In 1946, the Selection of Miss Shanghai, with the publication and filmization of Wang Anyi's "Long Hate Song", coupled with the impetus of a series of literary and historical essays that arose from it, gradually entered the public eye, and has been a rumor so far. In particular, "Second Miss" Xie Jiahua, because of her natural beauty and complex life, has often become a hot topic in the media. However, there are too many facts surrounding her that are far from clear, and many people have smeared it arbitrarily without examination, resulting in the confusion of the truth. Here, with a prudent attitude, we would like to dig up the actual historical materials, correct theories and misrepresentations, and explore the unknown truth of the facts.
Someone once wrote that Xie Jiahua's father was Xie Baosheng, the big boss of Shanghai chemical raw materials. It's ridiculous. Anyone who has a little contact with some historical materials of the Republic of China knows that Xie Baosheng is a famous hooligan in Shanghai Beach, who was a member of the "Eight Shares Party" of the rogue group specializing in robbing opium, and later ran the Kade Pond Bath and ran the Cinderella Ballroom, but never set foot in the chemical industry. Some people also said that Xie Baosheng was shot after his recovery because he cooperated with the Wang puppet government during the fall of Shanghai, and even Du Yuesheng could not save him. It is also unfounded misinformation. Xie Mou and the Wang government cooperated sincerely, but after the war, he was only sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and the old Xie Wen sentenced him to say "thank you" to the judge in court, but also said that he would appeal. The fate of this person was that in December 1951, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the people's government for bullying, that is, he died of illness on January 25 of the following year.
Gossip is less, back to the point. Xie Jiahua's father was Xie Xiaochu. He is an overseas Chinese in Meixian County, who was the general manager of Nanyang Commercial Bank, the director and business manager of Zhongnan Weiying Manufacturing Plant, and the chairman of the Chemical Raw Materials Industry Association. Embarrassingly, these positions were all held during the fall of Shanghai, and what is even more difficult to get rid of is that he was also a member of the Wang Pseudo-Economic Committee, so he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for becoming an "economic traitor" after the war, saying that he "conspired with the enemy country to supply military goods." Most notably, his "property was confiscated except for the living expenses of his family members".
As a result of the above-mentioned family changes, it is conceivable that the fate of Miss Qianjin Xie Jiahua was reversed around 1946.
"Responsive" (Youth Movies)
On April 12, 1944, Tang Dalang's column "Dingyige Essay" in his "Poster" talked about meeting a Miss Xie at a late-night dance party a few days ago. At that time, Tang did not pay much attention to it. Until the early morning of August 20, 1946, when Miss Shanghai was about to be revealed, Da Lang wrote "I and Xie Jiahua" in the "Social Daily", first posing a few demeaning remarks such as Xie Xiaochu's "Since the fall of Shanghai, I am quite tired of the times", and then recalling that the dance two years ago met a young girl, "for the cold, if you can't commit it.". At the end of the song, Tang Dalang privately asked Wang Xichun who the girl was, and it turned out to be Xie Jiahua. Thinking that she always attacked her father in the newspaper, it was no wonder that she would treat her coldly, so she "suddenly laughed." From this anecdote, it can be found that Xie Jiahua lived a comfortable life, loved to catch up with fashion, and was already a regular in the social arena at a young age.
On August 21, 1946, there was a rush to report the results of the Miss Shanghai vote in the New Xianlin Ballroom the night before. Among them, Wang Yunmei was elected "Miss Shanghai" with 65,500 votes. Xie Jiahua ranked second with 25,430 votes, and Liu Deming ranked third with 8,500 votes. The election was full of insiders, which aroused the doubts of countless people, and the rumors never stopped. Many years later, Lu Dafang (that is, the tabloid scholar Lu Yifang) revealed in the "Reminiscences of Shanghai Beach" that Wang Yunmei opened the door to the person in charge of the votes by virtue of the connections of several people in the French Concession, and her supporter Fan Shaozeng prepaid a blank check. However, just by looking at the difference in votes between the champions and runners-up, you immediately understand that this guess is not reliable.
