Bo Xilai's love letter to Li Danyu in 1975

Bo Xilai's love letter to Li Danyu in 1975 The following is an 11-page letter and poem written by Bo Xilai, the son of a fallen Chinese official and Communist Party veteran, to Li Danyu. Li Dan...

>The following is an 11-page letter and poem written by Bo Xilai, the son of the fallen Chinese official and Communist Party veteran, to Li Danyu. Li Danyu is a military doctor and the daughter of a senior Communist Party official. The letter was dated July 14, 1975, and was written in the form of the "eight-legged essay" used in the imperial examination. In 1975, the Cultural Revolution was coming to an end, and the love story between Bo Xilai and Li Danyu began in that year. At the time, the two of them lived in different cities. Li Danyu said that they write to each other every three days. The two got married in September 1976 and gave birth to a son the following year. They broke up bitterly four years later, and Bo married Gu Kailai, the daughter of a general. On August 20 this year, Gu Kailai was sentenced to death with a suspended death sentence for poisoning and killing British businessman Neil Heywood. In September, the Communist Party announced that Bo Xilai had been expelled from the party and would face a series of criminal charges. Li Danyu said in the interview: "Bo Xilai was a hard-working young man with many ideas and talent. I feel very sorry for the way his political career ended. He is already old, and I just hope that he can enjoy his old age."

>Xiao Mao [Xiao Mao is Li Danyu Nickname - Editor's Note]:

First of all, I should declare to you that the use of large and sparse characters in this letter is not to be lazy or to cope with the errand, but because I am used to larger characters and it is more comfortable to write. Just read the following pages, which will prove my diligence.

When I write to you today, you can feel free to do so, because such opportunities are very limited in a year, so I have to make the most of it. The time is 11:20. Before that, I have been reading your letter and looking at my photos. I was ordered to take this photo on my birthday. It’s a big, bald head. It’s really boring. But it is wrong to feel ashamed of oneself. No matter how many there are, I will still send them to you and let you laugh at them. Now I want to talk about my views on several issues and discuss them with you, so let’s write an eight-legged essay.

Image problem

From your letter, I noticed that you love to think about people's images, which is very similar to Nasser. He often put other people's photos on the table and stared at them for half an hour. It is said that with this weird method, you can get a basic impression of a person, which is "almost the same." It's not entirely unreasonable, it's interesting, and you may have been influenced by it. Image does exist objectively in reality, and to some extent reflects people's inner world, including thoughts, quality, and personality. Although there are people who are inconsistent in their words and deeds, and are very restrained and "not limited by sex," hypocrites always act like upright people, and the disguise must be peeled off after all. No wonder Dzerzhinsky always likes to use his keen eyes to watch each "image". In interactions, people not only pay attention to observing the image of their friends, but also cherish the image they leave to their friends, and the closer people are, the more they value this. People don't always want to be insignificant in the minds of others, unless we hate this person ourselves, and hope that he will forget about himself quickly and avoid being entangled. Sometimes I can reminisce about your image with satisfaction, especially the one or two words you said after you came back from my sister's house before leaving. I was very moved. I even knew your expression and posture at that time; but sometimes I can't help but feel vague. Is this because the emotion is not enough? Not necessarily, because subjectively I always hope to have a clear image of you. Image and emotion are related, but not directly proportional; image is important, but nature is better. Being casual and free is the image that makes people most comfortable. Although the image I leave you is not tall, nor stable, and may even make you awkward, but I am satisfied if I maintain my natural character. I firmly believe that in the development of nature, we can deepen our understanding day by day and establish a real, not imaginary, image. If you compare your brain to a theater, the seats may already be packed by medical terms such as "coronary heart disease," "arteriosclerosis," "cholesterol," and "electrocardiogram." Naturally, I, a latecomer, don't have a seat. But as long as you have patience and "hard work pays off," I think both parties will find seats.

We do not live solely by the enthusiasm inspired by "image", but more importantly, we move forward in the mutual help of reason, spirit and material. After all, "image" is just a guide to get started.

