The Death of Lin Huiyin
After the autumn of 1954, Lin Huiyin's health began to deteriorate rapidly, and she was completely unable to work. "Every day she struggled painfully in bed, coughing and gasping for breath, often unable to sleep all night. Her eyes were still as deep as ever, but her eye sockets had sunk deeply, her whole body was so thin it was frightening, and there was no trace of color in her face" (Liang Congjie: "Suddenly, It's Another April"). By this point, her journey through life had reached its final stage.
In fact, for Lin Huiyin, since the doctor warned her in 1945 that she might only live five more years, her life had been constantly overshadowed by the shadow of death. Miraculously, she managed to hold on until 1955, every moment sustained by sheer willpower, striving to stay alive from the brink of death. As she wrote to Wilma Fairbank in the autumn of 1947, "You see, I have come out of the depths of despair and hardship, and yet I have engaged in these so-called unnecessary activities. Without them, I would have died long ago, like a lamp extinguished when the oil runs out - dim, flash, jump, and then gone!"
From 1945 to 1955, during the last ten years of her life, Lin Huiyin faced death at any moment, yet her mindset was not overly pessimistic. Subconsciously, however, she was preparing for the end of her life.
In 1945, just after the end of the War of Resistance against Japan, rumors spread that Lin Huiyin had passed away. Li Jianwu published an article titled "Chewing Flowers Remaining Untitled" in the Shanghai Wen Hui Bao, lamenting: "One is Lin Huiyin, betrayed by her talent at every turn, like all historically talented women whose misfortunes have confined their passions to a cold palace."
In 1947, Lin Huiyin's tuberculosis had progressed to a late stage, with severe kidney infections. In October of that year, she was admitted to the Central Hospital, where she sent word to Zhang Youyi requesting a meeting. Zhang Youyi arrived at the hospital with Xuzhi Mo's son, Xu Jikai. Lin Huiyin gazed intently at Zhang Youyi and her son but was too weak to speak. The purpose of this meeting remains unknown to both Lin Huiyin and Zhang Youyi. However, in the context of the situation, Lin Huiyin completed a final wish in her own way. The emotional entanglements of over twenty years came to an end here.
During this hospitalization, Lin Huiyin also wrote a final farewell letter to Wilma Fairbank.
After 1949, Lin Huiyin threw herself into work with the joy of encountering a prosperous era, often working through the night, forgetting her pain. However, this did not indicate an improvement in her condition. All friends and relatives familiar with her knew that when visiting, one should bring along someone who could moderate the conversation, knowing when to stop, to avoid over-exhausting her. Her students would always inquire about Lin’s rest and whether she had worked late into the night before deciding whether to "disturb" her for lectures.
Lin Huiyin, bedridden, was often lonely. Yang Jiang, wife of Qian Zhongshu and a neighbor of Lin Huiyin, recounted an incident: After liberation, we kept a very intelligent cat at Tsinghua University. The kitten climbed a tree and didn't dare to come down. Zhongshu devised a way to rescue it. After the kitten came down, it gently touched Zhongshu's wrist with its paw as a sign of gratitude. Zhongshu said the cat had spirit and cherished it greatly. When the cat grew up, it would fight other cats at night. Zhongshu prepared a long bamboo pole and stood by the door, regardless of how cold it was, rushing out whenever he heard the cat's cries to help his own cat fight. One of the rivals for our cat's affection was Lin Huiyin's beloved cat, which she called the "focus of love" for her family. I often feared that Zhongshu's actions might harm the relationship between the two families, quoting him as saying, "When you beat a dog, consider the owner; when you beat a cat, consider the mistress!" He laughed and said, "Theory is always made by those who don't put it into practice." (Yang Jiang: "On Qian Zhongshu's Fortress Besieged")
In 1949, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang moved from Shanghai to teach at Tsinghua University, living next to Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng. Thus, this story unfolded. Yang Jiang casually recorded it to illustrate Qian Zhongshu's "obsessive nature," vividly and humorously. But if the same event were placed in Lin Huiyin's life, people might find little humor. Given Lin Huiyin's state in her final years, spending her energy on raising a cat wasn't merely a housewife's pastime. Calling the cat the "focus of love" for her family perhaps represented more the solace and companionship she sought while ill.
Entering the 1950s, each honor in her life was accompanied by further deterioration in her health.
In 1953, Lin Huiyin attended the Second National Congress of Literary and Art Workers, where she met Xiao Gan. Xiao Gan sat beside Lin Huiyin, shook her hand, and called her "Miss." Lin Huiyin sorrowfully replied, "Oh, still calling me Miss! Look at how old I've become!" Xiao Gan comforted her by saying, "As long as your spirit doesn't age, you'll never be old." (Xiao Gan: "A Talented Woman of Our Generation, Lin Huiyin")
In December of the same year, Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng invited their students to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. Afterwards, Lin Huiyin rested in the bedroom due to the cold weather, while Liang Sicheng expressed to the students how Lin Huiyin had suffered from illness in recent years, becoming quite emaciated. Yet her spirit remained healthy, full of creative vitality, continuously working with heart, and loving life. (Qian Meihua: "In Memory of My Mentor")
In the winter of 1954, Lin Huiyin became critically ill and was temporarily relocated from Tsinghua University to Beijing.
In January 1955, Liang Sicheng was hospitalized for pulmonary tuberculosis at the Tongren Hospital. Soon after, Lin Huiyin was admitted to the ward next to Liang Sicheng. As Liang Sicheng's condition improved slightly, he visited Lin Huiyin's ward daily to accompany her.
By the end of March, Lin Huiyin had a persistent high fever and was delirious. The hospital organized experienced doctors for emergency treatment. However, her lungs were severely infected, and her body was extremely weak, nearing the end of her life. On the night of March 31st, in her dying moments, Lin Huiyin suddenly whispered weakly to the nurse that she wanted to see Liang Sicheng. The nurse replied that it was late, and they could talk the next day. However, Lin Huiyin no longer had the strength to wait. At 6:20 AM on April 1, 1955, Lin Huiyin quietly passed away at the age of 51, without the chance to say her final words.
That same morning, as doctors and nurses desperately tried to revive the unconscious Lin Huiyin, Liang Sicheng was brought to her ward. He, who never shed tears, cried uncontrollably, sitting by Lin Huiyin's bedside repeating, "Suffering! Suffering! Hui, you truly suffered!"
In April of the same year, Jin Yuelin, usually calm and rational, was overwhelmed with grief. In his office, he kept his student Zhou Liquan. When they were alone, Jin Yuelin first remained silent, then suddenly said, "Lin Huiyin has gone!" As he spoke, he burst into tears. Zhou Liquan recalled, "He leaned his arms on the desk, burying his head in his arms. He cried so bitterly, so sorrowfully, and yet so innocently. I stood silently beside him, unsure what to say. A few minutes later, he slowly stopped crying... wiped his tears, sat quietly in the chair, staring blankly, speechless. I stayed silently with him for a while before accompanying him back to Yan Dongyuan."