In February 1923, he involved in organizing the establishment of joint-stock economic entities under the leadership from the party, known as the Anyuan Road miners’ consumer cooperatives.

In August, he was elected as the general manager, while maintained the interest and expanded the welfare of workers at the same time, he also accumulated and prepared funds for the party's activities.

In February 1925, Mao Zemin went to Xiangtan, Xiangxiang for workers’ movement with his brother, built the first countryside party organization.

In November 1935, the Long March reached the northern of Shaanxi province, he was appointed as the economy minister of the government and led the national economic Ministry to break the military blockade of Yan Xishan in Shanxi, helped to transport the cloth and cotton and organized workers to make cotton cloth for the army.

On September 17, 1942, Mao Zemin along with fellow communist Chen Tanqiu was arrested by the warlord Sheng Shicai, who had been working closely with the Soviet Union but then turned against them.