作      者：龚如仲（美国）

 海外头条总编审   王 在 军   （中国）

海外头条副编审 Wendy温迪 （英国）

海 外 头 条总 编   火 凤  凰   （海外）

图片选自百度

令人难忘的魏老太太

文/龚如仲（美国）

     五年的新闻职业生涯让我接触了许多新闻界的“名嘴”、专家、权威和领导。在这些我所熟悉的精英中，有不少人给我留下了深刻的印象，而其中最让我难忘的是魏琳女士。

魏琳女士是我的顶头上司，也是我职业生涯里的良师益友。魏女士为人低调、举止谦逊，对同事和部下热情、宽厚。所以，我们电台英语部的同仁们从不叫她“魏组长”或“魏主任”，而是亲切地称呼她为魏老太太。

提起魏琳女士，电台上下几乎无人不知、无人不晓，算得上是个大名鼎鼎的人物了。魏女士出身于上海一个大资本家家庭，称得上是一位豪门千金。就是这位豪门千金，早年毅然背离家庭，冒险从十里洋场的大上海奔赴红色根据地延安，投向了共产党领导的红色政权。由于毕业于名牌大学，而且在英语方面造诣极深，因此到延安后不久，魏女士便被上司选中，成了中国红色政权对外英语广播的第一人。之后，她就追随毛泽东转战南北，从陕西延安的土窑洞到河北平山县的西柏坡村，最后抵达解放了的北京城。

多少年来，魏女士都以她那地道纯正的英语、甜美有力的声音向全世界报导着毛泽东所率领的红军和解放军所经历过的艰难历程。1949年新中国成立，魏女士自然而然地成为了中国对外广播的喉舌​英语播音的掌门人。

论资格，魏女士是位“老革命”；论级别，魏女士足可以登上中国任何一个地级市市长大人的宝座；论学问，魏女士对英语播音炉火纯青的理解功力，英语部无人可望其项背；论家庭，魏女士的第一位丈夫是著名的美国学者、老资格新闻专家李敦白（SIDNEY RITTENBURG）先生。李敦白先生早年来华投身于毛泽东的红色政权，是中国共产党历史上绝无仅有的外籍党员。他还与魏女士齐心协力，共同创建了红色政权下“新华广播电台”对外播音部。但没过几年，李敦白先生与魏琳女士解除了婚约，后来他又娶了一位王女士为妻。魏女士后来与其终身相伴的第二位丈夫是一位朝鲜族大学者崔先生，一个在其业界颇具名声的大教授。

    按常理，魏女士既然是一位各方面都堪称完美的新闻界名流，在她的身上一定会有一种与众不同的强力气场。然而，当我头一次见到这位极具传奇色彩的魏女士时，她给我的印象却像是一位邻家大妈。只见她穿一身扑素的蓝布衣裤，剪一个不长不短的平直头型，脚上蹬一双半新半旧的黑布鞋，既不像个“大领导”，也不显露出任何“大权威”的气势。然而就是这么一位看上去普普通通、略有点不修边幅的老太太，在国际台、乃至整个广播事业局，都是一位受人尊敬的大人物。

魏老太太的良好口碑不但来自于她那无私而真诚的品行，同时也起因于她那种勤奋而敬业的精神，更重要的是因为魏老太太对部下既严格又富有人性的要求。

在当时那个年代，人们工资普遍较低，物资供应也不充裕。这位薪水相对而言比较丰厚的魏领导，经常会拿出自己的部分工资买些糖果或点心带到办公室供大家享用。当时我们播音员每人每月有六元人民币的特殊津贴，用来保养嗓子。这份津贴用作家庭开支的补贴是相当不错的。然而魏老太太却从未领取过这笔津贴。用她自己的话来说：“我工资不低，够花了，何必再拿公家发给我的播音员津贴”？

我们上夜班时都有一点加班费，这自然也使我们感到相当开心。然而更开心的是和魏老太太共上夜班，因为魏老太太通常都会把她的那份加班费“贡献”出来，给大家买夜宵吃。

在平日里，无论是张三家病了，还是李四家里有难处了，只要魏让老太太知道了，她一定会拿自己的钱给生病的同事买些水果，给有难处的家庭送上一点资助。可以这么说，魏老太太是我自参加工作以来所遇到过的最无私、最热心的好领导。

