When An Zhiming, then a dignified officer, reached out his hand, she must have been happy. Their marriage lasted for six years, of which during the two years spent in Ngari they lost their son, had a daughter and lived a difficult life in bad weather. In my understanding, she must have experienced both agony and happiness during that time.
Ngari, in itself, is a paradise of happiness. No matter whether you are a native or a foreigner, if you live here for just one day, you will feel more strongly as time passes by. The reason lies not only in the gorgeous scenery and simple life, but also in the local people's readiness to help others. No matter how weird and obstinate a person is, he or she becomes warm and lovely, generous and merciful after arriving in Ngari. It seems as if the Karakoram and the Kunlun Mountains are two superior grinders that are able to make the sharpest objects gentle and smooth.
Sometimes I think on a whim that what if these meritorious people of Ngari such as Cao Hailin, Tu Huaying and Wang Junzhi could live and work in Ngari for their whole life like Gong Bao, would it be possible that they could all survive the political movements? If not, could they not avoid having to bear the brunt of their time?
In her own time, Wang Junzhi found her own value. Anyone who understands and utilizes value is busy. Her husband, at this period, must have also loved her dearly and cherished her deeply and she must also have felt happy and attached to him. For a man adrift in long wars, what is more precious than a secure family and a virtuous wife? She had all the qualities of a good wife.
From the day she left Ngari to the end of her life, the memory of the clean water of the Kashgar River, pink tamarisk flowers in June and warmhearted Tibetans must have lingered in her mind when she was locked in jail and worked on the edge of Tarim Basin. Her son Jinjun, who was buried underneath Ngari Plateau, must have been the source of her longing.
She must have missed them her whole life.
However, life doesn't stop because of one's longing. Her second husband was as versatile as herself. Wang Junzhi loved performing "Su-San Under Police Escort," a famous Peking Opera in which the couple collaborated despite the strict control over her. From this we can get a sense of the repression she was under and her unyieldingness to it.
How did Wang Junzhi, a woman with a life filled with ups and downs, become the object of worship in Wang Luobin's song? In reality, romance persisted during wars.
When Wang Junzhi went back to Kashgar from Ngari with her husband, she was transferred to the art troupe of South Xinjiang Military District, where Wang Luobin was her colleague. At that time, Wang Luobin was still a prisoner because he was once a music teacher in Ma Bufang's troupe, a high-ranking Kuomintang officer. Wang Junzhi's troupe asked for Wang Luobin because they needed creative talent for the army's art show.
Once, when they were resting on the way to perform for the army, Wang Junzhi was surprised to find Wang Luobin knitting, so she asked him why. He told her that his hands grew coarse and fingers inflexible from making bricks in kilns. Knitting kept them flexible.
Wang Junzhi sent him a pair of gloves shortly after that as she knew hands born for playing music needed protection.
Wang Luobin was then at the lowest point of life. He was a prisoner, a counter-revolutionary who didn't even have the right to enter the theater to enjoy the works he created, the fruit of his painstaking labor. Thunderous applause and prizes belonged to others, but he only got the cold moon and infinite loneliness.
Not far from him was the female troupe member dormitory. Light shone through it and Wang Junzhi lived there. She was the wife of the vice-chief of staff of the military district; he, in contrast, was a hard-pressed counter-revolutionary.
He was sitting in the breezy night, drunk in his loneliness and looking at the gloves under the bright half-moon when inspiration struck him.
Won't you open up your window?
Feel the night, feel the night
Come with me and share the world of silver
Thou dear light, thou dear light
So delight, so delight
After the art show, his mission was completed, so he was sent to a more heavily guarded prison. He thought she must have a very good life and she deserved it because she was such a kindhearted sweet girl.
However the fact was she suffered as much as he did and lost the most important human right: freedom.
They didn't meet again until many years later when they went to a reunion party of wartime comrades in Urumqi. Both had grey hair then. They clasped each other's hands tightly. He smiled, but she couldn't. He rode in the green shades of Urumqi for a long time, only waiting for a word from her. However, she was not able to accept his love.
Years later, when somebody asked why she didn't accept Wang Luobin, she said, "My girl is in poor health and treating her costs much money. I didn't want to become his burden."
This is her love.
Luonian Tinley: The Man Born in the Sheepfold
Lhasa is such a gentle city in May.
All kinds of trees such as aspen, cypress, willow, and Chinese pagoda trees thrive and compete with each other. Lush bushes without names cluster on both sides of the highway with little yellow flowers blooming among them, letting off fragrance like shy girls in love.
These flowers are so delicate that a slightly strong breeze blowing from the river valley could make them wither.
I sat with an old man in the morning sun in Zongjiaolukang Park. Apple flowers were blooming, smelling sweetly. The Potala Palace was not far from us. The magnificent construction in red and white looked dynamic and friendly in such a gentle atmosphere, with the twittering birds and sweet-smelling flowers. Worshipers were turning prayer wheels and burning incense and aromatic plants to create auspicious smoke.
