Sunday, 1 January

Nineteenth day of the eleventh lunar month, Yiwi year

Dull, rain and cold

In looking back at my situation of last year, I have lived under pain every day. My financial situation is difficult. The [mental] illness of Kitty deteriorates day by day. Hongzhu and Lehua are badly behaved, and quarrelling is constant. I have not had a good sleep for a single night. On many occasions, I have thought to leave my home and go to live in Taipei. I know full well that the National Government may accomplish nothing, and Chiang Kai-shek may not even trust me, so returning to Taiwan would pose psychological torment for me. Nevertheless, it would be so much better than my life of hell here. Hopefully the house in Sartrouville has been sold.

[Private matter, these lines are not available online]

Therefore, Kitty seemed to be quite understanding and agreed that from today onwards she would give over the restaurant to Zhongxiong to run as its manager. We agreed that after we receive the money I would give half of it to Kitty. As for the profit from the restaurant, I, Kitty and Zhongxiong will take one third each.  At the same time, we would take twenty thousand francs each on a monthly basis. This is the tentative (plan). Later, when I get the [house] money I shall rent another house to live in on my own.  If not, my days could never be peaceful. I had hoped that after one Jiazi[1] passed that my luck would change for the better. The business I am involved in with Shaohua may, perhaps, achieve something.

Minister Duan Guanhai and his wife, Chen Ding and his wife, as well as Chengzhi and his wife and others, came to greet me a Happy New Year.

I went with Kitty to see a movie called Attila Fléau de Dieu, a technicolor by Pietro Francisci, with Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren and others. It was quite good.

[1] One jiazi is sixty years. This meant that Fu Bingchang was sixty years old at the time.