At the beginning of 1919, the Lin family at the entrance of Xiangxi Hutong, Pinghe Banzai, Zhangzhou, was already decorated with lanterns and festoons.

This year, Lin Yutang, a son of the Lin family who had studied abroad for 4 years, returned to his hometown to get married as ordered by his parents; in the joyful courtyard, the 24-year-old Lin Yutang frowned, as if what was waiting for him ahead was inexhaustible. Overcome many difficulties.

The lively arrangements of the Lin family attracted the elderly people sitting on the street. They all looked sideways and sighed:

I heard that the scholar of the Lin family had been studying abroad for four years, and the second Miss of the Liao family had been waiting for four years. ;Such an infatuation should not be let down...

I have to say: some seemingly unbreakable relationships require time to be decomposed and clarified.

As a famous writer in modern times, Lin Yutang’s sweet marriage to his first wife Liao Cuifeng has become a romantic story in the past of the Republic of China; but few people know that even though the two grew up together, the three "Chen Jinduan" The word is Lin Yutang's regret that he cannot love it.

She is his first love and the white moonlight that he can never forget.

But it was precisely this regretful relationship that allowed Lin Yutang to find true love amidst the twists and turns of fate.

Lin Yutang: He fell in love with his best friend's sister, but due to the family gap, it created a regrettable relationship

There is a saying in Tang Xianzu's "The Peony Pavilion": Love does not know its origin, but it goes deep.

For the famous writer Lin Yutang, his first love, Chen Jinduan, was an unforgettable memory throughout his life.

The two met in 1912, at a time when things were changing.

This year, 17-year-old Lin Yutang was admitted to Shanghai St. John's University with excellent results; while in college, he won many important awards with his outstanding knowledge and performance, and became a famous figure on campus. Hot guy.

This sensation caused even the St. Mary's Girls' School next door to talk about him.

Since then, the gentle boy from a poor family with excellent academic performance has become a campus star that girls admire.

While at school, he met Chen Xizuo, who was from the same hometown. It was also through the introduction of his friend Chen Xizuo that he met Chen Jinduan, the beloved eldest daughter of the Chen family.

Chen Jinduan studied painting, and her artistic influence gave her an elegant and calm temperament. Her every frown and smile revealed a classical and calm rhythm.

Lin Yutang, a romantic by nature, was completely devastated by their first meeting.

The most beautiful thing in the world is a love that is destined to last forever at a sudden glance; Chen Jinduan, who has such a temperament, has already heard about Lin Yutang's excellence and fame. After meeting him, a beautiful thrill , also slowly fermented between the two.

While in school, Lin Yutang and Chen Jinduan began to have contact for two years; with the gradual understanding and joy, this precious friendship slowly transformed into romantic love.

Regarding this past event, Lin Yutang once wrote in "Autobiography of the Eighties":

"When I returned to Xiamen from St. John's, I always stayed at my good friend's house, because I loved My best friend’s sister. ”

The ignorant love of youth is usually accompanied by reckless stubbornness; and because of its brilliance, it often burns itself.

For Lin Yutang and Chen Jinduan, who fell in love freely, they seemed to have forgotten that this relationship was never a good match, nor was it evenly matched.

Father Chen Tianen has long seen his daughter's love.

He admired Lin Yutang's talent and saw that he had a great future, but he could not accept such a son-in-law.

Simply because Lin Yutang, who was born in 1895, grew up in the most ordinary family, and his father was just a low-profile Christian pastor.

To be able to oppose this marriage on the grounds of family disparity, the Chen family must have strength that cannot be underestimated.

After careful summary, it is not difficult to find the difference between the two families:

Chen Jinduan’s father, Chen Tianen, followed Sun Yat-sen in his early years and lived in the Philippines after the failure of the war against Yuan; He returned to China and settled in Gulangyu, opened Chen Tianen Medical Bureau, and founded the Fujian Papermaking Company, which became a domestic famous brand exported to Southeast Asia and became one of the top businessmen in Xiamen.

Chen Jinduan’s outstanding family background is also destined to become the socialite sought after by rich children; whether it is love or marriage, she needs a matching match, which is not only related to the happiness of her marriage, but also the Chen family. A family marriage is needed.

Even though Lin Yutang is talented, it is unknown when his talent will be appreciated.

As a father, Chen Tianen simply cannot gamble his daughter's happiness on an unattainable future.

One is a pampered rich lady, and the other is an ordinary child of a poor pastor; such a disparity in family circumstances forced Chen Tianen to do the helpless thing of beating up the mandarin ducks.

