No Conditions Required

By Meng Qingchun

During the war time, there was a pathologist who had studied overseas and served once as a professor in the Medical College of Beiping (now Beijing). He had taught students all over the Central Hebei Plain and was famous far and wide for his excellent medical skills. People encouraged him to join in the Eighth Route Army, to which he put forward three conditions: First, he needed to ride a horse instead of walk on foot； second, he would not eat coarse grains； third, he would come and go as he liked. Many cadres shook their heads at such conditions, considering them unacceptable and even incredible.

Nie Rongzhen, the Commander of the Jinchaji Military Region, thought otherwise. He fully granted the three conditions and warmly welcomed the pathologist. He said: “When a good doctor joins our army, thousands of wounded and sick soldiers will be saved, who can then go back to the battlefield to fight our enemy. In addition, by taking him in, we will attract more intellectuals to join us, who can make contributions to the great cause of the war of resistance. Moreover, after joining us, people might change their mind gradually. As a result, all of these conditions might be abandoned at the end.”

Not long after Nie Rongzhen made the statement, the pathologist joined the army, and many of his students followed suit. And as expected, after staying in the army for a while, the pathologist offered to cancel the three conditions.

(FromChange Your Mindset,Change Yourself. People's Publishing House. Translation: Lu Qiongyao)

抗战时期，我国有一位留过洋的病理学家，在北平任过医学院教授，技术水平很高，他的学生遍及冀中平原。当时，有人动员他参加八路军，他却提出了三个条件：一是要一匹马代替步行；二是不吃粗粮；三是来去自由。许多干部听后直摇头，难以接受，甚至认为不可思议。

晋察冀军区司令员聂荣臻却不然，他完全同意这三个条件，非常欢迎这位病理学家参加。他说：“一个好的医生参加部队，成千上万的伤病员就会得救，就会重新走向战场与敌人拼搏。另外，我们这样做，不只是吸纳他一个人参加，还会吸引更多的知识分子加入进来，为抗战大业做出贡献。何况，他们参加队伍以后，认识会逐步发生变化，有可能这三个条件一个也不要了。”

聂荣臻表态后不久，这位病理学家参加了队伍，他的很多学生也随之而来。果然，过了一段时间，这位病理学家主动提出取消那三个条件。（摘自《换一种思维，等于换了一个人》人民出版社）