Chapter 28 Wu Zuxiang: Respect your own scale

Wu Zuxiang (1908-1994) was born in Jingxian County, Anhui Province. He was a famous modern writer, scholar and educator. He was a professor at Tsinghua University, the head of the Chinese Department, and a professor at Peking University. Wu Zuxiang was known as a wise man.In the eyes of his disciple Liu Yongqiang: "Mr. Wu is very sharp and wise. When chatting, he is eloquent, energetic and witty." He is also known as a brave man.Confucius said: "My way is consistent", and Mr. Wu's "standard" has always been consistent. "He will never change because of people, things, or time." Professor Sun Yushi of the Chinese Department of Peking University commented, "He wants the dignity that a mentor should have. He respects his own standards."

In 1929, Wu Zuxiang was admitted to the Economics Department of Tsinghua University, and transferred to the Chinese Department the following year. After graduation, he continued his studies at the Tsinghua Research Institute, but left before finishing his graduate studies.His biographical accounts are often vague up to this point.In this regard, Mr. Wu's disciple Zhang Jian once asked him to find out the whole story. According to Mr. Wu, when he was a graduate student, he took the Six Dynasties literature class taught by the master of Chinese studies Liu Wendian. In his semester homework, he called the Six Dynasties literature a prostitute literature. Professor Liu was very angry and gave him a failing grade.But Professor Liu also asked someone to bring him a message, as long as he changes his views, he can pass the test.At that time, Wu Zuxiang was married and had children, and the whole family had to live on his scholarship.Failure in a class means that he cannot get a scholarship, and if he fails to get a scholarship, the life of the whole family will not be settled, which means that he can no longer continue his studies.But Wu Zuxiang insisted on not taking back his views, and had to interrupt his studies, and was introduced to work at the Academia Sinica in Nanjing.

Fang Xide, a professor of the Chinese Department of Peking University who has had a long-term relationship with Wu Zuxiang, told a small story: In the 1940s, Wu Zuxiang applied for a job as a professor at the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Education. Pay him his salary for the whole term.Wu Zuxiang immediately said: "How can I do this? I have only attended half a semester of classes, how can I get your salary for a semester?" During the "Cultural Revolution", Wu Zuxiang himself was beaten into a ghost and a snake, and his wife was tortured into a mental disorder. However, at a symposium held by the military propaganda team to solicit opinions, he still said frankly: "When I think of this revolution, I have a kind of It’s a creepy feeling.” At that time, many people were very anxious for him, fearing that he would be criticized, so they persuaded him to admit that this statement was inappropriate so as to settle the matter.But Wu Zuxiang insisted that this was his original feeling, and he didn't change his mind in the end.

In 1985, Liu Yongqiang was admitted as a doctoral candidate by Wu Zuxiang. When he met his husband for the first time, one thing left a deep impression on him.That day, a scholar from other places happened to visit Wu Zuxiang. The visitor compiled an annotated book written by Ji Yun, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, and wanted Wu Zuxiang to sign it.But after reading it, Wu Zuxiang told the scholar bluntly that he thought his views on Ji Yun were inappropriate, and the selected chapters were not ideal, so he could not write the title of the book. The ancient Greek wise man Protagoras once said a famous saying: "Man is the measure of all things."He is therefore known by many as the originator of the "Sophists".Sometimes, Wu Zuxiang is indeed like a "sophist": respecting one's own standards often requires principles and courage, but at other times, it requires tact and wisdom.

Mr. Wu is very addicted to smoking, and there are dozens of pipes of various shapes lined up on the coffee table at any time for taking turns.His children persuaded him to quit smoking many times, but he always refused to accept the advice and invented a theory of "fighting poison with fire".Zhang Jian once experienced "this stubborn and lovely old man" on the spot, and eloquently explained his "theory of fighting poison with poison" to his children. Wu Baogang, Mr. Wu's son, has always believed that "my father has his own unique analysis and insights on things, and never follows others."Once, he told his father that although bamboo shoots were delicious in a magazine, they were mainly fiber and had little nutrition.His father immediately retorted: "Pandas only eat bamboo, but they are chubby. How can you say that this thing is not nutritious?"

"He often showed a kind of pure heart." Liu Yongqiang recalled.Once, he accompanied Mr. Wu passing by the Weiming Lake, and saw a girl splashing water on the lake with pebbles.So Mr. Wu said very seriously: "How can this be done? If everyone is like this, won't the lake be filled up?" Ji Xianlin once described his old friend like this: "By the pond, an old man wearing a children's sun hat sat on a wooden chair, admiring the lake and trees." Now, the wooden chairs by the pond are still there, but the old man "wearing a children's sun hat" and "appreciating the lake and trees" is gone.