Chapter 15 1913~1926: years of maturity 1913~1926: years of maturity -4

Hankou, January 18, 1915 dear mom: I blame you tenderly but firmly.I received your letter of December 17th this morning.You have courage, but let me say that you are inappropriate for hiding for three months what I should know most.You thought it would be better for me, but it didn't occur to you that, far from calming me, it was a good way for me to live in constant worry.Just the thought that maybe you didn't tell me everything that happened to you and him makes me uneasy.I worry about you enough without you adding more to it with these useless little lies.I beg you, for the first and last time, to be honest with me whatever is going on with you.If you don't love me enough to share my pain, who do you tell it to?I always thought that we talked about everything. When my dear mother had something sad, she would tell her elder son. Similarly, when the son wanted to cry, he would lean on his mother's shoulder.I'm a man, but I can read a woman's heart, and I dare say that since I'm your creation, I deserve your open mind.Don't make me read "announcement" letters, like war reports, your letter doesn't even tell me a tenth of what I want to know.What kind of brain problem is that?Is there any hope?What should we be careful about?When did it happen?In which nursing home are our patients staying?Who takes care of him?

And you, mother dear, how are you?What do you need?How about material life?I never asked for these details, thinking you'd tell me yourself if you wanted me to know.Now I have the right and the duty to know that if illness prevents the father from caring for the mother, the son should take over the honor.You already know that my current income can handle two expenses without breaking a sweat, there is no better use for my money than that, and nothing would make me happier if you said "I need to..." . Hankou, February 4, 1915 On Saturday, we celebrate the enactment of the new law on the election of the President of the Republic.What an odd election!Of the one hundred members of the Electoral College, half are elected by each of the two houses, one of which is appointed by the government and the other is controlled by the government.The one hundred members are elected from among four candidates, one is the former president and the other three may be the former president's nominees.The process of the former president's designation of candidates is as follows: the names of three people are written on a piece of parchment, and the parchment will be sealed in a golden cabinet.The gold chest was placed in a brick room.There are also a series of control measures for rooms and keys, just like a serial novel!Of course, the people the president writes about are either his own people, whom they would refuse to honor;So it can be confirmed now that he, and his descendants, have eternal power!

Hankou, March 1, 1915 Yesterday was the 15th day of the first lunar month. Burn the yellow paper with spells written on it in front of the Bodhisattva statue, and people can get everything they want from the Bodhisattva.Led by the lovely Mark, I visited a large pagoda in Hanyang.There are about 200 monks in the Great Pagoda, and maybe 300 or 400 statues of venerables.It's just that my piety has not been rewarded, and I am doomed to be poor this year.The reason is that my hat fell on the floor, and before I could pick it up, a woman stepped over.If I put the hat on the woman's head first, and then put it back on my head, I can avoid bad luck, and I will definitely get rich.It's just that I didn't know this, so I immediately put my hat back on my head, which made all the Chinese people present very happy.What a story!I'm ending my letter because I don't want to talk about the Dardanelles attack.

Hankou, May 19, 1915 dear mom: It's a big day... what a big day?Today, two people happened to be going to the home of the Tu couple. They would wear some decorations such as bracelets and rings, and a piece of red paper with Just Wang's name and age written on it.As if it happened by chance, the Tu family didn't expect it, but they would prepare a sumptuous meal, as well as a piece of red paper with Miss Mary Anna's name and age written on it.After dinner and the customary compliments, the matchmakers would return to Just's house, where they would have another meal with many guests.The engagement is done.Although I have declined the role of matchmaker (a Chinese saying goes that a matchmaker is always a scapegoat), I have been on the move all week.In fact, I am not optimistic about this marriage, and I am more and more worried that the lady is not ideal, in many ways.To be honest, it was almost over, the Chinese priest was too urging (contrary to the habit of talking about marriage for two or three months), and we settled everything before we worked hard.I declined today's festive invitation on the pretext of being inconvenient, because honestly I can't enjoy this kind of party.At least, I am very happy to have the opportunity to get to know my godson better. This good boy expressed trust in me, a kind of reassurance and respect from his nephew and nephew, and I was very touched.If I have a son, I want them to say to me when they get married what the child said about their passion and faith in God.

Tianjin, August 15, 1915 dear mom: Obviously, with the Chinese, one has to think of the unexpected.It was us who were wrong, and we tried to judge them by our way of seeing, not theirs, because we don't measure things in the same size.The Chinese consider the attitude they adopt to be entirely natural.There are only a few such stories to learn about their characters.We demand candor, they save face.We can't get rid of these, so let's do what we can for them. The situation in the regiment was still one of stupidity and incompetence.Orders are unclear, orders are delayed, officers are generally timid or incompetent, and a colonel can be called the grass head king without even saying hello to the local consul.Mess.Naturally, these "brothers" are the "sacrifices".This morning, they asked us to get up half an hour earlier to go to the shooting range. After training, we realized that today is a holiday and everyone should rest.All this made the soldiers have a bad impression of their superiors.

