In the winter of 1985, Zhang Hongliang, who was studying in the Department of Economics of Xiamen University, got acquainted with Xi Jinping, then the member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Party Committee and the deputy mayor, through a letter.

When we first met, Comrade Xi Jinping discussed with him the study of the "Das Kapital" course, shared his experience of studying classic works such as "Das Kapital" in Liangjiahe, and exhorted: "When reading the original works of Marxism, you should pay attention to the preface and postscript. As well as the notes at the bottom of the page and in the appendices at the back of the book, as well as the content of correspondence between Marx and Engels on "Das Kapital"." "We should read it repeatedly and carefully, and we should read the original Marxist works 'thickly and thinly'. ."

  Interviewee: Zhang Hongliang, male, born in June 1964, a native of Xinmin, Liaoning Province, was admitted to the Mathematics Department of Xiamen University from Shijiazhuang No. 15 Middle School in September 1982, and transferred to the Economics Department to study political economy in September 1983. Deputy Secretary of the General Branch of the Communist Youth League, graduated in 1987 and was assigned to work in the Hebei Provincial Planning and Economic Commission, and now works in an investment company.

  Interview Team: Shi Xinming, Wei Chenxia, ​​Wang Lili, Xue Hongwei, Zhang Qicheng

  Interview Date: October 4, 2020

  Interview location: Zhang Hongliang Office of Beijing Asian Games Village

  Interview Team: Comrade Zhang Hongliang, hello!

I heard that when Comrade Xi Jinping met you for the first time, he talked about the study of the original Marxist classic "Das Kapital". Please introduce the situation at that time.

  Zhang Hongliang: Looking back now, that was more than 30 years ago.

Comrade Xi Jinping and I first met in the second half of 1985.

At that time, I was a third-year student majoring in political economy in the Economics Department of Xiamen University, and Comrade Xi Jinping served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Party Committee and vice mayor.

  That summer, Guo Xiaoli, a junior high school classmate of Mayor Xi who was working in Shijiazhuang, my hometown, asked me to bring him a long letter.

The school started in September, and as soon as I returned to school, I wrote a letter to Mayor Xi, to the effect that I wanted to give this letter to him, and at the same time, I was looking forward to meeting this young man with a good reputation among the people of Zhengding. The leaders met above and reported on their university life.

At that time, the Department of Economics of Xiamen University and the Xiamen Municipal Commission for Economic Reform set up a joint investigation team, which was conducting "Several Economic Issues in Xiamen" to provide first-hand market data for the formulation of Xiamen's economic development strategy and reform plan. I also hope to get his opinion. In-person guidance.

I later learned that the survey was launched under the suggestion and guidance of Mayor Xi, and 21 of the questions were drafted by him personally.

I still keep the compilation of the research report of that year. The preface of the anthology reads: "All the 1983 classmates and instructors of the Economics Department of Xiamen University have worked hard for this survey."

  At the end of November, I received a written reply from Mayor Xi asking me to meet.

I called his secretary Wang Taixing and arranged to meet on a Sunday afternoon in December.

  On the day of the meeting, I found his dormitory, Room 301, Building 2, Tuqiang Road, according to the address and the agreed time that Mayor Xi left me in the letter.

After entering the door and sitting down, I handed the thick letter to him.

I said, "your classmate Guo Xiaoli told me to watch you and read it."

  Mayor Xi took the letter and said with a smile, "This kid either doesn't write, or he writes so thickly! How is he now?"

  "He is now a teacher at the Military Medical School of the Beijing Military Region," I replied.

  After Mayor Xi read the letter, he dictated the content of the reply, and I carefully recorded it. After asking him to confirm, I was ready to leave.

At this time, he said: "Hongliang, don't worry, I haven't been in Xiamen for a long time, and I don't know many people. We have nothing to talk about." Therefore, Mayor Xi asked a lot about our college students in the 1980s. and living conditions.

For example, how much does it cost each month, how much money the family gives, and how many people live in a dormitory.

He also specifically inquired about the majors in our Department of Economics, what courses are offered, what are the internal connections between courses, and so on.

  When he heard me say that I had started a course on the original book of Das Kapital, he immediately asked carefully, which version did he study?

Are the students interested?

Is it hard to learn?

Any idea why this class is taking?

  At that time, the Economics Department of Xiamen University listed the three volumes of Das Kapital as a compulsory course for undergraduates, and each volume was studied for one semester.

The school also offers courses such as the selection of classic works of Marx and Engels, and the history of economic theory.

To be honest, for those of us in our early twenties, learning is rather boring and laborious.

