The Execution of Mayor Yin and Other Stories from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, Revised Edition

The Execution of Mayor Yin

3 The Execution of Mayor Yin Mayor Yin and I met only twice, but I shall never forget him. In the fall of ∞Ω∏∏ I went to Xi’an from Beijing and stayed at the home of my friend, Lao Wu, or ‘‘old’’ Wu. His only son, Xiao Wu, ‘‘little’’ Wu, was one of those arrogant Red Guards who, despite the fact that he was only a second-year high school student, exhibited an air of authority, loudly proclaiming such revolutionary slogans as ‘‘Support Chairman Mao’’ and ‘‘Rebellion is right and just.’’ He could not bear to take o√ his olive-green uniform long enough for it to be laundered, so his collar and cu√s were always shiny with oily grime. But his red armband was bright and clean, and whenever he met anyone he would stand with his right hand on his hip, forcing people to recognize the authority that five-inch-wide band of dazzling red silk represented. He and another Red Guard were preparing to set o√ for Xing’an County in southern Shaanxi province to kindle the fire of rebellion there. The spirit of revolution lagged in that backward 4 chen ruoxi area, which did not even have a Red Guard organization, so Xi’an’s Red Guard Headquarters decided to send two competent cadremen to set up operations. Xiao Wu volunteered for the job. He was originally from Xing’an and had moved to the provincial capital with his parents when he was twelve years old. He could thus serve the revolution and also revisit his old home and see his friends and relatives. Both private and public interests could be served. Of course, it was taboo to speak of ‘‘serving private and public interests,’’ since that was the time of the slogan ‘‘Down with private interests; serve only the public good.’’ This sort of thing simply invited criticism. One had to base all personal conduct on Mao Zedong’s teachings: ‘‘Never think of yourself; think only of others.’’ It happened that I had just completed my o≈cial mission and did not have to report back to Beijing for almost two weeks. On a former assignment I had visited all the famous scenic spots of Xi’an, such as the Great and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, the Forest of Monuments, and the artifacts from the diggings of Banbianpo. Since I had nothing better to do around there, I accepted Lao Wu’s suggestion that I accompany his son and a schoolmate to southern Shaanxi to take in the sights of the Hanzhong Basin. It took us a day and a night by bus to cross the peaks of the Qinling Mountains and reach Xing’an. All along the way it was mountain after mountain, and the bus was forever tilting to one side. I was constantly dizzy and a little nauseated, and even when I got o√ at the station I felt that I leaned as I walked. The Qinling Mountains are like a massive screen, and the scenery changed completely from the northern to the southern slopes. When we left Xi’an it was already late autumn, and the trees the execution of mayor yin 5 were bare, the grass a withered brown; but in Xing’an the land was green as far as the eye could see, as if one had found oneself south of the Yangtze River. Xiao Wu arranged for me to stay at the home of his relative , Lao Yin, while he and his schoolmate went to stay at the county middle school dormitory. Lao Yin was past seventy, but he was still strong and hearty. His wife had died the year before, so he lived all alone in a large one-room brick house, which he kept meticulously neat and clean. He seemed genuinely happy to accommodate a guest from afar. As soon as we stepped inside the door he cheerfully put aside his long pipe, rolled up his sleeves, and began to cook. Xiao Wu and his friend, in the tradition of the Liberation Army, laid down their packs and started to chop firewood and carry water from the well. After dinner, just as Xiao Wu and his friend were about to leave for the dormitory, a bespectacled man in a cadre uniform strode into the room. When Xiao Wu saw him he hesitated a moment before reluctantly addressing him as Uncle. Then he introduced...