"Scholar of the Republic of China" Chen Xiying
1924 In May, Tagore, a great Indian poet, visited China, causing no less commotion in Beijing's literary world than a typhoon landing. After discussion, a group of intellectuals in charge of receiving Tagore decided to hold an unconventional tea party for this great poet. On the afternoon of May 6th, Ling Shuhua hosted the Century Party as the hostess. She shuttled among celebrities and talked about absolute beauty, which captivated all the men present, including Chen Xiying and Ling Shuhua's future husbands.
Chen Xiying, whose real name is Chen Yuan, whose pseudonym is Ying, is from Wuxi, Jiangsu. Doctors, scholars and critics studying in Britain. Generally speaking, I know the name Chen Xiying because he was scolded by Lu Xun. According to the common understanding of China people, it is definitely the bad guys who fight with the good guys. So all kinds of reading materials and even middle school textbooks regard him as a bad guy. This is the origin of Chen Xiying's "reputation".
In fact, years of studying abroad have made Chen Xiying accustomed to the rationality and orderliness of British culture, and he is biased towards everything in China. He was very dissatisfied with China people's bad habits, but it was qualitatively different from Lu Xun's attitude of "lamenting their misfortune and angering them". His rational attitude and arrogant expression between the lines lack the enthusiasm of the times, which is unacceptable.
Therefore, in the debate between Chen Xiying and Lu Xun, he was a loser, whether in the end or morally. He is an "unsympathetic loser", and as a result of his failure, he is still a "villain" in the history of China's new culture movement.
Yan Jingming's evaluation of Chen Xiying was too "rational", which made him slip into people's impression of "reaction", that is, Lu Xun's satirical "gentleman" and "gentleman".
When he wrote 10 works since the New Culture Movement, he only chose two collections of short stories, one was Yu Dafu's Sinking and the other was Lu Xun's Scream. His evaluation is both respectful and contemptuous: "Mr. Lu Xun's description of the people and scenery in his hometown in memory is all very good works." In the criticism, it is pointed out that "it is still an observation of appearance and a description of fur." Later, he said, "When it comes to The True Story of Ah Q, it will be very different. Ah Q is a type and a living person. He is as lively and interesting as jy, Lu and Granny Liu, and will probably be as immortal in the future. " But the conversation changed: "I can't say that Lu Xun's novels are good just because I don't respect his personality, and I can't praise his other articles just because I admire his novels." Then he criticized Lu Xun's miscellaneous feelings. "Except for two or three empty words, it's really not worth reading."
As a critic, Chen Xiying's value lies in measuring the world with a steelyard and making his arguments public. He commented on the works of his good friend Xu Zhimo, and while affirming his writing contribution, he also pointedly pointed out the artistic defects: "Too unconstrained and unconstrained, piling up words." Xu Zhimo's translation "The Child on the Vortex Dike" was criticized as disloyal to the original work and suspected of "running wild horses".
Some people commented that Chen Xiying's style is quite similar to Voltaire's "I don't agree with you, but I would rather sacrifice my life to protect your right to speak". Chen Xiying's daughter, Chen Xiaoying, said that her father told her that he met Lu Xun at a literary gathering in the early 1930s, and they shook hands politely.
The love affair with Xu Zhimo.
Xu Zhimo was trapped by four women all his life: Zhang Youyi, Lin, Ling Shuhua and Lu Xiaoman.
Xu Zhimo and Zhang Youyi were combined at the behest of their father and ended in a quarrel. Meeting Lin late is wishful thinking; After Lu Xiaoman and Xu Zhimo got married, they ended in tragedy. Therefore, the author of Don't Let History Return to Dust thinks that "only Ling Shuhua is the most qualified wife and daughter-in-law".
1924 During Tagore's visit to China, Xu Zhimo served the great poet. Ling Shuhua welcomed Tagore as a representative of yenching university students, from where he met Xu Zhimo and Chen Xiying, who later became her husbands.
It is said that Tagore once told Xu Zhimo that Ling Shuhua was "worse" than Lin Yinhui. At that time, European and American students and some cultural and educational people in Beijing had dinner once a month. Later, the dinner expanded into a fixed crescent society, presided over by Xu Zhimo. In the 1920s, social opening became a common practice, and Lin, Ling Shuhua and Lu Xiaoman joined the League in succession, becoming frequent visitors to the Crescent Society.
