To understand the situation, we must patiently examine the materials.

[1] This comment was written on a report Zhou Enlai submitted to Mao Zedong and others
on January 14, 1969. The report stated: On December 13 of last year, the Chairman
instructed me to discuss with comrades from the finance, banking, and commercial
departments the issue of rural commerce being managed by poor and lower-middle
peasants, and to sign my opinion. On the evening of the 14th, I convened a meeting with
over 30 military control personnel, leading cadres, and leaders of the Revolutionary Masses
Committee from the aforementioned departments and related departments to discuss this
issue. Everyone unanimously advocated that the management of rural supply and marketing
cooperatives and credit cooperatives be transferred to the poor and lower-middle peasants
in the commune and team. Rural commercial purchases should be handled through the
commune and team's purchasing and marketing service agencies and stations. State-owned
commerce would only establish wholesale and purchasing stations and state-owned stores
in counties, cities, and towns. The purchase and sale of grain and oil in rural areas would be
decentralized later. Zhou Enlai also submitted to Mao Zedong three documents: a briefing
from the State Council Duty Office on the decentralization of rural commerce and credit
cooperatives on January 11, 1969; a report from the National Supply and Marketing
Cooperatives' Business Group on the basic situation of the supply and marketing cooperative
system's personnel and institutions on December 6, 1968; and a comprehensive report from
the military representative of the Ministry of Commerce on the discussion of "Rural
commerce should be managed well by poor and lower-middle peasants (investigation
report)" on December 19, 1968.