Chapter 3 overture

On January 2, 1981, the People's Daily, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times all published a photo of a woman shaking hands with Deng Xiaoping on the front page, and published the news. She is Chen Xiangmei. Chen Xiangmei's name spread like wildfire in mainland China.In fact, it's just that the younger generation is relatively unfamiliar with her. Who doesn't know about the elderly, who was the first female reporter of the Central News Agency and the wife of General Chennault of the American Flying Tigers? Yes, in the United States, people have long known her name: Anna Chennault, not all because she is Chennault's widow, no, after becoming a new widow at the age of 33, this mother of two children has made her way in the United States with bare hands and single-handedly !

In the 1960s, Chen Xiangmei joined the Republican Party of the United States. In 1960, she assisted Nixon to enter the White House for the first time but was defeated by Kennedy. Even so, after Kennedy came to power, he appointed her as the "Chairman of the Refugee Relief Administration" and became the first person of Chinese descent appointed as a White House worker. In 1967, she was commissioned by Nixon to serve as the chairman of the National Women's Supporting Nixon Campaign Committee and as an Asian affairs consultant.Despite this, she is only involved in American politics, never in the cabinet, forever.

In 1970, she became the vice president of Flying Tiger Airways, the first female vice president in the United States. In 1972, she was selected as one of the 70 most influential people in America. In 1978, she paved the way for Reagan's campaign and was the only woman in the "kitchen steward" for Reagan. On November 2, 1980, Reagan, victorious, sent her to China and Taiwan as his secretive envoy just before his inauguration. She was also a guest officially invited by Deng Xiaoping.Chai Zemin, China's first ambassador to the United States, brought her an invitation from Deng Xiaoping, inviting her to visit Beijing. Of course, all of this was extremely mysterious before the news broke.

Her life is full of legends. How many "firsts" are inextricably linked to her life?In the world, she is afraid that she is the woman who has the most dealings with the presidents and chairmen of various countries, but she has joined the cabinet; she is also an effective woman who crosses the most categories; In broadcast journalism, literature and art circles, where can't I find her shadow?She is also the woman who flies the farthest, farthest and longest in the world, from a young girl to an old woman, from the south, west, northwest, north, and south of China to Asia, Europe, America, Africa, and Latin America, where is there no trace of her left?

This is truly a woman of timeless allure and allure. This is a woman who loves America, and loves China and Taiwan even more.Some people say that she should have taken this big step long ago and become a solid bond among the three parties. If she had done so ten years ago, then at 4:00 am on July 9, 1971, she mysteriously flew over the snow-capped Himalayas. She should have been the leader of the group that arrived at Beijing Nanyuan Military Airport at 15:00. It was not Kissinger who went down in history when China and the United States established diplomatic relations, but she, Chen Xiangmei.

Who knows? She is not a politician, but a woman, a woman with traditional Chinese cultural wisdom and traditional Chinese morality. The snow fell and the ground was silent. Building No. 18 of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing is even more resplendent, magnificent and noble in the dark night and white snow; the lights of the presidential suite are kept on all night. The heavy gold velvet curtains were not drawn, the georgette curtains were parted, and a woman stood at the window.The orange halo of the table lamp made her petite figure more graceful. She wore a taupe-colored soft satin nightgown, and only a red plum was embroidered on the right breast in the light and elegant; her appearance was a bit like the French actress Sophia Loren , the outline is extremely clear and beautiful, and reveals the air of knowledge.It's just that her face is slightly rounder and shorter, a pair of black eyes under the raised eyebrows are very energetic, and under the straight nose, the lips with clear lines are gently closed.

She stared at the snow outside the window.She is reciting snow's poems. "Suddenly like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of trees and pear trees bloom." Cen Shen's famous saying has been passed down through the ages. "Birds fly away in a thousand mountains, and people disappear in thousands of miles. A lonely boat and hat man, fishing for snow in the cold river alone." Is Liu Zongyuan painting a snow scene, or is he writing about his state of mind? "Snowflakes are like palms and it's hard to cover your eyes, and the wind is as strong as a knife and you can't stop worrying." This Qian Qianyi seems to be competing with the wind and snow with the heart of a poet?

