Chapter 8 Aunt studying abroad

In April 1991, I saw a special photo on the front page of "United Daily News". The photo was my aunt Liu Tiansu. will work.I was both gratified and sad when I saw this photo. The gratified thing is that my aunt got a fair evaluation. The sad thing is that when the newspaper published this photo, I didn’t know that my aunt had passed away in Jinan at the end of 1990 at the age of 82.  I once set up a column called "Private Photo Album" in a Shanghai magazine, and published a series of documentary works inspired by old photos. One of them was entitled "Aunt Studying Abroad", in which I wrote about Aunt Tiansu, But I didn't announce her name at that time. 

Aunt Tiansu studied abroad in France in the summer of 1929, where she studied pedagogy.She is studying abroad at public expense, with money from the Kuomintang.At first glance, it seems disgraceful, but in fact, it is something to be proud of.  Aunt Tiansu was born in Sichuan in 1908, and came to Beijing with my grandfather when she was young. After 1925, my grandfather relinquished his post as an officer in the Mongolian and Tibetan Institute of the Beijing government, and went to Guangzhou to join the vigorous national revolution. In 1926, Aunt Tiansu was only 18 years old. She also went to Guangzhou, a holy place of revolution, with her girlfriends Zhang Bangzhen and Luo Xi.After Aunt Tiansu left, she was admitted to the women's movement workshop hosted by Mr. He Xiangning. Because she was lively, enthusiastic, active and willing to work, she was also eloquent and dared to stand out, and soon became Mr. He Xiangning's beloved student.With the rapid advancement of the National Revolutionary Army, the students of the Women's Movement Workshop went to the fierce struggle after short training, or went to the factory streets to raise donations, or went to the field hospital to rescue the wounded. In the late autumn of 1926, when Wuhan was restored, Aunt Tiansu rushed to Wuhan to report to Mr. He who had arrived earlier. Mr. He held her hand to ask questions.Many, many years later, when Aunt Tian Su talked about that scene, she still seemed to feel Mr. He's kind eyes and unrelenting hand warmth.

The "April 12" counter-revolutionary coup in 1927 was a major turning point.Aunt Tiansu, who was 19 at the time, admitted later that she didn't understand why this happened or what else could happen.She was detained in the dormitory for several days, and someone came forward and asked her to write a "repentance notice", saying that if it was published in the newspaper, she would be released from life.At that time, she only kept in mind Mr. He's teachings about insisting on Mr. Sun's three major policies of "uniting with Russia, uniting with the Communist Party, and supporting farmers and workers". She felt that Mr. He would never allow his students to violate this basic creed, so she refused to write the so-called "Repentance Notice".Some people were dragged out for dozens of hours, and soon it was said that they were executed; some people reluctantly wrote a "repentance notice" according to the specified format out of cowardice, so they were released as expected.Aunt Tian Su fell into great anxiety with her lively 19-year-old life.Just when her life was in danger, Mr. He sent someone to rescue her, and that person took her all the way to Shanghai, and sent her all the way to Mr. He.Mr. He kept her by his side. 

After the Kuomintang-Communist cooperation broke down, Mr. He was very angry and very saddened by Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei's "combination of Ning and Han" and their betrayal of Mr. Sun Yat-sen's basic line.She resigned from all positions in the Kuomintang government and disdain to be with Jiang, Wang and others.After all, Mr. He is a veteran of Sun Yat-sen's generation. In terms of revolutionary qualifications, even Liao Zhongkai joined the League, and she was her introducer, so Chiang Kai-shek and others had to respect her somewhat. In the summer of 1928, Chiang Kai-shek asked Zhu Jiqing, a veteran of the Kuomintang, to come forward and invite Mr. He to live in Nanjing.Mr. He went with two attendants, one was Luo Heng and the other was my aunt Liu Tiansu.According to Aunt Tiansu's recollection, she lived in the guest house of the Kuomintang Military Commission in Niupi Lane, Nanjing.This is a very bright house with a combination of Chinese and Western styles, with a living room in the middle, Mr. He lives in one side, and Auntie and Luo Heng live in one side.Next to the door of the house where my aunt and the others lived, a sign with the word "attendant" was solemnly hung up by the people from the guest house. 