Mayor Xi said: "It is a very good practice for your undergraduates to study the original works of Marxism. Learning the principles and reading the original works is the best way to get in touch with Marxism, and it is also the most effective way to learn the Marxist methodology. Your Department of Economics insists on this. For many years, the practice is very good, and it will definitely be very beneficial to the growth of students and the formation of world outlook, outlook on life, and values.”

  Hearing these words, I was secretly surprised, so I asked him, "How come you are so familiar with Das Kapital?" His answer surprised me even more.

He said that when he went to the countryside, he read Das Kapital three times under the kerosene lamp in the cave, took a lot of notebooks, and read several different versions of Das Kapital. The favorite is our teacher Guo from Xiamen University. Dali, Wang Yanan's translation.

Because these two gentlemen are economists and educators themselves, they have a very thorough understanding of "Das Kapital", and they have directly translated the original German text, which is true and accurate.

  I remember asking him at that time: "As students majoring in political economy, we all felt very difficult to study the original work of Das Kapital. How could you still be able to read Das Kapital under such difficult conditions? What about such a profound book? The three volumes of Das Kapital should have almost 2 million words?"

  Mayor Xi said with a smile: "This is what you have not experienced and experienced. The conditions at that time were indeed very harsh, and there was not a little oil and water to eat, and I was reading on an empty stomach. But I found that when I read, I would forget the hardships and hardships of working and studying. The suffering of material poverty, but the joy of self-forgetfulness and the joy of spiritual satisfaction, this is called 'the joy of suffering'. Sometimes when I get a good book, I am really afraid that I will finish reading it all at once, and I will run out of books for a while. Read it!"

  There is one more sentence I remember very clearly.

Mayor Xi said: "The difficult environment forced me to read more books and think about more things." When he was a teenager and still in middle school, his father Xi Zhongxun once recalled to him: "Chairman Mao once told me He said that he himself had read the Communist Manifesto no less than a hundred times, and said that I was young and asked me to study Marxist-Leninist works, especially the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital." Xi told him that in the future, he must also carefully read the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" and "Das Kapital". "Das Kapital" "gnaw" down.

  We chatted all afternoon that day.

At that time, Mayor Xi was 32 years old and had just arrived in Xiamen to work not long ago; I was 21 years old and just entered the third year of Xiamen University.

  Interview Team: In the future exchanges, what guidance and assistance will Comrade Xi Jinping give you in the study of the original Marxist works?

  Zhang Hongliang: Regarding the learning methods of the original Marxist works, Mayor Xi has given me specific instructions many times.

When I was approaching an exam, I couldn't understand some of the content in Das Kapital, so I went to him specifically for advice.

I remember that I arrived early that day, waiting for him while reading a book by the stairs of his dormitory.

He came back from get off work, was very happy to see me, and asked me "what's the matter".

I said straight to the point, "Let's ask you a few questions about your studies." He said cheerfully, "Okay, I like you to ask questions about your studies."

  The first question I asked was: "Why is the subtitle of Capital 'Critique of Political Economy' and what is the connection between Capital and the Communist Manifesto?" He seemed to hesitate after hearing this and said "If your kid can ask this question, it means that you have to use your brain to learn."

Then, he said very seriously, first of all, the criticism mentioned here is not the criticism in the narrow sense as we understood it before, not the "criticism" of holding a "criticism meeting", but the criticism of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and others. The improvement and deepening of the theory and logic of classical political economy are comments, comments, and judgments.

So, Engels said, the whole theory of the proletarian party comes from the study of political economy and is essentially based on the materialist view of history.

Marx said after the publication of the first volume of Das Kapital that he used an analytical method that no one had yet applied to economic problems, which made the first few chapters rather difficult to read.

In order to clarify the question you raised earlier, we must also earnestly study the Preface to the Critique of Political Economy written by Marx in his early years.

  Mayor Xi went on to say that the "Communist Manifesto" is a program, an argument of the Communists' thoughts and actions, and a conclusion drawn by the Communists' judgment on the laws and trends of human historical and social development; It is the most important part of Marxist political economy, the most substantial and sufficient statement of views, and it can be said to be the argument of economic theory.

Only by reading Das Kapital can we truly understand the action arguments in the Communist Manifesto; similarly, only by reading the Communist Manifesto can we truly understand the theoretical essence of Das Kapital.

When young students read Das Kapital, they should start by reading the Communist Manifesto.

The process of argumentation is the process of our Communists' revolutionary struggle and production practice.

