Chapter 43 Section 1 Tonight, the wind is calm and does not stir up microwaves

On the night of Yu Dazhen's suicide, a person quietly took a large amount of sleeping pills in a dark room like a stuffy jar, wanting to kill himself.This person was the husband of Zhao Luorui, who taught with Yu in the Department of Western Languages ​​of Peking University, and Chen Mengjia, a mutual friend of Zeng Zhaolun and Yu Dazhen. In September 1944, after Chen Mengjia went to the United States from Southwest Associated University with the former Yanda campus beauty and his young wife Zhao Luorui, he gave lectures at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago for one year. study.As far as Chen Mengjia was concerned at the time, the trip to the United States to give lectures was just a title, and the main purpose was to come for a "major event"—to collect materials on Chinese bronzes that had spread to North America and Europe over the past century.

There were only four or five American students who took Chen Mengjia's course at the University of Chicago. But just as Chen Mengjia said when he first came to New York to answer a reporter's question from a tabloid, he came to the United States mainly to compile a book on Chinese bronzes collected in the United States. device catalogue.During the three years of giving lectures and then staying in North America, Mr. Chen traveled long distances and went through hardships. He visited the Yin and Zhou bronzes collected by public and private collectors in the United States, and went to the Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, to collect and record the two bronzes in Anyang and Luoyang. Bronze artifacts unearthed.Later, he flew across the Atlantic and visited the capitals of Britain, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands to collect materials on Chinese bronzes scattered in Europe.With the academic vision and tolerance of an outstanding researcher, Chen Mengjia collected all-round information on bronze wares through various information and clues, and was able to touch more than a thousand pieces of Chinese bronze wares with his own hands. Shape scale and transmission process.Faced with a large number of treasures lost overseas by the motherland, Chen Mengjia was full of grief and emotion, thinking about people when he saw things, and his heartbroken heart aroused the feelings of the motherland of "sad for its misfortune, angry for its indisputable".

In 1947, Chen Mengjia compiled the materials collected over the past few years into "The Complete Works of Chinese Bronze Ware Collections in the United States".Regarding this experience, Zhao Luorui recalled in a short article: "During the three years in the United States, he worked hard for this goal. From the second year onwards, he visited homes, museums, and antiques in the United States that have bronze wares. Then he went back to the office of the University of Chicago to sort out the collected materials and make a proof. Most private collectors are wealthy families, otherwise who can afford one, two, or even several exquisite and expensive Chinese What about bronze wares? Mengjia has no scruples. As long as there are households with utensils, he will definitely knock on the door. He has correspondence with almost all collectors, antique dealers, and museums, and has a record of letters. He He successfully completed the work he tried his best to complete." He also said: "During the three years in the United States, in addition to compiling a huge catalog of Liumei bronze wares, he also wrote and published "The History of Chinese Bronze Wares" in English. Artistic Style", "The Greatness of the Zhou Dynasty" and other articles, and co-edited "Catalogue of Chinese Bronze Wares in the Buckingham Collection" with Cayley of the Art Institute of Chicago."

In October 1947, Chen Mengjia believed that a "major event" to go to the United States had been completed, so he rejected the University of Chicago's invitation to teach him for a long time and stay in the United States to settle down. He resolutely decided to go back to Tsinghua University first.Chen Mengjia got his wish. After returning to China, he became a professor of the Chinese Department of Tsinghua University. He also built a cultural relics showroom with a considerable collection in the school and served as the director himself.When Chen was working overseas, he received great help from the giant antique merchant Lu Qinzhai.Lu was originally from Shanghai, and later went to France, the United States and other places to do business, and was famous in the industry for reselling Chinese antiquities. In 1919, Zhao Hefang, an antique dealer who had a close relationship with Yuan Hanyun, the second son of Yuan Shikai, stole and transported to Beijing the saluzi and fist hairs from the famous sculpture "Six Steeds of Zhaoling" in front of the Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, and was protected and transported by Yuan Shikai. It was collected by the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. This move made Lu Qinzhai a windfall and a big name in the industry at the same time.After Chen Mengjia went to the United States and got in touch with Lu Qinzhai, in addition to introducing the utensils collected by his colleagues, Lu also secretly displayed and photographed 312 pieces of Chinese bronze sacrificial vessels in his collection.Previously, Lu Qinzhai, who knew that he had committed a serious crime of selling Chinese bronze wares overseas all his life, began to do some good deeds with practical actions in order to clear his reputation, alleviate his crimes, and get some spiritual comfort. In 1947, at the suggestion of Chen Mengjia, who was about to return to China, Mrs. Lu donated a bronze heir pot from the Warring States Period unearthed in Jincun, Luoyang to the cultural relics showroom of Tsinghua University, and Mrs. Chen brought it back to China.This action is regarded as one of the contributions to the overall revival of Tsinghua University after demobilization.

