Go back to the past and be a schoolboy

Chapter 78 It's Not About Money

Mathematics is just a hobby, and printing is the main business.

After several failed attempts to follow Cheng Nuo's footsteps, Wang Fuan couldn't help sighing: "There is one meaning of mathematics that remains unchanged. After its truth is established, it is the truth no matter what time it is. But it can be explored and touched." There are very few people in this world who touch the truth, and Professor Cheng is just one of them, and he is truly a role model for our generation, beyond comparison."

For most people, learning mathematics is a difficult task. At this time, adding a class field theory will make it even more difficult.

Someone once joked: There is a tree in the university named Gao Shu, and many people hang on the tree.There is a grave at the bottom of the tree called Calculus, in which many people are buried.

In such a background of the times, it is already very good for Wang Fuan to be able to learn advanced mathematics modules by himself and master them proficiently.

In the process of telling the story, Cheng Nuo tried his best to break down the problems, so as not to dampen his rare enthusiasm for mathematics.

However, after introducing his reason for coming and detailing the situation of the Academy of Sciences and the "National Magazine", Wang Fuan hesitated after a short thought.

"Professor Cheng, I didn't expect you to do so much besides mathematics. It's an honor for me to personally visit and invite me to make a print today. I should agree. But I thought about it, and it's better to decline."

Cheng Nuo didn't understand: "The host and guest had a good time just now, why did you refuse, if it's money, you don't need it, it's definitely rich."

"Professor Cheng may have misunderstood it. If I really want to make prints, I will definitely not get a penny." Wang Fuan shook his head and said, "It's just that I have a little knowledge at the moment, and I have been working on surveying and engineering for many years. At the stage of transferring Yiduo masters, it is difficult to be up to the task if most of them imitate the ancient seals of the Qin and Han Dynasties and other schools of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in terms of seal, seal and knife."

Seeing that his expression did not seem to be fake, Cheng Nuo smiled after regretting: "It's okay, it's worthwhile to make a like-minded friend like Mr. today. Let's not talk about the printing in advance. Let's talk about it when Mr. feels that the time has come." .”

Being able to take the initiative to expose shortcomings in front of outsiders is enough to prove Wang Fu'an's character.As he said, the current printing technology is indeed immature, and it will have to wait until the future. Wang Fuan was also hired by the Qing Dynasty Rehabilitation Committee (the predecessor of the Palace Museum) to serve as an appraisal committee member of the Antiquities Exhibition Office of the association and participate in the "Jin Xie Liu Treasure" printed spectrum of Qian Tuo.There, he witnessed the treasures of ancient seals collected by Ouchi, which not only broadened his horizons, but also made him engrave great seals for the National Government, and the art of calligraphy and seals gradually matured.

Later, when the national government moved its capital to Nanjing, Wang Fuan went south with the Printing and Casting Bureau. Because he could not get used to the corruption in the officialdom, he imitated Tao Yuanming to hang up the seal and resigned from office. From then on, he made a living by himself. , the same as Daohan and rivaled, among modern Indians, it can be called a leader.

"However, there is currently one person who can meet Professor Cheng's requirements, and this person is currently living in Shanghai." Wang Fuan said solemnly after thinking for a while without blocking the road.

"Who is this person?"

"It is Mr. Wu Changshuo who integrates 'poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal', and integrates gold, stone, calligraphy and painting into one furnace."

In an alley very close to the Shanghai Railway Station, there is an old house with ups and downs. Mr. Wu Changshuo is watering the flowers in the yard.

As the first president of Xiling Yinshe, the 74-year-old is already a leading figure in the art world of this era. Mei Lanfang and Qi Baishi are his students, and even Zhang Daqian often visits him for advice, but now he is With a gloomy face, he stared at the flowers in the yard in a daze.

It's not hurting the spring and the autumn, but thinking about people when they see things. When I was young, I married Zhang Gong as my wife, but unfortunately died in the chaos of the war. I remarried and married Mrs. Shi. At the beginning of the year, he left before him, which is really unacceptable.After this incident, he also suffered from a serious illness, and now he has just recovered, and he is relying on planting flowers and grass to chat for comfort.

The door was wide open, and when someone came in, they were still behind their backs.

"The hall plaque is 20 liang, the vegetarian plaque is 12 liang, the couplet is three feet three liang, four foot four liang, five foot five liang, six foot eight liang, and the horizontal and vertical sheet is four foot eight liang, five foot 16 liang, six foot [-] liang, For one example of calligraphy and painting, the banner is halved depending on the whole sheet, four taels for the piano strip, one case of calligraphy and painting, two taels for each album leaf and folding fan, one is the width, and the width is increased."

It is a proficiency to quote the price, and there is a high probability that it is often put on the lips.

Wang Fu'an on the side is not surprised, obviously well aware of the fact that in the Shanghai stock market, painters have a particularly strong custom of setting rules. Wu Changshuo, a great master of the generation, was the leader of the modern domestic painting and calligraphy circles.

But this is not the end, after a few years it will be doubled again, and a plaque will cost at least 28 yuan.

"Mr. Fou Weng, it's me, Wang Fu'an. How is your old health?" Wang Fu'an took the initiative to talk to the old man and helped to support the old man.

