As early as 1923, Lu Xun publicly declared that money was important. The word money is ugly, otherwise it will be laughed at by noble gentlemen, but I always feel that people's comments are not only yesterday and today, but also before and after meals.
Anyone who admits that food needs money, but takes money very meanly, if he can hold down his stomach, he is afraid that there will always be fish in it that has not been digested, and he will have to be hungry for a day before listening to his comments. ..... money,-elegance, economy, is the most important thing. Freedom can't be bought with money, but it can be bought with money. One of the great shortcomings of human beings is that they often go hungry. In order to make up for this shortcoming and prepare not to be a puppet, economic rights are the most important in today's society. ..... Freedom in terms of economy, isn't it a puppet? And a puppet. Nothing can be reduced more than being led by the nose ... Lu Xun also pointed out: "Just as a stranded ship is desperate for the rise of water, it is necessary to strive for this closer economic right ... It is better to fight hard than to sacrifice for a while." (The Complete Works of Lu Xun, Volume I, Beijing First Edition, People's Literature Publishing House, 198 1, 1665438- 164. )
This passage of Lu Xun has been said for more than 70 years, and Lu Xun's research has long been an academic leader and official research. However, the textual research and analysis of Lu Xun and Important Currency, Lu Xun's "tough battle" for economic rights and Lu Xun's economic life background have long been ignored or avoided by experts.
This paper attempts to make a breakthrough in this respect. The method used in this paper is mainly empirical, not pure speculation. What is important is to expose the truth, and what is shameful is nonsense.
In Lu Xun's diary, which is famous for its conciseness, the main part of implementation is his "economic rights" account book. Lu Xun himself cares about money far more than several generations of Lu Xun researchers. Experts often quote the records of friends, parties and letters in Lu Xun's diary, but seldom pay attention to his money income and expenditure accounts. This paper attempts to interpret Lu Xun from a new perspective from these boring, trivial and frequent money figures.
I think: Lu Xun who left the economic life is by no means a complete Lu Xun.
This paper is mainly based on the economic history of the Republic of China, such as Lu Xun's diary (1912-1936) and newly discovered Lu Xun's hukou (Guihai Year, Jiazi Year and Ugly Year) (i.e.1923.8-1926.2).
Lu Xun's economic source
Lu Xun (1881-1936) was originally named Zhou Shuren and was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. When I was a child, my family went from being well-off to being in trouble. 1898, when he was 17 years old, his mother sold jewelry to raise 8 silver dollars for travelling expenses (at that time, 1 silver dollar was equivalent to 70 yuan RMB a hundred years later), so that he could go to Nanjing to be admitted to Jiangnan Naval Academy, free of tuition and meals, and with a small amount of allowance every month. During the three-month internship period, there were 300 allowances (equivalent to 30 yen, which is today's RMB 30 yuan), and then gradually increased. There were 2 taels of silver in the first year (at that time 1 taels = 1000 taels). He soon transferred to Railway Mining School and graduated in June 1902. During this period, it is worth noting that he took out 500 pence (50 cents) from his meager allowance to buy a book on Evolution translated by Yan Fu.
1902 went to Japan to study in April. According to Lu Xun's memory, "I remember that when I was studying abroad, the official fee was 36 yuan every month." According to Zhou Zuoren's memory, "Lu Xun's tuition at that time was one year in 400 yuan, and he could only get 33 yuan in one month." (Quoted from Lu Xun's former residence "Lu Xun in Tokyo")
1905 His second brother Zhou Zuoren also went to Japan to study when he was 20 years old. 1907, the Zhou brothers jointly translated "Red Star over China", and received a remuneration of more than 200 yuan (about today 12000 yuan), and the contract contained 1,000 words of 2 yuan. (According to Memoirs of Zhou Zuoren, page 20 1) At the same time, he also published some works and translations, which were later included in Tomb Raid and collected outside the anthology.
Zhou Shuren spent a lot of money on books while studying in Japan. According to statistics, there were *** 127 German books purchased at that time, such as World Literature History 10 yuan, and cheap German books, such as petofi's novel Stranger's Rope, cost 50 cents. Buying books occupied the first item of living expenses and became the biggest hobby in his life.
At this time, Zhou Shuren published "Moro Poetry" and other papers, ready to engage in the new literature movement. But he returned from Japan in the summer of 1909, mainly because of the financial burden of his family. Later, Lu Xun said in his autobiography: "In the end, I returned to China because my mother and several others really wanted me to have financial help." As a teacher in my hometown, my monthly salary is about 30 silver dollars (about today's 1500 yuan).
