Chapter 4 Xu Zhimo came to visit

In September 1921, Huiyin was admitted to London ST·Mary's College (St. Mary's College) with excellent grades. After autumn, London has entered the wet and rainy season. It's a gloomy Sunday, and the rain that's been raining for days shows no sign of letting up. Father had gone to Switzerland for a few days to attend a meeting of the "League of Nations".Huiyin stayed in the study alone all day.While reading a book, she listened restlessly to the sound of the rain outside.The sky was getting dark gradually, and the smell of fried steak and bacon wafted from nowhere.Feeling hungry, she came to the dining room, boiled a glass of milk for herself, spread a thin layer of butter on the bread, and couldn't help crying while eating.The dining room has a high ceiling, the lights are dim, and she is the only one sitting in front of the large rectangular dining table.The hardwood dining chair was also very high. She sat there with her legs not touching the ground, and her figure with two thin braids was reflected on the wall of the dining room, dangling like a giant devil in Arabic mythology.The milk was gone, but the bread could not be swallowed anyway.She was sobbing and gasping for breath, she was so bored that she couldn't stop crying.Having read so many novels, she is full of all kinds of fantasies.She hoped that something romantic would happen on this dreary, rainy day—suddenly someone knocked at the door, and a bright and interesting young man entered, sitting in front of her and listening to her tell her thoughts—or They sat together by the fireplace in the upstairs study, and he told her stories--she was dreaming the dreams of all girls her age, longing for an ideal figure to love her.But in her life, she has never had a boyfriend, never met a man as romantic and intelligent as she imagined.Her father is always busy outside, and it rains in her life...

On November 16, 1921, the weather was foggy from morning to afternoon. A young man named Xu Zhimo came to visit Lin Changmin. Xu Zhimo recently transferred from Columbia University to London.Zhang Xiruo, who came with him, was an international student at the University of London's School of Economics and Political Science. There are many things in life that are incredible.Everyone will meet many people in his life. Some people have met many people day and night for decades, but they are strangers and know little about each other; When the father greeted and talked with the two young people affectionately, Huiyin served tea and listened to them as usual.She did not expect that this fair-skinned young man wearing a pair of round glasses would break into her life from now on.

Xu Zhimo was born in Xiashi Town, Haining, Zhejiang Province in 1897. His father Xu Shenru had considerable strength and status in the financial circles of Shanghai and Hangzhou.When Xu Zhimo was studying law and politics at Peking University before going abroad, his brother-in-law Zhang Junmai introduced him to Liang Qichao as his teacher. In 1918, Xu Zhimo went to the United States to study.He obeyed his father's order and studied for a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University.But he later discovered that he had no interest in economics, financial bonds, etc., but liked to study Western literature, philosophy, sociology, and political science.He especially admired Russell (1872-1970), the British philosopher and professor at Cambridge University.He carefully studied Russell's "Principles of Social Reform", "Political Ideal", "The Road to Freedom" and other works, and made up his mind to transfer from the United States to the United Kingdom, "from Russell", seeking new knowledge.In this way, he came to the European continent from the American continent.But he didn't know until he arrived in England that Russell had left Cambridge to give lectures in China.As a result, he had to study at the School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, and re-study for a Ph.D. in economics.

Here, he met a group of British writers.With the help of the famous writer Dickinson, Xu Zhimo obtained the qualification of special student of Cambridge University, and he can choose courses and attend lectures in various colleges of Cambridge University at will.Later, he turned into a full-time graduate student.The democratic and open academic atmosphere of Cambridge and the free and relaxed study life made Xu Zhimo feel like a fish in water.