Previously, Xie Jiahua's call for winning the award was quite high, and he lost unexpectedly that night, and he was sad and tearful after his grief. Fortunately, although she lost, she has won the sympathy and special attention of the media. You can't buy that for a lot of money. During the election, the photo studio displayed her photos, which attracted many students to watch. Even a retired officer of the Hangzhou Air Force, after seeing the photos and profiles published in the newspaper, wanted to recruit a daughter-in-law and asked the Northern Jiangsu Refugee Relief Association to pass on the news on his behalf, but was rejected. Of course, there is also negative news. For example, the "Ta Kung Pao" once published a letter from Fudan University, stating that there was no Xie Jiahua in the roster of students in previous years. So her business degree at Fudan University turned out to be fake. The bigger news was that just a few months after the election, Xie Jiahua unexpectedly became engaged to the wealthy businessman Rong Meixin Lightning and held a grand wedding at the Chinachem Hotel on January 11, 1947. The introducers are Wang Xiaoli, a business celebrity, and Wang Xianqing, director general of the Shanghai Preparatory Committee of the Northern Jiangsu Refugee Relief Association, and the witnesses are Wu Zhihui, a political elder. However, judging from a series of follow-up reports exposed in the newspapers later, Xie Jiahua after finding a home was mixed. The joy is that life is still prosperous, and the worry is that since marrying Rong Meixin, she is like a canary who has been locked up in a bird cage and is difficult to get free.
Young Rong Meixin
Who is Rong Meixin? He is the second son of Rong Yunhan, a giant in the old Shanghai pigment industry, who started from scratch and not only created two new pigment companies, Kangsheng and New Kangyuan, but also an agent of German foreign firms and British indigo merchants. In 1914, Rong Meixin was born in Shanghai, and his father died at the age of 18, so he inherited his father's business and entered the paint industry. He was intelligent since childhood, and after entering the industry, he was not satisfied with sales for foreign businessmen, so he set up factories to make chemical pigments, and gradually set up more than ten pigment semicolons throughout the country, in addition, he also held important positions in more than ten enterprises such as banks, textile factories, and dye factories. In a word, he was a young businessman with a successful career.
Born in 1927, Xie Jiahua is 13 years younger than Rong Meixin, but the two have similar family backgrounds and many common hobbies, such as being Peking Opera fans, who like to dance. Therefore, when the tabloids said that she refused to associate with Wang Mengjin and Zhou Youhai, the sons of the magnates, it was understandable that she and Rong were in agreement. The trouble is that her husband Rong Meixin's possessiveness is too strong, and he regards Xie Jiahua as a forbidden person and does not allow others to touch it. In this regard, Tang Dalang remembered that after Xie got married, Rong "forbade Jiahua to shake hands with other men, because he was afraid that Jiahua's skin would be touched by others, which made him feel uncomfortable." ("Gao Tang Sanji • A Forbidden Hand of Xie Jiahua", Tie Bao, March 17, 1948) Less than a year after the marriage, Xie Jiahua ran away from home and did not quit.
It turned out that before the marriage, Tse Jiahua had signed a contract with the Hong Kong Greater China Film Company. On November 30, 1947, she hid from Rong Meixin, entrusted her 3-month-old baby to her mother, and flew to Hong Kong to make a movie. The film was originally called "Miss, Miss", by Miss Shanghai Xie Jiahua and Miss Hong Kong Li Lan as the protagonists, Xie played a social flower who fell in love in the film. On December 3, Rong Meixin flew to Hong Kong to try to stop her from making a movie. That night, Rong Xie did not agree with a word in one of the rooms of the Repulse Bay Hotel, and was "expelled from the hotel" by the hotel authorities. Subsequently, Xie Jiahua, whose neck was pinched and his clothes were torn, ran out of the hotel crying and took a ferry back to the Dormitory of the Great China Company in Kowloon. In the end, after three chapters of mutual agreement, Rong Meixin agreed to Xie Jiahua to act in the film. Interestingly, inspired by the storm, the producers soon renamed the film Rumors in the Air. There is also a tidbit, the future Hong Kong director Li Hanxiang also appeared in this film, but at that time he was just starting out, the role was very small, and he was a passerby whose name could not be found in the cast list.
