Pictured| Liang Sicheng's family
introduction
In September 1898, the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty was imprisoned in Yingtai by Empress Dowager Cixi, and the political situation became an undercurrent for a time. In the bustling city of Beijing, officers and soldiers searched everywhere for revolutionaries who had helped Guangxu change the law. Amid the shouts of officers and soldiers, several young people who looked like intellectuals hid in the Japanese embassy.
These people were none other than Liang Qichao and other revolutionaries arrested by the government. At the Japanese embassy, Liang Qichao met Tan Sitong for the last time.
A few days later, Tan Sitong, who vowed to shed blood for the change of law, died in the wet market. At the same time, Liang Qichao cut off his braids that he had been wearing for many years, changed into a suit, and accompanied by Zheng Yongchang, the Japanese consul in Tianjin, took his family to Tianjin and then fled to Japan. Returning to his homeland again, he is already a year of confusion.
After that, he lived a life of debauchery, living in exile in Japan for 14 years.
Fortunately, with the company of his family, Liang Qichao will not be too desolate.
One day in 1903, Liang Qichao returned home.
Suddenly, his wife Li Huixian suddenly said to him: "Everything has been arranged for you, tonight you and Gui Tsuen Round House!" ”
Photo | Liang Qichao
Who is Gui Tsuen, and why should Li Huixian push her husband to someone else's woman?
01 Wang Guiquan's miserable childhood
Wang Guiquan was born in 1886 in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, and grew up in a poor family, soaking in bitter water. Her life as a child was very unfortunate, and her family only had a few acres of thin fields, and she could only barely make ends meet.
When she was very young, Wang Guiquan had no mother. Soon, the father continued to string again, and the stepmother was very bad for her, often abusing him. When she was 4 years old, her father also died of illness, and she has been orphaned ever since.
Soon, Wang Guiquan was sold by human traffickers. at
Within a short time, she was resold four times by human traffickers. The last time, Wang Guiquan was bought by Li Huixian's family and lived a slightly stable life.
In 1894, Li Huixian returned home to visit his relatives. The girl in front of me is very flattering,
Li Huixian then took Wang Guiquan to the Liang family as his own maid, and officially named her Wang Guiquan.
Picture | in the middle of the back row is Wang Guiquan
Unlike Wang Guiquan, Li Huixian was born prominently, was the cousin of Li Duandi, the Shangshu of the Qing Dynasty, and grew up in a well-off family and grew up in the favor of his parents' elders
。 Although she did not receive a complete systematic education, Li Huixian read poetry and books from an early age and knew Dali.
According to common sense, Li Huixian should marry a certain official eunuch family at the right age and continue to live a stable life of following the rules and clothing, until the last moment of her life. Unexpectedly, a person-raising exam in the fifteenth year of Guangxu (1889) changed her fate.
In 1889, Li Duandi came to Guangdong as a cabinet scholar.
Among the many talents who came to participate in the township examination this time, Liang Qichao, who was only 16 years old, left a very deep impression on him.
Seeing that Liang Qichao is talented, young and handsome, the articles he writes are even more vivid and cheerful, like gushing rivers, and like soaring clouds, with profound intentions. In this township test, Liang Qichao successfully stood out and won the eighth place.
In addition, Li Duandi wanted to express his love and knowledge in the same very traditional way.
At that time, his cousin Li Huixian was still waiting to be married, and he decided to give her to Liang Qichao as his wife.
Photo | Photo by Lee Duan-choi
Liang Qichao's family was poor, and when the university scholar went so far as to marry his cousin. For him, it was undoubtedly a great piece of good news. In particular, when he learned that Li Huixian was not only from a noble origin, but also a quiet person, a dignified character, and a knowledgeable book, his heart was secretly happy, and he thanked God for allowing him such a good marriage.
In 1891, Liang Qichao and Li Huixian were married in Beijing under the supervision of Li Duandi.
