Overcoat

In early 1962, Shao Fengzhu, secretary of Huai'an county, and Wang Chungao, vice secretary of Huai'an county, went to Beijing to attend the 7,000-cadre conference held by the central committee, with six buckets specially made of galvanized iron sheets. Each bucket contained over 30 kilograms of fried dough twists. One of them was going to be given to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao. After Shao and Wang arrived at Beijing, one bucket of fried dough twists was sent to the Xihua Hall by secretary-general of the provincial Party committee. Just two days later, Shao and Wang were informed to go to the secretariat of Jiangsu delegation. When they saw the bucket of fried dough twists, they were dumfounded. Zhou Enlai's secretary told them, "the premier and his wife totally understood your feelings. But the premier said that he couldn't accept it and it is also a waste to use galvanized iron sheets to make a bucket for containing fried dough twists." At the same time, the secretary also gave them a document bearing the instruction from Zhou Enlai. The instruction says: the people responsible for the provincial Party committee of Jiangsu, the prefectural Party committee of Huaiyin and the Party committee of Huai'an, please read the instruction carefully and handle affairs according to the spirit of the documents issued by the central committee. The two secretaries of Huai'an were touched by Zhou Enlai's spirit of practicing what he advocates, exercising strict self-discipline and being honest in performing his official duties.