Tianjin, October 13, 1915 dear mom: Perhaps the last time I write to you from here.They really want me to go to Beijing and transfer me to the 16th regiment in that city, where everyone hardly does anything, and I can work at the legation when I have time.This is still a rumor.Let's wait (I'm in no rush, I assure you). The news of Jules' transfer was confirmed, and he went to Beijing after that.He had dreaded being transferred to the city one day, and now, looking on his luck, he could use the opportunity to visit the Forbidden City—what he called the "Old Imperial Palace," or Summer Palace.But how can Jules forget that Europe thousands of kilometers away is in blood and fire?In any case, his mother did not fail to criticize him, accusing him of joking about "the trivialities of everyday life".Jules pleads that no matter what the circumstances, he sympathizes with those who are entitled to be sympathized with.As for the good mood he expressed, he got it from the soldiers, "in the killing field", they published newspapers laughing and cursing, and the names showed the mentality of the soldiers-"Laughing", "Soldier Bomb" "... no doubt to drive away fear.

But the manuscript here mainly shows the contradiction between mother and child.For although Jules enlisted and was forced to attend military training, he realized that he was privileged and even included himself among those he called "out of the line of fire in the Far East."Instead, his 63-year-old mother lives in Paris, "immersed" in the war atmosphere.She herself joined the ranks of helping the "GIs" - sending them food and some necessities.We can understand her confusion when she read her son's travel report. Although Jules was far away from the horrible "bloody Europe" that was increasingly plunged into trench warfare, he lived in the midst of major changes in China where "political farce" was being staged.Yuan Shikai patiently created the conditions for the restoration of the monarchy for himself, only to encounter counterattacks to thwart his intentions.The opposition sprouted in August 1914, when Japan declared war on Germany and set foot on Chinese soil, entering the Shandong peninsula, which had been occupied by Germany since 1897.One imperialism replaced the other, and Japan expanded its interests, occupied territories still belonging to China, and presented the "Twenty-One" to Yuan Shikai, demanding recognition of its rights in Shandong, Northeast China, and Inner Mongolia.Yuan refused to join forces with domestic enemies, who were prepared to form an alliance to support him, realizing that China could not stand against Japan, and Yuan gave in to Japan's ultimatum, a retreat that could never be forgiven.

In December 1915, the National Assembly unanimously approved the restoration of the monarchy, and anti-Yuan forces gathered.Yuan's former minister, the governor of Yunnan, solemnly demanded that Yuan persist in the republic and execute those who supported the restoration of the dynasty.Yuan refused the request, Yunnan declared its independence, established the "National Defense Army", and the governor led an expedition to make neighboring Sichuan independent.Since then, independent notifications have continued to increase in the provinces of the country.As Jules described to his mother in vivid words: "Yuan Shikai was a flexible person who stumbled on the orange peel."

Beijing, November 3, 1915 dear mother I got here on Saturday, and I can't really say anything about it because I haven't settled in yet.Currently sleeping in the barracks, but this Saturday can live in the building of the legation.The Conti couple welcomed me as always, and agreed that I would work at the consulate when the military was free.Now I am writing to you from the sentry post. It is not a tiring job. I am not used to it at all. I am on guard once a week on average.In addition, we are required to practice for three afternoons.As you can see, not very busy. I don't understand why you told me to stop talking in a joking tone.Look at those trench papers, there's nothing funnier than that.But they live in a killing field, and the writer does not know if a bomb will interrupt his work.No, let me see, leave serious words for those individuals who need them, and let us speak cheerfully to all.

Beijing, November 12, 1915 dear mom: I had a lot of work in the barracks, in the legations.Moving now so my weekly letter is late. The Minister is still very friendly to me, he likes people who are good-natured, don't bother him with his own troubles, and he is a happy man himself.At the same time, as an old student of comprehensive engineering, he likes clear things.The envoy asked me to draft a number of things, although these were not my job.It is an enviable honor that he does not change my things. Last Sunday I saw the sheer spectacle of the opening of parts of the Forbidden City, especially some of the throne halls (how many are there).Those huge halls, huge pillars, golden and brightly colored carved beams and painted buildings.The basilica is built on a hill surrounded by finely carved white marble steps and cloisters, in the center of a huge courtyard (the size of the courtyard is similar to that of the Invalides).The most interesting are some things that used to belong to the imperial treasury, they used to be scattered in Jehol, Moukden, including many cloisonne, ivory carvings, wood carvings, gold, silk, the beauty is beyond imagination.For this alone, one should visit Beijing.