When Chen Meng's family entered Tsinghua University, most of the destroyed buildings were being restored, and some school buildings were under construction. All matters were basically restored to their pre-war appearances, and the professors took their places and started a new life.Mencius said: "The so-called hometown does not mean that there are trees, but that there are worldly officials." In the view of Chen Mengjia who returned to the country, the so-called hometown does not mean that there are trees, but that there are world friends.When he walked into the luxuriant Tsinghua Garden full of enthusiasm and pride, the lotus pond and blue abyss were still there, but he could not see his mentor Wen Yiduo.There is a kind of pain and sadness in seeing things and thinking about people.As the saying goes: "Drunk, don't wake up in the West Tower, don't remember, spring dreams and autumn clouds, it's so easy to get together and part."

In the winter of 1948, Zhao Luorui completed her Ph.D.At this time, the civil war in China has entered the final stage, and the situation in Pingjin is tense. Zhao Luorui is afraid that if the KMT and the Communist Party form a confrontation situation, and the situation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties in history will reappear, it will be difficult to reach the North. It will come to nothing.Zhao's heart was like an arrow, and he resolutely decided to return to China by boat in advance.At that time, the American workers were on strike, and the ships were suspended. After the strike was over, they took a troop carrier named "General Meigs" to leave the west coast for Shanghai.When Zhao boarded the ship, he learned from the broadcast that the destination of the three people on board was Beiping. At this time, Tsinghua University and Yanjing University and the surrounding areas in the western suburbs of Beiping had been captured by the People's Liberation Army. The army is about to retreat.

On December 31, 1948, the troop carrier Zhao Luorui was on board berthed at Shanghai Huangpu Port.At this time, the People's Liberation Army was besieging the city tightly, and Beiping was already an isolated city. No man-made objects that ran on the ground, walked in the water, or flew in the sky could enter the city.Rumors and beacons spread at the same time, and many people tried their best to escape the siege.When Zhao Luorui heard the news, she did the opposite and tried every means to break into the besieged city.A few years ago, when Zhao Luorui lived with Chen Meng's family in the suburbs of Kunming, she met and became good friends with Zha Fuxi, the manager of Eurasia Airlines who moved to Kunming. In order to arrive in Peiping as soon as possible, Zhao found Zha Fuxi who moved back to Shanghai after the war. Think of ways to.Soon, Zha Fuxi found out that a plane carrying food for Fu Zuoyi's "General Suppression" headquarters was about to fly to Peiping. Fly to Peking.When the plane arrived in the sky over Tianjin, it was discovered by the Chinese Communist Army and immediately fired anti-aircraft guns. The pilot calmly drew several large and small half circles in the sky, and finally avoided the dense artillery fire and arrived in the sky over Beiping. Landed safely in the bushes.Zhao Luorui climbed out of the plane without a gangway through the hatch, jumped off the temporarily tied bamboo ladder two feet above the ground, temporarily stayed at the home of Tang Yongtong, a professor at Peking University, and went to the Tsinghua Office in Qihelou to ask someone to bring a letter to Chen Meng's home , Tell him that he has returned safely, and as soon as the city gate is opened, come and pick him up to Tsinghua Garden.

