In China in the 1930s, old and new ideas collided fiercely, and an embarrassing love story was quietly staged in Shanghai. She is the niece of Song Meiling, the daughter of the rich Kong family; He is a handsome and chic young man who has returned from studying abroad from a poor family. A chance encounter made this pair of lovers with disparate identities fall in love. In the face of her parents' strong opposition, Kong Lingyi resolutely chose love and entered the marriage hall with Chen Jien. However, the cruelty of reality soon faded the halo of this fairytale love. The gap between the rich and the poor, the huge contrast in living habits, and the various contradictions that arise after marriage finally push the lovers to the precipice of marriage. The courage to be desperate at the beginning could not withstand the test of reality after all. This vigorous love of the Republic of China finally ended in tragedy, leaving infinite sighs and emotions for future generations.
The old and the new are intertwined, and the daughters of the Republic of China are ill-fated
During the Republican period, China was in a special historical stage. The old feudal ideas are still stubbornly occupying a place, while the new trends of thought in the West are blowing like a Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant in this ancient land. In this era of interweaving the old and the new, a group of young people who have received a new type of education are rising.
The best of them is the protagonist we are going to talk about today - Kong Lingyi. In 1915, Kong Lingyi was born into a prominent family. Her father is the famous Kong Xiangxi, and her mother is Song Ailing.
The background of this family is enough to make anyone envious. Kong Xiangxi was not only a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek, but also the finance minister at the time, in charge of the country's economic lifeline. Soong Ailing is the second of the three Soong sisters, and her sister Soong Meiling is Chiang Kai-shek's wife.
Growing up in such a prominent family, Kong Lingyi is naturally a collection of thousands of favors. From an early age, she received the best education possible. Although she didn't study abroad like other rich kids, she showed an amazing talent for literature and art.
Her talent, coupled with her family's background, made her one of the hottest socialites on the beach at that time. Every morning, she enjoys a beautiful bird's nest porridge. Her dim sum is exquisite pastries flown in from Hong Kong.
Even if you eat alone, there must be at least seven or eight dishes on the table. Kong Lingyi's pursuit of beauty is not only reflected in her diet, but also in her dress. The cosmetics she uses are all high-end products imported from abroad.
Growing up in such a privileged environment, Kong Lingyi developed a noble and elegant temperament. Every gesture she makes, she exudes a captivating charm. However, fate always seems to like to play tricks on people.
Just when Kong Lingyi was in the prime of her cardamom years, her parents began to worry about her marriage. According to the social customs of the time, a daughter like Kong Lingyi should marry a rich son or a promising political star.
Kong Xiangxi and his wife looked for several young generals with excellent conditions for their daughter, but Kong Lingyi disdained these people. She thinks this is a rude martial artist, and she thinks that he is too old to be a little wife.
In the face of their daughter's pickiness, Kong Xiangxi and his wife were also at a loss. They had to ask Kong Lingyi what kind of husband they wanted. Kong Lingyi's answer sounds no different from the criteria for choosing a mate for modern girls: young, handsome, talented, and can make me happy.
In this way, Kong Lingyi rejected several carefully selected objects by her parents in a row. Her parents, although a little disappointed, did not force their daughter to accept a marriage they did not like. They look forward to the day when a perfect son-in-law will appear.
However, the gears of fate have begun to turn. At a celebrity dance party on the beach, Kong Lingyi met the person who changed her life. It was a handsome young man in a black suit.
His name is Chen Jien. That night, Chen Jien invited Kong Lingyi to dance, and then invited her to afternoon tea. Kong Lingyi was deeply attracted by this personable young man and readily agreed to his invitation.
In this way, a cross-class love story quietly unfolded in Shanghai during the Republic of China. However, this seemingly beautiful love is destined to go through many tests. The joke of fate has just begun.
The daughter is in love, and the parents try their best to obstruct it
After that ball, Kong Lingyi's life changed dramatically. Chen Jien is like a fresh spring breeze, blowing away the haze in her life.
