Chapter 5 The Qinhuai River in the shadow of oars and lights

The Qinhuai River in the Sound of Oars and the Shadow of Lights by Zhu Ziqing One night in August 1923, I traveled the Qinhuai River with Uncle Ping;We hired a "seven boards" and got off the boat when the sun was setting and the moon was coming.So the oars gurgled, and we began to appreciate the taste of the Qinhuai River swaying with rose-colored history. The boats on the Qinhuai River are better than the boats in Beijing's Wanxin Garden and the Summer Palace, better than the boats in the West Lake, and better than the boats in Yangzhou's Slender West Lake.The boats in these places are either stupid, or crude and cramped; none of them can arouse the emotions of the passengers, just like the boats on the Qinhuai River.The boats on the Qinhuai River can be roughly divided into two types: one is a large boat; the other is a small boat, which is the so-called "seven boards".The hatch of the big ship is wide and can accommodate twenty or thirty people.Calligraphy, painting and clean mahogany furniture are displayed inside, and the tables are all inlaid with cold marble surfaces.The panes are quite finely carved, which makes people feel soft and delicate.The panes reflect the red and blue glass; the glass is delicately patterned, which is also quite pleasing to the eye. Although the scale of "Qibanzi" is not as large as that of a big ship, the light blue railings and the spacious cabin are full of human feelings.But the best part is in front of its cabin.The front of the cabin is part of the deck.There is a curved top on the top, and the two sides are supported by sparse railings.There are usually two rattan lounge chairs inside.Lie down, you can chat, you can look into the distance, and you can look at the river houses on both sides.There is also this on the big boat, but it is more clear and meaningful on the small boat.Under the roof in front of the cabin, there are all hung colored lights; the number of lights, the brightness and darkness, the fineness and roughness of the color Su, and the brightness and darkness are all different.But anyway, I will give you a lantern.The lights are really the most attractive thing.When night fell gradually, lights were lit on the big and small boats.The radiating yellow astigmatism reflected from the double panes of glass reflected a hazy haze; through the haze, strands of bright ripples arose in the dark water waves.In this thin mist and slight ripples, listening to the leisurely and intermittent sound of oars, who can not be led into his sweet dreams?I only worry about too many dreams, how can these big and small boats carry them?At this time, we were talking vaguely about the beauty of the Qinhuai River in the late Ming Dynasty, as recorded in Ji Li.We are so fascinated.We seem to have witnessed the scene of the lanterns reflecting the water and the boats floating on the waves.So our ship has become a heavy load of history.We finally realized that the reason why the boats on the Qinhuai River are so elegant and strangely attractive is because of many historical memories.

The water of the Qinhuai River is green and cloudy; it looks thick but not greasy, or is it condensed by the gold powder of the Six Dynasties?When we first boarded the boat, the sky was still dark, and the rippling soft waves were so peaceful and euphemistic, which made us dream of the water and the sky, and at the same time look forward to the world of luxury and gold.When the lights were lit, the sky became darker: the dim water light was like a dream, and the occasionally flickering lights were the eyes of the dream.We sat in front of the cabin, because of the bulging ceiling, it seemed as if we were always walking forward with our heads held high; so we, floating like sailing against the wind, looked at the boats moored comfortably in the bay, and the lanterns in the boats. A person like this is like a lower realm, far away, and like looking at flowers in a fog, all hazy.At this time we have passed the Lishe Bridge, and we can see the East Gate.Intermittent singing was heard along the road: some came from the brothels along the river, and some came from the boats on the river.We know very well that those singing voices are just conventional words, mechanically uttered from raw throats; It was their singing, mixed with the whispers of the breeze and the river.So we have no choice but to be dragged, shocked, and get up and down in this song.Turning around from Dongguantou, you will arrive at Dazhong Bridge soon.There are three bridge arches in the Dazhong Bridge, all of which are wide and big, like three gates; it makes us feel that our boat and us in the boat are really colorless when passing under the bridge.The bridge bricks are dark brown, indicating its long history; but they are all in good condition, which makes people feel overwhelmed by the beauty of ancient engineering.There are houses with wooden walls on both sides of the bridge, should there be a street in the middle?These houses are dilapidated, and the traces of smoke over the years have obscured the beauty of the past.I imagined that when the Qinhuai River was in its heyday, houses were specially built on such a broad bridge, which must have been richly painted and brightly lit at night.Now there is only darkness left!But there are houses built on the bridge, after all, we can somewhat imagine the prosperity of the past;After crossing the Dazhong Bridge, you will arrive at the Qinhuai River where the lights and the moon are shining brightly, and the singing and dancing all night; this is the true face of the Qinhuai River.

