In 1973, a woman from Guangxi claimed to be Chairman Mao's 'daughter of Guangxi.' The staff suspected she was a fraud, but Chairman Mao urgently instructed, 'Let her come, I want to meet her.'
The woman's name is Cen Rongduan, a Zhuang girl. At 19 years old in 1958, she was a dancer in the Air Force's art troupe, dreaming day and night to see the leader.
At a dance party in Zhongnanhai, she was selected as a dancer and, taking advantage of a break, gathered her courage to request a meeting with the Chairman. To her surprise, her wish was granted, initiating a special friendship.
When Chairman Mao asked about her surname and learned it was Cen, he smiled and said this surname is common in Guangxi, and that it is not listed in 'Hundred Family Surnames,' needing to check 'Thousand Family Surnames' to find it.
The Chairman was well-versed in Guangxi's folklore, reminiscing about the old stories of the Yao people's uprising in Daiteng Gorge, praising her dancing posture as light as walking on clouds, and renamed her Cen Yunduan.
Chairman Mao personally inscribed the three characters 'Daiteng Gorge' as a gift; this honor made her colleagues in the art troupe envious, and Cen Yunduan became one of his frequently chosen dance partners.
At every dance party, the Chairman would chat with her about family matters and history, also gifting her a collection of Lu Xun's essays criticizing Confucianism, with inscriptions on the title page to his comrade, treating her like a younger generation.
Later, due to work transfers, Cen Yunduan moved between Fujian and Guangxi, and after parting from the Chairman, it was eight years before they met again. The longing grew deeper, yet opportunities to reunite were hard to find.
In 1973, she took pen to write a letter, signing it 'daughter of Guangxi,' and after sending it, she felt anxious, fearing she would be forgotten or seen as a fraud.
After reading the letter, Chairman Mao recalled the past and immediately instructed a reply inviting her to Beijing. During the Spring Festival of 1974, Cen Yunduan went to Beijing, and the ailing Chairman called her by her childhood name.
The two reminisced about the past, and the Chairman made a pact with her to meet every two years, joking that the one who broke the promise would be fined a hundred airplanes, a hundred cannons, and a hundred pounds of pork.
This warm yet bittersweet reunion brought tears to everyone present, showcasing the sincere friendship that transcended blood ties.
In 1975, she visited Beijing again, but Chairman Mao's health had severely weakened, needing assistance even to read documents, so she could only silently accompany him.
After Chairman Mao's passing, Cen Yunduan paid her respects as a representative of Guangxi, donating the authentic inscription of 'Daiteng Gorge' to her hometown museum, preserving the memory.
That letter signed 'daughter of Guangxi' was included in 'Guangxi Cultural History,' becoming the warmest historical mark of that era, witnessing the deep and affectionate years.