"Snowflakes in Yanshan are as big as a mat." Hey, the boldness, open-mindedness, exaggeration and optimism of Yanshan people are all in this sentence, right? Don't say that all the snow in the world is the same! Yesterday, the last day of 1980, it also snowed in Washington, USA. She walked out of her house on the highest floor of the Water Gate Building, and when she heard the sound of snow falling, a sentence from Nalan Xingde in the Qing Dynasty came to her heart: "When the wind changes, the snow changes, and the dreams of the hometown are broken. There is no such sound in the hometown."

Tears had blurred her vision.Is this secret flight an end to thirty-one years of Sauvignon Blanc?Or is lovesickness disguised as love, and it will last forever? The car sped through the Washington airport. A Pan Am flight took off with her and a few passengers.The U.S. ruling and opposition parties have just finished the busy Christmas season and are welcoming the New Year. This is a quiet day amidst the hustle and bustle. She has no secretary or entourage, and she flies eastward quietly. She stared out of the cabin window at the white snow in the sky. Mei and Xue have an indissoluble bond.

"The sky is full of clouds and grass, and the sky is covered with snow and sand. The wild plums can't be burned, and you can see two or three flowers from time to time." Can the incoming actor-president Ronald Reagan understand the profound cultural implication of ancient Chinese poetry?But he understands the heart of this woman and understands her irreplaceable role in Asia. On November 2, 1980, Reagan won the election.Before that, the woman had said to Reagan: "If you are elected president, don't forget to use more women!" Reagan replied not without humor but also very sincerely: "If every woman is as smart as you , then what do we men do?"