We have learned arguments and arguments, and we have to experience the concrete theoretical and practical demonstration process from our own social practice.

This is the process in which theory guides practice and practice breeds theory.

  This is the first time I have heard such an elaboration, and I feel very enlightened.

I recorded it as I listened, and then asked: "How to read the original Marxist works as soon as possible, any tips?"

  "There is no trick, just read it repeatedly, read it carefully, and read the original Marxist works 'thickly and thinly'." Mayor Xi replied.

  I felt a little puzzled, and asked again: "Thickness is thick, and thinness is thin. How can thicker be able to read thin and thin to be thick?"

  Mayor Xi smiled patiently and said to me: "I also read it many times before I slowly realized it." He went on to introduce that it is a big book, like the three-volume "Das Kapital". , you have to read it first when you get it in your hand, then read it thoroughly, and finally read it intensively.

Repeat this several times to get thinner and thinner.

The process of reading the book is a process of understanding the spiritual essence and grasping the essence of the connotation step by step from the shallow to the deep, from the outside to the inside.

Look at a pamphlet like the Communist Manifesto, which contains so many truths that you can only experience it by reading it repeatedly!

To read the Communist Manifesto more and more, every paragraph and every sentence must be analyzed in the light of Chinese history, culture and actual conditions.

This kind of reading process is a process of understanding closely related to the specific practice of Chinese society, and gradually understanding the extension of great theory.

  Mayor Xi went on to say that it is not easy to read a thick book. Don’t be frightened by the sheer volume of pure theory and dare not study it, and don’t take things out of context. Brush slogans and do superficial articles.

It can be said that thick reading is a sublimation process after theoretical accumulation, while thin reading requires a lot of practical accumulation and is a reduction process.

Then, apply these learned theories to practice and guide practice, which is the demonstration process to promote social development.

It's easier said than done, but it's actually a tough leap.

The key is to think actively, to think about how to achieve localization and popularization.

Only such a theory can publicize and control the masses, and can become the social practice of the masses. Just as Marx said in the "Introduction to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right", "Once a theory has mastered the masses, it will also become a material force." .

  Mayor Xi seemed to understand me, and went on to say that as a real learner, to learn well, you must master the method of "reading from thick to thin, and from thin to thick".

It is necessary to dig in and read the profound content thoroughly, to be able to extend it, to extract the essence, and to be able to explain it clearly and thoroughly.

"Das Kapital", "The Communist Manifesto" and other original Marxist works are studied by comparison, and they are repeated several times to verify each other. At this time, you will find that in the process of "thick reading thin, thin reading thick", the more you learn the principle The clearer you are, the more you learn, the firmer your beliefs are.

This is what the ancients said, "read a book a hundred times, and see its meaning."

  Mayor Xi also specially instructed me to pay attention to the preface and postscript before and after the original work, as well as the annotations at the bottom of the page and the appendices at the back of the book, as well as the correspondence between Marx and Engels on Das Kapital.

He said: "You will feel the dialogue between the two of them, and between them and the readers. If you want to deeply study and study the original classics, you must not deviate from the specific historical background, so you must be familiar with the history of the year. Even the famous novels written during that period should be read." He also personally found a copy of "Marx and Engels' Letters of "Das Kapital" and gave it to me, and asked me to take it back and read it carefully.

A few days ago, I accidentally turned to this book again. Although the paper has turned yellow, the scene of that year is still vivid in my mind.

  Interview Team: Did you understand the teachings of Comrade Xi Jinping at that time?

  Zhang Hongliang: Actually, I didn't understand these teachings well enough at the time.

I remember one time, I said to Mayor Xi, "The content you said will definitely not be tested..." He said to me very solemnly at that time: "You don't understand this, in fact, this is a thorough understanding of the connotation of the original work. A particularly good method, or 'shortcut', so to speak."

  Mayor Xi took out the first volume of "Das Kapital" translated by Guo Dali and Wang Yanan from the bookcase in the aisle, turned to the first few pages, and said: "Look, how to understand 'economic man', Marx's first volume in "Das Kapital" It is clearly pointed out in the Preface to the First Edition of the original author. This is a very important concept and one of the goals of the study of "Das Kapital." Individuals are regarded as the personification of economic categories, as representatives of special class relations and interests.'” He introduced that there is also a wonderful passage in this preface: “Every judgment based on scientific criticism, I Welcome. Prejudice based on so-called public opinion, but I never give in. Regarding this prejudice, the motto of the great Florentine poet is my motto: 'Go your own way, and don't care what others say.'" He Then he said: "Can we understand these quickly without reading the preface written by Marx himself? I also like this sentence of Dante very much, and now it is translated as: 'Go your own way, let others speak! ' It sounds plain and simple, but it is often enlightened and new to read."