而对我个人而言，我也曾受惠于这位热心的老太太。那还是发生在1979年春天的事情。一次偶而体检，医生发现我的直肠与膀胱外壁之间有一硬块，后经若干其它医生的反复检查，一位当时在中国国内首屈一指的泌尿科专家竟怀疑我的直肠与膀胱外壁处长了一块癌肿。这无疑是晴天霹雳，一下子将我击晕了。家人知道后也乱了方寸，甚至连同事也为我担忧。

魏老太太闻讯后，便立刻对我及我妻加以安慰，同时她提议我到北京一家著名的军人医院去作一次复查，因为那家医院的外科主任就是她的亲弟弟。经过这位少壮派名医的仔细检查后断定，他认为“那不可能是癌症”。他告诉我：“根本不用去理会它，待过一阵后再作一次彻查”。然而遗憾的是，我那时太迷信权威了，所以最终辜负了这位年轻医生的正确诊断，而是听从了那位在当时医学界的泌尿科方面最颇具权威的专家的安排，并住进医院并进行了“剖腹探查”。手术时才发现，那肿块只是个肌肉钙化点，根本不是什么癌变，完全是虚惊一场。然而迷信权威的我白白地遭受了一场开膛破肚的痛楚。

这期间多亏了妻子的百般照顾，白天照常上班的她，下班后得给我老父亲及女儿做饭、做家务，到了夜里就匆匆赶到医院照看护我这个病号。那段时间，她几乎彻夜无眠。

然而就在我开刀后的第三天早上，天刚蒙蒙亮，我就看到走进我病房的魏老太太。她当时手里端着一个用衣服包好的大沙锅，沙锅里是她刚刚炖好的鸡肉和鸡汤。她嘱咐我好好享用，说是鸡汤不仅对我身体有补，而且有助于我的伤口愈合。要知道，在那个岁月里，人们要买到一只活鸡，必须半夜里就到菜市场排队守候到清晨。想到魏老太太为了我排队买鸡、一夜未睡、又费力耗时地为我炖鸡汤，瞧瞧面前冒着腾腾热气的沙锅，再看看魏老太太那疲倦的面容，我禁不住热泪盈眶。这就是我的领导魏老太太！

魏老太太不但在生活上关心部下，而且在大是大非的关键时刻敢于站出来仗义执言，为维护部下的名声和前程尽心竭力。记得那是1976年的夏天，中国唐山发生了大地震，几百公里外的北京城也被那场历史上罕见的大地震搅得天翻地覆。北京的市民们不允许待在家中，妻和我就带着刚刚六个月大的小女儿露宿在住家附近的菜市场。和邻居们一样，我们找来几个空菜筐翻过来底朝上，然后在拼起来的菜筐上面铺个床单，一家三口就在这种临时“床”上夜宿了二十余日（我的大女儿到上海父亲家去避难了）。

在那个灾难时刻，家家忙着抗震，北京人可以不用上班。然而，作为中国政府喉舌的对外广播电台是不能休息的。尤其是我们这些电台的关键人物播音员必须和平日一样，坚守在工作岗位上。用我们电台领导的话来说：“那怕广播大楼被震塌了，播音员也不能离开播音室”！于是我们这些播音员及编辑、监听等搭档无一例外地照常上班。

当时我的家离广播大楼很远，一来一回骑自行车近四十公里，平时我上夜班时住在大楼的单身宿舍里。可面对地震的特殊时期，我真的犯了难：想到别的家庭都是“夫妻双双、齐心协力”，而我家只有妻子一人在忙活：她既要带孩子，又要参加街道安排的抗震活动，那么我该怎么办？考虑再三，我决定每天一等到工作结束，就马上偷偷地溜出广播大楼，骑上自行车一路狂奔，给妻子和女儿送饭，然后立即骑车快快赶回办公室。也亏得我当时年轻体力好，尽力做到了“工作家庭两不误”。

可是就在地震过后英语部召开抗震救灾总结会时，我的麻烦来了，有一位在部里颇有权势的人认为我是“落后分子”的典型，他指责我在抗震斗争中当了“逃兵”。在那个年代，背负起这种批评和指责可能是致命的，对我的前程会有很坏的影响。就是在这个关键时刻，魏老太太挺身而出。她在会上向全体与会人员说明了我家中的实际困难，也肯定了我来回奔波并未影响工作的事实。就这样，一场风波消于无形，我对魏老太太的感佩之情又增添了几分。

