On Sunday afternoon, old colleague Guang Cheng sent instant news to the newspapers that Long Zonghan had a heart attack and died at the age of fifty-nine.
I have not met Long Zonghan, but I have received a letter from him. In 2007, his father, Mr. Long Shengxun, died. I wrote an article recalling our relationship with him. After meeting Long Zonghan, I wrote a very polite letter and asked her sister deity Feng Baobao to forward it to her. I expressed my thanks and attached a signed photo of her mother, Lin Dai. I also entrusted Bao Bao with forwarding my reply, I originally said to meet, but later everyone was busy with business, so we didn’t make an appointment after the comings and goings.
For a while, he had frequent contact with his father, Mr. Long Shengxun, the reason is that decades ago he filed a lawsuit with TVB for a TV series, alleging that the characters in the play alluded to him and were suspected of slander. He subsequently won the case and the TV station apologized and paid compensation that appeared to be HK$300,000. I met him because I was covering this lawsuit and later became friends. When I have nothing to do, I used to go to his apartment in Tai Hang Road Garden Building to drink tea and chat. She is a night fairy, every time she chats with me in the middle of the night, full of energy, her laughter shakes the tiles, and the laughter spreads from the balcony with the door open, the neighbors above and below must have something to share your own dreams.
Mr. Long’s father is “King of Yunnan” Long Yun, who is of Yi nationality. He is the fifth child in his family. “He Pours two cups of iced tea.” Then I heard his stories from Beitiannan, about the customs of the Yi people, how they fought with local alcoholics when they were studying in the US, and anecdotes about the Hong Kong film industry. Thinking of him to this day, his heroic laugh still rings in my ears. Such a daring person finally quietly walked away in his sleep.
The letter Long Zonghan wrote to me was very short, but his affection for his parents shows between the lines. Now that he too is gone, perhaps the family of three will be reunited in another world after half a century.
Li Chunen
