Chapter 14 Bai Cai

Bai Cai I wrote "Bai Cai's Poems" in the midst of the hot summer, and just finished one page, but I put it down due to illness.At this time, Xunyu sent a letter saying that Bai Cai died, and died on the boat from Hong Kong to Shanghai.He is alone; his relics are temporarily stored in Lida Academy.There are manuscripts, poems in old style, notes, correspondence between friends and women, and four packs of women's hair!I reaffirmed Xunyu's beliefs several times, but I was at a loss for a while; I felt that although Bai Cai had nothing to do with life and death, such a death in a boat that was about to reach Wusongkou would be too cruel— — This is embarrassing for the dead after us.

Bai Cai is an unpredictable person.His history, his character, although we can get a little outline from the relics now, but few people knew about him before he was alive;With such a reclusive nature, he was naturally a loner; but we could see that he was a good friend, and that he was a man of heart. "If you don't fight, you can't get to know each other," that's how I got to know Bai Cai.This is for student Li Fang's collection of poems.Li Fang gave me his collection of poems to delete and edit, and asked me to write a preface.At that time I was in Wenzhou and he was in Shanghai.I was busy with work, and it took me half a year to put it aside; and Li Fang died in Shanghai due to an unknown sudden illness.I regretted my delay, and quickly took the time to work for him.Just at this time, Uncle Ping forwarded a letter from Bai Cai, two short lines, urging me to try to publish Li Fang's poems; Look—there are quite a few words that ridicule me.At that time, I felt that I didn't deserve this kind of ridicule, so I wrote a long letter of nearly 2,000 words, detailing the whole incident and defending him.I waited for a reply when I sent the letter; but there was no news.When I had given up hope, he came with a postcard; it seemed to me just a few half-warm words.I can only say, "How can it be as good as you want? But please be worthy of my heart!"

Self-explanation, just listen to it. However, Ping Bo often exchanged letters with him because of the transfer of letters.In letters from Ping Bo, he was repeatedly mentioned, saying that he was an interesting person.Once Ping Bo visited me at White Horse Lake.When I went to Ningbo with him, he showed me Bai Cai's poem "Love of the Sick" on the train.I read it while the body was shaking uncontrollably.I find it very interesting.I then admitted Ping Bo's words, he is an interesting person.I also said to Uncle Ping that his poem seemed to be influenced by Nietzsche.Later, Ping Bo wrote a letter saying that he had confessed to accepting the letter, which he took quite seriously.I also told Uncle Ping that I wanted to write a commentary on this poem; Uncle Ping probably told him as well.Once he suddenly wrote a letter about this matter; he hoped to see my words earlier and let him know what his poems were like in my eyes.I wrote back and promised him that I would do it.We often corresponded later, and he often mentioned this matter.But now it is three years later, and I will finish this article; but he is dead and invisible!His last letter to me before the summer vacation also talked about his hope.God!How can I be worthy of such a friend, how can I redeem my mistakes?

Neither Ping Bo nor I have ever met Bai Cai, and we all felt it was a pity.Once when I was in Shanghai, Uncle Ping went to visit him at No. 5 Xinzhengxing Lane, Ximen Linyin Road: this was according to the mailing address he gave us.But unfortunately, he has moved somewhere nearby; we had to return home without a hitch.No. 5 in Xinzhengxing Lane was once lived by a friend of Mr. Yanling: once talking about Baicai, he said that his surname was Tong, and he was studying in an art school; his wife and Mrs. Yanling were friends, and the Yanling couple once borrowed A pavilion they rented.It was the one I visited when I visited Yanling. The beds, tables and chairs were all painted white; it was a small but extremely clean house, which almost made me forget that it was in the Ximen area of ​​Shanghai.Among the photos he keeps now, as far as I can see, several of them were taken in that room.From his widow, it is inferred that he was not yet divorced at that time; it is not known whether he left No. 5, Xinzhengxingli, or because of the divorce.This makes us think about it afterwards, and it feels somewhat tragic.But Ping Bo didn't see Bai Cai in the end, so I actually had to meet him.It was five minutes before I got ready to board the train to Shanghai at Lida Academy.On this day, a friend from the academy said that Bai Cai was moving in; I had been waiting for a long time since the morning, but there was no news.Just as she was about to board the station, Bai Cai came in from the door.He spoke Jiangxi dialect, and he seemed to be very old, and he looked like he had experienced the changes of the world.Since I still have an appointment in Shanghai, I just had a quick chat and shook hands to say goodbye.He later wrote to Uncle Ping saying that I was "short and sharp", but it was an interesting sentence.This is our first side, but who knows it will be the last side!

At the end of last year, when I was in Beijing, he was going to Jimei to teach; he heard that I wanted to return to the south, so he sent me a small photo because he couldn't wait for me.This is the back view of him standing on the balcony and looking from a distance, he said it was to express his benevolent hope.I got this little shadow, played with it repeatedly and couldn't bear to let it go, I thought he was really a good friend.This time when I came back to Lida Academy, I happened to read "Bai Cai's Novel". The satirical words in "The Son of Poetry" have been deleted; Still in the box.This made me ashamed of my previous conjectures, what a petty person I am!But now that he's dead, what can I do?I just believe that, like Ai Mosheng's words, he is immortal in the hearts of many friends!

Shanghai, Jiangwan, Lida Academy. (Originally published in Issue 2 of "General" No. 10, October 5, 1926)