Chapter 9 (Fives)

We went abroad in second class on the British Mail, and the food was very good.Returning to China and taking the third-class cabin, the food is much worse.Yuanyuan had just been weaned for two months, and spent more than 20 days on the ship, eating mashed potatoes almost every meal.Yuanyuan was considered a fat doll when she got on the boat, but she became a thin child when she got off the boat.I deeply regret that I was negligent at the time and didn't buy some dairy products for her to help her nutrition.I managed to feed her fat and strong, and she was no longer fat or strong in Shanghai.

Zhongshu has made an appointment to teach at Tsinghua University, and I have separated his books, notes and clothes separately.When the ship arrived in Hong Kong, he went ashore and went straight to the Southwest Associated University in Kunming (Tsinghua University belonged to the Southwest Associated University at that time).He left alone, I was very worried.Yuanyuan watched her father get on the small ferry and leave the big boat, drift away and never come back, she was in a daze.She can't speak yet, and I can't explain it to her.When the boat arrived in Shanghai, I was taken to Qian's family by Zhongshu's younger brother and another relative.It was dusk when we arrived at Chin's house on Lafayette Road.I met my father-in-law (I call you Daddy), mother-in-law (I call you Wu Niang), uncle (I call you Little Uncle), aunt (I call you Fourth Aunt), and sister-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, etc.

Yuanyuan was already familiar with the passengers on the ship, but suddenly faced with a room full of strangers, and her mother was the only relative left, her behavior was very uncivilized.She didn't jump on her mother to hide, she just said "non non!" to anyone who approached her (I never taught her French), and then growled "rrrrrr..." like a puppy. Tongue (I never knew she could roll her tongue either).This is probably learned from the "wife across the door", or her own impromptu coping.She is one year and three months old, and she can't call or speak. When she walks, she just leans on the wall and walks very fast.This all proves that my nerdy mother is not disciplined.

Everyone called her low roar "playing the tongue", and they thought it was novel, and asked her to "play the tongue again", but she understood it, so they did it again.However, her original intention was to demonstrate, not to perform, so she refused to perform again after a few days, and since then she will not "play tricks".The elders of the Qian family pointed out that her foreign leather shoes were too hard, and she wore clogs like orangutans; they put on soft shoes for her, and she was able to walk soon. The language she has heard since she was a child is Wuxi dialect spoken by her parents, Mandarin spoken by the guests, and French by the "wife opposite door", and the noise on the ship is even more noisy. She doesn't know how to speak.But it didn't take long for her to listen to Wuxi dialect, and soon learned to speak Wuxi dialect.

After spending the night at Qian's house, I took Yuanyuan to my father's place and met with my father and sisters.Yuanyuan probably felt that they were all close relatives, she didn't "yell" or "non non".At that time, Qian's family and my father's family fled to live on an isolated island in Shanghai, and the living quarters were very cramped.Sometimes Yuanyuan and I live in Qian's house, and sometimes in Dad's house. After Zhongshu reported to the Southwest Associated University in Kunming, he went back to Shanghai to visit his parents, and sent his father on board (accompanied by Wu Zhongkuang to Lantian Teachers College), and picked up some necessary clothes by the way.He hurried back to Kunming without staying for a few days.

I have a cousin who lives in Laidefang, Xiafei Road, Shanghai, and her husband works in the Mainland.She learned that the house my father rented was not suitable, so she let my father live on the third floor where she lived, and she lived on the second floor with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.Her mother (my third aunt) lives on the fourth floor of her house. After my father moved, he picked me up to live with Yuanyuan.I now have a place to live.I live with my father in Leeds Place on Joffre Road, which is very close to Lafayette Road where Qian's family lives.I often took Yuanyuan to Qian's house to "be a daughter-in-law" (in my father's words).

