Hello everyone, I am Sister Dimples, a 40-year-old second-child workplace mother, on the 132nd day of the daily update.
Do you have a "child prodigy" around you?
I remember when I was a child, I was just five or six years old, and I was already able to recite hundreds of poems, and for a time the people in the village gave her a thumbs up, calling her a "child prodigy".
At that time, I was still young, and I didn't have a clear understanding of "prodigy".
It wasn't until later that I saw the story of the genius girl Tian Xiaofei.
She wrote poetry at the age of 4, published many poetry collections at the age of 10, was admitted to Peking University at the age of 13, was selected into textbooks at the age of 16, and became the youngest doctor in the East Asian Department of Harvard at the age of 27.
Proper top students among top students.
is so open academically, but her marriage has attracted many people's doubts.
Some people say that she gave up her nationality during her study abroad and married an old American man who was 25 years older than her, and she would do whatever it took to get a green card!
In response, Tian Xiaofei once responded: I did this for love.
However, a photo betrayed her.
In 2016, Tian Xiaofei returned to China to participate in academic exchanges, but she didn't expect that she was only 45 years old, but she already had gray hair, and those who didn't know thought she was sixty or seventy years old.
What is the reason for Tian Xiaofei's premature aging? Why did she choose to marry an old foreign man? Does she regret her choice now?
Let's walk into the legendary life of Tian Xiaofei, a talented woman from Peking University.
01
In 1971, Tian Xiaofei was born in Harbin to an intellectual family. Under the influence of her parents, she was well educated and culturally nourished. In terms of literary creation, she has a talent beyond ordinary people.
By the time she was 3 years old, she had already mastered thousands of Chinese characters. When she was 4 years old, she wrote a little poem crookedly: I love the earth, I love my father; I love the blue sky, I love my mother, I love my happy home.
A few simple sentences, but it expresses a profound artistic conception. This made the father deeply surprised, and he couldn't help but praise his daughter again and again. After receiving her father's affirmation and recognition, the seeds of poetry and literature began to sprout in Tian Xiaofei's heart.
At the age of 5, she published her first work in the Tianjin Daily. By the age of 10, she had already published five books of poetry, for which she had won the Grand Prix. Many literary masters are also attracted by her talent, and often discuss literary creation with Tian Xiaofei, and slowly they form a year-old friendship.
At the age of 13, her literary talent amazed the admissions team of Peking University. Soon, she was admitted to the Department of Western Languages of Peking University majoring in English and American literature.
When she was in her third year, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of Peking University, Tian Xiaofei was moved and wrote the famous article: "Thirteen-year-old Encounter"
Among them, Tian Xiaofei wrote affectionately: I never doubted that I would become a student of Peking University. That childish self-confidence seems to indicate a wonderful dusty relationship......
Later, "The Encounter of the Thirteen-Year-Old" was selected into the Sujiao version of the middle school textbook.
02
Although she entered a higher education institution like Peking University as she wished, she could meet her opponent academically, but in terms of communicating with people, Tian Xiaofei, who was still young, seemed to have some difficulty.
She had almost no common language with her classmates around her, and she was alone, so she had to soak in the library all day in order to relieve the boredom in her heart.
Many self-media reported that at this time, Tian Xiaofei met Hai Zi, who also likes to write poetry (Hai Zi's original name is Zha Haisheng, he is also a child prodigy, he was admitted to Peking University at the age of 15, and taught at China University of Political Science and Law after graduation. He wrote a lot of beautiful poems at that time)
It is said that Haizi once told her that if she persevered, she would become a great poet.
But in 2023, Tian Xiaofei said in an interview with "China News Weekly" that she actually didn't know and had never seen Haizi. And she feels that engaging in literary creation and writing poetry is her passion, and she doesn't need any persistence at all.
In 1991, for this love, Tian Xiaofei flew to the United States to continue her studies and obtained a master's degree in literature. She then went on to study for her Ph.D. at Harvard University.
Here, Tian Xiaofei studied under her doctoral supervisor, Yuwen Suo'an. Yuwen Suo'an was an American by his heart, but he fell in love with classical Chinese poetry at the age of 14 and published his research work "Early Tang Dynasty Poetry" at the age of 31. When I met Tian Xiaofei, he was already a well-known sinologist.
