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A Song of Ice and Fire: Qu Wanting's Music, Motherhood, and Moral Dilemmas (Part I)
"The north wind blows, the snowflakes drift..."Whenever this familiar melody sounds, it can always evoke people's memories of the vast black land in the northeast. However, for the 566 workers at the Harbin Breeding Farm, the melody has become a lingering nightmare, engulfed in biting cold winds and endless despair. The winter of 2009 was colder for them than ever before.
In previous years, the steaming heating pipes in the factory dormitory buildings are now freezing cold, and water and electricity cuts are commonplace. All of this stems from a well-planned restructuring, and the mastermind behind the manipulation of this restructuring is Zhang Mingjie, a woman who lost herself in the whirlpool of power and desire, a person who was supposed to serve the people, but stretched his claws to the lowest level of laborers.
At the same time, on the other side of the ocean in Canada, a girl named Qu Wanting is enjoying a good life and a good education, and is pursuing her musical dreams. Little did she know that in her distant homeland, hundreds of families were in dire straits because of her mother's greed. A few years later, the song "In My Singing" became popular all over the country, and Qu Wanting's name also resounded in the Chinese music scene. She appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and became a star in the spotlight. However, the gears of fate are quietly turning, and a storm is about to sweep in.
In 2014, Zhang Mingjie was arrested in accordance with the law on suspicion of corruption, bribery, and abuse of power. As soon as the news came out, public opinion was in an uproar. As the case deepens, a shocking corruption network gradually emerges.
Among them, the most outrageous thing is that Zhang Mingjie privately transferred the huge amount of 61.6 million yuan that should have been used for the resettlement of employees to an account actually controlled by a private company called "Dongjiang Technology". This life-saving money, which originally belonged to the workers, was squandered by Zhang Mingjie in this way, and those workers who had worked hard for the country shivered in the cold wind and struggled to survive.
"I often imagine the scene where you appear again, and it suddenly rains heavily on a sunny day, washing away all the grievances ......over the years" When Qu Wanting sang the song "The Best Arrangement" with an affectionate voice, how many people know what kind of heartbreaking story is hidden behind this song? This song was written by Qu Wanting to her mother in prison, and between the lines is her daughter's thoughts and support for her mother. However, this deep mother-daughter relationship pushed Qu Wanting to the forefront of public opinion.
"She didn't do anything wrong, her mother did it." In the eyes of some supporters, Qu Wanting is just an innocent girl who should not be held accountable for her mother's crimes. However, such a statement ignores the cruel fact that Qu Wanting's luxurious life in Canada and her musical dreams are all built on her mother's ill-gotten gains from corruption. The premise of "misfortune is not good for children" is that "it is not good for children", when Qu Wanting enjoyed the glory and wealth that her mother exchanged for power, she had already invisibly become the beneficiary of this crime.
After Zhang Mingjie's case was exposed, Qu Wanting's music career suffered a heavy blow. The once smash hit songs were taken off the shelves, the partners terminated their contracts one after another, and the performance opportunities also plummeted. In the face of doubts and accusations from the public, Qu Wanting did not choose to remain silent, but publicly defended her mother on social media, saying that she was her "hero" and gave herself the best life. She also frequently posted photos of herself traveling, shopping, and enjoying food, and she didn't seem to be affected by her mother's case in the slightest.
This stance of "quiet years" is in stark contrast to the victimized workers in China who are going through purgatory on earth, and it has aroused public anger even more. Netizens accused Qu Wanting of being cold-blooded and ruthless, lacking sympathy and respect for the victims. Every time she defended her mother, it was like pouring salt in the wounds of the victims' families, adding to the already shattered lives of the victims.
In 2016, Zhang Mingjie's case was finally settled, however, for those victims who lost their homes and lost hope because of her greed, this belated justice could not heal the pain in their hearts, let alone make up for the huge losses they had suffered.
A Song of Ice and Fire: Qu Wanting's Music, Motherhood, and Moral Dilemmas (Part II)
Zhang Mingjie was imprisoned, but Qu Wanting's life did not seem to be affected much. She is still active on social media, sharing her life in the sun, sipping wine on the streets of Paris, and partying with friends at music festivals...... All of this is in stark contrast to the families in the country who are in trouble because of her mother's crimes.
"You enjoy human blood steamed buns, and you still have the face to say that you love your mother?" "Why don't you dare to go back to China? Are you afraid of facing those who are miserable by your mother? The doubts and anger of netizens turned into sharp comments and poured into Qu Wanting's social account. However, Qu Wanting didn't seem to care about all this, she still insisted on defending her mother, and even said that she would "never give up loving her".
This kind of "mother-daughter affection" that is almost paranoid not only did not win the public's understanding and sympathy, but made her fall deeper and deeper in the whirlpool of public opinion. In 2016, Qu Wanting posted a photo with the mayor of Vancouver on Weibo, with the caption "Thank you Mr. Luo Pinxin for his support of my music career", which caused an uproar again.
Netizens have questioned, how can the daughter of a corrupt official still be supported? Is Canada's law so lenient? For a while, words such as "double standards" and "whitewashing" became new labels on Qu Wanting.
In the face of surging public opinion pressure, Qu Wanting chose to close the Weibo comments and no longer respond to any questions. However, silence does not solve the problem, let alone obscure the truth.
"Second generation" like Qu Wanting, they may not be directly involved in the sins of their parents, but they have invisibly become vested interests. They enjoy the glory and wealth that their parents have traded for power, but they turn a blind eye to those who suffer because of their parents' crimes. This kind of disregard for social responsibility and trampling on fairness and justice is the most chilling.
Qu Wanting's story is like an absurd black humor, showing the complexity of human nature and the contradictions of society to the fullest. It reminds us that while pursuing personal happiness, we must always be mindful of our social responsibilities. Don't wait until you lose it to know how to cherish it, and don't wait until you hurt it to regret it.
Years have passed since Zhang Mingjie's case, and the lives of the victims are still difficult. Some of them, because they have lost their jobs, have lost their sources of income, and their lives are in trouble; Some people become ill due to years of hard work, but they cannot afford the high medical costs; There are also some people who choose to commit suicide because they cannot bear the burden of life...... The trajectory of their lives, because of Zhang Mingjie's greed, has undergone irreversible changes.
And Qu Wanting, who is far away in Canada, still lives her own glamorous life with her father. She occasionally posts about music on social media, but the response has been mediocre. Once that talented and promising music girl, now she is like a trapped beast trapped in a golden cage, confused, helpless, but powerless to break free.
Perhaps, for Qu Wanting, the real road to salvation is not to escape and be silent, but to stand up bravely, face the past, and assume the responsibility that she should bear. Only by facing history squarely can we look forward to the future; True happiness can only be achieved by being grateful.
In 2023, some of Qu Wanting's songs will become popular again on short video platforms, causing discussions among many netizens. Some people lamented her musical talent, while others brought up the old story and criticized her. Qu Wanting's story has once again become the focus of people's attention, and it has also triggered more thinking about "wealth and morality" and "individual and society".
When the ice and snow melt, the day of spring flowers, I hope Qu Wanting can find her own answer.
Information source: Qu Wanting announced her comeback on Labor Day, netizens are not calm Observer.com 2021-05-01
The case of singer Qu Wanting's mother Zhang Mingjie has been unsolved for seven years, and the key co-defendants returned to China to surrender Beijing Toutiao Client 2021-10-29
Qu Wanting's mother was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first instance, which is the prototype of "In the Name of the People" Yingjiang District People's Court of Anqing City 2021-11-19