Passages from the diary of one of my ancestors, Liao Maide. (A fitting 100th post, no?) Background information on Mr. Liao: Lived: 1651-1740 Diary: 1675-1680 Diary Copy: About 1800, I am guessing. Lived in: Zhili province (Modern Hebei (Ho-pei) Rank: Garrison officer, eventually becoming garrison captain then commander of an important military garrison outside of Beijing. He was transferred several times and is believed to have been active against the Russians in the 1680s and the Mongols in 1696. He retired with an Imperial stipend. Family: Li Meihua (wife), Liao Haohao (name later changed to Liao Riming… son), Liao Cao (son, Imperial official), Liao Pingzhuo (I mis-transliterated as Zhua earlier. Daughter), Liao Ribian (father), Sun Mingmei (Mother, half Manchurian) Friends: Huang Fulou (magistrate, half Manchurian), Li Ren (Li Meihua’s father), Li Baoma (Li Meihua’s cousin), Cao Quning (associate and later subordinate of Maide), Wang Heli (Manchurian, adopted a Chinese name. Manchurian name is unknown) Politics: Pro-native Chinese, anti-Manchurian cultural repression and political dominance (though not anti-Manchurian ethnicity). The passages aren’t translated in any semblance of order, but here’s one: “Visited the Mandarin’s Yamen (official office) today. Brought criminal Li Ma for judgment. He has been stealing twelve coins a day from the commissary. Mandarin said he would be punished by two canes and suspension of rank until further review. I recommended that Li Ma be reassigned away from Provisions and reassigned to Training, because he is a good swordsman. I think Li is a good person, he has had trouble lately because of family debt. I want to lend him money, I will speak to my wife about this.” Here’s another “ ‘Wisdom of one wise man is worth the sutra of fifty ignorant small men’. Today, as I was practicing swords with Brother Cao (this is probably Cao Qunning), I was surprised by a trick of his. He blocked my sword with his knife (jian and dao respectively), and then repositioned himself. When I aimed a stab again, he put his other arm (meaning free arm) to take my hit. As I hit him with the practice sword, he slashed at me and hit from my waist to my throat. When we had finished he said to me, “I lost my arm, but you lost your life.” It is true, in war we must intentionally lose things in order to gain supremacy. That is how it has always been, Liu Bang lost his daughter to the foreigners to gain their loyalty. But, I do not know if I am willing to sacrifice so much to achieve my goal, since such a sacrifice can be made but once.” Another translated section, this time dealing with his wife who is being tight with the purse. In some Chinese families, the woman controls the finances of the family. “My wife is being stingy today. I went to the restaurant to drink and spent two strings for my friends. I came home to talk to my wife about buying a new informal raiment, but she said we do not have enough money. I am hoping I will get a reward soon from the commander.” Here’s an interesting entry dealing with Maide’s personal politics: “We arrested a man today who had failed to enter the civil service. He is named Li, and I understand his father is a horse-breeder of some repute. He has a forbidden hairstyle and flaunted Imperial mandate with his Chinese hair. I think the charge is ridiculous… if many Manchus themselves do not deem it fit to wear the hair ponytail in such a way all the time, why should Han subjects be expected to do better? It is a distasteful Manchurian intrusion on Han culture, and an insult to Chinese.”