At that time, Mr. He was nearly 50 years old, his aunt was just 20 years old, and Luo Heng was slightly older than her aunt. The age gap between teachers and students was quite large.But according to Aunt Tiansu's recollection, when Mr. He joked with them, he didn't look like an older senior, but like a considerate big sister, very easy-going and humorous.When my aunt was in Guangzhou in 1926, she got engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Zeng Qingji. At that time, Mr. He and Liu Qingyang personally presided over their engagement tea party.My aunt doesn't know how to dress up. Mr. He is a painter, so he pointed out to my aunt: "The state affairs are in chaos, and it's natural to be bored with heavy makeup, but if you wear a cheongsam, don't wear dark socks with light colors. It can also be worn with light-colored socks." At that time, Luo Heng had shown a tendency to wear men's clothing, always cut his hair short, and the cheongsam should not be close to the waist of the coat, so Mr. He reminded her: "It is always natural. It’s really decent, and it’s hard to force it.” But in general, at that time, Mr. He was still preoccupied, his face was serious, and he was even worried. 

Aunt Tiansu's memories of Song Meiling and Chiang Kai-shek's visit to Mr. He always aroused my rich imagination and many emotions.The couple did not come together. First, Soong Meiling came to Cowhide Lane. My aunt recalled that she led Song to the living room.Soong Meiling dressed up very carefully that day, she was really glamorous, and she brought a box of very delicate snacks as a gift.After my aunt came into Mr. He's room to inform, she told Mr. He to ask Soong Meiling to come in and sit down. Soong Meiling walked in with a smile.When the aunt was pouring tea, the two of them seemed to be quite harmonious. Soong Meiling asked about Mr. He's health, and Mr. He also exchanged a few words with her.But not long after my aunt left the room, she heard Mr. He questioning and reprimanding Soong Meiling loudly, but Soong Meiling didn't make a sound.It didn't take long before Song Meiling withdrew, her face flushed, but she didn't lose her inherent brightness. In front of Aunt Tiansu, nothing seemed to happen, and she told Aunt Tiansu to "take good care of Mr. He" , burn the preserved egg and lean meat porridge early in the morning and persuade her to drink it", and walked out calmly.Chiang Kai-shek came after a few days, in military uniform.When my aunt recalled that scene, she criticized the current movies and TV dramas, saying that the actors who played Chiang Kai-shek might have good acting skills, but they were often too tall and not as handsome as the real Chiang Kai-shek.Chiang Kai-shek was just 40 years old that year, with a radiant face and vigorous steps.But after he entered Mr. He's room, his life was not as good as Song Meiling's.Aunt Tiansu and Luo Heng not only heard Mr. He scolding Chiang Kai-shek loudly in Cantonese Mandarin in the living room, but also slammed the table because of excitement.Chiang Kai-shek still had some voices of justification and persuasion, but he stopped speaking later.After Chiang Kai-shek left, Mr. He chased him out of the house and continued to reprimand him. Aunt Tiansu and Luo Heng stood up and witnessed the scene, feeling tense.But Chiang Kai-shek turned around, touched the heels of his boots, straightened his back, raised his arms and raised his fingers in a regular manner, and gave Mr. He a salute, with an expression of resignation and respect for the former sages, which made Mr. He behind him The two young attendants couldn't help pursing their lips and laughing.But Mr. He was still angry, Chiang Kai-shek had gone far away, and she was still standing on the threshold and berated him for a long time. 

After Mr. He was completely disappointed with the Jiangs, he said to Aunt Tiansu and Luo Heng: "The KMT is messed up now. It is better for you young people to study abroad and return to China later to play a role." In this way, Mr. He personally asked Aunt Tiansu for a Kuomintang government-sponsored study abroad place, and said to Aunt Tiansu: "You go to Daqianzhan, and I will leave these dirty places and live abroad for a while later."  After Aunt Tiansu went to France in the summer of 1929, Mr. He was welcomed in the late autumn of that year.Among the belongings of my aunt is the picture album that was inscribed to her by Mr. He at that time. It reads: "In the 19th year of the Republic of China, due to the turmoil of the state affairs, I went to Paris. I met my old friend Tiansu at the Fajing Station. We met in different places, mixed with sorrow and joy. Tiansu studied in France. Give this as a souvenir."

From 1930 to 1931, Aunt Tiansu lived with Mr. He.After arriving in Paris, Mr. He first went to Germany, met Soong Ching Ling in Berlin, the capital of Germany, and tried to rescue his beloved son Liao Chengzhi, who was imprisoned in Hamburg Prison by Germany at that time because of his participation in the Anti-Imperialist League.Before returning to Paris, she wrote to Aunt Tiansu asking her to rent a house for her. At that time, Li Jiemin, my grandfather’s adoptive daughter, was studying in Paris at her own expense to study biochemistry. A small unit in an apartment complex on Sant Mitchell Avenue.There are only three rooms here except the kitchen and bathroom. Mr. He lived in one room after he came, and my two "abroad aunts" lived in one room. The middle room was used as a dining room.A series of famous paintings by Mr. He, such as "Red Plum and Chrysanthemum", "Red Leaf Snow Scene", "Moon Tiger" and "Snow Tiger", were all completed there.Chinese students studying in France sometimes went there to visit Mr. He. At that time, Luo Heng and Zhang Bangzhen were also studying in Paris, so naturally they appeared more often.Luo Heng not only wears men's clothing completely, but also feels completely masculine. Zhang Bangzhen is dressed in a completely westernized Parisian fashion, exuding a strong smell of perfume from top to bottom. There are rumors that the two of them are in love with each other among the overseas students.Both men flew to Taiwan in 1949 and are said to have passed away.Aunt Tiansu recalled her life in Paris and the subsequent personnel changes with mixed feelings. 