The two began to date frequently, and Chen Jien took Kong Lingyi to visit the streets and alleys of Shanghai, taste various foods, and enjoy movies and dramas. Kong Lingyi felt the beauty of ordinary life for the first time, and her eyes flashed with happiness.
However, the good times were short-lived. When Mr. and Mrs. Kong Xiangxi learned that their daughter was in close contact with a young man they had never met, they immediately launched an investigation. The results shocked them.
It turned out that although this young man named Chen Jien came from an ordinary background, he also had some backgrounds. He is a top student who has returned from studying abroad and obtained a doctorate abroad. Unfortunately, his family was poor, and he could only teach in an ordinary school after returning to China.
When Kong Xiangxi and his wife learned of this situation, they immediately summoned Kong Lingyi. They sternly warned their daughter that Chen Jien's family background was too far from theirs and was by no means a suitable marriage partner.
Kong Lingyi disagreed, she insisted that love should not be bound by family history. She described Chen Jien's various advantages to her parents, hoping to get their understanding and support.
But Kong Xiangxi and his wife were still unmoved. They believe that a marriage that is the right person lasts. How can a poor boy give Kong Lingyi a happy life?
The quarrel broke out in the Kong family. Kong Lingyi insisted on her choice, and even threatened that if she couldn't be with Chen Jien, she would rather never marry.
Faced with their daughter's stubbornness, Kong Xiangxi and his wife also felt very tricky. They began to take various measures to try to stop the development of the relationship.
They sent people to monitor Kong Lingyi's whereabouts and restrict her from going out. At the same time, they also secretly investigated Chen Jien's details, hoping to find out what tricks to persuade their daughter to give up this relationship.
However, instead of stopping Kong Lingyi, these actions inspired her to rebel. She began to meet Chen Jien secretly, and the relationship between the two became deeper and deeper in this kind of hardship.
Chen Jien also realized the difficulty of this relationship. He knew that his status was far from that of the Kong family, but he did not back down. Instead, he worked harder, hoping to change his situation as soon as possible.
Just when the two sides were at a stalemate, Kong Lingyi made an astonishing decision. She is going to elope with Chen Jien!
This news was like a thunderbolt from the blue, shocking the entire Kong family. Only then did Mr. and Mrs. Kong realize the seriousness of the situation, and they began to reconsider their position.
After some careful consideration, Kong Xiangxi and his wife finally made a concession. They agreed to the marriage of Kong Lingyi and Chen Jien, but put forward some conditions.
They demanded that Chen Jien must have a decent job and be able to support his family independently. At the same time, the living expenses after marriage are borne by the Kong family to ensure that Kong Lingyi can maintain the original standard of living.
Faced with these conditions, Chen Jien gladly accepted. He is grateful for the tolerance of the Kong family, and at the same time he is determined to work hard and live up to the expectations of his future father-in-law.
In this way, after many twists and turns, Kong Lingyi and Chen Jien's marriage was finally blessed by their families. They begin to prepare for their wedding and look forward to a bright future.
What they don't know, however, is that this is just the first bump in their life's path. A bigger challenge awaits them, and this seemingly happy marriage will eventually become an embarrassing tragedy.
After marriage, there are many contradictions in life
The wedding was held as scheduled, and the guests gathered and it was very lively. Needless to say, the pomp and circumstance of the Kong family, the celebrities of the entire Shanghai Tang came to cheer, and even Chiang Kai-shek and his wife were also present to congratulate in person.
Dressed in a brand-new gown, Chen Jien stood in front of the magnificent church to greet his bride. When Kong Lingyi, who was dressed in white yarn, walked slowly accompanied by his father, the audience was amazed.
Vows were exchanged, rings were awarded, and in the sound of everyone's blessings, the couple officially embarked on the journey of marriage. However, the joy of the wedding was soon overshadowed by the haze of reality.
On the wedding night, Kong Lingyi encountered the first "problem". She found that there was no maid to serve her in the new house, and she had to change her pajamas by herself. This is unimaginable for the eldest lady who has been pampered since childhood.
