One morning in June 1998, the football field in Beijing University was bustling with people, and hundreds of students were sitting on the lawn, looking up at the figures on the platform.

One morning in June 1998, the football field on Peking University was bustling with people, and hundreds of students were sitting on the lawn, looking up at the figures on the platform.

is the US President Clinton who came to China on the platform. Everyone stretched their necks to look at it curiously.

At this moment, the sun had already struggled from the sea of ​​clouds, and the podium was covered with golden yellow. The old man in formal clothes was bathing in the sunlight, giving a speech with his head held high, and his ups and downs were spreading from afar over the wide playground.

After the speech was finished, one after another of the students stood up excitedly and started asking questions.

The female student in the Chinese Department, Ma Nan, was waiting and finally found the opportunity to get up and speak. She spoke generously and her tone was exciting, but the classmates from all sides were shocked and opened their mouths wide.

"... Finally, I think that choosing the most appropriate path for justice and truth is the true definition of freedom. Do you agree with my point of view, Mr. President?"

Ma Nan raised his head and stared at Clinton's eyes on the stage, and asked loudly word by word.

Before Clinton could answer, Ma Nan quickly spoke out: "I want to add another sentence, only those who truly understand the definition of freedom will respect other people's freedom more. Thank you!"

This girl who stood up to question Clinton has been in constant turmoil in the next decade, from "anti-American fighter" to "poor mother", from meeting a soulmate to separation of flesh and blood, after climbing the mountain, there are cliffs and valleys, and life is ups and downs.

Clinton Peking University speech was questioned

In 1998, then-US President Clinton came to China for a friendly visit. After the official exchange, Clinton put forward the idea of ​​hoping to visit one of the highest institutions in China - Peking University .

After learning about this, Peking University warmly invited Clinton to visit the school, and planned to organize a speech for him, and joined the interactive session of asking Peking University students to ask questions from the US president.

Before the speech was held, the school convened student cadres and party members to a meeting, explained what questions should be raised during interaction, and then gave several examples of the rules. Ma Nan, a study committee member of the Chinese Department of

94, curled her lips after hearing this and frowned. She did not agree with the school's style of striving for stability in her heart, and she had her own plan for this matter.

As soon as the meeting ended, Ma Nan, who was full of opinions, said to her classmates: "We college students, can't we have our own thoughts?" classmate comforted her. It is safer to act according to the arrangements in such an important occasion.

Ma Nan believes that if you ask questions step by step, it is just to complete a boring task.

And the US President’s visit to the school is a rare and precious opportunity in a century. She must do something that does not fall into the scope of the task, and it will definitely attract everyone’s attention.

The person in the conference room has not been exposed yet. An assistant teacher in charge of sending the microphone during the speech and questioning session looked at Ma Nan, shook his head and walked out the door. thought that she would not be able to get out of Taiwan during the questioning session.

Ma Nan was busy counting the admission ticket for students. As a study committee member of the Chinese Department, she got seven tickets, and after sending them to her department, she also left one.

Early in the morning of June 29, more than 400 students who received tickets came to the venue and listened to Clinton's speech.

In his speech, Clinton chose a sentence that he was interested in as an argument, which is what Hu Shi once said: "Fighting for your personal freedom is fighting for freedom for the country." Clinton explained his thoughts on this and announced the start of the interactive session of questions.

When Ma Nan heard this, he immediately raised his hand and waited confidently for the teacher to get him up to ask questions, but the assistant teacher who was passing the microphone ignored her and walked towards the other students who raised their hands.

Ma Nan stared at the assistant teacher who was wandering in the audience, watching him holding the microphone to the classmates who were about to speak again and again, and I don’t know when it was his turn.

She curled her lips and continued to hold her right hand high, making her look particularly conspicuous among the students sitting upright.

After the five students finished speaking, the assistant teacher saw Ma Nan still holding his arms high and his eyes were burning, so he could only walk over helplessly.

"Great! It's my turn finally!" Ma Nan took the teacher's microphone impatiently and stood up quickly, "Hello, Mr. President, I am Ma Nan, a student of the Chinese Department. I welcome you to Peking University very much!"

Ma Nan held the microphone with both hands, suppressed his excitement, and bowed gently to the top.

Clinton smiled slightly, nodded and reached out to make a pose to continue.

Ma Nan nodded, and said clearly and quickly: "I remember you just quoted a sentence from Mr. Hu Shi, explaining that you do not have to sacrifice your own freedom to achieve the freedom of the whole country. In fact, I think this interpretation is not appropriate."

As soon as the words fell, a "hiss" sounded on the grass. The students couldn't help but turn their heads and look at who was trying to show off. The media on the side of the playground quickly pointed the camera at the girl, wanting to see what shocking language she would have next.

Ma Nan ignored the strange gaze from all directions, and his slightly thin figure was nailed straight to the ground like a needle. A sentence Cai Yuanpei wrote on the banner when Peking University celebrated May 1st Labor Day appeared in her mind.