Later, Zeng Qingji came to Paris to discuss marriage with Aunt Tiansu, Liao Chengzhi was finally released from prison and went to Paris, Li Jiemin transferred to study in Lyon, aunt and the others moved to live on the fourth floor of an apartment on rue Vernay, Hongshan, a suburb of Paris.There are four apartments in that apartment. Mr. He lives in the east one, Zeng Qingji lives in the west one, Liao Chengzhi lives in the north one, and Aunt Tiansu lives in the middle one. They are mother, son, teacher and student. A fun and harmonious family.They make their own Sichuan kimchi and Cantonese stewed vegetables, and maintain a Chinese-style eating habit. Mr. He divides the cooking, Liao Chengzhi divides the vegetables, Aunt Tiansu stir-fries, and Zeng Qingji, who later became my uncle, is in charge of washing the dishes after meals. .

They do their own laundry and sanitation, living a simple and happy life.  As the years passed, Mr. He and Liao Chengzhi later had a more magnificent revolutionary career.After Aunt Tiansu and Zeng Qingji got married in Paris, because my uncle Zeng Qingji later obtained a military degree in the United States and returned to China to serve in the Kuomintang army, my aunt also returned to China and engaged in some educational work intermittently, during which time she gave birth to a child. Four daughters and two sons.During the War of Liberation, my uncle revolted in Chengdu. As a senior Kuomintang general who made great contributions to the uprising, he was well arranged after liberation. Later, he died of illness in Jinan as a member of the CPPCC Shandong Province. After 1949, my aunt went to Beijing several times to visit Mr. He who used to love her mother and daughter. Mr. He always asked her to make good use of her skills and contribute to the construction of the motherland. During the "Cultural Revolution", Aunt Tian Su went to Mr. He's house and found that the door of the room where Liao Chengzhi lived in front was locked, and some chairs inside could be seen from the window were put upside down on the table. place.But when I think back to living together in Paris more than 30 years ago, when Liao Chengzhi was cutting beef and hitting the meat with a knife to make a bang bang rhythm, supplemented by humorous whistles, I feel like it Liao Chengzhi's optimistic nature and broad-minded mind, combined with the experience of storms and waves, no matter how treacherous the current situation is, he can always break through and resolve it.Mr. He was very excited when he saw Aunt Tiansu that time. Sitting in the wheelchair, he patted his knees with both hands several times, and said repeatedly: "Tiansu is here!

Tiansu, you are here! Good!" They sat together and recalled some life scenes when they lived in Paris. Aunt Tiansu intentionally did not mention Liao Chengzhi, and Mr. He did not mention it, as if her son was still living in the front yard the same. Mr. He Xiangning passed away in 1972. At that time, the "Cultural Revolution" had not yet ended, and Aunt Tiansu did not come to Beijing to attend the memorial service. On the tenth anniversary of Mr. He's death in 1982, Liao Chengzhi invited his aunt to Beijing and asked her to write a memoir about Mr. He. Later, his aunt wrote a long essay of more than 10,000 words and included it in the book "Memories and Remembrance" of Beijing Publishing House.When he was in Beijing, Liao Chengzhi asked her about her aunt several times, and asked her to write down any difficulties and requests so that they could be resolved.At that time, my aunt did encounter some difficulties in her life. We juniors all advised her to take this rare opportunity to hand in the materials, and it was logical to get them resolved quickly.But she thought that our juniors were too ignorant, so she told Liao Chengzhi that everything was fine and she didn't ask for anything.  Aunt Tiansu has never been humane to outsiders for many years and had an unusually close relationship with Mr. He Xiangning.When I published the article "Aunt Studying Abroad", she was quite critical, but her name was not mentioned in the article, and it was not written about her specifically. There were fewer things about her than this article, so she finally didn't get angry with me.Now that Aunt Tiansu has passed away, I wrote down some (far from all) things (far from all) I heard from her fragmentarily about her following Mr. He, and begged her spirit in heaven to forgive me.I think that some raindrops that flashed in the process of history should not be allowed to annihilate, but should be recorded. This will help us never forget those major historical joints and enrich our historical imagination. force.