魏老太太除了在工作和生活上乐于助人外，在业务上也是诲人不倦、尽力相帮。想当初如果不是魏老太太点头，我也进不了广播电台；倘若不是她的精心指点及鞭策鼓励，我也不可能在短短半年时间里从一名翻译成了一位合格的英语播音员。我在心里一直把魏老太太当做我的老师。

随着时间的推移，渐渐地魏老太太也成了我和我家人的朋友。即便后来我告别电台、转而经商，我和魏老太太也一直保持着密切联系。

我记得魏老太太曾经对我说过，她一生中最爱的美食就是红烧牛肉和水煮花生米。所以逢年过节，我会时不时地、尽可能抽空去看望她，有时就请她去饭馆享受一顿土豆烧牛肉加油炸花生米的“大餐”。

直到几年前两个女儿为妻和我安排的生日大庆时，我还专门把魏老太太和她的丈夫崔先生请了过来。令人叹息的是魏老太太已经得了老年痴呆症，见面时她已认不出我是谁了。然而就在生日庆典活动达到高潮时，魏老太太突然从席间起身走向舞台，主动要求给大家唱一首歌。当魏老太太往舞台中央一站，她立即恢复了当年的英姿。她用她那甜美而纯正的声调为大家唱了一首英文歌。一曲唱罢，满座皆惊，接着便爆发出一阵热烈的掌声。

从那以后，我和魏老太太便失去了联系。好几年过去了，不知她老人家一切可好？我将此文献给她老人家，也祝愿她老人家身体安好、快乐长寿！

题外的话

说到这里，加一段题外的话。文中说到的第一个加入中国共产党的美国人李敦白先生，曾在一九四九到一九五五年在中国以“间谍”罪名关了六年；一九六八年到一九七八年受文革牵连被关了十年。一九八年底回到美国。一九九三年出版【红幕后的洋人】（THE MAN WHO STAYED BEHIND），并于2012年9月3日出席在纽约发表纪录他在中国经历的影片【革命者】(THE REVOLUTIOANRY)回答现场观众提问。报导上说：“如今九十一岁高龄的他，依然精神矍铄，思路清晰，和媒体侃侃而谈时，彷佛岁月只是弹指一挥间”。

***本文选自拙作【岁月如重---兼谈华国锋】之第四章“无冕之王”

Chapter 13 Unforgettable Madam Wei 

Posted By Ralph Gong

My five-year journalism profession made me get acquainted with quite a few popular radio and TV presenters, mass media experts, Radio Beijing’s authoritative seniors and even a couple of decisive and powerful leading personnel. Some of the above-mentioned VIPs left deep impression on me because of their excellent work ethics and graceful manners. But among all those VIPs, no one else but Madam Wei, our English Department Director, who has left such impression  unforgettable. As a matter of fact, I always show my great respect to this beloved lady.

(1)

Madam Wei Lin was my direct superiorwhen I worked for the English Department under Radio Beijing. Madam Wei was also my good teacher and helpful friend. She behaved in low profile, and was modest in dealing with people. In our English Department, the people, including me, who were under her leadership, never called her as “Director” or“Superior”or “Boss”, we all cordially called her Madam Wei or Lao Wei (meaning “Old Wei”). 

At Radio Beijing, Madam Wei was so famous that nobody was unfamiliar with her. Born in a big capitalist family in Shanghai, Ms. Wei Lin was really a “wealthy daughter” who had been spoiled by her rich parents ever since she was a child. But in the year 1941 when she was only 22 years old, this “wealthy daughter”resolutely gave up her extravagant life and betrayed her rich family by secretly fleeing from Shanghai to YanAn, Shanxi Province. For your information, in the late 1940s, China was still under a cruel struggle between the Kumingtang (KMT, meaning “National Party” also the ruling Party) and the Chinese Communist Party(CCP, the opposition Party). And the Chinese Communist Party’s head quarters was located in YanAn. It was due to Ms. Wei’s high educational background (she graduated from a very prestigious missionary university in Shanghai) and excellent English, she was selected by the Party Authority to be an English announcer for Radio Xinhua (“Xinhua”means “new China”), which was the first broadcasting organization set up by CCP. As the only English announcer, Ms Wei was well-known through out YanAn. A few years later, the Chinese Communist Party moved its head quarters to PingShan County, Hebei Province, and Radio Xinhua also followed thisrelocation. From the year of 1941 when Ms. Wei first got to YanAn, to the year of 1949 when new China was established(CCP took over the political power from KMT), Ms. Wei resorted to her pure and enthetic English, plus using a sweet and powerful voice, to keep reporting to the whole world on how the Chinese Communist Party had been growing and developing, and how the final liberation ofthe whole country. In the year of 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was established, Ms. Wei was naturally appointed as the Head of English Department under Radio Beijing, China’s only foreign-language broadcasting station (after new China came into being, Radio Xinhua was divided into two parts, one was for the China’s nationalbroadcasting, which was called as “China Central People’s Broadcasting Station”, and the other was for the international announcing, which was named as “Radio Peking ” first, and subsequently re-named as “Radio Beijing”).