  Mayor Xi turned a few pages and said that in the preface of the French edition, Marx also liked a passage: "There is no smooth road in science, only those who are not afraid of hard work and climb the steep mountain road can hope to achieve glory. From these prefaces, postscripts, appendices, and correspondence, we can learn about the joint discussion and mutual reinforcement of economic theory by the two tutors, Marx and Engels, as well as their advice on the learning method of Capital.

The purpose of learning should not be just for exams, but to really understand and understand.

  Mayor Xi also said that Marx has been displaced for decades, and these hardships have not overwhelmed him, and he has been moving forward despite hardships.

As a teenager, Marx famously wrote: "If we choose occupations that best serve the welfare of mankind, then the burden will not overwhelm us, for it is a sacrifice for all; what we felt then Instead of poor, limited, selfish pleasures, our happiness will belong to millions." This is Marx's "self-inflicted suffering".

  Mayor Xi also told me that there is a "shortcut" to study, that is, diligence; there is no shortcut to success, but "to suffer hardships".

This is the so-called "the mountain of books has road and diligence as the path, and the sea of ​​learning has no end to work hard".

When reading, you must be "learned, interrogated, pondered, discerned, and practiced." He said: "Xiamen University has a 'Learning Building' and a 'Duxing Building', just to remind you that you need to be erudite, Again, we have to work hard, grasp both ends, and grasp the combination. If you want to study more deeply, you have to go to the library and find it slowly in the Complete Works of Marx and Engels. I have been to your Xiamen University library and borrowed a few The second book. There are a lot of books there, and the environment is very good.”

  On that day, he also said with emotion: "How good are your learning conditions now! When I was in Liangjiahe, the only original Marxist works I could find were The Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, Anti-Dühring, Criticism of the Gotha Program, and The Civil War in France", "The State and the Revolution", etc. These original works are thin and thick, new and old, and even some books have no previous or no previous, and some have no previous, but every time I find an original book, it is a treasure , repeated reading and chewing, and scrutinized by comparison, gradually mastered some basic theories of Marxism, and gradually established the initial cognition and understanding of Marxism.”

  Back at school, I replayed these words from Mayor Xi over and over again in my mind.

I opened Das Kapital, took out a ballpoint pen, and marked these paragraphs heavily.

A few days ago, I found Das Kapital, which was used as a textbook, and I fell deeply into the memory of more than 30 years ago.

Mayor Xi's kind and rich voice still rings in his ears: "I will share with you the method of reading the original classics, and discuss with you college students in the 1980s. It is also the process of my further thinking and learning, and the process of moving from the kingdom of necessity to the kingdom of freedom... …”

  Another thing that impressed me is that when Mayor Xi talks about Marxist theory, he often links it with the excellent traditional Chinese culture.

  The specific guidance given by Mayor Xi to me greatly increased my interest in professional study, the scope of reading has also expanded a lot, and my grades have steadily improved.

  Interview Team: You just mentioned that Comrade Xi Jinping often links Marxist theory with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. Please introduce the situation in this regard.

  Zhang Hongliang: Mayor Xi has a deep understanding of the continuation and inheritance of five thousand years of Chinese civilization.

He once asked me: "Among the four major civilizations of mankind, why is only the Chinese civilization that has been passed down to this day, has been uninterrupted, and its vitality is so tenacious?"

  He said that he also spent seven years in the loess land in northern Shaanxi, and then he deeply realized why our loess land farming civilization is so cohesive and centripetal.

In the long history of history, the unification of national unity is the mainstream of our country and nation.

Although there are contradictions and conflicts among various ethnic groups, they are more integrated and exchanged. In the process of conflict and integration, the relationship is getting closer and closer, and finally a big Chinese nation is formed, instead of being divided and assigned according to ethnic groups and religions.

This can resonate with the class analysis method of Marxism that we have learned.

  He also said that by reading Shi Mingzhi, you can learn from the past and learn from the present.

If you do not read Chinese history, you will not know the greatness of China; if you do not read world history, you will not understand the characteristics of China; if you do not read the principles of Marxism, you will not understand that Marxism inherits human culture and history and transcends nationalities and religions. truth.

  Mayor Xi has a thorough knowledge of Chinese traditional culture.

He said that Chinese culture is extensive, profound, and has a long history, and it is inseparable from the culture of governing the country and the state, as well as the economy and the people.

