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

Chapter 24 The Besieged City of One World: Untouchable Missing (2)
Farewell, it is eternal life
Time ruthlessly urges people to grow old.Life is like a dream, and the illusion is so strong. It turns out that the years go so fast, and before they know it, they have reached the age of vertigo, deafness, white hair and chicken skin.

In 73, Qian Zhongshu was [-] years old.He resigned to Qiao Mu and said: "The corpse is a vegetarian, and I feel uneasy." After hearing this, Qiao Mu laughed and said that he "doesn't say a word, he is very romantic", but he did not approve of the resignation.

That's all, anyway, he's just putting on an empty name, there's no need to be too serious.It's an old age, he has already taken everything lightly, and there is no need to make things difficult for him in a lifetime.

They moved their family to "Zhigao Building" in Shagou, Sanlihe.It's elegant and chic, and it's spacious and comfortable to live in.What's more, it's close to Ah Yuan's school and his son-in-law's workplace, so it's quite convenient to travel here.Yang Jiang said: "Since we moved to the Sanlihe apartment, we seem to have traveled a long distance, and finally we have a home, and we can settle down."
Yang Jiang said: "We are like old mahogany furniture, which fell apart as soon as we moved it." This year, she couldn't refuse. She visited Spain and the UK once, and when she came back, she made up her mind not to go anywhere.Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang are like Tao Yuanming, "even though the door is set up, it is always closed", they only read and write at home, and live comfortably.

It’s just that there are always some reporters, editors, and admirers flocking here. Most of them politely refuse, and even sincerely advise not to study "Fortress Besieged" and the so-called "Qian Xue".Only sometimes, our lovely Qian Zhongshu will be "naughty" and say to an English lady who wants to meet: "If you eat an egg and think it's good, why do you need to know the hen that lays the egg?"
It's just that there will still be sudden "intruders" who disrupt their peaceful life like water.In [-], a reporter from the Hong Kong branch of the China News Agency came to Beijing and interviewed many celebrities in the literary world, but only Qian Zhongshu was missing.So she contacted him through Wu Taichang from the editorial department of "Literary Daily".

After listening to Qian Zhongshu on the other end of the phone, he immediately became vigilant: "Isn't this leading a snake out of its hole! Thank you for her kindness, I will avoid it this time." But this lady reporter is also a stubborn person, and she couldn't make an appointment by phone, so she directly dragged Wu Taichang Come and visit.

They stood in front of Qian Zhongshu and his wife and rang the doorbell.The door opened in response to the sound, and it was Qian Zhongshu himself. When he saw the person coming, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Taichang, you failed to lure the snake out of the hole, but you came to catch the turtle again..."
He looked at the smiling reporter, and politely invited them in.Perhaps to make the trip worthwhile, the lady reporter was not ambiguous at all, and started to ask questions straight to the point. He wanted to use Tai Chi to fool him and everything would be fine, but who knew that the lady was very eloquent, so he could only keep silent. Only when it was unavoidable did he answer the questions one by one.

Although he shuts himself up all day long, he is not eccentric, and when he meets a young man he likes, he will still "open the door for you from now on".Once, Huang Jundong, a Hong Kong book review columnist, also visited, wanting to meet the scholar Mr. whom he had admired for a long time.It's just that this young man who was not good at words, after meeting Qian Zhongshu, became even more nervous and taciturn.Seeing him like this, Qian Zhongshu chatted with him very cordially, and even agreed to take a photo with him as a souvenir.

However, not everyone is as lucky as him.A well-known Chinese-American reporter in the world was ruthlessly rejected by him, and Ma Yueran, a member of the Nobel Prize in Literature who came all the way to visit, got nothing more than a few words of cynicism: "You run away!" Why come here to be arrogant? Don’t you rely on our China to make you a bowl of rice? In Sweden, you are an expert in Chinese literature. When you come to China, you say that you are an expert of the Nobel Prize in Literature Award Committee. To be honest, you Do you have the right to vote? As a sinologist, what kind of work have you done outside? Ba Jin’s book is translated like that, and Ba Jin is bullied because he doesn’t understand English, right? Who will give awards for such bad translations? Chinese works must be translated into English Only those who can participate in the awards, other countries can use the original text to participate in the awards, is this reasonable?"
He is such a person, dare to love, dare to hate, dare to speak and act.When he meets a sincere person, he is an amiable elder, and when he meets a arrogant and powerful person, he will mercilessly shut him down.

