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May 23, 2017

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A heart-wrenching story of love and sorrow

FOUR years ago, Minghang resident Rao Pingru, then 92, published a loving tribute to his wife Mao Meitang, who died in 2008 of Alzheimer’s. The book was recently translated into French, spreading the story to readers in Europe.

The illustrated book has captured the hearts of many readers who say it is the most touching love story they have ever read. In addition to emotion, the book also provides glimpses of life following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Rao had been a Kuomintang soldier during the war.

Here are some excerpts from the book entitled “Pingru and Meitang — the Story of Us.”

 

Excerpt 1: the first encounter

Meitang’s and my parents were friends, but the two of us weren’t close as children. I think we saw each other only twice as kids.

The first time was when Meitang returned our hometown of Nanchang (capital of Jiangxi Province) with her parents to visit relatives. They came to our home, and I remember showing her some of my toys. At that time, she was 10.

Years later, after we got engaged, I asked what her family thought of me. She said when her uncle heard about the engagement, he said, “You’re marrying Pingru? That’s great. He looks good. He has nice eyes.”

Excerpt 2: the second meeting

I was 26 years old when I saw Meitang for the second time. At that time, I had graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy and was almost killed in warfare.

In 1946, after the war ended, my father wrote to me, asking me to return home to attend my brother’s wedding

While there, we went to visit Meitang’s family. As we were about to walk into the living room, we saw the window to the bedroom open. There stood a pretty girl, about 20 years old, who was holding a mirror as she applied some lipstick. She didn’t see me, but I knew who she was.

Excerpt 3: the wedding

Our wedding day was quickly approaching.

The place the ceremony was held in what was then the Jiangxi Hotel. It had a big hall with a grand skylight, and sunshine poured down into the hall, which was decorated with a huge stand of flowers.

On the wedding day, people crowded into the hall. The marriage officiator was the governor of Jiangxi Province, and many guests were awed by the chance to meet him.

The ceremony was in the Western style. Meitang was elegant in a long white dress. She was beautiful.

Excerpt 4: moving to Shanghai

In December 1950, an uncle in Shanghai hospital wrote to me that the hospital where he worked needed an accountant and he hoped that I would take the job. Meitang, my father and my father-in-law said it was a good opportunity and I should take it.

I went to Shanghai first. After everything was settled down, Meitang and our 7-month-old son, Zengxi, would join me.

On the morning I was to leave, I got into a rickshaw to take me to the train station. Meitang, my father and many other relatives were there to bid me farewell. I didn’t realize that it would be the last time I saw my father alive.

Excerpt 5: hard times

Life in Shanghai in the early 1950s was happy and carefree. Meitang and I loved to go to clubs and movies. We had five children.

But the happy times didn’t last long. In 1957, the political atmosphere became tense. A year later, I was forced to attend “labor re-education” in Anhui Province. I didn’t realize at the time that I would be away from home for 22 years.

I missed all my children’s growing up, finishing their studies, finding work and falling in love.

My mother-in-law came to Shanghai to live with Meitang and the children, placing an additional care burden on my wife.

We witnessed many families torn apart during that era, but we never gave up. We both believed the day would come when we would be reunited.

Excerpt 6: reunion

On November 16, 1979, I finally returned to Shanghai. A week later, we went to a photo studio to have a family portrait taken. All our children were married and had their own children.

I started work at a publishing house. Life was basic but satisfying. Every night I would read at my desk and Meitang would lie on the bed, teaching our grandchildren to sing lullabies.

Excerpt 7: sorrow

Meitang first fell in ill in 2004. I didn’t realize she had a disease. She often talked incoherently, but I put that down to old age.

One day she suddenly asked me to bring her a pair of scissors because she wanted to cut a blanket into smaller pieces. I suddenly realized that she was not normal and would never be normal again.

A sense of loneliness crushed me. It was worse than the years when we were apart. I sat on the floor and cried.

Excerpt 8: death

In early 2008, Meitang’s condition grew worse and she was admitted to hospital. She was not of clear mind, and would often just sing to herself.

She slept long hours, and when she was awake, she was confused and tried to pull out the medical tubes. We had to ask the nursing staff to tie her hands to the bed bars. One day when I left the hospital, I heard her screaming, “Don’t tie me up! Don’t tie me up!” My heart broke.

One day when Yunhong, our daughter, was at her bedside, Meitang awoke and told her, “You take good care of your father.”

On March 19, I went to see Meitang one morning. She was asleep but suddenly opened her eyes and looked around. When she saw me, her eyes moistened and a tear fell from her eye. Seconds later, she closed her eyes for the last time.




 

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