(2)

As far as Madam Wei’s qualification was concerned, she was a veteran revolutionary. In terms of her position or ranking, it could be compared to the appointment of mayor of a big city. If we value her profound understanding towards English, she could be regarded as NO. One English announcer in new China. What was more, she married Mr. Sidney Rittenberg, who was a very famous journalist and the first American who joined the Chinese Communist Party in YanAn when he worked together with Ms. Wei. It was Mr. Rittenburg who made joint efforts with Ms Wei, and helped the Chinese Communist Party establish the first Foreign Language Broadcasting Department under Radio XinHua in China. Unfortunately their marriage did not last long and it ended in divorce. A few years later after the separation, Wei Lin met another outstanding man -- Mr. Cui who was of Korean origin, as well as a celebrated scholar in Beijing’s cultural field. Ever since Wei Lin’s remarriage, she had been enjoying a very happy life together with her husband, Lao Cui (Old Cui). 

It has commonly believed that people like Madam Wei who had such a good background plus her reputation in the broadcasting industry, she must be out of the ordinary. In other words, she should be graceful, distinctive and even a little bit arrogant. She ought to be making high profile appearance in the public. But when I met with her for the first time, she looked just like one of the aunts who wereliving in my neighborhood. She wore a plain blue cotton coat and a pair of black cotton shoes. She did not look like a “VIP” at all. 

But this middle-aged and ordinary-looking lady did enjoy a very high reputation all around Radio Beijing. Her tremendous prestige was not only earned by her hard working and excellent performance in broadcasting capability, but also by her unselfish and warm-hearted deeds. Also, she always expressedher sincere concern and offered timely help to her subordinates should there be any need. 

(3)

In 1970s, a common problem in Chinawas that people’s living condition was still poor, and the average income was low. As compared to some other countries, the material supply was in shortage. But as a leading personnel at Radio Beijing, Madam Wei’s salary was considered rather high. Almost every month after her monthly salary was paid, she always spenta part of her income to the purchase of some candies, biscuits or cakes. And then she would bring those decent food to the office invite her colleagues and subordinates to enjoy. 

At that time, Radio Beijing had a very special rule stating that each announcer would have the privilege allowance of RMB 6 Yuan per month. And this amount of RMB 6 Yuan was supposed to be used for buying some nutritious food for nourishing their voice. For your information, RMB 6 Yuan was really a good amount of money in the 1970s. As a university graduate who had several yearsof working experience, one could only get RMB 56 monthly pay (the new university graduates could only have RMB 46 per month for the first year of working). But Madam Wei never and ever took this RMB 6 allowance because she said: “I have already got a high monthly pay.

Why should I still want this RMB 6 allowance? And I should save this money for our country”. 

When we served Radio Beijing as announcers, we were requested to be onnight-shifts quite frequently. As a result,there were also  extra allowance paid after we finished our night shift working. To be honest with you, each month after I got the night shift allowance, I would happily give the money to my wife for our familyexpense. But Madam Wei always contributed the allowance to buying and sharing the midnight snack with her colleagues who were on the same shiftwith her. 

What was more, Madam Wei was a very warm-hearted lady who was always ready to help others financially. Whenever someone was sick or short of money for urgent needs, it was always Madam Wei who came forward to offer some money for help. In my memory, Madam Wei was the most unselfish and zealous superior I had ever met with in my work career. I can never forget how generous she was when I needed her help.