Then Wu Changshuo turned around slowly: "It turned out to be Fu'an, why do you have time to sit with me today? If you want me to tell you, you still have to spend more energy on printing. The knowledge in it is profound, you This kind of morality has to continue.”

Facing the old man who was nagging and persuading him, Wang Fuan nodded again and again: "You are always right. I must learn more from you in the future. I haven't digested what I taught me before, but there are more important things to do today. I want you to come out of the mountain."

"I learned painting too late, I don't have a deep foundation, and I don't have a high talent. I just want to see more and draw more." Just as he was about to continue teaching a few sentences, Wu Changshuo suddenly regained his strength: "Just now you said that today is not for teaching art. Come, but there are more important things?"

Pulling Cheng Nuo over, Wang Fuan explained the purpose of this trip, and highlighted the significance of this matter.

"Mr. Fou Weng, do you know the public supplement of "National" magazine? It was a pictorial that promoted not drinking raw water and washing hands before and after meals. You were particularly impressed at that time."

"Oh, I remembered." Wu Changshuo looked Cheng Nuo up and down, and praised him all over his face: "The magazine is very good, and it is a great thing to pass on medical knowledge to ordinary people in the form of stick figures, but it's just that you The editing skill of prints is not enough, when I have time to send him, I will teach some tips."

Cheng Nuo was ashamed. Where there was a professional painting editor, everyone arranged in turn. The best result was Mr. Lu Xun.

However, the old man had such a good intention, so of course he couldn’t refuse. He just wanted to hire an editor in private. He nodded and said, “I personally represent all the editorial staff of The National. Thank you, Mr. Fou Weng.”

Wu Changshuo nodded in satisfaction, and the following things went smoothly.

Apart from liking Cheng Nuo, a young man, he also wanted to do his part for the country when he was old.In the early years, Wu Changshuo was recommended by his fellow townsman, and got the magistrate of Andong County, Suzhou Province. Unfortunately, the county government officials refused to obey orders, and the superiors wanted to make money.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside. When I opened the door, I saw a young Japanese man in a kimono standing respectfully at the door.

"Old Mr. Wu, please accept me as an apprentice. I have admired you and your works for a long time in Japan. I came here today to worship under your disciples and continue my studies in book printing."

Bowing and lowering his head, he handed over a stack of documents, and then said: "This is my copied work, please have a look."

Seeing this, Wu Changshuo did not rush to answer, but walked slowly to the Japanese and flipped through his works.

After reading about it, he let out a long sigh and said slowly, "You can go back wherever you came from."

The Japanese were in a hurry, and immediately walked up to him and handed over the work again: "Mr. Wu, is my work not meeting your requirements? Please point it out, and I will definitely correct it. Your standard for accepting apprentices."

Wu Changshuo closed his eyes, waved his hands and said, "The work has already surpassed many people, and you have found your way. In time, you will definitely occupy a place in the world of calligraphy in your country."

The Japanese were puzzled: "You say that I have such potential, but why can't you accept me as an apprentice like Kawai Senro?"

Senro Kawai was a Japanese apprentice accepted by Wu Changshuo in his early years, and he was also the only Japanese apprentice. He later became a master of Japanese seal carving and played an important role in the history of Japanese seal cutting. The development of calligraphy.

Although Wu Changshuo himself has never been to Japan, his works are highly praised by the Japanese, and he has held exhibitions and published painting collections for this purpose many times. The simple and powerful seal cutting style contained in the blunt knife seal method fits the artistic aesthetics of modern Japanese literati Interest, and it is exactly the same. The influence and penetration of Wu Changshuo's seal cutting art on the Japanese calligraphy and painting circles at that time was almost unreplaced, and a bronze bust monument was even built for him in the island country of Kyushu.

But even so, after Wu Changshuo accepted a Japanese apprentice in his early years, he never opened the door to the Japanese who came to visit in an endless stream.

People like to give advice to students in their later years, but obviously not including the Japanese in front of him, Wu Changshuo just shook his head:
"Let's go. Calligraphy has no national boundaries, but there are national boundaries in my heart. Young people, you still have a long way to go. Let's go."

"Then can I ask you to make a painting and calligraphy work yourself?" The Japanese were not reconciled.

Wu Changshuo didn't reply. With Cheng Nuo's support, he slowly turned around and walked towards the door.

"Is 1000 yuan all right, Mr. Wu, as long as one seal is enough!"

"5000 yuan, no, 1 yuan, if it is not enough, you can add more!"

The only answer to him was a dull slam of the door.

When they arrived in the yard, a few people sat down again. Wu Changshuo obviously didn't take what happened just now to heart. He waved his hand to stop Wang Fuan's concern, and looked at Cheng Nuo:
"Professor Cheng, tell me about your printing requirements?"

Cheng Nuo, while lamenting the old man's integrity, replied: "The seal of the Academy of Sciences can be arranged by the old man at will, but there are some requirements for the "National" magazine?"

Wang Fuan asked curiously: "What is the requirement? Are different types of journals using different seals?"

Cheng Nuo explained with a smile: "Only the font is required, and it doesn't need to be so complicated. Song typeface is the most suitable, which is in line with the purpose of publishing science, so that every reader can understand the meaning."

Wu and Zhang were taken aback for a moment, and then they understood what was going on, and nodded in approval.

(End of this chapter)