Chapter 53 Prophecy

On January 20, 1949, Fu Sinian officially took office as the president of National Taiwan University.Huang Deshi, a professor of the Chinese Department of National Taiwan University at that time, admired Fu's reputation and asked him to write a few words as a souvenir.Fu Sinian wrote a short "Bone to Tianheng Island" as a gift.When everyone saw it, they suddenly felt sad, and they didn't expect that the words would become a prophecy. In the summer of 1950, Fu Sinian suffered from gallstones and had to go to the hospital for surgery.When he was discharged from the hospital, the doctor advised him to rest at home for at least a week, but the affairs of National Taiwan University were so chaotic that it was impossible to do so.In this regard, Zhu Jiahua, who went to Taiwan with the Kuomintang, recalled with a very sad mood: "A few days before his (Fu Sinian) passed away, during the chat, he suddenly said to me: 'You have made me suffer, National Taiwan University. There are so many things, I can’t take it anymore, I’m afraid my life will be ruined at National Taiwan University.” At that time, I only thought that he made such bitter words because he felt the hard work of doing things. Unexpectedly, a few days later, it became a prophecy.”

Yu Dacai recalled a winter night before the death of her husband Fu Sinian: "December 19, 1950, the eve of his death, was a cold winter night. I raised a charcoal basin for him in the small study to keep warm. He He was writing at his desk in a thick cotton robe. I was sitting across from him, mending his socks. Because he would attend two meetings the next day, I urged him to rest early. The published "Mainland Magazine" rushed to write articles, and wanted to get the manuscript fee in a hurry to make a pair of cotton trousers. He also said: "You don't cry to me, I also know your hardship. After the manuscript fee, you go and buy a few feet of coarse cloth." , a bale of cotton, and sew a pair of cotton trousers for me, my legs are afraid of the cold, and the suit trousers are too thin to keep out the cold.”

After Fu Sinian arrived at National Taiwan University, his life was relatively poor. His son Fu Rengui was studying in the United States. He and his wife Yu Dacai, who was then an associate professor of English at National Taiwan University, had only a minimum income.Previously, Fu Sinian received a payment for a newspaper article and wanted to ask Liu Ruiheng, an official from the Department of Health, to buy a ready-made suit when he was on a business trip to Hong Kong, but after adding the payment and family savings, he could only buy one coat.Fu Sinian had no choice but to say, "Fortunately, I still have unbroken trousers, so let's just buy a top."

That night, Fu Sinian pointed to the bookshelf on the wall and said to Yu Dacai: "These books, as well as the books stored in the room of the Institute of History and Philology, will be left to my son after I die. I will ask Mr. Dong Zuobin to make a stamp and engrave A few words from Meng Zhen’s posthumous son’s book.” After speaking, he let out a long sigh, and said uncharacteristically to Yu Dacai: “You have been married to me, a poor scholar, and you haven’t had a few days of comfortable life in more than ten years since I died. I don’t have a penny left for you mother and son, I’m sorry for you.”

Later, when Yu Dacai recalled this night, he said: "I have never been superstitious. Could it be that these few words are his last words? It was late at night, and a cold wind blew outside the window, and the charcoal in the indoor basin had turned to ashes. the cold." A few days later, when Dong Zuobin sent the manuscript fee to Fu's house with tears in his eyes, Yu Dacai held the envelope containing the money in both hands, crying out of grief.The manuscript fees paid for with hard work arrived, but at this time, Fu Sinian had passed away, and he no longer needed to make cotton trousers for his legs to keep out the cold.