Chapter 05 Explored paths in life 1912-1917

Journalist: “After leaving the military, did you go back to school?”

Mao: “Yes. In the spring of 1913, I enrolled in the Hunan Provincial Fourth Normal School Preparatory Program. Normal schools didn’t charge tuition fees, making it easier to solve my living expenses. In the fall of 1914, I was admitted to the undergraduate program at the Hunan Provincial First Normal School. During my time in school, I was influenced by teachers like Yang Changji and enthusiastically read the magazine ‘New Youth.’ I admired Chen Duxiu and Hu Shih.”

Journalist: “You studied at a normal school, didn’t you want to become a teacher?”

Mao: “No, I wasn’t interested in becoming a teacher. Joining the normal school was primarily to address financial issues. At that time, studying at a normal school not only didn’t require tuition fees but also provided living allowances.”

Journalist: “So, what were you interested in doing?”

Mao: “I didn’t have any serious ideas. My father wanted me to find a stable job for a living. I noticed that soap making was profitable at the time, so I once thought about becoming a soap manufacturing engineer. Later, I also considered becoming a lawyer or a judge. They had good reputations and could serve the country and society.”

Journalist: “What subjects interested you the most in your studies?”

Mao: “I didn’t study diligently in most of my school subjects. I was more interested in subjects related to literature and history. For the classes I wasn’t interested in, I would place the textbooks on top and place the books I enjoyed reading underneath. During lectures, I would secretly read the books I liked. I would choose my own books to read and didn’t listen to the teachers much.”
Journalist: “What kind of books did you choose to read?”

Mao: “I was curious about various books, so I would read them. There was no fixed selection. I glanced through books like Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species,’ Adam Smith’s ‘The Wealth of Nations,’ Montesquieu’s ‘The Spirit of Laws,’ and the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau from France. I didn’t aim for deep understanding or have any significant insights. I also read some books on world history and geography. In short, I had a curious mind and enjoyed reading miscellaneous books.”

Journalist: “How were your exam results?”

Mao: “I didn’t perform well in exams. In a drawing exam, I submitted a picture of an egg to fulfill the exam requirement. I scored highest in essay writing on topics related to literature and history. As long as my average scores were passing, I could advance to the next grade. I loved reading newspapers. I subscribed to newspapers and read them almost word for word. There was one time when I wrote an essay titled ‘The Power of the Mind,’ and Teacher Yang Changji gave me a perfect score of 100.”

Journalist: “It seems that Yang Changji had a high opinion of you?”

Mao: “Yes, we called Yang Changji ‘Master Kong’ (referring to Confucius). He openly stated that during his years at the First Normal School in Changsha, among thousands of students, he considered Xiao Zisheng as the most outstanding, followed by Cai Hesen, and then me as the third.”

Journalist: “So, did Yang Changji intend to arrange a marriage between his daughter Yang Kaihui and you?”

Mao: “Originally, Yang Changji wanted his daughter to marry Xiao Zisheng. But later, he found out that Xiao had already gotten married, so he dropped the idea. That’s how I got the opportunity.”