However, out of appreciation for Lin Yutang, Chen Tianen did not use force to separate the two. Instead, he said to Lin Yutang sincerely:

"The second lady of the Liao family next door, Liao Cuifeng, She is both virtuous and beautiful. If you like it, I can be your matchmaker. There will be no problem.

"

Chen Tianen's words also made Lin Yutang, who was feeling uneasy, instantly understand:

His humble background has become the biggest threshold for love.

He was extremely unhappy, but the scholar's gentleness and elegance could only allow him to hide these emotions in his heart.

Not long after this conversation, Chen Tianen arranged a well-matched marriage for his daughter. .

Lin Yutang almost collapsed when he heard the news, but his family was extremely happy when they heard about Chen Tianen's matchmaking for his son.

They advised him: why not go to Liao's house with gifts. What do you think?

Lin Yutang was unwilling, but his sister finally came forward:

"Chen Tianen's family is very powerful, wouldn't it offend him if he ignored his face? Even if you marry Chen Jinduan, can you afford it? Besides, I just asked you to visit the Liao family. I don’t know if they can take a liking to you. ”

Perhaps it was the sharp words that completely hurt Lin Yutang’s self-esteem and sensitivity.

As if out of anger, he put on the shabbiest robe and carried the clothes he bought on the street. He came to Liao's house to buy cakes.

At this time, Lin Yutang was in a sad lovelorn situation, so he naturally had no expectations for this marriage.

But how could he think of it. : This act of deliberately acting ugly actually led him to meet the true love of his life

He was arranged on a blind date by his "prospective father-in-law" and married his girlfriend and neighbor, creating a love story

The Liao family. He is also a wealthy local businessman in Xiamen; he not only operates industry and real estate, but is also a well-known local banker.

Although the second lady, Liao Cuifeng, was born into a wealthy family, she did not have any arrogance; because she was married to Lin Ruizhu, the eldest sister of the Lin family. She was a classmate, so the Lin family liked her very much.

When she first met Liao Cuifeng, Lin Yutang's impression was that she was a simple and dignified girl with a high nose and round face.

At the suggestion of the Lin family, Lin Yutang invited Liao Cuifeng to his home for dinner.

Unexpectedly, as the eldest lady, Liao Cuifeng not only helped in the kitchen, but also took the initiative to clean up the dishes after the meal.

In his memoirs in his later years, Lin Yutang wrote:

“She came to my house to have dinner and talked with her. We had a good chat with my mother, and when I saw her clumsily washing the dishes, I knew that she would be the one I wanted to marry. "

If the appearance of Chen Jinduan gave Lin Yutang the illusion of romantic love, then the informal Liao Cuifeng used her simplicity and dignity to make Lin Yutang truly feel the fireworks of daily necessities.

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With the help of the Lin family, Lin Yutang and Liao Cuifeng became more familiar and cordial.

But from ancient times to the present, every romantic love cannot escape the secular consideration of being a good match. .

As they are both well-known and wealthy businessmen, the concept of family distinction will naturally appear in the Liao family.

The mother of the Liao family is very dissatisfied with the choice of her daughter. She persuaded patiently:

"When I accepted Lin Yutang's blind date, it was originally to give the Chen family face; but you know his family situation, he is the son of a pastor, and he has no money to support you. Why should I marry you? "

After hearing her mother's advice, Liao Cuifeng gave a very firm answer:

"I married his person, what does money have to do with it? ! He treats me well, what does it matter if he is poor! "

What's the big deal about being poor... These sonorous remarks deeply touched Lin Yutang's heart.

Yes, both marriages could not escape the word "poor" in the end.

Although they were equally matched, Liao Cuifeng and Chen Jinduan made different choices.

One was bound by the resistance of her family, but the other defended them with unwavering courage. The freedom of love.

Some lamented: Perhaps it was because of Chen Jinduan's lack of courage and perseverance that her relationship with Lin Yutang ended up being forgotten.

The answer he most wanted from Chen Jinduan was given to him unswervingly by Liao Cuifeng.

It is also because of this that the scholar's sensitivity and self-esteem once again made him deeply doubt:

Can love with a huge family gap really lead to happiness?

In order to escape this fate? He couldn't fathom his feelings, so he finally chose to study abroad.

He hoped that time would heal his wounds and he could find the answer to love in time.

In this way, Lin Yutang studied abroad. For 4 years, Liao Cuifeng has been waiting for her for 4 years.

She is not afraid that her time will pass away, and she is not afraid that her appearance will fade away. She is just afraid that the person she will stay with in the end will no longer be him...

The Lin family was deeply moved by their longing waiting, so they sent a telegram to urge Lin Yutang to return to China to get married.

