zhang ailingg

"We moved into a garden villa with a dog, flowers, and fairy tale books. The house was suddenly filled with many exquisitely cultured relatives and friends. My mother and a plump aunt sat side by side on the piano bench, mimicking a romantic scene from a movie. I sat on the floor watching, laughing and rolling around on the wolf fur rug." (align:"==>")+(box:"X=")[----Love in a Fallen City, Zhang Ailing] <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/r3LC8B1bvJ5dAhs.png> This is how Eileen Chang viewed her childhood. Before the age of eight, she was very happy. Born into an affluent family, she had no worries about food and clothing, and she was exceptionally talented. By the age of three, she could recite poetry, and by seven, she had written several novels. However, the 8th year in her life is a turning point. [[View Ailing's life turning point]]

At the age of eight, Eileen Chang's father was very unfaithful, having multiple affairs, lacking ambition, and indulging in gambling and opium. This led to her parents' divorce, marking a turning point in her life, as they lived entirely different lifestyles. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/Pq5anm1KZ4NO8GD.png> Her father was traditional, while her mother, Huang Yifan, rejected tradition and enrolled Eileen in a Western-style school. However, when Eileen was ten, her mother returned to Europe. Her father valued sons over daughters and was indifferent to Eileen's talents, seeing them merely as a means to show off. He often physically abused her, and once, when Eileen expressed a desire to return to her mother in front of her stepmother, her father beat her severely and locked her up for six months. This caused Eileen to suffer from dysentery. It seemed that her father was not a good place for her. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/xbErLcKXwquYif6.png> If you were Eileen Chang, would you choose to: [[Go to your mother]] [[Stay with your father]] [[Go to your aunt]]

Eileen Chang ran to her mother and originally gained admission to UCL, but was unable to attend due to World War II. She then enrolled at the University of Hong Kong, where she excelled academically and learned to write in English. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/svIN9f7byAtGcDJ.png> After graduating, she moved to Shanghai, where she made a living through her writing. It was during this period that she began writing novels, with famous works like "Love in a Fallen City" and "Red Rose and White Rose" emerging from this time. [[Then, Eileen wrotte down the novel "Blockade".]]

As a child, Eileen Chang had no means of survival, and her father and stepmother treated her poorly, preventing her from continuing her education. Thus, her talent was abruptly halted at the age of ten. This also meant that the history of Chinese literature lost a vibrant and significant voice. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/snWpgoOEcvfZ417.png> [[Start Again]]

Eileen Chang's aunt greatly appreciated her talent and felt compassion for her circumstances. She was one of the few sources of familial affection for Eileen. She hoped that Zhang Ailing can continue to study literature. However, the aunt believed that Eileen might not be able to fully realize her potential while living with her, so she decided to send Eileen to her mother. [[Go to your mother]]

"Blockade" caught the attention of Hu Lancheng, an associate of Wang Jingwei. He slipped a note under the door, hoping to meet her. When they finally met, Hu was surprised by Eileen's height and found her demeanor more like that of an immature schoolgirl than a writer. Nevertheless, they talked for five hours straight. From then on, he visited her daily, and Eileen even gave him a photo with the note, "After seeing him, she became very small, small to the dust." <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/XlDAPO4UwEFbChT.png> At this point, Eileen had fallen deeply in love with this man, who was 14 years her senior and already married. If you were Eileen Chang, would you choose: [[To be with him]] [[No, he has a wife; I can't be in a relationship with him]]

Eileen Chang and Hu Lancheng shared a brief period of happiness, but his unfaithful nature proved hard to change, and he often cheated on her. Eventually, after Wang Jingwei's downfall, Hu went into hiding. During this time, Eileen continued to send him money each month while also faced with the decision to: [[Search for his whereabouts]] [[Not search; instead, seek a new relationship]]

Your choices saved Eileen from a sad relationship. However, at a writer Eileen has also lost many experiences which make her more thoughtful. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/eKNDYyM1jAHascB.png> [[To explore the relationship, click here]] [[To move on, click here]]

Eileen left Hu Lancheng due to his family and their age gap. Maybe she is just not so into this man. During her subsequent writing journey, Eileen Chang met Sang Hu, a director, and they fell in love. However, Sang Hu's brother hoped he would find a stable, down-to-earth woman to spend his life with, which clearly did not describe Eileen. If you were Eileen Chang, would you choose to: [[Continue to pursue Sang Hu. After being abandoned by Hu Lancheng, she couldn't allow herself to be hurt again.]] [[Leave Sang Hu. Eileen wasn't the kind of stable, honest woman he needed, and she couldn't compromise her identity.]]

After much searching, Eileen Chang finally found Hu Lancheng, only to discover he was with a widow named Fan Xiumi. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/FnQ9EbyXVTazN4d.png> Heartbroken, she chose to [[move on and leave him behind.]]

