Chapter 19 Section 1 Abandoning Peking University and Joining the Cabinet

On the second day after Japan officially surrendered, Zhu Jiahua, Minister of Education of the Nationalist Government and Acting Director of Academia Sinica, talked to Fu Sinian and asked him to be the president of Peking University to prepare for the demobilization of Peking University. (Southern Press: At that time, Zhu had gone to the Kuomintang Central Organization Minister to be the Minister of Education) At the same time, he promised that the Institute of History and Philology of the Academia Sinica, which Fu Sinian started as a base and base camp, would still be firmly held by Fu himself, and no one else would be allowed to Get involved.Zhu Jiahua finally emphasized that this decision is not only the Ministry of Education and the Executive Yuan, but also Jie Gong's will.

As early as May 31, 1945, on the eve of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Standing Committee of the First Plenum of the KMT Central Committee announced the resignation of President Chiang Kai-shek and Vice President Kong Xiangxi of the Executive Yuan.Song Ziwen was selected as the executive president, and Weng Wenhao was appointed as the vice president, and was ordered to form a cabinet.Since Song Ziwen and Jiang Menglin, then member of the Standing Committee of the Southwest Associated University and President of Peking University, were both prominent figures in the faction studying in the United States, and the two had a close relationship, Song Bian appointed Jiang Menglin as the Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan.With the help of Weng Wenhao and the collusion and bewitching of his wife Tao Zenggu, Jiang Menglin readily agreed, and agreed to take office in June.

At that time, Jiang Menglin was investigating education in the United States and purchasing and negotiating teaching equipment and books. At the same time, he was looking for a group of new professors to prepare for the reconstruction of Peking University that was about to be successfully demobilized.Unexpectedly, the books and equipment were not in hand, and the person to be hired did not see a shadow, but he abandoned Peking University and became a government bureaucrat.Not only did this decision not be discussed with Peking University colleagues beforehand, nor did they write to Peking University professors afterwards to explain it.What's even more outrageous is that when Jiang returned from the United States, he passed through Kunming and flew directly to Chongqing without getting off the plane to take a look at the United Nations General Assembly.It was not until the end of June that Jiang Menglin wrote a letter to Zheng Tianting, a professor of history at Peking University and secretary-general of the school, explaining that he was an official in the Executive Yuan, and that he "can still serve as the president of Peking University." Acting for Mr. Peking University affairs, I would like to ask you to work too hard" and other words. This unnatural move immediately aroused strong dissatisfaction among the professors of Peking University. Zhou Binglin, the dean of the law school, was particularly indignant about this matter, and she was very impulsive, and scolded Jiang Menglin for being inhumane and injustice , ruthless and unjust, a typical bastard.Zheng Tianting, who received the letter, also said angrily to Zhou Binglin: "If this happened, it would be too humiliating, not only (Jiang Menglin)'s personal shame, but also the school's shame."He also said: "(Jiang) If the teacher agrees with him, his status in the education field will be completely cleared in his life!" In the eyes of professors such as Zheng Tianting, Jiang Menglin is a rare heavyweight or even a master figure among scholars in the world. It is really incomprehensible and sad that some people abandoned Peking University and became a helper under the Song family when the Anti-Japanese War was victorious.But Jiang Menglin didn't take it seriously, and continued to go his own way. In Jiang's view, the reason why he made such a choice was really a last resort.

Jiang Menglin was born in Jiangcun, Qiantang River, Yuyao, Zhejiang in 1886. His original name was Mengxiong, his courtesy name was Zhaoxian, and his nickname was Menglin.According to Jiang Menglin's explanation in his autobiography, the ancestor of the surname Jiang was the third son of Duke Zhou who replaced King Cheng as regent. He was entrusted to a small place called "Jiang" in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin. Before the 3rd century, a branch of the Chiang family moved to the Yangtze River basin, so there was a saying that Jiangnan had no two Jiangs.According to Jiang's family tree, the ancestors of Jiang Menglin moved from Huizhou to Fenghua, Zhejiang at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and then moved from Fenghua to Yuyao to settle down and multiplied. He has always been respected and cared for by Chiang Kai-shek, and has a little relationship with the two of them.

Jiang Menglin studied in a private school in Jiangcun, Yuyao, his hometown when he was young. He entered Shaoxing Chinese and Western School at the age of 12 and began to learn foreign languages ​​and scientific knowledge.Later, he took part in the imperial examination in his hometown and won the title of scholar. In August 1908, he went to study in the United States, and entered the University of California in February of the following year. He first studied agriculture and then transferred to education. After graduating from the University of California in 1912, he went to the Graduate School of Columbia University in New York to study philosophy and education under the tutelage of John Dewey, three years before his fellow Hu Shi entered the school. When Jiang graduated in 1917, Hu Shi also finished his studies at Columbia University and was about to leave.The difference between the two is that in May of this year, Hu Shi was "face ashes" in the defense field, foaming at the mouth, and almost passed out on the ground, and he never passed the last ghost gate.And Dewey, the old man who was sitting in the hall and was in charge of signing ghost records, just stroked his gray beard and pretended to be confused, and didn't pay attention to the yellow-skinned "Chinaman" in front of him at all.The young Hu Shi smashed his halberd into the sand, burst into tears, had no choice but to pack up his bed, left Columbia University with hatred, and returned to the east with a blushed face.In March of this year, Jiang Menglin jumped on a horse and raised a gun in the defense field of Columbia University. The school's doctorate in philosophy and education, you're done.Hu Shi, who graduated from the same division at the same time, received a doctorate from the school 10 years later than Jiang Menglin, and Hu Shi sat on the chair of the president of Peking University 17 years later than Jiang Menglin.

