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Tian Xiaofei, 28, stands in the office of Harvard University's East Asian Department, staring out the window at the gorgeous autumn scenery and thinking a lot. This academic temple, a symbol of a long history, has witnessed a major turning point in her life.
Looking back on the past years, just a few years ago, she was still a young student with dreams and hard work. But now, he has stood in this world-renowned top academic mecca as an associate professor. However, at this moment, the emotions stirring in his chest could not be calmed.
It's just because in this familiar land, she met the second true love in her life.
It was two years ago, in the early fall, shortly after receiving her master's degree from the University of Nebraska, Tian Xiaofei was selected by Harvard University to be an assistant professor in the Department of East Asia.
On that day, when she hurriedly pushed open the office door, a tall and straight figure came into view.
"You must be Professor Tian, right? I'm Steve, and I'm ecstatic to have the pleasure of meeting you. The middle-aged man then got up, stretched out his hands, and shook hands with great enthusiasm.
Although the age gap between the two is close to 25 years, Steve's deep and charming eyes and warm smile still make the talented Tian Xiaofei fall in love with it.
In the ensuing in-depth conversation, she discovered that this colleague was not only an extraordinary professor of Chinese literature, but also a well-informed and well-informed person.
The tacit understanding between the two is like a natural one, and they have unconsciously become close friends who talk about everything.
Time is like an arrow, and the two years of working together have made their relationship deeper and deeper. The 27-year-old Tian Xiaofei's cognition of Steve has long gone beyond the scope of ordinary friends, and deeper emotions have emerged in her heart.
Perhaps because of his maturity and stability, or perhaps because of his intellectual charm, this talented Peking University student was also moved.
And just a month ago, when Steve solemnly knelt down on one knee and stared deeply at her with those sincere eyes, Tian Xiaofei nodded lightly without hesitation in agreement.
Despite the huge age gap between them, for this woman who has suffered a heavy blow on her literary path, Steve is undoubtedly a new dawn in her life.
In order to share the beautiful time of the rest of her life with this soul mate in her heart, Tian Xiaofei did not hesitate to give up her Chinese nationality and became a citizen of the United States of America instead.
This major decision has undoubtedly aroused heated discussions and doubts from all walks of life, but she has always believed that everyone has the right to freely determine the course of their own life.
How did this Peking University student, who has attracted wide attention in the Chinese cultural circle, forge her life path?
In the harsh winter of 1971, Tian Xiaofei, who was born in Harbin, showed outstanding literary talent since childhood. By the age of four, she was already able to recite poems she had written, and this talent was amazing.
As her parents moved to the Tianjin Federation of Literary and Art Circles due to work, Tian Xiaofei, who was only four years old, was exposed to a strong literary atmosphere for the first time, and successfully published her debut poem on her fifth birthday.
In contrast, Rabindranath Tagore, a world-renowned poetry giant, did not begin to write poetry until he was thirteen years old, which shows how talented Tian Xiaofei is. Under the careful cultivation and guidance of her parents, her literary creation path was unimpeded and she quickly launched her own poetry collection.
However, even such a gifted child was able to step into the sacred halls of Peking University at the age of thirteen, which is enough to be jaw-dropping. Peking University has always been proud of selecting talents, and being able to realize this dream at such a young age undoubtedly confirms Tian Xiaofei's extraordinary talent.
While studying at Peking University, Tian Xiaofei met Haizi, who was also a genius boy. The two young people quickly developed a strong friendship due to their similar upbringing and education experience.
Haizi gave selfless support and encouragement to Tian Xiaofei's literary career, and they often explored the mysteries of poetry creation together and sought the source of inspiration for literary creation.
Under the encouragement of Haizi, Tian Xiaofei embarked on the journey of literary creation more firmly, and at the age of sixteen, he wrote a popular poem "Thirteen-Year-Old Encounter", which was selected into the textbook, making it unforgettable for countless students.
However, good times are always short-lived, and just as Tian Xiaofei was about to graduate from Peking University, her closest comrade-in-arms Haizi died suddenly, bringing heavy trauma to her heart.
This poet, who "faces the sea and blooms in spring", said goodbye to the world in such a hurry when he was young, which is really a sigh.
Since Tian Xiaofei lost her life coach and close comrade-in-arms, she has fallen into a situation full of unknown and confused about the future. In the face of Peking University's sincere retention and her parents' ardent expectations, she resolutely rejected all these temptations and bravely embarked on a solo voyage to the United States and beyond to pursue new knowledge.
It was as if I wanted to find a new outlet for life in those thousands of mountains and rivers.
However, perhaps out of the need for spiritual beliefs, or the desire to rekindle the ardent passion for literary creation, this former "talented woman of Peking University" finally chose to cross the Atlantic and strive to move forward in order to realize her ideals.
When Tian Xiaofei arrived in the United States, she first pursued a master's degree in English literature at the University of Nebraska. There, she re-emerged with a unique and remarkable talent.
However, her quest for knowledge did not stop there, and she longed to go deeper into the higher academic halls.
After countless struggles and struggles, Tian Xiaofei was finally admitted to Harvard University, the world's top university, and began her doctoral research career. Here, she not only demonstrated extraordinary academic talent, but also gradually won the love and praise of professors with her noble character and outstanding talent.
Amazingly, at the age of 35, this talented woman from China was hired as a full professor in the East Asian Department of Harvard University, becoming one of the youngest professors in the history of the department.
This is undoubtedly another pinnacle in her life journey, which has made her famous and high-profile in the academic world.
However, just as her career was booming, Tian Xiaofei's private life had also undergone earth-shaking changes. While teaching at Harvard, she met Professor Steve, who also taught in the Department of East Asian Studies.
