Youth Series (1) Three Mothers

Introduction: "With the perseverance of charity and the dedication of welfare to the people," Premier Zhou Enlai's Life Series: For the Rise of China - Zhou Enlai's Youth Era

Episode 1: Three Mothers

In the northern region of Jiangsu Province, China, where the slowly flowing Huai River intersects with the north-south Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, there is a plain with abundant water and grass. On the plain, there lies a serene ancient city - Huai'an. In the remote and chaotic alleys in the northwest of the county town, there is a small alley called Fuma Lane. In the middle of the alley, there is a courtyard. There are a total of 18 houses in the courtyard. On March 5th, 1898, a room in the East Mansion was unusually busy. Amidst the agonizing cries of a mother, a baby boy was born. This baby boy is Zhou Enlai.

Zhou Enlai's grandfather was named Zhou Diankui, with the courtesy name Panlong, but he was no longer alive at this time. Zhou Panlong was originally from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He took his family from Shaoxing to Huai'an to work as a master, and in his later years he earned a position as a Supervisor of the County of the county. However, the former Supervisor of the County had backstage and refused to hand in the seal. When he formally took office, he was already ill and died soon. The Zhou family was originally a prestigious and prosperous clan, but since then it has gradually declined. When Zhou Panlong passed away, he did not leave any land for his four sons, only the large mansion mentioned above.

When Zhou Enlai was born, his biological father Zhou Yineng was still very young, around 24 years old. Zhou Yi is a loyal and honest person who has been working as a small employee in another province for a long time. His salary is not high and he often loses his job, so his family's life is very difficult.

When Zhou Enlai was born, unfortunate news came that his maternal grandfather was critically ill in Huaiyin. Zhou Yi was able to learn about this matter, but after careful consideration, he did not tell his wife Wan Dong'er, who was Zhou Enlai's biological mother. Wanjia is a wealthy family in Huai'an, with a flourishing family and abundant wealth. The owner Wan Qingxuan once served as the governor of Huaiyin County and has 18 children. The one he loves the most is Dong'er. Dong'er is not only outstanding in appearance, but also good at managing family wealth. Zhou Yineng married her in 1897, and the couple was affectionate and loving. On the second day after Zhou Enlai's birth, Wan Qingxuan's condition worsened and he became unconscious. The family waiting by his side told him that Dong'er had just given birth to a boy, and the old man struggled to open his eyes. He knew fortune telling. After asking for his birth date and eight characters, he happily said slowly, 'This child has great potential! Tell Dong'er to take good care of him!' On this day, the old man passed away.

Zhou Enlai became the treasure of his parents, and they gave him the childhood name "Da Luan". Luan is a divine bird on par with the phoenix.

In early 1899, another unfortunate incident occurred in the Zhou family: his youngest uncle, Zhou Yigan, fell ill. Yigan was only 21 years old at that time, married less than a year ago, and had no children. According to feudal customs, there are three types of unfilial behavior, with the greatest being the lack of a queen. Before Chen, the newlywed wife, could taste the joy of small family life, she had to seek medical treatment everywhere. If her husband dies soon, she will become a childless widow and the most despised woman by people. Zhou Enlai was the eldest grandson of the Zhou family and the only grandson of the Zhou family at that time. Zhou Enlai's parents were deeply aware of the importance of human ethics. In order to provide comfort for their fourth younger brother at the end of his life and also to provide support for their sister-in-law's future life, they decided to give their first son, who was not yet one year old, to them as a "celebration".

Two months later, Yigan passed away. Chen became Zhou Enlai's adoptive mother. Zhou Enlai's elder brother Enpu was also born that year. Chen was 22 years old that year. Her father was a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, and she had a passion for calligraphy and painting since childhood. She was proficient in ancient Chinese, Tang poetry, and Song lyrics, and was very talented in learning. After Chen became widowed, her adopted son Zhou Enlai became her only hope and reliance. She never goes out, selflessly dedicating her most passionate maternal love to the young Zhou Enlai. She also hired a very good wet nurse for Zhou Enlai, Jiang Jiang, to carefully cultivate this child who was recognized as "promising" by her grandfather.

Zhou Enlai had three mothers: his birth mother Wan Dong'er, his foster mother Chen Shi, and his wet nurse Jiang Shi. He learned three different types of knowledge from his three mothers.