It is said that Jiang Menglin left Columbia University whistling on his back carrying a blanket that had accompanied him for nine years studying abroad, which shows that he is chic and proud.Chiang met Sun Yat-sen when he was studying in the United States, and served as the editor-in-chief of the revolutionary newspaper "Datong Daily" directed by Sun Yat-sen in San Francisco.Because of this relationship, after returning to China, Jiang first served as the secretary of the interim president Sun Yat-sen, helping Sun write "Industrial Plan" and other articles, during which time he met many important figures of the Kuomintang.After the outbreak of the May 4th Movement, Cai Yuanpei resigned and left, and Jiang Menglin became the acting president of Peking University (Note: During Cai Yuanpei's tenure as president, Jiang served as the chief of affairs for a long time and acted as the president three times).At that time, Sun Yat-sen wrote to Jiang Menglin, in which there were sentences such as "lead three thousand children to participate in the revolution", and placed high hopes on Jiang.Because of this turmoil, Jiang Menglin served as a member of the Zhejiang Provincial Government, Director of Education, and President of Zhejiang University in 1927, and later became the first Minister of Education of the Nanjing National Government after the successful Northern Expedition of the Kuomintang. In 1930, due to disagreements with several veterans of the Kuomintang, Jiang resigned from his ministerial position and became the president of Peking University. He duly put forward the slogan of "professors study, students study, staff manage affairs, and the principal manages the school".Despite the war, Jiang Menglin's teaching and research level at Peking University has been greatly improved during his tenure. Until the eighth year of Southwest Associated University, he has made many achievements and is generally respected by the academic circle.

This time Jiang Menglin resigned resolutely as the president of Peking University and entered the Song cabinet, which puzzled Zheng Tianting and other Peking University professors.The rank of Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan is equivalent to that of a deputy minister. Before the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1935, Weng Wenhao and Jiang Tingfu, friends of Jiang Menglin and Zheng Tianting, quit their studies and became the Secretary-General and Director of Political Affairs of the Executive Yuan respectively.According to Jiang Tingfu's explanation: "The Executive Yuan is the highest administrative unit in China. Since Chairman Jiang is also the president, he needs secretaries to assist him. The secretaries are divided into two parts: one is headed by the secretary-general, and there are ten secretaries under it. The other Some of them are headed by the Chief of Political Affairs, and there are ten counselors. In theory, the Secretary-General assists the President in carrying out government affairs, while the Chief of Administrative Affairs formulates policies for the President. In other words, one must pay attention to laws and practices First, we must pay attention to the effect of administration. Although this is the theory, in fact the two parts of the staff work together.” He also said: “All major affairs of the central ministries, provinces and special cities must be approved by the Executive Yuan, and each The official documents of ministers, provincial chairmen and mayors of special cities must be submitted to the President of the Executive Yuan. Secretarial staff must help the President handle these affairs and share the work on his behalf. The official documents are often read to the President by the Secretary-General or the Director. Especially important The incident should be summarized for the president. The secretary-general and the director of political affairs are both of the rank of deputy ministers, and they can both attend the court meeting." It was because of the examples of Weng Wenhao and Jiang Tingfu that Zheng Tianting felt that Jiang Menglin's choice was so incredible.According to Zheng, Jiang Menglin served as the first Minister of Education of the Nationalist Government more than ten years ago if he was greedy for fame and fame, and he can be regarded as a high-ranking official.Now at the age of 60, the social status and influence of the president of Peking University is not low. Why bow down to the staff of Song Ziwen, the dean of the country's tyrant who is hated by everyone in the country?When the gray-haired Jiang Menglin bowed his head and carefully read the document to a late Song Ziwen who was almost ten years younger than himself, how could he feel so emotional?This move really echoed the famous saying of Mencius, "People must insult themselves before others insult them." Faced with such a muddled choice by Jiang Menglin, Zheng Tianting believed that "it is not appropriate to be a teacher."He also sent a letter to Tao Zenggu, Jiang Menglin's former secretary and later his wife, expressing his intentions, and asked him to tell Jiang not to disregard the honor and disgrace of his reputation. .But the other party refused to listen to dissuasion and insisted on going his own way.Under such circumstances, Peking University colleagues called Fu Sinian to make a final effort to speak to Jiang through public and private friendship.According to Fu Sinian's charisma and friendship with Jiang, maybe he can turn the tide.