Since "Fortress Besieged" was reprinted, it has been a hot topic all over the country, so many people have the idea of ​​adapting it into a TV series, and the famous director Huang Shuqin is one of them.In this regard, Qian Zhongshu declined more than once, saying: "My work is not suitable for the screen." But the idea of ​​adapting it was too strong, and he couldn't stop it, so he had to let it go, neither agreeing nor opposing.He said: "It seems that playwrights want to write a play, just like "It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married." Support, but don't hold back. I'm ashamed and honored."
In [-], after three years of hard work, Huang Shuqin and the others finally completed the adaptation of the TV literature script and began to plan the shooting.In order to better present the original appearance of the work, they visited Qian Zhongshu's friend Ke Ling.Ke Ling said to them: "I advise you to find Yang Jiang."
They were not familiar with Qian and his wife, and knew that they didn't like outsiders to visit, so they asked Ke Ling to help write a letter of introduction, and went to Qian's residence nervously.They knocked on the door tremblingly, and they were relieved when the white-haired old lady invited them in with a smile.

They talked very happily, from the creation of "Fortress Besieged" to the adaptation process.Then, Huang Shuqin talked about the difficulties in the filming process: "It is very difficult to transform the interesting and humorous metaphors in the book into a film and television image. It is very difficult to maintain the original appearance of the novel without violating the characteristics of TV. Use these metaphors by extending the dialogue of the characters, and use narration to read out these wonderful words if you don't use them."
After listening to Qian Zhongshu, he said with a smile: "The medium is the content, and the medium affirms the work. If TV and drama are used to broadcast, its medium and meaning are different. It cannot affirm the original content. Poetry must be In order to become a painting, the poem must be changed; just as a painting must be changed into a poem, it is inevitable. This change is a principle of art."
And when Huang Shuqin said that she was worried that she could not vividly turn his perfect novel into a TV series, Qian Zhongshu encouraged him with a smile: "You are the director, and the director is the new author. Shakespeare's play can be changed into Peking Opera, so Auteurism can Trust me, I can take credit. I won't have any objections." Listening to Zhong Shu's kind and humorous words, they felt their confidence doubled.Two days later, they came to the door again to listen to their opinions on the script.The old couple had thoroughly read the script, and Yang Jiang even wrote dozens of revision comments. She said: "The current script is better than we imagined. My biggest opinion on the script is the beginning. The novel is written in words. Yes, I recorded a few things in an understatement, not to give people a deep impression. Now that it has become an image, the impression will be deep, as if Fang Hongjian is a liar..."
Huang Shuqin wrote down their opinions one by one.With the strong support of the old couple, the filming of "Fortress Besieged" was put on the agenda.In [-], "Fortress Besieged", which had been prepared for so many years, was finally broadcast on CCTV, and Qian Zhongshu's world-renowned masterpiece was presented in front of thousands of households.

Yang Jiang said with a smile: "Zhongshu's novel was changed to a TV series, and he suddenly became a celebrity. Many people came from far away to see Qian Zhongshu's demeanor. He didn't want to be a strange animal in the zoo, so I had no choice but to Guard the door for him."
He was already hot, and now he is even more unstoppable.Every day he receives many letterheads from admirers, and he must read each letter and reply to each letter, which is called "repaying debts" by the euphemistic name.It's just that although the reply letters are just polite thanks, there are too many letters, and this "debt" is always repaid.

In the early winter of this year, due to the sudden cold weather, he suffered from asthma. Fortunately, he was sent to the doctor in time, and he returned to normal after a few months of exhaustion.The years are quiet and peaceful, and the present world is stable. The old couple stay with each other, and they still read relative to each other every day, with a tacit understanding.

It's just rolling in the world of mortals, there is no pure happiness, and there is no eternal happiness like a fairy tale.Yang Jiang said: "There is no eternity in the world. Our life is rough, and we have a place to settle down in our twilight years. But old and sick, we have come to an end on the road of life."
In the summer of [-], Qian Zhongshu was admitted to the hospital again, and Yang Jiang served in front of the bed every day without taking off his clothes.In the winter of [-], Qian Yuan was admitted to the hospital at the foot of Xishan Mountain due to lung cancer. Yang Jiang, who was so worried, had to talk on the phone every night, and when they met occasionally, they only had a quick glance.

