The house where Hu Shi lives is getting bigger and bigger. Hu Shi lived in Wang Hongbin Satin Library No.8 in Beijing. When I arrived in Beijing, his family had moved to No.14 Zhonggu Temple, which is near the university passageway and not far from Peking University. The house is an ordinary quadrangle, and the house is not big. As soon as you enter the door, it is the concierge, with wings on both sides, the principal room at the back and an annex room next to it. The kitchen is small and the toilet is narrower. The yard is not wide, with one or two small trees and pots of oleanders. The main room is the bedroom and study, and the hatchback is the guest room and reception room. The footman lives in the concierge and the maid lives in the wing. The furniture is simple, too. At that time, the university owed wages for a long time, the professors lived in poverty, and Hu Shi's economy was not well off. Later, Hu Shi published more and more works. As soon as the sales volume was good, the income increased. During this period, he went abroad once, lived abroad for ten months, taught some classes and earned some money. The residence of Zhonggu Temple is too small to find another new home. As it happens, Lin Changmin's house was sold. Lin was then the secretary-general of Guo Songling, and Guo was an innovator. He betrayed the old school Zhang, was defeated by Zhang, and was completely annihilated. Guo and Lin were both killed. Lin died and his house had to be sold. The house is at No.6 Shanmen, Jingshan Street. The house in Zhonggu Temple is the home of ordinary people, but the house in Lushan Gate is the residence of bureaucrats and politicians. The house is much more spacious, the yard is bigger and the style is different. There is a long corridor and a well in the kitchen. The Lins' original furniture and leather sofas were bought at the top fee.
Marshal Zhang went to Beijing to kill progressives and revolutionaries, and the atmosphere of terror enveloped the whole city. Hu Shi returned from overseas to give lectures and could not live in Beijing, so Jiang Dongxiu moved to Shanghai with his two sons and lived in No.49 A, Quisfix Er Road, Jing 'an Temple, a small house on the ground floor. Hu Shi has a large collection of books, so the house is relatively large. His books didn't move to Shanghai, and the servants didn't follow him. A small house on the first floor is enough. Moreover, Shanghai is a land of gold and the rent is expensive. At that time, Hu Shi's economic situation could not afford to live in a big garden house.
1930 1 1 At the end of the month, Hu Shi left Shanghai and returned to Beijing to teach in Peking University. As time goes by, Hu has more and more friends and more books. There are not enough houses like Lushan Gate. After Chiang Kai-shek came to power, in order to reassure people and distribute education funds, the salaries of university professors were not owed, but increased. In particular, well-known professors can earn 600 yuan a month, and they can also take part-time courses and get paid. Beijing changed to Peiping, the political center moved south, the population moved out, there were more empty houses, and the rent was cheaper. So Hu Shi found the No.4 house in the rice grain depot at the back door. This house is bigger and better than the one at Lishanmen. It has a big yard with trees, a garage, a boiler and water heater, a bathroom and a toilet. With more rooms, Hu Shi can receive his friends. Xu Beihong, Xu Zhimo, Ding Wenjiang and other friends all stayed in his house during this period.
He spent his childhood in his hometown and didn't come to Shanghai until he was a teenager, so he likes to eat his hometown food. Huizhou is a mountainous area with a large population. The staple food is rice, noodles and corn. Pasta is the main food in the north and rice is the main food in the south. When wars were frequent in the previous dynasties, most ancestors of Huizhou people fled to the north. Coupled with more people and less fields, Huizhou people are used to rice, noodles and omnivores. Eat some rice, some pasta and some corn. In Nanxiang, Shexian County, corn is almost the staple food.
Hu Shi's diet is local, but his cigarettes are foreign. All the cigarettes he smokes are imported, such as tin boxes and large batteries. Smoking is not a big addiction, so smoke well. Eat only three meals a day, don't eat snacks, and don't eat fruit often. In a word, except for the cigarettes he smokes, his life is broad.
