In ancient times, China has always been in a social environment where men were superior to women, and the status of women has always been relatively low. It was not until the Republic of China that the status of women began to be further improved, and many women had the opportunity to start a family and go to school. It was in this environment that many talented women appeared, and people of that era regarded these women as talented women. And the talented woman that the editor introduces to you today is very powerful. She is China's first female professor and Mr. Hu Shi's unforgettable confidante in his life.
As China’s first female professor, Chen Hengzhe was born into a scholarly family in Wujin, Jiangsu. Her grandfather served as a county magistrate in Hangzhou, and her father was born in Juren. When she was a child, her father began to teach her ancient books such as "Erya" and "Huangdi Neijing"; and her mother, Zhuang Yaofu, was a calligrapher and painter as famous as Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi, so she was very interested in Chinese literature and art when she was young. Understand something.
When Chen Hengzhe was 13 years old, she said goodbye to her parents, went to her uncle to receive education, and learned a lot of Western culture. Indoctrinated by these cultural concepts, she made a bold move and proposed to dissolve the marriage. idea. It turns out that when Chen Hengzhe was very young, her parents arranged a marriage for her. Chen Hengzhe, who was deeply influenced by Western culture, vowed to oppose arranged marriage and was unwilling to marry his fiancé. When Chen Hengzhe turned 18, he immediately called off the marriage.
When Chen Hengzhe was 24 years old, he obtained the qualification of Tsinghua University to recruit American students in Shanghai and got the opportunity to study abroad. After going abroad, Chen Hengzhe went to Warsaw Women's University and the University of Chicago in the United States to study Western history and Western literature. He gained a deep understanding of Western science and culture and received bachelor's and master's degrees. After returning to China, she was invited by Cai Yuanpei to become professor of world history at Peking University, the first female university professor in China.
During these years in the United States, she met a man who made her heart beat. He was Hu Shi. At that time, Hu Shi was the editor-in-chief of "Students in America Quarterly". On the recommendation of his friend Ren Hongjun, he started corresponding with Chen Hengzhe. At that time, the two people talked about literature, life, and the future of the country in letters, and they developed a good impression of each other. When students studying in the United States discuss the reform of Chinese literature, they often have fierce arguments. Even if the two people have a good personal relationship, they will not give in to each other's literary stance. When Hu Shi advocated vernacular writing, it caused an uproar in the entire cultural world. At that time, no one thought highly of him. At this time, Hu Shi fell into an awkward situation of being isolated and helpless.
Although Chen Hengzhe never participated in the debate at that time, he published many vernacular poems one after another and gave Hu Shi encouragement and support in his actions. When Hu Shi later recalled this time, he once said this: "Her sympathy for my ideas gave me a lot of comfort and encouragement. She was one of my earliest comrades."
< p>Due to the long-term correspondence, the relationship between the two people became closer and closer. Just when he was preparing for further development, Hu Shi received a letter from his family: his family had already arranged a marriage for him and asked him to go back and get married as soon as possible. Hu Shi's father passed away very early and he was raised by his mother. He was very filial to his mother and could only obey his mother's wishes and return to China to get married. When Chen Hengzhe heard the news, he felt very complicated. Hu Shi was both a friend and a confidant to her. When Hu Shi chose to get married, the relationship between the two could only remain friends forever.Compared with many miserable female talents at that time, Chen Hengzhe's fate was relatively lucky. Having received a new education since she was a child, she had the right to pursue freedom and happiness. Although she was not able to be with Hu Shi, she became his unforgettable confidante. Later, he also found his own love and married Ren Hongjun, the founder of modern Chinese science.