Chapter 90 A Different Version of Qi Rushan's Tale

I have been in university libraries in the United States, as well as those in Hong Kong.On the eve of my return to China, the library of the university where I lived was using light "carts" to transport books in large quantities. When I read it, it was the "Siku Quanshu" printed in Taiwan. There are many big bookshelves to receive this big book.Booksellers and publishers in Taiwan spared no expense in promoting American universities. The various bibliographies I saw in the office of the director of the Chinese Department are countless, not only rich in content, but also compiled and lectured. Exquisite, Chinese and English are always used in parallel, and besides the Taiwan dollar price, there must be a US dollar price at the same time.I saw it, and was secretly surprised.I wanted to find a similar bibliographic advertisement in the mainland publishing industry, but I couldn't find any.I really feel something in my heart.

The books printed in Taiwan are of high quality and the price is considerable.American universities are rich in buying books.Therefore, Taiwan bookstores only earn this amount of money every year, which is not a small amount.Books printed in Taiwan, such as a large set of books, have everything that one expects to find at any cost, and it is extremely convenient to use.For example, if I want to read "Kangxi Imperial Anthology" in China, it will take a lot of trouble!But there, it's all within reach.How much time and energy can be saved by doing some learning?Such a cultural account, I wonder if anyone has calculated it?

There, I have the "privilege" to go in and out of the library and check books by myself.That's all "open shelf", out of reach.Huge hall, countless tables and chairs, can do work.Recently, I saw in the newspaper that there was a fake "professor" who stole books from various libraries!Really worthy of a piece of news.I remember that we also had a "famous scholar" who stole and sold books and was discovered later.It can be seen that "scandal" does not distinguish between Chinese and foreign. The bookshelf is full of books from Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and other places, and there are also books from the mainland, but there are very few of them. Standing in the "book team", it will inevitably be "eclipsed".Coming from mainland China, I have a different feeling in my heart.

Books in Taiwan are often multi-volume in large sets.The first time I visited the warehouse, I saw "The Complete Works of Qi Rushan", more than ten huge volumes, which were dazzling and eye-catching.At that time, I felt that I was too ignorant.Secret words in my heart: what?There are so many works!I don't know at all! When I was at Yenching University in the 1940s, I wrote a letter with Mr. Qi Rushan to discuss "Blowing Tune" and "The Story of the Horse Trader Qi Shuanghui".I don't know much about Mr. Qi, except that he is the founder of the National Drama Society, who assisted Mei Lanfang in writing scripts, and is a learned man.Decades later, it became known that he was well-known overseas and that his writings were extremely rich.

But I don't have the time or the vision to watch his complete works, and I always have regrets in my heart.Recently, I suddenly received a book from Peking University. When I opened it, it was actually "The Memoirs of Qi Rushan".At the end of the volume, there is the first paragraph that was gifted to me, but the second paragraph is printed in regular script. The printed text is "a gift from Mr. Rushan's children". Revisited the scenes I had noted above. It turns out that this is the tenth volume of Mr. Qi's complete works, a separate edition rearranged by Beijing Baowentang.Looking at the preface, we know that after Mr. Qi arrived in Taiwan, he had already written two million words by the time he celebrated his birthday in his eighties.This memoir is his autobiography, and there are only about 300,000 words in it.From his family background, childhood life to his writing this book.

Mr. Qi is a native of Gaoyang, Hebei Province.Gaoyang is an amazing place. In the north, all kinds of arts, such as drama, drums and calligraphy, play an important role in Gaoyang.I don't need to go into details about the old "Kunyi Troupe". I caught up with its last "golden age" in Tianjin when I was in my 20s and 30s. Those few outstanding talents, such as Hao Zhenji (Laosheng, Wusheng), Hou Yilong (Jing), Hou Yongkui (Wusheng), Han Shichang (Dan), Bai Yunsheng (Xiaosheng), it is simply "this song should only exist in the sky", how can it be compared with today's young people? unimaginable!This place produces talents, which makes me respect.I have a special feeling for the talents of Hebei Province as "a fellow countryman".Naturally, some people may think it is "earth".But Mr. Qi is also famous overseas, so I don't know if he can bring a little "foreign" air to Gao Yang.

Coincidentally, not long ago, Huang Shang, an old classmate of Nankai Middle School, sent a special letter, saying that he found a story about the secret version of the Red Chamber in this book, and he urgently recorded it to me.For this reason, I am different from the general attention to this book. Mr. Qi recorded this past event, the text is not long, and it is quoted as follows: "In the past ten years of Guangxu, the first emperor was in charge of Tangyin Academy in Yizhou. There was Mr. Zhang from Baima Village, Laishui County, who gave a dream of Red Mansions. Its ending That is, Jia Baoyu and Shi Xiangyun became husband and wife, but they both begged for food. This book was later taken away. It has been sixty years, and it has never been found again. I always think it is a pity." (See page 242) I think this passage It's really emotional.There are already more than a dozen of this variant version of Dream of Red Mansions, only from my personal collection of written and historical materials. I never imagined that Mr. Qi had seen this variant version before.Although some people still have doubts about the existence of this book, the records of more than a dozen schools from different periods from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China are all in unison. It is hard to say that they are "joint rumor-mongering factions", right?But I didn't expect this kind of book to appear in Laishui area of ​​Yizhou, Hebei.It is worth paying attention to. (There is a rumor that Cao Xueqin taught in Yuxian County.) It seems that there is still hope for the discovery of the rare editions of the Red Chamber, which were exiled in the world and survived a hundred disasters.

In recent years, Sichuan, Hubei and other places have spread news that some people have indeed seen a different version of the Red Chamber, and even the title of the book is not the same as the handed down one.The collectors are obviously still alive, but for various reasons, they have "sealed their mouths", that is, they do not admit that there are books, and they refuse to take them to show others.Some people who want to "digging for treasure" are helpless, the clue has been hanging in the air, seemingly broken, and the book is naturally "unattainable".Perhaps this is due to the poor work and improper style of those who seek books?It's amazing to think about.

Later, by chance, I heard that there is a rare edition of the Red Chamber in Wuqing, Tianjin. The specifications are different from what is commonly seen in the world.This book was copied from a large family and has not been destroyed. During the "Cultural Revolution", the witnesses and custodians of the working cadres and comrades in the area are all alive and well, and the witness testimony is conclusive. After I heard about it, I was really indescribably happy, because of what?Because if we find that this banknote is indeed valuable after appraisal, then the conclusion is: since 1961, the Beijing Library has collected a "Mongolian King's Mansion Edition" (covered in yellow silk, dedicated to Zhu Silan). It has been 30 years since "Story of the Stone" was sewn on banknotes and book paper), and there has never been another half-page ancient version of "Dream of Red Mansions" in any province, county or city.If we in Tianjin are the first to find the above-mentioned book and present it to the people of the country, it will be a great achievement and honor for all Tianjin people!The whole world will be watching and admiring.

I heard that many comrades are working hard on this matter.As a native of Tianjin, I sincerely wish them success in their work and search, and that this rare book will be included in the treasure house of Chinese culture as soon as possible, and it will shine brightly—then let me say something stupid for scholars who are not afraid of being laughed at: Tianjin is to build a special book for this book. "Saffron Small Pavilion" is not too much.In this pavilion, this "Tianjin Version" is kept, and all comrades who have contributed to this matter are recorded. 1990