On their wedding day, Liang Qichao's mentor Kang Youwei wrote a poem to celebrate them, which is as follows:
"The Tao enters the heavens and the interpersonal world, and the Jiangmen wind survives on its own." Be careful with Haojun, the inner heat to save Li Yuan. Worried about the country? Ride on the clouds to be respected. Jia Shengzheng was young and swept up to the Gate of Heaven. ”
After the two married, Li Huixian followed her husband Liang Qichao back to her hometown of Chakeng Village in Xinhui County, Guangdong Province, and lived a real civilian life.
At that time, Liang Qichao's family was not very wealthy, and the family only relied on a few acres of thin fields to survive. Coupled with the hot and humid climate of Chakeng Village, for her to stay in the north, this is not only a new life, but also a tough test.
In addition, the difficulties she faced were far more than that.
When she first arrived in Guangdong, she couldn't understand the local dialect at all, and her husband, Liang Qichao, was running around all year round, and Li Huixian, who had been pampered since childhood, did not know how to survive.
But what was unexpected was that Li Huixian actually survived. She can gradually manage the housework, teach her husband and children, respect the elders and love the children, become Liang Qichao's internal helper, and also win the respect and love of her mother-in-law and old friends of the whole family, which also makes Liang Qichao, who is running around, feel very pleased and grateful.
Therefore, Liang Qichao still has a long memory for his wife decades later.
If she had just married into the Liang family and gone through various tests, she could see Li Huixian's excellent qualities such as virtuousness, kindness, and courage. Those decades of ups and downs have made her high-quality quality fully manifest.
After the failure of the Penghu Reform, Liang Qichao fled to Japan. At the same time, the Qing government extended its claws to Liang Qichao's family. Although Li Huixian is a woman, she is still calm and self-assured in the face of such a crisis moment, generous and calm, without a word of assertion.
Picture | 1918, Li Huixian and the children were in Tianjin, from right to right, Si Zhong, Si Cheng, Si Zhuang, Si Yong
After that, she fled from Guangdong to Macau with her family. After Liang Qichao's life in Japan was slightly stable, Li Huixian came to Japan with her family and finally reunited with Liang Qichao.
At that time, most of the women did not leave the house, but Li Huixian did all this, and did not know how much courage and wisdom it took. For all this his wife did, Liang Qichao was also very grateful in his heart.
In a letter to Li Huixian, he wrote:
"When adults are frustrated with this, they must not know how many troubles they are, how can they be in recent days?" Not sick? I am far away from home, and the matter of service is entrusted to Qing Yi. I will find a way to comfort my sins of filial piety, and I will only be thankful... My troubles and hardships are not ordinary dependents. ”
02 Li Huixian advocated marrying Wang Guiquan to Liang Qichao
In Liang Qichao's heart, his wife Li Huixian is not only his inner helper, but also his soul mate. Although the love between the two is not a free union, it is more determined in the turbulent tide of the times.
After marriage, Li Huixian gave birth to a total of three children for the Liang family. In addition to their eldest son dying young, they also gave birth to the eldest daughter Liang Sishun, the second son Liang Sicheng and the second daughter Liang Sizhuang.
Whether it was during Liang Qichao's exile in Japan or after they returned to China to settle down, Li Huixian did her best to take care of the housework for him, so that their family has always maintained stability and harmony.
The family education of the Liang family can be said to be a model that contemporary parents can learn from. For the growth of her children, Li Huixian attaches great importance to it. She taught her son to be very strict and studious, and strived to be an example for her children.
Even at nearly half a hundred years old, she still teaches children to learn English. Not only that, but during his time in Japan, he also learned to ride a bicycle and enjoyed it.
But as her health deteriorated, Li Huixian couldn't help but worry about her marriage.
In 1900, Liang Qichao's trip to the Americas brought him to know He Huizhen, a young woman who made him very excited.
He Huizhen is the daughter of an overseas Chinese businessman in Honolulu and has lived in Honolulu for a long time. At the age of 20, he was proficient in foreign languages and very knowledgeable. The first time they met, Liang Qichao looked at this woman with astonishment. Gradually, the two developed a male-female relationship.