Hu Shi likes wearing Hanfu very much. Mao Dun said that it was summer when he first met Hu Shi in Shanghai. Hu Shi is wearing silk trousers, silk robe, stockings and leather shoes, which is completely popular in Shanghai. What he said is true. Hu Shi doesn't like to wear a suit at home, let alone a Chinese tunic suit. Wear a suit when going abroad. Clothes are made of ordinary cotton, silk, woolen cloth, fur, etc. He doesn't have an expensive dress, such as mink.
Why does he like to wear Hanfu? Because hanfu is comfortable and convenient. Wearing a suit is hot in summer, cold in winter and tight in spring and autumn, making it uncomfortable to sit up. He has become accustomed to being so practical.
Hu Shi wears Panama straw hat in summer and tweed hat in other seasons. He always wears a wool scarf when he goes out except in hot weather in case he catches a cold. Jiang Dongxiu doesn't have very valuable clothes. As for his son's clothes, they are even more common. The bed is also an ordinary double bed; Bedding, sheets, blankets, etc. are also common. In a word, his clothes are neither simple nor gorgeous, but neatly dressed, keeping his scholar style.
Does Hu Shi have any hobbies in entertainment? He once said that he loved to play when he was studying in Shanghai. 19 17 After I returned to China, I didn't see him playing poker when I contacted him. Playing mahjong was an accident. We know that in the 1920s and 1930s, there were no radios and televisions in China. At that time, there was only one phonograph, and his family had one. There are only one hundred generations of Peking Opera and Cantonese Opera, which are bought for his children. When he was young, he sang along with records, and he also learned to sing some Peking Opera.
Hu Shi can't sing or sing opera, but he still wants to see opera, whether it's Beijing opera, Kunqu opera, drama and so on. He is not an opera fan, nor does he praise any artists. 19 18, he also wrote an article about the evolution of literature and the improvement of drama, which was published in New Youth. Today, this article has a lot to discuss, but historically, it is still of historical value.
Hu Shi watched a play on the Shanghai stage and felt that the old artists who were acting at that time did not have any new roles. At that time, he also visited the Shixian Paradise and the Great World in Shanghai, and saw men and women sitting together, rich and poor, old and young, and many people wearing short clothes. He said it was really a casino for civilians. After arriving in Beijing, he also went to the same paradise to see Han Shichang's Dream in the Garden, Tao Xianting's Mountain Gate and Hou Yilong's Wide Account. But what he particularly appreciated was the performance of the famous Peking Opera actor Xiaodong Meng. By the time I got to Beijing, Tan Laofan, who played Peking Opera, had already died, not to mention the big boss in Cheng Changgeng. However, Yu Shuyan, Yang Shaolou and Mei Lanfang are outstanding, and many other old artists are still alive. Beijing opera is not the peak, but it is also the peak. They don't often perform, but Yang and Mei sing in pairs, and Beijing opera fans are more addicted. I know nothing about drama, but I usually watch, Yang Shaolou, Mei Lanfang and Cheng. As for Shang Xiaoyun, Xun Huisheng, Tan and Ma, I only visit them occasionally. I don't watch those Kunqu operas. One night, Hu Shi read Xiaodong Meng's "pass the parcel scolds Cao" and went home full of praise. He said that Meng Xiaodong's figure, appearance, voice and behavior are not feminine, which is really great. Told me to see it. I saw Meng Xiaodong's play, which was really good. From then on, I changed my prejudice against Kunjiao and went to see the plays of Xin Qiuyan, Xue Yanqin and Zhang Zhuoyun. Laobai made a sensation in Beijing with "The Day of the West". Not at first, but later.
At that time, the only beautiful cinema in Beijing was Zhenguang Cinema, located in East Chang 'an Avenue, which mainly showed foreign films. Hu Shi went to see it and occasionally took a look at China's films.
There are no places or groups in Beijing that specialize in performing plays. Only the drama La Traviata starring Tang Huaiqiu and his daughter Tang Ruojing was a sensation, and Hu Shi went to see it without comment. He also praised Liu Baoquan's drums.
Hu Shi has many friends who are good at painting and calligraphy, but he doesn't like collecting words, paintings and inscriptions, and he doesn't like collecting antiques. He has only a general appreciation of entertainment, but no special hobbies. But does he have any hobbies? Yes! His hobby is collecting books. This will be discussed in the next section.
