Li Zongren is a famous anti-Japanese general in modern Chinese history. In the early days, he was also a famous figure in Northern Expedition . It is precisely because he has been committed to the unification of Guangdong and Guangxi before Northern Expedition that he finally laid the foundation for the Northern Expedition, ensuring national independence and maintaining national unity.
But such an outstanding politician and military strategist has not become a good husband or father in life. Li Youlin For a long time, he had complaints about his father.
1990, at the 100th anniversary banquet of Li Zongren's original wife Li Xiuwen, his eldest son Li Youlin even said bluntly: "My mother lived for 100 years, and she has been a widow for 70 years!" Speaking of this, Li Youlin couldn't help but burst into tears.
So, what did Li Zongren do to make his eldest son particularly dissatisfied? Why is Li Xiuwen staying a widow? Let's take a look.
Sudden illness, peak turn
When it comes to Li Zongren's wife, many people's first reaction is Guo Dejie , but in fact, Li Zongren also has a first wife who is married by a Ming mediator - Li Xiuwen.
Li Xiuwen was born in a farmer in Liangjiang Town, Lingui County, Guangxi in 1891. Her hometown is also a famous rice town in the Liangjiang River Basin. Li Xiuwen's father, Li Zhengxin, and his wife, Du, have 2 boys and 4 girls. Because Li Xiuwen is ranked fourth among the sisters, she always calls her four sisters at home. The name Li Xiuwen was married to her after she got married.
Li Xiuwen suddenly fell ill when she was 5 years old. At first, her mother thought she was an ordinary cold, but she didn't take it to heart. It was not until Li Xiuwen had not eaten the rice for several days that her parents realized the seriousness of the problem.
Father Li Zhengxin seized the time to go to Lintou Village to invite a well-known doctor for her. This doctor is Li Zongren's grandfather Li Ruxi.
After Li Ruxi took Li Xiuwen's pulse, she prescribed several symptomatic medications, saying that the condition was not serious and that as long as she was well taken care of.
However, after taking the medicine, Li Xiuwen did not improve at all. Because her family was too poor, she could no longer continue to treat her. Therefore, Li Xiuwen's parents placed her in a dilapidated grey house with tears in their eyes, and buried her after they died.
Li Xiuwen, who was carried to the gray room, was unconscious for a whole day and night. Maybe it was because she shouldn't have died, maybe the medicine prescribed by the doctor began to work, and Li Xiuwen's illness miraculously cured. After a few days of unconsciousness, Li Xiuwen finally opened her eyes and opened her mouth to eat.
Li Xiuwen's parents were already ready to leave, but they realized that the turn of the situation was going on and out, and they were cured! Her parents were very surprised and quickly brought her rice soup. Li Xiuwen drank two big bowls before she recovered. As soon as Li Xiuwen's sudden recovery spread, it caused a lot of discussion. Many people say that Li Xiuwen should not be defeated and she will definitely be rich and noble from now on.
At first, Li Zhengxin did not take this to heart, but as the villagers said too much, Li Zhengxin gradually believed it. It happened that an fortune teller came to the village. He was shocked when he saw Li Xiuwen's face. Then she had to calculate her horoscope and told Li Zhengxin in surprise: "I have been in the world for so many years and have never seen such a good life. Your girl is a noble person!"
Li Zhengxin was overjoyed after hearing this. Not only did she treat the fortune teller well, she loved Li Xiuwen very much since then. Li Zhengxin loved Li Xiuwen for more than a month, and his wife once again had good news about her pregnancy. After ten months of pregnancy, Li Zhengxin's wife gave birth to a boy. Li Zhengxin, who won the man in one fell swoop, attributed the credit to her daughter Li Xiuwen.
Li Xiuwen, who was so lucky to say "good horoscope" with the fortune teller, became a beautiful girl bit by bit. According to the custom at that time, women had to give up when they were 16 or 17 years old. But Li Xiuwen couldn't find a suitable one because of her excellent horoscope. It was not until Li Xiuwen was 19 years old that she combined the horoscope with Li Zongren, a boy from Lintou Village.
When Li Zongren's family heard that Li Xiuwen was not only lucky, but also skillful and extremely hardworking, he came to his house to propose marriage.But Li Zhengxin and his wife were not satisfied with Li Zongren's family. There were too many elders of Li Zongren. The couple was worried that Li Xiuwen, who was gentle, would be bullied, but considering that her daughter was 19 years old, she would definitely have rumors when she stayed at home, so she kept hesitating.
