The meaning of the ancient poem "Be very cold to keep a close friend" is: coldness expresses that the distance is very cold to keep a close friend? Mr. Zhang Chonghe believes that there should be "closeness, sparseness, closeness" between people. In 1985, when Mr. Zhang Chonghe was 70 years old, he wrote a couplet in official script: "I keep my close friends very coldly, and spend this life with a song of confusion." From this, we can vaguely understand her understanding of life. The "lightness" towards a good friend is like a wisp of light smoke exhaled by a golden beast or a sip of thin tea brewed from purple sand. Its lingering fragrance fills the sleeves, and its sweetness moistens the throat, which is enough to make the mind feel happy. sweet. This sentence comes from a couplet written by Mr. Zhang Chonghe and is not an ancient poem.
The whole couplet is
very indifferent and knowing oneself, living this life in a daze
Background
The four sisters of the Zhang family in Hefei are all Talented women, the fourth sister Zhang Chonghe is even more versatile. Wang Dao's new work "A Lifetime of Chonghe" describes Zhang Chonghe's ordinary but fulfilling life, allowing us to see the fateful choices and artistic pursuits of a talented woman in the Republic of China in troubled times.
A blessed place: Qingdao
Mr. Wang Dao used eight landmarks to connect Chonghe’s life together: Hefei when he was a child, Suzhou when he was a girl, Shanghai when he was in middle school, and Qingdao when he was recovering from illness. , Kunming during the asylum period, Chongqing during the Anti-Japanese War, marriage during the Peking period, and the second half of life in the United States. This kind of regional history writing very clearly outlines Chonghe's life path. Each place left her different mark, which also represents her life choices and circumstances in different periods. Among all these landmarks, Qingdao is a watershed and a "blessed place" for Chonghe.
The term "Blessed Land" was what Mr. Wang Dao said at the Qingdao launch ceremony, and I strongly agree with it. Wang Dao said: The reason why she came to Qingdao to hold the launch ceremony is because Qingdao is Zhang Chonghe's "blessed place". Although she did not stay in Qingdao for a long time, it was a watershed in her life. After more than a year of recuperation in Qingdao, Chonghe truly realized his rebirth, from despair about his life to a positive life after recovering from a serious illness.
The day before the first release, Wang Dao and I made a special trip to find Zhang Chonghe’s residence when he was in Qingdao. It is located in a villa called Jingji Lu on Taiping Road. It was the former residence of Nanxun Confucian businessman Liu Jinzao. We got off the bus near the "Qingdao Daily" office on Taiping Road and climbed into a wall. There were many old villas inside. "Lifetime Chonghe" contains a photo of Chonghe in front of the villa. We compared the photo to look for it, but we still couldn't see the villa in the photo. Later, we met several elderly people who looked at the photo carefully and told us It said that the place in the photo had been demolished and the villa no longer existed. Although we feel a little regretful, the sea area in front of us is really suitable for recuperation. Although it is crowded with tourists now, this area must have been picturesque in the past, allowing Chonghe to feel the beauty of life and endless imagination for the future.
Zhang Chonghe.
The four sisters in Hefei are typical representatives of the big families in the Republic of China. The circle of friends formed by the family is so powerful that almost the entire cultural circle of the Republic of China can appear among their friends. circle. After reading this book, there are roughly five noble people who were very important to Chonghe's life.
The first noble person: Shixiu, the great aunt who raised Chonghe
When Zhang Chonghe was still in his infancy, he was taken to Longmen Lane, his hometown in Hefei, and raised by his great aunt. Know how to cultivate and adopt. Shixiu was the daughter of Li Hongzhang's fourth brother Li Yunzhang, and she was married to Zhang Huazhen, the second son of Zhang Shusheng. Li Hongzhang and Zhang Shusheng were the number one and two figures in the Huai Army, and the two families had been married for generations. Zhang Huazhen died early, and Shixiu converted to Buddhism and became a lay Buddhist, taking care of the family's property. Shixiu had invisible magic power and prestige in the family, and showed infinite care for Chonghe.
