Old things in the south

Chapter 87

Ms. Jin Bingying, the author of "A Short-lived Friendship—Remembering Xiao Hong", was my Chinese teacher at the Beiping World Journalism College half a century ago.She graduated from Peking Women's Normal University. In addition to teaching, she is also the editor-in-chief of the "Women's World" edition of "World Journal" in Peking. She often writes literary works, novels and prose, etc., and publishes them in major newspapers in Peking. Therefore, she and many of the 30s Writers are all friends, and Ms. Shen Ying, who we are familiar with in Taiwan and died of illness in the United States last year, is one of her best friends.It was at teacher Bingying's house that I first met Ms. Shen Ying.At that time, Teacher Bingying and her husband, Mr. Sa Kongle, were both my teachers. Unfortunately, the literary couple separated later.Mr. Sakongle also died of illness in mainland China last year.

By chance a few months ago, I corresponded with this teacher whom I hadn't seen for half a century.Knowing that she is 80 years old this year, she has lived in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province for many years, the place she described in her letter:
… Zhenjiang is a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, surrounded by mountains and surrounded by temples. Outside the city, the Yangtze River flows continuously, and in the city, there are ancient canals bubbling with green water.However, Zhenjiang is known as the Three Mountains, Five Ridges, and Bada Temple. Wuling and Bada Temple have become old relics, and only three mountains remain, namely Jinshan, Jiaoshan, and Beigushan.The ancient temple of Jinshan Temple is famous for the fight between the white lady and the Fahai—the water floods Jinshan Temple.Jiaoshan, also known as Fuyu, looks like jade floating on the water. It can be seen that the mountain is in the middle of the river. It is also a thousand-year-old temple. still.Beigu Mountain stands tall and close to the river, and there are relics of Liu Bei recruiting relatives in Dongwu.In addition, there is the reading table of Prince Zhaoming in Nanshan, the suburb...there is also the former residence of Shen Kuo in the city. Although the city is small, there are many historical sites.

Reading the description in my teacher’s letter is like listening to her teaching Chinese language to us more than 50 years ago. She is a strict teacher in class, but when she talks about books, we will listen attentively. I issued a speech of praise for the article. This situation seems like yesterday, but half a century has passed.

After she got married again, she has lived in Zhenjiang for more than 20 years, but although she praised Zhenjiang, she still has Beijing in her heart. She also said in the letter: "However, when people are old, they will always feel nostalgia for their homes and nostalgia. The peonies and cloves in the park, the cypresses and cranes in the Taimiao Temple, and the blue waves in the Beihai promenade fascinate me even more..." So although she is eighty years old, she still keeps writing, pinning her lonely feelings on writing, A lot of works are produced every year, but she also wrote with a smile that several full-length works are sleeping in the publishing house!

I always feel that reading her letters is the same as reading Ms. Shen Ying's letters. The letters are also prose, and it is a kind of enjoyment to read them again and again.I once invited her to write some articles recalling the writer, and she sent this essay recalling Xiao Hong's work a month ago, which is a very friendly essay.Xiao Hong died in Hong Kong. Although this is a reminiscence essay, it can also be regarded as the last historical material of Xiao Hong in Hong Kong, which has its own value.

(End of this chapter)