Mr. Hao Ran:

Your letter has been received, and I am very grateful. In your esteemed family, many have participated in revolutionary work, and your younger brother [2] sacrificed his life for the nation, which is most glorious. This is my reply, along with my
respectful regards!
Mao Zedong
August 23

[1] Jiang Haoran (1889–1972), a native of Lianyi Village, Yanglin Township, Shaoshan City, Hunan Province. His father had a relatively close friendship with Mao Zedong’s father, Mao Shunsheng, due to business dealings.
[2] Refers to Jiang Tikong (1900–1927), originally a village teacher. In 1925, he participated in the peasant movement in Shaoshan and joined the Communist Party of China. He served as a propaganda committee member of the Special District Committee of the CPC in Xiangtan (Shaoshan), Hunan, and as vice-chairman of the Special District Peasant Association, among other positions. In November 1927, he was shot and killed by the Kuomintang’s local defense bureau in Shaoshan.