On November 23, 2014, at the entrance of the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan, an old man with gauze on half of his eyes and a shaky walk walked in accompanied by everyone.
The old man looked nervous. If he looked closely, her lips were trembling. The old man was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand and looked very embarrassed.
"This is it." The accompanying volunteers took the old man to a brown memorial tablet.
The old man had poor eyesight, so he could barely see the names on the memorial tablet clearly when he put his face in front of the memorial tablet.
When he saw the name clearly, the old man burst into tears.
She touched the name on the memorial tablet with trembling hands, "I'm here to find you. It's been 77 years. Do you still remember me? I am your wife?"
What is going on?
"14-year-old girl marries a soldier"
This elderly woman is called Zhang Shuying. She was born in 1921.
Zhang Shuying’s parents were both businessmen. Her family was wealthy and she was able to attend private school at that time.
The person the old man worshiped at the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei was called Zhong Chongxin , and he was her husband when he was young.
Zhong Chongxin is a native of Rongchang County, Chongqing. He studied at Huangpu Military Academy when he was young and was a student of the Fourth Squadron of the Engineer Brigade of the First Corps of Huangpu Phase 6.
After graduating in 1929, Zhong Chongxin became an officer of the Kuomintang.
But people in that era advocated early marriage and early childbearing. When Zhang Shuying was 14 years old, her parents introduced her to a marriage.
Zhang Shuying was very scared. Although she obeyed her parents' arrangements, she heard that the other party was a soldier and much older than herself.
In Zhang Shuying's impression, soldiers have always been serious in speech.
However, Zhang Shuying went to meet that person anyway, and that person was Zhong Chongxin. After
met Zhong Chongxin, Zhang Shuying's worries quickly disappeared.
Zhong Chongxin is 1.75 meters tall. He was considered a tall man at that time. Moreover, Zhong Chongxin has a good appearance, revealing perseverance and masculinity.
At the same time, Zhong Chongxin treated Zhang Shuying very well. He was gentle and always looked at Zhang Shuying with a smile.
Moreover, Zhong Chongxin is not an ordinary soldier. He is capable of both literary and military skills. He has the majesty of a soldier and the pen and ink of a scholar.
Zhang Shuying, who was new to love, quickly fell in love and became a young girl in love.
After the two met, Zhang Shuying's mother was very curious about their progress. She asked Zhang Shuying if she liked Zhong Chongxin, and Zhang Shuying nodded shyly.
Similarly, Zhong Chongxin is also very satisfied with Zhang Shuying. Zhang Shuying was beautiful when she was young, and she was well-educated and educated.
In May 1935, Zhang Shuying and Zhong Chongxin, who were still underage, held their wedding in Fuzhou.
Zhong Chongxin doted on Zhang Shuying very much. He even prepared the most beautiful and fashionable Western-style wedding dress for Zhang Shuying during the wedding.
After getting married, Zhong Chongxin still took good care of his little wife.
Zhong Chongxin also handed over all his salary as a soldier to Zhang Shuying, letting Zhang Shuying take charge of the family's property.
Zhong Chongxin is very willing to spend money on his wife, but he is very stingy on himself. He likes to smoke, but in order to save money, he only buys one pack every month.
But whenever Zhong Chongxin is free, he always takes Zhang Shuying to buy things on the street.
Zhong Chongxin can speak sweet words. He told Zhang Shuying: "Amei, you are beautiful without makeup."
In addition, Zhang Shuying stopped studying after getting married.
In order to improve Zhang Shuying's cultural level, Zhong Chongxin also accompanies Zhang Shuying to study every day.
"Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of a country."
However, in that turbulent era, the love between Zhang Shuying and Zhong Chongxin was destined to not go far.
Zhong Chongxin is a soldier. Before he considers his own family, he thinks more about this country.
Zhong Chongxin often talks to Zhang Shuying about family and country affairs. Zhong Chongxin also said that as a soldier, you must be prepared to sacrifice your life for the country.
Zhang Shuying, who is still young, feels frightened every time she hears these words, but she is praying, hoping that this kind of thing will not happen to her husband.
Zhong Chongxin often moved with the army because of his busy duties in the army, and Zhang Shuying also followed her husband .
Once, Zhong Chongxin was transferred to Nanjing, and Zhang Shuying also moved her family to Nanjing.
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out in 1937, the war in China became more intense.
Zhang Shuying vaguely felt that her husband might be transferred to the front line, but she still did not dare to look directly at this problem.
However, not long after, Zhong Chongxin went home and told Zhang Shuying that he was going to Shanghai.