Three weeks later, Fu Zuoyi, who was guarding the city, went out of the city to accept the CCP's adaptation. Zhao Luorui took this opportunity to go out of the city and go to Tsinghua Garden to meet Chen Meng's family.Not long after, Zhao was hired as a professor and head of the Department of Western Languages ​​at Yenching University.At that time, there were old professor Hu Jiayi, young professor Wu Xinghua, and Yu Dazhen who returned from Hong Kong later, together with Zhao Luorui, a total of four people formed the foreign language team of Yanda University. In 1951, at the invitation of Zhao Luorui, Wu Ningkun, a young scholar returning from the University of Chicago, joined the Department of Western Languages ​​of Yanda University to teach. The next year, he was transferred to Nankai University.

Although the Yanda Western Language Department headed by Zhao Luorui is small in number, they are united and friendly to each other. This is the time when the Zhao family is most proud.In order to take care of the couple's life, the school allocated a Chinese-style one-story house in Langrun Garden in the northeast of the campus to Chen and Zhao. The talented and beautiful couple had an independent space for formal reunions and receiving relatives and friends, and their lives were as happy as flowers.At this time, Wu Ningkun, who had just returned from the United States and entered Yanda University, had not yet been allocated a house, so he temporarily lived in Chen's house and was warmly and hospitablely received by Zhao Luorui.Many years later, Wu Ningkun recalled this experience deeply and emotionally: "Professor Chen Mengjia was a famous "Crescent School" poet at that time, and later became famous both at home and abroad for his achievements in paleography and archaeology. He teaches in the Chinese Department of the university. The couple lives in a Chinese-style bungalow in Langrun Garden. The outdoors are lush with flowers and trees, and the fragrance of lotus is fragrant. The indoors are full of Ming Dynasty furniture, all of which are fine works collected by Mr. Chen himself. Steinway's piano. Only then did I know that she is the only daughter of Dr. Zhao Zichen, the dean of the School of Religion at Yanda University. Zhao is not only a world-renowned Christian theologian, the Asian chairman of the World Council of Churches, but also the nationally famous Du Fu Expert. Luo Rui was influenced by Chinese and Western culture at home since she was a child. Not only can she write poetry, but also play the piano well. After graduating from the Department of Western Languages ​​of Yanda University at the age of 20, she entered the Institute of Foreign Literature of Tsinghua University. Two years later, she taught the American poet Eliot (TSEliot) was translated into Chinese for his well-known obscure long poem The Waste Land (), which was highly praised by experts and scholars. Later, he studied for a Ph.D. I started my teaching career in the picturesque Dongtian Academy, and now I have to linger in such a noble and elegant family. I can’t help but feel grateful for my selfishness. I never expected that such days would soon be gone forever. .”

This kind of life that will never return is not only the destiny, but also related to human affairs. The destiny and human affairs are intertwined, forming an unbearable lament. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen Mengjia disapproved of the political turmoil and the "Thought Reform Movement" in the country, and regarded himself very highly. "Sea Turtles" are in our eyes, and we can't tolerate a group of "turtles" wearing revolutionary hats to dominate the school administration. They hate and show anger at all phenomena that they think are unreasonable.Chen's actions quickly became a thorn in the side of those in power, and became a living target of the "Thought Reform Movement" and was severely criticized.However, the poet's temperament and innate personality made it difficult for Chen Mengjia to change the habits he had cultivated for decades, and he still went his own way.According to an article "The End of Yanyuan" published by Wu Ningkun later: "Mr. Chen is only in his forties, but he is thin and dark. He often frowns and walks with his back arched, as if he is carrying some invisible weight. Zai, it looks a bit premature. One day, the loudspeaker on the campus of Yenching University broadcast a notice requiring all teachers and students to participate in collective work exercises. When Chen Mengjia, who was passing by outside the wall, heard it, he immediately said angrily: 'This is 1984 coming. So fast.'”