Jiang and Fu met after the May 4th Movement in 1919. At that time, Fu had just graduated but was still living in Xizhai, Peking University. Jiang returned to Beijing from the south to succeed Cai Yuanpei as acting president of Peking University.Fu Sinian, who was "obese and wore a blue cloth coat", "discussed the ins and outs of the May 4th Movement" to the acting principal, and soon left Peiping to return to Shandong, and then went abroad. In 1922, Jiang and Fu met again in England and had a heart-to-heart conversation.After Fu returned to the country and became the director of the Institute of History and Philology of the Academia Sinica, there were more opportunities to meet each other, and the relationship between the two became closer.Jiang Menglin once recalled: "When I returned to Peking University in 1930, Meng Zhen moved to Beiping because of the Institute of History, and also worked in Beiping. After the September 18th Incident, Beiping was in troubled times. The "consultants" are Shizhi and Meng Zhen. No matter big or small, they consulted with them. They invited many famous domestic professors on behalf of Peking University. It's really too big." It was because of such an unusual relationship that Fu Sinian dared to stop him with a mixture of love and hatred.Unexpectedly, Jiang Menglin didn't give him face because he was still unable to recover, and Fu Sinian was ashamed.In this regard, Fu said in a letter to Hu Shi: "The matter of Peking University was caused by Mr. Meng Lin (Menglin) getting up in the Executive Yuan. He has not had a good relationship with the professors of Peking University in recent years. It is always Ms. Tao Zenggu. The mentality in everyone's mind is that there is no hope for Peking University. I have talked with Mr. Meng Lin (Menglin) many times about this matter. He always said that there is no way out under the situation of the UNGA, and everything depends on the future. He also said: "I tried my best to persuade him many times, but it only made Tao Zhi unhappy. He promised Song to go to the Executive Yuan, and never discussed it with anyone in Peking University beforehand. The plane that passed through Kunming did not stop), I advised him to go back and take a look, but he failed. So the colleagues in Kunming quarreled." This quarrel was not a big deal, and it aroused the indignation of more professors.At the end of the month, Peking University held a meeting of professors to discuss it. Most of the professors argued that since President Jiang wanted to become a senior official in the government center, it was a matter of "it was going to rain, and my mother was going to get married." ", the president of a university is not allowed to concurrently hold other official positions in the government, that is to say, since Jiang Menglin has taken the chair of the Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan, he cannot continue to serve as the president of Peking University.After conveying this opinion to Jiang Menglin and Minister of Education Zhu Jiahua through Fu Sinian, Jiang remained indifferent. At first he had a very good attitude towards Fu, but later he gradually took precautions. The feeling of rivalry between the department and all Peking University teachers and students.Fu saw that the other party was sitting on a sedan chair like a dog - he didn't know how to praise him, and thought that these abnormal behaviors were "Tao Zenggu's tricks".In a fit of rage, he no longer cared about the friendship between teachers and friends, and began to encourage Zhu Jiahua to simply do one thing and not stop. He immediately dismissed Jiang Menglin as the president of Peking University and ordered him to hand over his seal.If the other party is quite sensible, I still try to let Jiang resign voluntarily, so as to save a little face in front of Peking teachers and students.After hearing this, Zhu Jiahua believed that this plan was feasible, so he joined forces with Fu Sinian to encircle and encircle him. Jiang Menglin had no choice but to part with him, and made a clean break with Peking University.

The reason why Jiang Menglin made a choice that puzzled most of his colleagues and even seemed "shameful" to everyone had his own ideas and reasons.The so-called human heart is separated from the belly, and each knows the cold and warm.Although Fu Sinian, Zheng Tianting and others have worked with Jiang Menglin for many years, they don't know enough about Jiang's deep thinking and character.In Fu Sinian's view, the reason why Jiang made such a choice that he thought was wise but was actually confused had a lot to do with his young and new wife Tao Zenggu's behind the scenes, because this coquettish, coquettish and vanity-loving former educator Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has always believed that the luxurious life of high-ranking officials is the life of the real rich, and other occupations are of the lowly generation, and the president of Peking University is also in this category.Therefore, Tao Zenggu, who is already a middle-aged woman, "loves foreigners", during his short-term residence in Kunming, he often organized beautiful girls from Southwest Associated University and Yunnan University to dance with American officers in clubs in the name of condolences to the Allied forces. The price of $4 per hour was charged, and the result was a lot of trouble, which was widely criticized by the academic circles and the public.Because of these "previous records", Fu Sinian clearly believed that Tao Zenggu had made a very bad "contribution" to the issue of Jiang Menglin's resignation as president of Peking University in his letter to Hu Shih.

