Chapter 08 A trip as beggars during the summer vacation 1917

Journalist: “I heard that you and Xiao Zisheng had a trip as beggars during the summer vacation. Can you tell me about it?”

Mao: “Yes, I travelled as beggars with Xiao Zisheng. He was my closest friend during my youth. He was one year younger than me. When I entered Dongshan School in 1910, he was two grades ahead of me. His father, Xiao Yueying, was a foreign-educated teacher at Dongshan School. He received a better family education than I did. Later, at Hunan First Normal School, we were classmates again, but he was three grades ahead of me. He graduated and became a teacher at the First Normal School in 1915, while I graduated in 1918.”

Journalist: “Oh, Xiao Zisheng is one year younger than you, but he is already a teacher while you are still a student.”

Mao: “Yes. Xiao Zisheng is honest, kind-hearted. I gave him the nickname ‘Xiao Bodhisattva.’ He, I, and Cai Hesen were known as the ‘Three Heroes of Xiangjiang.’ Xiao Zisheng and I would talk day and night. He was my closest confidant and friend.”

I remember how we used to stay up all night, engaging in lengthy discussions about the future of our country. I advocated for revolution while he leaned towards reform. I wanted to follow the path of Russia, but he opposed it. We argued fiercely, unable to let go, and it even reached the point of tears. Neither of us could convince the other.”

Journalist: “Oh, so Xiao Zisheng was a reformist, and you were a revolutionary.”

Mao: “That’s correct. I remember in the summer of 1917, Xiao was a teacher at Chu Yi Middle School, and I was still studying at the First Normal School. I didn’t want to go back home for the summer, so I went to Xiao Zisheng and asked him about his plans. He mentioned a new plan of embarking on a period of begging and traveling. He told me about his previous experiences of begging for short periods, one day and then three days, completely penniless, relying on the kindness of others for food and shelter. He found those experiences quite interesting. When I heard about it, I was intrigued and asked if I could join him. He gladly agreed.”

Journalist: “So, how did your begging journey unfold?”

Mao: “We dressed shabbily, each of us carried an umbrella and a small bundle, and we had no money on us. Xiao walked ahead, and I followed behind. We relied on begging for food and shelter as we traveled for a month, passing through several counties, overcoming various difficulties, and encountering many people. We had many interesting conversations and gained valuable experiences and insights.”

Journalist: “Could you please elaborate on the process of your begging journey?”

Mao: “On the first day, we had to cross the Xiang River, which presented our first challenge. How could we cross the river?”

If we walked about one and a half miles south along the riverbank, we could take the official ferry for free. But neither of us wanted to do that; it seemed too easy. If we did it that way, it would mean avoiding challenges and not overcoming difficulties. When we arrived at the place, there was a small ferry, but to ride on it, each person had to pay two copper coins.

With a determined expression, I approached the nearby boat and politely requested the ferryman to take us across for free because we had no money. However, the young ferryman firmly replied, ‘If you don’t have money, why don’t you take the official ferry? It’s just a short walk from here.’ I asked Xiao what we should do next.”

Journalist: “How did Xiao handle the situation?”