Chapter 87 How did I think of writing Xin Hai Lai

How did I think of writing about the Revolution of 1911?Not to say that 2011 is the centenary of the 1911 Revolution, and I specially wrote a book to join in the celebration.In fact, I have always been numb to historical celebrations. If others don't remind me, I usually don't think of them. Even if I think of them, I may not write anything about them.Having lived for more than fifty years, I think I am not a person who likes to join in the fun.I wrote about the May Fourth Movement in my last book. Everyone who knew it, especially friends in the publishing industry, hoped that I would publish it on the 90th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement in 2009, but I just couldn’t.However, why did they catch up a bit this time, as if it was a special gift for the celebration?

This matter should be attributed to one person, he is He Shengtun, the president of Fudan University Press.In fact, I don't know President He and I haven't dealt with him before, but he was the one who suggested writing about Xinhai.About a year ago, one night, I suddenly received a call from a stranger. He said that he was Lao He from Fudan Publishing House. Friends, he is very familiar with him. He suggested that I write about the Revolution of 1911 like I wrote essays in the past. He said that he had read my essay on the theme of 1911 before, and he was very impressed.I listened, seemed to be moved, and promised to think about it.

Unlike May Fourth, I have come across the subject of the Revolution of 1911 before, and have written papers and essays. Recently, I have become more interested in the history of the Republic of China, and I have written a lot of things in a mess.I am interested in writing Xinhai.Although I generally don’t listen to people’s advice on what to write, I have always written what I like to write, and I believe in it freely.Anyone who wants to pay a high price to let me write what he wants to write basically has no way.However, President He's proposal somewhat moved me.When I was writing the May 4th Movement, I originally planned to write an academic work in prose style, but my ambition was too big. As a result, when I wrote it, due to the constant need to add annotations, the style of the writing was always broken, and the effect of the writing was as I expected. Yes, far apart.While this wish is unfulfilled, I will try again. On the one hand, I will look at the materials and think about the topic like doing academics, but when writing, I will cancel the annotations and write according to my own temperament.

In this way, as soon as the book Warlords and the May Fourth was finished, I turned around and entered the writing of the Revolution of 1911.In fact, it’s not about writing about the Revolution of 1911, it’s about looking at the materials, finding something that interests me but that others don’t pay much attention to, and making use of it.For more than a year, almost whenever I had free time, I buried myself in reading materials, and the bed and floor at home were covered with books and photocopied materials.I have indeed read a lot of materials, and I have read millions of words in my hands. Sometimes I can't write a single word after reading it for a few days.But this is quite fun in itself. When you look at it, before you know it, the people you saw in the old photos will appear in front of your eyes, and all the people and things will jump out and dangle in front of your eyes. This feeling, whether you write or not, is a kind of enjoyment.I don’t know if other scholars take academics as their mission and as a mission for human beings like Max Weber did, but I myself, whether doing academics or writing essays, just for fun, as long as it’s not fun, I’m sure quit.It's just that once you start playing, play it seriously, play it obsessively, and try your best to play as famous as possible.I have been fascinated by Go and Peking Opera. In essence, I am fascinated by academics and historical writing, no different.

Of course, after this little book was finished, I still didn't feel very good.The text is still not chic enough, it has some meaning, but the expression is too straightforward.For a man like me who will never be able to control himself, writing will probably always be a pity, and it is an incurable disease.Slightly different from many people with my disease, I always write by hand, and I definitely don't just judge others, but don't put my stuff out for others to judge.It is a pity that when I wrote it, I might still be a little excited, but after I finished writing it, I couldn't bear to read it every time.It has been almost 50 years since I wrote on the blackboard in elementary school, and I still haven’t written a work that satisfies me. It’s really an inexplicable sadness.However, I still don't give up, I believe that the next one will be better.

It must be explained that this little book is not an academic work, nor is it a popular history-telling story, it is just a historical miscellaneous (just like me who is neither fish nor fowl, the stuff is neither fish nor fowl).Although the stories, characters, and language in it all have sources, it is not an academic work.Although it is not academic, it expresses a little of my observation about Xinhai, a collection of miscellaneous feelings born of observation, and a collection of miscellaneous feelings.I hope that its publication can provide people with a slightly different perspective on the 1911 Revolution, the perspective of Yeluzi Yehu Zen.If someone reads this book and no longer symbolizes this revolution as in the past, and crawls from the textbook to the edge, I will be satisfied.

Although she is not satisfied, the ugly daughter-in-law will see her in-laws sooner or later, and the work must enter the market and be tested by readers.Although I can't provide a better product, I tried my best after all.Thanks to Mr. He Shengtun for his suggestion.Thanks to Liu Ruilin, editor-in-chief of Guangxi Normal University Publishing House, for always watching me so closely that I can't be lazy.I would also like to thank the responsible editor Cao Lingzhi and the many editors who contributed to this book.It is their hard work that makes this little book look like it.