He also often mentioned that "the world's worries and worries first, and the world's joys and joys later."

Once, he asked me, "Can you clarify the origin of the phrase 'Worry before you have fun'?"

  I replied confidently: "This time you can ask. Our 1982 college entrance examination composition question was to write an argumentative essay with this sentence as the title, and my score was quite high. Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower" is a high school language requirement. recited text."

  "Okay, let's recite it!" He was very interested at the time. I can't remember how many sentences he recited in the end, but I definitely didn't recite him and got punished.

  "Don't be happy with things, don't be sad about yourself; when you live in the high temples, you worry about the people; when you live far away from the rivers and lakes, you worry about your ruler. It's a matter of advancing and also worrying about retreating. But when will you be happy? He must say, 'Before the world Worrying and worrying, the world will be happy and happy. Hey! Weiss people, who am I to return?" When he recited this paragraph, he slowed down the rhythm, cadenced, and his voice relaxed a little, full of passion.

  Around the thought of worry and happiness, Mayor Xi made an extended elaboration.

He said that if we trace the source of the thought of sorrow and joy, we must mention Mencius.

In "Mencius, King Hui of Liang", Mencius talked about worry and joy: "Those who rejoice in the joy of the people, the people also rejoice; those who worry about the people's worries, the people also worry about their worries. Enjoy the world, worry about the world. However, there is no one who is not a king." The thought of worrying is the life perception and family and country feelings of the ancient scholars. If you look through the "Book of Songs" and the classics of hundreds of scholars, the word "you" can be seen everywhere.

"Born in trouble, die in peace", "A gentleman is worried about the Tao and not about poverty", "Those who know me say my heart is worried, and those who don't know me say what I want", all of which are said.

Concern for the country and the people is one of the core elements of Chinese culture, and its formation is also a historical process of continuous expansion of connotation.

  In addition to ancient poetry and prose, Mayor Xi also took out a "Little Dictionary of Chinese Idioms" with a green plastic cover to test me, and sometimes asked me to test him in turn.

He had already memorized the entire dictionary when he went to the countryside, so I couldn't test him at all.

No wonder he is so knowledgeable, it turns out that he has been "learning to know" and "learning to learn".

  I remember another time when I asked Mayor Xi, how do you understand the phrase "self-cultivation, balancing the family, governing the country and the world" in "University"?

He patiently explained to me that "Xiu Qi Zhiping" is very logical, and it talks about steps and sequences.

When I was young, the first thing was to study, to study hard, to study hard, that is, to read classics and original works.

The novel is easy to read, but the original theoretical book is difficult to read, and you cannot understand it without reading it several times.

Reading the theoretical original is "self-cultivation".

After jumping in line in the countryside, he set a rule for himself, starting with self-cultivation, and being ashamed of not knowing anything.

To "pacify the world" is not to conquer the world, not to rule the world, but to let the people get rid of poverty, live and work in peace and contentment, and have enough food and clothing.

The whole world takes you as an example to develop peacefully, and use your ideas to harmonize all nations and achieve great harmony. This is not far from "peace the world".

Theoretical accumulation and practical experience should be used to serve the common people, the whole mankind, and the whole world, just as Mencius said: "The people are the most valuable, the society is second, and the ruler is the least." Like Paul Korchagin in "It's Done", don't imitate Tonia, just want to live your own comfortable life, that's a little bourgeois life, a mediocre pursuit.

  Mayor Xi compared Li Xiangnan in the popular TV series "New Star" with Julian in "Red and Black".

He asked me, do you know why this novel is called "Red and Black"?

What does "red" stand for and what does "black" stand for?

He reminded me not to think that I came from a family of high-level intellectuals and be a "student aristocrat" or "not a farmer or a farmer".

At any age, you should do what you should do at that age.

When you are young, you must go down to the grassroots level to exercise yourself, and you must endure hardships a little bit, and you must not delay your youth.

In the future, when working, we must start from the grassroots level, and do not treat the grassroots as a big car shop.

The ancients said that "the prime minister must start from the state department, and the fierce general must be sent to the army", which is reasonable.

  During a chat, Mayor Xi said to me, "Your name is good, Hongliang, a great pillar." I said, my father's surname is Zhang, my seniority is Hong, and my mother's surname is Liang.

My mother wanted to add her surname to my name, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, so my name was "Zhang Hongliang", the "Liang" of "Dongliang".