Seeing Li Zhengxin and his wife consider Li Xiuwen like this, Li Xiuwen's sister-in-law couldn't sit still. I thought to myself: Whose girl is about to twenty years old, and she is still pampered and loved at home?
out of jealousy, Li Xiuwen's sister-in-law often started to be sarcastic in front of Li Xiuwen. Although Li Xiuwen listened to her parents very much, she could not resist her sister-in-law's long-term open and sarcasm. So she found her mother and told her, "I am willing to marry, I accept my fate, and I will not wait any longer." Seeing that her daughter agreed, Li Zhengxin and the others no longer hesitated and decided on this marriage for their daughter. It is worth mentioning that when the two sides met, they realized that Li Zongren's grandfather was the doctor who treated Li Xiuwen as a child.
newlyweds, and the two of them were extremely loving and loving after getting engaged, and soon officially got married in 1911. The wedding between Li Xiuwen and Li Zongren was held particularly grandly. It was supported by his sisters and brother-in-law, and it was also his parents' love for Li Xiuwen. As he blew and beat, Li Xiuwen, who had been worshipping the court, was sent to the bridal chamber.
Li Xiuwen was very nervous in the new house. She silently outlined the image of Li Zongren in her heart, and then she heard a calm footstep - Li Zongren arrived.
As the veil was slowly lifted away, Li Xiuwen also saw Lee Zongren's handsome and smiling face. Li Xiuwen blushed in an instant. After hurriedly drinking with her newlywed husband, she stopped being restrained by Li Zongren's gentle comfort.
After drinking, Li Zongren poured a cup of tea for Li Xiuwen and handed it to her: "You can drink a sip of tea too. Today is so tired." Li Xiuwen looked at Li Zongren in front of him, raised his hand to take the tea cup, and thought to himself: This person doesn't look like a farmer at all, but rather like a gentle scholar.
After the two communicated, Li Xiuwen realized that her newlywed husband was a foreign student studying outside. So when she asked her husband's inquiry: "Are you literate?" Li Xiuwen was embarrassed and shook her head with difficulty.
I thought she would be ridiculed by her husband, but then I heard Li Zongren's gentle voice: "It's not okay to be illiterate. You can't tell me when I write a letter in the future. Some of my own words cannot be read for you. It doesn't matter if I can't read them. I'll teach you!"
Li Zongren's comfort made Li Xiuwen calm down a little. Li Zongren also made his promise and became Li Xiuwen's enlightenment teacher, teaching her to read and write.
What Li Xiuwen first learned was not the enlightenment text of young children like the Three Character Classic, but the surname "Li" of their two people.
After asking about Li Xiuwen's opinion, Li Zongren changed his wife's name to "Li Xiuwen", and Li Xiuwen got rid of the title "Li Simei".
At that time, although Li Zongren studied at Guangxi Army Primary School, he always rushed back to reunite with Li Xiuwen during holidays.
1912, Li Zongren entered the Guangxi Army Quick Entrance Academy again. After graduation, he was arranged to serve as a warrant officer at the Nanning General School Training Institute. Soon after, he went to the battlefield and successfully promoted from a small lieutenant to a battalion commander. In 1917, when Li Zongren saw that the situation was slowing down, he brought his wife Li Xiuwen to his side.
Li Xiuwen rushed to the camp department with dust and finally met her husband who had been away for many years. The two have not seen each other for many years, but they are not at all unfamiliar, and their lives have always been harmonious and beautiful. In February 1918, Li Xiuwen gave birth to their eldest son, Li Youlin, in Xinhui.
On the day Li Xiuwen gave birth, the excited Li Zongren entered the delivery room without hesitation after hearing that the child was born. In that era, delivery rooms were a "filthy place", and men would be in great trouble when they entered, so many people were extremely shy about this.
Watching her husband rush into the delivery room anxiously, although Li Xiuwen felt that her husband shouldn't come in, she still felt sweet in her heart. After that, Li Xiuwen took her son and followed her husband until 1920 when the Guangdong and Guangxi War broke out.There were already newcomers on the couch
. At the beginning of the war, Li Xiuwen was still in the army, but as the war became more and more intense, Li Zongren was really unable to take care of his wife and children, so he sent his wife back to his hometown. However, in the winter of 1923, Li Zongren led his troops to garrison and married Guo Dejie through an introduction.
Li Xiuwen learned the news of Li Zongren's new marriage from his parents-in-law. The mother-in-law was generous and firmly standing on Li Xiuwen's side. After they received the news, they were afraid that Li Xiuwen would be neglected, so they gave Li Xiuwen the advice and asked her to hurry up and return to Li Zongren's side and win back her husband's heart.
Li Xiuwen was stunned for a moment, and this news was something she never expected. She comforted her that men had three wives and four concubines, but tears had already fallen on her cheeks. After a brief collapse, Li Xiuwen brought her son Li Youlin to Guiping.
When Li Xiuwen arrived, Li Zongren was waiting at the door early. When he saw his wife and children, he seemed to have nothing happened and picked up his son with a smile. Li Zongren kissed his son's cheek, then kindly took Li Xiuwen's hand and took her into the house. Looking at her husband's unhateful look, Li Xiuwen's heart was sore and painful.
At this time, a graceful young woman came down from the upper floor. Li Xiuwen looked at the woman in front of her and guessed that the person coming was her husband's new wife, Guo Dejie.