Fu Sinian's statement naturally contained dissatisfaction with Tao Xuniang, and he was a little bit of a way to vent his anger, but considering the situation at the time, it seemed owed to attribute all Jiang's wishes to this half-aged Xuniang. fair.Even though Tao Zenggu has thousands of styles, all kinds of charms, and thousands of hearts of arrogance, extravagance and lust, as long as Jiang Menglin remains unmoved, she can only stare helplessly.It's just that Jiang's body bent by itself first, so it's no wonder that Tao Xuniang took advantage of the situation and kicked her, completely turning her upside down.From a psychological point of view, Jiang Menglin's "ridiculous" move to resign as president of Peking University and enter the cabinet has its own more complicated and deep-seated reasons, which can be traced back to his childhood life.The enlightenment given to mankind by historical experience is that a person's childhood life and the seeds sown in his mind will affect his character, thoughts, career and future throughout his life.For this proposition, the German psychologist Freud studied in more in-depth and subtle ways.According to Freund's infant sexuality theory, the first few years of life completely determine his life, and the personality traits and mental and emotional problems after adulthood are closely related to the experiences of several stages in childhood.This is true for Lu Xun, a "Shaoxing native" (Jiang Menglin's language), and Jiang Menglin, the son of a rural rich man who is "a lowly figure" (Lu Xun's language) and an educator of a generation, is no exception.

Like most Chinese scholars, Jiang Menglin was educated in a private school in his childhood. He recited it at the age of 5, and later began to study the Four Books and Five Classics.According to his autobiography, at that time, the family school was too limited, and he skipped class to go home. Later, the teacher took advantage of the situation and explained the subtleties of the text, the feelings of family and country in a targeted manner. Only then did he gradually understand the principles of life from the Four Books and Five Classics. Some hazy ideals of self-cultivation, family harmony, patriotism, and peace of the world.Although young Jiang Menglin felt that memorizing ancient books was boring and stupid, but when he reached adulthood, he could often find a compass to live in the world from the ancient books he had memorized.And during the period from adolescence to youth, when he saw and realized that most of the scholars, celebrities, and dignitaries, most of them finally met the prosperity of life after several years of hard study, he was very concerned about his future. Also full of infinite hope. Maxims such as "Those who endure hardships are the ones who are superior to others", "The son of heaven values ​​heroes, and articles teach you. All things are inferior, only reading is high", "Others have swords, but I have a pen like a knife" and other mottos drive young people. Jiang Menglin strenuously strides forward on the road of learning, and his form is "just like the fragrance in the air in early spring attracts a lazy horse to the green grassland".Jiang Menglin, who had achieved success in his studies, decided to take the imperial examination in order to gamble on his life's prosperity.Under the guidance of this idea, he walked into Shaoxing Chinese and Western School and Zhejiang Higher School with his head held high. After graduation, he took part in the county examination. solid foundation.In addition to the infiltration of the above gentleman's way, there is also an accidental event that is not known to outsiders.This event played an extremely important role in the turning point of Jiang's fate, and it has been with him for a lifetime.Many years later, Jiang explained this secret story in detail in his autobiography "Western Tide": "There is an official reception pavilion on the bank of the Yao River outside Yuyao City, my hometown, which is available in every county. If The county magistrate is here to greet senior officials who are passing through the border. One afternoon about 60 years ago, I found a large crowd gathered near the pavilion. I hurried over to have a look, and it turned out that everyone was watching Xuetai and his entourage. Disembarked, some went ashore. This student was preparing to go to Ningbo to preside over the county examination. The day before, the county magistrate had 'grabbed' several large boats from the common people, and the boat specially prepared for this student was loaded with several supercars. Sealed boxes, as for what’s in the box, only those who handle it will know.” Then he said: “I watched from a distance and waited for the party to change ships, and I stepped on the most gorgeous one, and then this one carried The small fleet of bureaucrats and bad rules and gifts sailed to Ningbo along the ebb tide. That kind of grandeur gave me the feeling of "a man should be like this". I said in my heart that I must study hard from now on so that one day I will be able to Be a learning platform