Common sense | At that time, I only thought it was unusual, but today I know it has become a unique masterpiece.

Comrade Zhu is gone, and I miss him dearly.

Actually, when Comrade Zhu was in charge of anti-corruption and the economy, I was still a young boy in the countryside. I had no concept of big words like anti-corruption, triangular debt, and layoffs. I didn’t know the difference between anti-corruption and anti-corruption, I didn’t understand the economic lifeline after triangular debt, let alone the political courage required to make decisions about reform and layoffs.

I remembered this name at the age of 10 because of the word “coffin.” I had a concept of this word. When an elder in the village passed away, there would be a red-lacquered coffin, covered with layers of blankets, placed in the ancestral hall for several days, and finally returned to the earth. Adults would repeatedly warn me not to touch it, and not even to say the word.

But this word, symbolizing danger and death, actually came from Comrade Zhu’s mouth, and he said ninety-nine for others and one for himself. In my shallow understanding of the world at that young age, a high-ranking official like him, who appeared in the first few minutes of “Xinwen Lianbo” ( a daily news program), would never say such a word, let alone speak with such an tone.

This person is unusual. This was my first impression of him, and also my first impression of a political figure.

Then came the great flood of ’98. My hometown, Huangshi in Hubei, was also a disaster area. I personally waded through waist-deep water in the streets. Thinking back, I was really lucky to survive.

I remember the flood lasted for a long time, and the atmosphere on TV news was tense every day. Comrade Zhu and Comrade Jiang did not wait for the flood to recede before inspecting the area. Instead, they stood on the dike at the most critical moment of flood control, standing in the wind and rain, in the water, just like us disaster victims.

I heard adults say that Comrade Zhu angrily cursed “tofu-dreg projects” and “bastard projects” on the dike, which was very satisfying. I didn’t hear it myself, but even the retelling shocked me. So, it wasn’t just us disaster victims who wanted to curse.

This person is humane. This was my second impression of him.

Later, I grew up and went to college. I gained some basic understanding of political and social operations. My perception of political figures was demystified, and I also learned about many controversies surrounding Comrade Zhu. However, relatively speaking, among the political figures I understood, he was still an unusual one, and one worthy of respect.

But in my twenties, I was far from able to appreciate the rarity and preciousness of Comrade Zhu’s personal qualities and governing style.

Later, in my thirties, I gained more insight through news media and tried to do some things myself, starting a business. My understanding of socio-economics and politics, in addition to what I learned from books and the internet, also came from firsthand information gained through practice. Most importantly, I understood two principles:

First, being different from others is very difficult and dangerous.

Second, to solve deeply entrenched problems, to touch the interests of a vast number of people, to touch the concepts of a vast number of people, is extremely difficult and extremely dangerous.

From this, my evaluation of Comrade Zhu has continued to rise with the deepening of my own experience.

Today, Comrade Zhu has suddenly passed away and has truly entered the coffin he prepared for himself. I suddenly realized that since his time, there has been no one with such character, no one with such sincerity.