The movie manual of "Full of Wind and Rain"
At 4:00 p.m. on January 13, 1948, Xie Jiahua and his old mother returned to Shanghai by AVIC plane and performed a good play of "rejecting husbands" at Longhua Airport. Before returning to Shanghai, Xie Xian informed his mother's relatives Gu Mou, who was serving as a captain in the Ministry of National Defense, and Xie Ziying, a cousin who was serving in the Changning Police Substation, to greet him at the airport. His husband, Rong Meixin, also received "intelligence" and rushed to the airport before the plane arrived. After Xie Xie got off the plane, he ignored Rong, that is, he and his mother got into the prepared car and drove directly to his cousin's house. According to witnesses, Rong was in tears at the time, climbed on Xie's car, and lamented to his mother-in-law that "face is related" and begged to go with him. But Xie Mu replied that "there is something to go to the hospital to talk about", which means that he went to Find Xie Xiaochu, who was already on medical parole at the time. Immediately the motor started and sped away. This scene is reminiscent of the curtain call card in Hitchcock's "Beauty Plan". Yes, the face of the upper-class people is more important than their lives, and this time the "Paint King" Rong Meixin is really miserable!
Soon, Xie Jiahua put forward three conditions: first, Rong Meixin immediately disassociated herself from the dancer Yaoli, who lived together; second, the two sides avoided unnecessary communication; third, legal travel was given the right to freedom. ("Qingqing Film", vol. 16, No. 4, published on February 10, 1948) Rong Meixin agreed in all, and the two reconciled. At this time, it was the turn of the tabloid reporter to express sympathy for Yao Li (that is, "Yao Li", not the singer Yao Li). The April 22 square weekly newspaper New Garden published a feature signed "Tianfeng", saying that since the premise of "breaking off from the cohabitation relationship with Yao Li" was implemented, Xie no longer insisted, and at the end of March, her husband personally welcomed him back to the Rong Mansion. After that, the two of them both entered and exited the International Hotel Fortress Building and the Great Bright Theater. The reporter sighed: "Spring belongs to the two of them completely", and turned the pen to the abandoned Yao Li, saying that she was seven months pregnant and could only drink and cry in the corner. And she originally lived with Rong first, it was "but I saw the new people laughing, and I didn't see the old people crying."
However, the good times were short-lived. At the beginning of August, the news came out that Xie Jiahua had committed suicide by swallowing medicine. Today, some people mistakenly believe that Xie Xiang died of this incense, and he sighed with a red face and a thin life. I don't know if I'm completely mistaken.
On August 4, 1948, the 4th edition of the "Declaration", with the title of "The Shanghai Group suffering from a bitter life, Xie Jiahua was rescued by poison", reported on the matter, and even rarely accompanied by a photo: "Miss Xie Jiahua of Shanghai after taking poison and being rescued". I saw her lying on the bed, her eyes sluggish and her face tired. It turned out that "for half a year, Bein Rong has never fulfilled his promise, and has not only strictly controlled Xie Zhi's actions, but also unwilling to break away from his mistress surnamed Zhang, Xie yi is idle and lonely, depressed and unhappy, thinking of meeting people unladylike, it is a cute world-weary thought, on the night of the twenty-fourth day of last month, he suddenly swallowed sleeping pills to commit suicide, fortunately, he was quickly rescued, he was not in danger, he was admitted to the hospital for a week of recuperation, and he was discharged from the hospital yesterday." Xie also broke the news to reporters that Rong had two wives before marrying him, and now they are divorced, leaving eight children. After the two men reconciled, Rong often stayed up all night, and xie discovered that he was still living with his mistress surnamed Zhang in a self-built bungalow somewhere, so he urged him to get rid of it as soon as possible. But Rong said that his mistress had imposed harsh conditions for divorce, and complained: "If you really love me, why can you bear to make me bankrupt for this matter?" "Xie saw that there was nothing to do, resentment, and suicidal thoughts. Because of the recent depression and poor sleep, the doctor advised the sleeping pills, so he accumulated nine tablets. At eleven o'clock on the night of the accident, Xie Jiu waited for Rong to arrive, his heart was depressed, and he swallowed all the pills in confusion.
Miss Xie Jiahua of Shanghai after taking poison and being rescued
Slowly, Rong Meixin also has something to say. On August 7, Rong called Tang Dalang and said: "Jiahua's suicide, in fact, there is no such thing, the reporter of the "Declaration", she called to invite a visit, lying on the bed photo, took and photographed, there was also a cheongsam dropped in the middle, there was a suicide, it was a joke. Don asked then why did she do that? Rong said: "There is only one reason, she wants to be in the limelight..." ("Dingyige Essays: Characters of the Wonders of Ancient and Modern Times", Chengbao, August 9, 1948) Often said that knowing his wife Morofu, Rong's speculation was reasonable. Just think, what is the essential difference between Xie's approach and many contemporary stars fighting for attention? She was only half a century ahead.