>Humility and pragmatism

>People often like to express themselves, and they pretend to be modest in their words. It is not good to say this or that. This happens even more frequently among friends. Even if someone is truly humble, it will not help matters. Because friends are meant to help each other and understand each other. Concealing one's own strengths can neither deepen mutual understanding nor promote each other's progress. Many good things are ruined by this kind of petty bourgeois vanity. There are always two sides to things. It is necessary to recognize your own shortcomings, and it is also necessary to see your own strengths and have the courage to do so. It is sincere to tell others about your weaknesses, and it is also natural and candid to introduce your strengths to others. Although humility is a human virtue, seeking truth from facts is indeed what I value more. We should not have the mediocre complacency of one-time success, nor should we have the affectation of deliberately showing modesty. Since we are friends, we should understand each other completely. Here, there is no need to worry about what most people call "face". Why not praise yourself? To be honest, when I saw you talking about long-distance running in the howling north wind, biting your fingers when you were sleepy while studying, and just listening to the flow of tears in the dark night, I was very moved, and I also liked how you told me about your situation. This is not meant to show off at all, you are expressing your true feelings. I hope this will be the case in the future. Even if you talk about how "great" you are and how you have achieved results, I will only understand it as your intention to promote my progress. Of course, I am also demanding the same of myself.

"Sentimentality"

I put a sentimental hat on you in my last letter to you. Please don't be angry. 50% of it was a joke and not my opinion of you. "Sentimentality" should be divided into two parts. I don't like "sentimentality", but I like "sentimentality". I like the "kindness" described in your letter, "the leaves swaying in the breeze, the afterglow of the setting sun, the sound of rain beating on the window, and the starry sky in the quiet night." One should not be rigid-minded, addicted to old-fashioned ideas, and do nothing more than learn the business. It is better to live a more romantic life, to be more active in thinking, and to have deep feelings. Many revolutionary leaps forward and [the handwriting is illegible here] achievements are somewhat romantic. It’s not enough to always walk according to routine. Looking back on those revolutionary masters, both rigor and romance often coexisted in their work and thoughts. Therefore, I think it is still a virtue to be "emotional when you are struck by a scene and feel good when things happen". As for "sadness", I don't like it. Frankly speaking, what I worry about the most is that you don’t suffer from that common disease among intellectuals – being anxious when things happen. Of course, given your current situation and what you have experienced, there is reason to be sad. But being too worried will definitely hurt your health and will not help. There is no way out of being worried. And precisely because my experiences are very similar to yours, I don’t want to worry all the time, but I hope to have an optimistic, determined, and confident person with me. I know from the front and side that you have these qualities, so I am very happy. I only hope that when you encounter unpleasant things in the future and think of sad places, you can think more broadly. "The sky is open for birds to fly, and the sea is open for fish to leap." Marx said, "It is better to work hard for the future than to dwell on the past." We should all take this as our encouragement.

Strictness and leniency

This is my principle for friends, I hope you can do the same. I learned the first lesson, and I thought that I must be "strict" to my friends, that is, if I see any shortcomings, I must point them out in time. Tell everything you know, say everything, and hold nothing back. If there is a conflict, let it be resolved at the budding stage. Don't just give in. At the same time, encourage the other party to work hard and supervise the other party to implement their own plans. I am far from a strong-willed and meticulous person, so I particularly need this kind of "nudge". And no matter what you ask for, I can understand this kind of kindness [emphasis on the small circle under the original text "good intention" - editor's note]. (such as car matters)

On the other hand, you should also have the heart and tolerance to understand each other's shortcomings and mistakes. As the saying goes: "No one is perfect, and no melon is perfect." Everyone has his weaknesses, and asking for friends without shortcomings means having no friends. The principle is very simple, but it is easy to get confused when encountering specific things. Especially for people who love each other, they think that the other person is flawless and perfect, so once they find any shortcomings, they will make a fuss and worry about it, which will make things worse. Nothing in the world is pure, and everyone has shortcomings. Even Marx liked to quote the motto "I have all the (shortcomings) that people have." Therefore, only when we truly understand dialectical thinking can we have a truly tolerant mind. We've seen so much, who has a problem and what's the fuss about? I have the determination to transform myself, and I have the courage to keep moving forward, but I am far from a perfect person, and this must be brought to your attention. I hope you can unequivocally criticize any of my shortcomings (even the essence), but I also hope you will not be too delicate and sensitive like ordinary intellectuals. (I don’t think you are like this now, I’m just taking precautions.) You have to think openly about many things, don’t be too rigid, and don’t make demands based on general customs and opinions. Our respective experiences determine the methods and ideas we adopt. I mean that only these can understand and inspire each other in the future, and the basic points are the same.

Accumulate materials

A few days ago I finished copying the "mottos" and the like that you need. I'm very happy, because what you need is also what I particularly like. It reminds me of the ancient saying that "heroes think alike." I have thought about the Chairman's words over and over again.

