Chapter 38 nostalgia

In 1923, Zhao Yuanren's second daughter was born, and Zhao Yuanren named her "Xinna", which means "New China".Zhao Yuanren's friend Ding Xubao always called Zhao Xinna "New China". Zhao Yuanren once said to foreigners: "We can't wear the costumes of the ethnographic museum all our lives, just preparing for you to visit. China is not the 'China City' of San Francisco, and it is not a reservation for red Indians." Zhao Yuanren combined the skills of western music with traditional Chinese music, and worked hard to explore and create "Chinese music" with Chinese national flavor.Many people criticized his compositions as "Europeanized", not "Chinese music".Zhao Yuanren said in the preface of "New Poetry Collection" that these people's views come from a wrong view of "China in the museum". He said: "Not only for music, but for many things, they are willing to see China always the same, Still dragging their braids, still raising the emperor, still carrying water and carrying sedan chairs, or humming and humming poems and chanting scriptures, so that their sightseeing companies can have topics for advertisements, so that they feel picturesgue when they travel. (picturesque), guaint (bizarre) and other adjectives."

Before and after the Anti-Japanese War, Zhao Yuanren wrote many patriotic songs, such as "We Don't Buy Japanese Products", "Self-Defense", "Watching the Lion Roaring" and so on.He also cooperated with Tao Xingzhi in the promotion of civilian education and children's education, and composed music for many of Tao's poems, such as "Song of Little Teachers", "Everyone Says Children Are Small", "Spring Is Not a Day for Reading", etc. After arriving in Yunnan, Zhao Yuanren was squeezed out by Li Ji and his mental state was extremely bad after his illness. He held a pen in his hand for seven or eight hours a day, but could not write a word, and he did not speak a word all day long.So, they decided to teach in the United States.When they left, Jiang Menglin and his wife rushed back from Mengzi to see them off, and gave them a gas pot produced in Mengzi, with the words "Old Country Kejia" on the cover, and told them not to forget the meaning of this word.Yang Buwei said: "So for more than 30 years in the United States, I have always told children to study hard, not to embarrass their own country, and to do more for the Chinese people. See how patriotic the overseas Chinese are!"

Zhao Yuanren has a deep affection for the Institute of History and Language. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, he returned to China twice. I sat in my office for a while and took a photo as a souvenir. In 1973, when Zhao Yuanren and his wife returned to China, they opened a list of people they wanted to meet. There were more than 70 people, all of whom were friends and students from decades ago. Most of them only had names, but no addresses or work units.Thanks to the efforts of the reception unit, almost all of these people have been seen.Zhao Yuanren and his wife were very happy. Zhao Yuanren said: "This is simply a scientific research."

After Zhao Yuanren and his wife returned to China, they kept looking for their footprints.The house they lived in when they got married, the place where Zhao Yuanren and Russell lived - the Old South Campus of Tsinghua University, etc.They also went back to Qingguo Lane, their hometown in Changzhou, met Zhao Yuanren's cousin's family, and took pictures by the small river where they swam when they were young.Before leaving, Zhao Yuanren took the hand of his second daughter Xinna and said, "I will definitely come back in a year or two." In 1981, Zhao Yuanren returned to the motherland for the last time.Accompanied by Tsinghua University President Liu Da and Vice President Zhang Guangdou, he revisited Tsinghua University.When Zhao Yuanren came to a gray brick house at No. 1 Old South Courtyard (now Zhaolan Courtyard) where Zhao Yuanren lived when he was teaching at Tsinghua University, Zhao Yuanren was the first to walk up the steps quickly, pushed open the fence door and walked into the courtyard. before knocking.Unfortunately, the owner is not at home and cannot enter.So everyone took a photo with Zhao Yuanren in front of the door.

After that, Zhao Yuanren wanted to go to the former residence of Tsinghua University again. On the morning of June 4, Zhao Yuanren returned to Tsinghua "secretly" accompanied by his daughter Zhao Xin's family.This time, the owner of Zhao Yuanren's former residence was at home, opened the door for them, and warmly welcomed them into the house.Zhao Yuanren walked around in his "home" more than 50 years ago.Then, he also went to see the I-shaped hall and the auditorium.Zhao Xina said that he is nostalgic for every plant, tree, pavilion and pavilion in Tsinghua Garden.

Zhao Yuanren went to visit Jin Yuelin. Due to his illness, Jin had limited mobility and usually could only sit on a chair. But when an old friend whom he had not seen for more than 30 years came to visit, he was very excited and stood up and hugged Zhao Yuanren.They talked for a long time that day, and when they finally said goodbye, they were reluctant to part. When Zhao Yuanren went to Nanjing Jinling’s engraved scriptures, when passing by Nanjing Yixianqiao Primary School, the 90-year-old Zhao Yuanren and his daughters sang the school song he wrote for this school together: "Zhongshan Road, Yixian Bridge, flat and flat avenue... "

In 1981, during Zhao Yuanren's stay in Beijing, he was invited to sing "Teach Me How Not to Miss Her" many times.Once, after he sang this song at the Central Conservatory of Music, someone asked: Is this a love song?Who is the "he" in it?Zhao Yuanren replied: "The word 'he' can be male or female, or it can refer to other things besides men and women. This word represents all beloved he, she, and it." He said that the lyrics are When Liu Bannong wrote it in London, England, "it contains his longing for the motherland and nostalgia." In 1981, Zhao Yuanren sang "Teach Me How Not to Miss Her" in one breath at the ceremony where Peking University awarded him an honorary professor; when he went to the Central Conservatory of Music for a discussion, he couldn't help singing "Teach Me How Not to Miss Her"; When he was in the former residence of Qingguo Lane in Changzhou, Jiangsu, he asked his daughter to sing "Teach Me How Not to Miss Her" affectionately again with the accompaniment of an indoor harmonium.

Zhao Yuanren never forgot his hometown Changzhou. After Yang Buwei passed away, Zhao Yuanren received a telegram of condolence from the Changzhou Municipal People's Government. He said gratefully: "Changzhou has not forgotten my son who is overseas." In 1981, Zhao Yuanren returned to his hometown again and saw He is sincerely happy with the construction and changes in his hometown.Afterwards, when Deng Xiaoping received Zhao Yuanren, Zhao expressed his joy to Deng Xiaoping. He said: "Changzhou has made great progress and has changed a lot." Before he died, he wrote the last letter to his daughter Xinna, saying that he wanted to go back to Changzhou. , Let his daughter accompany him.

After Zhao Yuanren's death, his eldest daughter Zhao Rulan said in an obituary letter to relatives and friends: "One of the things he was most satisfied with this year was that he went back to China with me, Bian Xuezheng, and Simei Xiaozhong last summer. one trip." After the death of Zhao Yuanren and Yang Buwei, the children complied with their wishes and did not hold funerals for the two old people. They scattered the ashes into the Pacific Ocean, donated their real estate to the University of California, distributed books and relics to relatives and friends, and donated magazines to Peking University and Beijing University. Language Institute.