At this time, Xu Zhimo, the most important member of the Crescent Society, naturally had more opportunities to get close to the three most famous women at that time. Lin was engaged at that time, so he naturally treated Xu with courtesy, while Ling Shuhua and Lu Xiaoman got closer and closer to him because they appreciated Xu's talent.
Xu Zhimo is naturally happy because of his beauty. He does both and communicates with Lu Xiaoman and Ling Shuhua at the same time. But after all, Lu Xiaoman is married, and Xu Zhimo has scruples. Ling Shuhua is a free man, and Xu Zhimo appreciates Ling Shuhua's talent and looks. He prefaced Ling Shuhua's first novel "Flower Bed", which was the only one in his life. The inscription "Dedicated to Dad" on the title page of Xu Zhimo's first collection of poems was written by Ling Shuhua. As a result, the communication between the two became closer and closer. There are 70 or 80 optical communications after half a year of acquaintance, almost once every two days. Getting together, it can be said that this is obviously beyond the general friendship. This only shows that Ling and Xu are very familiar.
Xu Zhimo called Ling Shuhua "Mansfield of China". Mansfield is a foreign female writer of the opposite sex, and Xu Zhimo has always had special feelings for her, praising her as "like a cuckoo on a summer night in Yulin, making a unique love song with painstaking efforts." Even if she sings until the blood is hoarse, she will never forget that her responsibility is to sacrifice her limited energy, add a little more beauty to nature and comfort the depressed human spirit. " For Mansfield's appearance, Xu Zhimo is even more. It seems that you are facing a masterpiece of nature, whether it is the lakes and mountains washed by autumn water, the sunset glow or the starry sky in Nanyang, you only feel their overall beauty, pure beauty, complete beauty, unspeakable beauty ... "
Of course, some people may say that poets like exaggerated language, but the degree of exaggeration of poets is often consistent with the degree of emotion.
Perhaps only Lin can deserve such talent and beauty, but he awarded the title of "China Mansfield" to Ling Shuhua.
And Xu Zhimo's feelings for Ling Shuhua are so vague, a kind of relationship that is closer than friends and slightly lighter than lovers. Looking at their ambiguous communication, it seems that they are actually bosom friends of "Pink Butterfly without a trace, suspected in the depths of falling flowers".
Ling Shuhua is also very open-minded. While being caring and attentive to Xu Zhimo, he kept asking Chen Xiying questions. At the same time, when Lu Xiaoman was active in Xu Zhimo's sight, Xu Zhimo was gradually melted by Lu Xiaoman's splendor and enthusiasm. During that time, Xu Zhimo was dealing with two women at the same time, and comedy, or tragedy, began here.
1In August, 924, Xu Zhimo came back from India and stayed in Shanghai Xinxin Hotel. He received two letters from Ling Shuhua and Lu Xiaoman. The next morning, Xu Zhimo's father, Xu Shenru, went to see Xu Zhimo, and Lu Xiaoman's husband, Wang Geng, was waiting. Xu Zhimo knew that his father liked Ling Shuhua, so Xu Shenru arrived and said, "Uncle Hua has letters." Then I showed my father a letter on my pillow. Xu Shen opened the letter and read it, while Wang Geng, who stood beside Xu Shen, followed. At this time, Xu Zhimo found that Wang Geng's face changed greatly, so he looked at his pillow. I found that Ling Shuhua's letter was still there, and I showed my father Lu Xiaoman's letter. Xu Zhimo has lost his voice now. He knows he is in trouble.
As soon as the prologue begins, the subsequent story forces the characters to unfold the plot and quickly reaches its climax. Soon, Lu Xiaoman divorced Wang Shouqing and returned to Beijing. Since then, the relationship between Xu and Lu has gone from bad to worse, and they soon got married. No one can deny that this "false letter" forced Xu and Lu into a corner and had to cut the gordian knot and make the only choice.
Later, Xu Zhimo personally said to his friend Jiang: "It was a mistake to read this letter. He always thought that Wang Shouqing and Lu Xiaoman divorced because of him and he was responsible. " As a man, Xu Zhimo also has a clear conscience. He dared to do it and married Lu Xiaoman. More interestingly, at 1926, 10, Xu Helu got married and sent a wedding invitation to. Wang Geng even sent a gift, which didn't spoil the gentleman's style.
