Chapter 8 3. Colorful Wellesley University

Song Jiashu's early experience, especially the baptism of Oufeng Meiyu, made him hate the traditional Chinese education that suppresses individuality.He always believed: "Knowledge is power." He supports children to receive systematic cultural education. His kids should definitely go to college. In 1912, Meiling finally became a first-year university student. She attended Wellesley University for Women not far from Harvard University. This school is beautiful.With an open lawn, there are more precious Xiulin Jiamu. However, in the first days, she didn't like the school, and even said bluntly to the principal: "Well, I guess, I won't stay here for long."

Her xinxing is too high. However, she soon changed her mind and soon devoted herself to her studies and all the activities of the school. Here, she majored in English Literature courses.At the same time, she enthusiastically took philosophy as an elective.This not only optimized her appearance, but also exercised her mentally. Not only that, she also has a wider range of hobbies. She studied French and music desperately—not just theoretical cultivation, but also practiced the violin and piano frantically—purifying the soul while constantly tempering the soul. She also devoured electives in astronomy, history, botany, biblical history, and public speaking skills.In almost all professions.

At this time, Soong Meiling seemed to grow up in a day, and she seemed to want to learn the world's knowledge in a few days.For this reason, she is almost neurotic.Some friends said: "Although she is usually in a good mood, her temper is unpredictable and unpredictable." They remember that Song Meiling in this period was happy at one time and depressed at another. Because she is too competitive. While she was pursuing the courses she was interested in at this school, she went to the University of Vermont to take education as an elective. Hard work pays off. After 4 years of study, Soong Meiling won the university's highest honorary title: "Dulan Scholar".

Eighteen changes in the female university.At this time, Soong Meiling had grown from a round-faced little girl to a beautiful young girl.She has plump lines, a healthy complexion, and a light body. A big black braid hangs down behind her, making her even more graceful and charming.A professor commented: "We all liked her, regarded her as our natural member, and completely forgot that she was a foreigner. Of course, she was praised so much by people, not because she was like two sisters at that time." Just as pretty, but because she's warm, genuine, and often has an inner strength."

Ten years of American-style education not only made her go through the golden age when she was a teenager and entered adolescence, but also made her Americanized in all aspects such as living habits, behavior and speech.At this time, Soong Meiling, her values ​​and way of thinking were deeply imprinted by the United States."Only my face resembles an oriental," she said in a letter to a friend. The college days are coming to an end, and we are going back to our country.But what about returning home?As soon as I discussed this topic with my brother Ziwen at Harvard, I suddenly felt some distress.She is faced with how to readjust to that almost alien life.

However, it's not that she doesn't want to return home, she longs to be reunited with her family. After all, she will return to her motherland. From then on, at Wellesley University, she added a self-study course and began to study the glorious history of China. In fact, from the first day she entered this university, she never forgot that she is Chinese.According to many books, Soong Meiling hung a big oriental sword on the wall of her dormitory, and she often took out this gleaming sword from the scabbard to play with it.Because of this, a little girl with prejudice once thought that Meiling was a "pagan Chinese".

As soon as she entered the corridor of Chinese culture, Soong Meiling immediately became more and more interested in the motherland. Looking back on China, it turns out that the motherland has made so many great and brilliant contributions to world civilization. Ms. Hetty Wheeler, who taught Soong Meiling's music for two years, commented on Soong Meiling: "She was very moved by her student's thoughts and feelings about oriental culture and its heritage. Meiling's thoughts and feelings seem to grow with her age. growing stronger and stronger..." "As she usually does, she seemed completely Westernized at first, but gradually she became more and more proud of Chinese literature and art."

Because, in her blood vessels, the blood of the Chinese nation flows!