Outside the Dazhong Bridge, it is suddenly empty, which is very different from the densely packed houses on both sides of the bridge.At first glance, the sparse forest and the faint moon, against the blue sky, look like a wild river crossing; over there, the groves are thick and gloomy, and there seems to be boundless darkness hidden: it is almost impossible to see. Do not believe that is the bustling Qinhuai River.However, the dizzy lights in the river, the criss-crossing painted boats, the melodious flute rhyme, and the squeaky huqin sound, finally let us know the green Qinhuai water with aging wine.The sky here is more exposed, so we feel that the night comes later; from the clear water shadow, we feel only the thin night—this is the night of the Qinhuai River.In addition to the Dazhong Bridge, there was originally a Fucheng Bridge, which was the end of our wanderings as the boatman said, or the end of the bustling Qinhuai River.My feet once stepped on the ridge of Fucheng Bridge when I was thirteen or fourteen years old.However, I have never seen the Fucheng Bridge during my two visits to the Qinhuai River; I know that there is always a future ahead, but I often feel a little illusory.I think it's better not to see it.It was midsummer at this time.After we got off the boat, the summer heat has gradually dissipated thanks to the fresh evening coolness and the breeze on the river; when we arrived here, it suddenly became clearer, and our bodies suddenly became lighter—the gentle breeze was blowing on our faces, hands, and clothes. I felt a new coolness.The sunlight in Nanjing is probably not as intense as in Hangzhou; summer nights in West Lake are always hot and the water seems to be boiling, but the water in the Qinhuai River is always cold and green.The flickering of your figures and the disturbance of your singing voices always seem to be separated by a thin layer of green veil; it is so quiet and coldly green.We got out of the Dazhong Bridge and couldn't walk half a mile, so the boatman rowed the boat aside, stopped the oars and let it hang.He thought that it was the pinnacle of prosperity, and it would be desolate if it went there; so let us appreciate it for a while.He himself squatted quietly.He is used to seeing this situation, it is probably just a matter of nothing.There is nothing wrong with this, whether it is rising or sinking, in short, they are all higher than us.

At that time, the river was very lively; most of the boats were moored, and the rest seemed to shuttle back and forth on the water.The moored ones are all on the side near the city, and our ship is naturally caught in it.Because this side is slightly crowded, it feels very sparse over there.As each ship passes by, we can draw its gentle shadow and its twisting waves on our hearts; it is obviously empty, and obviously still.At that time, there were singing and shrill huqin sounds everywhere, and there were indeed very few round throats.But the jerky, crisp tone can make people feel youthful and rough, and it is just what we want.What's more, listening to it from a distance, because of imagination and longing for beauty, I always feel that it is more enjoyable; while the noise of competition, the uneven rhythm, the chaos of near and far, and the noisy rhythm of musical instruments combine to form another meaning. The homonym of " also makes us at a loss, like walking with the strong wind.This is actually because our hearts have been dry for a long time and become fragile; so if we moisten them occasionally, we will become crazy and unable to control ourselves.But the Qinhuai River is indeed boring.Just like the faces of people in a boat, no matter whether they are moored with us or pass by our eyes, they are always blurred or even vague; let your eyes widen and wipe them clean. Canthus dirt, also in vain.This is really enough to think about.Where we were moored, there were many lights; but these lights were all yellow and hazy.Huang couldn't comprehend anymore, and he was dizzy, which made it even worse.The more lights there are, the worse the dizziness will be; in the star-like yellow interlacing, the Qinhuai River seems to be shrouded in a cloud of light and mist.Dizzy with light and mist, everything is only the outline; so the detailed curves of the human face disappear in our eyes.But after all, the lights can't take away the moonlight over there; the lights are muddy, and the moonlight is clear. In the muddy lights, a school of brilliance seeps into it, but it's really a miracle!That night, Yue'er had lost two or three points of weight.She put on her evening make-up, and put on the willow twigs gracefully.The sky is so lovely blue, like a puddle of water; Yue'er is even more energetic.There were three or two weeping poplar trees on the bank, their pale shadows swaying in the water.Their slender branches are bathed in the moonlight, like the arms of beautiful women, entwined and held alternately; and like the hair of the moon.And Yue'er occasionally peeped at us from their intersection, looking like a shy little girl.There are also a few unknown old trees on the shore, standing bare; shining in the moonlight.But he seems to be a hale and hearty old man.In the distance—almost to the skyline, there are only one or two white clouds, which are so bright that they look like beautiful shells.Under the white clouds is a dark outline; it is a random and irregular curve.This section of scenery is quite different from the flavor in the river.But the lamp and the moon can coexist and blend together, making the moon a lingering moon, and the lamp shines on Miaomei's spirit; this is why the sky is so thick with the Qinhuai River, and it is also why the sky is so kind to us.

