The Affections of My Life.docVIP

The Affections of My Life 　　When I look back over the 90 years of my life， through all the tumultuous events， highs and lows， joys and sorrows， I see that one bright， shining emotion has always warmed my heart： affection. 　　The pillar supporting me throughout has been family love： the care of my parents， the love of my wife and children， and the close feelings between myself and my siblings. The lifelong devotion and unswerving trust between my wife and I have particularly been the bedrock upon which we have been able to depend， often in the face of repeated severe political turmoil and crushing pressures. However， we have endured and survived because of our strong belief in the correctness of our choices. Together we weathered many difficult times， and our deep affection allowed us to bring up four children and enjoy much family happiness. Together we have grown with our country and our people， fully appreciating the meaning of life， knowing that we have made use of every minute. 　　 First Steps at Southwest Associated University 　　My first exposure to politics occurred in the 1940s when I attended Southwest Associated University. I was young and naive， but was lucky to fall in with a large group of highly motivated and socially conscious people who led me on to the path of revolution， which I have followed throughout my life. When things became really difficult and pressures mounted， it was these comrades-in-arms who supported and encouraged me， and gave me confidence. Many of them later all came under attack in the many political movements， but their steadfast adherence to the truth set me a shining example， and gave me the courage to carry on. In 1979， when the “cultural revolution” finally came to an end， all of us “veterans” gathered together in Beijing for a grand reunion. This was a memorable meeting which marked us all deeply. The elderly writer Ma Shitu， the oldest of us， and the leader of the underground Communist Party cell in the National Southwe