In 2020, the lights were turned on on the solemn and atmospheric stage, and two cute and naughty children raised the trophy high, - this is the annual moving Chinese Person of the Year selection site.
(Site of the China selection)
Here, there are countless people who have done things that touch the people and the country.
Among them are ordinary couriers, soldiers who defend their country, couples who cook almost for cancer patients, and we are familiar with the resolute principal who is rooted in the mountains, and Zhang Guimei .
And among the hundreds of appearances of all beings, there is a graceful and luxurious old lady with silver hair sitting there quietly. She is like a pool of clear water, integrated into the environment, and just by watching it, you can feel the peace of mind.
She is one of the people of the year that touched China in 2020, the ferryman of classical literature, Ye Jiaying .
So who is this Ye Jiaying? There is something amazing about him that can he be named a touching figure in 2020?
(Ye Jiaying with silver hair)
Ye Jiaying, an expert in Chinese classical literature research. Her research is specifically responsible for, and it is Chinese classical poetry.
is different from most people who recite poems and essays and conduct classical research in China. The biggest difference between Ye Jiaying is that she has been teaching in the West for a long time in her life.
During that time, Ye Jiaying read many Western literary and artistic theoretical works and formed her own unique style - combining Western theories such as explanatory and semiotics to interpret Chinese poetry.
This is almost unique in the world. You should know that for Westerners, Chinese poetry and "obscure and difficult to understand" almost agree.
When they do not use Chinese as their first language, they often get confused when reading ancient poems - what is borrowed from , and what is a reference? This word is a modal word, why does it become meaningful words here?
Ye Jiaying did this extremely difficult thing and explained the meaning and meaning of Chinese poetry to Westerners.
She teaches Chinese classical poetry in English, spreading the charm of ancient Chinese culture , allowing more people to understand the beauty of classical and charm.
She devoted her life to Chinese classical literature, and made outstanding contributions to promoting Chinese culture to the world, without seeking fame and fortune at all.
She first took out half of her wealth and established the "Tuan" foundation to reward latecomers in the poetry world.
When she was 96 years old, that is, in 2018, Ye Jiaying even donated all her wealth to Nankai University Education Foundation , and used this money to support the research on Chinese traditional culture .
(Ms. Ye Jiaying’s donation check, pictured at RMB 18.57 million)
And this is only part of what Ms. Ye Jiaying did. She not only made unparalleled contributions to the dissemination of Chinese classical culture and the development of Chinese poetry, but also made great achievements in the cultivation of talents.
In more than 20 years after returning to China, Ye Jiaying was invited to give lectures at dozens of universities in China, and the number of students affected by her knowledge may exceed tens of thousands. This includes many famous Chinese schools, such as Beijing, Nankai , Fudan University , etc.
Dynasties teaching career allowed Ms. Ye Jiaying to train a large number of talents who study Chinese classical literature. The former young boys have now become well-known people in the academic circle.
Kindergarten children recite ancient poems in front of Ye Jiaying
For example, among the well-known professors and academic researchers from universities in Canada, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Ms. Ye Jiaying is a student.
The teaching video of her standing in class teaching was even posted on TV to allow more people to understand the charm of Chinese poetry and her own greatness.
But not everyone knows Ye Jiaying's greatness.
When she was a teacher, her knowledgeable figure appeared on the TV. An old man turned his head and asked his wife in surprise: "Is it you on TV?"
He is Ye Jiaying's husband, Zhao Zhongsun. He couldn't believe that the weak ordinary housewife in his eyes could make the woman he could bully at will have such great energy.
(Zhao Zhongsun and Ye Jiaying)
When faced with her husband's inquiry, Ye Jiaying did not reply, but just continued to do her own thing, and seemed very cold.
So why did Ye Jiaying have such an attitude towards her husband? Is there something wrong with the relationship between the two?
If you want to fully understand the past in this relationship, we have to start with Ye Jiaying's birth in 1924.
A hundred years ago Beijing
It was July, it was the hot summer. In the hot city of Beijing, a small life came to this world in tears. Ye Tingwen, who is familiar with poetry and prose, hugged his daughter in his arms, his eyes full of doting.
