According to the source, Wu is a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. She is the daughter-in-law of Wang Lian, Mao's mathematics teacher at the First Normal School of
Hunan, Wu was teaching at the primary school affiliated with the Normal School of

Madam Qirui:!

! have received your letter of May. | am very concerned about your
les, With regard to your request that your three children be allowed to
le school for cadres’ children of southern Jiangsu in order that your
disc ities may be somewhat alleviated, please bring this letter with you and
Ss the matter with comrades in positions of responsibility in the approprisn shed Organs, and see if it can be done. It is up to you to decide which per-
, De, “pprouch for this discussion. If necessary, you can look up Comrade
ua Pixian, secretary of the Sunan (south Jiangsu) District Party Commit-

KART


122. | MAO ZEDONG

tee.” I completely approve of this being done; it is just that | do not know {
would be possible for that school for cadres’ children to accept more childre
You are a mother of eight children, so I hope that you will take very good cap
of yourself. Please also convey my best regards to your children.
In response, and with my best regards for your work in teaching.

Notes

1. Mao used here the term xiansheng. which originally referred simply to people who are city
one's elder, or whom one respects, especially in the case of teachers. Nonetheless the term fy
come to be commonly translated as “Mister,” which conveys the sense of the masculine pend
Hence we have used the term “madam” in translation,

2. For more biographical information on Chen, see text Jan. 10. 1951, source note, and te
Sept. 17, 1957, note 5.