Chapter 63 teachers and students

Wu Mi had a very close personal relationship with Qian Zhongshu's father, Qian Jibo. Before Qian Zhongshu was admitted to Tsinghua University, Wu Mi let him sit in Tsinghua University for a year and personally tutored him in foreign language learning.Wu admired Qian Zhongshu very much, and once wrote a poem to praise Qian's talent: "Who has both talent and knowledge? Knowing both old and new Chinese and Western. A great tool can be made by early wisdom, and people can make up for it by nature. Yuan Shen Gu (Ting Lin) ) Zhao (Oubei) passed on the family business, and his vigor surpassed Su (Dongpo) and Huang (Valley) to vibrate the country. The tragedy is over and my business is over, and the two generations will agree with each other."

In 1929, Qian Zhongshu was admitted to the Foreign Languages ​​Department of Tsinghua University with a full score in English and became Wu Mi's favorite student.He never took notes in class, and always read idle books while listening to lectures, or made pictures, and practiced calligraphy, but he was the first in every exam.Wu Mi attached great importance to Qian Zhongshu, and often asked "modestly" after class: "Mr. Qian's opinion?"Wu Mi was not annoyed, but just nodded her head. Before Qian Zhongshu was about to graduate from the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures of Tsinghua University, Feng Youlan personally told him that he would be exceptionally admitted to stay in the school to continue studying for a master's degree in Western Literature Studies.Qian Zhongshu refused, and said arrogantly: "In Tsinghua University, Ye Gongchao is too lazy, Wu Mi is too stupid, and Chen Futian is too vulgar! No professor is qualified to be Qian's tutor!" It was said at the Southwest Associated University, but according to Qian Zhongshu’s wife Yang Jiang, Qian Zhongshu never said it, and there was no record in Wu Mi’s diary, so it became a mystery in the literary world.) Soon, someone told Qian Zhongshu’s words to Wu Mi.Wu Mi smiled and said, "Mr. Qian's madness is not a peacock-like individual showing off, but a kind of noble arrogance in the bones of a literati. It's nothing."

Wu Mi once said to his students: "Talents have been rare since ancient times, and outstanding and outstanding talents are especially hard to come by. Today's outstanding talents in literature and history should be promoted by Chen Yinke among the older generation and Qian Zhongshu among the younger generation. They are all human beings. The dragon in the middle, the rest are like you and me, but nothing more!" Wen Yuanning wrote an article "Mr. Wu Mi: A Scholar and Gentleman". Lin Yutang translated this article into Chinese and published it in the semi-monthly issue of the magazine "Human World" hosted by him.Later, Wen Yuanning included this article in his book "Not Enough Confidant".Lin Yutang and Wen Yuanning successively invited Qian Zhongshu to review this book in Chinese and English. In 1937, Qian Zhongshu, who was studying in Europe at that time, wrote a book review titled "Mr. Wu Mi and His Poems" for Wen Yuanning, and published it in a well-known domestic newspaper. Making fun of Wu Mi and Mao Yanwen made Wu Mi's "romantic love" a laughing stock for a while.

Afterwards, Qian Zhongshu sent this book review to Wu Mi with a letter attached.Wu Mi was very annoyed after reading the book review, and wrote in his diary: "The content of this article ridicules Mi Bei and is extremely vitriolic." What makes Wu Mi furious is that the book review also "ridiculed Mi Aiyan's past, referring to her as a super-annuated coquette" (a flirtatious woman whose age has passed). .Wu Mi was deeply saddened by Qian Zhongshu's description of his beloved woman.He sighed: "Except God, who in the world can know me?" This time, Wu Mi no longer tolerated his proud disciple. He wrote in his diary: "Mr. Youfu pretended to be respectful and claimed to praise Mi's merits, which really made Miyou very angry."

In late June 1937, the Department of Foreign Languages ​​of Tsinghua University changed personnel. Feng Youlan, then dean of the Faculty of Arts, planned to hire Qian Zhongshu as the head of the Department of Foreign Languages. He asked Wu Mi for his opinion on this matter, but Wu Mi immediately avoided talking about it.However, he said in his diary: "Mi's stealing thoughts about Wang's retreat from Chen Sheng did not cause any serious harm to Mi personally. However, when Qian came, it was nothing less than Hu Shi's school, that is, the New Moon and New Literature School, occupying the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literature in Tsinghua University. As a result. Mi will be ostracized. This will be painful and worrying.” Afterwards, Wu Mi felt that his actions were inappropriate, so he tried every means to make it back and let the General Assembly hire Qian Zhongshu, but it was too late.

