You are the april day of the world

Chapter 50 Appendix 4: Letters ([-])
I finally came to Kunming again!I came here for three things, at least one of which has finally come to fruition.You know, I came here to cure my illness, and secondly, to see this city with sunny weather, mild south wind, flowers everywhere, and colorful colors.

Last but not least, get together with my old friends and have a good chat.

The first two goals have not been achieved, because my condition has not improved, and it is even worse than when I was in Chongqing-I was bedridden as soon as I arrived in Kunming.But the last thing I enjoyed far exceeded my expectations.The heartfelt joy brought to me by this reunion even exceeded my greatest expectations when I was alone in Lizhuang.It took us eleven days to figure out the various trivial situations in everyone's life in Kunming and in Lizhuang under such special circumstances, so that the conversations of the friends gathered here can go on.But the deep love and understanding that allowed us to communicate with each other was re-established faster than anyone expected.In two days or so, we fully knew everyone's emotional and academic current situation.We freely discussed the political situation of the country, the family economy, the ups and downs of people and groups in the war, and it was easy to understand why each other felt and thought about those things.Even though the conversation was endless, the several people were in agreement with each other, full of warmth of mutual trust, and the sudden meeting in this eventful autumn made everyone full of gratitude and excitement.

Only now did I understand that when those poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties who lacked travel tools were on their way to relegation, they suddenly met friends unexpectedly in some small inn or boat, or somewhere in a temple where monks entertained them. That joy, and how they would have confided their hearts in long conversations!
Our time may be different from theirs, but this gathering is very similar.We are all old, have experienced poverty and disease, endured long wars and isolation from news, and now face a great national rise and a difficult future.

Besides, we met far from our native land, in a place where circumstances forced us to settle down.Longing to return to the place where we spent the happiest time in our lives is just like people in the Tang Dynasty miss Chang'an, and people in the Song Dynasty miss Bianjing.We are bruised and bruised, and we have suffered so badly that new qualities, good or bad or whatever, have emerged in us.We have not only experienced life, but also been tested by hard life.Our bodies have been badly damaged, but our beliefs remain the same.Now we are convinced that the pain and pleasure in life are actually the same thing.All the most beautiful things guard this garden, the clear blue sky, the nearby rocks and the distant mountains... This is my tenth day in this new house.The room was spacious, with large windows, giving it the effect of an early Gordon Clay stage design.Even the afternoon sun seems to obey his arrangement, hallucinatingly making the swaying eucalyptus branches outside the window cast their slowly moving shadows on the ceiling!
If Lao Jin and I can come up with the right lines, I bet it could really be the setting for a good drama.But at this moment he was sitting at a small round table, writing with his back to the light and me, wearing his sun hat as usual.

The altitude or something is so bad for me that I'm out of breath and often feel like I've just run a few miles.So I can only rest more than when I was in Lizhuang.They don't let me talk much, although I still have a lot to say.But such a "talk" kind of lives up to the setting.

Kunming is always so beautiful, whether it is sunny or raining.The scenery outside my window is especially moving before and after the thunderstorm.In the rain, there was an indescribably romantic atmosphere in the room-the sky and the earth suddenly darkened together, and I was alone in a deserted house with a large silent garden outside.This is something that a person will never forget in his life.eleven
On a solemn occasion, Mr. Liang showed me the technical equipment he brought back that can be completely disassembled, assembled, assembled and disassembled.I sat on the bed with an adjustable canvas back, an adjustable reading and writing table in front of me, and a tape recorder through a transformer plugged into a normal power supply. I held a magnifying glass in one hand and a microphone in the other. I looked carefree. The air of a carefree modern girl is akin to Chaplin gnawing old corn on the cob with the help of an ingenious machine.

twelve
Goodbye, dearest Weimei.If only you could break into my room with a pot of flowers and a whole lot of nonsense and laughter.

What is described in this letter is the Tang Family Garden, the residence arranged by Zhang Xiruo for Lin Huiyin at that time.