Soon, Liang Qichao plucked up the courage to write a letter to his wife Li Huixian:
After Yu returned to the apartment, he missed Hui Zhen more and more, and from the heart of respect, he gave birth to the idea of love, and he could hardly sustain himself. Knowing that if you treat others as a bridesmaid, you should not think like this, but you can't control it. The drunkards scattered, unable to sleep for a long time, the deer in their hearts, suddenly up and down, taking care of themselves in their lives for twenty-eight years, there has never been such a ridiculous thing. I wonder if Hui Xian will laugh at me when she hears this, or will she annoy me?
Fortunately, Li Huixian had long been prepared, she was not embarrassed and angry, but calmly replied to the letter and analyzed the stakes of this relationship for him:
At the moment, there is no limit to monogamy, with your status status, three wives and four concubines are very normal, if you really like this woman, I tell the father-in-law to marry you back. If you don't really want to marry her, don't make yourself fascinated, take care of your body.
It should be known that Liang Qichao was the leader of the Penghu Restoration, and he also vigorously proposed and advocated the implementation of monogamy with everyone, and also co-founded the famous "Monogamous World Association" with Tan Sitong. If he openly took a concubine this time, wouldn't he have to renege on his word?
This time, Liang Qichao successfully overcame the emotion with reason, decisively gave up the relationship, and ended this unsuccessful love.
Seeing that Liang Qichao returned to the family, Li Huixian's body was no longer able to add a woman to her husband, so she decided to find another woman to find a virtuous woman for Liang Qichao. After thinking about it again, Li Huixian took Liang Qichao as a concubine and spread branches and leaves for the Liang family.
At first, Liang Qichao refused his wife's kindness. He says he promotes "monogamy." But Li Huixian retorted: "Isn't your mentor Kang Youwei also three wives and four concubines?" ”
In the end, Liang Qichao still did not have a wife. In 1903, Liang Qichao officially married Wang Guiquan and became Liang Qichao's second wife.
Picture | In 1908, Li Huixian and children played in the mountains
After marriage, Wang Guiquan successfully gave birth to his son Liang Siyong. Since then, she has successively given birth to three sons and two daughters for Liang Qichao, namely Liang Sizhong, Liang Sida, Liang Siyi, Liang Sining, and Liang Sili.
In the Liang family, Wang Guiquan was a very special and important person.
If you want to say where the special is, you can see it from liang Qichao and the children's names for her.
Liang Qichao's initial public call for monogamy is now contrary to his original intention.
In order to avoid embarrassment, he called Wang Guiquan "Wang Aunt" and "Wang Girl", the children called her "Mother" and "Mother", and the grandchildren called her "Mother", and the children had deep feelings for her.
Wang Guiquan grew up in poverty and never had the opportunity to read and write, but she was diligent and studious. Especially after following Liang Qichao into exile in Japan, he gradually came into contact with Japan's modern civilization, greatly broadened his horizons, and was the first person in the Liang family to learn Japanese, and he could also speak fluent Tokyo dialect.
When the children are older, she will read and learn with the children. In addition, he was proficient in housework management and care, and gradually learned to roller skate, swim, hook lace, and she also practiced acupuncture, bridge and mahjong.
Pictured | Liang Qichao and the children, and on one side may be Wang Guiquan
The combination of Liang Qichao and Wang Guiquan did not affect the feelings of the whole family, but brought infinite vitality and vitality to the Liang family. Wang Guiquan is not only kind, open-minded, intelligent and capable, but also successfully won the love and respect of the whole family, and Liang Qichao is also very dependent on her.
03 Liang Qichao died, and Wang Guiquan took up the burden alone
In December 1915, Liang Qichao came to Shanghai to plan a patriotic movement against Yuan Shikai and the salvation of the republic. After Wang Guiquan learned of this, he risked coming to Shanghai to take care of her husband.
It is under her meticulous care that Liang Qichao can safely stay at home and let go of his work.
In March 1916, Liang Qichao came to Hong Kong, and immediately wrote a letter to his family, stressing: "When sending Aunt Wang to Hong Kong", "I must eat and drink without my aunt Wang." ”
Soon, Liang Qichao withdrew from politics due to the turmoil of the times. In 1924, his wife Li Huixian died of breast cancer, which was a big blow to Liang Qichao.