He listened with a smile and said, "There are quite a few people in Liangjiahe village where I went to the countryside with the surname Liang. My former brigade party branch secretary was named Liang." He said that his hometown is in Fuping, Shaanxi - "Fufu Taiping", which means a lot. Well, my father added the word "ping" to the names of their brothers, so that they would not forget their hometowns and do more for the people of their hometowns in the future, so as to truly achieve common prosperity and peace in the world.

  What I admired very much about Mayor Xi at the time was that he went to work in the countryside when he was a teenager, but he loved to read and was very knowledgeable, especially good at thinking and diligent in practice.

These have greatly influenced my education and influence.

  Interview Team: We learned from your remarks that you often talked about the study of Marxist theory, especially the study of "Das Kapital" in the process of communication.

Can you talk more about this situation?

  Zhang Hongliang: Yes, it was precisely because we had more in-depth discussions on Das Kapital when we first met, and we had closer contacts later on.

  Once, Mayor Xi asked me to contact the school. He made time to attend the school and participated in a small-scale discussion on the topic of "Das Kapital and the Practical Guiding Significance of Marxist Political Economy". Some young teachers and students attended the meeting.

I remember he came here on a "Wuyi" bicycle.

  At that time, there was a trend of thought that Das Kapital was outdated, that teachers did not need to teach, and students did not need to learn, and that Marxist political economy had been marginalized.

Mayor Xi's opinions at the symposium are very targeted.

He said that Marxism did not end the truth, but opened the way to it.

He also combined with Toffler's "Third Wave" to put forward a point of view that "information is also productivity".

  In November 2019, the School of Economics of Xiamen University held a teacher-student seminar on "Comrade Xi Jinping's Innovation and Development of Marxist Political Economy".

We studied the "Recognition of the Development of the Socialist Market Economy", "On the Times Significance of "The Preface to "Critique of Political Economy"" and "A Brief Commentary on "The Outline of Feuerbach" published by Comrade Xi Jinping during his work in Fujian. "The Significance of the Times", and conducted in-depth study of his article "Re-understanding of the Development of the Socialist Market Economy" published in the "Southeast Academic" magazine in 2001, and truly realized how Comrade Xi Jinping put Marx The principle of "thick reading is thin, thin reading is thick", insisting on linking theory with practice and making full use of theory to guide practice.

  Looking back and thinking about the guidance of Mayor Xi to me to study the classics of Marxism more than 30 years ago, I deeply feel that his views are in the same line and consistent with the formation and development of Chinese Marxism in the 21st century. Unity of Faith and Action".

  Interview Team: You just mentioned that Comrade Xi Jinping rode a "Wuyi" bicycle to Xiamen University for a discussion with teachers and students. You must be very impressed by this bicycle?

  Zhang Hongliang: Of course.

He not only rode that bicycle to Xiamen University, but he also rode that bicycle to and from get off work every day.

I remember one time, I made an appointment with Mayor Xi to find him. After waiting for a long time at the door of the dormitory, I saw him walking back with a bicycle from a distance.

As soon as he saw me, he said, "Wait for a long time? It's too late for the meeting today, the bike broke again, the brakes failed, it couldn't stop when going downhill, and I almost hit someone, so I had to push it back."

  Mayor Xi mocked himself and said: "I also suggested that everyone ride a bicycle to get off work, but the quality of their own cars is not up to standard!"

  I smiled and said, "I'll fix it", then took the bike and pushed it to the repair booth.

It turned out that the brake leather was worn out, so I immediately replaced it with a new one, and also checked other parts of the bicycle for him by the way.

  After I came back, Mayor Xi gave me the dormitory key and said that he had a lot of meetings and the time was not right. He asked me to come in the house early in the future, read books when I had nothing to do, and answer the phone for him.

  I also rode Mayor Xi's bicycle once.

That time, Mayor Xi rode a bicycle to our Xiamen University Furong (2) dormitory to deliver moon cakes to the students and to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with us.

When he left, the classmates were reluctant to take him to the gate.

He said, "Don't give it away, Hongliang will do it alone." So he carried me on his bicycle until he got off to the Danan gate of Xiamen University to say goodbye.

  During that time, Mayor Xi visited our Xiamen University Furong (2) dormitory several times.

He saw many classroom teachers go to the student dormitory to help the students in lessons and answer questions. When the students have no questions, the teachers also chat with the students.

Mayor Xi highly appreciated the good tradition left by Principal Wang Yanan, and believed that it was very helpful to guide students to study and be a person.

He also found that our student toilet in Furong (2) is far from the dormitory building, more than 100 meters.