In January 1981, the president will be officially sworn in. In the short time when the old and new teams alternate, Reagan has to straighten out relations with mainland China and Taiwan. This woman is what he thought of and immediately used!He summoned her twice, but did not make the conversation public. She was his special envoy, but it was a secret flight. The flight landed slowly at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. At the airport, there was no one else, not even the American ambassador, except the person in charge of the Pan American company, Ma Shuli, Taiwan’s representative to Japan, and his deputy. Everything was going on quietly. Senator Stephen and his bride Godlian, who just got married for one day, are already waiting in the VIP room of the airport. After meeting with Chen Xiangmei here, they will fly to Beijing. Originally, Chen Xiangmei was traveling with Tennessee Senator and Senate Minority Party Chairman Harvey Baker, but just a week before his departure, his wife was admitted to the hospital for surgery; so he temporarily asked the soon-to-be groom's Vice Chairman Stephen to act on his behalf. Stephen is a senior senator from Alaska. He was a pilot in the 14th Air Force and he was also an old subordinate of General Chennault.Chen Xiangmei said humorously: Simply, you go to China for your honeymoon, the dragon and the phoenix will bring good luck, good luck and everything goes well. After a short rest, the plane took off again. Beijing is approaching, her heart is beating hard, and a poem is brewing in her mind: "Being close to the hometown is more timid, and I dare not ask people. The heart is heavy when parting, and the hatred of parting is as thick as autumn clouds. Who knows that we will meet again, not every year, but like a lifetime! Three decades! When I parted, I was young In the past two decades, when I come back, I have already experienced all the troubles and tasted the sophistication and bitterness of the world. Is this true? Is this a dream?" This is a dream.This is true. The flight has landed steadily at Beijing Capital Airport, the cabin door is opened, and passengers file down.But her eyes were wet with tears again, she stood on the gangway, let the cool wind blow her cheeks, she greedily inhaled the clear breath of Xue Ye, she muttered: Beijing, your daughter is back. She is already an American citizen holding an official and private passport, but her motherland is China, and her roots are in China. She is the daughter-in-law of the United States, and she is the daughter of China. So, she calls herself: half American. She is also a complete Chinese woman. On the morning of New Year's Day, the solemn Great Hall of the People was crowded with Chinese and foreign journalists. Deng Xiaoping and other state leaders received Ms. Chen Xiangmei and her party. "Kacha Kacha" spotlights flashed non-stop. It was night, and the news of Chen Xiangmei's visit to China was broadcast on TV in both China and the United States. And at that moment, when Deng Xiaoping held Chen Xiangmei's hand, Chen Xiangmei's heart trembled in the face of this kind and capable short old man!She not only holds the hand of a giant, she clearly touches the root of the Chinese nation!From the last day of 1980 to New Year's Day in 1981, it was only twenty or thirty hours, but she experienced a leap like a century, and she completed an extremely profound transition in her life journey!It's not like a world away, it's not like an illusion or a dream, the truth is that the Chinese should be united and should stand independently among the nations of the world. She saw her uncle Liao Chengzhi, who was wearing a neat dark gray Chinese tunic suit and spectacles, and extended his arms to her kindly.If it wasn't for this occasion, she would throw herself into her uncle's arms and cry!Seeing an uncle is like seeing a mother.She recalled the days of her teenage years in Hong Kong, the last days her mother spent with them.In those days, the mysterious and unpredictable uncle brought them joy and speculation. Mother said he was fighting guerrilla warfare, but he liked these nieces very much and often played with them.He is such a respectable and amiable uncle. That banquet was full of human touch. Deng Xiaoping talked and laughed happily, and said with a strong Sichuan accent: "Xiangmei, your uncle is a 'strict wife'." Chen Xiangmei looked at her uncle puzzled. At the turn of winter and spring, he was not short of breath at all. She asked, "Uncle, are you suffering from bronchitis?" Liao Chengzhi looked at Deng Xiaoping, shook his head happily and smiled. Deng Xiaoping still laughed and said: "Your uncle, it is 'strict wife control', your aunt forbids him to smoke more, and the daily supply is rationed, only 3 cigarettes are given. He often exceeds his budget. Whenever he has the opportunity, he will steal from me. smoke." Xiangmei couldn't help laughing out loud. Everyone laughed. This is the atmosphere of home, family affection.You don't have to rack your brains about what to talk about and how to talk about it, let alone be rigid. Deng Xiaoping treated Chen Xiangmei with the kindness and kindness of his elders, and he valued her very much. Chinese people are very particular about arranging seats. In fact, no country can get rid of this custom.When he was seated, Deng Xiaoping said heartily: "Chen Xiangmei sits first, and Senator Mr. Stephen sits second. Because there are 100 senators in the United States; Chen Xiangmei, not to mention the United States, there is only one in the whole world." What a wise old man! What a funny old man! There is no barrier, no distance, no cloud cover, and China's top leaders welcome her with open hearts; what she hopes, longs for, and misses is the atmosphere of home. She really returned to her natal home. The snow fell and the ground was silent. The snowflakes are fluttering, are the layers of curtains that have fallen over the years?She finally crossed the barrier of history, healed the rough folds of her heart, and left her love in the world. Finally, "how can you get the fragrance of plum blossoms without going through a bit of cold"? Or "What do you know about life everywhere? It should be like Feihong stepping on snow mud. Occasionally leaving fingers and claws on the mud, Hongfei's tricks"? Perhaps, the machines in several printing factories on both sides of the ocean are roaring and running, rushing to print the world-shaking New Year's Day news?Of course, there will be no "explosion effect" like Nixon's visit to China in 1973. However, she is the daughter of China, and her life has always been entangled with the history of China, which cannot be replaced by anyone. Chen Xiangmei has only one , the significance of this trip is no small matter.In the photo, she is wearing a snow-white suit and skirt, solemn, noble, and pure, while she usually wears Chinese women's cheongsam.Perhaps, this is also a symbol?tacit agreement? But at this time, she didn't want to make too many political and philosophical speculations, she just muttered to herself: I'm home, I'm home... That place was so far, so far away, looming in the dream; the firecrackers on New Year's Eve and the lights of the Lantern Festival used to haunt her dreams; but now, she has returned home. "When you come from your hometown, you should know the affairs of your hometown. In the future, in front of the beautiful window, will the plum bloom yet?" Xiangmei asked Hanmei, who can understand the pain of long-term lovesickness? On the top floor of the Watergate Building in Washington, USA, she owns a luxurious and elegant home, a first-class house, equipped with luxurious ancillary facilities, a roof garden with unbeatable flowers in all seasons, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the Potomac River, but she often feels like a floating cloud Temporarily stay there; in Wuchang Xincun, Taipei, Taiwan, she owns a two-storey building with a Chinese style in the front courtyard and back garden, but there is too much love, too much regret, too much anxiety and too much anxiety between her and her husband. Melancholy; and a real home should be suitable and grow with her, she remembered her former home... A few strings of wisterias and several maple leaves inside the red wall; a night of spring rain, and the sound of selling flowers in the small alley in the early morning; jasmine is planted in the temples of Mama Zhang and Aunt Tian, ​​reminiscent of her childhood joy. Her first home is in Beijing.