Zhou Enlai's Cloth Shoes

On April 19, 1975, Zhou Enlai met with Kim Il-sung in hospital, wearing a pair of cloth shoes.

Why did he wear a pair of cloth shoes? Because Zhou Enlai's guard found he couldn't put leather shoes on his feet. What should he do? Gao Zhenpu measured his feet and went to a shoemaker with his old cloth shoes. In the shoemaker's shop, Gao Zhenpu had a talk with the shoemaker in a tacit way. Gao Zhenpu said that the shoes must fit. As the old saying goes, leg oedema is a serious symptom for male patients and face oedema is a serious symptom for female patients. The shoemakers cried and said:"Don't worry. We'll definitely do our best." Gao Zhenpu said:"you could just make good uppers without stitching soles. I think this pair of shoes are disposable." The shoemaker said:"no problem." The two shoemakers immediately put off all work before Gao Zhenpu left.

When Gao Zhenpu came back to the shop the next day, he saw this pair of shoes without cheating on labor and materials. The soles were stitched as usual. They were all handmade. Gao Zhenpu said:"master Han, you are so..." The shoemaker said sincerely:"two of us stayed up last night. Each sewed one shoe. We have just finished." When Gao Zhenpu gave him money, he cried. The well-stitched soles contained the people's love for the premier.