and enjoy the mysterious gift sealed in the box." It was this mysterious and fascinating scene that planted the seed of "a man should be like this" in Jiang Menglin's young mind. This seed urged him to work hard in both studies and career. He ascended to a throne of power even more prominent than that school platform.In the long years since then, this seed has been accompanied by Jiang's body and mind, lingering, and slowly taking root, sprouting, blooming, and bearing fruit.Today, Jiang Menglin's abandonment of Peking University to join the government cabinet is precisely the occasion for this seed to bloom twice and bloom and bear fruit in due course. It can be said that Jiang Menglin was born at the right time but not at the right time. In 1928, when he first ascended to the high position of Minister of Education of the Republic of China government in high spirits, it is not known whether he enjoyed the "mysterious gift sealed in the box" of the school in his hometown.But given the chaotic social situation at that time and the "changing king's banner at the top of the city", even if the "mysterious gift" was available, it would never be of any precious quality.When I am in charge of Peking University, if I want to enjoy similar gifts, I am afraid that I have more than I want but not enough. With the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, not only the "mysterious gift" in the dream disappeared with the wind, but even the dry salary that he deserved was in jeopardy, making life unsustainable.As the war caused China's territory to fall continuously, and the Japanese army continued to blockade land and sea, China's economy returned to the situation in the old days.The women got out of their spinning wheels again and began spinning thread by hand.People who used kerosene lamps began to switch to tung oil lamps for lighting, those who smoked cigarettes changed to smoking waterpipes, and home-woven cloth replaced machine-woven cloth.Large tracts of land are barren, factories are closed, shops are closed, and the rural fields are full of emaciated deserters and unemployed people.As for the southwestern frontier where they took refuge, all industries were also withered and the economy plummeted.Jiang Menglin at Southwest Associated University saw with his own eyes that "prices jump three times a day, like a wild horse that has run wild."Family affairs, school affairs and national affairs all made him worry, anxious and anxious.Regarding this experience, Jiang Menglin said in his self-report, "When we first arrived in Kunming in the second year of the Anti-Japanese War, rice was only sold in French currency for six yuan a load (about 80 kilograms). Later, a load of rice slowly rose to forty yuan. One of our economics professors predicted that it would rise to 70 yuan within a few months. Everyone laughed at his nonsense, but then it really rose to 70 yuan for a tan of rice. The surrender of French Annan and the fall of Burma were serious It also affects the prices.” He also said: “Prices continue to rise, and naturally there are many hoarding businessmen. As a result of hoarding, the price problem has become more serious. The higher the swing of one side of the pendulum, the greater the movement of the other side. higher." Zeng Zhaolun, a well-known "strange professor" in the Department of Chemistry of Southwest Associated University at that time, also expressed deep depression and helplessness in this kind of life situation that made intellectuals miserable. He recorded in his diary on July 6 of this year: "The education circle in Kunming Life is becoming more and more difficult. Among the professors at the Lianhe University, there are quite a few of them whose small family expenses reach 500 yuan per month. The monthly salary is insufficient, and they are subsidized by themselves. Yesterday, Huang Ziqing said that the family needs to subsidize more than 100 yuan per month. In the past year, more than 1,000 yuan has been subsidized. The original savings are about to be used up, and now even the wife's private house and the old mother's wages are also subsidized, and it is also fashionable to sell things to the subsidy cloud." On August 28, he wrote: "At nine o'clock, Jiang Mingqian and Mai Shuhuai came to talk, claiming that they are earning 105 yuan a month, and the Gu family can't make ends meet. Mai Youyun said that the teachers who lived in Kunming were expelled from the school, and they are now free. You can return home." His miserable appearance can be indistinguishable from that of a beggar, and he can even cover a large piece of waste newspaper at night and become a real class brother who loves brothers and sisters. In 1942, Wang Liying, a professor of the Chinese Department of the United Nations University, wrote an essay on "Prices in Wartime" at the appointment of "Central Weekly", saying, "In the past two or three years, because of the high prices, friends have reported prices to each other when they met, and relatives have communicated with each other. They also report prices to each other. However, this kind