Ye Tingwen was born in Yehenara, and was originally a Manchu . The Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty, Cixi was a member of the Yehenara clan. Because of the establishment of the Republic of China, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. Some of the remaining old people in the Qing Dynasty were stubborn, while others changed their names with the flow. Ye Tingwen was one of them.
He took the word "ye" in Yehenara and changed the surname Ye. It is precisely because of this that he named his daughter Ye Jiaying.
The Ye family is a scholarly family. Whether in the Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China, the relatives of the Ye family have achieved great achievements. For example, I studied in the English department of Peking University , and was once the head of the Personnel Section of the Aviation Administration, and her grandfather was even more amazing. She was a Jinshi during the Guangxu period.
girls' school in the Republic of China
Ye Jiaying's mother was also a famous talented woman. Before marriage, she worked as a teacher in women's vocational school . It is precisely because of this that the little Ye Jiaying gradually fell in love with reading and poetry under the influence of her family.
She inherited the family's desire for knowledge and talent. She would recite ancient poems and read and recognize words at the age of three. At the age of six, in order to educate this young talented girl, her parents specially invited a teacher to study "The Analects of Confucius".
Thanks to the great weakening of the constraints on women during the Republic of China period and the very open family style of the Ye family, Ye Jiaying successfully got admitted to local primary and middle schools in Beijing and spent a happy childhood.
It was this happy time that laid the foundation for the subsequent life of this great master.
Republic of Women's Middle School
When he was a teenager, Ye Jiaying began to try to write poetry and lyrics. Like most beginners, what Ye Jiaying chose to describe in wonderful poetic language is the scene around her.
For example, the "Autumn Butterfly" she wrote when she was fifteen years old: She was shocked and flew up several times, and the evening wind turned and danced clothes. It was about the scene where butterflies could not fly when the wind blew at night.
From this poem we can feel the amazing talent of this talented woman. At just fifteen years old, Ye Jiaying reached a height that most people need to temper their lives to achieve. This talent is really enviable.
But happy times are always short. The streets and alleys of Peking , running rickshaws, beautiful homes and scenery are like dreams, like dew, and it collapses at once.
1937 July Incident
1937, the Japanese army invaded China in an all-round way, the country and the country were broken, and the mountains and rivers were duckweed. Ye Jiaying saw the war and the Japanese who were showing off their power with the Japanese military flag.
At that time, my father moved west with the government and had no news. Ye Jiaying had no choice but to continue to study hard, hoping to change her future life through knowledge. She was already talented and in 1941, she was successfully admitted to the Chinese Department of Fu Ren University .
But before Ye Jiaying's happy mood lasted for how long, the bad news came - her mother had cancer and was hospitalized.
In that era, cancer was almost no different from death penalty . Even if you have the conditions to undergo surgery, you have to bear high medical expenses and extremely high mortality rates.
The Ye family is not poor. They paid the fee, but still failed to keep Ye Jiaying's mother. Shortly after the operation, her mother passed away, and the seventeen-year-old Ye Jiaying lived with her uncle and aunt.
1943 took a photo with Gu Sui (the former seater) and his classmates at the Gu family. The second right in the back row is Ye Jiaying
As the saying goes, real articles can only be obtained through hardships, and the same is true for poetry. When his father was separated and his mother left, Ye Jiaying poured all his energy into the poem. A large number of poems came into being as soon as the grieving heart was written down.
After her mother's death, Ye Jiaying wrote eight poems to express her nostalgia for her mother and her mourning for her. Fortunately, my uncle and aunt treat Ye Jiaying very well, and my aunt is even more capable and manages the family's livelihood. Ye Jiaying's study was not affected. She spent her college years safely and successfully graduated.
It’s just that her college days are not perfect, and she lacks something that young people pursue - love. Ye Jiaying looks sweet and cute, has poetry and books, and has a very good temperament. Although she is not a beautiful appearance, the more she looks, the more charming she becomes, and she also has suitors.
(Ye Jiaying in college)
But Ye Jiaying's talent is much better than them. How can such ordinary people look down on it? In addition, her father was separated and her mother was not around, so she had no time to fall in love.