The principal of my alma mater, Zhenhua Girls’ High School, because Suzhou had fallen, and many Zhenhua students had fled to Shanghai, she arrested me to help her build a branch school on an isolated island.At the same time, I was introduced by a friend to work as a tutor for a lady from a wealthy businessman in Guangdong, teaching all the homework of the first grade of high school (including Chinese, English, mathematics, etc. - I taught from the first grade to the third grade graduation).I often go out early in the morning, go out again after dinner, and don't come home until dinner. Dad's house is run by the eldest sister.The younger sister, Yang Bi, attends high school in the Girls' Middle School of the Bureau of the Ministry of Industry, leaving early and returning late.The family has a maid who cooks, does laundry, and cleans up, and there is a little aunt who takes care of the children and takes care of Yuanyuan.Before the little aunt was found, my father called himself "grandfather", which is equivalent to a nanny.Yuanyuan has become the central figure in the father's house.My third and seventh sisters often take their children to my father’s house for gatherings, and everyone calls Yuanyuan “Yuanyuantou” (a pet name).

Yuanyuan is pitiful, because she is obedient, reasonable, and able to control herself.She had a rash in the winter (1938) when she returned to Shanghai.In the spring of 1939, he suffered from dysentery again. After the illness, his stomach became weak, and his stomach was ruined by accidental eating.As long as I tell her what she can't eat, she won't eat it.She can watch everyone eat and play obediently by herself, and everyone is used to it.Once, my Kuo student sent a large basket of Baisha loquats.Eating Baisha loquat, it melts in the mouth, and there is a lot of water, it will feel delicious when you listen to it and look at it.Yuanyuan has never eaten it.But I didn't dare to let her eat, so I only arranged for her to play by herself.Suddenly I saw her come over and tug at the corner of my clothes, with a small tear hanging from her eyes.Everyone who ate it felt ashamed.Who can see her little tear and not feel sorry for her.

During the summer vacation of this year (1939), Zhongshu returned to Shanghai from the Southwest Associated University.Chin's House on Lafayette Road was still packed.My father asked my elder sister and younger sister to sleep in his house, and spared a room for Zhongshu to spend his summer vacation in Laidefang.He is very happy to live with his father. My cousin's sister-in-law loves to quarrel with her mother-in-law, and they talk back and forth every afternoon.When my elder sister heard the quarrel, she ordered us to close the bedroom door, fearing that my cousin would not look good.But Zhongshu has very good ears, and he can hear all the conversations when the door is opened.Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are tactful and responsive.Zhongshu heard the wonderful part, and hurried to his father's room to learn it for them.Everyone appreciated it very much, and the eldest sister actually lifted her ban.

Although Zhongshu lived in Laidefang, he went to Lafayette Road first thing every morning.At that time, the Zhenhua branch school under construction was about to start school.The principal of my alma mater hard-pressed me to be the principal, saying that it was the decision of the school board.She was afraid that I would be disobedient, so she asked Mr. Meng Xiancheng to file a case with the Education Bureau.I can only reluctantly do what my father described as "a dog plowing the field".I was very busy before school started, so I couldn't accompany Zhongshu to Qian's house.