During her subsequent writing journey, Eileen Chang met Sang Hu, a director, and they fell in love. However, Sang Hu's brother hoped he would find a stable, down-to-earth woman to spend his life with, which clearly did not describe Eileen. If you were Eileen Chang, would you choose to: [[Continue to pursue Sang Hu. After being abandoned by Hu Lancheng, she couldn't allow herself to be hurt again.]] [[Leave Sang Hu. Eileen wasn't the kind of stable, honest woman he needed, and she couldn't compromise her identity.]]

Despite Eileen Chang's determination to pursue Sang Hu, he ultimately conformed to his family's wishes and married an outsider. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/xASnhjEeQDKN8or.png> After their breakup, Eileen wrote the impactful novel "Half a Lifetime," which became one of the most significant tragic love stories in modern Chinese literature. The novel centers on the emotional ups and downs of Shen Shijun and Gu Manzhen, illustrating the tragic love story of young people in a chaotic era. It presents choices regarding life, love, and marriage from a female perspective, reflecting women's struggles and resilience in adversity, as well as the author's deep empathy for the characters. After completing "Half a Lifetime," Eileen decided to [[move to the United States]], leaving behind the tumultuous place that had caused her so much heartache.

Sang Hu ultimately married an ordinary woman. Even though Eileenhad already left him, a sense of melancholy lingered within her. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/xASnhjEeQDKN8or.png> Eileen decided to [[move to the United States]], leaving behind the tumultuous place that had caused her so much heartache.

In the United States, Eileen Chang met Reyher, and after six months of knowing each other, they married in New York when Eileen was 36 and Reyher was 65. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/nh5p4qY8RKkztF7.png> However, change came unexpectedly. Just two months after their wedding, Reyher suffered a stroke and was bedridden for many years. Eileen balanced caring for her husband with writing to support them. Ten years later, Reyher passed away when Eileen was 46, and she never remarried. To honor his memory, she even changed her name to Eileen Reyher. <img src=https://s2.loli.net/2024/10/28/Rhol7xjqKywpFDA.png> After Reyher's passing, Eileen Chang felt lonely and isolated. If you were Eileen Chang, would you choose to: [[Return to China, as she was already well-known and could earn a living there]] [[Stay in the United States, as she was not one to pursue fame and fortune, continuing to create and honor Reyher's memory]]

If Eileen Chang had chosen to return to China to pursue fame and fortune, her life might have taken a dramatically different turn. She would have quickly emerged in the Chinese literary scene, garnering countless accolades and attention. Her works would frequently appear in major publications, making her a prominent figure in the literary world. She would attend various artistic events, mingling with numerous writers and intellectuals, and her life would seem full of excitement and glamour. Ultimately, even with the accolades and applause, Eileen would find herself feeling deeply isolated beneath the glitzy surface. Her writing would cease to be a refuge for her emotions and instead become a commodity in the pursuit of fame. The superficiality of her new life would mask her profound desires and solitude, leaving her increasingly alone on her literary journey. The story you are reading is based on a real story of Chinese writer Eileen Chang. Eileen Chang was a renowned Chinese writer born in 1920 in Shanghai, known for her poignant explorations of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships. After studying in Hong Kong and later moving to the United States, she gained recognition for her distinctive literary style, blending modernism with traditional Chinese themes. Chang's life was marked by personal struggles, including a challenging marriage to American writer Ferdinand Reyher, whom she married at 36. After Reyher suffered a stroke shortly after their wedding, Chang devoted herself to caring for him until his death ten years later. She never remarried, choosing instead to honor his memory by adopting the name Eileen Reyher. Her works, including "Love in a Fallen City" and "The Rice-Sprout Song," continue to resonate, offering deep insights into the lives of women in a rapidly changing society. Chang's legacy remains significant in both Chinese literature and feminist discourse.

Eileen Chang's landlord discovered her passing in her apartment on Rochester Avenue in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, at the age of 75. According to the coroner's examination, she had died about six or seven days prior due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Her will stated: "Cremate as soon as possible; scatter the ashes in an open field; leave the belongings for the Song Qi couple to handle." On September 19 of the same year, Lin Shitong fulfilled her wishes by cremating her body at the Whittier Rose Hills Memorial Park in Los Angeles, without holding a public funeral. The story you are reading is based on a real story of Chinese writer Eileen Chang. Eileen Chang was a renowned Chinese writer born in 1920 in Shanghai, known for her poignant explorations of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships. After studying in Hong Kong and later moving to the United States, she gained recognition for her distinctive literary style, blending modernism with traditional Chinese themes. Chang's life was marked by personal struggles, including a challenging marriage to American writer Ferdinand Reyher, whom she married at 36. After Reyher suffered a stroke shortly after their wedding, Chang devoted herself to caring for him until his death ten years later. She never remarried, choosing instead to honor his memory by adopting the name Eileen Reyher. Her works, including "Love in a Fallen City" and "The Rice-Sprout Song," continue to resonate, offering deep insights into the lives of women in a rapidly changing society. Chang's legacy remains significant in both Chinese literature and feminist discourse.