Chen Jien tried to explain, saying that they should live the life of ordinary people and do not need so many rules. But Kong Lingyi felt that her husband was deliberately embarrassing her, so the two had their first dispute.
In the days that followed, similar contradictions kept arising. Kong Lingyi is accustomed to a delicate life, and every morning she has to use special bird's nest porridge to nourish her face. But Chen Jien's family has all these exquisiteness, at most it is an ordinary bowl of white porridge.
At lunchtime, Kong Lingyi was accustomed to the standard of seven or eight dishes. But in the Chen family, one meat and one vegetable can be regarded as hearty. This huge drop made Kong Lingyi feel very uncomfortable.
Not only the diet, but also other aspects of the difference are gradually emerging. Kong Lingyi likes to wear fashionable dresses and visit high-end department stores. But Chen Jien's salary can't afford these expenses at all.
Whenever Kong Lingyi proposed to buy new clothes, Chen Jien always frowned and said, "We have to save a little, the salary is not much." This made Kong Lingyi feel very aggrieved, and she began to miss the days when she spent so much money in the past.
Every bit of life reminds Kong Lingyi that she is married to a "poor" person. Even though Chen Jien has tried his best to maintain a decent life, there is still a world of difference between him and the wealth of the Kong family.
In order to improve his life, Chen Jien began to work part-time everywhere. I teach at school during the day and make up for it at night. But even so, the income is still far from enough for Kong Lingyi to squander.
Kong Lingyi saw her husband working so hard, and she didn't feel good in her heart. She tried to adjust to her new life, learning to do housework and save money. However, the habit of pampering is so easy to change.
Once, Kong Lingyi tried to wash her own clothes, but ended up washing an expensive silk shirt. She cried in frustration, feeling that she was really worthless.
Chen Jien saw his wife's efforts, and his heart was both moved and distressed. He comforted Kong Lingyi and said, "Don't be sad, take your time, you will always get used to it." However, he also began to beat the drum in his heart, fearing that such a life would wear out his wife's love for him.
In order to ease the tense atmosphere, Chen Jien proposed that the two go out for a break. He took Kong Lingyi to People's Park, wanting to relive the sweetness of falling in love.
However, when they sat on the bench and ate snacks from the roadside stalls, Kong Lingyi suddenly felt a little sick to his stomach. She was accustomed to the exquisite dishes of high-end restaurants, and it was difficult for her to accept this kind of popular food for a while.
Looking at his wife's reluctant expression, Chen Jien felt bitter in his heart. He began to wonder if he could really give his wife happiness. This inferiority complex made him reticent at home.
Kong Lingyi also noticed the change in her husband. She tried to comfort Chen Jien, saying that she didn't care about material life. However, whenever she inadvertently reveals her yearning for a luxurious life, it will make Chen Jien feel pressured.
In this way, the estrangement between the two is getting deeper and deeper. They start arguing over trivial things, sometimes even not talking all day. The love that once touched everyone seems to be slowly worn out in the reality of firewood, rice, oil and salt.
The Kong family also noticed their daughter's unhappiness after marriage. Song Ailing hinted to her daughter many times that if she was unhappy, she could go home at any time. But Kong Lingyi stubbornly said that she was very good and didn't need to worry about it at home.
However, her eyes betrayed the pain in her heart. Every time she went back to her parents' house, Kong Lingyi would secretly cry, but she was unwilling to admit that her marriage was wrong.
Just then, an unexpected piece of news upset the balance between the couple. Kong Lingyi is pregnant. This should have been a happy event, but under the circumstances at the time, it brought more pressure to the family.
The times are turbulent and the fate of husband and wife is different
After the news of Kong Lingyi's pregnancy spread, the entire Kong family was boiling. Kong Xiangxi and Song Ailing were overjoyed, and immediately sent someone to send various supplements and nutritional products to their daughter.
But the joy didn't last long. In 1949, the Kuomintang regime was in jeopardy, and the overall situation was decided. As a high-ranking Kuomintang official, Kong Xiangxi naturally could not be spared.