After the Revolution of 1911, Zhou Shuren arrived in Nanjing on February 19 12. At the call of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, the first director of education in the Republic of China, he was recommended by his close friend Xu Shoushang as a member of the Ministry of Education of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China. The Ministry provides room and board, in addition, it gives 30 pieces of Yin and Yang allowance every month (according to purchasing power estimation, one piece of Yin and Yang at that time = RMB 50 yuan today). Due to political changes, the Republic of China made Beijing its capital and Zhou Shuren went north at the end of April. In August, he was appointed as the "recommendation officer" of the Ministry of Education, and the head of the first section of the Social Education Section (note: Lin Zhihao's biography of Lu Xun should be the head of the second section, see the research materials of Lu Xun, volume 22, page 34), with a monthly salary of more than 200 yuan, and then increased to 34 yuan. Lu Xun and Xu Guangping came to Shanghai in June 1927 after wandering in Xiamen University and Guangzhou Sun Yat-sen University for half a year, and became middle-class freelancers. They make a living by selling literature, and their economic income is guaranteed. They spent the rest of their rich and hard life.
Lu Xun's economic sources mainly include the following four aspects:
1. Income of civil servants
After the founding of the Republic of China, Lu Xun was employed by Cai Yuanpei, the education chief of the government of the Republic of China, and worked in the Ministry of Education (19 12- 1926) as a civil servant 14 years. This was Lu Xun's career in Beijing. At first, the subsidy fee was 60 silver dollars, and soon.
The monthly salary was set at 200 silver dollars, which was later raised to 300 silver dollars. However, due to political corruption, increased military expenditure and misappropriation of public funds, the Beiyang warlord government often defaulted on staff salaries and education funds, especially after 1920. For example, 192 1 was in arrears for half a year, and 1923+0923+3 1 was later paid in March this year. Finally, when Lu Xun left Beijing, the Beiyang warlord government still owed him two and a half years' salary .19986.9999999699993 Mr. Lu Xun once said with emotion: "Some people say that literature is done when you are poor. Actually, not necessarily. I certainly didn't have any literature when I was poor. When I was poor in Beijing, I borrowed money everywhere without writing a word. When the salary was paid, I sat down and made a fuss. "
2. Teaching income
After the May 4th Movement, Lu Xun worked in eight schools in Beijing: Peking University, Beijing Normal University (later changed to Beijing Normal University), Beijing Women's Teachers College, Beijing Esperanto Specialized School, Comprehensive International Language School, China University, Liming Middle School and Public School for six years (1920- 1926). 1In August, 926, Lu Xun left Beijing for Xiamen University and was recommended by Lin Yutang as a full-time research professor of Xiamen University with a monthly salary of 400 yuan; 1February, 927, Lu Xun was employed by the Department of Literature and the Director of Academic Affairs of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, with a monthly salary of 500 yuan (half silver dollar, half paper money) for half a year. Later, due to disagreement, he left Guangzhou at the end of September and went to Shanghai 1927 via Hong Kong. Since then, I have never held a teaching position except sometimes giving lectures in colleges (such as Labor University).
In Lu Xun's life, only the whole year from the summer solstice of 1926 (one semester in Xiamen and one semester in Guangzhou) is the income of full-time university professors.
3. The income of writers in this university.
1927 65438+February to193165438+February, one month after another in these four years, on the recommendation of Cai Yuanpei, Lu Xun was hired as a distinguished writer of the university (changed to the Ministry of Education and Academia Sinica the following year), with a monthly salary of 300 yuan (1. * * * Equivalent to 490 taels of gold, equivalent to 440,000 yuan today, with an average of about 1 10000 yuan per year. This fixed income is mainly due to Mr. Cai Yuanpei's concern for Lu Xun (who was the first education director of the Republic of China government, the president of Peking University during the May 4th Movement, and the dean of the university in the autumn of 1927, and was Lu Xun's old superior and old friend), which created stable economic conditions for his first arrival in Shanghai. Until the beginning of 1932, it was abolished by the national government on the grounds of "no achievement".
4. Income from writing, translation and editing
1907 "human history" and other papers were published in Henan magazine, and the remuneration was about 2 yuan per thousand words. However, in 19 18, Lu Xun published his works in New Youth without any money. When I lived in Shanghai in my later years, apart from 300 yuan's fixed monthly income from the end of 1927 to the end of193/kloc-0, I mainly lived by selling articles, that is, by royalties, remuneration and editing fees, and my life was much richer than that of Beijing.
1932 after the abolition of the "editing fee of the Ministry of Education", royalties, remuneration and editing fees became Lu Xun's only source of income. The average monthly income of Lu Xun in his later period is equivalent to more than 20,000 yuan today. As a freelancer, this is the economic basis for him to persist in "hard work".
Beijing time (1912-1926)
Zhou Shuren went north in early May of 19 12, and immediately moved into the single dormitory of "Shanhui Yiting" (renamed Shaoxing County Pavilion at that time), and wrote the first diary of his new life under the light:
"The ship arrived in Tianjin at eleven o'clock in the morning on the 5th. The train leaves at 3: 30 pm and ... arrives in Beijing at about 7 o'clock.
