Li Yan'e, the nanny of Song Qingling's family, was born in 1911 in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, to a family of shipwrights, 19 years younger than Song Qingling. In 1927, at the age of 16, she came to Song Qingling as a nanny, and then she had more than 50 years of getting along and accompanying Song Qingling, and Song Qingling has always called her Mother Li and Sister Li.
In February 1981, Li Yan'e died of cancer, and Song Qingling buried her ashes in the Song Cemetery of the Shanghai Wanguo Cemetery, and Song Qingling's parents, Song Yaoru and Ni Guizhen, made a tombstone for her, which was also engraved with the words "Song Qingling Jingli".
When Li Yan'e's urn was sent to Song Qingling's residence, Song Qingling dragged the sick body and greeted her. Taking the urn, Song Qingling couldn't help but put his face on it, touching it emotionally, and the tears slipped down. On the day that Li Yan'e was transferred to the Song cemetery, Song Qingling personally took the urn out and staggered to deliver it to the car parked at the door. Subsequently, Song Qingling wrote to one of his friends: "My dear housekeeper and companion Li Yan'e are gone... I'm heartbroken... Her ashes will be buried in the Song cemetery... When I die, I will also be buried next to my parents and hers. ”
In these details, there is no longer a master-servant relationship, only the friendship of sisters. Li Yan'e's job is to be responsible for Song Qingling's daily life, she is physically strong, even a little fat, five big and three thick, but she can work with her hands and feet, and she can do everything seriously and responsibly. She climbed up and down every day, cleaned the house clean, and the door frames and glass were spotless. She also pays attention to the safety of the home at any time, always thinking about whether some doors or valves are closed, and also thinks about the temperature of the home at any time, heats up with an electric fan, and then uses electric heat to heat up when it is cold. She also likes to rummage through boxes and cabinets, often taking out some clothes and even books to dry, and quietly putting mothballs in the cabinet containing them.
In addition to these, Li Yan'e also went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, selected the freshest ingredients, and bargained with the vendors there; she was in charge of the keys to the home, and every time she went out, she would habitually push back and push the door to lock it; afraid of Song Qingling's accident, she was also responsible for receiving the work of receiving mail, every time, when the mail came, she reported to Song Qingling first, and then took it to the balcony to open it, and then gave Song Qingling a look.
Li Yan'e's work is about this, she has been doing it for decades, at the same time, she is very loyal to Song Qingling, and because of her loyalty, rumors even say that she is a person who knows martial arts, as long as Song Qingling is in danger, she will appear by her side. Some people speculate that she is a heroine who can use darts, as light as a swallow, and has martial arts; some even guess that she is a sumo wrestling samurai with superb and powerful martial arts, which will kill others in an instant.
In fact, Li Yan'e can not do any martial arts, born bad fate is not good, when she was very young, her parents died, her uncle raised her, she followed her uncle to live on the ship for many years. Forced to make a living, her uncle married her to a second-rate son who did not do his job when she was 16 years old, without her consent or serious investigation. Soon after the marriage, she could not bear her husband's abuse and ran away in anger, so she went to Song Qingling's house under the introduction of others. Song Qingling listened to her story, grabbed her hand and said, "How unfortunate are you..." Then promised to let her stay as a nanny. She was so excited that her eyes were tearful, and she gratefully poured out her heartfelt words to Song Qingling: "Madam, you took me in, and I will wait for you for the rest of my life!" ”
The subsequent journey of changing hearts for hearts followed, but why did some people want to pass on Li Yan'e as a martial arts master, and then be afraid of her? It's because of her strong justice. At that time, the Kuomintang secret service organs repeatedly sent people to try to break into Song Qingling's apartment and bribe people around Song Qingling. Naturally, Li Yan'e became one of their targets.
Because she had only recently arrived in Shanghai, Li Yan'e spoke Shanghainese in Cantonese and met a very "kind" sister when she went to the scene. The greengrocers cheated and often verbally humiliated Li Yan'e. The well-meaning sisters always come out at such times to fight for Li Yan'e and say a fair word. After a long time, the two became familiar, and when Li Yan'e needed to go out to run errands, she asked the newly acquainted sisters when the road was not familiar, and the newly acquainted sisters also proposed to go to Song Qingling's house at the right time to have a look.
Li Yan'e (left)
However, one day, the newly acquainted sister and Li Yan'e walked together, and when they saw Song Qingling coming, they quietly slipped away. Li Yan'e thought, didn't this sister always want to come to the house to have a look? Now that Madame has come, how did she leave? Then, she thought of these two words vigilantly--secret agent!