At the end of July 1946, Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin's family returned to Beijing, which they had missed for a long time.Soon, Liang Sicheng was invited by Princeton University and Yale University to conduct an academic visit to the United States. During this period, he was hired as a member of the United Nations Building Design Committee and participated in the design of the building. In the summer of 7, Lin Hui had to undergo nephrectomy due to a sudden deterioration of his condition.Liang Sicheng hurried back to Beijing.This letter describes the gift Liang Sicheng brought to Lin Huiyin.

On December 1947, 12, Lin Huiyin underwent nephrectomy. Before entering the operating room, Lin Huiyin wrote a farewell letter to Fei Weimei.

thirteen
The stupid thought control of the right and the deliberate manipulation of thought by the left are enough to make people contemplate and silence for a long time.We are far from the kind of liberalism that your country enjoys, and our economic life means, for those lucky enough to have enough to eat, that a person who is rich one day will be poor the next.My days on the sickbed were even more meaningless when life was all messed up.fourteen

Now I feel like we only have about a month or two to be free to write to all of you in America, maybe because of the lack of mail or some other obstacle, I feel suffocated and speechless.Even with this letter, I hope it arrives before Christmas or over the holidays.

Thank you for your books, especially the last one, Fairbank's own masterpiece, what a book!Of course we admired, admired, wondered and had many discussions, and everyone was very, very deeply impressed by this book.Sometimes we exchanged warm compliments and said that Fairbank obviously grasped the complicated mentality of our Chinese subjects, or knew our different feelings about things, so this is not the stuff of foreign devils; at this moment, for a modern Chinese , it is not at all.Zhang Xiruo said enthusiastically that he liked Fairbank's books, "There is no misunderstanding by outsiders...he really knows a lot" and so on.Lao Jin said that this is a "reasonable and scientific" summary of us. Fairbank "has a basic understanding of some things, and he is really different from other foreigners."Sicheng and I were very surprised that it really didn't have the kind of benign misunderstandings, wishful expectations or disappointments of foreigners.I especially appreciate Fairbank's ability to use Western words when talking about Western things and Chinese words when talking about Chinese things, while the same Western language can allow American readers to read about China in their own vocabulary and Chinese readers. Use another vocabulary to read about your own country.We all really appreciate that.

In addition, we often pointed out to each other with the greatest admiration and without shame that there were many facts about China that we learned for the first time in our lives from him!For example, it is interesting that I never knew that corn and sweet potatoes came to China so late; and especially those events concerning Sino-Western relations.

In other words, we all greatly admire Fairbank's triumphant book.Ever since Fei Weimei rebuilt the Wuliang Temple, the Liangs have not been this happy.

My only regret, if any, is that Chinese art has not been dealt with in this concluding work, although I do not see how art has anything to do with international relations.Even so, art is such an important part of our lives, if we are to be talked about in general, art is indispensable, it is an integral part of our subconscious mind. …When I refer to art, I also refer to poetry, of course, but may also refer to the emotional and aesthetic appeal evoked by our language, our peculiar calligraphy, word formation, literary and cultural traditions.Our peculiar language actually consists of three parts: rhetoric, poetry, and only one part is direct speech! ...I might say that it is this rich "language-poetry-art synthesis" that makes us think, feel and dream in this way... In short, I think art Our spirits are shaped as much as our diet shapes our bodies.I am convinced that our eating of rice and tofu inevitably makes us different from those of us who eat chunks of steak and glasses of milk with brioche or pie.Similarly, those who sit there studying ink and patiently painting a landscape painting are sure and familiar with the Balzac style or Post-Impressionist painting school and the late Mathies and Picasso, the rebellious youth who lived in the Latin Quarter of Paris (or specially traveled to A young man who travels to Mexico to see the murals in Mexico) is not the type at all... The above are all my own private little book reviews, just for the sake of argument, and Fairbank's arguments about good intentions are always very interesting.It will cost me a fortune to send this letter!