From 1946, Ye Jiaying graduated from university and was assigned to the Women's Middle School as a Chinese teacher. With her profound knowledge of Chinese studies, Ye Jiaying easily gained the love of her students, not to mention that she herself has a very friendly face.
Ye Jiaying was also very happy at work. She seemed to have found the second thing she liked besides studying Chinese studies - teaching.
She enjoys the fun of spreading knowledge to others. Whenever she sees the students' sudden enlightenment expressions, Ye Jiaying's heart is filled with a sense of accomplishment.
(Beautiful Ye Jiaying)
It’s just that men get married when they are old, and women get married when they are old. No matter how outstanding Ye Jiaying is, she is inevitably told by people around her. Whether it is relatives or friends, they are curious about what kind of true destiny this talented woman with great knowledge can find.
But they didn't know that what welcoming Ye Jiaying next was not the beautiful and sweet love she imagined, but a bad fate that could not be clear and chaotic.
Ye Jiaying met a person whose name was Zhao Zhongsun, who was his cousin of English teacher in junior high school. At that time, Zhao Zhongsun worked in Qinhuangdao . After seeing Ye Jiaying, he immediately fell in love with this gentle woman at first sight and started a fierce pursuit.
Ye Jiaying, who is inexperienced, has never encountered such an offensive? The relationship between the two has progressed, and what happened next made Ye Jiaying agree to Zhao Zhongsun’s pursuit.
Because he had been traveling between Qinhuangdao and Beijing for a long time, Zhao Zhongsun fell ill and lost his job. Ye Jiaying felt very guilty about this. Out of an indescribable idea, Ye Jiaying also began to respond clumsyly to Zhao Zhongsun. The two got married in Nanjing in March 1948.
(Wedding photo of Ye Jiaying and Zhao Zhongsun)
On the day of the wedding, the two took wedding photos. Ye Jiaying, wearing a white wedding dress and holding flowers, is beautiful and incomparable, and her tranquil temperament is even more eye-catching. After
, Ye Jiaying began her full-time housewife career. She no longer serves as a teacher, perhaps because of her childhood education that made her make this choice. Life like
is not bad, at least very stable. But Ye Jiaying never thought that soon, a stable marriage life would be broken and turmoil would come.
Because of the civil war, the outcome of gradually became clear, and a considerable number of the Kuomintang left the mainland and went to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Zhao Zhongsun, who served in the Kuomintang, was also one of them.
When leaving the mainland and heading for Taiwan, Ye Jiaying looked reluctantly at the land behind her.
Kuote Nationality retreated from Taiwan
This is the place where she gave birth to her, and it is also the place where classical literature, poetry and songs originated. After leaving it like this, Ye Jiaying was really reluctant to let it go.
What's more, because she was in a hurry to leave, most of the ancient poetry collections she collected could not be carried, and she could only stay in Nanjing. But even if Ye Jiaying feels reluctance in her heart, she can only go to Taiwan with her husband when she married Zhao Zhongsun.
During the relocation process, the precious classics that Ye Jiaying carries with her were accidentally lost, which made her feel very distressed. But I finally came to Taiwan. I will always be able to live a stable life next, right?
Fate did not satisfy her wish, Ye Jiaying didn't know that a more painful life was about to come.
Ye Jiaying teaches in Taiwan
Not long after coming to Taiwan, Ye Jiaying was surprised to find that she was pregnant. Children are special for a mother. Even if they are innocent and ignorant girls, they will feel happy and happy when they are given the identity of "mother".
Ye Jiaying walked out of her loss. She continued her job she had worked in the past and served as a Chinese teacher. Not long after, she gave birth to a daughter and named her "Yanyan".
But not long after my happy days, I was broken by a bad news, and my husband Zhao Zhongsun was arrested by the Kuomintang.
Now, the pressure of life fell on Ye Jiaying. But luckily, she has at least one job. But fate obviously would not let her go. The second year after her husband was arrested, Ye Jiaying was handed over to the police station as a suspect for questioning.
Old photos of Taiwan Province
Although it was released in the end because there was no evidence, the school obviously did not dare to use such a "suspected" teacher. No matter how good or outstanding her Chinese studies are, it is useless.
