Letter, Jiang Qing to Mao Zedong

Translation from Chinese

On the envelope:

“I ask to pass this personally to Chairman Mao. From Jiang Qing.”

Content:

My dear,

Today I am again checking into the hospital, where they’ll remove my glands. I’ll probably leave hospital after about ten days. Haven’t decided yet where I will go for treatment afterwards. I have been thinking of you often in recent days. How’s your health? You are probably very busy? I know that Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Ningbo have been liberated. I don’t know anything else and miss [you] a lot. When will the P[olitical] C[onsultative] C[ommittee] open? I would like to return home by then and help you to the extent that I can.

I have not found that arousing medicine you’ve asked for, because Doctor Melnikov has been busy. I found arousing chocolate for you in the Kremlin infirmary. Doctor Melnikov says that this chocolate is better than those white pills because it has no side effects. I am sending it to you. The dose: two-three pieces, and one can sleep for three hours. One can take it two-three times a day. After Li Na had her glands taken out, she’s been feeling fine, always talks about you and your friends, sometimes cries for you, and acts fussy. I described the results of my health examination in the letter, which was sent to you with Qian Junrui. My health is fine for now. Every day I go for a walk, rock in a hammock. When I go back home, I’ll bring one for you as well.

Now about something else. Our international propaganda is not done well. It’s true – take a look at it yourself: our position in relation to Tito. The Soviet Communist Party in many ways has not understood our position, and Liu Shaoqi’s article arrived only recently, after which the situation became cleared up. They say, an instruction has been issued about publishing this article in the Cominform journal. On the other hand, one must not understate the significance of the Anglo-American imperialist propaganda. As far as Yugoslavia is concerned, an article appeared there, in which the Yugoslavs are pulling off things profitable to them. But the main thing is that Tito claims that the CCP follows the Yugoslav Communist Party on the question of “Communism.” Isn’t it ridiculous? However, this reactionary propaganda has a certain effectiveness, even if for a time. Our propaganda must decisively smash these insinuations. They say that Qian Junrui specifically spoke to the Czechoslovak Party Congress on this question, and his statement will also be published in the Cominform journal.

Everything is fine here with me. But I am constantly thinking about you and about things in China. How are our fishes in the pond? Have our plums ripened already? I think it would be best if I returned home when the peaches ripen.

I am finishing the letter with this. I will go for a walk, then rest, and after lunch I will go to the hospital.

Hoping to receive a letter from you.

Hugs.

Your Qing.

11.6.[1949] 5 in the morning.