A sympathetic encounter
At that time, 24-year-old Mao Amin was full of musical dreams and set foot in Beijing, the land of chasing dreams. In order to make a career, she lived in a very simple and cramped dormitory and began to travel around the city.
One autumn day in 1987, Mao Amin met Daniel Zhang through a friend's introduction. Daniel Zhang is 5 years older than her and is the star guitarist of the popular band. Daniel Zhang, who fell in love at first sight, took the initiative to make Mao Amin a red star with all his might.
Two young people of similar age quickly became acquainted, and finally confirmed their relationship after half a year. Daniel Zhang was attracted by Mao Amin's inner gentleness, and Mao Amin was gradually moved by Daniel Zhang's sincerity.
The sprout of love takes root in the hearts of two people who should be estranged. And this is perhaps the magic of love, which often appears at the most unexpected time and place.
This relationship has also become an important reason for the twists and turns in the fate of the two in the future.
You and I live together
Mao Amin soon moved into Daniel Zhang's spacious and comfortable home. The two were slimy like a newlywed couple and lived together.
Daniel Zhang took care of Mao Amin's food, clothing and daily life, and also gave advice on her dress, music, and publicity. With the full support of Daniel Zhang, Mao Amin made his successful debut and soon became a popular singer and gained great fame.
Both of their careers and relationships seem to be moving forward naturally. Daniel Zhang's friends even jokingly call his home "Maojiawan" because Mao's parents often come to live here for a while.
The young and vigorous two people have not yet realized the impermanence of fate. Just as they are immersed in the sweetness of love, an almost fatal tax evasion storm quietly strikes, completely changing the trajectory of their lives.
Suddenly divided
In 1989, Mao Amin, who was at the peak of his career and gained fame and fortune, was exposed to a tax evasion scandal by the media. This turmoil was vigorous, and her career fell into a trough and was on the verge of ruin.
In the face of huge public opinion pressure and accusations from the brokerage company, Mao Amin fell into a collapse, and even had the idea of committing suicide.
Just when Mao Amin was desperate, he still remembered Daniel Zhang's generous assistance. He borrowed 240,000 yuan from his relatives to help Mao Amin tide over the difficulties. However, what Daniel Zhang never expected was that Mao Amin not only did not thank Dade afterwards, but cut off contact with him, and even spread rumors through his agent, slandering him as the driving force behind this scandal.
Daniel Zhang was extremely disappointed and saddened by Mao Amin's sudden change of face and backsliding. He understood that the relationship between the two could not cross the rift, so he could only choose to leave and come to a foreign country with broken ideals.
10 years later, when Daniel Zhang returned to China to continue his career, he was always haunted by the notoriety of "scumbag". He repeatedly pleaded to no avail, and finally chose to live in seclusion and live a peaceful life.
However, this emotional tear left an eternal scar in his heart.
The social soil behind the fracture
The breakdown of this celebrity romance reflected some of the deep-seated contradictions in society at that time. As a public figure, Mao Amin should have received support and encouragement at a critical moment when his career and life were on the verge of failure.
But Daniel Zhang did not give her enough in return, which deepened her sense of despair.
At the same time, the unhealthy trends in the entertainment industry at that time are also worth pondering. Driven by interests and public relations, artists can often do whatever it takes to protect themselves. Mao Amin's agent, Chen, seized Mao Amin's weakest moment and packaged her by spreading rumors, which was not uncommon in the environment at the time.
In fact, Mao Amin is just a victim of this unhealthy trend. Rather than criticizing her for what she did, we should look at the deeper factors that have created this hostile environment – the rotten social system, the anomie of the entertainment culture, the moral depression of the jungle, and so on.
Contemporary society is lost in the pursuit of money and fame, and the real emotions and connotations are obscured. We need to learn from this series of events, reflect on the circumstances in which we live, and start with ourselves to reverse this unhealthy trend.
The law cannot restore the truth
In 2001 and 2003, in order to clear his name, Daniel Zhang tried twice to realize his demand for justice through legal means. He hired a lawyer and collected a lot of evidence to sue Mao Amin and her agent for defamation.
Surprisingly, however, these two judicial proceedings did not give Daniel Zhang a satisfactory result. The reason is that the court did not really investigate the ins and outs of the case, but simply mediated the dispute between the two parties.
This shows that the law does not always give the parties a satisfactory and just outcome. Because there are blind spots in the judicial process, cases are often simplified and the complex interpersonal and social factors behind them are ignored.
At the same time, it is difficult for the law to counter the power of public opinion. Once rumors spread, it becomes extremely difficult to clear up.
We need to reflect on how to improve the legal and judicial process at a deeper level, so that we can truly do justice to the people and give them the fair treatment they deserve.
This is another reflection that this case brings to us.
Ordinary life is the destination
After many unsuccessful grievances, in 2008, Daniel Zhang finally recognized the reality, chose to quit the entertainment industry, and lived an ordinary life. Time has passed, and now at the age of 60, he has stayed away from the troubles and injuries of the past, and has become an ordinary person in this world.
And Mao Amin, who once hurt him, gradually understood after years of stage career that success and glory cannot bring true happiness, and returning to the ordinary is the true nature of life.
Now she is also slowly taking off her halo and living a simple life.
Life is like a big circle, we keep pursuing, only to find that the original place is our belonging. We are all looking for the meaning of life, and that meaning is likely to be hidden in the most ordinary people and things.
Conform to nature and find your own heart, this is the wisdom of life.
Behind the tear lies universal values
The life trajectories of these two parties reflect a universal truth: success and fame are not the end of life after all, and they cannot bring us true happiness.
We need to learn to be tolerant and considerate of each other. Because one person's fault is often the product of the moral standard of the entire era. We must not hold individuals critically, but look at the deeper factors that distort the goodness of our nature.
It is time for each of us to reflect on our words and actions to prevent the impulse of harming innocent others. Because the meaning of life is not to succeed, but to appreciate the simple beauty around us.
That's the insight this story gives us.