When the wind was blowing, Kong Xiangxi and his wife decided to move their family to Taiwan. They tried their best to persuade Kong Lingyi and Chen Jien to go together, but Chen Jien firmly disagreed.
Chen Jien thinks that he is an ordinary person, and there is no need to flee with him. Moreover, he has a stable teaching position in Shanghai, and he is not willing to give up easily.
The two argued over it. Kong Lingyi is in a dilemma, on one side is her closest relatives, and on the other hand, she is a husband who loves each other. She was caught in a deep conflict.
In the end, under the repeated pleas of her parents, Kong Lingyi made a difficult decision: she wanted to go to Taiwan with her parents. Before leaving, she tearfully begged Chen Jien to go with her, but Chen Jien was still stubborn.
When they separated, the two hugged their heads and cried. Kong Lingyi promised to return as soon as possible, while Chen Jien said he would wait for her in Shanghai. No one expected that this farewell would be a permanent secret.
Kong Lingyi followed her parents to Taiwan and gave birth to a boy soon after. However, she was never relieved to let go of her husband who stayed in the mainland, and asked to return to Shanghai many times to visit.
However, the situation between the KMT and the CCP has become increasingly tense, and it has become impossible to travel between the two sides of the strait. Kong Lingyi could only inquire about Chen Jien's news through various channels, but there was no news.
At the same time, Chen's situation in Shanghai is becoming increasingly difficult. As the son-in-law of the "Kuomintang reactionaries", he was subjected to many forms of discrimination and ostracism.
The original teaching position was deprived, and Chen Jien had to go to the factory to work as an ordinary worker. I get up early every day and work hard, but I can only barely make ends meet.
What made Chen Jien's heart hurt even more was that he had no news from his wife and children. He didn't know if Kong Lingyi was safe, whether the child was male or female, and this torment made him thinner and thinner.
Just when Chen Jien was about to despair, an unexpected opportunity appeared. One of his old classmates was preparing to go to Hong Kong and was willing to help carry a letter to Kong Lingyi.
Chen Jien was so excited that he wrote a long letter overnight, pouring out the pain of lovesickness over the years. He begged Kong Lingyi to come back, saying that he would always wait for her.
The letter traveled in many ways and finally reached Kong Lingyi's hands. Seeing her husband's handwriting, Kong Lingyi couldn't cry. Only then did she know that her husband had had such a hard time all these years.
Kong Lingyi once again came up with the idea of returning to Shanghai. However, Kong Xiangxi and his wife were resolutely opposed. They believe that the situation on the mainland has changed, and that they will only fall into the net when they go back.
In desperation, Kong Lingyi could only reply to Chen Jien with a letter, expressing his apologies and thoughts. She said she would definitely find a way to reunite with him and asked him to wait.
However, the letter became the last link between the two. Since then, no matter how Kong Lingyi inquired, there was no news from Chen Jien.
Many years later, Kong Lingyi, who is over half a hundred years old, finally has the opportunity to return to Shanghai. She couldn't wait to find the old house where she lived with Chen Jien.
However, things are not people, and the vicissitudes of life. The streets and alleys she once knew were unrecognizable, and it took her a lot of effort to find the place.
However, what awaited her was heartbreaking news. Neighbors told her that Chen Jien had died many years ago.
It turned out that not long after receiving Kong Lingyi's reply, Chen Jien fell ill due to overwork. With no one to take care of him and no money to see a doctor, he died alone.
Hearing the news, Kong Lingyi sat down on the ground, tears raining down. She regretted why she had left in the first place, and if she had stayed, maybe it wouldn't have ended like this.
In the end, Kong Lingyi knelt in front of Chen Jien's tomb for a long time. She muttered to herself, telling her deceased husband about her longing over the years and begging for his forgiveness.
After returning to Taiwan, Kong Lingyi became depressed. She began to sort out her and Chen Jien's old belongings and wrote this unforgettable love story.
This cross-class and cross-era love tragedy has become a microcosm of that special era. It speaks of the fragility of human nature and the preciousness of sincere feelings.