Under the careful care and relationship of Wang Guiquan, Liang Qichao was able to dive into the study of learning in his later years and made great achievements.
For Liang Qichao's children, she also treats them equally, and she will not treat them differently because they are not born to her, but she will do her best.
Pictured| Liang Qichao holding two-year-old Liang Sizhuang and three-year-old Liang Sizhong for a group photo
Once, Liang Sicheng's test results were inferior to those of his younger brother Liang Siyong, and he was beaten by his mother Li Huixian. Wang Guiquan saw this and quickly took him in his arms and protected him with his body. Li Huixian was angry at the time, and did not hold back for a while, but the feather duster whipped on her one by one, and Liang Si was frightened and cried.
Afterwards, Wang Guiquan put his arms around her and said gently: "Jackie Chan went to heaven, into a snake drilling grass, which one do you see as good as that?" I am not afraid of your stupidity, I am afraid that you are lazy. If someone else learns it once, you learn it ten times. If you don't study seriously, you will only achieve nothing in the future. You see how knowledgeable your father is, but he still keeps reading. ”
Although Wang Guiquan's words were simple, Liang Sicheng remembered them for a lifetime and became the proverbs on his future life path.
Although Li Huixian was virtuous, he was very harsh on the servants, and he punished the servants on his knees and scolded them at every turn, and Wang Guiquan was always careful to maneuver among them. It was really impossible, so she secretly told Liang Sicheng to let him come out and intercede. For the care of Liang Sicheng and his wife, she is even more meticulous.
Therefore, Liang Sicheng later recalled:
"My mother is a clear-headed, talented, insightful, very rational and extremely affectionate and kind person."
Picture | Liang Sicheng family
For the children, Wang Guiquan regards their lives as more important than her own.
Liang Sizhuang suffered from diphtheria at the age of ten and was sent to the hospital for treatment, and his life was hanging in the balance.
Wang Guiquan was so anxious that he couldn't eat well and sleep badly, and he guarded and cared for him day and night until Liang Sizhuang's condition improved and the crisis turned into safety. At this time, she was too tired and gaunt to do it.
Unexpectedly, a bigger blow was yet to come. At the same time that Liang Sizhuang fell ill, his own daughter also suffered from diphtheria.
However, Wang Guiquan neglected her child because she was busy taking care of Liang Sizhuang, and she unfortunately died at the age of 9.
Wang Guiquan, who had lost his daughter, was in pain. But in order to take care of the children, in order not to affect her husband's career, she can only endure the grief and still do her best to take care of her family and children.
In 1929, Liang Qichao died of illness and was buried with his wife Li Huixian in Xiangshan, Beijing. After that, the children were handed over to Wang Guiquan to pull alone.
In the years that followed, she single-handedly took on the burden of life. After the death of her husband, except for Liang Sicheng and Liang Sishun, the rest of the children were studying.
What's worse was that the family's financial situation deteriorated sharply at that time, and they had to raise seven children. Even so, Wang Guiquan still supported the family alone, and cultivated the nine children to become national pillars with excellent character and learning.
04 Under the cultivation of Wang Guiquan, eight children have become talents
In 1937, the Qiqi Lugou Bridge Incident broke out, and Japan launched an all-out war of aggression against China. Under the attack of the Japanese army, Beiping and Tianjin soon fell. In the chaotic world, their small families were also torn apart.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Liang Sicheng and Liang Siyong's entire family came to the rear area, Liang Siyi came to Yenching University to study, Liang Sizhuang and Liang Sishun lived in Beiping, and Wang Guiquan brought Liang Sili and Liang Sining to Tianjin.
At the time, her source of income was only rent and some previous savings. But these do not support the family, let alone pay for the children's school fees.
Even so, Wang Guiquan survived alone.
In 1941, Wang Guiquan supported Liang Sili and her sister Liang Siyi to study in the United States. Soon, Liang Sining came to the Liberated Area, and Liang Sizhuang also followed his daughter to the rear.
