Xu Yibei, 35, stands in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows of a high-end apartment in Beijing, gazing at the brilliant night scene with flashing lights. As the marketing director of Porsche Motor Cars, his career is booming, and his life journey is full of brightness. In the near future, he also poured out the vows in his heart, silently held hands with his lover and entered the marriage hall, ushering in a new chapter in his life.
It was supposed to be a day of joy, but Xu Yibei had a hidden haze in his heart. Looking at the photo of Zhang Zheng and his mother Zhang Jinling on the wall of the living room, childhood memories came flooding back.
Xu Yibei's life has been shrouded in the shadow of his parents' divorce since he was born. In 1988, when he was only 5 years old, he witnessed his parents, Zhang Jinling and Xu Min, make the decision to part ways after a painful struggle. This decision was like a heavy punch, hitting the child's immature and sensitive heart hard, leaving an indelible scar.
However, fortunately, although the parents finally chose to separate, their love for Xu Yibei has always been the same. Mother Zhang Jinling never showed any negativity in front of her son, and she guarded him with meticulous care. She patiently conveyed this belief to her son: "Although Mom and Dad have separated, our love for you will always be in our hearts, and I will do my best to arrange for you whenever you need to see your father." ”
At the same time, his father, Xu Min, also kept his promise and maintained close contact with his son through phone calls and family letters. Whenever the traditional festival comes, Xu Yibei always takes the initiative to visit his father. Later, Xu Min remarried, and his son and stepmother Li Xiaoyan got along very harmoniously. With the joint efforts of his parents, although Xu Yibei has experienced the breakdown of his family, he has never lost the love of his parents and has been able to grow up strong in difficult situations.
In the spring of 1988, Zhang Jinling made a heartbreaking decision - to divorce her actor husband Xu Min. After a difficult trade-off, her 5-year-old son, Xu Yibei, was finally raised by her alone.
As a professional woman, Zhang Jinling shoulders heavy mental pressure and life burden. However, in the face of the young Xu Yibei, she never showed the slightest frustration.
Zhang Jinling firmly conveyed such values to her son Xu Yibei with her own practical actions: Although they have chosen to separate as parents, their love for their children is eternal.
She solemnly and sincerely promised Xu Yibei that whenever he longed to see his father, she would arrange it carefully with all her heart. In order to create a harmonious and complete family environment for her son, Zhang Jinling once decisively rejected the dazzling diamond rings in the hands of those rich people, and what they promised was a luxurious villa and superior material conditions.
Fortunately, even though the relationship between husband and wife has come to an end, his father Xu Min has never given up his love for his son. He often kept in close contact with his son by phone and letter, and visited Xu Yibei regularly. On the occasion of the festive season, Xu Yibei always takes the initiative to visit his father.
As time passed, Xu Min met Li Xiaoyan, an outstanding actor of the China Coal Mine Art Troupe, and the two finally entered the palace of marriage. Xu Yibei got along well with this stepmother, and Li Xiaoyan also gave meticulous care to this child. With the joint efforts of his parents, although Xu Yibei lives in an imperfect family environment, he can still enjoy the deep love from both parents and get the nourishment of double fatherly love.
Early one morning in September 1996, Xu Yibei, who was only 13 years old, stepped on a flight to Vancouver, Canada, with apprehension and anticipation. At the airport in the capital Beijing, Zhang Jinling, a mother with tears in her eyes, affectionately wished her son a new journey in life.
As an outstanding actor, Zhang Jinling knows that her son Xu Yibei has endless potential. She hopes that Xu Yibei will receive a more open and cutting-edge Western education and display his talents on the vast international stage.
The pain of parting is indescribable. Xu Yibei was far away from his homeland, studying alone in a foreign country, and his heart was full of trepidation. And Zhang Jinling, as a mother, also suffered from the pain of thinking about her son. Whenever night fell, she would cry silently, write a sincere and touching letter to her son, and pour out her endless longing.