Hu Shi's Book Collection and Research
Hu Shi's book collection. People who learn knowledge love books, especially Hu Shi. He has a large collection of books, about 40 bookshelves (big bookshelves), mainly thread-bound books, and few foreign documents. Several of his books were left by his father Tie Huagong. His father has some books, but there are many ordinary books and few good books. 19 17 After returning to China, he went back to his hometown three times, visiting his mother for the first time, getting married for the second time and attending his mother's funeral for the third time. He brought all the good books from his hometown to Beijing and usually stayed in his hometown. After ten years of civil strife, all the books left behind are gone, which is a pity but not a pity. How do you say this? Because there are no rare books!
Which books were brought to Beijing, only he knows, others don't know, because there is no special inscription, so it can't be identified. In my opinion, there are two books left by his father, which are relatively certain: one is Wang Shiduo's Collected Works and the other is He Feng's Poems. Why do you say that? Listen to me. Wang Shiduo, a native of Jiangning, Jiangsu Province, was a famous scholar in Qing Daoguang. He once taught in Jixi County. My grandfather's grandfather, who is rich, is doing business in Nanjing and hired Wang Shiduo to teach his grandchildren Hu Baoduo, Hu Zongduo and Hu Xuanduo (Zhao Fuguong, my grandfather) in Zhaitan Village. According to my grandfather, Wang is quite familiar with the situation of mountains and rivers and the dangers and obstacles in the pass, especially the geography of Huizhou. Later, Hu Linyi and Zeng Guofan hired Wang as their chief of staff to assist Rongji. I think Zeng Guofan took Qimen as the camp to resist Taiping rebels, perhaps because of Wang Shiduo's suggestion.
Hu Shi's father has the deepest friendship with Bao Duogong and Xuanduo, and it is not surprising that there is Wang Shiduo's Collected Works. The book "Where Poems" was written by the ancestors of our nation. He was born between Jiaqing and Daoguang years. He writes poetry, which is full of people's nature. He is not famous in the village, but there are many literati in the village who keep his poems. Hu Shi published several of his poems in New Youth, from which he was selected. This book is kept by his father, which is more reliable. Most of Hu Shi's books were obtained in Beijing.
There are many ancient book bookstores in Liulichang, Beijing. They often make some ancient books and sell them at high prices. These booksellers know very well which one has books to sell and which one wants to buy. They all know that Hu Shi collects old books, so they collect them on his behalf and send them to his door for him to buy. If he chooses, he will stay, not necessarily paying immediately, but paying at any time. Booksellers are advised not to worry. Some friends also help him buy books. For example, if he has a copy of sixteen banknotes of Qianlong JOE (1754), a friend bought it for him.
Hu Shi doesn't have many rare books. Hu Chengzhi said to me, "He has a rare copy of Jin Ping Mei, which he cherishes very much and doesn't show to others easily." I haven't read this book. It is said that Hu Shi has a Dream of Red Mansions, which is deposited in Columbia University in the United States, and it is sixteen copies of Red Yan Zhai Re-evaluation of the Stone. This is the oldest copy of A Dream of Red Mansions in China. Hu Shi paid a high price for this book. He kept this book in his alma mater, Columbia University, which shows his importance. Before the Anti-Japanese War, Hu Shi's books were not registered, catalogued and inscribed. Most books are on the shelf, and a few are on the shelf. What books, where to put them, he put them in person, remember clearly, and can take them out at any time. In Beijing, Hu Shi moved four times, the first time to Zhong Gu Temple, the second time to Lishanmen, the third time to Rice Grain Depot and the fourth time to Dongchang Hutong. When we moved for the second time and the third time, his books were sorted and carried by his brother Hu Chengzhi. We remember the books on the shelf and their positions in advance, and put them in a wooden box. Each box has a number. After moving to the new house, we opened it in turn and put it as it is. 1937 Japanese troops invaded Beijing, and his books were packed in boxes, transported to Tianjin and kept in the warehouse of Zhejiang Industrial Bank. When he was in America, he was worried that his forty books would be lost. Fortunately, Zhejiang Industrial Bank managed well and did not suffer. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he went to Beijing, and these books were also moved to Dongchang Hutong 1. I don't know if his books are registered, catalogued and stamped. 1949 1 month, he flew south in panic, and the book didn't move at all. After the peaceful liberation of Beijing, all these books were turned over to the public.
