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Brothers Jian and Ding: Finances are extremely tight. Outside expenditures must be economized and economized again; under no circumstances should there be excessive spending. At no time should we abandon our stance, nor should we accept gifts from others. Only when absolutely unavoidable may we borrow a small sum of money from others, to be repaid in full at a later date. All expenditures must be accounted for. As several wasteful incidents have occurred recently, I bring this point to the attention of you two brothers. I also ask that you alert Xuefeng, Lizhi, and other comrades engaged in united front work to remain vigilant on this issue at all times. Those who have endured hardship for too long may find it hard to resist when faced with splendor; therefore, this should be treated as a matter requiring education and caution among comrades.

We need to purchase a batch of popular books on social science, natural science, and philosophy—about ten to fifteen titles in total. They must be selected for being truly accessible yet valuable (for example, Ai Siqi’s *Popular Philosophy*, Liu Shi’s *Street Talks*, and the like). Buy fifty copies of each title, with the total cost not exceeding one hundred to three hundred yuan. Brother Jian, please handle the selection; Brother Ding, please handle the purchase. In early November, first select and send a few titles to serve the schools and troops in raising the political and cultural level of cadres. Those working outside should, even as they carry out their duties, advocate reading books and newspapers. Most of the military books purchased are unsuitable—they tend to focus on tactics and techniques, whereas what we need are works on campaign command and strategy. Please select and buy a number of books according to this criterion. Buy a copy of *Sunzi’s Art of War*. I ask you to write a report that is both analytical and comprehensive. Runzhi October 22

Based on the text published in *Selected Letters of Mao Zedong*, People’s Publishing House, 1983. Notes: 1. Ye Jianying (1897–1986), a native of Meixian, Guangdong. At the time, he was assigned by the Chinese Communist Party to conduct united front work in Xi’an. Liu Ding (1903–1986), a native of Nanxi, Sichuan. At the time, he was assigned by the Chinese Communist Party to serve as a liaison between the Red Army and the Northeast Army. 2. Xuefeng, i.e., Peng Xuefeng (1907–1944), a native of Zhenping, Henan. At the time, he was assigned by the Chinese Communist Party to conduct united front work in Shanxi, Suiyuan (now part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), and other areas. 3. Lizhi, i.e., Zhu Lizhi (1907–1978), a native of Nantong, Jiangsu. At the time, he was the special commissioner dispatched by the Chinese Communist Party to the Northeast Army. 4. Ai Siqi (1910–1966), a native of Tengchong, Yunnan. At the time, he was an editor of the Shanghai magazine *Reading Life*. His *Popular Philosophy* is an accessible work promoting Marxist philosophy. 5. Liu Shi (1903–1968), a native of Changsha, Hunan. In the 1930s, he engaged in cultural work under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai, Hankou, Chongqing, and other places, serving as an editorial board member and editor-in-chief for publications such as *Reading Life*, *Life Daily*, and *National Resistance*. *Street Talks* is a popular reader he wrote introducing knowledge of social science.