of reporting must also have a reporting philosophy. When you tell your friends that you bought a pair of new leather shoes worth 400 yuan in a certain store, you should also state that it was 7:30 p.m. yesterday The price is 15 cents, so that when he goes to buy a pair today, he insists on paying the original price and causing disputes. And when you write to your relatives to report the prices in this city, don’t forget to add:' When the letter arrives, I don’t know how much it has risen.” He also said: “Now some small places are catching up with the prices of certain big cities, just like a puppy chasing its own shadow against the setting sun. But no matter whether it’s a small place or a big city, everyone They are all lamenting that prices are like spring, like the first sun, like a balloon that is out of hand, only seeing its height but not its low. Sometimes it is like the snail climbing a tree described in elementary school arithmetic, rising three feet at a day and falling one foot at night, and the result is still the same. It’s a rise...I have never done business before, but now the tennis balls originally worth one yuan brought from the north can be sold for 90 yuan, and the profit is 90 times, how can it not make people smile?" Following the embarrassing reality of bouncing around but never being able to keep up with the price, Professor Wang, who still does not forget to write and write in poverty, wrote in a joking way: "Next year's salary will definitely increase compared with this year: next year, if you are willing to use this dependent Parker fountain pen Cut off the love, and the profit must be more than a hundred times." Wang Li was admitted to the Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Studies in his early years. It is said that he was the only one among the 32 students in the same class who followed Zhao Yuanren to study linguistics. Later, he traveled far away and studied in France. The best scholars and linguists in the world.But according to Wang Li himself, I, the same person, often "vomit my heart and soul in order to scrutinize a single word when writing serious articles. If I write some so-called sketches, I will test my words every day and rely on horses to wait."The reason for this difference, apart from Wang's self-proclaimed "Nun Sifan, moved a thought of the world of mortals", is that the sharp edge of life itself has drawn countless bloody marks on his heart, and the smoldering block in his heart must be It was only after pouring out that he felt more comfortable physically and mentally, so a series of his articles published in various newspapers and periodicals on wartime prices and the truth about people's lives came out.As far as the situation at that time was concerned, there were many people who were in the same state of mind as Wang Li. For example, Chen Cunren, a famous medical expert who practiced medicine in occupied Shanghai during the Anti-Japanese War, drifted in Hong Kong in 1949. He was invited by the "Adult" magazine to write consecutively. Many notes and articles were later published as "Life History in the Silver Dollar Era" and "Life History in the Anti-Japanese War Era".Because most of the two books are the author's personal experience and "indignant" works, coupled with the fact that the collected materials are informative, they were a sensation for a while, and they are quite valued by historians of the life of the Anti-Japanese War.In "Life History in the Silver Dollar Era", Chen Cunren described the prices during the War of Resistance as follows: In order to write this article, many enthusiastic friends collected information for me. One of my friends checked for me in the library of the University of Hong Kong. , At first it refers to the old French currency, then it is the reserve bill of the enemy and puppet period, and then it is the gold dollar certificate and silver dollar certificate, etc.) In May 1938, one US dollar was equal to 4,158 yuan. (Note: This is the first record.) In December 1938, one US dollar was equal to 6,160 yuan. (Note: This is a half-time increase in seven months.) In December 1939, one US dollar was equal to 13,275 yuan. (Note: The value of the currency has collapsed.) In August 1940, one US dollar was equal to 17,725 yuan. (Note: The value of the currency is still rising.) In September 1940, one U.S. dollar was equal to eighteen dollars and seventy-eight cents. (Note: The currency system has been changed.) In December 1942, one U.S. dollar was equal to twenty-two yuan and six cents. (Note: It means that this year is still stable.) In August 1944, one US dollar was equal to seven hundred and eighty-six yuan. (Note: Indicates that the value of the currency has plummeted.) In December 1945, one US dollar was equal to more than 121,000 yuan. (Note: The value of the currency has dropped out of shape.) Chen Cunren also cited two examples from his own experience to explain the changes in wartime prices and how high they were: One is the cheapest deep-fried stew (fried dough sticks), which cost 2,000 yuan each, then rose to 5,000 yuan, and