The next day, I took a mule car to report to the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China and worked as a civil servant in the Social Education Department. At that time, I was 365,438+0 years old and just "standing". Thus began his career of literature and ink painting in Beijing 14.
Lu Xun's diary was launched at this time, and it has been consistent for 24 years (only the diary fragment of 1922 was lost, and the other 23 years were completely preserved, and 1959 was officially published). Among them, the characters were interrupted for several days due to asylum or serious illness, but their beginning and end were rich in connotation, which became precious historical materials for studying China society from the Republic of China to the eve of the Anti-Japanese War. This is a treasure house to be excavated.
I think the most valuable and irreplaceable thing about Lu Xun's diary is that it accurately records his daily economic income in this quarter century. Up to now, Lu Xun's personal account is of unique value in interpreting the economic background of China intellectuals in the 20th century.
For the convenience of discussion, I will count, sort out and summarize the tedious figures recorded daily in Lu Xun's Complete Diary as follows-
19 12, May-65438+February * * income 1 100 yuan, all of which are salaries of the Ministry of Education. (I was not formally appointed when I first arrived in Beijing, and I received 60 yuan allowance temporarily every month; After he was appointed as the social education department in August, he temporarily received a half salary of 125 yuan, and his monthly salary in June was set at 220 yuan 10. ) Average monthly income for eight months 137.5 won.
19 13 (of which, 19 was from June to August 7, and I went back to my hometown in Shaoxing). * * * earned 2586 this year, which is the salary of the Ministry of Education. After February this year, the salary was raised to 240 won, but only 90% was paid in June 5438+February, that is, 2 16 won. The average monthly income is 2 15.5 won.
19 14 * * Income 3 146 yuan, all paid by the Ministry of Education. 65438+90%/kloc-0 will still be paid from October to June, and the full salary will be restored to 240 won in July, and the monthly salary will be increased to 280 won after August. The average monthly income this year is 262. 17 won.
The income of 19 15 * * is 3263438+0 yuan, which is the salary of the Ministry of Education and a little debt interest. Among them, after deducting four-year bonds from June, the average monthly actual income is 27 1.93 won.
The income of 19 16 * * is 3276.4 yuan, which is the salary of the Ministry of Education and a small amount of debt interest. After March, the monthly salary was raised to 300 yuan. (65438+February 3rd to next year, 65438+1October 7th, I will go to my mother's hometown in Shaoxing to celebrate my 60th birthday. ) 1 1 All salaries are paid in paper money, and no foreign currency is issued (Lu Xun specially noted: 30% for China bank notes and 70% for Bank of Communications notes). This year, the Ministry of Education defaulted on one month's salary, and the banknotes depreciated against foreign currencies. Therefore, although the nominal monthly salary increased, the actual income decreased, which was a prelude to the arrears of wages. The average monthly income is 273.03 won. (Note: The second revolution was caused by the anti-Yuan claim to be the emperor, the independence of the provinces, and the devaluation of paper money. At that time, China Bank and Bank of Communications 100 yuan = 75 yen were exchanged for Yinyang, which was the most.
As low as 60 yen. )
The income of 19 17 * * is 3,650 won (of which 1 150 won was sent to Yinyang in 10, and the exchange voucher was 200 yuan, indicating that the exchange voucher depreciated to 100 yuan = Yinyang 75 won. The average monthly income is 304.2 won.
19 18 * * * earned 3,600 yuan, with an average monthly income of 300 yuan. It's all the wages of the Ministry of Education, and there is no default. This year's diary income has two points worth noting:
(1) Lu Xun began to publish novels and essays in New Youth, but there was no record of the payment. According to textual research, the then "New Youth" fan decided to write voluntarily, regardless of the remuneration.
(2) The relationship between Yin and Yang and paper money, Lu Xun's Diary, February 1 Diary: "In January, the whole peak was collected with 300 silver and 60 silver." On the 26th, "300 spring festivals will be held this month", and on the 28th, "Shoushan will be held up for spring, and * * * coupons will receive 600 silver and 354 yuan". This shows that the currency exchange certificate of Bank of China depreciated even more in that month, 100 yuan exchange certificate = Yinyang 59 yuan. This record can be used as a reference for researchers of currency history in the Republic of China.
19 19 * * earned 3600 yuan. The monthly salary is 300 yuan. Lu Xun's Diary states, "On the evening of February 14th, I went to Decheng (Qianzhuang) to exchange 3 12 silver for 500-day gold coupons", indicating that the international exchange rate at that time was 1 Yinyang = 1.6 yen. Average monthly income of 300 yuan this year.