Guo Dejie is generous and has a gentle smile on her face. She gently poured a cup of tea for Li Xiuwen, and then she wanted to reach out to take Li Youlin from Li Zongren's hand. But Li Youlin recognized his child and refused to hug Guo Dejie. The atmosphere was extremely awkward for a while.
Li Zongren looked at this and that, and finally said, "I married Dejie to have a care around me. There are many social engagements here, so you can enjoy leisure and take good care of the children."
Li Xiuwen felt sad when she heard this, but she still compromised because she had never made any sense to her husband. She sighed in her heart, slowly looked up at her husband, and finally nodded.
Li Zongren said with satisfaction: "That's right, the family cannot be seen. Her name is Dejie. Although she is young, she is a polite female student. If you have anything, just tell her."
listened to her husband's words "young" and "student". Li Xiuwen's heart was as if she was soaked in bitter water, but she didn't know how to argue. Since then, the three of them have lived under the same roof with their children.
The upper-class wife circle at that time looked down on women like Guo Dejie who later became famous. So although the two did not communicate too much, the relationship between the rumors and the two was destined to be unable to continue to be harmonious. If Li Xiuwen attended the banquet at that time, the arrogant Guo Dejie would never attend.
Not only that, Guo Dejie often calls her a "country woman" when she talks about Li Xiuwen to others on weekdays.
Guo Dejie's words arranged by Li Xiuwen's "country woman" also reached Li Xiuwen's ears. The conflict between the two was about to break out. Among them, Li Zongren chose Guo Dejie for various reasons. Facing his first wife, he only left one sentence: "Take a good child and will never treat you badly in the future!"
Li Youlin: Money cannot be bought to accompany
So in the eyes of the young Li Youlin, his father Li Zongren married Guo Dejie, a beautiful girl from Guiping, Guangxi when he was five or six years old. Even though the upper class of the Guangxi warlords advocated the "equal wife system", the status of their mother was unquestionable. But the child's mind is so sensitive. From the father's words and behaviors, he soon realized that the new love has replaced his mother.
As a son, Li Youlin naturally stood on his mother's side, but he was powerless to do anything about the feelings between his parents. He could only watch his mother live a lonely life in the long life afterwards, and endure a glamorous fate on the surface but actually a lonely one.
The father's attitude towards his mother left irreparable trauma in Li Youlin's heart a long time ago.My father would send someone to give money to his mother and himself every month, but how could money replace the company of family affection? Li Youlin knew in his heart that he was the only one for his mother's second half of her life.
Some people may say, why can’t Li Xiuwen choose to divorce her husband Li Zongren?
You should know that Li Xiuwen received traditional cultural education since childhood. As a woman in the old era, it is really difficult to get out of the constraints of traditional morality. Li Xiuwen has no courage or strength to choose to divorce, so she can only accept such a fate.
Li Youlin knew his mother's concept since childhood, so he never forced his mother to make any changes. He just tried his best to compensate his mother in his own way. After Li Youlin settled in the United States, he tried his best to bring his mother to him.
1990, on the 100th anniversary of his mother's birth, Li Youlin mentioned his mother's marriage. Li Youlin said in one word that Li Zongren's debt to his mother Li Xiuwen: "My mother lived for 100 years, but she has been a widow for 70 years!"
1965, Li Zongren decided to return to China. Before leaving, what he was most worried about was his eldest son Li Youlin and Li Xiuwen.
So one month before leaving, after Li Zongren met the two for the last time, Li Zongren told Li Xiuwen: "I have been a family all over the world. I didn't expect that I would miss home for a day. It would be painful to go on. Why not wait for me to go back and find a chance to return to China after I go back!"
Li Xiuwen also had his own considerations about Li Zongren's words. As a Chinese, how could she not miss home? However, Li Xiuwen was not in a hurry. She had a premonition that she would eventually return to the land where she gave birth to and raised her.
1973, with the efforts of the Chinese delegation to United Nations , Li Xiuwen finally set foot on the land he had left for 24 years. Since then, Li Xiuwen has never left her hometown. Although Li Youlin, as his son, is in the United States, he often visits his mother.
Li Xiuwen's later life was extremely comfortable. She planted all kinds of fruits and vegetables in her small yard. In August every year, she would make a batch of chili sauce for her son, so that her son could also eat authentic Guilin flavor in the United States.
On June 18, 1992, 102-year-old Li Xiuwen lived his "noble" and lonely life. After learning about the death of Mr. Li Xiuwen, people from all walks of life held a grand condolence ceremony for Mr. Li Xiuwen to commemorate this extraordinary old man.
summary
Li Xiuwen's life spans two centuries. From 1891 to 1992, she was both happy and sad in these 102 years of life. From falling in love with Li Zongren at a young age to remarrying her husband, the happiest time in her life was the leisure time in China in her later years.
Li Xiuwen's contentment and his thoughtful care of his son Li Youlin are the secrets of Li Xiuwen's longevity. Mother and son are connected to each other, but this is the case.
The mother-son relationship between the two has been touching.