then 10,000 yuan. Another thing is to buy a box of matches. It costs 10,000 yuan. I can’t remember the banknotes, but I calculated how much a match is worth. I took the Phoenix brand (the most famous one) To put it bluntly, I asked the students to take a closer look. A box of matches is about 70. Calculated at 10,000 yuan, one match is worth 133 yuan. In the past, the market price of silver dollars changed every few days, and gradually became a daily change, and further, it became a different market price in the morning and evening, always rising, rising!The value of the currency is always falling, falling, falling! Such a situation is exactly the vivid portrayal of what Chen Yinke of Kunming said in his poem to Wu Mi, "The price of rice in Huainan was startled, and the central banknotes were empty. There is nothing to say about the sorrow of the past, and the poems are left to be remembered." . In 1943, when Joseph Needham came to Kunming from England for the first time, he faithfully recorded the poverty-stricken living conditions of teachers and students of Southwestern Union with the vision and rationality of a scientist: “Due to the war and the changes in the world situation, free China is now It has been isolated from the rest of the world for a long time.” Later, in a report written for scientists in the Allied countries, Needham described the teaching, scientific research, etc. of Southwest Associated University in this way: In the "temporary barracks" built of bricks, the roofs are simply covered with tiles and iron sheets, although some houses have carved eaves in the great tradition of Chinese architecture, and the interior and ground are compacted soil with a small amount of cement. In this case, a high degree of ingenuity is shown in the arrangement of laboratories for research and teaching. For example, since there is no gas available, all heating must be done by electricity, so when the wires of the electric furnace (homemade from clay) are used up, the working At a standstill, it was found that the shavings of the artillery lathe of an arsenal in Yunnan were a good substitute. When hematoxylin was not available, it was found that a dye similar to it could be obtained from an orange-yellow wood (Coesalpinia) native to Yunnan. ). When microscope slides were not available, the window panes shattered by air raids were cut and replaced. If cover plates were not available, local mica sheets were used instead. Many detailed examples can also be listed.” What Joseph Needham said was true. At this time, the teaching equipment of Southwest Associated University was outdated and backward, and the materials needed, especially the experimental items, were in short supply.According to Wu Daguan, a student of the Department of Chemistry, in an article recalling Professor Yang Shixian: "The chemistry experiment class in the first semester of the second grade, every two students in a group, only put three matches in the matchbox. Return the matchbox together with the borrowed instruments. After I finished the experiment, I shook the matchbox, and when it was empty, I threw the empty box into the garbage pile near the door without any hesitation. When the custodian asked me about the matchbox, But I replied: "Why do you need a broken matchbox!" The next afternoon, Mr. Yang called me to the office (Yang Shixian, a Ph. I saw the matchbox on the table at a glance, and I was startled, knowing that something was wrong. Mr. Yang was really angry, his brows were furrowed, his eyes were burning, and he accused me unforgivingly of not knowing the country's difficulties in the war of resistance, and running a school was not easy. , told me a lot of principles of life in one breath. There is a sentence I still don’t forget: "What kind of temper are you playing? I want to stop your chemical experiments." Thinking about it carefully, during the years of the Anti-Japanese War, a match It is very precious, not to mention an empty matchbox! Through a matchbox, I realized the true meaning of a Chinese life: cherish public property, be diligent and thrifty.” The “true meaning of life” realized by Wu Daguan later is of course not limited to “Chinese Man", it is applicable to all human beings in all countries.Only during the most difficult period of the Anti-Japanese War in China, as a young Chinese student, he should abide by and understand the meaning of this truth from the bottom of his heart. Only in this way can he retain the heart full of hope and hope in the endless suffering. Bright tinder.Also in the first visit, Needham also saw: "Students live in terrible and crowded dormitories, and suffer from severe diseases such as tuberculosis. Because of the lack of washing facilities, infections such as trachoma are very common. But general science The difference in the life of workers is more significant now than before, male and female scientists who have made great achievements also live in old houses that are shaken around the yard and cannot be kept clean. The salary has only increased by 7 times, while the cost of living in Yunnan has increased