1920 * * * the income is 2640 yuan (due to the arrears of wages to the Ministry of Education for more than three months, the income is obviously reduced. Although the nominal monthly salary is still 300 yuan, the average monthly income is actually only 220 yuan). This summer, Lu Xun accepted the letter of appointment from Peking University and Higher Normal University (later renamed Beijing Normal University) as a lecturer. Because Lu Xun usually works in the Social Education Department of the Ministry of Education only in the morning, he has few official duties and can be at his disposal after noon, so he can arrange to go to Peking University and higher normal schools twice a week for an hour's class on the history of China novels. At the beginning of the lecture, Lu Xun was unpaid. Later, the situation changed. See below for details.
192 1 year * * * income is 2578 yuan (including 88 yuan who just started teaching, and the salary of the Ministry of Education is 2490 yuan. Although it is reported that Lu Xun has been receiving "annual merit plus salary" 360 yuan every year since June1921,that is, the average monthly income should be increased to 320 yuan, but the Ministry of Education has been in arrears for more than half a year, so the actual income is even lower), and the average monthly income is only 2 14.83 yuan.
1922' s diary is gone, only fragments are left. According to the manuscript extracted by Xu Shoushang, it was collected on 1 month 14, and it was 72 10% in the whole peak last June. On the 27th, it received the 300 peak in July last year. ...1February 6th, we received 140 yuan money from Quanfeng. (Note: According to the context estimation, Lu Xun earned 70% of the salary of the Ministry of Education in June 192 1 0 yuan to1922 in the first half of September, which was 4,560 yuan. However, the situation of wage arrears by the Ministry of Education is becoming more and more serious. In addition to the salary paid in the second half of last year, it is still three and a half months in arrears this year. The actual income this year is unknown. )
In 1923, * * earned 2304 yuan (including 69 yuan, 3%, lecture fee 14 1 yuan, 6.1%; Together, it accounts for 9. 1%, and the salary of the Ministry of Education is 2094 won, which is nine months in arrears and the income is greatly reduced. The average monthly income is only 192 won. This year, Lu Xun's lecture activities increased. He not only continued to be a lecturer in Peking University and Higher Normal University, but also taught in Beijing Women's Normal University and Beijing Esperanto College.
1924 (During the period, I went to Xi 'an to give a lecture on July 7th, and received the summer school salary of 100 first. On August 3rd, I received the lecture fee and donated 200 yuan. This year, * * * earned 26 1 1.78 won, including 826.5 won for lectures and 703.28 won for royalties. The Ministry of Education earned 3,600 won, which was 1.095 won. Due to the accumulated arrears of wages for one year and six months by the Ministry of Education, the income has been greatly reduced.
During the period of 1924, Lu Xun's economic life changed. In his income composition, the public service income (the salary of the Ministry of Education) is less than the freelance income (speech fee, manuscript remuneration and royalties) for the first time. The income from amateur lectures and writing accounts for 56%, more than half; Public office income only accounts for 44%, which is less than half. In terms of economic income, Lu Xun began to transform from a civil servant to a freelancer.
1925, the income of * * * was 2832.5 yuan, of which the salary of the Ministry of Education was 1652 yuan, accounting for 58%, the lecture fee was 705.5 yuan, accounting for 25%, the remuneration was 475 yuan, accounting for 17%, and the average monthly income was 236.04 yuan. This year, Lu Xun not only continued to be a part-time lecturer in Peking University and Beijing Normal University, but also became a part-time lecturer in China University in September, and worked as a part-time liberal arts teacher in Liming Middle School and Dazhong College. One of the purposes of these part-time jobs is to increase economic income.
1926 * * * earned 4,257.12 yuan, of which the salary of the Ministry of Education was 578 yuan, accounting for 3.6% of 1 177.3 yuan, accounting for 27.7%, and part of the lecture fees in various institutions in Beijing.
Through the introduction of his good friend Lin Yutang, Lu Xun was hired as a research professor by Xiamen University in July. 1926. He left Beijing with Xu Guangping on August 26th after receiving the travelling expenses of 100 yuan provided by Xiamen University and the monthly salary of 400 yuan. This is a key turning point in his life. As a result, Lu Xun completely got rid of the shackles of officialdom and officially became a freelancer willing to take economic risks.
As a turning point, there are two important signs. One is that Lu Xun sued his immediate superior and director of education Zhang to safeguard his human rights. Secondly, in order to defend his economic rights, Lu Xun repeatedly asked the Ministry of Education for unpaid wages and made the inside story public.
1in August, 926, Lu Xun decided to leave Beijing for the south, except for some reasons (such as the darkness of warlord rule and the contradiction of marriage and love), and serious consideration in economic life. And economic factors are very important, as long as you look carefully.
Lu Xun's How Nora Left, Dragon Boat Festival, Family Happiness, In a Restaurant, Mourning for the Past, Lonely Man and his correspondence with Xu Guangping can be seen.