So she immediately spoke: "Mr. Cai Yuanpei, the former president of Peking University, once said: 'The way runs parallel but does not contradict each other, and all things run parallel but does not harm each other'. I also think this way."

faced Clinton's confused and confused expression, Man Nan paused and explained calmly: "The meaning of this sentence is that many things are not opposite. Personal freedom is not opposite to the freedom of the country, not what you think."

Students from all sides opened their mouths, buzzing in their minds. They didn't expect that someone would dare to stand up and question the US president openly! Ma Nan's speech was clear and powerful, but everyone was shocked to see her mouth open and close, and she didn't have time to care about the connotation of her words.

Ma Nan glanced at the slightly stiff back of the students in the front row, cleared his throat and continued, " I think freedom must be his own active choice. People can choose their own lifestyle and be suitable for themselves to be considered true freedom. This is how China is, and it is today that it has a vigorous development." On the podium, Clinton obviously did not keep up with the idea of ​​this suddenly popping up student. He coughed awkwardly and quickly thought about how to respond to this question without missing a trace.

"You think you don't have to sacrifice individuals for the freedom of the country, but in fact, too much emphasis on personal freedom will lead to chaos in the country. Besides, these two items can be developed together. It does not mean that only by sacrificing yourself can you achieve the country. Therefore, your call for not sacrificing your own freedom is not true..."

Ma Nan was still talking nonstop. She expressed her ideas in a scattered way and talked about some truths in an extended manner, without giving Clinton a chance to speak at all.

After Ma Nan finished his speech, she sat down decisively, and everyone's eyes turned to Clinton again.

Clinton recalled the big passage that Ma Nan said just now, and hesitated for a moment and was about to open his mouth to explain. Finally, he pursed his lips and smiled and thanked Ma Nan for his suggestions. After said goodbye to all teachers and students, Clinton left the venue .

"Anti-American Fighter" Marrying Americans

After the speech, a school leader walked to Ma Nan and sat upright quickly and cautiously, thinking she would be scolded. Unexpectedly, the school leader patted her on the shoulder with appreciation, hoping that she would continue to maintain this courage, and asked her if she had any plans in the future.

Ma Nan replied sincerely, He is a vegetarian, he needs to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddha's name, maintain his belief in . Before he could hear her reply, the school leader's facial features twitched unnaturally. He sighed heavily and turned to leave.

Ma Nan recalled whether he became a vegetarian or because of his ex-boyfriend, he was a classmate from Ma Nan from junior high school to college. He was so talented that he passed one exam after another and successfully went to the United States to study, and the two broke up.

The former vows turned into a bubble, Ma Nan felt heartbroken, but she knew her English foundation was weak, and the TOEFL and the American graduate entrance exam made her feel very difficult.

Finally, Ma Nan began to place his spirit on religion and began to eat vegetarian food to keep himself calm, but Ma Nan knew that he had never let go of this relationship in his heart.

When she learned that Clinton was coming to Peking University, she had the idea of ​​standing up and asking questions, because the whole world was paying attention to Clinton's extraordinary journey, and she believed that her ex-boyfriend could see her on TV.

Ma Nan also successfully made headlines in major newspaper news through this opportunity, causing a stir. domestic media also rated her as an "anti-American fighter."

During that time, Ma Nan had to turn off a bunch of media interviews every day, even her teachers and classmates were unhappy. There was also a writer who wrote a book specifically for Ma Nan, but it was just criticizing her thoughts. believes that what she said was "dogma in Chinese political textbooks."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 In the end, Ma Nan simply stayed away from home, studied English seriously every day, and studied spoken and listening in the dormitory.

Fortunately, Ma Nan, whose English proficiency has improved significantly, was finally selected by the American International Exchange Association. She started from the grassroots language tutoring and became an office assistant step by step.

At this time, a book called "Conversation with God" attracted Ma Nan's attention.

She read it over and over again several times, feeling that she had discovered a good book that challenges worldly prejudice. She felt that she had learned the true meaning of life and understood happiness, truth and love.

Ma Nan, whose mentality has been adjusted, began to become confident and cheerful. She let go of her obsession with her ex-boyfriend and wanted to find someone who truly understands her, who can support her to be vegetarian and have a common language in religion. It is best to study the book that changed her - "Conversation with God" .

Thousand-mile horses often exist, but Bole doesn't often exist. Ma Nan waited for a long time and never met a suitable person. It was not until an American named Kou Bailong appeared that changed her life.

Kou Bailong traveled across the ocean to teach in China with his excellent family conditions. The first Chinese woman he noticed was Ma Nan holding a sign in the airport hall.

Ma Nan was working as a teacher at the American Education Exchange Association while studying for graduate school. She was sent to the airport to welcome the new teacher from Michigan State University .

After Kou Bailong got off the plane, he saw Ma Nan holding a search card with his name written on it from afar. He thought of the marriage madman in the movie for no reason in his mind. He raised the sign and shouted: "Come and marry me!" . Kou Bailong couldn't help laughing out loud, and developed a good impression of this girl.

After working together for a while, Kou Bailong was strongly attracted by the girl. He sent Ma Nan the first love letter, and the first line read: "I once read a book called "Conversation with God"..."

As soon as Ma Nan read this sentence, tears rolled down in strings. She knew that God heard her prayers, and finally found the Bole. She and Kou Bailong fell in love and soon entered the palace of marriage.

