considering Chen Yun had always been in poor health and rural areas were poorly constructed, Chen Tianfu decided to make a portable folding stool for him to carry around and sit down for rest whenever he felt tired. Chen Tianfu acted on his decision without delay and began to make the stool immediately after he returned home from work.

In the next morning, the basic shape of the stool had been finished, and the only thing missing was a firm, flexible, water-proof canvas surface. But where could such a nice piece of canvas be found? In those days of material deprivation, even some necessities for life were hard to buy, let alone such non-necessities as canvas. Chen Tianfu was thinking about trying his luck at the waste dump in the east region of the factory in the afternoon, without noticing his colleague Li, who turned back to scare him with a sudden “wow”, passing by.

It worked. Caught off guard, he was so scared to have fallen to the ground.

“Little Chen, what’s on your mind? You didn’t even notice me.” Li laughed while pulling Chen up.

“Oh, Li, it’s you,” said Little Chen with a simper, dusting his clothes, “At last night, I made a stool for Comrade Chen Yun, but I still need a piece of canvas for the surface.”

“Hey, easy peasy! I have an old canvas bag, you can come to my home after lunch to see if it fits your purpose.” Li replied and slapped on Chen’s shoulder.

The stool was soon finished thanks to the canvas bag from Li. But Chen Tianfu could not sleep because the mixed feelings he had. On one hand, he was excited about giving Chen Yun the stool by himself at tomorrow’s team meeting. On the other, he was a little worried whether such an important cardre as Comrade Chen Yun would accept such a trifling gift.

At the team meeting next day, Chen Tianfu nervously handed over the stool to Chen Yun. Chen Yun, with the knowledge of it’s a special gift made by Chen Tianfu for his incoming rural trip, carefully look at the stool as if it was a precious jewel and unfolded it to try it out. Then he happily said to Chen Tianfu, “Thank you very much. It’s a nice gift. Now I have my own stool at the countryside.”

Hearing Chen Yun’s compliment, Chen Tianfu finally relieved and could not help shedding tears, thinking of the appreciation for such a crude stool showed by such a major cadre.

Later, Chen Yun left for the countryside in Jiangxi Province to carry out investigation and research with the stool, which also witnessed his bonds with workers and peasants in Jiangxi at that time. In 1972, before Chen Yun returned to Beijing, he told the people who sent him off, “I will take this stool to Beijing, show it to President Mao, and tell him it’s a gift from a worker.” The stool represented respect and support of Jiangxi folks for him.