At this time, they encountered a difficult dispute.There used to be a kind of singing prostitute on the Qinhuai River, who used singing as a profession.I used to be on the tea boat, singing some big songs and the like.It starts at one o'clock in the afternoon every day; when it stops, I forget.There is also one time at night.Also in the yellow light.When I was in Nanjing, I went to listen to it twice with my friends.Because there were too many people's faces in the tea boat, I felt uncomfortable, and finally couldn't tell why.The year before last, I heard that singing girls were outlawed. For some reason, I thought about it a few times - but couldn't think of anything.This time when I came to Nanjing, I first went to the tea boat to have a look. I felt quite lonely, which made me feel melancholy for no reason.Unexpectedly, they were still struggling in the Qinhuai River. Unexpectedly, they would pester us, so I was very flustered.They also ride the "seven boards", and they always sit in the front of the cabin.Petroleum gas lamps are lit in front of the cabin, and the light is dazzling: those who sit below can naturally see every detail—the power to lure the guests is also here.The musicians and others were hiding in the cabin, squirming in the afterglow of the gas lamps; they were never noticed.There are about two singing girls in each boat; it gets dark.Their boats go back and forth outside the Dazhong Bridge for business.No matter the boats in motion or at anchor, they all come to solicit.This is what I figured out later.Somehow that night, suddenly it was our ship's turn.Our boat came to a good stop, and a singing boat was rowing towards us; it gradually came abreast with our boat.The shimmering light made us frown; it revealed all our life and dust, which made me hesitate.At that time, a clerk came across the boat, took an open songbook, stuffed it into my hand, and said, "Let's order a few!"There seemed to be many eyes on our boat as he stepped over.At the same time, there seemed to be many piercing eyes looking at our ship on other nearby ships.I'm so embarrassed!I also pretended to be generous and glanced at the singing girls, but it was impossible!I reluctantly flipped through the song, but I couldn't read a few words clearly; I hurriedly handed it back to the guy, saying embarrassedly, "No, we... don't want it." He handed it to Uncle Ping.Ping Bo turned his head, waved his hands and said, "No!" The man was still tired of leaving.Ping Bo turned around again, shook his head and said, "No!" Then the man came back to me.I was embarrassed to refuse him again.He walked away with disdain.My heart immediately let go, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.We started confessing.

I said that I was oppressed by the moral law and rejected them; I seemed very sorry in my heart.This so-called sorry, on the one hand to them, and on the other hand to myself.Although they do not have extravagant hopes for us, there is always some hope.We have bruised their hopes by rejecting them, however good the reasons, and there is something unbeautiful about it.This is what I feel very sad about.As for myself, there is a sense of inadequacy.At this time, I was tempted by the singing sounds from all around me, and I surrendered; but far away, the singing sounds from far away always seemed to be scratching the itching through heavy clothes, and the more I scratched, the less itchy.So I was looking forward to the wonderful sound that sticks to my ears.When the singing boat came, my yearning turned into hope; I was looking forward stubbornly, like hunger and thirst.Although from superficial experience, it can be inferred that the sweet singing will strip away all the beauty; but for an ordinary person like me, who would use the power of reason to uglify the future?I'd rather be lied to myself.But my social sensibility is very keen; my mind can tear through the diorama of moral law, but my emotions are finally overwhelmed by it, and I have scruples, especially when it is obvious to everyone.The power of the moral law is originally endowed by the people; in front of the people, it naturally shows its majesty even more.At this time, I was looking forward to it, but on the other hand, I felt two prohibitions: first, in the popular sense, approaching prostitutes is an improper behavior; second, prostitution is an unsound profession, and we should treat them If you have a heart of mourning but not joy, you should not listen to their songs for fun.These two thoughts are most vigorous in my mind under the eyes of everyone.They temporarily overwhelmed my desire to listen to the song, which made my gray rejection.At that time, my heart was in an abnormal state, and I felt quite confused.The singing boat has gone, and after a moment of peace, my thoughts are surging again.Two opposite ideas kept coming back and forth in my mind: Selling songs is different from prostitution, listening to songs is different from prostitution, and what is the moral thing? ——But, but, since they are forced to sing as a profession, their songs must have no artistic taste; let alone their life experiences, we should sympathize with them after all.So it's okay to refuse.But these meanings finally never put aside my desire to listen to the song.It is very strong; it always wants to trample other thoughts under its feet.From this heavy battle, I feel a strong sense of inadequacy.This feeling of insufficiency made my heart feel restless, and I couldn't even sit and sit at peace.well!I admit that I am a selfish person!Ping Bo is different from me.He quoted Mr. Zhou Qiming's poem, "Because I have a wife, I love all women, and because I have children, I love all children."①