Ling Shuhua later publicly clarified the incident of "taking the wrong letter". She said: "To tell the truth, I have never had feelings for Xu Zhimo. My reason is simple. I have planned to marry Chen Xiying, and Lu Xiaoman is my confidant. "
The Secret of "Babel Box"
The emotional entanglement between Ling Shuhua and Xu Zhimo could have become a case-solving in the history of modern literature, but few people are willing to mention it. Perhaps there are too many articles about Xu Zhimo's feelings, or maybe it involves some parties, so everyone is reluctant to mention it.
Both Lin and Ling Shuhua have an unusual relationship with Xu Zhimo. During the "Crescent Society" dinner, they had frequent contact. Ling Shuhua rented the Lins' old house, and Lin's father even wanted to ask Ling Shuhua to be Lin's tutor.
Compared with Bing Xin, Ling Shuhua is more rebellious in ethics, but compared with Lin, he has not completely got rid of the fetters of traditional morality. Ling Shuhua's love life is the most telling. She strongly pursues what she loves and acts boldly, but in the end she can't turn back, which leads to regret in her love life.
Ling Shuhua's personality is not like Lin's frankness and willfulness, nor is it like Bing Xin's reserve and introversion. She is much more docile and easy-going, but with a little scheming and a little "vulgar" air. Her novels shone brilliantly in the 1920s, enduring for a long time. With the development of society, readers will increase day by day. In the future, the "Babel Box" incident made the two talented women expose their weaknesses in this dispute, which can be described as both losses.
Xu Zhimo's "Babel Box" was actually stored in Ling Shuhua twice. The first time was 1925 when Xu Zhimo went out to travel. At that time, his love affair with Lu Xiaoman attracted a lot of publicity, and Xu Zhimo planned to take shelter in Europe. Give the so-called "treasure chest" containing diary manuscripts to the person you trust most before you leave. Because Lu Xiaoman was in a bad situation at that time, and there was something in the box that was "not suitable for Lu Xiaoman to see", he gave it to Ling Shuhua. Because Xu Zhimo is convinced that "only L (the first letter of Ling Shuhua's surname) is the only useful true friend."
Soon after, Ling Shuhua in Wuchang had the box taken to Xu Zhimo in Shanghai. Xu Zhimo left the box in Shi Xia's hometown again. Later, Xu Zhimo stayed at Hu Shi's home and took the box back from his hometown. But he felt that it was inconvenient to put it in Hu Shi's home, so he gave the box to Ling Shuhua, who returned to Peiping from Wuchang at that time, for safekeeping again.
However, when I checked again, there were a few more things in the box. First, Lu Xiaoman's two first love diaries were written during Xu Zhimo's European tour in 1925. Before Xu Linxing, she told Lu Xiaoman to keep a diary of his thoughts after a long trip and read it when he came back. From then on, Lu Xiaoman began to keep a diary seriously, taking it as the embodiment of his lover, and when he was alone, he went to tell it close. But according to Ling Shuhua's confirmation, there are many cases involving right and wrong. Among them, Lin was scolded the most, and there were rumors about Hu Shihe. In addition to two diaries and several articles written by Xu Zhimo when he returned from Europe via the Siberian Railway in 1925 and 1926, there are also two diaries written by Xu Zhimo between/kloc-0 and1926 and a large number of love letters written to Lu Xiaoman during his two European trips, most of which are in English.
193119, Xu zhimo died in a plane crash, and the secret about this small box was also made public. Xu Zhimo was romantic all his life. Many people are full of great interest in his personal diary and his letters with his girlfriends, and they came up with the idea of this "treasure chest".
Of course, the two people who want this little box most are Lu Xiaoman and Lin.