The first time they met was in class, and Yuwen Suo'an, who was past the age of confusion, fell in love with Tian Xiaofei at first sight. Looking at her with great oriental wisdom, Yuwen Suo'an was in a trance: This is the girl who came out of my beloved ancient Chinese poems, right?
This made Yuwen Suoan deeply trapped and unable to extricate himself. But considering that the two are teachers and students, he had to bury this love deep in his heart.
In June 1998, Tian Xiaofei received a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University, becoming the youngest doctoral student in the history of Harvard University at that time.
Yuwen Suo'an is very happy! This time, he can finally confess to the love of his heart. But Tian Xiaofei rejected him without hesitation! After all, the age and cultural differences between the two are there.
So, she made up a reason to already have a boyfriend, and wanted the mentor to retreat.
But the infatuated Yuwen Suo'an rewrote a poem for her: The willow tops on the moon, after dusk, thousands of miles of entangled Juanzhao, love is like a rock. This lyric poem completely made Tian Xiaofei fall, and the two began to date. Soon, they began to discuss marriage.
However, their marriage was strongly opposed by Tian Xiaofei's parents, who didn't understand why their daughter wanted to marry a foreigner who had been divorced twice, and Yuwen Suo'an was a full 25 years older than her daughter, which was on par with them!
However, Tian Xiaofei believes that they are not only academically like-minded, but also can resonate with their souls through in-depth exchanges and discussions.
And in life, Yuwen Suo'an also gave her meticulous care and care, especially the Chinese food he cooks is very good, which allows her to feel the warmth of her hometown even if she is in a foreign country.
As a last resort, the parents had no choice but to send their daughter's blessings.
After getting married, Tian Xiaofei successfully obtained a U.S. green card, became an American citizen, and changed her pen name to Yuwen Qiushui.
03
When the news of their marriage came back to China, public opinion was in an uproar.
Many people angrily questioned Tian Xiaofei: The motherland has cultivated you, why don't you come back to serve the country?
In this regard, Tian Xiaofei said very calmly: I got married because of love. No matter what nationality I have, I will continue to carry forward Chinese culture in the future.
That's what she said, and that's what she did.
In 1999, when the mainland embassy was bombed, the United States and Western countries criticized and attacked us, and Tian Xiaofei was not afraid to choose to be tough and tough.
In 2003, Tian Xiaofei's "Qiushuitang on the Golden Vase of Plums", which took two years to complete, provided a new perspective and appreciation for the academic community.
In 2016, Tian Xiaofei and her husband returned to China to participate in academic research. At the meeting, their unique insights and wonderful speeches attracted bursts of applause.
But after the photos of the scene leaked out, everyone couldn't believe their eyes! Because Tian Xiaofei, who is only 45 years old, has white hair and looks very old.
Everyone speculated: Tian Xiaofei is declining before she is old, it must be caused by marrying the elderly Yuwen Suo'an, it seems that her married life is not satisfactory~
In this regard, Tian Xiaofei responded positively that she does not like housework, and she wants to spend all her time on her own research, because time is too precious for a scholar!
Therefore, Yuwen Suo'an silently took on most of the housework. This made Tian Xiaofei very grateful, and she said: It is because of his understanding and support that I can spend almost most of my day doing research.
In the end, she sighed: "For a person who studies literature, it is so important to find someone who fits his soul and can understand you!" ”
This wave of "show affection" successfully allowed everyone to resolve their misunderstanding of her, and it turned out that her rapid aging was related to her dedication to research and consuming her mind.
Today's Tian Xiaofei is 53 years old, although her white hair is still white, her eyes are clear, her spirit is strong, and her smiling eyebrows and eyes are full of wisdom and intelligence infiltrated in poetry books.
It is hoped that Professor Tian, who is studying the court culture of the Liang Dynasty, will continue to make Chinese culture transcend skin colors and borders, attracting and impressing more friends from all over the world.
How do you feel about Tian Xiaofei's life?