At the age of ~4 years, she woke up one night to a loudspeaker commanding all adults to get dressed and come out to the public square. Her parents suddenly left her and she started screaming along with the other abandoned children.
They came back the next day but she still feels the trauma decades later. Her family lived in just one small room, though her father was a professor, and she picked up their fear and uncertainty. They used extreme caution in words and actions because any misstep could bring catastrophe.
Chenyuan grew up during the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976) with an unfocused sense of dread that went beyond the authorities. They had to fear their neighbors because friends commonly reported friends to the government for favor and benefits.
China's authoritarian socialism ruined their economy by 1976. But Chenyuan's lived experience tells her that it also devastated human relationships.
(cont'd tomorrow)
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