In the 20th century, the literary and academic careers of the remarkable couple, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang, stand out as legends in Chinese culture. Their love, intellectual accomplishments, and literary achievements shine brightly in Chinese history. However, beyond these shining aspects炒股配资查询, their lives were also filled with the everyday joys and sorrows that make them deeply relatable. Their daughter, Qian Yuan, faced numerous hardships throughout her life but also witnessed the profound emotional bond and mutual support between her parents. How did this pair of literary and academic giants navigate the shadow of their daughter’s severe illness, and find meaning and hope in their lives? This is the story that follows.
展开剩余94%In 1935, Qian Zhongshu and his newlywed wife, Yang Jiang, embarked on a journey to England for further study at Oxford University. Qian Zhongshu majored in English literature, while Yang Jiang, though attending as an auditor, immersed herself in learning as well. Their life together in Oxford was one of intellectual enrichment. Outside of their academic work, they often spent their evenings absorbed in books, enjoying the quiet joy of reading. Their simple yet fulfilling life in Oxford was marked by evenings spent reading under the dim light of their lamps, a tranquil escape into the world of knowledge.
In 1936, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang took a break from their studies to travel to Switzerland and France. This trip not only exposed them to European culture but also strengthened their bond. On their way back, Yang Jiang returned with a delightful surprise—she was pregnant. With a smile, Qian Zhongshu jokingly said, “I hope it's a daughter, one as beautiful and intelligent as you.” Yang Jiang laughed at his comment, but inside she felt a deep sense of happiness and anticipation.
On May 19, 1937, their joy was realized with the birth of their daughter, Qian Yuan, affectionately called Yuan Yuan. On the day of her birth, Qian Zhongshu anxiously paced back and forth at the hospital, eager for any opportunity to catch a glimpse of his newborn daughter and his wife. When Yang Jiang was discharged, Qian Zhongshu prepared a nourishing chicken soup, adding fresh fava beans to help his exhausted wife recover. As he gazed at their daughter in her swaddling blanket, Qian Zhongshu remarked, “We don’t need any more children. If we have another, they might be even more talented, and we couldn’t possibly favor one over the other. Yuan Yuan is enough.” His words deeply moved Yang Jiang, and she silently agreed.
In 1938, the family returned to China. Qian Zhongshu first taught at Tsinghua University before being recalled by his father to serve as the head of the English department at Lan Tian. Meanwhile, Yang Jiang, along with their daughter, stayed in her family’s home in Shanghai. By day, she taught English at Zhenhua Girls’ School and also worked as a tutor for a wealthy family. It wasn’t until late evening that she could return home. After a long day of work, she would often stay up late into the night grading students’ assignments, leaving her with little time to rest.
During these long hours, little Yuan Yuan often yearned for more of her mother’s attention. At times, she would express her frustration by pretending to swat at the stacks of papers her mother was busy grading. Seeing her daughter’s small gestures of longing, Yang Jiang’s heart ached, yet she could do little to alter the demanding pace of their wartime life. To make ends meet, Qian Zhongshu had to travel frequently, while Yang Jiang struggled to balance her academic responsibilities with motherhood.
Despite their challenges, Yuan Yuan inherited her parents’ remarkable intelligence. At a young age, her precociousness and sharp insights were already evident. By the time she was three years old, her ability to explain words showed a maturity beyond her years. When she saw the character “朋” (friend), she described it as “two ‘moons’ hugging each other.” Yang Jiang was amazed by her daughter’s creative thinking, and she even wrote a poem celebrating how Yuan Yuan had inherited her sharpness from her mother, along with her father’s literary talent.
When Yuan Yuan was four years old, her father, Qian Zhongshu, returned to Shanghai after two years away. At first, Yuan Yuan was somewhat distant, even telling her father when she saw him placing his luggage on Yang Jiang’s bed, “This is Mommy’s bed. You should find your own mother’s bed.” Qian Zhongshu, amused, jokingly asked who had known Yang Jiang first. Yuan Yuan, with a serious tone, replied, “Of course, I knew Mommy first. I’ve known her since I was born. You only got to know her later!” Her innocent yet logical response made Qian Zhongshu laugh and feel an immense pride in his daughter’s intelligence.
Yuan Yuan not only showed exceptional intelligence but also inherited the family’s deep literary roots. She grew up surrounded by books and poetry, and her grandfather, Qian Jibo, even praised her as the future academic hope of the Qian family. By the age of 15, she had already become engrossed in reading English novels, a passion that would later form the foundation of her academic career.