When the traditional festival comes, the mother and son cannot get together, so they can only use the radio waves to transmit each other's thoughts, and tears flicker in their eyes. For this mother and son, who depend on each other for their lives, this pain is undoubtedly a great test.
And his father Xu Min is deeply concerned about his son Xu Yibei who went overseas from the bottom of his heart. Although he has ended his marriage with his ex-wife, he still pays close attention to Xu Yibei affectionately, and frequently asks about his son's growth by phone. Sometimes, Xu Min even travels long distances to fly to distant Canada to meet Xu Yibei to talk about his parents and learn more about his education and life in this strange country.
Xu Yibei is always deeply fortunate and grateful for the favor of fate. Even growing up in such a broken family, he was still able to enjoy the endless care and love from both parents. This selfless love is like a solid barrier, supporting him to keep moving forward and step into maturity.
It is worth mentioning that in 2003, Ms. Zhang Jinling was invited to hold a solo exhibition of Chinese painting in Toronto. Xu Yibei went all out to assist her mother, carefully planning and preparing every aspect of the exhibition. On the day of the grand opening of the exhibition, Xu Yibei stood aside, admiring his mother's masterpieces with admiration, and felt extremely proud and proud of her outstanding talent. The media were also attracted by Ms. Zhang's artistic charm and praised her talent for painting. For Xu Yibei, the pride of being such an outstanding mother is undoubtedly the highest honor in his life.
However, in 1988, Ms. Zhang Jinling and Mr. Xu Min chose the difficult path of divorce after careful consideration. Faced with major changes in life, Zhang Jinling's heart was full of confusion and loneliness. In order to relieve her inner anguish, she began to try to touch painting and calligraphy. Initially, these were just recreations that she used to pass the time, but as time went on, she gradually developed a keen interest in the arts.
In 1990, Zhang Jinling was fortunate to meet Mr. Lou Shibai, a famous Chinese painting master. Under the recommendation of her friend Zhang Zheng, she officially entered the door of Lou Lao, and since then she has embarked on a long road of pursuing the art of Chinese painting. When she first joined the school, Zhang Jinling was like a student who had just started, and every week she went to Mr. Lou Shibai's home with her immature homework and with anxiety, and humbly accepted his guidance and teachings. In order to depict a lifelike shrimp, she devoted three years of hard work to create tens of thousands of works.
Looking at Zhang Jinling's continuous progress and achievements in the field of art, Mr. Lou Shibai sincerely feels gratified and satisfied. By 1994, he believed that the female disciple had the ability to create independently, so she was no longer required to submit her assignments regularly. Since then, Zhang Jinling has devoted herself to the world of art, tirelessly creating, and writing her wonderful life with a brush.
Time flies, and the years pass in a hurry. In the field of art, Ms. Zhang Jinling has successively published a collection of important works of far-reaching significance, such as "Zhang Jinling's Pictures and Paintings" and "Zhang Jinling's Calligraphy and Painting Collection", and her influence has caused a strong sensation in the industry. She has successfully held dozens of unique and eye-catching solo exhibitions in Shenzhen, Shenyang, France and Singapore, and her value continues to rise.
Ms. Zhang Jinling's outstanding achievements in art are undoubtedly one of the proudest things for her son, Mr. Xu Yibei, and at the same time, she is also famous in the international art world, and is respected as an outstanding Chinese female painter. From an actor who once shined on the stage to a master of Chinese painting who is now fully committed to the palace of art, Ms. Zhang Jinling's life journey can be described as magnificent and exciting.
On a beautiful day in May 1978, 27-year-old Ms. Zhang Jinling dressed in gorgeous clothes entered the palace of marriage and tied the knot with the famous actor Mr. Xu Min, who was 4 years older than herself. At that moment, the whole wedding scene was filled with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, and relatives and friends all felt heartfelt joy for the reunion of the couple.
In fact, before they got married, Ms. Zhang Jinling and Mr. Xu Min had been old partners for many years. They are all well-known actors from Beijing Film Studio, and they have gradually developed deep feelings in many cooperations. Mr. Xu Min was tall, handsome and dashing, and Ms. Zhang Jinling was a high-profile Hua Dan at the time, beautiful and talented, and the two were a match made in heaven.