After all, it was a white terror period, and the Kuomintang spies only needed to doubt and could arrest people at will. Ye Jiaying understood the school's practice, but life had to continue after all, so she took her daughter to join her husband's sister.
(In the white horror period, spies can kill people in the street)
That was a time to live under someone's roof. Even though my elder sister-in-law didn't make things difficult for Ye Jiaying, she, who was quiet on the outside and proud on the inside, was unwilling to cause trouble for others.
The house in the family is small, so Ye Jiaying can only take her daughter to the floor. After their whole family slept, she would fall asleep from the aisle.
You have to get up early the next day, in order not to delay other people's lives. When the child cries, Ye Jiaying will take the child away tactfully to prevent disturbing others. Such a life makes Ye Jiaying exhausted and scarred.
From the poem, you can see Ye Jiaying's painful memories of that life: "The girl in her arms is left to caress her, and she swallows her tears in her late night." Ye Jiaying ate the tears in her stomach, endured, and waited for the turn of time to come.
Ye Jiaying and her daughter
Because Ye Jiaying's ability is indeed far beyond ordinary people, when public schools dare not hire her, there are still private schools willing to ask her to teach.
Just like that, life is getting better, at least you don’t have to rely on others. Ye Jiaying went to work while taking care of her daughter, and gradually made her name sound. It was not until three years later that her husband Zhao Zhongsun was released from prison.
Zhao Zhongsun has changed a lot. Compared with him in the past, Zhao Zhongsun is now irritable and irritable. Life in prison is naturally difficult, especially for Zhao Zhongsun, who has strong self-esteem. What is even more difficult to endure is the life after being released from prison. Because he was in jail, no one was willing to ask for him, and the family could only rely on Ye Jiaying to support his family, which made it difficult for the macho Zhao Zhongsun to accept.
On the podium Ye Jiaying
Whenever he sees his wife's beautiful face, what he thinks in his heart is no longer the flame of love in the past, but the indescribable frustration. He began to get angry, began to become harsh and picky, and even harshly abused Ye Jiaying .
If you are a woman in modern society, you rarely accept domestic violence when facing domestic violence.But for a girl like Ye Jiaying who is educated in traditional Chinese studies and who is as gentle as water, she can only swallow her grievances.
In order to keep the family apart, Ye Jiaying endured her husband's stranger and more terrifying personality day by day. And when the youngest daughter was born, this behavior became more and more intense.
(Photo of Zhao Zhongsun, Ye Jiaying and his two daughters)
It turns out that because Zhao Zhongsun’s thoughts are traditional, he hopes to have a son more than his daughter. Now both children are daughters, which makes Zhao Zhongsun blame Ye Jiaying in his heart.
He began to become more violent in Ye Jiaying. In the face of her husband's domestic violence, Ye Jiaying couldn't speak, so she had to express her feelings in the article.
"Total kill part of my spiritual feelings." Ye Jiaying revealed her thoughts in the article.
She even thought about committing suicide! But when she thought of her daughter, the Chinese studies and poetry in life, she still persevered. It’s just that the relationship with my husband has disappeared in repeated physical conflicts.
Ye Jiaying
Later, Ye Jiaying went to HarvardHardwareHTM6 to study and teach. Later, he transferred to Canada to teach at Columbia UniversityHTM6. As mentioned in the previous article, Ye Jiaying began to promote poetry and Chinese studies to the world.
As we grow older, this woman who has shown aging begins to miss her hometown.
It was a carefree time, a time without any worries. With this idea, in 1978, Ye Jiaying wrote a letter to the Education Commission of New China, willing to return to China to teach.
Ye Jiaying once again felt the joy of her youth - that is the most authentic, the joy of conveying knowledge. She returned to China more and more frequently, and later she simply returned to China completely.
She has educated a group of outstanding talents and won various praises and awards, including the touching Chinese figure of the year mentioned in the previous article.
(Ms. Ye Jiaying, who is deeply loved by students)
In 2010, her husband Zhao Zhongsun passed away. Ye Jiaying only left a poem: "As soon as you hold on, you will lose your grudges, and the sea, the sky, the moon and the dust will be clear." The two people who met for life left this, which also put an incomplete end to this sad relationship.