by 103 times .I can only make an analogy like someone who has a comfortable flat and holds a position that pays £1000 a year and suddenly becomes less than £70 a year and therefore lives on the coast in Argyll , save every shilling. Some people who are famous in Europe and America often have trouble filling their stomachs." After all, Joseph Needham was not a scholar with a liberal arts background. His sympathy for the understanding of the masters and students of the United Nations will certainly "understand" for the Chinese people and the world to improve mankind, but this lame metaphor in his writing is neither clever nor "scientific".At this time, there is no such thing as a "comfortable apartment" on the coast of Argyll for the professors of the United Nations University, but only a few mud huts in dirty alleys or remote and desolate suburbs.The professors and family members living in this black earth house do not want to save "every shilling", but need to find ways to get a penny into the house from the outside in order to survive. Some people die because it is difficult to get a "shilling". Nearly died.Wu Dayou, who was a professor of physics at Southwest Associated University at the time, first rented the first floor of Zhou Zhongyue’s mansion in Kunming, and then moved with his family to Gangtou Village in the suburbs to avoid enemy bombing. In the spring of 1943, "One day I took a horse-drawn two-wheeled cart from Gangtou Village to Southwest Associated University for class. The horse jumped up and threw me off the side of the road. I was dizzy because of a shock to the back of my head. Lie in bed for about a month. My wife Ruan Guanshi has been ill for several years, because she was worried, she waited on me, and when I recovered a little, she fell down. The pulse is weak and fast, and sometimes it is too late. The body is too strong Weak, the doctor can't do anything about it... The next day, Mr. Jin from the office of Peking University in the city came to the countryside to see if he was going to prepare for the funeral. Fortunately, Guan Shi struggled to pass and was lying ill for several months , In winter, Fei had a lot of troubles, borrowed a sick car, and took her from Gangtou Village to the branch of Huidian Hospital in Chejiabi, Xishan, where she stayed for two months, and finally came back." He added: " Now it may not be easy for everyone to imagine that we lived alone in the countryside, critically ill, and anxious and helpless." When Mrs. Wu Dayou suddenly wanted to go to the ghost record, some little ghost on duty in the underworld dozed off or showed compassion, and suddenly crossed the gate of ghosts and returned to live on the earth.In contrast, the family of Professor Tao Yunkui of the United Nations University was not so lucky. Tao Yunkui, born in 1904, studied at the Universities of Berlin and Hamburg in his early years. He studied anthropology, genetics and ethnology under the tutelage of the German anthropologist Fisher. He returned to China after receiving a doctorate.大学、云南大学、西南联大从事彝族、傣族、纳西族人类文化学研究和教学工作，抗战期间足迹遍布西南地区的山野村寨，成为中国人类学研究领域德国学派的代表人物。在联大任教并兼任南开大学边疆人文研究室主任期间，陶氏不畏艰险。赴云南新平县鲁魁山大寨一带纳苏（Nasupuo）部族（黑夷，属于藏缅语系倮锣群）调查研究当地族群盛行的鸡股骨卜风俗和传布，其成果《西南部族之鸡骨卜》轰动学术界而成为民族人类学的经典之作。 1943年，陶云逵率领几名助手离开昆明到大理苍山洱海一带进行人类学调查，其间，爱子忽然得了当地人称为“大热病”的险症，一夜之间就被病魔夺去了生命，陶云逵返回昆明，已经永远看不到可爱的孩子了。贫困的生活与精神的打击，令陶教授难以承受。未久，身患当时社会和坊间谈虎色变的“回归热”而病倒（南按：1934年6月，北大教授刘半农前往内蒙古等地调查方言音调和声调，途中遭昆虫叮咬，染上“回归热”。返平后于7月14日入住协和医院，当日下午不治而亡，卒年43岁。傅斯年曾“为之流涕”，并谓刘是“北大老教员中第一位不该死者”），后来就医于云南大学附属医院，辗转病褥达数月之久，最终转为败血症而于1944年1月26日撒手归天，年仅41岁。陶云逵身后极度萧条冷漠，夫人林亭玉遭失子丧夫之双重打击，经济贫困，生活无着，痛不欲生，撇下才出生两个月的女娃，投身滇池欲一死了之。幸有渔民发现，急驾舟前往搭救，将在水中翻滚的林氏用鱼网套住提上船来。送医院抢救时，在其口袋里发现了一封遗书，世人才知道这位衣衫褴褛的投水女人，原是西南联大一位著名教授的夫人。事后，南开大学为陶教授争取抚恤而不得，而林亭玉又无法在昆明生活下去，两难中，联大的罗常培、冯文潜、黄钰生和陶云逵生前挚友、留德同学、哲学家郑昕等发起募捐，凑了路费和一点生活费，才将陶夫人及其襁褓中的女娃送回广东阳江县的娘家。 陶云逵教授一家悲惨至此，那些夫妻儿女健全的教授家庭，生活亦痛苦不堪，即如蒋梦麟、梅贻琦、潘光旦等联大的头面人物，生活处境同样极端恶劣，难以为继。据梅贻琦五弟、抗战时期曾任成都燕京大学代理校长的梅贻宝回忆说：“三十四年美国国务院约请燕京大学指派教授一人，赴美报聘。教授会议推举我去应邀。由成都起飞，道出昆明，在'五哥'五嫂家住了一夜（南按：梅贻琦在家族辈分中大排行第五）。校长住宅倒也罢了，只是人口多些，挤些，晚饭实在太简单了。当晚只见祖彦侄闷闷不乐，迥异寻常。临睡给我搭了张行军床，借了条被，就设在'五哥'书架前。他一面看学校公事，我们一面叙谈家常。我问到祖彦，'五哥'才说，两天前跑警报，彦侄把一副眼镜连盒给跑丢了。家里无钱给他再配一副，而他没有眼镜就不能念书，故而父子都觉十分窘困。我素来服务于私立学校，大致比国立机关待遇好些，而家里多半有两份职务收入。亦曾听说'五哥'在昆明主持联大，生活不宽裕，但未料到他们一贫至此。遐迩传闻的校长太太制卖定胜糕的佳话，大概就属于这个时期。” 梅贻宝所言不差，就在这一时期，教授的月薪只够半个月吃饭，剩下的半个月只好另想办法，且多靠夫人们操劳。教授夫人来自五湖四海，为了吃饭，在昆明这块地盘上开始八仙过海，各显神通。有的绣围巾，有的做帽子，也有的做一些小食品拿到街上叫卖。据梅贻琦夫人韩咏华回忆说：“我年岁比别人大些，视力也不很好，只能帮助做做围巾穗子。以后庶务赵世昌先生介绍我做糕点去卖。赵是上海人，教我做上海式的米粉碗糕，由潘光旦太太在乡下磨好七成大米、三成糯米的米粉，加上白糖和好面，用一个银锭形的木模子做成糕，两三分钟蒸一块，取名'定胜糕'，即抗战一定胜利之意。由我挎着篮子，步行四十五分钟到冠生园寄卖。月涵还不同意我们在办事处操作，只好到住在外面的地质系教授袁复礼太太家去做。袁家有六个孩子，比我们的孩子小，有时糕卖不掉时，就给他们的孩子吃。”又说：“卖糕时我穿蓝布褂子，自称姓韩而不说姓梅。尽管如此，还是谁都知道了梅校长夫人挎篮卖定胜糕的事。由于路走得多，鞋袜又不合脚，有一次把脚磨破，感染了，小腿全肿起来。”尽管如此，还是要风雨无阻地来往奔波，而换来的钱大都给孩子们添置了必需的生活、学习用品，至于自己的生活，“经常吃的是白饭拌辣椒，没有青菜，有时吃菠菜豆腐汤，大家就很高兴了”。 韩咏华一家高兴了，潘光旦却有点不太高兴，他除了喝汤，还想吃肉，沾一点腥味，但又无钱购买。于是因地制宜，根据昆明当地耗子又肥又大且无处不在的特点，支起铁质夹子抓耗子。每抓到耗子便“剥皮去内脏，收拾得很干净，切块红烧”，全家人分而食之。据潘光旦女儿潘乃穆在回忆文章《关于潘光旦吃鼠肉的故事》中所说：老鼠肉的味道“感觉和吃鸡肉、兔肉差不多，并无异味。吃过之后也没人因此害病”。潘光旦吃耗子肉的事很快在昆明和更大的范围传开，经过好事者不断加工渲染，一时成为街谈巷议的话题。这一话题若干年后得到了冯友兰证实，冯氏说：“潘光旦吃耗子肉的事，也盛传一时。他的兄弟是个银行家，在重庆，听说他吃耗子肉，赶紧汇了一点钱来，叫他买猪肉吃。”于是，潘光旦吃耗子肉的故事才渐渐消停。