In the early spring of 60, Qian Yuan died of illness at the age of 88.At the end of [-], Qian Zhongshu also passed away at the age of [-].

The good things in the world are not strong, and the colored clouds are easy to scatter and the glaze is brittle.

Although she knew that their time was numbered, but when the two dearest lovers in the world passed away one after another, she still felt the pain that was caught off guard."The three of us just got separated. We got separated so easily... Now, I'm the only one left," she said.
It was said to be forever, but it broke up somehow. The woman named Zhang Ailing wrote that, sometimes life is always very ironic, and it may be a lifetime when you turn around.

A farewell is actually eternal life.

From then on, there is no more money and books in the world, and people are far away. Only the fragrance of words remains, and only love is immortal. Ask this world, who can compare with you?
waiting for you deep in time
He left, leaving her alone in the world.The time is scattered, and the loving look of the past can't be recalled; the years are leisurely, and the face that was once favorite can't be touched.At the beginning of "The Three of Us", her language is still simple and plain, but it also clearly reveals the anxious and sad emotions:
One night, I had a dream.Zhongshu and I walked together, talked and laughed, and walked somewhere.The sun had already set, the dusk was thin, and in the vast expanse, Zhongshu suddenly disappeared.I looked around, but there was no sign of him.I called him, but no one answered.

i was alone in the desolate outskirts, without knowing where zhongshu had gone.I shouted loudly, calling out my first and last names.The cry fell into the wilderness, as if being swallowed up, leaving no faint sound behind.The complete silence added weight to the dark night and deepened my loneliness.

The three of them were separated like this.She said: "I saw soberly that the apartment that used to be "our home" was just an inn on the journey. I don't know where my home is, and I'm still looking for my way back."
I don't know who said that home is a person waiting for you with the lights on.Yi Ren has passed away, and no one will light a warm flame for her anymore, but love is long, and in that beautiful time full of memories, she can still warm herself with the warmth of so many years.

She wrote "The Three of Us", using the family affection of a wife and mother to record the pure and beautiful life trajectory of the family.She carefully organized those sacks of reading notes for her husband. She knew that this was Zhong Shu's treasure house of knowledge throughout his life, and she should do her best to protect his last epic with her weak shoulders.

The days are busy, but she sleeps with memories on her pillow.Sometimes, she feels that Zhong Shu has never gone far, maybe he has always been there, he is looking at her smiling, and accompanying her to compose unparalleled elegance.Therefore, she does not feel lonely, loneliness is a carnival of a group of people.

At the end of [-], she completed her new translation ── "Phaedo".This is one of Plato's dialogues, a famous piece of Western philosophy full of wisdom.She said: "In accordance with my own translation practice, I stare at the original translation sentence by sentence and strive for fluency. The discussion between Socrates and his friends should be a regular conversation rather than a philosophical paper or a philosophical symposium. speech, so I try to avoid academic jargon and try to translate this supposedly dramatic dialogue into a truthful dialogue."
At this age, life has long been calm, and she just wants to do the two or three things she likes, whether it's sorting out her husband's works, or translating and writing by herself, it all depends on what she likes.In [-], she entrusted all the manuscript fees and royalties of herself and her husband to her alma mater, Tsinghua University, and set up a special fund to support poor students with excellent grades.

She didn't name this fund after herself or her husband, but took the word "good reading".She is still so low-key, just want to live in peace in her own world.It is said that as Qian Zhongshu's books were published one after another, their royalties were quite considerable. By 200, they had accumulated [-] million yuan and sponsored nine students.

In [-], "The Three of Us" was presented in front of the world in a simple and clean way. She still wrote this prose full of memories in a calm, cool and humorous way.Qian Zhongshu, Yang Jiang, and Qian Yuan have different personalities and share similar interests. They love each other and support each other. They walked through the long river of happy and difficult years together.

