Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Chang Chia-Fen

Yu-i and Her first son

Living back in the days many women had no rights; to speak, to think or to take action. Unlike today, not much people back then go to school and learn. Especially Chinese people, their customs where very strict. Chang Chia –Fen a Chinese woman who overcomes a lot in her life, living in a strict family, marrying a person that didn’t love her and staying strong for her and her family’s reputation.

Chang Chia-Fen was her formal name. Her family calls her Yu-I meaning goodness righteousness. She was born in the year of 1900 in a family of fourteen. The sixth out of eight brothers and four sisters. Yu-I’s Father work as a doctor, but was never been paid. During the early years it was difficult but as Chia Pao, Yu-I’s older brother, grew up in a strict famiily, he was well educated and he opened a company himself. His father had always wanted all his son to be sucessful. Most of her brothers were famous for their education success. Like her Second brother, Chang Chia-Sen, he was a philosopher. Her fourth brother, Chang Chia-Ao, was a chairman of the bank of China. The both of them studied in different parts of the World; Japan, Paris, Germany, and North America.

Out of Yu-I’s sisters; Yu-I has a high interest in education. Since she was interested in learning, her father sent her and her eldest sister to Suzhou, and they studied there. Yu-I enjoyed every minute of it but her sister didn’t. After Yu-I’s marriage, she stopped studying and stayed home, but she always had the dream to go out and experience. After divorce, Yu-I spend 5 years in Germany studying and became a German kindergarten teacher. Later on she went back to China There she worked as a manager in the Chinese Women’s Bank.. Her father was very impress about his children so even when he and Yu-I’s mother left in 1927, they left happily.
Hsu Chih-mo was his name, her first time hearing that name was when she was thirteen. Yu-I did not know much about this man. All she knew was that he was well educated. From the advice of her fourth brother in November 1915, Hsu Chih-mo and YU-I were married, not knowing each other. After the Marriage Hsu Chih-mo was very cold towards Yu-I., they haven’t had a conversation ever since. Three years later YU-I gave birth to her first son, Hsu Chia-Kai. A year later her husband left for more studying the west and about within four years Yu-I’s In-laws sent her over to join Chih-mo. Again, Chih-mo was still cold towards her. There, Yu-I had her second son, but after three months of pregnant Hsu Chih-mo divorced her for another woman.

During, her emotional breakdown, she learns to stay strong because of the child. Therefore, she traveled to Germany to study and get an education. Yu-I met a friend, Dora Berger, who goes to the same University as she goes to, and became good friends. On February 24 1922 Yu-I gave birth to her second son . He was named Bide which meant Peter in German. Dora treated Peter as her own son. After the first year Peter started getting the sick spell diarrhea and breathing problems. In the spring of 1923 the doctors found out, Peter had a worm in his intestine and he was growing weaker each day. He tummy grew bigger in the winter of 1924. In spring of March 19, 1925 Peter died in pain. The death of Peter cause Dora to fall into physical and emotional breakdown and contacted Pneumonia, and it did not recover.

After, the horrible breakdown Yu-I went back to her home country, China, and started her new life. She kept her dream of education and became a manager of a Bank. In 1930, Yu-I’s mother-in-law died of asthma, and given Yu-I to keep in charge of the Hsu’s household. One year later after her mother-in-law’s death, Hsu Chih-mo died in a plane crash. Then past a few more years her father-in-law was really ill and died in his sleep.

When Chia-Kai turned 21, he was married, with Yu-I’s son and daughter-in-law. They immigrated to United States. In 1953, Yu-I married a man, Dr.Su, who fell in love with her. He had 4 teenage children and was a doctor. Sadly, in 1972 died of a worm in the intestine just like Peter died. Throughout Yu-I’s life sometimes she enjoyed it, but most of the time she was hurt. When Chang Pang-mei, author of this book, ask her about has she forgiven Hsu Chih-mo. Yu-I will always answer no but it is very different how she answered, until the day she dies, on the evening of January 20, 1989, suffering from bronchitis. Her answer is still the same, but that is because she still loves him, and never can, Hsu Chih-mo.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

10th 10% of the Novel [Last]

