Such stars and such moons: Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang's unparalleled love

Chapter 12 Precious years: how much youth is left in hand (2)
With the ferry ticket, returning home is no longer in the foreseeable future.In September, Qian Zhongshu and his wife boarded the French cruise ship Ados 2 holding their daughter who had just been weaned for two months and dragging heavy books and luggage.Farewell, Paris; Farewell, France!The boat slowly sailed out of the port and headed for the familiar territory. How much they wanted to shout: "Motherland, we are back!"
When they went abroad, they took the second-class cabin of a British cruise ship, and the food was very good. Unexpectedly, the food in the third-class cabin back home was much worse.But they, who were eager to return home, even forgot to prepare some nutrition for their weaned daughter. Poor Ah Yuan had to eat mashed potatoes for more than [-] days.

Looking at her daughter who lost weight rapidly, Yang Jiang felt distressed. She said with shame: "Yuanyuan was a fat doll when she got on the boat, but she became a thin child when she got off the boat. I deeply hate myself for being negligent at the time. She bought some dairy products to help with nutrition. I managed to feed her fat and strong, and she will not be fat or strong when she arrives in Shanghai."
Standing on the deck of the Ados 2 cruise ship, looking far into the distance, Zhong Shu could only feel a lot of thoughts.The sky is blue, the sea is salty, and the wind is lingering. He is going back to his country to start a new round of life, but he doesn’t know whether the sky of the motherland is still vast, and whether he can do whatever he likes. ?

As the shore approached, he smelled the long-lost breath, the smell of belonging to the motherland alone.Seeing the smoke from the kitchen again, he felt timid because of the proximity to his hometown. He sorted out his thoughts and went ashore with his luggage.

In fact, it is quite wise for Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang to return to China in advance.In [-], the Second World War broke out, and the whole of Europe fell into chaos.In [-], Germany aggressively attacked France. Later, Qian Zhongshu said very fortunately: "Fortunately, I returned to China earlier at that time. If it was delayed for another year, I am afraid I would not be able to return if there was a war."
Talented and frivolous
Extra!Extra!Ados 2 returns with a pair of literary couples!
When this exciting news spread throughout the cultural circle, Yang Jiang had already arrived at his home in the Shanghai Concession, and Qian Zhongshu became a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures of Tsinghua University.

On the eve of returning to China, he received a letter from Feng Youlan, Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts of his alma mater, sincerely inviting him to come to Tsinghua University as a professor of the Department of Foreign Languages.Originally, a student who had just returned from his studies could only be a lecturer and was not qualified to be a professor, but he, a once-famous talent at Tsinghua University, was naturally an exception.His exceptions are too numerous to be surprising.

This time, he agreed, just because he was thinking of his alma mater.

When Ados 2 landed in Hong Kong, he said goodbye to his wife and daughter, and disembarked first to go to Kunming, Yunnan, where he moved to teach at Tsinghua University.At that time, North China had already been occupied, and the three prestigious universities there—Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Nankai University—all moved to Kunming, where they merged to form a new university—National Southwest Associated University.

This year, Qian Zhongshu was 28 years old and became a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​of National Southwest Associated University.It is said that it is the National Southwest Associated University, but in fact, the teachers in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​are basically his teachers in Tsinghua University. In this way, he became one of the youngest professors in Tsinghua University, and he is a very popular young professor.

Among the students of National Southwest Associated University, almost no one does not know that he is a "Tsinghua talent" who never attends lectures but always ranks first in the exam, and there are not a few students who come to see his demeanor.In class, he is so young and looks like a student, but he can always tell the ordinary texts to life, and his charming and charming appearance easily captures the hearts of the students.

Probably trying to look more mature, he was wearing a navy blue suit, black leather shoes, and a pair of large black-rimmed glasses on his face.It's just that he is young after all, and his deep eyes hidden behind the lens always inadvertently bring out a sense of mystery.

At the National Southwest Associated University, he taught three courses: "European Renaissance", "Contemporary Western Literature" and "Freshman English".Among them, "Freshman English" is a compulsory course regardless of the department, and many students come here attracted by it.