①The original poem is, "I love children for the sake of my children, and women for the sake of my wife", see page 48 of "Xue Chao". His meaning can be seen.Because of his sympathy, love and respect for those singing girls, he rejected them.Under such circumstances, he naturally thought listening to the song was an insult to them.But he also wanted to listen to music, although he was not the same as me, so of course there was a little battle in his heart; the result of the battle was that sympathy won.As for the moral law, he has nothing to do with it; for he has a tendency to disdain everything, and the power of the masses is not very apparent to him.At this time, his mental activity was relatively simple and weak, and he was still at ease after the story; but I couldn't.Here Ping Bo is taller than me again.

In the middle of our conversation, two more singing boats came.The buddy asked us to order a show as before, but we refused as before.I was embarrassed three times, and my uneasiness was even worse.The bright night view is also detracted from it.The boatman urged us to go back probably because he had to catch up with the second business trip; we agreed without any other choice.We gradually moved away from those hazy yellow lights, only some moonlight followed us back to the boat desertedly.Our boat has no companion, the night is long on the Qinhuai River!When we got near the Dazhong Bridge, we met an incoming boat.This is a board boat carrying prostitutes, pitch black without any light.A prostitute was sitting on the bow; she could see in private that she was wearing a white shirt with small flowers and a black bottom.She was playing the huqin in her hand, and she was singing the tune of Qingshan.She sang loudly and roundly; when her ship sailed past like an arrow, the lingering sound still lingered in our ears, making us listen and yearn for it.Unexpectedly, in Numo's wanderings, he could still appreciate such Qingge!At this time, the boat passed the Dazhong Bridge, and the dense water shadow, like the darkness with its huge mouth open, was about to swallow our boat. We looked back at the faint yellow light, and couldn't bear the feeling of attachment; we felt lonely!This section of the place is very dark at night, and the lights at both ends are inviting; needless to say the lights outside the bridge, there are sparse lights at the East Gate after crossing the bridge.We suddenly looked up and saw Yiren's Suyue, and we regretted coming back too early!After passing the East Gate, there are one or two big boats moored in the bay, and several boats are coming to us.The hustle and bustle of singing and human language seemed to laugh at our lonely boat without companions.Turning the bay at the East Gate, the night on the river is getting darker; in the brothels facing the water, there are streaks of light from time to time through the cracks in the curtains; it seems that the darkness has blinked from a deep sleep.We faced each other silently, listening to the gurgling oars, almost falling asleep; in the dimness, we were looking for the aftertaste of prosperity just now.My restless heart became more and more active in the stillness!At this time, we all have a sense of inadequacy, but mine is even stronger.We just don't want to go back, so we can only feel regretful and disappointed.The boat was full of sorrow.It wasn't until the slightly noisy human voices under the Lishe Bridge that I was surprised; the scene was different.In the river houses on the right bank, the windows are wide open, and there are flickering electric lights inside. The light from the electric lights shines on the water, winding and twinkling, like the arms of a dancing fairy.In her arms is our boat; As in a cradle, When we are weary, we sleep.The figure under the electric light only feels like an ant, let alone thinking about it.This is the last dream; pity the shortest dream!Darkness fell repeatedly in front of us, and we saw one or two dull, wobbly lights of empty ships on the shore.Our dreams awoke, and we knew we were going ashore; our hearts were filled with disillusionment.

Completed on October 11, 1923, in Wenzhou. (Originally published in the 20th Anniversary Issue of "Oriental Miscellany", Volume 21, No. 2, January 25, 1924)