To this end, he also specifically learned about it. It turned out that this was specially designed by Mr. Tan Kah Kee in order to let the students wake up in the morning and go to the toilet, and come back fully awake, and no longer want to go back to the bed and sleep in, so that the students can develop The habit of getting up early to exercise and study.

Mr. Tan Kah Kee attaches great importance to the design of the bathroom. He said that the red brick floor is easy to take care of, and the water is clean as soon as it is flushed, which is not only hygienic but also saves water.

These are all cultures, all details, and must be inherited.

I didn't know about these things in Xiamen University for several years, and I admired Mayor Xi's seriousness and carefulness from the bottom of my heart.

  Interview Team: You transferred from the Department of Mathematics to the Department of Economics at Xiamen University to study political economy. Have you talked to Comrade Xi Jinping about the transfer?

  Zhang Hongliang: I was admitted to the Department of Mathematics of Xiamen University in 1982, and later transferred to the Department of Economics to study Marxist political economy.

Once, Mayor Xi asked me the reason for changing departments.

I replied that I originally liked liberal arts. I read Romance of the Three Kingdoms in elementary school, Water Margin in junior high school, and read the first volume of Historical Records and Das Kapital in high school. I was quite interested in Marxist political economy, but Both of his parents studied science. Influenced by the concept of "learning mathematics, physics and chemistry well, and not afraid to travel all over the world" at that time, he took a science class in high school, and because of his admiration for Chen Jingrun, he applied for the mathematics department of Xiamen University.

Unexpectedly, in less than a semester, I found that I had no mathematical talent at all.

I am the monitor and I like to serve my classmates, but I am more perceptive in my work. I feel that it will be difficult for me to make good grades in mathematics in the future, let alone make great contributions to the society.

After a lot of hard work, I eventually transferred to my favorite political economy major.

  After listening to my explanation, Mayor Xi said, it seems that you are still a person with ambition and spirit of service!

One of my long-term acquaintances, the famous chemist Lu Jiaxi, also changed his major from the mathematics department.

Like Chen Jingrun, Lu Jiaxi is a very accomplished person and a person of great faith.

What you said just now is very good. To contribute to society and to do things for the common people, this starting point is correct, and it can also be said to be your ideal.

However, your main task now is to lay the foundation and understand the basic theory thoroughly.

Only when you understand it can you be convinced, and only when you are convinced of your ideals and beliefs can you be firm, and can be reflected in work and actions. Knowing, believing, and doing are a whole.

  Mayor Xi also said that you have studied mathematics and political economy.

Mathematics can be done more and more profoundly, but not both elegant and popular; it is necessary to engage in "high and low", like Chen Jingrun, few people in the whole country understand his "1+2".

However, when we learn to publicize Marxism, we need to engage more and more people.

As Marx said in "Das Kapital", "Commodity to currency is a thrilling jump. If it falls, it will not only break the commodity, but the owner of the commodity." From this perspective, Marxism It is also a thrilling jumping process to determine whether the reader can let the theory master the masses.

  After I transferred to the Department of Economics, because I was interested in the major, I learned a lot more easily. I also served as the Deputy Secretary of the General Branch of the Economics Department of Xiamen University, and joined the Communist Party of China with honor.

  Interview Team: Have you talked to Comrade Xi Jinping about your appointment as Deputy Secretary of the Youth League General Branch of the Economics Department of Xiamen University and joining the Party?

  Zhang Hongliang: I talked about it.

In the year we met, I had just changed from a probationary party member to a full-fledged party member, and also served as the deputy secretary of the general branch of the Economics Department of Xiamen University.

After I reported to Mayor Xi, he happily said, "Okay! Young people should demand progress, actively join the League and the Party, and use every opportunity to exercise themselves."

  Mayor Xi also asked me how many times I had written an application for party membership, and I said, "I have written one application for party membership, two ideological reports, and one application for regularization."

  Mayor Xi said: "I have written 8 applications for joining the league and 10 applications for joining the party, and finally joined the Communist Party of China at the age of 20. Every time I submit an application for joining the party, I must combine rural labor practices and learn Marxism. In the original work, I talk about experience and understanding. Every time I have a deeper understanding of the party constitution and party members' obligations, this process is not easy step by step. At that time, it was a lot of trouble for me as a 'gangster' to join the party, and it was much more difficult than you. But I fully believe in the party and the party's test of me."