Hu Shi's research. What I'm talking about now is that Hu Shi lives in the study of Zhonggu Temple, Lishanmen and Rice Car Factory. These study rooms are basically the same, but slightly different in size. There is a big desk, one or two bookcases, a swivel chair and some small chairs in the room. The wall is empty, and there is no calligraphy and painting. There are naturally Four Treasures of the Study, a tin foil bag or a big box of cigarettes, an ashtray, a box of matches and a notebook calendar on the desk. Besides, the desk is full of books and looks messy. No one touched the book on the desk. If it moves a little, he will bother to look for it. The servant just dusted off the table. We don't disturb him when he is reading and writing in the study. Jiang Dongxiu loves playing cards, and the place where he plays cards is far away from the study, so that the sound of playing cards cannot reach the study. The desk drawer is unlocked. Some manuscripts and letters that need to be preserved are put in drawers, while others are kept. Hu Shi believes that letters that have no preservation value and are irrelevant should be thrown away after reading. 1979, Selected Letters of Hu Shi edited by Institute of Modern History, China Academy of Social Sciences, were some letters that he kept himself and left in a hurry at home in Beijing. At that time, we went to his study, never opened the drawer of the desk, and never rummaged through the books on the desk. However, those letters that have not been packed and left on the table after reading can be read casually. I have read some letters from Yang Xingfo and Liu Bannong. Hu Shi printed the manuscript paper himself, went straight, made twenty crosses in each line, divided it, folded it in half, and signed the word "Hu Shi's manuscript paper". When he writes, he uses a brush, which is straight, the font is not scribbled and rarely altered. After a draft is finished, it seems to have been copied again. In fact, he has no time to copy it, and he doesn't want to find someone to copy it. Occasionally he or his younger brothers Hu Chengzhi and Zhang Xilu also copied some. This is the result of his efforts. Although his handwriting is full of books, it has no skill. I haven't seen him practice calligraphy and have few inscriptions. When someone asked him to write, he also waved his hand. He doesn't need a particularly good pen or ink, let alone a famous inkstone.
Hu Shi's activities at home are mainly in his study. I read some poems and novels when I am tired, and seldom go for a walk in the yard. Several friends can chat with him directly in the study, and ordinary friends can meet in the living room. He has something to do when he goes out at night. Whenever he comes back, he always reads a book in the study before going to bed. This is his habit.
Hu Shi's letters from 19 15 to 1948 have been basically preserved, except that they have been lost in the hands of relatives and friends. What I want to talk about now is his manuscript. Hu Shi has written many manuscripts, some of which have been written but not published, others are being written but not finished, such as The History of China's Philosophy. I don't know whether these manuscripts are kept in Dongchang Hutong 1 Courtyard (now the house is next to the Institute of Modern History). If not, he must have taken them abroad. He cherishes his own manuscript and his father's manuscript most. According to his letter to Hu on 1933 1 1 month 15, "the ancestors made their own chronicles until they were forty years old, and then kept a diary of 200,000 words, which has not changed so far. There is a lot of valuable information in it. There is only one volume of poetry collection, and the anthology has not been compiled yet, and there are about ten volumes. All the manuscripts of our ancestors have been copied. Not calibrated yet. I have been busy for several years, and I can't do this. I am embarrassed. " This letter is now in the hands of my grandson Hu. According to Luo Ergang's Record of Insulting Teachers, his father's "all manuscripts are divided into chronology, anthology, poetry anthology, petition, folio and diary, with about 800,000 words". These manuscripts have been borrowed. Therefore, Tang Degang said, "I have read some Luo Ergang's manuscripts in new york. In addition to the two Annals of Taiwan Province (published in 195 1 year), I remember reading another monograph on Mr. Hu Tiehua's Chronicle, but I couldn't find it in the Chinese Library of Columbia University recently. " Accordingly, most of the manuscripts of Tiehua Palace have not been published. I don't know whether these precious manuscripts are in the hands of Wang Zu or in the Chinese library of Columbia University.