When it comes to political views, I completely agree with Fairbank.That means I've been closer to his point since the last time we argued in Chongqing—or, since I've been tracking the day-to-day issues for two years, I've changed, and I think Fairbank was right.I'm so happy to be able to.By the way, since I am ignorant of many things, I am very grateful to Fairbank for his far-sighted and instructive views on many aspects of Chinese life, institutions and history.Because I am so familiar with my own affairs, I am often reluctant to make a comprehensive observation or try to make it clear.So reading Fairbank's book is very attractive to us, and we also want the younger generation to read it.

Maybe we won't see each other for a long time - things will change a lot here, although we don't know yet what kind of change, next year or next month.But as long as the younger generation has meaningful things to do, live well, and have jobs, nothing else matters.

To Fu Sinian
Mr. Meng Zhen:

When I received a bundle of requirements, I was taken aback. When I opened the letter to read it, I felt ashamed and ashamed, and felt strange for a long time!Empty words can't make a statement, I don't want to follow the custom and thank you, but I don't report the book, and I don't feel at ease.After hesitating for a long time, Lin Shu was still dumb, not knowing where to start!

Today, the people in the lanes are poor and sick, and there are many people who are devastated.It is a part of the life of the Anti-Japanese War. Dusi has received all kinds of help from your brother over the years as a brother, rescue and nursing are omnipresent, and all medicines are never lacking. On your side, it is true that you have the righteousness of the world and have no selfishness, but on our side, although we feel lucky (lucky).In the end, I felt ashamed and ashamed, and felt that I hadn't made any contribution in the War of Resistance, and it was shameful to become a friend and a burden to society first.

Now you have heard about Brother Chengyong's distress, Mr. Yong Ni's troubles, and you have written a long article to explain the excellent work, and the reputation is too high, which will make people listen. I'm ashamed and sweating all over my back!
Especially about my place, a word of praise can make me feel guilty and sad day and night.Ri Nian has had nothing to eat for more than 30 years, and it is always a bad check that is rarely cashed.

It was so easy to hope that the child would be able to work hard for a few years when he was a little older, but he happened to encounter a big war and transferred to the position of Jingjiu firewood. Five years of good times were missed.Recently, I have been stuck in the stage of illness and disability. I am physically weak and mentally weak. I am afraid that I will have no part in academic work. In the future, I will eventually bear the meaning of today's teachings.

I have always been able to repay the kindness with words, but when I receive sympathy, I am moved but silent. I think all brothers and sisters can understand this feeling. These few lines in a hurry, naturally the book is not full.

Does Siyong know about this?Sicheng is usually modest and afraid of seeing people, and he will be at a loss when he gets a call.I hope that Mr. Yong Ni will briefly tell you about the process so that you will not be at a loss when you introduce the interview.
double security
To Jin Yuelin
Old gold:

How long has it been since I haven't written a letter in Chinese, and I feel a little uncomfortable.

John finally came back to the United States, and we felt more lonely, far away, and bored, and hoped that the war would end sooner.

everything is fine.Recently, my body has also recovered without any problems, at least exactly the same as when I was in Kunming.I was supposed to go to Chongqing once, half to play, half to take X-rays and so on.It's a pity that the weather is too cold and the boat is very inconvenient.

Sicheng rushed to catch up with this big draft, which made him miserable.But at last it was a great deal, and although the result was not very satisfactory, it was the beginning of a book we had wanted to write for several years.The lesson I have learned is that I am too bad at doing this kind of thing, and it is better to do it less in the future, although I love doing it very much.I am too inefficient (efficient), and I still can't help Sicheng much, but I have learned a lot of interesting materials, and they are still beneficial to me.

It's already midnight, and I want to go at six o'clock tomorrow morning.

I just write a few lines and ask John to bring them, just as a meeting

To Liang Sicheng
一
Sicheng:

I am now testing myself on a matter of recovering from illness, and I want to complete this task successfully.In terms of appetite and sleep, I have achieved very good results. I can get [-]% for appetite and [-]% for sleep.The most difficult thing now is the trachea. The trachea affects phlegm and breathing and affects the heartbeat. It is very complicated. The progress of the trachea is the most certain.

