Chapter 13 (Nine)

In the summer of 1948, Zhongshu’s grandfather was going to celebrate his 100th birthday, and his family scattered all over the country went back to his hometown in Wuxi for a reunion.At this time, Zhongshu and Yuanyuan were not sick, and I was in a good mood, so I went back to my hometown in Qichichang with the Shanghai Qian family. I only lived there for about ten days after I got married.If I go again this time, the house is so full of rotten things that no one can walk in.The original furniture in my room: big bed, mirror table, desk, etc. have all been sold to others.We, my wife and our daughter only stayed at Qian's house in Qichichang for one night, upstairs in the new building built by my uncle.

During this family reunion, my father-in-law accidentally discovered the "daughter-in-law Jianru" he had never cared about, and he was very proud. He occasionally fell asleep on a bed in a wing (he never slept day or night).When he woke up, he saw a girl at his feet, who tucked in the quilt for him, covered his feet, and then sat and read a book.There are books all over the floor.A group of children in the yard were playing noisily, but this girl was reading a book quietly.My father-in-law asked who she was.Yuanyuan announced her name.She is Jianru in Qian's family, but we still call her Ah Yuan. I don't know how she signed up.She was eleven years old at the time, and had already read "Water Margin" and other novels, and was reading Lin's translation novels in classical Chinese under the temptation of her father and the guidance of her mother.She has the same habit as Zhong Shu, looking for books to read wherever she goes.She found a small cabinet of "Youth".This kind of magazine was not enough for her to read, so she searched through each one, and the floor was full of books.

My father-in-law asked her about "Youth" and other aspects of her knowledge, and was very surprised. It seems that Columbus discovered the New World and identified her as "my family's reading seed"!Since then, Jianru has become the number one in my heart.He once said to Zhongshu's second and third younger brothers: Their sons are of a certain level of aptitude, "The seed of my family's reading is only healthy for your ears."When Dad spoke, he never cared whether the other party was pleasant or not.This is his consistent style of speaking, writing, and composition.

Since the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Zhongshu resigned from the Aurora Women's College of Arts and Sciences for a few hours, and served as the English editor-in-chief of the Central Library and edited "Philobiblon"; He is also an advisor to the British Council.After publication, fans have been added to friends.We have expanded our acquaintances, and our social activities are frequent. During the occupation of Shanghai, we suffered from hardships, and we also saw the cruelty of the world.My husband and I often sip our daily feelings like fine wine and savor them carefully.This taste is worth savoring.Because suffering breeds wisdom.Zhong Shu once said: "A person who is not crazy at twenty has no ambition, but who is still crazy at thirty is ignorant and delusional." Master himself said."

After the victory we met all kinds of people.Every time we return from a banquet, we always have a lot to pay attention to and explore.We analyze and ponder what we see and hear, "read through" many people and many things, and gain a lot of knowledge. Zhu Jiahua used to be the examiner of the government-funded examination for those studying in the UK under the Central Committee's Geng subsidy. He admired Qian Zhongshu very much and often invited Zhongshu to his house for a simple meal—a simple meal without foreigners.Once Zhu Jiahua offered him a UNESCO position, Zhongshu immediately resigned.I asked Zhongshu, "Why don't you want a position in the United Nations?" He said, "That's a carrot!" At that time, I didn't understand that the "carrot" was connected with the "big stick".If you don't eat "carrots" at all, you won't be driven by the big stick.

Zhongshu had to go to Nanjing every month to report on his work. He would leave early in the morning and return home late at night.Once he came back early, I was overjoyed.He said: "Today's dinner, I want to shake hands with 'Jifeng' (Chiang Kai-shek), so I sneaked back early." The euphoria of victory was short-lived, followed by widespread disappointment, followed by rumors and panic. Zhongshu's first disciple often asked his teacher to buy books for him.No matter what the book is, it is all chosen by the teacher.In fact, this is an unlimited way for teachers to buy books at will.All the books have "Ji Chi Zhai Collection" written by Zhong, and are stamped with "Ji Chi Zhai" stamp; because students don't read them, they are only for teachers to borrow, aren't they "Ji Chi Zhai"!When Zhong Shu lived in seclusion in Shanghai, buying books was his great enjoyment.He bought a lot of new and old books. During the "Cultural Revolution", books were scattered. Someone once bought a book from "Ji Chi Zhai" and sent it back to Zhong Shu.Perhaps at the old bookstalls in Shanghai, you will also find "Ji Chi Zhai Book Collection".The book collection also includes books written about behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union.We read a lot.Therefore, when "people are panicked", we are not panicked.

Mr. Zheng Zhenduo and Comrade Wu Han once advised us to wait for liberation with peace of mind. The Communist Party attaches great importance to intellectuals.But we also understand that scientists are useful to the country, but we are useless intellectuals. If we want to escape, there is no way out.But when a person is in a critical moment, it may always be his most basic feelings that determine his course of action.We never sing patriotic tunes.Not only do not sing, but also do not like to listen.But we don't want to escape, we just don't want to go to the land of our parents, and we can't leave our own family.Our country is a weak country with a lot of national humiliation. We don't want to go out to rely on others and be second-class citizens.We are cultural people, love the culture of the motherland, love the characters of the motherland, and love the language of the motherland.In a word, we are stubborn Chinese people who don't want to be foreigners.We didn't dare to be optimistic about ourselves, but we stayed quietly in Shanghai, waiting for liberation.