After seeing the couple's wonderful "performances", a female reporter pointed out sharply: "In Repulse Bay, on the airfield in Shanghai, so that sleeping pills were taken, these "plots" were not so much caused by Rong Meixin as it was appropriate for Xie Jiahua to write and direct himself." She also concluded: "Their selfish psychology is the same, one uses money to win women's pleasure and chastity, one uses beauty to make himself famous, they need piecemeal love business, and the love of husband and wife is not suitable for two people." (Lan Er, "Xie Jiahua Rong Mei Xin's Pair", "Chengbao", August 13, 1948) In my opinion, this reporter is really ice and snow smart, and in just a few words, the positions and demands of the two have been analyzed vividly.
In any case, in the eyes of outsiders, Rong Xie is obviously exhausted, and the breakup is just around the corner. The media also reported the news of the divorce agreement between the two people for the first time: the jewelry was carried by Xie, and Rong and posted 200 billion Legal Yuan in alimony, while the house was still managed by Rong. It was also stated that a lawyer would soon issue a certificate and publish a notice in the newspaper. ("Rong Mei Xin Xie Jiahua Agreement Divorce", Qingqing Film, Vol. 16, No. 25, published on August 18, 1948)
However, the development of things has once again exceeded most people's expectations, and the pair of "happy enemies" have not divorced. Not only is the sword in the storehouse, but also the love is more than eternal. It is said that less than half a year after Rong Xie's marriage, the crystallization of love has been released. In August, on the occasion of her daughter's first birthday, Rong held a feast at home to celebrate, spending more than 3 billion french tenders. ("Xie Jiahua's Daughter Is One Year Old, Rong Meixin Swings the Feast", Qingqing Film, Vol. 16, No. 30, published on September 24, 1948) Two months later, the news came that Rong Meixin was celebrating Xie Jiahua's birthday. (True News, November 27, 1948) It seems that they are really reunited. It was noted that since late August 1948, Chiang Ching-kuo came to Shanghai to "fight tigers," and the momentum was so great that it really shocked many big capitalists in Shanghai. At the same time, the special relief donations initiated by the Kuomintang government are also in full swing, and Rong Meixin was exposed in the newspaper that the amount of donations was extremely small, and became the target of public criticism. At this moment, he chooses to be a low-key person and less troublesome, which is a wise move.
At noon on January 22, 1949, Rong Xie made a cameo appearance in the finale of the Tian toad Stage in "Dragon Play Phoenix", raising funds for the Wuxi Daoyi Orphanage Nursery. There is no follow-up report on this matter, and it is estimated that the scene will not be hot to anywhere. This cooperation is not so much a reflection of the harmony between the husband and wife, but rather a routine for the sake of charity.
"Declaration" reported
Shanghai was liberated, and Rong Xie did not leave immediately. On September 10, 1949, "Qingqing Film" (17 vols. 18) revealed that Xie Jiahua's attempt to run a nursery school was unsuccessful, and the couple broke a large glass mirror when they quarreled. On March 18, 1950, Xie Jiahua published a notice on the 5th page of the "News Daily" to find a husband: "Mei Xinjian: Jun left home on the sixth day, and after he left for more than ten years, there was no news. Now the family has no money to spend, and life is difficult. I saw the report and returned within three days. Hope is high. JiaHua Qi. "It's a sudden sense of impermanence. Fortunately, on July 27, 1951, the "Xinmin Bao Evening Magazine" also had the news of Rong Meixin, that is, on the last day (29th) of the Peking Opera ticket donation aircraft cannon charity performance initiated by Mei Lanfang and Zhou Xinfang, in the program hosted by the Taihu Lake Club members sponsored by the Wuxi Hometown Association, the main axis was Rong Xie's co-performance of "Li Zhu Dream". From 1950 to 51, Xie Jiahua's figure also appeared in the "Qingqing Film" many times, during which she was invited to play a young woman in the comical film "Everything you need" produced by Hankou Huaxing Pictures, and was a victim of the old etiquette. On November 27, 1951, there was also a short message in the evening magazine of Xinmin Bao, saying that in order to raise funds, Tokumoto Shantang Maternity Hospital invited Xie Jiahua and others to discuss the charity performance on the afternoon of the 24th. This was Xie's last appearance in the mainland media before his death.
