Not a bad person to enjoy life - Century Elder - Fang Cheng Private Collection Album

Author: Ji Xia / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Mr. Fang Cheng’s second wife was also a capable and beautiful woman, about two decades younger than him. Mr. Fang said, "Marriage, indeed, cannot have too large an age gap. Starting with such a difference sows some seeds of disharmony, but that’s not the main reason. The main reason is the difference in ideological concepts, in other words, a difference in worldview. For example, when I paint for others, she wouldn’t do it. She’d say, ‘Why waste time for nothing?’ When I write articles, she’d say, ‘It’s exhausting to waste energy for so little money. What’s the use?’ Sometimes, when I can’t sleep at night and get up to paint, she’d say, ‘Lie down.’ And I had to lie down. Later, though, I also had a trick up my sleeve. I’d say I needed to use the restroom, and she had no choice but to let me. I still painted my own thing." Mr. Fang Cheng and Ms. Su lived together for 16 years. These 16 years of life brought not only marital happiness to Mr. Fang Cheng but also insights into a happy marriage. No matter what, although Mr. Fang Cheng and Ms. Su are now considered "divorced," Ms. Su sometimes still keeps in touch with Mr. Fang Cheng and even calls him to celebrate his birthday. Sometimes she invites Mr. Fang to dinner, and when introducing him to outsiders, she’d say, "He’s my husband." After all, 16 years of feelings can’t be summed up in a few words. This is a photo of Mr. Fang Cheng and Ms. Su returning to their hometown, taken with the renowned painter Guan Shanyue. From left to right, the second person is Ms. Su, the third is Guan Shanyue, and the tall one is Mr. Fang Cheng. When Mr. Fang Cheng mentions Ms. Su, he feels both nostalgia and admiration. Ms. Su is quite capable, from Shandong, and never holds back when working—she’s a real powerhouse. People from Shandong place great importance on etiquette. Although she’s only a few years older than Mr. Fang Cheng’s children, out of traditional courtesy, she once demanded that the children call her "Mom," which was perfectly reasonable. However, influenced by Western culture, the children raised in Beijing didn’t quite get used to it. People from Shandong are stubborn, and they believe not doing so is disrespectful to her. Thus, a small conflict arose. But that’s not the main issue. Ms. Su has a daughter that Mr. Fang and the children loved very much. Mr. Fang said, "I don’t have any daughters at home, so we really liked her. We spoiled her, especially my youngest son, Sun Xiaogang, who was particularly good to her. He’d help her with homework, play with her, and once, when they were fighting over a knife, Xiaogang’s hand got cut, but they didn’t say a word about it. Later, unfortunately, something tragic happened—the girl passed away. This was a huge blow to little Su. She said she wanted to leave this place that hurt her and found a connection through a friend who introduced her to Shenzhen. She worked incredibly hard and earned the nickname ‘The Daring Three Sisters.’" After Ms. Su’s daughter passed away, Sun Xiaogang cried many times. This wasn’t just Ms. Su’s grief but also the grief of the entire Fang family. How could others understand the heart of a mother? And so, Mr. Fang Cheng returned to single life, riding his bicycle once again. P37-P39