The following year, Ms. Zhang Jinling was pregnant for ten months and gave birth to a son, and the whole family cheered for the arrival of this new life. However, the good times are always short-lived, and a sudden turn of events almost takes the life of the newborn baby.
Just as Ms. Zhang Jinling was preparing to star in the movie "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace", the director team suddenly found that she was six months pregnant, and had no choice but to temporarily decide to adjust her role as the "Empress Dowager Cixi" to Liu Xiaoqing.
During her pregnancy, Ms. Zhang Jinling went through hardships and even showed signs of miscarriage at one point. At that time, she was full of fear that her children would meet with her. Thanks to timely treatment, her son was finally able to pass away safely, and she was so excited that she burst into tears.
In June 1983, Ms. Zhang Jinling's son, Mr. Xu Yibei, was born. From that moment on, Ms. Zhang Jinling temporarily put down the peak of her career and devoted herself to the great mission of raising her son. Every time she saw her son's lovely face, her heart was filled with endless happiness and satisfaction.
However, good times are fleeting! Due to many complex reasons, the friendship between Ms. Zhang Jinling and Mr. Xu Min gradually faded, and the contradictions between the two became increasingly intensified. In the vibrant spring of 1988, despite the deep struggle and pain, they finally decided to part ways, when Xu Yibei, who was only 5 years old, was taken away by his gentle and strong mother and began a new life journey.
This difficult decision undoubtedly caused irreparable damage to the child's young heart, and Zhang Jinling, as a mother, was even more deeply remorseful and remorseful.
Back in 1970, the then 19-year-old Zhang Jinling was successfully admitted to the Hubei Provincial Repertory Theatre, which opened the prelude to her dazzling acting career. Despite the difficult circumstances and meagre salary, she insisted on saving on her monthly living expenses and sending most of her income home to help her parents raise their four younger siblings.
It is this perseverance and positive spirit that makes Ms. Zhang Jinling stand out from many competitors and quickly attract attention for her outstanding appearance and extraordinary acting skills. In the 1974 revolutionary realist film "Crossing the River Reconnaissance", she successfully portrayed the role of "Captain Liu", which became a blockbuster and became famous.
After the release of this film, Zhang Jinling caused a sensational response across the country with her superb acting skills and unique personality charm, and became a hot star overnight. Since then, she has starred in a number of popular film and television masterpieces, such as "The River Flows", "From Slave to General" and so on, which has made her popularity continue to rise.
In 1978, Ms. Zhang Jinling moved to Beijing Film Studio, and her career was even more prosperous. With the joint efforts of her husband Xu Min, they have presented wonderful works to the audience, such as "Look at This Family", "Xu Mao and His Daughters", "Huang Yinggu", etc., which can be called a superstar husband and wife in the film and television industry.
Ms. Zhang Jinling, who is known as the "Three Flowers of the Northern Shadow" along with Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming, was known and known to everyone in that era, and she was a well-deserved first-line star.
It is worth mentioning that in 1982, Ms. Zhang Jinling and Ms. Liu Xiaoqing competed on the same stage and both participated in the high-profile movie "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace". She was supposed to be the first choice of the director team, and was determined to play the role of "Empress Dowager Cixi". However, not long before the start of filming, the crew unexpectedly discovered that Zhang Jinling was six months pregnant, and in order to avoid affecting the filming schedule, they had to temporarily adjust this important role to Liu Xiaoqing.
This has undoubtedly become a major sad defect in Zhang Jinling's acting career! However, she did not become decadent and depressed, but resolutely chose to withdraw from the stage and waited wholeheartedly for the arrival of a new life at home. During her pregnancy, she was once in danger of miscarriage, but fortunately, thanks to the timely treatment and careful care of the doctors, she was able to give birth to her baby son Xu Yibei smoothly.
Since then, Zhang Jinling has temporarily put aside the career she loves, devoted herself to the sacred role of mother, and accompanied her son every step of his growth with endless love and patience.