The reality of my work is limited to the problems of the design team of the Monument Construction Association. Sometimes it is to pull together a few limited manpower to organize and distribute the work. The technical discussion is like cloud pattern, like the top of the monument; The superior reflected some specific opinions and made one or two important suggestions. Today, there was a meeting with Ruan Qiumo, Wu Liang, and six of us. The day before yesterday, a letter was drafted to be submitted to Deputy Director Zheng and Secretary-General Xue. Today Ruan I brought the draft and revised it again, copied everyone’s signatures tonight, and it will be sent out tomorrow (mainly: [-], I need to notify the construction team to stop the reinforcement immediately, the art team is hard to decide, and it hasn’t started yet, so: [-], also take advantage of it At this time, it is required to increase technical personnel to strengthen the design strength. Third, it reflects that we think that the removal of the big platform is beneficial to the design, and the shape may be improved, and the complex nature of the showroom and toilet equipment, etc. are removed to make the ideological level of the monument clearer and simpler. ).No matter how Bing’s younger brother came back, mother or not, don’t forget about everything.

It may have been past March [-] by the time the letter arrived.

The situation of the Tiananmen memorial service has already been published in the newspaper and I will not write in detail.

When Li Zongjin came back from Guangxi yesterday, he didn't know you were in Moscow.

Huiyin finished writing on March [-]

two

Sicheng:

Today is the sixteenth.At this moment at [-] o'clock in the evening, the lights are not on, the room is very dark and I can't read or do things, so I can barely see this letter as I write it.After sending a letter on the [-]th, I am still busy with the monument.Xiao Wu and Lao Mo are all going to the city for a meeting today, so I can only wait for their reports.What is the content of the discussion, what are the emotions in several aspects, and what specific measures have been decided, it is impossible to know now.Yesterday was Sunday, and Lao Jin came before ten o'clock. He came back after entering the door, and then the younger brother came, and there was no one else. The conversation happened just right, but the news of the death of the Czech President came over the radio.This kind of news came after such a sad Comrade Stalin's funeral, which makes people stupefied. It is impossible to believe that such unfortunate things can happen in succession.Everyone's mood was gloomy again... After lunch, Lao Jin and younger brother all left.Zaibing stayed until [-] pm, and she didn't get married in March, so she wanted to change it to National Day because Yu Zhongqian said that he wanted to hold it in Guangzhou, where the two of them had many acquaintances and the conditions were good, so Zaibing could have fun for a while. trip.This time he came here not enough time and not fully prepared mentally, and it was too hot in June.I'm in favor of everything.Anyway, the child is happy.

In terms of my body, I ate so well and slept well, but I didn’t look fat. I still had shortness of breath, clear phlegm, and “snoring and bubbling sounds”. The symptoms are worse than before, the metabolism is too bad, the recovery is not obvious, and it is really slow. Today I should call the school clinic to ask about the results of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and sputum test. I can report it tonight, but I am afraid that the results will not be accurate. Perfect so I don't like to ask!
In terms of learning, I can report that apart from the main political articles and theoretical articles in the newspaper, I have read four books in a row, all of which are novel-style biographies.They are all true stories of heroes...

What else do I need to talk to you about?It’s time for dinner again, it’s time to eat, so I stopped (Guan Zhaoye came to sit for a while when I was bored in the afternoon, it’s good, I feel dizzy when I’m too bored to read) (Written on the evening of the [-]th)
Continued on the [-]th. What I am most worried about is your health problem. I think your work must be very heavy, and you are prone to fatigue. You take Rimifon at the same time. I don’t know if you are more likely to be tired and sleepy. Stop Rimifon, it has been two and a half months.The Soviet Union is cold, so pay attention to the diseases of the respiratory organs.

Lao Mo came back last night to report that everyone agrees on lowering the big platform. As for when the specific sketch can be drawn and decided, it is really troublesome, especially the top of the monument still has different opinions.

(End of this chapter)