Zhang Shuying felt uneasy at that time. This separation was different from the past. Maybe the two of them would not have the chance to see each other again in the future.
Zhang Shuying held her husband's hand, crying and asking her husband if he could come back and when he would come back safely.
But her husband Zhong Chongxin just shook his head. He told Zhang Shuying that he didn't know either.
In the beginning, Zhang Shuying could communicate with her husband through letters, but as the war became more and more serious, the frequency of their letters became less and less.
Zhong Chongxin's tone in the letter has always been very serious. He told Zhang Shuying that everyone around him had sacrificed one by one.
Zhang Shuying burst into tears after reading her husband's letter. She was very frightened and didn't know what she would do if her husband passed away.
Zhong Chongxin even told Zhang Shuying in a letter home that if she died on the front line, Zhang Shuying should remarry.
Zhang Shuying wrote back to her husband, saying that she did not want to remarry and that she would always be Zhong Chongxin’s wife.
Later, the war became tense, and Zhang Shuying completely lost contact with her husband.
Zhang Shuying evacuated to the mainland with her husband's mother. She lost the news about Zhong Chongxin and didn't even know whether he was alive or dead.
Zhang Shuying and her mother-in-law came to their hometown of Chongqing. They cried every day, looking forward to news about Zhong Chongxin.
Zhong Chongxin is a single son of the third generation. His mother did not agree with him joining the army at the beginning.
Zhong Chongxin’s mother hopes that he can live a peaceful life as an ordinary person guarding a few acres of land.
But Zhong Chongxin is a man with great ambitions. He is not willing to be a coward. In his view, everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the country.
Zhang Shuying and her mother-in-law have been looking forward to the news of Zhong Chongxin. Year after year, day after day, their hearts gradually sank to the bottom.
"Husband passed away, younger sister remarried"
One day in 1944, Zhang Shuying met Zhong Chongxin's comrades on the streets of Chongqing.
She was very excited that she might finally get news about her husband.
However, Zhong Chongxin’s comrades told her that Zhong Chongxin died in the Battle of Nanjing in December 1937.
Although Zhang Shuying had long suspected that her husband might have died, when she heard the news from others, Zhang Shuying still decided to spin.
With the help of her comrades, Zhang Shuying also received a clear reply from Zhong Chongxin’s unit, confirming that Zhong Chongxin had indeed died in the war.
Zhang Shuying couldn't let go. She didn't see her husband's body, and she didn't even know where her husband's tomb was.
Neither Zhang Shuying nor her mother-in-law could accept this painful blow.
A year later, Zhong Chongxin’s mother died of illness, and the only connection between Zhang Shuying and Zhong Chongxin in the world was interrupted.
Zhang Shuying's eyes were almost blinded by tears at that time. She didn't know what to do with her future life.
Later, Zhang Shuying’s parents found Zhang Shuying and wanted to take their daughter to Taiwan.
But Zhang Shuying rejected her parents. She wanted to stay in Chongqing.
Zhang Shuying said that her husband Zhong Chongxin is from Chongqing and she wants to stay in this city where her husband was born and raised.
Zhang Shuying was still young at that time. Although her husband had passed away, she had a beautiful face, and many people came to match her.
But Zhang Shuying was still thinking about her husband, and all those matchmakers were declined by Zhang Shuying.
However, at that time, it was very difficult for Zhang Shuying, as a weak woman, to live alone.
In the year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Shuying still remarried.
She married a man named Li Ziqing in Chongqing. After marrying someone else, Zhang Shuying could only hide her love for Zhong Chongxin in her heart.
In the following decades, she kept silent about Zhong Chongxin, burying her memory of Zhong Chongxin in the deepest place.
"Looking for her husband's spiritual place"
In 1983, Zhang Shuying's second husband passed away.
Five years after her husband passed away, Zhang Shuying chose to tell her three children the secret she had hidden all her life.
Zhang Shuying wanted to pay homage to Zhong Chongxin's memorial tablet, but she was afraid that her three children would not agree. Zhang Shuying was careful when speaking.
However, Zhang Shuying’s three children did not feel any discomfort.
On the contrary, the three children were shocked by the love between their mother and Zhong Chongxin for their family and country.
Living in peaceful times, they can also feel the helplessness of their mother and Zhong Chongxin.
Since then, Zhang Shuying's three children have been working hard to realize their mother's wishes.
Zhang Shuying's eldest son actually found information about Zhong Chongxin in "Records of the Songhu Anti-Japanese War and the Fall of Nanjing" written by Qiu Guanghan, then the major and staff officer of the 87th Division.