One day, Zhongshu came back with a sad face, saying that it was a letter from his father asking him to go to Lantian to be the head of the English Department and serve his father at the same time.I think the job at Tsinghua is not easy to get.He has not worked for a year, so there is no reason why he should change jobs.Zhong Shu was not willing to give up his job at Tsinghua University.But his mother, his uncle, his younger siblings, etc. all advocated that he go.He also felt that he should go.But I felt that he shouldn't go anyway, and he should explain to his family why he shouldn't go. Zhongshu and I had a quarrel on the ship going abroad.The reason is only a French "bon" pronunciation.I said his accent has a local accent.He refused to accept it and said many hurtful words.I also tried my best to hurt him.Then I asked a French lady who can speak English to be arbitrarily adjudicated.She said I was right and he was wrong.Although I won, I felt bored and very unhappy.Zhongshu lost, of course he was not happy.As the saying goes: "Little couples scold each other on the bow of the boat, and make peace at the end of the boat." We feel that quarreling is boring, and we can't change the rules of pronunciation after arguing.We decided that we might disagree in the future and we don't have to seek the same.But in the years since, we have not disagreed.When a situation arises, the two discuss it and make a decision. It's not all up to him, and it's not all up to me.We don't need to argue.But this time I feel that we should argue. When Zhongshu arrived at Qian's house, I told my father one by one, hoping to hear what he had to say.But my father was expressionless and didn't say a word.I am a good girl.Dad's silence made me think deeply.I think that a person's origin is a major event in his life, which should be decided by himself. I can only state my reasons and should not interfere; especially should not force him to resist his parents.I remembered the agreement that our husband and wife made earlier, and I was determined to reserve my opinion and not force him. I found time to accompany Zhong Shutong to Lafayette Road.As soon as I got there, I seemed to have slammed into the sky and the earth, and it was like a monkey standing on the palm of the Buddha.They were unanimously silent; and the pressure of unanimous silence left Zhongshu with no room to speak.Of course I didn't say anything, I just went to "be a daughter-in-law" as usual.But I also saw embarrassing faces and tasted embarrassing silence.I have nothing but sympathy for Zhong Shu.I accepted my father's speechless teaching and did not add to Zhongshu's distress. Every morning, Zhongshu went to Lafayette Road to "office"—that is, to follow the arrangement in his father's letter, and sometimes he went to faraway places to find someone.I've been with him a time or two.Zhongshu wrote a letter to Mr. Ye Gongchao, the director of the Department of Foreign Languages ​​of Tsinghua University in mid-September, but Mr. Ye did not reply.In early October, he and his new colleagues from Lantian Teachers College set out on the road together. As soon as Zhongshu left Shanghai, I received a telegram from Tsinghua University asking why Zhongshu didn't reply to President Mei's telegram.But we have never received a telegram from Principal Mei.Zhongshu was on his way at that time, so I had no choice but to forward Tsinghua’s telegram to Lantian Teachers College, and immediately replied a telegram to Tsinghua, explaining that the Mei telegram had not been received (my telegram is still in Tsinghua’s archives).It took him thirty-four days on the road before he received my letter and telegram.He was deeply grateful to Principal Mei, and not only sent a telegram, but also sent a second telegram asking why he didn't return.He himself is infinitely ashamed that Tsinghua hired him out of the ordinary, but he had no beginning and no end, and he left after less than a year in office.He really had to.It happened that he left one day early, but the telegram arrived one day late.He was very annoyed by the tricks of good fortune. Two years later, Chen Futian did not issue the letter of appointment for a long time, and we couldn't help but think of the lost telegram again.Will the telegram be lost?It was as if there had never been such a thing.We are deeply interested in this lost telegram.If the telegram is not lost, then the second telegram has a lot to say.Unfortunately, "Wu Mi's Diary" had not yet been published at that time.But our expectations are not bad.When Chen Futian procrastinated until around October to hire him in person, Zhongshu resigned immediately.Chen Wei had a word to persuade him to stay. I once asked Zhongshu, "Have you offended Mr. Ye?" He thought carefully and said decisively, "I didn't." His admiration for several mentors infected me.He is as proud and proud as my friend Jiang Entian took me to see the Tsinghua Library.But Zhong Shu "resigned and don't just go"—going to Lantian to be the dean of the department really offended Mr. Ye.Mr. Ye met Yuan Tongli in Shanghai. Mr. Ye said: "Qian Zhongshu is such a proud