However, this incident was soon discovered by netizens. and said, "The 'anti-American warrior' actually married an American. Is the question of the past a show?" The topic of was revealed online.

One stone stirred up a thousand layers of waves, and Ma Nan was pushed to the forefront again.

Netizens began to rack their brains to analyze Ma Nan’s actions. Some people scolded her for letting down the reputation of “anti-American warriors”, some questioned that her motives were not pure and she had ulterior motives, and some pretended to defend her, thus causing greater storms.

More and more posts catching up on the Internet, and there are articles that connotate her: "Ma Nan, who once implicitly mocked the issue of human rights and freedom in the United States, chose to study in the United States after graduation. Why did she go to the tiger mountain even though she knew there was a tiger in the mountains?"

"She is definitely not a speculator, but a noble internationalist. She must show her deep sympathy for the American people who are in dire straits by marrying Americans. Even if Ma Nan is weak, she must devote herself to the unyielding struggle for the United States..."

For a time, Ma Nan became the eye of the storm. Wherever her name appears, there will be a chaotic quarrel. The media were like smelling a jackal with flesh and bones, rushing toward Ma Nan, blocking her doorstep to ask for an interview.

At the beginning, Ma Nan refused all the media interviews, but she stayed at home every day and felt instantly depressed when she saw the attacks and slander coming from the Internet.

harsh words hurt people June Han. Ma Nan deeply understood the meaning of "people's words are fearful". She did not want to endure such unrestrained disasters anymore, so she chose to accept an interview to respond.

She said frankly: "I do marry an American, but the choice of a partner has nothing to do with nationality. It is a matter between a man and a woman. As long as two people truly love each other."

M Nan also explained that she continued to stay at Peking University for graduate school after graduating from undergraduate studies. The rumors say that it does not exist for her to study in the United States. Now the couple are raising a one-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

She said that she questioned Clinton in the past to allow her ex-boyfriend who is in the United States to see her so that she can reunite her, but it was in the end.

The title of "anti-American fighter" is also a title imposed by the outside world. She is always surrounded by public opinion and has no strength to fight back.

Family rupture and flesh separation

Vicious slander and ruthless attack are glaciers created by human hearts, either breaking through the ice or falling into the abyss. Ma Nan decided that she could no longer be bullied by words on the Internet. She should pursue her own freedom without worries and ignore external troubles.

Ma Nan continues to serve as her full-time housewife, taking her children to exercise, learn Peking Opera , and learn painting every day, showing the beauty of Chinese culture to her family. In addition, she also wants to step out of this world of whitewashing lights and wine, and see the lives of farmers and laid-off workers in the mountainous areas of China.

She hopes that after she has rich life experience and truly understands the sufferings of ordinary people, she can be a NPC representative and speak out for the people.

I thought life could continue like this happily and steadily, but a few years later, Ma Nan encountered another crisis.

In 2012, she actually took the initiative to publish an article online titled "Please help me find this American".

"Bailong, I'm bleeding in this post. I hope you can go on the right path from now on..." Ma Nan is sincere and persuaded with sincerity, hoping that his husband Kou Bailong can be moved.

It turns out that Ma Nan and her husband had a broken relationship due to a third party intervening, and their son was sentenced to Kou Bailong, but Ma Nan needed to be raised for one year before transferring.

But Kou Bailong took the child away in advance without even letting the child go to school to avoid being found by Ma Nan.

Ma Nan had no choice but to sue the Xiamen Municipal People's Court, but he needed to know the address and communication method when delivering the summons. Ma Nan could only post online and ask the informed netizens for help.

Netizens sighed at this and called Ma Nan, who was abandoned by her husband and stolen from her children, a "poor mother", but no one knew Kou Bailong's whereabouts.

A few months later, Kou Bailong, who had disappeared for a long time, suddenly posted a response online.

He said that as a vegetarian, Ma Nan forced her child to accept her wishes and could not eat meat but only vegetables. He took the child away by himself completely to save him.

Because Ma Nan did not have a stable job, he often asked his parents for money. He once had to break up with the trouble. Kou Bailong didn't want to live such a life, so he found a new love.

Kou Bailong's response made the public's finger turn again. Ma Nan could no longer get any support from netizens, and he lost the opportunity to find his child and could only live a difficult life alone.

She began to shrink her wings and silently found a remote elementary school to be a librarian. Such a dull position was not worthy of her identity as a graduate student at Peking University, but she felt that she had regained the meaning of life.

Looking at the students' energetic smiling faces every day, Ma Nan felt that the ups and downs of decades seemed to have begun to calm down. The fragrance of words was revealed in the rows of books. allowed her to find a calming agent that can calm her mind more than religion.

The memories that were originally engraved in their bones, those passionate questions, overwhelming accusations, sweet promises, and the pain of separation of flesh and blood have begun to become blurred, as if the white paper full of memory has fallen into the water, and the bright ink marks are dyed one by one.

Welcome with the flow of love and warmth, and be lazy and win-loss, Ma Nan finally let go of his mind, broke free from the shackles in his heart, and spent the rest of his life in that small and warm world.