(4)

It was about something which happened in the Spring of the year of 1979. I was requested to have a regular physical examination that day, and the X-ray photo showed there was a drop shadow between my rectum and bladder. Naturally, I was urged to have further examinations in order to make sure whether it was a cancer or just a benign tumor. I took this matter very seriously and therefore I visited almost all famous hospitals in Beijing to find out the result. After repeated examination by a few experienced doctors, one of the most authoritative medical experts strongly suggested me to have an abdominal examination as soon as possible because he doubted there might be cancer in development. I was shocked after hearing what the expert said, and I felt very upset and helpless afterwards. My low sprit also affected my family members and my wife in particular. They also became very nervous and uneasy. The news was so unexpected that even my colleagues at our English Department had begun to worry about my health condition, 

At that critical moment, it was Madam Wei who first came to my house to put my wife and me comfort. She also made a suggestion to me that I should go to see a well-known doctor at a very famous military hospital in Beijing for an additional check-up. “This doctor is my younger brother”, Madam Wei said to me. As per Madam Wei’s instruction, I went to see this young and experienceddoctor. After his careful and professionalexamination, he immediately came to aconclusion that it would be impossible to have cancer on the space between a rectum and bladder. He let me forget about this matter and go back to work normally. If I still had some doubts about that drop shadow, I could come back to him a few months later to repeat the test.

But I was such a stupid man who had blind faith in authority that I followed that old and famous expert’s judgment and ignored the assessment made by that young and experienced doctor. As per the old expert’s arrangement, I was hospitalized. A few days later, the hospital gave me an abdominal operation for confirming the nature of that “drop shadow”. After the hospital lab ran a test against a biopsy which was taken from that “spot”, they came to a conclusion that the “drop shadow” was only a calcification left over by the previous repeated injections for the hemorrhoidstreatments. It was not a cancer at all. What a false alarm!

During my recovering time period at the hospital, my wife took a very good care of me. She even spent several sleepless nights at the in-patient ward to care and serve me. But it was early morning on just the second day after the surgical operation, I was surprised to see Madam Wei coming to my room, carrying a big marmite with her two arms (the marmite was wrapped with a piece of cotton coat). After expressing her sincere concern to me, she sat down and then opened up the big marmite by taking the lid off. To my great surprise, the casserole was full of hot chicken soup plus a whole piece of chicken. She told me to drink more chicken soup because it would do my physical recovery good. I came to know later that in order to buy a live hen for soup making (For your information, the Chinese do believe that chicken soup made from a hen is the most nourishingsoup for the patient who had just had a surgical operation), Madam Wei went to the market very early morning that day. Since live hens were so badly needed, Madam Wei had to be in a long queue to wait for her turn to purchase the hen. After she got the hen, she went back home and then spent hours finishing the whole process of making the chicken soup. After the chicken soup was cooked well in a big marmite, she took the marmite with her for going to the hospital to see me. It was just for this marmite of chicken soup, Madam Wei sacrificed her whole night’s sleeping! I was deeply touched after I heard of all this. I thanked this warm-heated lady from the bottom of my heart.

(5)

As a matter of fact, Madam Wei not only showed her great concern for her colleagues and subordinates in daily life, but also dared to step forward bravely and speak up with sense of justice when the people were in need. I still remember that in Summer of the year of 1976, a very serious earthquake attacked TangShang City of Hebei Province. The earthquake was so disastrous that the whole city of TangShan was almost leveled to ground and hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Even the residents in Beijing City, who were further away from TangShan, had a strong earthquake sensation. No one living in Beijing was allowed to stayat home, and we (my family members and I) were forced to spend nights in a tent shelter outside. We lived in thattemporary tent shelter for almost two weeks before the remaining earthquake warning was dismissed. But there were no bed available in the shelter. In order to have a “bed” for my family members to sleep at night, I found six pieces of big empty vegetable baskets at our next door vegetable market, and I then set the baskets up-side-down and made those six pieces of baskets (with their bottoms facing up) a “bed”. After the “bed” was formed, I put a piece of quilt with cotton wadding on the top of the “baskets bed”. Finally, I placed a big piece of bed sheet on the quilt surface. That was the “bed”which was used for my family members for spending the nights in the shelter (For your information, during that special period of time, only my wife, my younger daughter and I used this “basket-bed”while my elder daughter was sent to Shanghai just after the earthquake. And she was living together temporarily withher grandfather). Since everyone was busy with the earthquake relief work in Beijing, and therefore no one was required to go to work unless otherwise instructed. But Radio Beijing was one of the country’s most important “mouthpieces”, and therefore we were required to go to work every day no matter how seriously the earthquake might be. One of our top leaders at Radio Beijing even openly announced: “Even if the entire Broadcasting Building had collapsed due to the earthquake, the announcers concerned must continue on working inside the building. No one is allowed to escape because we are taking on the heavy responsibilities for the country”.