Despite her intelligence and promising future, Yuan Yuan’s health was frail, and she often battled various illnesses. In 1947, doctors diagnosed her with bone tuberculosis, a severe and often untreatable disease at the time, similar to tuberculosis in terms of its contagiousness. This diagnosis devastated Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang. Faced with the pain of their daughter’s illness, Yang Jiang quietly suggested to Qian Zhongshu that they might consider having another child, but after a long pause, Qian Zhongshu shook his head, declining the idea. Together, they decided to pour all their love and energy into caring for Yuan Yuan, facing this heavy reality together.
In 1956, while still young, Yuan Yuan met the talented Wang De Yi at Beijing Normal University. They worked together in the university’s art group, and their frequent collaborations brought them closer. Over time, Yuan Yuan took the initiative, and their relationship grew stronger, eventually leading to marriage. Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang were pleased with their daughter’s choice of a kind and honest future son-in-law. After years of courtship, Yuan Yuan and Wang De Yi married and began a new life together in a dormitory at Beijing Normal University. Their life was filled with harmony and sweetness, often preparing lessons together and occasionally visiting the Qian family, with Yang Jiang even personally cutting Wang De Yi’s hair.
However, their happiness was short-lived. Wang De Yi was wrongly implicated by a friend named Zhang, and the immense psychological pressure led him to tragically take his own life. This event devastated Yuan Yuan, and she was unfairly labeled a “widow.” Unable to bear the connection to her past, she returned to live with her family. But the indifference and greed of the neighbors made her life difficult. A minor laundry dispute escalated into a neighborhood conflict, and during this altercation, Yuan Yuan was attacked. Yang Jiang, witnessing her daughter’s suffering, bravely intervened, only to be knocked over in the process.
In the face of such a painful loss and conflict, Yuan Yuan moved forward with remarkable resilience. She eventually earned a government scholarship to study abroad in 1978, and upon her return, she became a professor of English at Beijing Normal University, guiding Ph.D. students and continuing her academic passion. Yuan Yuan’s teaching was both rigorous and approachable, and her students were inspired by her enthusiasm and dedication. Her innovative approach to linguistics, particularly in the area of stylistics, helped transform what could be dry academic material into an engaging and dynamic learning experience.
Throughout her career, Yuan Yuan’s focus on her students’ experience never wavered, and despite her mother’s concerns for her health, Yuan Yuan continued to pour herself into her work. However, the long hours and intense focus eventually took a toll on her health. In the spring of 1995, she began to experience persistent coughing and back pain, which she initially ignored. It wasn’t until her pain became unbearable that she sought medical help, only to discover that she had advanced bone tuberculosis and lung cancer. The cancer had spread to her spine and lungs, and her condition deteriorated rapidly.
Despite undergoing chemotherapy, her condition worsened, and she became reliant on oxygen to breathe. By 1996, Yuan Yuan had been using painkillers for some time to manage her symptoms. One morning, the pain intensified to the point where she could no longer sit up, prompting her colleagues to rush her to the hospital. After further tests, it was confirmed that her lung cancer had reached an advanced stage, leaving her with little time.
As her health declined, Yuan Yuan remained determined to continue her academic work, staying in touch with her students and even advising them from her hospital bed. During this time, her father, Qian Zhongshu, had also been in the hospital for several years, suffering from his own health problems. Despite her own suffering, Yuan Yuan did not want to burden her mother, Yang Jiang, and only communicated with her through letters and phone calls, always reassuring her with optimism.
In 1997, Yang Jiang, now elderly and burdened with her husband’s care, rushed to Beijing to see her daughter one last time. The sight of Yuan Yuan, close to death, broke Yang Jiang’s heart, yet she remained strong for her daughter. Sitting by her bed, she whispered softly to Yuan Yuan, assuring her that both she and Qian Zhongshu would be there with her, asking her to rest peacefully. After hearing these words, Yuan Yuan closed her eyes for the last time.
The loss of their daughter left Yang Jiang with an indescribable pain, yet she knew her responsibilities did not end there. Her husband, Qian Zhongshu, had been bedridden for four years, and despite her own grief, she cared for him with unwavering devotion. The day after Yuan Yuan passed, Yang Jiang prepared chicken soup for her husband, ignoring her exhaustion to bring him comfort.
Though Qian Zhongshu had long suspected something was wrong, he had not been told of Yuan Yuan’s condition. His sorrow became apparent when, eight days after Yuan Yuan’s death, he cried out for her in his sleep, calling her name urgently. This moment of profound grief left Yang Jiang heartbroken, as she silently stood by, comforting him.
Through years of hardship, both Yang Jiang and Qian Zhongshu had remained steadfast in their love and commitment to each other. Even in their final moments, they continued to share a deep connection, finding solace in the quiet understanding that had defined their entire relationship.
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