I and Li Zongren

Author: Li Xiwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: For those years in Guilin, I lived in Yixue Lane. My five-hall, three-entrance house was quite spacious. The front hall was rented out as a cloth store, the middle three halls as a residence, and the back hall was where I lived. No matter where I went, I was never alone. Coming back to Guilin from Guangzhou was no different—I had relatives constantly staying with me, making it convenient for school and studies. The children who lived with me in Guangzhou had all grown up by then and had all entered university. Now, it was a new group of children with me. There were two daughters of my second aunt, Yuqiong and Xiaqiong; three daughters of my fourth aunt, the eldest sister and Laogan; and my niece Yuebo. After my third cousin Chunkai got married and had a job, as he had no place to live, he brought his wife and daughter to stay in my house. My nephew Jiaqiu, who had been transferred back from Liuzhou to Guilin Provincial Government, was appointed as an agricultural supervisor. He often went to work in various counties, and his wife and children lived with me. With so many people around, life was quite enjoyable, and there were many interesting stories. The most interesting was my fifth brother Songlin and his foreign wife. Songlin, who had studied in Germany, brought back a German wife and first lived in Hong Kong. In 1941, they returned to Guilin together and also lived in Yixue Lane. Occasionally, they would also go to the countryside for a while, as Songlin wanted his wife to try the rural flavor.
Speaking of Songlin’s wife, she was incredibly amusing. We ate at the same table, and she used chopsticks to pick up a large handful of food each time. She watched us picking up small portions and laughed at herself, saying, “Soli.” Once, she and Songlin went to the countryside for a few days and brought back three chickens—two roosters and one hen. They returned to Guilin happily, as Songlin enjoyed cockfighting and cricket fighting. Cockfighting was not only an entertainment that interested young gentlemen and nobles but even women enjoyed watching it. Children, of course, loved it the most. So, whenever there was a cockfight, everyone would gather to watch, considering it great enjoyment.
Once, when two roosters were fighting fiercely, Songlin’s foreign sister-in-law brought the big hen over, saying she wanted to join the fight. But as soon as the hen arrived, the two roosters stopped fighting and chased the hen instead. Songlin was furious, and the people around burst into laughter, while Tian’s wife laughed so hard her stomach hurt. The foreign sister-in-law was speechless, not understanding what was going on. Later, Songlin explained to her in German, “Roosters don’t fight hens—you’re such a fool!” It wasn’t surprising, as foreigners didn’t engage in cockfighting, and she couldn’t even tell the difference between roosters and hens. Perhaps it was just a matter of not being accustomed to life there, and with the Anti-Japanese War going on, there were frequent air raids. However, Songlin and his wife never took shelter during air raids. When the sirens went off, they would simply go to sleep. Tian’s wife was so worried that she had to lock the gate and let them be.
Sometimes, when enemy planes bombed frequently, Songlin and his wife had no choice but to return to the countryside temporarily. This was very uncomfortable for foreigners. Additionally, the wife and Songlin had incompatible personalities and different hobbies. Songlin was always inactive, and their differences grew, leading to frequent arguments. With no solution, Songlin had to send her back to Hong Kong. She soon returned to Germany and has been out of touch ever since, without any divorce papers being filed.