Cause and Effect of History

ESL Integrated 100

Xingyun Huang/Kelvin

 

                                                                 Countryman

How would you feel living in countryside in modern times? Most people might feel desperate. The Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 70s by Chairman Mao was a disaster for all citizens in China. In order to maintain the “pure” Communist ideology, Chairman Mao treated most Chinese intellectuals as capitalists and ordered them into the countryside to undergo reeducation. A great many intellectuals were persecuted to death since the government asserted that they were plotting against the country. Luckily, my grandfather, as a professor in Guangzhou, was merely forced to move to countryside and work as a farmer. Since then, this event has had a great influence on the lives of three generations, my grandfather’s, my father’s and mine.

      At the beginning, my grandfather felt desperate about moving to the countryside, but in the end he adapted to it and decided to spend the rest of his life there. Since my grandfather had moved to the countryside, he felt depressed because he couldn’t use his enormous knowledge to teach people anymore. Moreover, he had to repeat the work of sowing and reaping day after day, year after year. He had thought that all his knowledge would be useless in such a simple job. However, as a professor, my grandfather was always the one who caught other people’s attention easily. He used his knowledge to improve the irrigation system and raised the production of the rice. From then on, he was respected and loved by other villagers, just as he had been with his students. At the same time, he found that living in the countryside, he could be in harmony with the rest of the world. It is common knowledge that while my grandpa was leading a peaceful life in a rural area, a great number of Chinese citizens were suffering the persecution from the Cultural Revolution. After two decades, the Cultural Revolution finally ended, and my grandfather finally became a teacher and led a peaceful life in the countryside.

  Afterwards, my father moved to the city, but he missed the life in the countryside from time to time. When the Cultural Revolution was over in 1976, the college entrance exam was reinstituted. Due to the influence of my grandfather as well, my father was able to use his talents to attend a well-known college of technology and engineering in Guangzhou. My father finally returned to the city. It was the best of times. By the effort of my father, our family became richer and richer. Nonetheless, my father complained to me that he was tired of the life in city. “Why, Poppa? Isn’t living in city better than the rural one in the past?” I doubted. Then he answered: “At least people who I knew in the countryside didn’t try to cheat each other like the city’s bastards! Sometimes I feel tired and I desire to return to countryside, to lead a quiet life.” Therefore, whenever we were on vacation, my father returned to our home village with us. He finally chose to live in the countryside. Indeed, as I remember, when he was catching fish or talking with his old friends in the countryside, his smile was real and warm.

Finally, the countryside has also become an important part of my life and the area where I can calm down peacefully. Although living in city could be varied and graceful, the temptation of it also makes people get lost in front of high status and power. When I was growing up, I could see everywhere that people pursued success without pause or some of them even resorted to immoral means. I once worked in a big company. For a promotion, a male colleague wronged our superior, declaring the superior sexually assaulted his girl friend in the office. To appease him, the company promoted my colleague. The incident made me fed up with the society, so I went back to the countryside and visited my grandfather and relatives very frequently. In the countryside, there is no political struggling, no cheating or competition but the real pleasure of life. I could talk about many interesting things with my family. I could catch fish with my father in a clear river. I could play chess with my innocent little friends. Bathing in the sunshine and in the sea of rice, I felt was enough. I could find the real peace in my countryside.

 The Cultural Revolution changed the lives of our family. If it hadn’t happened, my grandfather, my father and I might have lived in totally different ways. To some extent, living in the countryside enabled us to have a peaceful attitude towards life especially when we faced the suffering, setbacks and challenges. As the proverb goes, “Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.” This proverb has been a motto of mine and taught me how to deal with difficult times. “Just live like a countryman and you will feel happy.” My grandfather told us. When I was in the countryside, all of sudden, I could realize such great wisdom. In the end, my grandfather, my father and I are all content with being countrymen. Thanks to destiny. Thanks to history.