Deng Xiaoping was hard of hearing, so whenever there was a meeting he would sit far away from me. Since 1959, for six whole years he did not report his work to me; in the Secretariat he left all the substantive work to Peng Zhen. Don’t you all say he lacks ability? (Nie Rongzhen interjected: “This man is very lazy.”)

As for our assessment of the situation, it presents a pattern of small ends and a large middle: only Henan truly embodies the spirit of “dare,” while the majority are dominated by a mentality of “fear.” Those who genuinely adopt an “anti” stance remain a minority. The main anti-Party and anti-socialist elements include Bo Yibo, He Changgong, Wang Feng, and one Li Fanwu.

The number of cadres belonging to the so-called “four categories” (i.e., rightists) amounts to only about one, two, or three percent. (The Premier remarked: “It has already far exceeded that figure.”) There’s no need to worry about having too many; they can be rehabilitated later. Some may not be suitable for working in their current locality and could be transferred elsewhere.

In Henan, one secretary focused on production, while the other five were busy with接待 duties. Nationwide, only Liu Jianxun posted a big-character poster supporting the minority faction, which was a positive move.

What about Nie Yuanzi now? (Kang Sheng replied: “She still needs to be protected.” Li Xiannian added: “All those who wrote the first big-character posters must be protected.”) Exactly!

(When discussing the issue of mass student-mobilization tours, the Premier said: “These should be carried out in a well-prepared manner.”) What kind of preparation is needed? If we just go wherever we please, won’t we end up without food?

There are differing views on the situation. After Wan Xiaotang of Tianjin passed away, a memorial service attended by half a million people was held. They regarded this as a great opportunity, but in reality it was a show of defiance against the Party—a case of using the dead to oppress the living.

Li Fuchun has been on leave for a year, and I don’t even know who is currently heading up the State Planning Commission. Fuchun is a disciplined person; he did inform the Secretariat about certain matters, but the Secretariat failed to report them to me. As for Deng Xiaoping, he kept his distance from me.