Lu Xiaoman wanted to win the editing and publishing patent right of Xu Zhimo's Diary and Secretary, so he wrote to Hu Shi on February 26th with 193 1, and wrote:
"... of course all his works can't be compiled by me alone. An inexperienced me can't bear this heavy responsibility, but I want to sort out his letters and diaries (all his letters and diaries I gave him are in Beiping, I hope to bring them. ) ... and his other legacy, etc. I also hope you can show it to me before printing. We don't want to show our diaries to others casually. Never forget. In another letter, she wrote, "Mr. Lin went to Beiping the day before yesterday. I asked him to do many things and asked you for help one by one. " Let him bring back the diary, which is what I cherish most now. I have been away for more than half a year, and I really miss it every day. Copy it or not, please bring it first. Wenbo said that Shu Hua and others were bored with Xu Zhimo's diary, so I was worried about my diary. Why don't you always bring me back? Is there any other reason? Please pay me back this time so that I can look at it at night and see words like people. You might as well lie to yourself. Don't let me down again. "
Lin, who loves loyalty and family above all else, somehow seems to want this box more than Lu Xiaoman. Lin personally went to Ling Shuhua's apartment in Hutong to ask Ling Shuhua for it, but Ling Shuhua declined. I have to turn to Hu Shi for help.
In the name of the editorial board, Hu Shi sent a solemn letter to Ling Shuhua, demanding that Ling Shuhua hand over the "treasure chest". Ling Shuhua reluctantly handed the "treasure chest" to the envoy sent by Hu Shi.
Ling Shuhua in1on May 7, 983 to Chen Congzhou said:
"As for Xu Zhimo, after the crash, he asked me to hand over Xu Zhimo's box. He said that he would arrange a book for Xu Zhimo to commemorate it. I thought there were two personal diaries of Lu Xiaoman and two or three English diaries of Xu Zhimo in the box. Since he said not to show it to others casually, and he trusted me, he gave them to me for safekeeping and entrusted me to write his biography. For these reasons, I also know that if I make friends with Hu Shi, his friends will talk about Xu Zhimo every day, and these diaries are likely to cause trouble. Because Lu Xiaoman's diary (two books) often records some right and wrong, not including names. With this in mind, I wrote back to Hu Shi, saying that I could only give her the treasure chest and let him hand it over to Lu Xiaoman. After he really took it away ... "
But Hu Shi took the small box from Ling Shuhua and gave it to Lin instead of Lu Xiaoman.
Eight days after receiving the "Babel Box"/kloc-0, Hu Shi wrote to Ling Shuhua again, blaming her for hiding two English diaries of Xu Zhimo as "private treasures", and pointed out that her practice set a precedent for everyone to hide Xu Zhimo's letters, which would affect the compilation of the complete works. Unknown, Ling Shuhua finally seems to have handed over the rest of the information. The "eight treasures" case also cast a shadow over Ling Shuhua's relationship with friends such as Hu Shi and Lin.
Ling Shuhua finally found out that Hu Shi gave the diary to Lin instead of Lu Xiaoman, and felt very sorry for Xu Zhimo. Ling Shuhua once wrote to Hu Shi, saying, "The day before yesterday, I heard that this box fell to Lin's place. I was very anxious, because there were two diaries of Lu Xiaoman's first love, which involved a lot of right and wrong (mostly cursing Lin), just like it was not appropriate to show it to Lu Xiaoman before."
Where is the "sweet box" so far? But there are different views.
Lu Xiaoman once said bitterly, "There are several other diaries, but unfortunately they are not with me. I can't help it if others refuse to take them out, otherwise they can be much more exciting than these. " Who is "others"? Lu Xiaoman couldn't say clearly, but he couldn't say for sure. It was nothing more than Lin and Ling Shuhua.
However, Lin's son Liang Congjie denied that his mother kept these diaries; Liang Sicheng's second wife, Zhu Lin, also said that she had never seen such a thing. Ling Shuhua also denied that he had hidden anything in the "sweet box" and wrote to Chen Congzhou many times in his later years to excuse himself. Ling Shuhua claimed that she handed over all the cases in that year, including two diaries of Lu Xiaoman and two English diaries of Xu Zhimo.
Ling Shuhua and Lin, who were originally friends, became friends because of the "Babel Box" incident, and they have nothing to do since then.
Nowadays, all the people related to "Babel" have died, and this mystery caused by a box has gradually become another mystery that can no longer be solved in the long river of history.
