From the archive materials about Zhang's contacts with the CPC leadership before the Xi'an Incident which have been released by the mainland authorities over the last few years, and from various reminiscences by CPC leaders, it is not hard to appreciate the gratitude implied in Zhou's description.
而我們從近幾年來，大陸方面所陸續公佈的張學良在西安事變前與中共中央往來之檔案資料，以及中共領導人的若干回憶，實不難理解這四個字的背後，也包含了相當程度的「感念」意味在內，畢竟對侷促陝北、物資缺乏的中共而言，張學良的適時伸出援手猶如「雪中送炭」。