  • Yu-i then heard her mother -in-law was very sick 1930 with asthma
  • Her father-in-law told her to go back but she didn't.. she wanted to but ended up not going because she divorced with Hsu Chi-mo and thought that it was Xiaoman's job to deal with her.
  • finally she went but 10 days after Her mother-in-law died, and she got really the funeral.
  • The last time Yu-i had saw Chih-mo was in1931
  • Chih-mo died in a plane crash that year
  • Yu-i met with Lin Huiyin in1947 with tuberculosis and after in 1954 she died
  • Her faterh-in-law died in1944
  • Aftermath during the wars in 1945-1949 Yu-i made a lot of money by selling gross dye that was needed for the srmy uniforms
  • In1937, when the Japanese invaded the Chinese Women's Bank almost collapsed
  • In , 1939 her son turned 21, thats when he also got married
  • emigrated to United States in 1947 , 4 grangchildren and even great grandchildren
  • in 1953, Yu-i married a man named Dr. Su that had four teenage children
  • 1967 Yu-i went to travel with Dr. Su in Germany
  • Cr.su died in 1972 just like Peter [second son]
  • YU-i died on the evening of January 20th, 1989 from bronchitis

9th 10% of the Novel

  • Yu-i approved Chih-mo and Xiaoman's marriage
  • Yu-i moved into Beijing will her first son after coming back to china
  • soon Yu-i's-in-laws moved in to live with Yu-i and her son, because they were complaining about Xiaoman's western style of living.
  • sooner or later they all ended up back home again because Yu-i's mother was sick
  • her mother had died the year she got the call and 100 days after her mother's death her father died.
  • After the death of parents Yu-i took her son and her younger siblings to live in the countryside.
  • her eighth brother went to work at a bank.
  • fourth brother had seen their mother's spirit so then he offered his house for Yu-i and the little ones
  • Then Yu-i baught a house and the Benk of China hired her to work there.
  • Yu-i lived her life in peace without surprises but then her in-law often call her and tell her how bad Xiaoman is and complain about her to solve that YU-i used her money to build a house for her in-laws

8th 10% of the Novel

  • Yu-i ans Chih-mo where divorced but was never a pproved by yu-i's parents
  • 3 year living in Berlin Yu-i met a good friend Dora Berger, Yu-i became a Kingdergarten teacher in Germany
  • Yu-i returned to China in 1925
  • Dora Berger was also a good friend of Yu-i's second brother they met in Universtiy of Berlin, she helped Yu-i find a tutor to help her learn the language and showed her around. And became a good friend of Yu-i
  • When Yu-i was at school and learning Dora would help he look after Peter[Yu-i's second son]he was also called Bide which named Peter in Germany
  • Dora came from Vienna and was a widow
  • Peter has the love for music
  • Later on YU-i meet a man named Lu Jiaren, who likes to visit Yu-i and Peter often
  • Jiaren proposed to Yu-i but she did not accept it because of her famiy's face.
  • Yu-i in-law wants Yu-i to go back to china but yu-i felted embarrassed to go back but her in-law tells her that it is ok she will be their adopted child.
  • after first year Peter began to have sick spells bad diarrhea and breathing difficulties
  • in the spring o 1923 the doctors found out that peter had a worm in his intestine It cost them a lot to get him healed.
  • The disease grow worst in the winter of 1924, his tummy was growing bigger and he was growing weaker.
  • Peter then died in pain on March 19, 1925
  • After the death of Peter Yu-i returned to Xiashi, Dora left back to her home Vienna
  • When Yu-i arrive home to China she heard Dora died of physical and emotional breakdown she contracted pneumonic=a and never recovered.
  • Hsu went to Germany for peter's ashes and after that Yu-i and Hsu Chih-mo went to Italy
  • Yu-i found out that Hsu Chih-mo had fell in love again with another women called Lu Xiaoman [ which she also had a husband. That husband found out they have affair and threaten to kill him
  • Later on Yu-i moved from Berlin to Hamburg to go on further on her studies
  • YU-i in-laws wanted her to go back for a approval in Xiaoman and Chih-mo's marriage.
  • Yu-i went back to china and met up with her family and was in surprise she did not get yelled.