Go south to Wuhan and experience the "rear"
June 1926 Ling Shuhua graduated from the Foreign Languages Department of yenching university, won the Golden Key Award with excellent results, and worked in the Painting and Calligraphy Department of the Palace Museum. In July, she married Chen Xiying; Ling Shuhua specifically mentioned this matter in his letter to Hu Shi before marriage. The letter wrote: "In this insensitive and evil environment, one thing is still gratifying. I think Tong Bo has told you, right? We should thank you. ..... This is just another color in life, or comfort, sympathy and encouragement. It is a crutch on the road of art. Although it is inevitable to fall, it is also less afraid. " Ling Shuhua clearly expressed his expectation and satisfaction for this marriage, as well as his trust and satisfaction for Chen Xiying.
1928 10, Chen Xiying applied to teach at Wuhan university, and Ling Shuhua went with him. At that time, they were not optimistic about the city of Wuhan and thought it was not a place to live for a long time. Ling Shuhua prefers to go to France to develop his paintings. Therefore, when Ling Shuhua first arrived in Wuhan, he would inevitably feel lonely. She wrote to Hu Shi in Beijing: "I have spent a winter in vain since I came to Wuchang."
However, Ling Shuhua's creation never stopped. She was called the "Moon Master" within three years after arriving in Wuhan. Thematically, the works of this period mainly focus on her past life and experience in Beijing, which shows that she did not enter a new environment emotionally during this period, and at the same time she did not get anything that touched her deeply here.
Since then, the arrival of two other women has enriched her life. One is Yuan and the other is Su. He came to teach in Wuhan University at 1929 and 193 1 respectively. They are good friends of Ling Shuhua and Chen Xiying. Sue is studying painting in France, and she is a classmate with Pan. Naturally, it is easy to connect with Ling Shuhua who is good at painting and calligraphy. Yuan is a writer, and his daughter worships Ling Shuhua as her godmother. Therefore, their arrival has made Ling Shuhua, who was once lonely and depressed, feel more intimate. 1932, the new campus of Wuhan University was completed in Luojiashan near East Lake. Chen Xiying and Ling Shuhua moved to their new home in Luojiashan, and the apartment was named "Shuangjia Building". Luojiashan is a beautiful place in Wuhan. The mountains are gentle and winding, and the lake overlooks the river, which is full of weather. Here, facing the mountain light or overlooking the water, poems and paintings are often integrated into your mind. Ling Shuhua, Yuan and Su often talk about poetry, painting and writing, which naturally creates harmony between humanity and the environment and becomes a beautiful scenery. Therefore, at that time, they also had the reputation of "three outstanding women".
Ling Shuhua's mental state and life state have gradually changed. She left home, went to many places, made some new friends, including ordinary workers outside the cultural circle, and no longer felt lonely in the past. In her letter to Hu Shi 1933, she said, "My feet have not stopped for two or three years. My eyes and ears are not in the city, but in the countryside. I know more real China people than our friends. They are ordinary poor people. "
1935 In February, Wuhan Daily hired Ling Shuhua to establish the supplement of Modern Literature and Art, and she was appointed as the editor-in-chief. Ling Shuhua wrote in his introduction: "If it deprives culture forever, wouldn't it be like a wax mannequin with a beautiful body but a lack of soul?" ? ..... Let's turn this desert into a paradise for embroidery. "In less than two years, modern literature and art attracted and united a large number of writers such as Su, Yuan, Chen Hengzhe, Bing Xin, Shen Congwen, Zhu Guangqian, Xu Zhimo, Zhu Xiang, Bian, Ba Jin, Hu Shi and Dai Wangshu.
From 65438 to 0937, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out in an all-round way, affecting the hearts of every conscientious China people. On June+10, 5438, Wuhan University established the Women's Working Group of the Wartime Service Corps, in which Ling Shuhua actively joined, and went to Hanyang Yingwuzhou Disabled Hospital with the working group to express condolences to the anti-Japanese wounded soldiers. After returning, she wrote a newsletter entitled "Comfort the Wounded in Hanyang" and sent it to National Newsweek for publication. At the end of the year, due to the development of the war, Wuhan University moved from Luojiashan, Wuchang to Leshan, Sichuan, and the Ling Shuhua family also moved to the "rear". 1March 938, Ling Shuhua and Chen Xiying participated in the "All-China Anti-Enemy Association of Literary and Art Circles"; In April, 96 people, including Ling Shuhua and Hu Feng, jointly published The Purpose of Launching the All-China Anti-Enemy Association of Literary and Art Circles. During this period, Ling Shuhua cared about the Anti-Japanese War with the conscience and enthusiasm of an intellectual woman, and also observed and experienced the living conditions of the people in the rear area. During the Anti-Japanese War, Ling Shuhua wrote her first and only novella Children of China, expressing her indignation at Japanese imperialist aggression and her love for the motherland.
