Yan Renmei, a socialite of the Republic of China, is a female legend who has gone through ups and downs, from the turbulent Republic of China to the modern New China, life is full of ups and downs and struggles. Although she was born in a patriarchal era and suffered from the oppression of her family, she never bowed to fate.
Today, at the age of 107, she is still elegant and calm, and has become a symbol of the tenacity and wisdom of women of that era. So, what kind of story does Yan Renmei have? Let's talk about it today.
Born in troubled times
Yan Renmei was born in 1915, during China's turbulent Republican period, and her birth was tinged with tragedy.
When her mother was eight months pregnant, she had a high fever and had to give birth early in the face of life-threatening conditions, and after three days and three nights of painful struggle, she finally brought Yan Renmei into this world.
Yan Renmei, who was born prematurely, was weak, thin and small, and in that patriarchal era, she was not welcomed as she should be, and it did not bring joy to the family.
Mother Liu Chengyi died soon after giving birth due to her weak health, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the newborn Yan Renmei, and the blow was not over, but it was just the beginning.
At the end of the same year, her grandmother died of illness, and the young Yan Renmei still didn't understand the meaning of life and death, but only cried in the yard every day, because she could feel the ubiquitous loneliness.
Yan Renmei spent most of her childhood in the Yan family's house, with strict rules and a strong feudal atmosphere, and her heart was full of depression and loss every day.
The wife saw that she was so pitiful, so she hugged her and raised her, and also picked up her granddaughters Wu Jing and Zhu Zengrong, with children of the same age to accompany her, Yan Renmei's childhood was a little happy.
The three of them frolicked in the garden together, explored every corner, and shared each other's thoughts, which became the warmest memories of their childhood. During this time, Yan Renmei felt a touch of freedom, which had a profound impact on her future growth.
Happy times are always short-lived, and after Wu Jing returned to Tianjin, Yan Renmei was taken back to the Yan family's private school to study. The learning content of the private school is boring and boring, far less novel and interesting than the outside world, and she is full of resistance and dissatisfaction with this closed life.
Yan Renmei longed to get out of the house and pursue a broader knowledge and free life, and a few years later, her fifth aunt Yan Lianyun became a teacher at the Chinese and Western Girls' High School, which made her see the hope of getting out of the house again.
She fought desperately for opportunities, and finally successfully entered the Chinese and Western Women's High School with the support of her grandfather Yan Zijun, and the road to study was full of hardships, but she never gave up the pursuit of freedom and knowledge.
Yan Renmei felt an unprecedented freedom and happiness when she entered the Chinese and Western Girls' High School, which is a church school with novel teaching content, teachers are education experts from the West, and the classroom is full of all kinds of novel ideas.
What's more, she also met many like-minded friends here, studied together, and discussed life ideals together. Usually the study tasks are heavy, but Yan Renmei feels fulfilled and meaningful, but unfortunately this life did not last long.
After the "Wu Jing elopement incident", Yan's father had deep suspicions about Yan Renmei, thinking that she might follow in Wu Jing's footsteps, and forbade his daughter to continue to go to school on this ground.
Yan Renmei was extremely dissatisfied, and engaged in a fierce dispute with her father at home, insisting on completing her studies, and finally obtained her father's consent after many struggles, on the condition that she scored more than 90 points in every course.
The struggle for freedom
The teaching level of Chinese and Western girls' high schools is very high, and the course content is also very complex, and the teaching in English makes it difficult for her. Although I have a certain level of English foundation at home, there is still a big gap compared to the requirements in the classroom.
In order to achieve her goals, Yan Renmei studied hard day and night, and gradually adapted to this high-intensity study life. Whenever she felt tired, she would think of the days when she was confined in the Yan family's house, and the depression and helplessness inspired her to keep moving forward.
Only through one's own efforts can one win true freedom, and this belief made Yan Renmei persevere. The hard work finally paid off, with excellent grades in the final exam, with over 90 marks in every course.
She took the report card to her father to fulfill her promise, but learned that she had been arranged for marriage, and her fate was still out of her control. Unwilling to be deprived of her hard-earned freedom, Yan Renmei decided to fight again,
In the face of her father's tough attitude, she began to skip food and drink all day, constantly arguing with her family, and no one could persuade her. The father turned a cold eye to all this, no matter how much trouble his daughter made, he resolutely refused to change his original intention, waiting for his mother-in-law's family to discuss the marriage.
In fact, in the eyes of this kind of big family, a woman's resistance is a senseless struggle, and the person in charge of the family only cares about the interests of the family and regards women as a tool of the family's power, and Yan Renmei is naturally no exception.
Her body gradually lost weight, her face was haggard, and the nurse who had been by her side was distressed in her eyes, so she secretly contacted her grandmother's house. When the news reached the grandparents, they immediately rushed to Yan's house with their fifth aunt to ask for justice for their granddaughter.