Wu Mi finally forgave the student's offense.According to Yang Jiang, when Qian Zhongshu arrived in Kunming in 1938, he specially went to Southwest Associated University to visit his teacher Wu Mi.Wu Mi beamed with joy, without any grudges, and took the proud students to talk about knowledge, play chess and chat, and go sightseeing.Qian Zhongshu felt deeply that he was young and frivolous, blushed, and apologized to the teacher for that article.Mr. Wu was at a loss, and then he laughed and said, "I have long forgotten." Judging from Wu Mi's diary, Wu Mi did forgive his students later, and walked, visited friends, and held banquets with Qian Zhongshu as usual.

But Qian Zhongshu will still use the teacher's affair as a talking point in the future. "Wu Mi's Diary" recorded on July 2, 1939 that Wu Mi once told Qian Zhongshu about his "unjust and bitter" relationship with his ex-wife Chen Xinyi. , think it's something to talk about!" In the spring of 1940, Tsinghua University wanted to hire Qian Zhongshu, who had returned from his studies, but was strongly opposed by Chen Futian, Ye Gongchao and others who were then directors of the Department of Foreign Languages.After Wu Mi found out about this, she was indignant because of Qian, and accused Chen and others of "the way of being a vain woman".He worked hard for this matter, but to no avail, so he lamented that he "finally regrets that people's tolerance is not wide, each saves the school's borders, and does not pay attention to talents."According to "Wu Mi's Diary", Wu Mi once talked about this matter to Chen Yinke, and Chen Yinke's opinion was that "it is not possible to force a union, and it is better to separate than to unite."

Later, when Chen Futian invited Wu Mi to dinner, Wu Mi specially asked his good friend Chen Yinke to act as a lobbyist for Qian Zhongshu, advocating to hire Qian Zhongshu.After Wu Mi's efforts, "those who are jealous express their opposition, but they pass." Wu Mi was very pleased. Wu Mi and Feng Youlan invited Qian Zhongshu to the United Nations University.After arriving at the United Nations University, Qian Zhongshu offered Renaissance literature and modern novels as elective courses for senior students.According to Wang Zuoliang's recollection, when Qian Zhongshu was in class on the first day, Ye Gongchao personally introduced Qian Zhongshu to the classroom, saying that Qian was his student, and he looked very pleased with himself.After Qian Zhongshu left Southwest Associated University, Wu Mi borrowed the notes of Qian Zhongshu's lectures written by student Li Funing to read.The contents of the notes are two courses taught by Qian: one is "Contemporary Fiction" and the other is "Renaissance Literature".Wu Mi wrote in his diary: "I read it for a day on September 28, and another afternoon on the 29th. Finish "Contemporary Fiction" first, I appreciate it! I read another one on September 30, which is also good! October 14 After reading it, I really admire it... I deeply regret that Zhong Shu changed his teaching position in the Teachers College."

Wu Mi's departure from Southwest Associated University was not unrelated to Qian Zhongshu.After two years of teaching at the Southwest Associated University, Qian Zhongshu was at odds with the public, so he resigned.Wu Mi tried his best to persuade him to stay, but Qian Zhongshu was determined to go.The reason for Qian Zhongshu’s departure is said to be that when Qian Zhongshu completed his studies and returned to China, Wu Mi agreed with Tsinghua University to hire him as a professor of Tsinghua University’s Department of Foreign Languages, and Tsinghua University also agreed at that time.But when Qian Zhongshu arrived at the United Nations University, the school only hired him as an associate professor. The young and energetic Qian Zhongshu was extremely dissatisfied with Chen Futian, Ye Gongchao and others, and even angered Wu Mi, and wrote this matter into his novel.Wu Mi was also very displeased with Tsinghua's change of mind, so she persuaded Qian to go to Hunan Lantian Normal School as a professor.This incident deepened the conflict between Wu Mi and Chen Futian. In the autumn of 1944, Wu Mi left Tsinghua University, where he had studied and taught for 30 years, and went to Yenching University to join his friend Chen Yinke.

Before "Wu Mi's Diary" was published, Wu Mi's daughter Wu Xuezhao wanted to ask Qian Zhongshu, who was over eighty years old, to write a preface for the book.At this time, Qian Zhongshu wrote in his diary that one of his articles decades ago made Mr. Wu Mi very unhappy.Qian wrote a letter to the editor, asking him to attach this letter to his diary.In the preface, he repented deeply: "I did not intend to make my teacher feel so sad by using the pen quickly. The crime is undeniable, and I really should burn the pen and inkstone." Those who don't know that there are shameful things in the world, if the top disciples can avoid being cut off and marked outside the head wall!"