With Julian, a sad love story
Ling Shuhua's charm is irresistible to men and seems to kill women. 1967, Su said in the article "Ling Shuhua": "Shu has a delicate face, and it is rare that she has a skill. After entering middle age ... she is still so beautiful ... Shuhua's eyes are very clear, but when talking to people, her eyes are often a little' blurred' and a little' trance'. She is always thinking and absent-minded. I love her air and often joke that she is a poet living in a dream. " A notorious woman can praise another woman in a lover's tone like this.
At that time, Ling and Chen were a very rare couple in free love, like-minded, and they were simply a fairy couple envied by everyone. Unfortunately, there are no immortal myths. They have been itching for seven years, but they have not escaped the catastrophe of ten years.
1935, Ling Shuhua's peaceful marriage was lost to Julian, a young English poet. Bell is unhappy.
Julian is a famous British woman writer Virginia. Woolf's nephew and his mother Vanessa Bell are also famous painters. Julian is a talented and passionate young poet. 1935 He was only 27 years old when he was invited to teach at Wuhan University.
Julian and Ling Shuhua met in Luojiashan. They fell in love and were both good at literature, painting and other arts. They are like-minded, so naturally they have more contacts. Soon after, the romantic foreign boy fell madly in love with Ling Shuhua. Since Julian left home for school, he likes to write long letters to his mother once or twice a week. These letters confessed everything in life. These letters are of great value in the history of literature. Julian always uses this number when he mentions his girlfriend in his letters. Ling Shuhua is K and 11th.
It is easy for two people with such different backgrounds to fall in love, but it is extremely difficult to straighten out the relationship. Moreover, Ling Shuhua did not leave a word on this matter, and this "history" is only Julian's "one-sided word".
The process of things is tortuous and vague, but the final result is obvious, that is, "being caught." 1937, the affair between Julian and Ling Shuhua was well known in Wuhan University. As a "disgraced foreign professor", Julian had to resign from the College of Literature of Wuhan University and return to England.
Shortly after Julian returned to China, he went to Spain to fight in spite of the strong opposition of his mother and aunt. In the guard battle in Madrid, German fascist planes bombed the ambulance he was driving, and shrapnel cut into his chest. Julian was seriously injured and died. Death makes a perfect lover, and women grow old in memory. This is the most perfect love story, and Ling Shuhua got it. No matter from which aspect, this is an unexpected page in the history of literary exchange between China and the West, a heart-breaking love and a tragedy involving too many modern cultural celebrities.
After Julian's death, Ling Shuhua began to correspond with Virginia Woolf. Encouraged by Virginia, Ling Shuhua, who didn't like to reveal her privacy, began to write in English, recalling her childhood, and sent some of them to Virginia. This communication was finally terminated by Virginia's suicide.
Chen Xiying went to work in Britain on 1944, followed by Ling Shuhua. After arriving in England, Ling Shuhua found the novel he sent to Virginia and later published it in England under the name of "Ancient Rhyme". Once published, the book quickly attracted the attention of British critics and became a best seller. The poet Wit sackville West said in the preface of the English version of the book, "She (Ling Shuhua) succeeded. She presents a forgotten world with the soul of an artist and the sensitivity of a poet. In this world, meditation for a better life is self-evident. Every letter of hers can reflect her desire for beauty. Her writing is natural and unpretentious, but a little melancholy. Because she lives in exile after all, and the vast and desolate land of that ancient civilization seems far away. "
Many years later, Hong Ying, a female writer living in Britain, wrote a book about Julian Bell's love triangle with Ling Shuhua and her husband after he came to China in 1930s. From 65438 to 0999, the book was published in traditional Chinese characters by Erya Publishing House of Taiwan Province Province and translated into different languages of Sweden, Holland and France.