In 1952, Xie settled in Hong Kong, established a film company, and continued to make films. Using the Hong Kong Film Library (www.hkmdb.com) website, you can find that Hsieh Chia-Hua has starred in "New Motherhood" (one: Mother Don't Go) (1952), "Stranger" (1952), "Heavenly Beauty" (1954), "Burning Biyun Palace" (1955), "Yang Guifei" (1955), "Daji" (1955), "A Generation of Magic Marshals" (1956), "Silver Sea Fairy Song Everywhere" (1957), "Zheng Chenggong" (1959), Happy Angel (1960) and Gold Is Hard to Buy (1965), the last one of which she also served as executive producer. It is almost the fulfillment of the long-cherished wish of "devoting one's life to the film industry" many years ago.
Posters for "The Geek" and "The New Motherhood"
MCA writer Li Tianbao was deeply impressed by "The Stranger", and after learning of Tse Ka Hua's death, he wrote: "She on the cover of "The Stranger" is also a bit of a posthumous photo: the white veil goes around in a circle, surrounds half of the arms and shoulders and goes around, half covers the pink face, the carefully drawn eyebrows conceal a trace of resentment, the sideburns roses and the awe-inspiring red lips reflect, there is a beautiful and fierce feeling, it is not easy to provoke the woman, as if it will become a snake, swallowed. She is an unprofitable lamp in "Stranger", appropriately revealing the flesh and blood of the children of the wind and dust in the treacherous rivers and lakes, and you can't stop killing me, all of which are eternal themes - money and sex. Later she was the only survivor. The mermaid snake in the play lived happily, but Xie Jiahua outside the play suddenly disappeared like a sideburn rose, and withered in an instant. ("Slanting Sun Gold Powder") The last sentence is written sadly and stubbornly, which is touching.
On December 10, 1972, Xie Jiahua died. Her death was very strange, Li Tianbao said: "Xie Jiahua was the Shanghai Lady of the year, and Feng hua was dying in the hotel room. ”
The book "Shanghai Beach Reminiscences" pays much attention to Xie Jiahua's encounter after going to Hong Kong, saying that Xie "since marrying Rong Meixin, a pair of two good, giving birth to many children, so the good times are not often ... The couple came south to Hong Kong, each running forward, and finally caused a situation of separation, about the tortuous process after the arrival of the second miss, although the author knows a lot, but this is a matter of frustration for others, the suitability of the zhi is enough to cause pity, so it is no longer put into the record, but the death of the second miss is unladylike, wronged and died, it is worthy of our sympathy, the so-called beautiful life is thin, often so."
Xie Jiahua's death, in Chen Cunren's pen, became an unusually strange version. He first wrote late one night, Xie Jiahua called him and asked him to go to a hotel to rescue him, otherwise she would leave a note that read, "Chen Cunren will not come, I am dead." Chen was forced to be helpless, rushed to take a look, and saw that Xie was covered in black and was hopeless. He quietly took the note and left.
Sure enough, three days later, the newspaper published the news of the death of the famous "Miss Shanghai" Xie Jiahua. Later, a friend told me: "This Miss Xie has a cohabitant who has worked hard to bring two white suitcases from afar, which were brought by three people in partnership." Xie Jiahua saw that it was a white thing, and lost her temper, and when the three of them went out, she poured all the white things into the toilet toilet and smoked them all. The three men returned and saw that the two suitcases had disappeared, so they beat her several times, which caused this incident. (My Medical Career)
Chen Cunren was a famous Chinese medicine doctor in old Shanghai, but his medical skills were not very clever. Therefore, Xie Jiahua's deathly plea also left a note, the plot is too bizarre, the aunt can listen to it, do not have to be serious. But Chen may have spied some facts, that Isaac Xie was likely to die unnaturally. In order to get as close to the truth as possible, after reviewing a number of Hong Kong newspapers at the end of 1972, although no reports directly related to this case were found, it was found that there were many vicious cases that year, the world was restless, and the people were panicked. Police statistics on Dec. 12 show that on average, one crime occurs every sixteen minutes, with one robbery every hour. The Department of Civil Affairs announced that the number of homicides that year had increased to 113, and acknowledged that the authorities "really did not go it alone" to solve the problem of the surge in robbery and violence. Xie Jiahua said goodbye to the world at this time, and it was really bad luck and a bad fate.
In 1973, Rong Meixin moved to New York, USA. In 1982, he remarried with Ms. Zhu Baoling, and lived a happy life in his later years.