"Smart people often come from low status, looked down upon, insulted and young people. Socialist society is no exception." It makes sense!

I have this habit now. When I see something good, I want to excerpt it, otherwise I won’t find it in the future. Over time, these things become extremely valuable. After a few months, I read it again, and it felt fresh again, "like meeting an old friend." I would also like to read the excerpts from your book if I have the opportunity in the future.

Originally I didn’t like keeping diaries, and that’s still the case now. But it would be a pity to throw away many important events and feelings in life. Recently I came up with a good idea, that is, I write you letters regularly and hope you keep them. From now on, when put together, it will be a complete diary, which will save me the trouble of opening another chapter. These are both thoughts and life, both a summary of experience and considerations for action. Anyway, we have everything, and it is beneficial to accumulate it. Of course I will give your letter the same treatment. I really like the aphorisms you copied: If a person does not have tenacity, decisiveness, ambition and perseverance to advance towards the goal, then his labor cannot be effective. The word "Ruijin" is very good.

Let’s just write the question here. Maybe you are tired of it, but as long as you don’t give me the excuse of “a rotten woman’s foot wrap, smelly and long”, it will be fine. In any case, I wrote "from the bottom of my heart and my true feelings", and it was so late that I was sleepy and a little confused.

I also forgot to sue you. In order to have a "comprehensive understanding" of you, I went to Xiaohang to interview you about your "good people and good deeds", and I gained a lot. She was also ready to talk to me one, two, three, or four times, covering everything from work, study, life, and exercise, but there were not many examples to meet my requirements. But it is also very beneficial. For example, when I have the opportunity to go home early from work, I remember how you learned from Uncle Lei Feng and took the initiative to be on duty, so I persisted until get off work, and was praised by the master. Naturally, I also asked her worriedly: Do you like to be angry? The answer is satisfactory.

The three "gifts" I asked her to bring you this time are all silly little things. Don't think I'm making fun of you. They each have a meaning: the child on the small iron box represents purity, the hat doll represents health, and the little panda holding the ball thoughtfully, let it represent depth. I also bought some envelopes. The ducklings and elephants are so fun, just ask them to encourage you to be happy!

As for this letter, it was the most laborious for me, but maybe I said it seriously for a long time, but you shook your head again and again out of sight of me, thinking it was a series of fallacies. That doesn't matter, just write a letter to criticize. I've always been very interested in debating. If you're right, I'll give in. Haven't I already "surrendered" to you on a few things? Your logic is quite strict and you can express some convincing reasons. However, your social experience is not very good, not much better than mine, so you still haven’t put much effort into the people and things around you, otherwise one day your heartbeat will drop from over 40/min to catch up with mine.

I bought "Concise Electrocardiogram". There is only one hardcover version. The paperback version was pricey but there was no book, so I bought it. But I still have a sense of "frugality".

Finally, a "warning" to you, don't waste too much time writing letters in the future. Writing from 6 o'clock to 1 o'clock, even if it is intermittent, will affect your work too much. Over time, it will destroy the body. We are not engaging in a "relay race", so there is no need to be too nervous. The "frequency" can be slowed down a bit. Although I am pretending to be magnanimous and advising you "against your will", I should still care about you and really respect your body! "Sickness will bring longevity, but strength will lead to death." Don't rely on your own strength and insist on going your own way.

> I will also copy the first sentence in my notebook to you:

Study tenaciously,

Study patiently,

Study deeply!

Words are long and paper is short, it is difficult to describe them all; the hearts of friends are as if they were in my house;

Fragrant mountains hate low places, so why be afraid of dangerous roads; the future is long, and we are determined to go on a journey.

>Friends

75.7.14

Qinyuan Chun-forward

Five towers are majestic,

three mountains are majestic,

the heart of remembrance is strong.

>Mourning the heroes and heroes,

blood turned into red springs.

Forgetting the country and home,

dismissing worries.

>The pines of Taihang,

the strong grass along the river,

awe-inspiring and proud of the Central Plains.

Read the history and ask the Chinese people,

Who will take over?

Today, the two hegemons are fighting for supremacy,

and a dark storm is brewing all over the world.

Don't let down your youth,

is as blazing as fire;

the people's eagerness,

bear your shoulders with courage.

Best friends share the same virtue,

Hearts are as hot as fire,

Love will last forever.

Holding up the battle flag,

looks at Danyu with a smile,

strives forward.

"New York Times" Beijing Branch Report October 8, 2012