The book states that on the morning of December 12, 1937, Chief of Staff Zhong Chongxin was killed in Yuhuatai.
Zhong Chongxin’s former comrades heard about this incident and wrote a special letter to explain to Zhang Shuying the process of Zhong Chongxin’s sacrifice at that time.
After many years, even if she heard the news of Zhong Chongxin's death again, Zhang Shuying still cried like a tearful person.
She is already gray-haired, and she does not dare to hope for anything else in this life, she only hopes to find Zhong Chongxin's spiritual place.
She wanted to give Zhong Chongxin a stick of incense and talk to him about what was in her heart over the years.
However, in the huge crowd, it is difficult to find a living person, let alone a soldier who died decades ago.
Just like that, time flew by again.
Until 2014, Zhang Shuying’s son saw a CCTV program called “Caring for Veterans”.
He thought of his mother and Zhong Chongxin, so he contacted the program volunteers, hoping to find Zhong Chongxin's spiritual place for his mother.
After the volunteers learned this touching news, they were immediately moved.
Soon after, volunteers found a one-inch photo of Zhong Chongxin who graduated from Huangpu Military Academy in the Zhejiang Archives.
The volunteers gave this photo to the old man as a souvenir. Some people also used modern technology to put together photos of the old man when he was young and photos of Zhong Chongxin.
This gives the elderly great psychological comfort.
Just after that, volunteers from Taiwan also brought good news. They discovered that Zhong Chongxin’s tomb was in the Martyrs’ Shrine in Taiwan.
"Returning to Hometown with Honor"
Zhang Shuying was already 93 years old at this time, but when she heard the news, she couldn't sit still.
Zhang Shuying is old and can no longer see in one eye, but she still wants to go to Taiwan to pay homage to her late husband.
A kindhearted person donated 20,000 yuan to the elderly Zhang Shuying to realize her dream.
After solving the money problem, Zhang Shuying began to persuade her children.
She told her children: "I am 93 years old and have lived long enough. I am not afraid of anything."
"I just want to see his spiritual place and ashes, even if this trip is gone forever and he dies. It's worth it too."
" If something unexpected happens to me before, then I will take my ashes to Taipei. If there is a problem in Taipei, then my funeral will be simple. "
Elder Zhang Shuying has made up her mind. No matter what, she is going to see Zhong Chongxin again.
On November 22, 2014, accompanied by her eldest son and volunteers, elderly Zhang Shuying set off from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and took a seat The plane left for Taiwan.
The next day, Zhang Shuying held a bouquet of flowers and came to the Taipei National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, which commemorates the martyrs who died in the Anti-Japanese War.
The old woman also signed her name on the flowers, and she called herself " Wife, Zhang Shuying.
In the heart of the old man Zhang Shuying, she is still Zhong Chongxin’s only wife in his life.
After 77 years, the old man Zhang Shuying saw Zhong Chongxin again, but this time there was a separation between heaven and man.
The old man was in front of the spiritual throne, With tears streaming down her face, she said: "I risk my life and death to come see you. For you in this life, I have cried all my tears!" "
She was unwilling to leave in front of Zhong Chongxin's memorial tablet for a long time. She stroked Zhong Chongxin's memorial tablet and had thousands of words in her heart that she wanted to talk about.
The old man and his family stayed in Taiwan for a total of six days. During these six days, where was Zhang Shuying? She didn't go either.
She spent all her time at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine. She looked at Zhong Chongxin's memorial for a long time and was speechless.
However, the day of separation finally came.
Before leaving Taiwan, the old man Zhang Shuying touched her deceased husband for the last time. Zhong Chongxin’s memorial tablet.
She spoke calmly: “We have said goodbye twice in this life, once when you rushed to the front line 77 years ago, and once again 77 years later, which is now. "
" I am 93 years old. When I go back this time, I will never have the chance to see you again. "
In 2015, Zhong Chongxin's memorial tablet was established at the "Evergreen Hall" Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Nanshan, Chongqing, and a cenotaph was also established for him.
Since the memorial tablet was established in Chongqing, Zhang Shuying will go there when she has time. Talk to Zhong Chongxin.
However, in the summer of 2021, Zhang Shuying was unable to travel due to a fall, so she asked her relatives to help her pay homage.
Although she is very old, the memories of her late husband Zhong Chongxin have remained intact over the years. She has never forgotten it.
To this day, the photo of Zhang Shuying and Zhong Chongxin is still placed on her bedside.
——END——
Text | Hot Pot
Editor | Don’t Miss Little Star
.
