Monday, 27 January

New Year’s Day, Xin Si Year

New Year according to the old calendar, and I am now forty-six. Though much worse off materially than in all my former years, I feel much happier. The international conditions have developed very much in our favour; relations between our enemy and the U.S.A. are straining to breaking point, so our future is not as gloomy as before. My debt to the Bank of East Asia has a good chance of settlement owing to Jincheng’s generosity and I am to be relieved of this heaviest of burdens that has been a dead weight on my conscience for the last few years.

Tianjuan’s birthday, so I invited a party to dinner at home. Long Renhua brought her sister along. Wang Dezhen performed a few songs.