Children in the front row (from left): Zhaohe, Yinhe, Zonghe, Yunhe, Yuanhe.
When Chonghe grew up, Shixiu began to look for good teachers for her. She had high hopes for Chonghe and did not want Chonghe to fall behind academically because she was raising her. To become a famous teacher, she would not hesitate to spend several times her salary. Among them were Zuo Lukuan, a talented scholar and scholar from Lu'an, who was responsible for teaching her ancient Chinese prose and poetry; and Zhu Moqin, an archaeological expert who was a disciple of Wu Changshuo, was responsible for teaching Chonghe calligraphy. Zhang Chonghe was very talented and had a high level of understanding. He could recite poems at the age of 4 and became literate at the age of 6. For 10 years, he studied "Historical Records", "Hanshu", "Zuo Zhuan", "Book of Songs" and other classics behind closed doors. Chonghe has always been grateful to these two mentors for laying the foundation for her Chinese studies.
Knowing and cultivating Shi Cultivation and carefully constructed a fixed classroom, and inadvertently opened up a second classroom for her. Her faith inadvertently gave Chonghe philosophy, Zen and compassion, or a kind of spiritual practice.
In the spring when Chonghe was seventeen, Shixiu, who had done good deeds throughout his life, died at the age of sixty-seven. Every plant and tree in the Zhang Mansion in Jiumen Lane, Hefei, is deeply engraved in Chong He’s memory. After Shixiu's death, Zhang's mansion suddenly became empty, and the human fillings that had been accumulated bit by bit by Chonghe and his great-aunt Shixiu suddenly collapsed. Chonghe will leave here and return to his long-lost "home" in Jiuru Lane, Suzhou.
What Shixiu left to Chonghe was not only a large fortune, but more importantly, the establishment of her childhood personality and obsession with old learning and old things. The influence of childhood can be felt in Chonghe. It is said that it laid the foundation of her life and is an indelible accomplishment.
The second noble person: Kunqu Opera teacher Shen Chuanzhi
In the winter of 1930, after the death of his great-uncle Shixiu, Chonghe returned to Jiuru Lane, Suzhou, to study at his father Zhang Jifu Founded Leyi Girls' Middle School. My father is a new-school educator. The Leyi Girls' High School he founded offers new courses such as Kun Opera, art, drama, flower and tree planting, and cooking to cultivate children's interest in Kun Opera and encourage them to go out and learn more new things.
My father Zhang Jimou and stepmother Wei Junyi were both obsessed with music. They not only offered Kunqu opera classes to Leyi Girls’ Middle School, but also invited Shen Chuanzhi, Zhang Chuanfang and others who were the best in the "Chuan" generation. teaching. Later, Chonghe mainly studied Kun Opera from Shen Chuanzhi. Shen Chuanzhi inherited his family training. His grandfather, uncle, father and uncle were all famous Kun Opera actors in Suzhou. Shen Chuanzhi had a clear and gentle face, a clear singing voice and a smooth voice. He was good at work and was active in Shanghai for a time. , and later traveled to Beijing, Tianjin and other places to teach Kun Opera.
Chonghe met countless famous teachers throughout his life. In addition to the famous poetry teacher Zuo Lukuan and the famous calligraphy teacher Zhu Moqin during his childhood, he also became a teacher of the calligrapher Shen Yinmo in Chongqing. In addition, one of the main teachers included the Kunqu opera master Shen Chuanzhi. , Zhang Chuanfang, Zhao Asi, Li Rongsheng, etc. Kun Opera allowed Chonghe to discover a different world and a different self, and he became intoxicated in it.
Zhang Chong and Kun Opera in the 1940s.
Although Chonghe has many talents, Kun Opera is undoubtedly the main theme of Chonghe’s life and is the art that she is most attracted to and loves throughout her life. From this point of view, her Kunqu Opera teachers are all her nobles, and Shen Chuanzhi is her most precious guide. After she fell ill, she chose to go to Qingdao for recuperation, which was also related to the fact that her teacher Shen Chuanzhi was teaching Kunqu opera in Qingdao at the time. And her eldest brother Zhang Zonghe was preparing to go to Qingdao for vacation at the time. The two siblings were close in age, had the best relationship, and were die-hard music friends.
