In the twenties of the last century, Xu Zhimo, a talented son of a wealthy family, and his original wife Zhang Youyi were entangled in love and hate. In 1922, Xu Zhimo decided to divorce Zhang Youyi, who had just given birth to a second child, in Germany, which not only changed their fate, but also left behind a tragic little life forgotten by the times - Xu Desheng, nicknamed Peter.
In 1922, Xu Zhimo, a poet surrounded by love, poetry and freedom, signed a divorce agreement with his wife, Zhang Youyi. This is not only the breakup of two people, but also a heart-wrenching past of two families. Xu Zhimo, a talented man born in a large landowner family in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, has been influenced by advanced Western culture since he was a child, and his pursuit of romance and freedom has almost reached the point of madness. His wife, Zhang Youyi, came from an equally prominent family of eunuchs, but she retained more of the gentleness and obedience of traditional women.
Their marriage, from the very beginning, was a collision of two worlds. Xu Zhimo's parents united him with Zhang Youyi, a "well-matched" woman, for the benefit of the family, but Xu Zhimo did not have a trace of joy in this arranged marriage. He even expressed his dissatisfaction unabashedly when he saw Zhang Youyi's photo, secretly mocking her as a "countryman". And Zhang Youyi, although her heart is hurt, still insists on fulfilling her duties as a wife and teaching her husband and children.
In 1920, Zhang Youyi went to England alone with her second child, hoping to reunite with Xu Zhimo and save her crumbling marriage. The moment she stepped on the port of Marseille, she was greeted by Xu Zhimo's obvious displeasure and indifference. Xu Zhimo's heart has already flown to his new love - Lin Huiyin's side, Zhang Youyi's appearance is just a burden to him.
Zhang Youyi, who was alone in a foreign country, felt unprecedented loneliness and helplessness in the face of her husband's neglect and the upcoming new life. And Xu Zhimo, a poet driven by freedom and romantic feelings, finally chose to divorce in 1922. After the divorce, he wrote "Laughing to Untie the Knot of Troubles", trying to wash away his guilt with poetry, but what is hidden behind this poem is the beginning of a family tragedy.
At this time, Zhang Youyi had already given birth to her second child, Xu Desheng, nicknamed Peter. In Xu Zhimo's life, he had only seen this child once. In his mind, perhaps this child was just a sign of his failed marriage, not a flesh-and-blood life. For Zhang Youyi, the child is her only concern for Xu Zhimo, but she is trapped by depression and disappointment, and cannot give Peter the care he deserves. Although the Xu family and the Zhang family are both wealthy families, at this moment when the child needs care the most, he seems to be forgotten by the whole world.
Peter's life was only three years, but during those three years, he felt almost no love from his parents. His life was spent in a lack of care and warmth, until a gastrointestinal ailment ended his young life. Although the family is wealthy, at this critical moment, they are unable to provide him with timely medical treatment for various reasons.
Looking back at Xu Zhimo's life, he is known as synonymous with romanticism, the embodiment of a free soul. His poetry is full of yearning and pursuit of a better life, but in real life, he is unable to give his children basic care and responsibility. This contradictory attitude towards life has left him a glorious chapter in literature, but it has also left irreparable shortcomings in real life.
Zhang Youyi also tried to rebuild her life after the divorce, but it was not easy for a single woman to break free from the constraints of the old era of female roles at the same time. Her life was full of challenges, especially when it came to raising children and dealing with family matters.
This marriage and Xu Desheng's short life are not only the tragedy of Xu Zhimo and Zhang Youyi, but also a microcosm of the whole society in the context of that era. In an era bound by tradition and eager for modernity, personal joys and sorrows were often sacrificed to greater social and family pressures.
Xu Desheng's story is a small life in a forgotten corner, and his birth and death are witnesses to the tragedy of that era. Through his stories, we can get a glimpse of the living conditions and emotional difficulties of people in that era. Looking back today, we may be able to learn from this lesson and learn how to pursue personal happiness without neglecting responsibility and love for our families, especially our children.