In China’s 1970s, the political atmosphere was still very strong that the personal interest was to be put aside. The reality I was encountering was that I was asked to go to work normally while my wife had to join the earthquake relief work as per the Community’s arrangement. Besides, she had to take care of our younger daughter who was only one-year old. She had no help and everything must be done by her and herself! It was obvious that she must need my help to take care of our family. “What shall I do? How can I achieve the goal of taking care of my routine work and family affairs simultaneously? Should I at least help my wife prepare daily lunches so that her heavy burdens could be reduced to some extent?” I asked myself. After my thoughtful thinking, I decided to do the following when I was placed on daytime shifts:

When noon time was approaching, I would try to leave out of the office, and then I must ride my bike as fast as possible from my office to my home. After I got home, I must count every minute and second for cooking the lunch for the family. After having my simple meal, I, again, must ride my bike as fast as I could from my house back to the office. The reason why I must do the bike-riding so fast was that the distance between my home place and the Broadcasting Building was more than 15 kilometer per single trip. Since I must cover a long distance of more than 30 kilometers for a round-trip, I could do nothing, but trying my best to save time in order not to affect my afternoon work. I must tell you that I really accomplished this plan during that special period of time!

One rule, which was stipulated by Radio Beijing, stated that announcers must work on night shifts from time to time. When my night shift turn came, I had to spend the night in a small dormitory room offered by Radio Beijing after my night-shift work was finished. If that was the case, it would be impossible for me to go back home for helping my wife. I would be very frustrated when I had to face such an awkward situation. It was really my burning desire that this anti-earthquake struggle would end as soon as possible! After the earthquake aftermath was under contral, I felt a sense of relief. I even thought that everything would be fine since the earthquake was gone!

But sometimes things happened beyond expectations. It was at a summary conference which was organized by English Department right after the anti-earthquake recovering efforts were over, a guy, who was the Deputy Director of our English Department, seriously criticizedme for my “being inactive in joining the Department’s anti-earthquake work”. He even said at the meeting that it was a serious mistake that I was absent from time to time while other people were working so hard at their office. His negative comments would definitely bring some bad consequences to my future announcer career. At that moment, I was facing a very difficult situation.

Just at this critical moment, Madam Wei came forward courageously, telling all the meeting participants about my realistic difficult situation in helping my family. She pointed out at the meeting that even though I sometimes left the office for home with the purpose of giving my wife a helping hand, still I did a good job at coming back to work in time. She even said with emotion: “The fact is that the distance between the Broadcasting Building and R.Z. Gong’s home is far away. An over-30-kilometer bike riding is no easy job. Even under such difficult situation, Gong’s work was not at all affected. It could prove that he was responsible taking his work seriously”! After hearing what Madam Wei stated, the meeting participants, including that guy, were finally convinced, and I was “saved”. 

(6)

With time passing by, Madam Wei finally became my family’s private friend. Even after I got transferred from Radio Beijing to a foreign trading company a few years later, I still kept her as my close friend. We continued to be on good terms with each other. From time to time, I would go to see her or invited her to lunch or dinner. In my memory, Madam Wei’s most favorite foods were fried peanuts and stewed beef. In China’s 1970s and even early 1980s, it was not easy for us to enjoy those two delicious dishes. Besides, as an ordinary announcer whose monthly pay was limited, I could not afford to offer such good and expensive food to her. But after I began to work for a national company under the Foreign Trade Ministry, my living standards became much better. So, whenever I had a chance to visit Madam Wei, I would like to invite her to a good restaurant to enjoy the above-mentioned two delicious dishes together, which made her feel happy. This kind of practice for entertainment was lasted for a long time until one day Madam Wei became sick and could not come out for gathering with me.