After four years of living in a foreign country, Lin Yutang could not let go of the regret of losing Chen Jinduan, but it was better than this. What makes him regret even more is his peace of mind, because the love he once questioned had the answer from Liao Cuifeng: companionship is the longest confession of love.

In January 1919, Lin Yutang and Liao Cuifeng got married with the blessings of their relatives.

On the day of the wedding, Lin Yutang burned a marriage certificate in front of all the guests. He said:

"The marriage certificate is only needed in case of divorce. We will never be separated in this life." ."

Shortly after his marriage, Lin Yutang took his wife Liao Cuifeng to study in Europe again.

No matter how difficult life is, he is unwilling to accept support from the Liao family, just because he does not want others to gossip: He married for the money of the Liao family.

Liao Cuifeng understands her husband's thoughts and has not asked for any money from her family since she got married. When studying in a strange country, the couple lived on the few scholarships.

The most difficult days: Liao Cuifeng, who was sick, did not dare to go to the hospital at all, because all the money had to be reserved for future emergencies.

In order to save money and money, Liao Cuifeng, who had never touched the spring water since childhood, learned to cook and wash clothes. Growing up in this hard life made the relationship between the couple deeper.

He and his first wife had been in love for more than 50 years, but in his later years he insisted on finding his first love. His wife praised him as the most infatuated man

In 1923, the couple returned to China from Germany.

After her life became completely stable, Liao Cuifeng gave birth to three lovely daughters for Lin Yutang, and the couple remained as loving as ever.

In the Republic of China era when numerous literary figures emerged, Lin Yutang’s fame grew.

You must know that in the Republic of China, which was pursuing a new style of life, there were many people who acted in a heartless manner in the name of breaking up arranged marriages, "loving the new and hating the old". Especially in the cultural circle, many slightly accomplished literati, They will all choose to abandon their wives in old-style marriages and marry new trendy women.

For this reason, the cheerful Liao Cuifeng also teased Lin Yutang:

"People in suits are leaving their old wives with yellow faces and marrying trendy girls. Don't you want to follow this trend?"

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Who has ever laughed? Lin Yutang, who has always been humorous, was very serious when he heard this. He answered his wife seriously: "I can't live without you."

Eight simple words, but they have been spoken for many years The tacit understanding of knowing and cherishing each other in marriage.

But even though the two have been together for more than 50 years, Lin Yutang still made "ridiculous" jokes.

In his later years, he was always a little confused. Even when he saw his daughter, he felt strange.

But even in his dying years, he could never forget his first love, Chen Jinduan.

Once, Chen Jinduan's sister-in-law came to visit Lin Yutang. Seeing her friend who had not been with him for many years, Lin Yutang suddenly asked: "Is she okay now?"

When she learned about her first love When he was still living in Xiamen, Lin Yutang tremblingly pushed up half of his body from the wheelchair and begged impatiently: "Take me to see her quickly!"

Liao Cuifeng was not let down by her husband's gaffe. Any anger.

She just patiently dissuaded her and said with a wry smile: "Yutang! Don't go crazy, you can't walk, how can you get to Xiamen?"

These simple words also revealed that the two of them have joined hands for 50 years. The secret of the year is that Liao Cuifeng gave Lin Yutang unlimited understanding and tolerance.

It can be said that Lin Yutang's unforgettable first love has been a "secret" that his wife and daughters have known for a long time.

Back then, Lin Yutang went to Shanghai to teach. When she learned that her husband's first love was also in Shanghai, Liao Cuifeng invited her to her home.

With her outgoing personality, she never cares about these past events, and even teases her husband about it from time to time.

According to Lin Yutang’s daughter Lin Taiyi recalled: “Because my parents had a good relationship and my mother was full of confidence, she took the trouble to tell us proudly that my father loved Aunt Jinduan, but she married him. It was not Chen Tianen’s daughter who looked down on him at that time, but Liao Cuifeng who said that it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t have money. Her mother laughed uncomfortably and her face turned a little red.

Being able to take the initiative to invite his first love to come to his home as a guest is a courage that is difficult for ordinary people to possess, but it also shows Liao Cuifeng's intelligence and transparency.

Having been with her husband for many years, she knew it all too well: what Lin Yutang could not forget was not his first love, but the ignorant youth that was difficult to go back; what he could not forget was not love, but the difference in family status that hurt him. dignity and decency.

Because of this understanding, she and her husband have been married for more than 50 years without any hidden secrets; and because of this transparency, she can understand her husband's true loss and regret.

Liao Cuifeng is proud to know and accompany Lin Yutang.

Because it was her persistence and courage to protect this relationship back then, and she had the happy family she has today.

