Letter to Hu Qiaomu[1]
(August 25, 1961)

Comrade Qiaomu:

Your letter of August 17 has been received, and I am very concerned about you. You must take a long period of rest and recuperation, without counting the days or months, until you are fully recovered. Cao Cao’s poem says: “The span of life, whether long or short, depends not on Heaven alone. The blessings of nurturing one’s well-being can bring longevity.”[2] This poem is well worth reading. It seems advisable for you to move elsewhere for recuperation, following the change of climate, engaging in roaming hills and playing in streams, reading only leisurely books, not serious ones, and paying no attention to current affairs. In this way, you may recover somewhat faster. Make plans for one, two, or three years of rest, not just a few months. If you are anxious to return to work, I fear there will be a relapse. Your illness is similar to that of comrades Chen Yun, Lin Biao, and Kang Sheng.[3] Lin and Kang, through long-term rest, have already recovered, and Chen’s illness has also shown improvement. You may follow their example. Give my regards to Gu Yu.[4] If you move elsewhere for recuperation, it is fitting that Gu goes with you. The above suggestions are for the two of you to discuss and decide upon at your discretion. I am in good health both physically and mentally, so I tell you briefly—do not worry.

Mao Zedong
August 25, 1961

[1] Hu Qiaomu, then alternate secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and secretary to Mao Zedong.
[2] See Cao Cao, “Strolling Out of Xia Gate.” In the Collected Works of Cao Cao published by Zhonghua Book Company in 1959, the lines read: “The span of life, whether long or short, depends not on Heaven alone. The blessings of nurturing one’s well-being can bring longevity.”
[3] Chen Yun, then vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council. Lin Biao, then vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and vice premier of the State Council. Kang Sheng, then alternate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
[4] Gu Yu, wife of Hu Qiaomu.