The female agent could not get close to Li Yan'e, and the secret service sent a male agent after a while, who was a little brother. Li Yan'e once went out to buy vegetables, and was suddenly hit by a taxi, no one was okay, but looking at the squashed vegetable basket on the ground was frightened and trembling. The driver hurriedly got out of the car to comfort Li Yan'e, compensated Li Yan'e, and sent Li Yan'e to the doorstep. Li Yan'e calmed down, inadvertently glanced at the driver, and found that the driver looked gentle and elegant, similar to her own age, and was very good-looking. Although there have been failed marriages, as a girl, Li Yan'e still can't help but look at the driver more and think that the little handsome guy in front of her is very good.
In the following days, Li Yan'e always met a handsome man on the way to buy vegetables, and always kept offering courtesy to Li Yan'e and helping Li Yan'e. Li Yan'e thought that she had really met love, and the little handsome man also lost no time in proposing to fall in love with Li Yan'e, constantly buying things for Li Yan'e and giving money to spend. Li Yan'e could not refuse, and reported the matter to Song Qingling, who said: "I am really happy for you, but I suggest that you still know more about his details." Soon, the details of the little master brother were "understood" out - the secret agent!
Li Yan'e
Li Yan'e was very sad, and secretly wiped several tears in the next few days, and then said to Song Qingling: "Madam, I will not marry in this life, and I will serve you wholeheartedly!" Then there was the outbreak of the Pacific War, soong Ching Ling and Li Yan'e in Hong Kong, facing the bombing of Japanese aircraft, Li Yan'e disregarded her own safety, set up escalators, helped Soong Ching Ling cross the wall and enter the neighbor's air raid shelter; then there was Also Song Qingling in Chongqing, living with Li Yan'e on the first floor, the two of them together with the surrounding agents circling and fighting... At this time, the feelings between them have changed from sisters to comrades and comrades-in-arms.
How can I do without looking for an object? The widow Song Qingling could not look at the people around him, and in order to take care of himself, he had been single, and deliberately matched his guard Jin Biao with Li Yan'e, but after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Jin Biao sacrificed to protect Song Qingling. When Jin Biao sacrificed, the last words he said to Li Yan'e were: You must take good care of your wife. Li Yan'e wiped away her tears and resolved to follow Song Qingling for the rest of her life.
In this regard, Song Qingling later said: "Comrade Li Yan'e is a lone woman, persecuted in the old society, she is a strong woman, came to me at the age of 16 as a nanny, loyal to me. Before liberation, in the former residence of Mr. Sun in Shanghai, the Kuomintang reactionaries used money and status to induce her to monitor my activities... She sternly refused, disregarding her personal safety, protecting me and supporting my revolutionary activities..."
However, how can a person's life be without bumps and bumps? Among the staff around Song Qingling was He Yuanguang, who was younger than Li Yan'e, and was also a Guangdong native, who did not do the right thing and was bold. During the War of Resistance, he did some things that were not conducive to Song Qingling, but after the victory of the War of Resistance, Song Qingling, who had a broad mind, still kept him by his side and made him a cook.
One day in 1959, Li Yan'e was frying eggs in the kitchen, He Yuanguang actually moved his rogue mind after seeing it, and came forward to use his hands and feet on Li Yan'e, Li Yan'e was in a hurry, and poured the hot oil in the pot on He Yuanguang. He Yuanguang could not dodge, and his neck was burned a large piece. Where is this kind of thing preached? When asked by others, He Yuanguang could only say that he accidentally injured himself while cooking, but he remembered li Yan'e and began to steal some things from Song Qingling's kitchen to quietly vent his resentment.
In the second half of 1961, Li Yan'e felt that He Yuanguang's hands and feet were getting unclean, so she weighed the meat and side food she bought in advance and handed them over to He Yuanguang for acceptance and cleaning. Because Song Qingling was in Beijing at the time, Li Yan'e reported the matter to sui xuefang, the secretary of the guard, and under Sui Xuefang's cross-examination, He Yuanguang admitted that he had stolen some meat and side food from the family and began to plan how to retaliate against Li Yan'e.
On the evening of November 25, Li Yan'e entered the kitchen, and He Yuanguang suddenly raised his kitchen knife and rushed over. Unable to dodge, Li Yan'e quickly collapsed in a pool of blood. After the other staff heard the movement, they rushed into the kitchen, and were injured by He Yuanguang with an iron rod, and were eventually subdued by the guard secretary and three other people. Li Yan'e was taken to the hospital and only recovered a life because of timely rescue. Originally, everyone wanted to hide this matter, but Song Qingling in Beijing dreamed that night that Li Yan'e was covered in blood, did not sleep all night, and rushed back to her home in Shanghai the next day.