Because she was so happy, she would be as proud as a child:

The fortune teller said that she was a noble person who could turn bad luck into good luck, so she told Lin Yutang with great pride. Said:

"Perhaps your success over the years is because of the blessings I have brought."

Yes, without Liao Cuifeng's dedication, there would be no stable family today. ; Without Liao Cuifeng's thoughtfulness and tolerance, there would be no literary creation by Lin Yutang that retains innocence and fantasy.

He relied on her and was grateful to her, so much so that after many years of marriage, he still asked for a kiss and a hug, and even called her "Mom" along with the children, whenever anything happy happened to her. , the first time is to share it with "mom".

Old-fashioned marriage means getting married without falling in love. However, in this traditional marriage, Lin Yutang received deep love and learned how to love.

So in his later years, he proudly said to his descendants: "I turned an old-fashioned marriage into a beautiful love."

In Lin Yutang's two relationships, more or less You can also taste some of the essence of love.

Some people say: First love is unforgettable and hard to let go.

Indeed, the ignorant love of youth is always unadulterated, it is as pure and clear as jade; but it is precisely this purity, without the blessing of a basis in reality, that makes it increasingly vulnerable.

Even though Lin Yutang and Chen Jinduan are talented and beautiful, their relationship cannot withstand any test due to its fragility.

For Lin Yutang, Chen Jinduan was his white moonlight, but in the end, he could not love it; and Liao Cuifeng was the lover who accompanied him to see all the fireworks in the world.

After 50 years of mutual acquaintance and companionship through hard times, Liao Cuifeng also turned herself into a cinnabar mole, completely integrated into Lin Yutang's flesh and blood.

So he said frankly: Without Liao Cuifeng, he might not be able to survive.

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As a human being, everyone may have to experience some regretful and lonely past events in their life.

But as time goes by, we will eventually discover that what can truly be called "love" is the person who accompanies us through the ravages of time.

As Lin Yutang said: "A happy life is nothing more than four things. One is to sleep in your own bed; the other is to eat the food cooked by your parents; the third is to listen to your lover's love words; the fourth is to play games with your children. . ”

It seems dull and boring, but it is the true freedom of life.

Let’s join hands with each other to meet again in the next life, and write the most beautiful story of the Republic of China with deep affection

In 1969, in the living room of the Lin Family Garden at the foot of Yangming Mountain in Taipei, Lin Yutang was like a child, Happy to light a pair of wedding candles.

Today is the golden wedding anniversary of his 50th anniversary with his wife Liao Cuifeng.

He wanted to give his wife a romance, and all the relatives and friends who heard the news came to arrange it for him.

On this day, Lin Yutang, like a child, shyly took out a gold brooch with the words "Jin Yu Yuan" cast on it. In addition, he also bought a bracelet for Liao Cuifeng and gave it to her personally. Put it on.

He was a little tough-talking, even a little proud, saying:

This is to commend you for your dedication to your family over the years and your many self-sacrifice.

His wife didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so he simply let go of his courage and gave his wife a passionate kiss in front of his relatives and friends.

Companionship is the longest love, and staying together is the most beautiful marriage. She and he finally grew old hand in hand, creating a romantic relationship that the world would envy.

Ten years later, Lin Yutang died of illness and was buried in the back garden of Linjia courtyard at the foot of Yangming Mountain.

Faced with the sudden departure of her lover, Liao Cuifeng could never get used to it; she would talk to the tombstone and share the new things she encountered and the housework she had done every day with her husband who was lying underground.

Her tone was calm and gentle, as if that person was still by her side.

In 1987, the elderly Liao Cuifeng calmly closed her eyes as if she had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Before she died, she was still wearing the gold bracelet that Lin Yutang gave her at the golden wedding ceremony that year.

If you look carefully, you will find that the gold bracelet is engraved with Joelle's famous "Old Lover": ; Time flies by, and the silver hair on the temples has become thinner.

If we are on a different road in the netherworld, the fairyland should be desolate; if we want to smile, we can only meet each other. ”

Here. It couldn't be written more clearly:

If there is reincarnation in the next life, he will still meet her again, and he will still be with her in life and death, and never leave her!

She must know the promise he made back then.

Because of the knowledge and expectation, I walked very peacefully, as if I had an old dream that I didn’t want to wake up from.

In the dream, she must have met the gentle and elegant lover.

Maybe they were still having fun, watching each other's temples getting whiter and their teeth getting looser;

Maybe she was teasing his first love again, watching him blushing and wanting to argue, but she covered up. Mouth snickered.

How they meet and get along is no longer important;

If there is an afterlife, this loving couple will definitely stay together for another lifetime in an ordinary and trivial romance.