In January 2004, it was a heavy day, Jiang Fangliang, in a wheelchair and accompanied by her grandchildren, went to the Daxi Mausoleum of her husband Chiang Ching-kuo to pay respects. This scene is captured by a rare photograph showing Jiang Fangliang's strong and lonely figure.
In that photo, Jiang Fangliang is wearing a gorgeous coat with a black skirt, looking solemn and solemn. She wore a bracelet on her wrist that shimmered as if it were the last sparkle of her life. Although her hair is all gray, the eyes hidden behind her sunglasses still reveal firmness and depth.
This year, Jiang Fangliang has entered the age of 88, and various organs in her body have problems, especially respiratory failure, which makes her have to carry an oxygen bag every time she goes out. Her loneliness is even more pronounced because her three sons have been dead for many years due to various diseases, and her only daughter has settled in the United States across the ocean. The burden of taking care of her fell on several grandchildren.
It is gratifying that these grandchildren are very filial to their grandmother, and they accompany Jiang Fangliang and give her warmth and care. In the process of Jiang Fangliang's worship of her husband, her granddaughter Jiang Youmei has also been by her side, Jiang Youmei, who was in her 30s at the time, is Jiang Xiaowen's only child, and it is also Jiang Fangliang's hope and sustenance in this family.
Jiang Fangliang, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, although her sense of presence does not seem to be high in the eyes of the public, and she is even sometimes regarded as a dispensable person. But in fact, her position in the Jiang family is very important. Although she is Russian, she has learned Chinese and adapted to Chinese eating habits. She is a good wife and mother in life, and she gets along very well with her mother-in-law. Although Jiang Zhongzheng has a very strict family education, he has great respect for his daughter-in-law. Jiang Fangliang has an easy-going personality, does not fight or grab, and rarely appears in public.
In his later years, with the death of his husband and several sons, Jiang Fangliang lived even more simply. She never asks about political affairs, let alone makes any remarks. Jiang Fangliang didn't love money when she was young, and although her living standard was guaranteed in her later years, her economy was not well-off. She once wanted to go back to her parents' house to have a look, but thought it would be a lot of money, so she had to dismiss this idea.
In 2004, when Jiang Fangliang was dying, she had always been silent and made her only wish to her family, that is, she hoped that she and her husband would be buried together. This desire stems from her deep longing for her husband and her respect for family traditions. However, it is regrettable that although Jiang Fangliang's body was finally cremated at the Keelung Crematorium and his ashes were temporarily placed in Chiang Ching-kuo's Daxi Mausoleum, the wish of the two to be buried together was still not realized.