When it's time to send the letter, I stop writing and kiss you tightly. Jules Beijing, November 24, 1915 dear mom: This must be the last letter I write to you this year. Maybe it won't arrive at Christmas, but it will definitely arrive before New Year's Day.May this letter carry my best wishes and all tenderness.Even though I am so old now, I always feel like your little son. I still want to tell you how much I love you in your arms. Although I don't often express this emotion in my letters, don't think that I don't feel it.You know, when you are in good health, people don't notice it, they don't take pleasure in it, it seems like everything is natural.The same goes for feelings. It is natural to love your mother wholeheartedly, and you won't think of repeating it.It takes some big day, like the end of the year or the beginning of the year, to think that it wouldn't be a bad thing to say again what both of us know, to know that we live by each other. I finally felt a little "free".Nose and eyes happy, we have waxed floors, for no more waxing by the vice-consul, the floors glisten and smell of honey.If it weren't for the submarine activity in the Mediterranean, I would invite you to come and see, but you have nothing to lose by waiting, and I will invite you again when the time is right. Goodbye, dear mother, and kiss you with all my heart. Jules Beijing, December 2, 1915 dear mom: You tell me that the little things of the day do not interest you at the moment.Maybe.Of course, I can fill my letter with beautiful articles and profound thoughts, but I think that far away from the front line in the Far East, I am not qualified to speak seriously and give advice or encouragement to those who go to the front line.You said my indifference was annoying and disrespectful.First, what do you know?How much of my letter have you read?I told you that my disrespectful indifference was directed only to those who needed no other from me, and my personal sympathy was given to those who deserved it, but there were too many of them.I have just expressed this sympathy to Mrs. Abel, and I will sympathize with others, and have always maintained this idea.Alas, the list of deaths does not end. Beijing, December 3, 1915 Yesterday I put down the letter and went to dig a trench like a "big soldier" on the front line.The sunshine here is like the sunshine in Austerlitz. Last Sunday, I told you, we went to Tianjin to practice, and the celebration lasted from 7 am to 6:30 pm.My legs were stiff for three days!I saw the captain give me "false thinking" comments, because when I was in the "leap", he shouted: "Victor gets a coconut." He groaned for two days.It needs the most authoritative person to intervene and tell him that Coconut has no intention of treason! Goodbye, dear mother.Kiss tenderly. Jules Beijing, December 28, 1915 Politically, the year ended badly everywhere.I'm not just talking about Europe bleeding from the most horrific war in months, but also here in old China, where Yuan Shikai was the nimble man stumbling over the orange peel.This time, this piece of orange peel is called the Yunnan (a borderline province of Vietnam) revolution, and it is still a peaceful revolution so far, but it will not last (the so-called "pacifism").The governor of Yunnan, backed by a well-known revolutionary party, was smart enough to telegraph Yuan Shikai and tell him that the constitution to which he had been sworn was punished by death for anyone who subverted the regime.Therefore, they asked Yuan to immediately shoot those who advocated restoration.Yuan Zhi's pleas were ignored, and Yunnan declared its independence, and it was assumed that other provinces would follow suit.Yuan doesn't have his own army in that area, so you can imagine how troublesome he is. Yesterday was Monday, and I was allowed a day off to visit the Old Summer Palace with the priests, which is more than ten kilometers away from the city and was burned down by the British in 1860.The palace was built around the time of Louis XIV and XV according to the design of a Jesuit. It consists of a series of stepped pavilions in pure Rococo style, which should have been beautiful at the time.I'm proud of our allies, people accuse Germany of stupid destructiveness, they're just poor imitators.Reims is still a model of cathedrals, and Yuanmingyuan, as a unique monument in the Far East, remains only broken fountains, shaky walls, collapsed stairs, pools filled with rubble, smashed glass, wide-open wall holes, and archways leading to new ruins.All this in an enclosed area of ​​a few square kilometers. Monsieur Conti read "My Godson's Wedding" and tried to send it to a magazine in Paris, probably Le Weekly.What an honor! What a strange year, it started in Hankou, continued in Tianjin, and ended in Beijing.I don't complain, being near the sun may make you melt, it may make you bloom.Let us have confidence and hope for the new year. God has led us to the present and will not abandon us in the future. Like last year, I don't write those "Happy New Year" letters, I don't think that's relevant. Goodbye, mother, soft kisses to you. Jules