(November 5, 1939)

To my elder brother and senior fellow student Roxu:

I seemed to be seeing my old friend again when I received and read your wonderful letter. I did not dare to procrastinate, because your first letter failed to reach me. Here enclosed please find a hundred *yuan*, merely a supplement to your salary. This is a very small sum, which serves only as a token of my regard. I sincerely hope you will keep up your efforts in imparting your knowledge to the young and training people for the War of Resistance. The south sky is within sight, and I will crane my neck to look in that direction. With respect and best wishes for success in your studies.

Respectfully,

Your younger brother, Mao Zedong

***

¹ Lin Zhonghe, *zi* Roxu, was a native of Ningxiang, Hunan Province. He had been a classmate of Mao Zedong's at the Hunan First Normal School.