It is a novel published by the British writer George Orwell (George Orwell, 1903-1950) in 1949. It predicted the scenario of a totalitarian society in the future. It can be called the most famous political satire in the world literature. Looking at Orwell, there is an extra guarantee of freedom."Just like Orwell's novel is not an "anti-Communist pamphlet", but "anti-totalitarianism", Chen Mengjia did not openly criticize the Communist Party and the system it implemented at that time and later, but his words and deeds are still incompatible with politics and those in power. There was conflict, and it cost with lives. In 1952, colleges and universities across the country carried out "faculty adjustments", university reorganization, and all church schools funded by imperialism were disbanded.Yanjing and Furen University, located on the territory of Beijing, belong to this category. Therefore, these two powerful and well-known universities are tied to the ground like two huge fat pigs. Different departments were merged into Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University and other schools with socialist characteristics, and the teaching staff of the two schools were waiting for a unified distribution.Zhao Luorui, who was the director of the Department of Western Languages ​​of Yanda University at the time, was transferred to the Department of Western Languages ​​of Peking University as a professor, and his subordinates Yu Dayi, Hu Jiayi, and Wu Xinghua were transferred to the Department of Western Languages ​​of Peking University as professors.The liberal arts of Tsinghua University were merged into Peking University, and only one engineering department was retained. Chen Mengjia was kicked out of the campus by the Tsinghua authorities and was "assigned" to the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a researcher, conducting research on oracle bone inscriptions and bronze wares, and assisting Xia Nai's deputy director The chief presides over the editing and publishing of archaeological books and periodicals. Chen Mengjia, who entered the archaeological institute, temporarily restrained his personality and wild attitude of a poet, and began to immerse himself in academic research suitable for the archaeological institute's plan, entering the peak period of academic research.Chen, with his extraordinary talent and diligence, carefully collected more than 40,000 pieces of oracle bone rubbings in just a few years, and conducted a comprehensive and comprehensive study. The theory of "five phases" and the "ten criteria" have been supplemented and revised, making new pioneering contributions to the research on the periodization of oracle bone inscriptions. In 1956, Chen Mengjia completed and published by Zhonghua Book Company the "Summary of Yin Ruins Divinations", which was an epoch-making masterpiece in the history of oracle bone studies. It comprehensively and systematically summarized the oracle bone inscriptions from 1899 to 1956. On the basis of fully summarizing and using the research results of predecessors, combined with their own profound attainments in the study of oracle bone inscriptions, the scholars of the past dynasties made a scientific discussion on the unearthed oracle bone inscriptions and their research process, methods and content, especially the study of periodization and dating. , comprehensively described all aspects of inscriptions, and in many respects has made new developments and breakthroughs compared with the research of previous generations of scholars, and has played a positive role in the popularization and improvement of oracle bone science.This work has thus become the first encyclopedia-like masterpiece in this field of research since the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions. It occupies a lofty position in the history of oracle bone studies and has had a huge impact on domestic and foreign academic circles. As the saying goes, "Fortune comes with blessings, and blessings come with misfortunes." The publication of this "Summary of Yin Ruins Divinations" not only brought Chen Mengjia a high reputation and academic status, but also vaguely laid the foundation for his later life. culprit.The 8,000 yuan that Chen Mengjia earned from this masterpiece was considered astronomical at the time (the monthly salary of a worker was only a dozen to tens of yuan). He named his study "Mengjia Room" with a pun.At the same time, Chen also used the remaining and subsequent manuscript fees to continuously collect and purchase high-quality Ming Dynasty furniture, and the entire house has become a splendid and magnificent small museum.According to Zhao Luorui's recollection: "In 1956, he bought a house in Qianliang Hutong with the manuscript fee of "Summary of Yin Ruins and Divinations". Since then, he has occupied a large bedroom and study room by himself, and placed two pictures Painting table. One big and one small two painting tables are put together to form his desk, which is full of various books, manuscripts, stationery and a