person, would he be willing to work under you?" An American friend Hu Zhide asked Mr. Ye about Qian Zhongshu. Such a person." Later he said: "He is a student I taught alone." Mr. Ye was obviously angry with Qian Zhongshu.But it was completely reasonable for him to be angry with Qian Zhongshu.Zhongshu gave up Tsinghua University and moved to the teacher's college to become the dean of the department, which would make Mr. Ye mistakenly think that Zhongshu was proud and disdain to work under him. Based on the letters archived by Tsinghua University, I wrote an article "The Truth About Qian Zhongshu's Leaving Southwest Associated University".The truth written here is more intimate, and it can better explain the "unspeakable secret" in Zhong's letter. When Zhongshu left Shanghai for Lantian, I told him, your birthday is about to be on the way, so I have no choice but to eat a bowl of birthday noodles for you at home.Zhongshu wrote the poem "Leiyang Xiaofa is the first time I was thirty" on the way. He made a mistake in his birthday diary, and my original estimate was also wrong.His birthday, no matter according to the solar or lunar calendar, is after arriving in Lantian. "Leiyang Xiaofa" doesn't know what day it is, but it's not his birthday anyway. Zhongshu traveled 34 days to arrive at the teacher's college after "hard work and hardships".He was just obeying orders.In fact, the essence of "strict order" is "benevolent order".Daddy is a very loving father.He is a traditional parent, and as usual, he always reprimands his son in the manner of a strict father.This time, he had been away from his son for three years. Although Zhong Shu had rushed back to Shanghai from Kunming to see his father on the boat, he had only seen him a few times.He probably wanted to get close to his son and keep him by his side. "Serving" Yunyun is just talking, because his student and assistant Wu Zhongkuang has been serving him.Wu Zhongkuang usually sleeps in the teacher's back room and serves him very attentively.Dad is not unattended. Daddy's favorite is not Zhongshu, but the youngest son.There is a folk proverb in Wuxi, "All parents in the world protect children".Zhong Shu is the eldest son; for the eldest son, he often has more responsibility than love.Zhongshu has been closest to his stepfather since he was a child.His stepfather is called Uncle.Uncle is like his loving mother and Daddy is his strict father.When Zhongshu was eleven years old, his uncle passed away.My mother-in-law has been cautious all her life and has never been lenient. Now that the eldest son has been born, she will never dare to stop her from becoming a loving mother.The nanny ("stupid mother") only took the "big uncle" with him for more than a year and took care of Zhongshu's second and third younger brothers. Although she loved him the most, she was just a "stupid mother".As a stepmother, she can only love her child, but not care about her, and the child will not kiss her.Zhongshu lacked a loving mother since he was a child, which had a profound impact on his temperament and habits. When Zhong Shu arrived in Lantian, he often stewed chicken for his father himself, which he had learned abroad.A colleague praised his son for his filial piety in front of my father-in-law.My father-in-law said: "This is the nourishment of the body, not the mind." The gentleman said: "I would rather be nourished by the body." But my father always blamed his son for not being able to "raise the mind."Zhong wrote a letter to tell me this, presumably because he felt wronged. Dad is a first-class good man, but he is far less sophisticated than his little uncle in dealing with the world.He's completely alienated from what's under his nose.For example, he likes to brag that "my son doesn't smoke cigarettes".Zhongshu was the only one who didn't smoke, and both of Zhongshu's younger brothers smoked.When they saw their father, they hid the cigarettes in their pockets, causing holes in their clothes.Daddy doesn't know anything. He cares about state affairs, but is so naive that he doesn't know current affairs.He wrote an article for a publication run by the Kuomintang, talking about "Sun Tzu's Art of War", pointing out that Chiang Kai-shek did not understand the art of war and Mao Zedong understood Sun Tzu's art of war, so Chiang Kai-shek was no match for Mao Zedong.After he finished writing the article, he ordered Wu Zhongkuang to post it by registered mail. Wu Zhongkuang felt that the article by the "Old Master" would cause trouble, so he hurriedly consulted with the "Little Master".Zhong Shu did not dare to remonstrate, for remonstrance would only provoke a counterproductive effect.He and Wu Zhongkuang deleted all the characters who were criticized or rejected in the article, leaving only the art of war part.The article has been uploaded.Dad was not very happy when he found out that the article had been deleted, but he thought it was deleted by the editor, so he didn't say anything. When Zhongshu and I were not living together, he wrote me frequently and even kept a detailed diary for me, so I generally knew about his affairs.