He does not speak a lot of Chinese and little English like Mr. Ye Gongchao, nor does he lack appeal like Mr. Wu Mi.He only speaks English, not Chinese, only lectures, no questions, and occasionally some humorous classic sentences.

When the school showed the movie "Romeo and Juliet", he smiled and said to his classmates: "Some people watched the movie, men want to be Romeo, women want to be Juliet." When explaining the meaning of "skepticism" , he said succinctly: "Everything is a question mark, there is no period." This is his charm, with witty words, but just right to clear the fog for the students.A student named Xu Yuanchong said bluntly that he "has never stopped talking until he is astonishing".

"European Renaissance" and "Contemporary Western Literature" are elective courses for senior students. Students who have taken other courses include Xu Yuanchong, Xu Guozhang, Yang Zhouhan, Zhou Jueliang, etc., who later became accomplished scholars and translators in China.Among them, Xu Guozhang, who is only five years younger than him, commented on him in this way: "Master Qian, a great Confucian in China, is also a well-rounded person in modern times."
Xu Guozhang also said: "Mr. Qian's lectures are never satisfied with telling historical facts and analyzing famous works. Every specific matter is generalized, but he is committed to sorting out the thread of thought. The history of literature he teaches is actually the history of thought. Teacher Qian's lectures must be Write a speech, but never read it in class. The words and sentences are free and easy, and the presentation is free and easy, and it is restrained, so there is no need for length. Students often stop writing and memorize when they hear the catchy point. A lecture is a good one. Article, a beautiful feeling."
During the three years of studying abroad in Europe, he focused on nothing but his knowledge and charisma.After years, he became a professor, and he has the dazzling aura of a genius.

In addition to teaching, he is also the special editor of "Oxford University Oriental Philosophy, Religion, Art Series", and also published many "cold room essays" in the school's publication "Today's Review".It's just that he is still frivolous, and he doesn't care about sophistication and human relations in his speech. His articles contain many criticisms of hateful social phenomena, and he mercilessly satirizes those vulgar and ugly phenomena in the literary world.

Young and frivolous, his outspokenness has inadvertently offended many people who like to "check their seats".However, he was knowledgeable, did well in class, and was even popular with students, but he was also envied by interested people. He became the target of public criticism and was greatly excluded.

In his heart, literature should be pure, and he does not want to make the study of literature intriguing and cautious.Mostly God is jealous of talents, so while giving him talent, he also gave him frivolity and stubborn temper.

He only stayed at the National Southwest Associated University for less than a year, and the National Southwestern Associated University did not plan to hire him in the next academic year. Nian Xia resigned from his teaching position, happy to be at leisure.What's more, there is no stay here, but there is a place to stay. The National Normal University in Lantian Town, Hunan, where his father works, is inviting him to prepare for the establishment of the Department of Foreign Languages.

It is said that when he left the school, he publicly said: "The foreign language department of Southwest Associated University is not good at all, Ye Gongchao is too lazy, Wu Mi is too stupid, and Chen Futian is too vulgar." Can this be true?Although he is frivolous, he doesn't bother to make personal attacks. Even if he really said such a thing, it was just a joke. Is there anyone who doesn't know his humor that is "not shocking and endless"?
The relationship between him and Mr. Ye Gongchao was formed at this time. I don't know if it was because he was too popular, or because Ye Gongchao was afraid that he would threaten him, so he and Chen Futian sent Qian Zhongshu's opinion not to continue to the principal. .Later, when Ye Gongchao was interviewed, he also said that he did not remember that Qian Zhongshu had ever taught at the National Southwest Associated University.

As a professor at Tsinghua University, Wu Mi is probably the only one who truly loves him.When this generous and kind elder knew that Qian Zhongshu had resigned due to exclusion, he was very sorry, and personally proposed to Chen Futian, the director of the Department of Foreign Languages, to hire him again. Of course, Chen Futian did not agree, and even the principal Mei Yiqi hired Qian Zhongshu Tsinghua University's telegram was also hidden by those who cared.