7th 10% of the novel


  • Soon after YU-i had gone to Paris she found out that Hsu Chih-mo fell in love with the daughter of director of the Chinese Association for the League of Nation, Lin Huiyin
  • Arriving at Paris, her second brother told her that he will be adopting the baby after birth to take care of it.
  • Because of her busy brother he was afraid when Yu-i carries the child he doesnt know wat to do so the for safety reasons he sent her to live with a good friend Liu Wendau, Liu Wendau has a wife that lives there
  • after divorce Yu-i determined herself to stand up and take care of herself and the child in her stomach.
  • One day Her seventh brother came and visited her he brought her to Berlin,Germany to live and have the baby there
  • February 24th 1922 Yu-i gave birth to his second child [ it was a lso a sun ]
  • After the birth went Yu-i was betting home there was a letter sent by John wu [ a very smart student that attends University of Michigan Law School] it was from Hwu Chih-mo
  • the letter was a divorce letter
  • Yu-i met with Chih-mo at John wu's house and signed the divorce papers

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

6th 10% of the novel

  • In Europe Yu-i met some of Chih-mo ;s friends
  • She soon figures that Chih-mo has a girlfriend
  • Later on Chih-mo wanted to go to another college so Chih-mo and Yu-i moved into s cottage by a country side, in Sawston
  • When Yu-i was pregnant for the second time Chih-mo told her to get an abortion
  • Yu-i thought that Chih-mo will bring his girlfriend back to take her as a second wife so she was fine with it
  • Yu-i met "ming" Chih-mo's girlfriend later on he tells her he wants a divorce
  • suddenly one day Chih-mo disappear, Yu-i awaits for him to come back home.
  • Chih-mo sends a friend to tell Yu-i they are getting a divorce.
  • Yu-i was emotionally hurt from Chih-mo
  • At that time she was 3 months pregnant and had nothing in her but the baby and herself.
  • Yu-i then sends a letter to her second brother, replying Yu-i's Second brother tells Yu-i to go meet up with him in Paris.

5th 10% of the Novel

  • It was important for Yu-i not to say she is tired even tho she is very tired doing house chores everyday.
  • after her marriage Yu-0i didn't really get to talk to her husband or get to know her well enough. It was because of his coldness towards her.
  • Yu-i again did get a chance to go study in Europe again.
  • When she doesn't go study she stays home and makes shoes for the family with her mother -in-law : It was a tradition through their generations to make shoes for the family.
  • Ever since marriage Chih-mo and Yu-i's wife and husband relationship wasn't that good.
  • 1918, first son was born, but soon Chih-mo had to leave the east to the west to study in Clark University
  • When Chih-mo left he was 22 years old, At that age he was trying to help his country China and adapt the modern western way of living in China.
  • Their first son was named Hsu Chi-Kai.
  • after years of being apart with Hsu Chih-mo, by approval of Chih-mo's parents Yu-i was send to Europe to have some time with Chih-mo .
  • Surprising Chih-mo didn't want Yu-i to come he was very cold towards her , they didn't talk much together

Sunday, December 9, 2007

4th 10% of the Novel

  • when Yu-i was 13 that was the first time she had heard of her husband's name
  • Hsu chih-mo was the man- Yu-i's fourth brother found him for Yu-i.
  • Hsu Chih-mo's father Hsu Shen-ju approved the match of Yu-i and Chih-mo
  • Later in 1961 Yu-i's eighth brother was engaged to a girl that studied biology and that came from Hua family of Guizhou.
  • NOvember 1915 Yu-i was married to Hsu Chih-mo
  • Yu-i lefted school in September 2 months befroe her marriage
  • Yu-i went to Xiashi to get really for the wedding her first girl cousin brought her along a guide her to her new family in Xiashi
  • two days after Yu-i's arrival Yu-i's family arrived.
  • Yu-i had a modern-old style of dress. Where there was a combination of Chinese traditional colors and western way of bride dresses
  • 19911 China changed from a Monarchy country to a republic coutry