desk lamp that need to be read from time to time. Meng Jia is diligent in his studies and has a good material Conditions. He is in good health, tireless, and can work for about ten to twelve hours a day. He once had a lipoma on his shoulder, and some gaps left by tooth decay were not filled. But he finally got rid of the tumor It was cut off, and the teeth were repaired. After these two things were done, I smiled and said to him: 'Now you are a perfect person.'” Chen Mengjia suddenly became rich as a scholar, which attracted the attention of the neighbors, especially the staff in the unit. However, Chen himself is usually not good at making friends, and his popularity is not good.In addition, Chen Mengjia was stingy by nature, and after he got rich, he didn't treat guests or give gifts, and he didn't spend a sum of money to reward his colleagues in the archaeological institute. One or two friends went out to the restaurant to drink Shaoxing rice wine, and sang ditties when they got drunk and went home to continue writing to earn manuscript fees.Such and such, quickly aroused public outrage, rumors spread everywhere, and letters of report continued, but Chen Mengjia didn't care, and still went his own way.Not long after, Chen began to write another great work "Dating the Bronze Ware of the Western Zhou Dynasty" based on the lectures on the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the era of Southwest Associated University, supplementing and revising them, and conducted a detailed dating study on the bronze wares of the Western Zhou Dynasty.Its results began to be serialized in the "Journal of Archeology" and attracted widespread attention from the academic circles (South Press: Forty years later, Chen's dating of the Western Zhou bronzes, and the world-renowned national key scientific and technological project-Xia, Shang and Zhou dating projects The research on the subject of "Nian of the Western Zhou Dynasty" also played an important reference role).Earlier works such as "Shang Shu Tong Lun", "Western Zhou Dynasty Chronicle", "Six Kingdoms Chronicle" were also published or reprinted during this period.This is the golden age of Chen Mengjia's vigorous energy, self-satisfaction and academic excellence.Genius and diligence accompanied by the already mature knowledge of ancient characters and ancient artifacts made his writings advance by leaps and bounds. His writing speed and clear and decisive insight made his colleagues admire him, especially the younger generation of archaeologists. Shocked, he regarded Chen Mengjia as a rare genius scholar in the world, and his academic works were later hailed as unprecedented outstanding achievements. Zhao Luorui once explained the experience and brilliant achievements of this period in this way: Chen Mengjia has a wide range of interests, but his main direction is undoubtedly the study of ancient history, ancient characters and ancient books. "In 1964, there was He watched TV almost every night. At 9:30, 10, and 10:30 in the evening, I went to bed, and he started working. Sometimes he woke up, it was past midnight, and he could still watch through the crack of the door. I saw a strip of egg-yellow light, and I could still hear the sound of tick-tick-he put down his pen. I don’t know when the room was completely dark. But he still got up early and went to work on time every day, and left work on time in the evening. There is a relatively complete set of commonly used books, which can work effectively in both places. In thirty years, he has written many articles, written many books, and compiled various catalogs under the premise of possessing detailed information , and left a completed and unpublished manuscript of about 2 million words and other materials that have not been sorted out.” What Zhao said was not false or exaggerated. Many years later, when Xu Pingfang, who has become the director of the Institute of Archeology, talked about the academic spirit and achievements of Chen Mengjia to Liu Mengxi, a scholar of Chinese cultural history, she still said with deep respect: "Chen Mengjia He is an extremely intellectual genius, he advocates doing several subjects in turn, and does not agree to hold on to one subject." This statement by Zhao Luorui and Xu Pingfang once again confirms what Wen Yiduo said to Liang Shiqiu in the past, "One has a future." Chen Mengjia is a successful example of those who are talented and diligent.” Chen Mengjia, as a talented and hardworking scholar, has become an uncommon theory in today’s academic circles. In 1956, Chen Mengjia set out to reorganize and compile the materials on bronze wares seen overseas that had been carefully collected in the past into "Comprehensive Records of Chinese Bronze Ware", and soon completed three collections in Northern Europe, the United States and Canada.It was originally planned that the full manuscript would be divided into five episodes, but the English and French episodes had not yet had time to start. The "anti-rightist" storm rose, and Chen Mengjia's unlucky days came.