Go Tokyo Your Experience
On the cold day of December 4th, Qiong Yao’s life came to an end at home. The news spread, and many actors who had participated in her works expressed their condolences on social media. Those once-hidden memories were revisited one by one, from “My Fair Princess” to “Deeply in Love Amidst the Rain,” and then to “Again on a Dreamy Curtain.” These works brought endless touching moments to our youthful years.
In that time when no one could understand, Qiong Yao’s companionship gave us a common front. Whether we were crazy in love or unwaveringly committed, those unplaceable little emotions found an outlet in her writing.
Qiong Yao has many works.
But no female protagonist is “more Qiong Yao” than Qiong Yao herself
It is only when we no longer skim through Qiong Yao’s works that we truly begin to understand “Qiong Yao”. Her creations are numerous, but no female protagonist is more “Qiong Yao” than she herself.
During her middle school years, she fell in love with a teacher who was 25 years older than her; this unblessed romance became a lifelong regret due to her mother’s intervention.
Qiong Yao expressed in her autobiography “My Story”: “He is lonely, I am lonely; he is feeling desolate, I am also desolate. Once love occurs, it is not restricted by age, identity, status, morality… and various other factors.”
It seems that the passion of feeling at odds with the world became the foundation of her future writing.
Willing to marry a poor artistic youth no matter the cost
However, after encountering the married Ping Xintao, her life 迎来了 a dramatic breakthrough
In her disappointment after failing the college entrance exam, she fell in love with a literary youth from National Taiwan University’s Department of Foreign Languages.
In youth, everyone believes that love can conquer all; even in poverty, the couple entered marriage after seven months of dating. To help with household expenses, Qiong Yao began to write, submitting her work “Outside the Window” everywhere with no response, until she met the publishing editor Ping Xintao, who published several of her works, allowing Qiong Yao to rise from poverty and become a bestselling author.
Perhaps it was because of this that her husband, who was struggling in his career, felt jealousy towards her success and often criticized her work for being “lacking depth.” However, Ping Xintao’s understanding and support became a solace for her soul, and love quietly grew between them. After the divorce, Qiong Yao became enamored with her work, growing increasingly close to Ping Xintao, becoming each other’s soulmates.
If life is like a play
Nien Jung-Yao’s entire life is a dramatic performance.
However, Ping Hsin-Tao has already established a family and career.
Qiong Yao described their feelings by saying: “He is my publisher, my agent, my reader, my reviewer, my friend, my boss, my supporter in writing novels, and the realization of my dreams… We influence each other. I have become reliant on him, trust him, and submit to him. He has also begun to dream and occasionally get confused; when I am lost in the fog, he accompanies me into it, and surprisingly, he can float like a cloud.”
During the breakup negotiations, they unexpectedly staged a life-and-death drama “on the edge of a cliff.” Ping Xintao was unwilling to accept Qiong Yao’s proposal to break up and drove straight into the valley. Qiong Yao desperately intervened, narrowly avoiding a tragedy. In the end, she did not fall off a cliff but rather into his embrace.
No matter how the outside world evaluates it, the contrast is undeniable.
It cannot be denied that Qiong Yao was avant-garde in that conservative era
At that time, Ping Xintao’s wife, Lin Wanzhen, after enduring her husband’s infidelity for many years, quietly chose to divorce. In 2018, Lin Wanzhen revealed the truth about her husband’s involvement with Qiong Yao in their marriage in “Floating Memories of the Past.” Did the beautiful love written by Qiong Yao ultimately become a facade for “ugly humanity”? Is it called brave or selfish?
Despite the polarized opinions on Qiong Yao, it must be acknowledged that during an era of conservative customs, she vividly wrote stories about student-teacher romances and extramarital affairs, introducing women’s anti-feudal and pursuit of autonomy perspectives, making “Qiong Yao” a symbol of a specific literary style and genre. Her rebellion and discontent with her domestic role were avant-garde.
Thankful for her companionship as we walked together.
Hoping to depart with dignity, which makes even the way of farewell seem “very Qiongyao.”
Finally, Qiong Yao departed at the age of 86, drifting away like flying snow.
Some people find it hard to accept the way she chose to leave this world, believing that she intentionally beautified many unpleasant things at the end of her life; while another group praises her elegance and courage, marking the end of her life.
In fact, when Ping Xintao was hospitalized due to dementia in his later years, Qiong Yao, unable to bear seeing her husband live with tubes, began to discuss the topic of “right to a dignified death”, which concerns life and death. She once stated in an interview: “The progress of medicine is to save lives, not to prolong death.” In April of this year, media reported that she had withdrawn from social circles due to health issues, and after enduring long illness, she chose to leave on her own terms.
In her letter, Qiong Yao advised: “Young people, you must not easily give up on life.” This does not encourage suicide, but rather hopes that in the end, one can depart with dignity.
Even the final farewell to the world reflects Qiong Yao’s style; this literary giant will be permanently etched in our hearts, accompanying us as we navigate through life, living gracefully and freely.
