Deng Xiaonan's father is Mr. Deng Guangming, an expert in the history of Liao, Jin and Tang Dynasties. However, unlike the natural "female inheritance" we imagined, Deng Xiaonan's real contact with history was after he went to college, and the teachers who taught directly were all students of Mr. Deng Guangming. In the words of Teacher Deng, "My father and I feel like a generation apart." Speaking of why she chose the history of the Song Dynasty as the research direction, Teacher Deng told us that the main reason was that she found that the historical materials of Qin and Han Dynasties were slightly insufficient, while the historical materials of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were too many and too miscellaneous, and students chose to study the history of the Song Dynasty less. After weighing their limited energy, she finally chose medieval history as her main direction.

The last days of my father, written by Mr. Deng, is an article about my father Deng Guangming. The lines are full of affection, which combines the unremitting exploration of two generations of academics. We are moved and shocked by the almost harsh and strict self-demand for independent personality and character, and the demeanor of a generation of scholars is highlighted in the article. The elegance of a generation of masters has been passed down so well in a family. "Women inherit their father's business" inherits not only knowledge, but also a character and personality. "My father's greatest influence on me should be said to be integrity in character, as well as meticulousness and diligence in study. "Teacher Deng told us about this.

Deng Xiaonan, a 78-year-old history student in Peking University, is in the first year of reform and opening up and the second year of resuming the college entrance examination. In such a big era, Mr. Deng once lived in the Great Northern Wilderness for 9 years, and then re-entered the classroom at the age of 28. Deng's classmates Yan Buke and Rong Xinjiang are now one of the famous professors in the history department of Peking University. Recalling that era and university life, Teacher Deng said, "At that time, our feeling was that we had caught the last bus, and we hoped to recover the lost time. In the context of the "spring of science", everyone cherishes this opportunity very much and is proud. Without that era, without such a group of outstanding students, there would naturally be no me. " In the plain and true description, we can see that Mr. Deng was endowed with an upward force at that time, always cherishing every driving force for progress, always seizing any learning opportunity, and tirelessly searching up and down. It is this era that created such a generation and laid the foundation for the later development of historiography to a certain extent.

In September, 2008, the selection of the "Fourth Award for Famous Teachers in Colleges and Universities" jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance ended, and Deng Xiaonan, the history department of Peking University, was named a famous teacher in colleges and universities nationwide.