Although Steve is over half a hundred years old and almost twice as old as Tian Xiaofei, his profound education and elegant temperament deeply attracted this talented woman. The two quickly developed a deep friendship and even unknowingly sparked a spark of love.
Perhaps because of the large age gap, or because they are from different countries, Tian Xiaofei's relatives and friends have expressed their opposition to this relationship that transcends cultural and time and space gaps.
However, for Tian Xiaofei, Steve is the person who is destined and the new hope in her life.
In order to realize her desire to spend the rest of her life with her loved ones, Tian Xiaofei, who was only 27 years old, did not hesitate to make a decision to give up her Chinese nationality and switch to the arms of the United States of America.
This decision immediately caused an uproar in all walks of life, some people accused her of "worshipping foreign countries and despising their homeland", and even deeply questioned whether she had forgotten her motherland and her own cultural background, however, Tian Xiaofei always responded resolutely to this, she firmly believes that everyone has the right to choose the direction of life independently, and she has not changed her deep concern and love for her hometown because of becoming an American citizen.
From receiving a master's degree from the University of Nebraska, to pursuing a Ph.D. at the prestigious Harvard University, to being promoted to the youngest full professor in the history of Harvard's Department of East Asian Studies, Tian Xiaofei's academic development has been smooth sailing and proud.
With her outstanding talent and amazing efforts, she has made a name for herself in the challenging East Asian Department of Harvard, and has won the admiration and respect of many professors, and what is even more rare is that at the age of 35, Tian Xiaofei was awarded the honor of the youngest full professor in the East Asian Department of Harvard University for her outstanding scientific research achievements and excellent educational demonstration.
This talented woman from China not only has profound attainments in the field of literary creation, but also has a unique ingenuity in academic research. Many of her works as editor-in-chief, such as Qiushuitang on the Golden Vase of Plums, "Sappho": The Making of a European and American Literary Tradition, and Dusty Records: Tao Yuanming and Manuscript Culture, have aroused enthusiastic responses in the academic community and have been hailed as classics in the industry.
Just this year, Tian Xiaofei once again ushered in the peak of her career and was appointed as the dean of the East Asian Area Studies Institute at Harvard University. This is undoubtedly the highest praise for her outstanding achievements, and it is also a full affirmation of her high status and far-reaching influence in the academic world.
It is worth mentioning that despite being in a foreign land for many years, Tian Xiaofei's love for the culture of the motherland has never diminished. She remains committed to exploring the profound connotations of traditional Chinese culture in her literary creation and academic research, and actively promotes these precious assets to the world stage.
Many of her representative works embody this pursuit to varying degrees.
It is because of her strong belief in academic career and deep love for cultural roots that this talented woman from China can stand out in the fierce competition of Harvard University and become a bright star in the academic world.
However, what is striking is that although Tian Xiaofei has shined in the academic world and achieved remarkable results, she has a career like an empty house, and behind the glamorous is a silence. To this day, she has not yet entered the palace of marriage, let alone children, and all her efforts are poured into the academic field, all because of the deep friendship or the heavy shadow of her career journey, we do not know.
Some people speculate that perhaps it was the unbearable pain caused to her by the loss of her best friend Haizi that made her extremely cautious about every relationship; Another point of view firmly believes that as the promoter of the career, Tian Xiaofei, who is surging forward, has no time to be distracted from the personal emotional world.
In any case, this talented woman seems to have locked herself deep into a lonely and arrogant world. Even standing at the pinnacle of academics, Tian Xiaofei's love for literary creation is still the same, she has always adhered to the persistent pursuit of literature, continuously launched new works, and presented one wonderful text feast after another to the majority of readers.
After all, the value of a person's life is not only determined by the level of academic achievement, but also by whether you can have a happy and fulfilling life. Whether the woman who was once known as the "talented woman of Peking University" can find her own happiness in the second half of her life has undoubtedly become the biggest challenge she is currently facing.
Tian Xiaofei's life choice has undoubtedly caused huge controversy in all walks of life. She resolutely renounced her Chinese nationality and turned to join the ranks of American citizens, which caused widespread heated discussions at the time.
Some people believe that she is a typical representative of "admiring foreigners and flattering foreigners", and that giving up her nationality means giving up her identity with the motherland and culture, which naturally arouses strong resentment from some Chinese people.
The act of this talented woman of Peking University has undoubtedly touched people's sensitive nerves about nationality identity and cultural belonging. After all, nationality is often seen as a central symbol of one's identity and sense of belonging.
When a person chooses to renounce his or her original nationality and devote himself to the nationality of another country, it is inevitable that onlookers will interpret this as an act of betraying the motherland.
Especially for public figures such as Tian Xiaofei, her words and deeds are more likely to become the focus of public opinion. People will naturally supervise and judge her actions, expecting her to continue to contribute to China's cultural cause, but she did not expect to make such an unexpected choice in the end.
Despite some negative criticism, Tian Xiaofei remained firm that everyone should have the right to choose their own lifestyle and values. She firmly believes that in modern society, people's behavior and decision-making are already strictly constrained by laws and moral norms.
Based on this, everyone should have full freedom to shape their own life trajectory.
For those questioners who accused her of "admiring foreign flattery", Tian Xiaofei gave a clear response. She stressed that she did not completely turn away from her country and culture by becoming a U.S. citizen.
On the contrary, even though she is in a foreign land, Tian Xiaofei is still in the field of academic inquiry and literary creation, tirelessly excavating and showing the incomparable unique charm of traditional Chinese culture.
However, even if she chooses a completely different path in life, as long as she still has this love and dedication to culture, I believe that her footprints will leave a dazzling mark on the global stage.