His foster mother was his cultural enlightenment teacher.

Since the age of four, Zhou Enlai has been reading and writing with Chen every day. After the age of five, he learned nursery rhymes and simple Tang and Song poetry from Chen. At that time, although he couldn't fully understand the meaning of these poems, he was already able to recite them.

Once, his younger brother Enpu played with a knife and almost injured Zhou Enlai's eyes, which made Chen Shi very scared. She must raise her adopted son in her own way! From then on, she simply locked Zhou Enlai in her room all day and taught him to read and write at dawn. When he felt tired, she would tell him about "The Injustice of Dou E", "The Story of the Western Chamber", and the legends of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Boxer Rebellion.

Zhou Enlai spent his childhood under Chen's knee. Before Chen's death, the mother and son had hardly been separated for a day. During this period, it was the initial stage of Zhou Enlai's life, and every word and action of his adoptive mother had a great influence on the formation of Zhou Enlai's character. His affection for his adoptive mother even exceeds that of his birth mother, calling Chen Shi "mother" and his birth mother "godmother".

Zhou Enlai learned farming from his wet nurse.

Compared to her foster mother, Jiang Jiang, the wet nurse, was a "rough person", but Zhou Enlai liked to hear what she said. She told Zhou Enlai about the surrounding agricultural affairs one by one, satisfying his curiosity. For example, how many processes are required to sow rice? How are melons grown from seeds? Why do some people not walk and always have to be pulled by a rickshaw? Later, Zhou Enlai recalled, "I learned from my mother how working people live." The "mother" referred to here is Jiang Jiang, the wet nurse.

Zhou Enlai learned how to deal with people from his birth mother.

Although her biological mother Wan adopted Zhou Enlai to her adoptive mother Chen, the bond between mother and son is truly the most primitive and sacred emotion in the world, inseparable from any force. At that time, the Zhou family had no land and no savings. Although Zhou Enlai's ancestors had four brothers, his uncle and biological father lived far away from their hometown to make a living. Apart from their own expenses, they had no power to support the family anymore; San Shu has been paralyzed in bed since childhood, unable to work, and his adoptive father has died of illness. This family can only be supported by their birth mother. Although the Zhou family is poor, they are also a prestigious family. They have to handle weddings, funerals, weddings, festivals, welcoming and sending off guests, and seeking help from others in an orderly and well-rounded manner. Wan Shi, the birth mother, has been in and out of government mansions with her maternal grandfather since she was young, and has seen big scenes. Only she has the ability to shoulder this heavy responsibility. When the birth mother handles these social matters, she always brings Zhou Enlai with her. Zhou Enlai greatly admired his birth mother's ability to handle affairs, and as he grew older, he also learned a lot about herself. However, he doesn't like his birth mother to talk about extravagance and face saving. Sometimes he can't help but ask, "Godmother, why are you so poor that you still insist on face saving?" Without being in charge, he doesn't know that firewood and rice are expensive. His birth mother's actions are not what she wants, and she is helpless.

Three mothers provided Zhou Enlai with three different nutrients during his childhood. Later on, his literary thoughts surged and his literary talent soared, influenced by his adoptive mother. Later on, he did not engage in special activities and closely shared the same breath and destiny with the working people, thanks to the contribution of his wet nurse; He later became a diplomat who engaged in heated debates among scholars, the ever busy Prime Minister of the Republic, and the beloved "Grand Steward" of the entire nation, influenced by his birth mother. The experience of living with three mothers became the most valuable asset in Zhou Enlai's life.

In 1907, his birth mother Wan Shi contracted stomach cancer and the family could not afford to treat her. Under the torment of poverty, sorrow, and exhaustion, Wan passed away from this world. She was only 30 years old that year. In July 1908, Chen was also taken away by illness. In human emotions, there is a universal and enduring love, which is maternal love and love for one's mother. How could young Zhou Enlai not be heartbroken and heartbroken after losing two mothers within two years?

When the sky was filled with falling clouds, Zhou Enlai often stood still on the banks of the Huai River. On the riverbed corroded by time, the cigarette butts in the hands of fishermen flickered and extinguished. The slowly flowing Huai River cannot express the infinite longing of young Zhou Enlai for his mother.