  习市长说:“我父亲被打成‘反革命’时,我还不到10岁。我不到16岁就下乡,20岁入党,22岁才上大学。我是从‘反动学生’‘黑帮子弟’‘可教育子女’,一步一步入团入党,又很快当了大队党支部书记。在那个被称作‘蹉跎岁月’的日子里,我并没有蹉跎。这个成长过程,我的家庭和老百姓给了我最重要的教育。我的长辈要求我,要往老乡那里跑,为他们做事,要做讲团结和善于团结的人。”

  谈到入党的过程和经历,习市长很兴奋,也很激动。我认真地听着,不停点头,禁不住说:“您真了不起,那么困难的环境,还能如此坚定地追求自己的理想,从年龄上讲,您比我还早两年入党。”我告诉他,我和女友晨霞曾比着看谁先入党,结果我比她晚了两个月。我和她打过赌,谁先入党将来孩子姓谁的姓。现在我输了,怎么办啊?听到这里,习市长会心地笑了起来。他说,比着谁先入党这个好,有入党积极性;孩子姓谁的姓,这个还可以商量嘛。

  采访组:除了上面讲到的这些往事,您在与习近平同志的交往中,还有哪些特别有意思的故事?

  张宏樑:那就是习市长多次带我逛过厦门中山路上的新华书店,非常难忘和有趣。每次他都要买几本书,除了买经济类的书外,还会买很多军事、哲学、历史类的书。他经常会考我,比如他问我 “《战争论》最主要的观点是什么呀?”“《孙子兵法》第一句是什么?”说实话,当时有的能答上来,大部分还真不懂。回到学校后,我就赶紧跑图书馆找资料,认真读,再见面时便能说上一长串,这样才能跟他对话,甚至探讨。他还跟我说,只有尝过泥土的味道,才能读懂伟大的思想。现在有一个说法叫“修昔底德陷阱”,就是修昔底德在《伯罗奔尼撒战争史》一书中提出来的,当时他对这个观点还谈了自己的想法。

  印象比较深的是,习市长当时特别喜欢商务印书馆的“汉译世界学术名著丛书”。这套丛书封面是白色的,只印有书名和作者,书脊和封底颜色按专业有所区别,哲学用橘黄色,历史地理用黄色,政治法律用绿色,经济用蓝色等,色彩斑斓。买回来摆到宿舍,感到心情非常愉悦。直到现在,我对这几个专业的书还会下意识地用这几个颜色来区分。当时觉得这套书太多、太贵,很想多买几本,但又囊中羞涩。我们俩每次逛新华书店的时间都不短,常常一待就是大半天。看的肯定比买的多得多。有几次,服务员见我们总看不买,还过来用闽南话提醒:“看得差不多就行了,赶紧买啊!”有时我们会硬着头皮再多看一会儿,有时便会不好意思地赶紧买几本“收摊儿”回家。

  有些比较贵的系列丛书,习市长总有点儿舍不得买,一般都是看几次后才买。但遇到那种特别喜欢、需要反复研读的书,他会毫不犹豫地买回去,比如黑格尔著、朱光潜译的《美学》,克劳塞维茨著的《战争论》,郭大力、王亚南翻译的亚当·斯密的名著《国民财富的性质和原因的研究》等。

  前几天,我在整理大学时期的物品时,发现了一张厦门新华书店的购书发票,开票时间是1986年3月30日。

  记得那天是星期日,我来到他的宿舍后,他提议去中山路新华书店看一看。当时,厦门的新华书店已经改为开架式售书,可以在新华书店徜徉很长时间。我选了两本书,好像有一本是萨缪尔森著、高鸿业翻译的《经济学》,习市长也选了几本书,包括《伯罗奔尼撒战争史》,一共七本书。

  当时的书价有七八毛的,有一块多的。习市长掏出十块钱,说:“你去一块儿结一下账,看看够不够。”当时十块钱可是大票啊,我拿着钱跑到柜台去结账,一共九块二。我特意让收银员开了张发票,回来后把发票和剩下的八毛钱交给他。他看了一下,也没伸手接,说:“你还开发票了?书是咱们自己看的,不能跑到公家那儿报销。你拿着吧,八毛钱你也拿着,坐公交用。”

  There are five stops from Xiamen University to Mayor Xi’s dormitory. It costs 10 cents to take the bus. If you take the three stops and walk for a while, it only costs 5 cents.

At that time, I would often choose to get off the bus two stops earlier to save five cents.

After returning to the dormitory that day, I put the receipt in the birthday congratulatory telegram sent to me by my girlfriend Chenxia.

I stumbled across this well-preserved invoice these days when I was sorting out a bookcase that had not been opened for many years.

My heart was full of excitement, my eyes were moist, and I was filled with emotion. The scene from thirty-five years ago came to my eyes, as if it had just happened...