Some people say that Yang Jiang used the touching story of her family of three to prove to the world that family is the best shelter in life.Yes, no matter how violent the storm is, as long as they stay together, home is the safest harbor, but now, she is the only one left in the world.

She is also old, and has been admitted to the hospital many times with illnesses, and has been discharged from the hospital many times after recovery.At the beginning of 94, she had just come out of the hospital and wrote "Walk to the Edge of Life—Self-Ask and Answer".Qian Zhongshu once said that life is a big book. She is [-] years old and has too many thoughts and feelings about life.In the preface to this collection, she wrote:
"On January [-], [-], I was discharged from the hospital and went back to my apartment in Sanlihe. I came out from the front door of the hospital. If I came out from the morgue at the back door, I would be "going home".

"Lying on the hospital bed, I have been thinking about a topic: "Walking to the Edge of Life". As soon as I got home, I immediately started writing for this article. From then on, I seemed to be obsessed with this topic. I can't figure it out and can't shake it off..."
This is a different kind of literary work, filled with her philosophical thinking on life and the world.From writing about gods and ghosts to life, from soul to personality, she narrates her unique insights on fate, life and death just like she does every day.

She belongs to life, but she is also familiar with the control of traditional Chinese studies.In the book, she commented on Qian Zhongshu's "Writing on the Edge of Life", citing extensively, she integrated literature, philosophy and other knowledge, and read the stories she saw one by one.She is a special legendary woman, and the book is also a special literary masterpiece.

In [-], on the tenth anniversary of Qian Zhongshu's death, "Listen to Yang Jiang Talking About the Past" edited by Wu Xuezhao was published.At the end of the manuscript, Yang Jiang personally signed and wrote the preface. She made it clear that this is the only biography that has been identified by the biography owner herself.

Yang Jiang said: "I am happy to relive the past and appreciate the old feelings with a close friend, so I will answer every question. My life is very ordinary. If her biography is dull, it is only because I am one of the common people. Any legendary great deed can be remembered. I am grateful that she is willing to write an ordinary biography for an ordinary person."
The reincarnation of the world, walking on this long road of life, revisiting the past, should be her unspeakable happiness.She humbles herself that she is just one of the mortal beings, and her life is ordinary. In fact, where life is not ordinary, the truth, goodness and beauty in the world are hidden in the ordinary.

This is her biography, her spiritual history, and even more a legend.

On July [-], [-], she calmly entered the [-]th year of her life.As usual, there was no birthday party or public celebration. She just ate a bowl of fragrant longevity noodles in the company of relatives and friends.

Simple life, noble soul.This year, she made a speech saying: "I am 100 years old this year, and I have reached the edge of my life. I am not sure how far I can go. Life is involuntary, but I know very well that I will soon "go home" .I have to wash away the filth that has been contaminated for [-] years and go home. I don’t have the feeling of "climbing Mount Tai and the world is small". Every day, get ready to go home."
Perhaps, she wants to go back, to the world where Zhong Shu and A Yuan are.However, I still want to send my most sincere wishes to this simple old man: I wish you a long and healthy life!

She said she was a zero.In her hundred years of life, she has understood everything. In her eyes, all the praise from the outside world is vanity. She is just a wife, mother, and a living person.As smart as she is, she just said "the world is her own and has nothing to do with others", and she said the true meaning of life.

Today, Mr. Yang Jiang is [-] years old and still lives calmly.She has already completed the affairs of her husband and daughter, and now she is calmly sorting out her works. She said: "After finishing their work, I will be at ease in my heart. It doesn't matter what I have left, even at this moment. Let's go, don't worry!"
The love of husband, the heart of love for daughter.She really missed her two closest relatives, but she didn't criticize them too much.Perhaps, everything is as she said: "God will not let all happiness be concentrated on one person. Getting love does not necessarily have money; having money does not necessarily lead to happiness; getting happiness does not necessarily lead to health; having health does not necessarily mean that everything will come true."
Lovesickness touches the years, and love has broken the horizon. You in this life are a cinnabar mole on my chest.Just under the tree full of cherry blossoms in the next life, will you wait for me?

Waiting for you in the depths of time.He said so.

Lovesickness has become a tomb, and time has passed, she is not afraid of being left alone in the world of mortals, because she knows that in the depths of time, there are two people waiting for her.

(End of this chapter)