Wen Shiying's Father

Song Huiqing was born into an affluent household and grew up surrounded by comfort, as both her own family and her husband’s were prominent local gentry. She married the eldest son of the Zhang family, who was five years her junior and descended from a lineage of officials—Song’s father-in-law had served as a Qing dynasty official and her husband was a well-read intellectual. The home was steeped in scholarly atmosphere.

After marriage, Song lived frugally, devoted herself to managing the household, and raised their children with unwavering discipline. She eventually nurtured seven children, with Zhang Chunqiao as her eldest and greatest source of pride; her third son, Zhang Qiuchiao, later worked in the General Political Department. Thanks to the family’s emphasis on education and Song’s guidance, Zhang Chunqiao received an excellent upbringing. He first served in Shanghai, then was transferred to Beijing, where he rose to the rank of Vice Premier of the State Council and joined the CCP Politburo Standing Committee.

The tides of politics turned, however, and Zhang Chunqiao was arrested. Soon after, her third son Zhang Qiuchiao and her grandson Zhang Qi were also detained. Losing two sons and a grandson in quick succession devastated Song Huiqing, who was already in her eighties. She suffered repeated mental breakdowns as her once steadfast beliefs collapsed overnight.

After learning of her eldest son’s arrest, Song moved out of their beloved garden residence on Kangping Road and rented a modest place in Shanghai’s Dong’an New Village. On April 1, 1977, overwhelmed by grief and a sense of hopelessness, she ended her own life.

During Zhang Chunqiao’s early years in Shanghai, Song and her husband frequently traveled there to visit him and stayed for short periods. Once Zhang settled into the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee’s residence on Kangping Road as a candidate Party secretary, Song moved in with her eldest son, sharing in both the family’s moments of honor and the hardship that eventually followed.