During the Republic of China, the world was in chaos. Countless tortuous stories about heroes, beautiful men, talented men and beauties emerged from the land of China amid heavy artillery fire and devastation.
Later, as the situation changed and the country became stable, these stories from the old era were placed at the bottom of the cabinet like old newspapers, and gradually no one knew about them anymore. New newspapers and new stories replaced them, attracting people's attention.
Poor father and beautiful stepmother
In 1949, on the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a family in Peiping started to organize a wedding. The two protagonists of the wedding were no longer young people. The man's surname was Li, and his name was Li Zhenhai. It was his second marriage. A marriage left him with a teenage daughter named Zhang Xifei who is single.
Although Li Zhenhai's new wife is not a girl in her twenties, she is very beautiful and seems to be incompatible with this ordinary family where the man is a boilermaker.
Some of the neighbors nearby were envious of Li Zhenhai's good fortune, while others were making malicious speculations.
After getting along with each other for a period of time, everyone found that the beauty was indeed different from ordinary people. She really had no fingers in the spring water. She was very clumsy in washing, cooking and taking care of the children. Later, she simply stopped doing it. In this poor little courtyard, she is still arrogant. Maintain your beauty and tidy yourself up like a white swan.
Most of the housework falls on Zhang Xifei's husband Li Zhenhai, and Li Zhenhai has no complaints about this.
Marriage life is like a fish drinking water, knowing whether it is good or bad. So far, the two of them and their daughter have lived a peaceful and contented life, and the neighbors have nothing to say.
However, the good times did not last long. Li Zhenhai died of illness. The departure of the main labor force put the family in an instant dilemma.
The death of her father made her daughter very afraid that her stepmother would abandon her. After all, the two were not related by blood.
However, what surprised everyone was that Zhang Xifei did not leave this stepdaughter, but worked hard to raise her up.
For a long time, Li Zhenhai's daughter had a vague impression of her stepmother. She was mysterious, beautiful, and so unique.
After his father passed away and the family was unable to survive, his stepmother Zhang Xifei sent a letter. Soon after, Zhang Xifei became a staff member of the New China Provincial Government Kindergarten, supporting the family that was missing a corner.
A few years later, Zhang Xifei passed away, and someone came to ask for news about her. Li Zhenhai's daughter suddenly realized that her stepmother Zhang Xifei had never been an ordinary person. She once had a famous nickname in Beijing. It's called Xiaofengxian .
However, the stars have changed, China has changed suddenly, this person has passed away, and the past is like smoke.
Born in poverty and humbleness, the famous Xiao Fengxian was originally named Zhu. She was born into a military officer family of Manchu . She was not born to her father's legitimate wife, but the child of a concubine. When she was born, her father had already lost his official position in the Qing government. Not long after, things got worse and her father died.
Her father's legitimate wife naturally couldn't tolerate this pair of eyesores, so Xiao Fengxian had no choice but to live on the streets with her mother. Soon, poverty and disease took away Xiao Fengxian's only relative, her mother, and she became an orphan.
An old man named Zhang adopted her out of kindness, and she changed her surname to Zhang from then on. In troubled times, ordinary people were like duckweeds, being chased and beaten by guns and cannons like frightened birds. Xiao Fengxian and her adoptive mother fled everywhere. Later, she lived in Nanjing and learned singing from a man named Hu.
After completing her studies, Mr. Hu took her to Shanghai and sold her to a writer, who then resold her to Bada Hutong where there were many customers at that time. From then on, she sang in Yunji Ban and also received guests.
At that time, the little fairy was not even twenty-eight years old, but she was already tall and graceful. Not only did she have a stunning appearance, she also had a melodious singing voice, and she was also literate. She quickly made a name for herself in this mixed-race brothel. , for a while, in Beiping City gained some reputation.
has beauty and talent, but is unable to protect herself. She can only be bought and sold like items. For most people, this is probably a very miserable life.
However, Xiao Fengxian was smart and never complained about herself. Soon, she seized the opportunity and met a noble man who could lead her out of the quagmire.
Meet a noble man and make history together
In 1914, Yuan Shikai stole the fruits of victory of the Revolution of 1911. When the Qing Dynasty had been destroyed, he ambitiously wanted to ascend the throne. To ascend the throne, the first thing he needed was At that time, Cai E was guarding Yunnan and was the "King of Yunnan" with powerful soldiers. Therefore, Yuan Shikai coerced and induced him to participate in his "restoration cause."
After Cai E came to Beijing, he was monitored by Yuan Shikai in all directions. All food, clothing, housing, transportation and friends were under Yuan Shikai's control. Therefore, he was very distressed and had no choice but to ignore worldly affairs and dress up in disguise every day to visit the eight alleys. It was at this time that Cai E met Xiao Fengxian.
Once they got along, Cai E had the idea that this person was his confidante. From then on, he took her with him to every occasion.
Not long after, Cai E became more and more deeply in love with Xiao Fengxian. He neglected his official duties and ignored his mother and wife. He only played with Xiao Fengxian every day.
These changes quickly reached the ears of Yuan Shikai. While Yuan Shikai looked down on Cai E, who was trapped by women, he secretly rejoiced and relaxed his control over Cai E a lot.
This was exactly what Cai E wanted to see. He and Xiao Fengxian teamed up to perform this play for Yuan Shikai, even hiding it from his mother and wife, just to earn a chance to escape.
Not long after, Cai E escaped from Yuan Shikai's control on the pretext of playing with Xiao Fengxian, returned to his own territory, and quickly called the whole country to punish Yuan Shikai, a traitor who did not conform to the times and the people.
However, fate is always strange and unexpected. Yuan Shikai, who ascended to the throne as he wished, died not long after, and the resourceful and very young Cai E also followed Yuan Shikai's footsteps and died of illness.
At the funeral of Cai E in Beijing, Xiao Fengxian, who had made a fuss with him, quietly went to pay homage and then left alone. From then on, she no longer wanted to be in the limelight.
Later, Xiao Fengxian married a brigade commander of the Northeastern Army for a second time. Until 1949, she married Li Zhenhai, an ordinary boiler worker.
After Li Zhenhai's death, Xiao Fengxian, who was unable to raise her stepdaughter, wrote to Mei Lanfang for help. Under the arrangement of the party, she got a job to make a living.
However, Xiao Fengxian died of illness before she had time to enjoy her old age. She was only 54 years old when she died.
Her life was resold like an object, lit up like fireworks, and finally returned to ordinary life. She witnessed the chaos of the Republic of China, personally participated in the rebellion against Yuan, and witnessed the anti-Japanese war and the founding of New China. , and finally, as a decent "person", died in the dawn of the founding of New China.
Perhaps only she can know the taste of it.