3rd 10% of the novel

  • In the Chang Family they have a religious believer which is Confucius: religion of medicine and nature
  • Yu-i's Father wants all his son to be successful in their career
  • Girl's and women in the Chang where the last to be treated if there where any. For example their family has a tutor. Yu-i and her sisters will always be the last ones to learn how to read and write with their family tutor.
  • Yu-i's brothers lived with a very strict father, who would make them bei shu meaning reccite the books they've read.
  • Young- women did not have many education at that time therefore, Yu-i only knows some characters but not as much as her brothers.
  • in 1921 she was married to Hsu Chih-mo and left China to join him in England.
  • In 1922 they divorced
  • first sister was a sister who gambled and had no intention of education
  • YU-i as a secind sister of the family had high interested in education.
  • third sister loved food and cooking, which makes her the fattest out of all the sisters
  • fourth sister has a talent of designing clothes. THerefore, she was a designer
  • yu-i finally got a opportunity to go to school in Suzhou which costs 5 yuan. Together, yu-i's first sister and her went together to Suzhou for education.
  • when Yu-i was in Germany her first sister was married to a wealthy man with a unstable back ground.
  • Yu-i's sister and her sister's husband lived together for 15 years and had a son together
  • Because of Yu-i smart education she worked as a vice-president of the Shanghai women's Savings
  • Her first sister husband was a gambler and he had lost recently and was addicted to gambling. So Yu-i's first sister went to her for help
  • soon after her first sister's husband died in a sleep

Thursday, December 6, 2007

2nd 10% of the novel

  • YU-i was born in the countryside
  • in the family of Changs " your reputationmis your second life."- to lise your good reputation your family name is almost as bad as it is to lose life itself.
  • Yu-i and her sixth brother is very close to her Grandma
  • In 1907 It was the Chang family great fall. Their was a burglar in the house. Yu-i's first cousin thought it was Yu-i's first brother, because they don't get along well. Her father thought in order to keep face they decided to move out of Jiading and move to Nanchung.
  • Together as a big family they have nothing but themselves leaving all their business there.
  • Second and fourth brother went to Japan to study
  • They lefted during the New Years which wasnt very good because it was the beginning of the year.
  • Everythign changed when a man in coarse knocked on on their door asking if YU-i's Baba was a doctor. Yu-i's father gathered his doctor materials and followed the man. after when he came back Yu-i's father had 4 yuan in his hands. There was enough to spend on New Years.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

1st 10% of the novel

  • Chung Yu-i is i a family of fourteen
  • eight brothers and four sisters
  • his is the sixth out of all her siblings
  • She was married at fifteen and divorced by eighteen
  • lived in New York City
  • In her childhood years she had a very wealthy family.
  • She was born to listen to her father and married to listen to her husband.
  • her father was a very good doctor, he was never paid being a doctor evne though he did have a donation box outside of his office.
  • When her life was very sad, she could not kill herself.She had to honor her family and stand on her own 2 feet
  • She will always have to inform her parentsw where she was going or do
  • she was taught to not talk back to her father or ever say "you" to her father
  • famous chinese saying that yu-i's mom told her "If the wife is two year older, then the rice will be everywhere
  • she has 2 name Yu-i abd Chia-fen
  • Chia- generation name all brothers, sisters, and cousins have that as their first letter of their name
  • oldest brother is chang chia Pao, second older brother is Chang Chia sen, fourth brother is Chang chia Ao
  • Yu-i- was her informal name Yu-i means goodness righteousness.
  • born in the year of 1900
  • She favour her second brother Chia chia Sen
  • her brothers were famous, because of their education sucess second brother was a philosopher and the fourth brother was a chairman of the Bank of China
  • she was to bound her feet into a cresent shape to impress the empress: the toes of the feet are taught to curve gently around the sole of te foot until they touch you heel. You'll end up walking on your heel and the knuckles of your toes. the main thing of wrapping it is to break the feet bones slowly , which takes years and years to do that.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

What i know

Chung yu-i is a women who lives in a strict and controlable society. Where many women had no rights during that time of generation. This young women who had struggles and exprience for the independence against the traditiions as old as China, love and dissappointment, of a Chinese being an American.