Pictured | Liang Sicheng with Liang Siyong and Liang Sida in 1920
In this way, the big family that was once lively and lively was left with only an old mother who was nearly sixty years old and an empty ice drinking room.
When Wang Guiquan sent the last child away with tears in her eyes, the thin old man's heart was full of loneliness.
In Tianjin in the 1940s, under the rule of Japan, wang Guiquan was so difficult for an old man to live alone, but she was still not frightened by all this in front of her.
For countless days and nights, she silently missed the children in the distance, praying that they could learn and contribute to the country, but also hoping that the war would end a day earlier and their family would be reunited.
Finally, she looked forward to this day, and the children of the Liang family were finally reunited.
For a long time after that, it was the most comfortable time in Wang Guiquan's life.
After that, she sold her old house in Tianjin and bought a courtyard in Xidan Handkerchief Hutong in Beijing. Every holiday, she gathers with her children and grandchildren in Beijing to enjoy the joy of the world.
Pictured| an ice drinking room in Tianjin
Under the careful cultivation of Wang Guiquan, several children have become talents one by one, and they have created the legend of "one discipline and three bachelors", which is rare in the world.
The eldest son, Liang Sicheng, later became a famous architect in China, and later taught at Tsinghua University for a long time, and was elected as a member (academician) of the Central Science And Technology Department in 1955.
The second son, Liang Siyong, a famous archaeologist in China, became the deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in August 1950. The fifth son, Liang Sili, is a famous expert in Rocket and Missile Control Systems in China, the founder of China's aerospace industry, and later became an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In addition to having trained three bachelors, her other children are excellent.
The eldest daughter, Liang Sishun, is a well-known poetry research expert in China, proficient in Japanese, and once served as a librarian of the Central Museum of Culture and History. The third son, Liang Sizhong, studied at the famous West Point Military Academy and the Virginia Military Academy, and later served as an artillery colonel of the 19th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, participating in the Songhu War of Resistance, and later died early.
The second daughter, Liang Sizhuang, studied at Columbia University in the United States and obtained a bachelor's degree, and is a famous librarian in China and a pioneer of Chinese librarianship. The third daughter Liang Siyi. Later became a well-known social activist. The fourth daughter, Liang Sining, studied at Nankai University and later joined the New Fourth Army to join the revolution.
Picture | Wang Guiquan, Liang Sili and Wu Liming in the courtyard of the ice drinking room
To her children, she often said with great humor and pride:
"My sons are really interesting, Si Cheng built a house, Si Zhong blew up the house, the house collapsed and buried in the ground, si Yong went to dig the house again."
Despite all kinds of hardships, Wang Guiquan still maintains an optimistic, open-minded and tenacious good character!
As the children grew up, Wang Guiquan still maintained the fine tradition of thrift and thrift, busy every day, and poured all his efforts into the next generation.
In 1966, Wang Guiquan, who was over eighty years old, suffered from advanced bowel cancer, plus he had to work every day. Under the weight of time and time, she completely collapsed this time.
In 1968, at the age of 82, she left this world alone with infinite nostalgia for her loved ones and happy family. It took three days for nearby villagers to bury her hastily, without even a tombstone.
In 1995, in order to commemorate their mother Wang Guiquan, the children of the Liang family planted a "mother tree" next to the crown tomb. In addition, a crown tomb was erected next to the joint tomb of Liang Qichao and Li Huixian, on which Liang Zaibing personally inscribed her name.
Picture | a photo of Wang Guiquan in his later years
On the monument in front of the crown tomb, they wrote affectionately:
"Madame Wang is open-minded and cheerful, kind-hearted, intelligent and diligent, and of high moral character. At a time of national distress and family turmoil, he assisted Mrs. Lee in presiding over household chores and spending time with the Leung clan. In the family, she worked tirelessly all her life, caring for others, sacrificing herself, giving silently, loving her children and teaching well. Regardless of Liang's life and death, he has devoted himself to raising his children, and his contributions have been many to the Liang family of good teaching and learning. "