In front of the hospital bed, Song Qingling and Li Yan'e hugged each other and cried, and then the hands of the two clasped together, and Song Qingling said: "Mother Li, follow me and you suffer!" Li Yan'e said: "I do!" ”
After this, Song Qingling began to change her name to Li Yan'e "Sister Li". It is said that they also engaged in a simple "ritual" at that time: Song Qingling ate with Li Yan'e in the upstairs office (which doubled as a small dining room). This room has a small square table with two chairs, one facing south and one west. Song Qingling moved the chair facing south and said to Li Yan'e, "Sister Li, you sit here." Li Yan'e said: "Madam, you are the master and the leader, how can I sit here..." Song Qingling said: "My master, the leader, is higher than you, so you sit high in the south, and I am facing the west to accompany each other, isn't this balanced?" Balanced, we will not fall when we walk together in the future! Li Yan'e still refused, and Song Qingling said: "Sister Li, you have been with me for decades, and we have long been sisters!" ”
At this time, Li Yan'e was exactly 50 years old, and Song Qingling was nearly 70 years old. Perhaps considering that Li Yan'e in her later years had a personal companionship, Song Qingling let Li Yan'e adopt the daughter of a deceased staff member, and Li Yan'e treated the girl sincerely while doing her job well, and also named her Li Yuan. However, Li Yuan's treatment of Li Yan'e was not satisfactory, and Li Yan'e's dependence and warmth in her later years was still Song Qingling.
In 1979, when 68-year-old Li Yan'e was diagnosed with uterine cancer, Song Qingling contacted the hospital and doctors and took her to Beijing for treatment. At this time, Song Qingling was 86 years old, and her health was not as good as before, and she needed to be supported by others when she walked, but she had to listen to the doctor's report on Li Yan'e's condition every day. In June, Li Yan'e's condition improved, but there was no cure, Song Qingling hid her illness from Li Yan'e, took Li Yan'e to her residence in Beijing to recuperate, walked and chatted together, planted flowers and took pictures, and had a warm life of sisterhood.
The staff around Song Qingling knew that Li Yan'e's life had come to an end, and took special care of Li Yan'e, which made Li Yan'e feel very uncomfortable, and asked a staff member: "Why are you so good to me during this time..." The staff said: "We are very envious of you, you have dedicated your life to your wife." Li Yan'e murmured, "What do I dedicate?" I'm just a nanny by Madame's side, and I just can't figure out why Madame kisses me like sisters..."
On the tenth day of the tenth month of the tenth lunar calendar, it is Li Yan'e's birthday, Song Qingling celebrates Li Yan'e's birthday, Li Yan'e is very happy, and her colleagues laugh happily. But then, the winter in Beijing made her feel dry and cold, and she returned to Shanghai under the arrangement of Song Qingling. Before leaving, Li Yan'e cried and said to Song Qingling, "Madam, I am gone, who will take care of you..."
After Li Yan'e left, Song Qingling's mood was very heavy. She once wrote to a friend: "My dear housekeeper has a terrible disease that makes me very upset. She has been following me for 50 years, and she is so loyal and my most trusted friend. I was afraid she would die soon... She lay in bed completely unaware of the pain that was really afflicting her! I am so sad and without a master..." He said to another friend: "I have been extremely upset in recent days because Sister Li (my partner and housekeeper for more than 50 years) is very ill. She is not only my assistant, but also more than my loved ones..."
On February 5, 1981, Song Qingling heard the news of Li Yan'e's death in a disturbing anxiety, at this time, what she thought about most was that when she visited Li Yan'e in the hospital, Li Yan'e had tearfully said to her: "Madam, after I left, the person who can't let go is you... You must take care of yourself! More than three months later, on May 29, Song Qingling also passed away immediately after Li Yan'e. Their cemeteries are placed in front of the tombs of Song Qingling's parents, and the sisters in today's Song Qingling Cemetery are affectionately accompanied by each other.
In the past, I used to be, Willow Yiyi, now I come to think, rain and snow. Some people say that the friendship between Song Qingling and Li Yan'e is just a wave in the river where Song Qingling's great man grew. But what I want to say more is that life is always like a white colt, and if you want to make yourself an ironclad, you can only have a grateful heart, so that suffering and dissatisfaction will become the past like flowing water. This is how Li Yan'e has spent her life practicing how to make the humble become noble.