Wu Mi was very angry about this, and loudly reprimanded "the way of all wives and concubines".He and Chen Yinke appealed for this matter together, but to no avail. He sighed bitterly and said: "It is a pity that people's tolerance is not wide, and each saves the town of the school, and does not pay attention to talents."
It's just that he didn't give up.At the end of [-], when Chen Futian asked the professors to discuss matters in the department, Wu Mi again proposed to invite Qian Zhongshu to return to the school to teach. Here comes a saying.

Soon, Chen Futian went to Shanghai to hire Qian Zhongshu himself.Qian Zhongshu refused. Although he was grateful for Mr. Wu Mi's great love for him, he did not want to be involved in such complicated personnel affairs.In this regard, Yang Jiang once wrote: "Since he is not popular, why bother to make trouble for himself? Zhong Shu has been excluded in his life. He never argues with the other party, and always gives in obediently. He is polite. Angrily declined the offer, Chen Futian left after completing the task, and they didn't talk a few words."
After resigning, Qian Zhongshu only felt relaxed. He returned to his wife and daughter and spent a very pleasant vacation.

In Shanghai, Qian's family lives on Lafayette Road, and Yang's family lives in Laidefang, Xiafei Road. The two families are very close to each other.Before Qian Zhongshu came back, because Qian's house was full, Yang Jiang lived with his father, but often took A Yuan to Qian's house to "be a daughter-in-law".After Zhongshu came back, he lived with his wife and daughter at his father-in-law's house, and went back to Qian's house after getting up in the morning.

After the fall of Suzhou, Yang Jiang's alma mater, Zhenhua Girls' High School, also dispersed, and many students took refuge in Shanghai, so the principal wanted to build a branch school here.When she heard that Yang Jiang had returned to China, she asked her to help, and even forced her to be the principal of the branch school, probably afraid that she would not agree, and invited a man named Meng Xiancheng to file a case with the Education Bureau.

At that time, Yang Jiang was still working as a tutor in a wealthy businessman in Guangdong, so she was quite busy.

Although tiring, Yang Jiang was quite satisfied.Her mother is her lifelong regret, but now that she is back, being by her father's side is also a kind of comfort.Father has slowly come out of the haze, shaved his long beard, quit sleeping pills, and his expression gradually became clearer, but he still couldn't let go of his dead wife who hadn't been buried properly.

He bought a cemetery in Lingyan Mountain for his wife, and disguised himself as a countryman to go to Xiangshan to retrieve his wife's coffin.In the blink of an eye, it was the autumn of [-], and the youngest son of the Yang family also came back from abroad, so he took his sons and daughters back to Suzhou. He wanted to rebury his dead wife during the family reunion.

After being away for many years, she finally returned to her hometown in Suzhou.It’s just that this place is no longer the same as before. The beautiful courtyard covered by flowers and trees in her memory has long been abandoned among the clumps of dead branches and vines. Antique jade wares, precious calligraphy and paintings were even looted.

She couldn't believe that this overgrown and messy courtyard was the place she wanted to return to when she was going back and forth.Ho!Time is a ruthless butcher's knife, and war is a cruel executioner.She suddenly remembered the poem that Zhong Shu sent her when he was in Kunming: "Love Jun's house so much, it's a good alleyway, and the vicissitudes of time have passed. The green locust tree is just outside the vermilion fence, and I want to cover the old house with thick shade."
They went to the cemetery hall to send their mother a belated goodbye.Walking into the auditorium, looking at the black lacquered coffins, Yang Jiang's heart twitched uncontrollably.The mother's frowns and smiles in the memory are still circling in her mind, so real, but she can no longer touch them. She wiped the dust on the coffin with a handkerchief, and finally broke down in tears.

The sisters knelt in front of the grave, watching baskets of lime covering the coffin and passing by in dust.The dead are gone, this is the last farewell, the living still have a long way to go, and they need to be supported by love to go on.

(End of this chapter)