Chapter 44 Chen Yixin: Professor's Temperament

Chen Yizhen (1924-2000), with Yixin characters, was born in Xinning, Hunan.Professor of Peking University, he studied the literary history of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, and also worked on poetry. As a disciple of Chen Yizhen, Qian Zhixi, a professor at Peking University, will always remember his loneliness and freedom. He once walked with his husband on the campus of Peking University. Mr. Chen said that he met a teacher of the Chinese Department on the road and asked himself if he would go abroad to give lectures for a period of time, "so as to earn some soup and water for the elderly." Mr. Chen said that he I am very grateful to that teacher for his kindness, but I am old and don't want to go anywhere, I just want to stay in this campus.Qian Zhixi listened to him quietly, feeling a little lonely.

While speaking, the two had already boarded the playground stands.There was a bit of wind that day, and the dust was slightly raised. There were no people on the playground, and a row of tall poplar trees beside the running track in the distance rustled.Chen Yizhen's emotions seemed to be aroused suddenly, and he began to recite Li Bai's poems loudly with his Hunan accent: "What am I here for? I lie high in the sand dune city. There are ancient trees beside the city, and the sound of autumn comes from night to night..." Qian Zhixi until I still clearly remember how bold and unrestrained Mr. Wang was at that time.He thought Mr. would sigh a few words after reciting the poem, but after finishing reciting, Mr. stood up abruptly, and only said one word loudly: "Let's go!"

Qian Zhixi said that the husband is open-minded and free and easy, not at all restrained like ordinary scholars. When looking for students, Chen Yizhen usually does not go upstairs, but is used to shouting their names loudly downstairs. "We can't imitate his generous demeanor. If you ask me to call the students' names downstairs, I won't be able to call them." Qian Zhixi told the reporter with a smile. Xie Mian, a professor at Peking University who called Chen Yizhen a "big brother", also recalled such a situation: this big brother always came to him on a bicycle, usually did not enter the house, and only called his name outside the yard. At that time, he knew that the elder brother must have composed another poem or a picture that he was satisfied with, and he wanted to share this joy with him.

Sometimes the eldest brother would enter the house, and the two would drink tea and taste poems together until the lights dimmed; sometimes he would not enter the house, leaving something for Xie Mian to look at, and then hurried away on his bicycle.Xie Mian said that the elder brother's deeds often reminded him of the "Prince Youju living in Shanyin" in the movie, which has the charm of "walking when you are happy, and returning when you are exhausted". Chen Yizhen likes to recite poems, and he recites them in Hunan dialect according to ancient tunes. This is well-known in the Chinese Department of Peking University. Many students even regard listening to Mr. Chen's poems as a great blessing for entering the Chinese Department.

On Chen Yizhen's business card, only the official title of "Professor of Peking University" is printed, and all other titles are omitted, but the hometown is printed, "from Xinning, Hunan".In Qian Zhixi's view, the husband is quite old-fashioned, and it is reasonable to pay attention to his native place. What kind of demeanor should such a professor be?When Qian Zhixi went to Peking University to take Mr. Chen's doctoral examination, in his original imagination, Mr. Chen should be very chic, with the demeanor of a famous professor like Gu Pansheng, with a bit of wit.After meeting, he found that the gentleman's demeanor was not exactly the one he imagined, the impression of being tall and simple like an elder, even out of his expectation.

Qian Zhixi remembered how many times his husband had sent him out for a visit, and had sent him halfway across the unnamed lake, before waving goodbye at the Boya Tower.While talking to him, the gentleman greeted the acquaintances he met, "He knows so many people, young and old, young and old, and he greets him very warmly, exactly like the old people in the countryside walking in his village. The scene makes people feel extremely human.” During the "Cultural Revolution", teachers from Peking University were sent to Jiangxi's "May 7th" Cadre School.One rainy day, dozens of teachers and students from the teaching reform team took a car from the farm surrounding the lake to Nanchang for teaching practice. Knowing that the embankment was very dangerous, no one dared to take the charge of "survival philosophy" and suggested that the team be brought to Nanchang. go back.As a result, a car overturned under the embankment.When the car was lifted up, a teacher and a classmate were found dead.

The teacher who witnessed the incident later recalled that Chen Yizhen himself was also detained under the car. When he climbed out, he saw the scene of his companion being killed, and he burst into tears facing the vast Poyang Lake. "No scruples, no restraint, the scene was really like a child who lost a loved one. He cried so emotionally, so sincerely, and so contagiously, until now, that cry still lingers in my ears." In his later years, Chen Yizhen's collection of poems was published, and his disciple Ge Xiaoyin was asked to write the preface.Ge Xiaoyin did not directly comment on her husband's creative art, but put what she knew about her character and temperament as the focus of the preface. She thought she understood his mind.When she read the preface to Chen Yizhen, what made her unforgettable was that her husband cried like a child.Ge Xiaoyin then understood, "The depression in Mr.'s heart is actually very deep."