It is worthy of being the hometown of Eileen Chang, and the rich history and culture have infiltrated the fascinating diversity of the city. Modern and prosperous, the atmosphere is exquisite, but the corners and alleys are spread with the most rustic market fireworks. Nanjing West Road, Jing'an Temple, People's Square......

These familiar places bear witness to the most important moments of her life, and also bring endless inspiration and nutrients to her works.

The Western-style building in front of me at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China was originally the dowry of Zhang Ailing's great-grandfather Li Hongzhang to his daughter, and Zhang Ailing was born here. The lines of the old mansion with westerly winds, wooden window frames, and red brick walls are as far as the eye can see, and the touch of the hand is like going back in time.

When she was young, she did not live happily here, where the sun made people sleepy, and where there was darkness there was the coolness of the ancient tomb. In this big family of mothers-in-law and aunts, people are like thin cotton, wrapped in darkness, but what is surging is a stubborn heart.

The memories she made in the old mansion also had a profound impact on her future works, and it is said that many of the inspirations for the two pinnacle works, "Love in a Fallen City" and "Half Life", came from this old mansion.

At the age of 18, she was severely beaten and placed under house arrest by her father because of an argument with her stepmother, and after running away from home, she lived with her mother and aunt and lived in an apartment. During this period, her mother's careful care of her was like a ray of sunshine shining into Zhang Ailing's new heart, making her feel unprecedented happiness.

Eileen Chang once wrote, "Mothers have a common problem, as long as you say that a dish is delicious, they will cook that dish frequently until you are tired of complaining." In fact, in her life, she is desperately trying to give you what you think is good, give it to you, and she is overwhelmed with love. Perhaps, the days of living in the Kainer apartment should be the closest time to her relatives in Zhang Ailing's memory.

The four-story building, which now looks a little old and inconspicuous, may be missed if you are not careful. It was one of the most exclusive apartment buildings in Shanghai at the time, and it can be seen in many details. For example, the apartment has a garage on the ground floor, a fireplace in the room, and even the sanitary ware is all imported from England, and the luxury of living here has been described in the article.

Some people say that Shanghai people must seek refinement in food, delicacies from the mountains and seas, and expensive clothes. Therefore, Zhang Ailing's works appear many women in gorgeous cheongsams, grand pomp and luxurious mansions. Russian driver, French cook, European car...... Here, she sees the prosperity of the world.

The roof of the building is embossed with the words 1924 to explain his life experience, some like lonely aristocrats, although some are in disrepair, they are still full of momentum. From the façade, the overall decoration is simple, and the floor-to-ceiling shutters and huge balconies in the middle are quite magnificent, as if you can see the prosperity of the past.

After staying for a long time, the sky is getting darker, and the afterglow of the sunset and the shadows of the swaying trees in the courtyard are intertwined with the charming scenery, and the lights in the building gradually brighten up, the mottled traces of time are more and more insolent.

The old alley with a story is full of greenery and a deep courtyard. The warm sunlight shines lightly on the pale goose yellow wall, exuding a charming atmosphere of life.

The light is projected into the old house with the passage of time, like the rebirth of history, obscure and wanton in all corners, and walking in the meantime, it seems to be able to feel the aftermath of the flow of time, faintly. The mottled tiger skylight and the creeper on the wall are the indispensable scenes in the life of the old alley. The years passed, people came and went, but the story stayed quietly.

The alley can be said to be the soil for the growth of Zhang Ailing's literature, and in her pen, there are many stories in every place in the alley Shikumen house, the sound of laundry in the alley, and the sound of inadvertent bargaining, all of which are full of unearthly fireworks.

He has a keen fondness for everyday life, and for the details of everyday life at the moment. Eileen Chang likes the living environment very much, and she says that the apartment is the most suitable place to escape from the world.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, Zhang Ailing and her aunt moved to Chonghua New Village to live, and spent a rather gloomy life here. As for why he moved out of the magnificent Changde apartment and moved to the Chonghua apartment, which is in much worse condition?

Later generations have different theories, some analyze it as an emotional escape, and another theory is that she was already in financial difficulties at that time.

After bidding farewell to the ten-year Changde Apartment and the bad fate of Hu Lancheng, Zhang Ailing moved several times and finally settled in the Yangtze River Apartment at No. 65 Huanghe Road.

Named after its proximity to Carlton Theatre, this English-style apartment is also equipped with upscale amenities and a walk-in central garden. According to the records, there are 25 suites on each level, and the S-shaped corridors are carpeted. On the top floor of the apartment, there is also a large balcony with a great view, while the apartment is close to Nanjing Road and Jockey Club.

The surrounding vibrant market is the source of inspiration for Zhang Ailing to write about the world. This residence has been described, and the irregular small square at the head of the Carlton Theater behind the future Daguang Theater, called Zhangjiabang, is obviously a swamp land in the early opening of Shanghai Tang, and later filled in the soil, scattered and built a few large houses.

Compared with the famous Changde Apartment, the Yangtze River Apartment is slightly deserted. The residents who came and went did not seem to know that a great writer had once lived here.

Years later, when Eileen Chang recalled her days in Carlton's apartment, she left an interesting passage about food: Next door to our house in Shanghai is the newly moved Qishilin Café in Tianjin, where bread is made every day at dawn, and the olfactory alarm is raised, and a scented aura bursts into the air.

Only his family has a square corner German bread, which is quite thick and crispy on the outside and slightly moist in the center, which is the best of ordinary bread, not comparable to the soft pillow bread with American preservatives.

In fact, it was unfortunate for her childhood, she has always had a desolate attitude towards this society, because it is full of insecurity, which makes her form such an isolated character, so even after she became famous, she did not have any sense of security.

Therefore, there are a lot of contradictions in her character: she is a hedonist who is good at turning art into life and living art, and she is also a person who is full of tragedy about life;

She is sad and compassionate, always seeing the pity behind the ridiculousness of all beings, but in real life she seems indifferent and unfeeling; she is well-versed in the world, but she herself is her own way of dressing and dressing.

She was a no-brainer in Shanghai in the forties, but decades later she lived in seclusion in the United States.

Only she can endure the dazzling noise and extreme loneliness at the same time.