Living in England, I have deep feelings for my motherland.
/kloc-in the winter of 0/946, Chen Xiying became the permanent representative of the Kuomintang government to UNESCO in Britain; 1947, 47-year-old Ling Shuhua arrived in England with her daughter Xiaoying via the United States, and settled in London, England with her husband Chen Xiying, living at Adamsen Street 14, and began a guest life in a foreign country.
In Britain on the other side of the ocean, Ling Shuhua can't write in his mother tongue. Therefore, in addition to finishing and publishing her English autobiographical novel Gu Yun, she mainly devoted her energy and talent to painting art and lectures. 1956- 1960 Ling Shuhua was hired by Singapore's newly-established Nanyang university as a professor of China's modern literature and new literature studies in the Chinese department of the university. In his spare time, he also enthusiastically helps young artists to create.
In the following years, Ling Shuhua held many exhibitions in London, other European countries and the United States, and taught China's painting and calligraphy and China's modern literature in several British universities. Among them, a great event that caused a sensation in Paris and even in Europe was 1962' s solo exhibition of Ling Shuhua's paintings in Paris Oriental Museum, as well as her collection of works and antiques of three generations of painters such as Dong Qichang, Ni Zan, Chen Laolian, Shi Tao and Zheng Banqiao.
In the days of living in a foreign country, Ling Shuhua always missed and attached to his motherland. 1970 On March 29th, her husband Chen Xiying, who had been with Ling Shuhua for more than 40 years, died of illness in England. Since then, Ling Shuhua has felt more and more lonely overseas. In correspondence with friends such as Ba Jin, Xiao Gan and Bing Xin, she expressed her desire to return to China to spend her old age safely.
1September, 985, Mr. Wu Wenzao died unfortunately. Ling Shuhua wrote a letter to comfort Bing Xin who was in a foreign country, and expressed his feelings of missing his homeland in his letter:
"Bing Xin, masterpiece received, Wu Wenzao's funeral committee to explain, very sad. Think about how healthy and comfortable he was when he went back for lunch at your house three years ago. After only three or two years, he has been isolated from the world and will never be able to talk freely! Life is like a dream. I hope you will think more about the happy past and try to forget it in this cruel day. I thought I could get together with some old friends when I returned to China this year 10, but I didn't want to arrive in a month or two. First, Zhenglin Village, then Wenzao, heaven is merciless. What else can I say? Every time I went back to China, I always had fewer friends than before, just like autumn leaves, which became thinner when we met. You're sad enough. I shouldn't bother you anymore! I intend to return to China around1October 20th. When I return to Beijing, the first friend I want to see is you. I hope you can take the time to see me ... "
1989 12 months later, Ling Shuhua finally returned to Beijing and was admitted to Shijingshan Hospital for back injury treatment. 1On March 25th, 990, she spent her ninetieth birthday in the hospital, with the blessing of relatives and friends, literary and art circles and medical staff. In April of the same year, breast cancer recurred and metastasized in Ling Shuhua. On May 16, she woke up after several days of coma and asked her relatives and medical staff to visit Beijing again. So, accompanied by an ambulance, Ling Shuhua lay on a stretcher and visited Beihai Park, which was the most impressive one in his childhood. Looking at the White Pagoda, she murmured, "Beautiful mountains and lakes! Liu Shumei! Baitamei! " I can't help crying. After that, Ling Shuhua returned to Shi Jia Hutong, where she was born 90 years ago. Now it has been transformed into a kindergarten. By this time, the children there had lined up neatly and welcomed her with flowers in their hands. Ling Shuhua once wrote at the end of the last article of Ancient Rhyme: "How I wish I had four seasons. How lucky I am to be back in Beijing! " Now, she finally got what she wanted. This brief "sightseeing" before his death expressed the wish of the older generation of intellectuals in China who grew up under the influence of China's ancient culture and knew all about western culture. "Fallen leaves return to their roots", and her body and mind have a sense of belonging and belonging.
1may 22, 990-Ling Shuhua died in Beijing on the sixth day after revisiting Beijing. Just like her gentle personality and elegant painting interest, her departure was peaceful and quiet. It seems natural that a blue grass gives off its last fragrance, and a leaf leaves its branches and falls to the ground.