At that time, a fierce family quarrel broke out, and the two families insisted on their own opinions, and neither of them was willing to back down, and the strict father insisted on marriage, while the grandparents strongly opposed it, believing that it would ruin the future of their granddaughter.
During the endless quarrel, Yan Renmei's physical condition deteriorated sharply, and finally fell ill in bed, and because of excessive anxiety and depression, she suffered a serious lung disease, which may be life-threatening if she continues.
Seeing that his daughter was seriously ill and persistent, the father finally suspended the marriage arrangement and agreed to let Yan Renmei go to her grandfather's house in Hangzhou to recuperate.
During the days in Hangzhou, my grandparents took care of Yan Renmei like a baby, carefully recuperated her body and gradually recovered, and also enjoyed the freedom she had not seen for a long time.
It was also during this period that Yan Renmei's relationship with her father eased, and watching her daughter gradually recover, her father also began to reflect on his inner thoughts. After many communications, Yan's father made concessions and considered marriage after Yan Renmei completed his studies.
During the Republic of China, such a decision was simply inconceivable for a big family and a woman. How many strange women of the Republic of China have become victims of the times, but Yan Renmei is an exception, which has to make people sigh.
Struggles and growth in marriage
After completing her studies, Yan Renmei followed her father's arrangement to marry into the wealthy Ma family, and her married life was happy at first. At first, the young master of the Ma family fell in love with her at first sight, Yan Renmei could continue to go to school, and her life was not bad.
As time goes by, everything changes, and married life is not as good as it seems. A year later, Yan Renmei became pregnant, and her in-laws did not let her go to school on the grounds of protecting the fetus, and after the child was born, she asked to concentrate on taking care of the family.
For the sake of her children, Yan Renmei had to give up the college life she had been thinking about and become a full-time housewife, but her efforts did not pay off.
Her husband spends all day drinking, and her in-laws are very indifferent to her, so Yan Renmei finally chose to divorce. After the divorce, she finally gained her freedom, and she began to pursue the life she longed for, but the turbulent times did not allow it.
In 1941, the Japanese army occupied Shanghai, and the situation deteriorated day by day, and Yan Renmei's life was seriously affected. At that time, Godmother Sheng Guanyi left Shanghai for Chongqing to develop due to the war, and handed over the key to the house to Yan Renmei before leaving.
Located in Xinkang Garden, the bungalow was one of the few high-end residences in Shanghai at that time, and Yan Renmei liked it very much and spent a lot of energy to redecorate and decorate it.
Tragically, a Japanese officer named Yamamoto fell in love with the bungalow and had bad intentions towards Yan Renmei.
Yamamoto sent people to harass Yan Renmei, and her movement was severely restricted, and her safety could not be guaranteed if she remained in Shanghai.
With the help of her family and friends, Yan Renmei decided to take refuge in Chongqing, but leaving Shanghai was not easy.
Her ex-husband Ma Guanliang also refused to let her take away the child, and in order to avoid the persecution of the Japanese army and protect herself, Yan Renmei married a man named Li Zumin.
This marriage may have a feeling of "forced helplessness", but Li Zumin is a loyal and reliable man who respects Yan Renmei's freedom and supports her to continue to pursue her dreams.
After marriage, he not only gave Yan Renmei great support in life, but also accompanied her through many difficult years. In this marriage, Yan Renmei finally found true happiness, and her husband took her to various places from time to time to make up for the freedom she lost before.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yan Renmei won the custody of the child through legal means, and her life was fulfilled. In the days that followed, she actively participated in social activities, donated money to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and was elected as the first people's representative of Xuhui District.
As a woman in the new era, Yan Ren Mihae supported the construction of the country with practical actions and became a social activist at that time.
She and Li Zumin have been with each other for more than 50 years, and life gradually calmed down over time, and after Li Zumin's death, she was taken to Shenzhen by her children to live together, enjoying the happy time of four generations in the same house.
It is reported that Yan Renmei is still healthy, deaf and blind, reading and practicing every day, and maintaining an elegant and calm life, so she is 109 years old.
As a celebrity in the Republic of China, Yan Renmei used her life to show the tenacity and wisdom of women in turbulent times, her life was full of ups and downs but never bowed to fate, and the legendary experience is not only a personal history of struggle, but also a historical picture that reflects the changes of the times.
From the hardships of childhood to the struggle of marriage, and then to the happiness of old age, Yan Renmei has never succumbed to fate, has been bravely pursuing freedom and happiness, and slowly truly mastered her life.
At the age of 109, Yan Renmei is still elegant and calm, looking back on all legends, becoming a witness of the times and a symbol of women's strength, and an encouragement and encouragement for all women to bravely pursue their dreams. What do you think differently about this?
Reference: Posting old photos: Yan Renmei, a socialite of the Republic of China - China Network Henan Channel (archive.org)