One thing must be mentioned here: when my wife and I held a grand birthday celebration in the year of 2004, Madam Wei and her husband were specially invited as our honorable guests. The grand birthday celebration was being held at a five-star hotel in Beijing, and a lot of guests attended. When I met with Madam Wei and her husband at the entrance of the banquet hall, I was a little bit shocked because Madam Wei seemed to be very old, and also she looked haggard and tired. The more shocking thing was that she could not even recognize me because of her Alzheimer’s disease. So I did not expect much. When the celebration banquet started, some distinguished guests were invited to either deliver speeches or play participate in performance. I stepped to the table where Madam Wei and her husband were sitting at, and asked her whether she could saysomething at the banquet or sing an English song. To my surprise, Madam Wei understood what I meant and then she walked up to the stage and sang a famous English song. When she was singing, no one could believe that she was an old lady who was suffering from senile dementia because her voice was so sweet and her English pronunciation and tone were still so perfect! Her successful performance won a round of warm applause. 

From that day on, I lost contact with this respective old lady. Time flies like an arrow and so many more years have elapsed. I really do not know if she is getting on well with everything . But my sincere wish is always that she will beenjoying a happy and peaceful life together with her husband and daughter!

Note Outside the Title:

In the above article, I did mention a person’s name, which was Sidney Rittenburg. Mr. Rittenburg was Madam Wei’s ex-husband, and he was known in China as Li Dunbai – phonetic expression of Rittenburg. 

During China’s Cultural Revolution, Sidney Ritternberg, an American citizen, became the most important foreigner in China since Marco Polo. He was the only American citizen to become a member of the Chinese Communist Party. And was an active participant in the Chinese communist revolution and its aftermath. He would later end up, twice, in communist prisons, ending long stretches in solitary sitting. In the year of 1980, Mr. Rittenburg returned to the United States. 

When he turned 91 years old in 2012, a documentary “The Revolution” was released to the public. And this documentary described how a kid from Charleston, South Carolina, USA, ended up in a mountain cave playing gin rummy with Mao Zedong, the number one leader of the Chinese Communist Party. 

When Mr. Rittenburg appeared at a Press Conference which was arranged after the documentary was released, this 91-year-old man looked as feisty as ever. In answering questions, which were raised by the reporters, he talked with fervour and assurance. 

That is Mr. Sidney Rittenburg, a legendary American who was well-known to the Chinese people in 1970s and afterwards.

************************************************************

About the Author:

Ruzhong Gong (Ralph Gong), born in Shanghai, China, now living in the USA.

Graduated From the English Department of University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China

Before retirement, President of an USA overseas company under China National Light Industrial Products Imp. & Exp. Corp.; President of a joint-venture company in USA, jointly owned by Australia’s Lief Group Company and China National Chemical Products Imp. & Exp. Corp.; President of an American Brach Corp. under China National Foreign Trade Bases Corp.; Chief Representative in Beijing Office under Trade Am, an American Carpets Wholesale Company.

Author of 7books, including “My Life—Family, Career & VIPs”(both Chinese & English), “How to Do Business in Mainland of China”, “My Leisure Time”, “My Leisure Time—Poems & Articles” , “Poems and Essays from Leisure Chamber” and “Flowers By My Side”.

Member of the Chinese Poetry Society (CPS), Free Lance Writer for Austrian Sinopress, and Senior Consultant for Taiwan Caiwei Publishing House.

 龚如仲：生于上海，中国对外经济贸易大学英语系毕业，毕业后奔赴非洲任铁道部援建坦赞铁路工作组总部英语翻译，中国国际广播电台英语部英语播音员、记者，外贸部中国轻工业品进出口总公司出口二处业务员、副处长，外贸部轻工业品进出口总公司驻美国公司总裁（处长）。

有关作品：

自2012年至2016年，台湾采薇出版社出版自传【岁月如重】（该书已被香港中文大学图书馆、美国纽约市立图书馆和澳大利亚国家图书馆作为自传体作品正式收藏），【东西南北中国人---细谈如何在大陆做生意】，【悠然时光】和【悠然时光---如仲诗语】。

 2018年4月，中国国际广播出版社出版【悠然斋诗文选】

 2018年9月，中国国际广播出版社出版【花儿在身边开放】

 2019年4月，台湾采薇出版社出版英文书【My Life—Family, Career & VIPs】

作者现为中华诗词学会会员、中国经典文学网特约作家、台湾采薇出版社资深顾问、奥地利英文网Sinopress特聘专栏作家、北美北斗星文学社副社长、副总编辑。