The third nobleman: Hu Shi who appreciated Chong He
Mr. Hu Shi did not have many interactions with Chong He, but he gave Chong He important support in two key events.
First, after graduating from Shanghai Guanghua High School, Zhang Chonghe applied for Peking University under the false name Zhang Xuan. Due to his knowledge of Chinese studies since he was a child, Chonghe got perfect marks in the Chinese language test, but got zero marks in mathematics. In order to admit this major-majoring student, Hu Shi, then dean of the School of Liberal Arts of Peking University, worked hard and admitted Zhang Xuan against all objections. The newspaper called her "the most outstanding female student among the freshmen of Peking University."
Coming to a modern university, Chong He is full of hope for the future. At that time, there were many famous teachers in the Chinese Department of Peking University, including Qian Mu, Feng Youlan, Wen Yiduo, Liu Wendian, etc. Such a luxurious lineup of professors benefited Zhang Chonghe a lot. But Chonghe's real interest is Kun Opera. At this time, his eldest brother Zonghe made a group of music friends in the history department of Tsinghua University, and Chonghe also joined them. Zhang Chonghe, Zhang Zonghe, Zhang Jinyi, Bian Zhilin and other music friends are almost inseparable.
In his junior year, Chonghe took a leave of absence due to tuberculosis and failed to get a place at Peking University. She first went to Xiangshan for recuperation, and then moved to Qingdao for recuperation.
Secondly, although he dropped out of school due to illness, Hu Shi admired Zhang Xuan (Chonghe), a partial subject student at that time. Therefore, after recovering from a serious illness in Qingdao, he strongly invited Chonghe to Nanjing "Central Daily News" 》edited the supplement "Contribution". At the same time, he wrote prose, sketches and poems, showing his literary talent for the first time.
After Chonghe went to the United States, he had some interactions with Mr. Hu Shi. When Mr. Hu Shi was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Chonghe happened to be working in the library of this university, and Mr. Hu Shi often came here. I borrow books but I don't know how to fill out the application form, and I do it on my behalf. In his spare time, Hu Shi often visited Chonghe's house. Hu Shi and Fu Hansi were also old friends.
The fourth nobleman: Third brother-in-law Shen Congwen
Chong He especially liked and trusted his third sister Zhang Zhaohe. He always asked her for advice when encountering problems. Later he went to Shanghai Guanghua Experimental School to study in middle school. Because the third sister teaches in Guanghua. Therefore, when Shen Congwen came to Zhang's house to propose marriage, Zhang Chonghe was particularly concerned, wondering who he was who wanted to marry his third sister. After getting to know him briefly, he turned out to be a writer who was very good at telling stories. He was gentle, lacked self-confidence but never looked back, and finally realized his dream of love.
After recovering from a serious illness, China fell into continuous war, and Chonghe began to seek refuge in various places. In 1938, he came to Kunming, where elites from the Southwest Associated University gathered. Chonghe lived with his third sister and third brother-in-law Shen Congwen's family. At that time, Shen Congwen was a professor at Southwest Associated University and was also responsible for editing the Ministry of Education's "Chinese Textbook for Middle Schools". Because of Chonghe's skills in ancient Chinese prose and poetry, Shen Congwen recommended Zhang Chonghe to Yang Zhensheng, secretary-general of Southwest Associated University and representative of the Ministry of Education, to participate in the editing of the textbook. Although he was in refuge, Chonghe lived a relatively stable life in Kunming for two years.
Shen Congwen and Zhang Zhaohe.
In addition to helping in career, Shen Congwen also indirectly became the "matchmaker" in the marriage between Zhang Chonghe and Fu Hansi.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Shen Congwen's family returned to Peiping. In 1947, Chonghe also went to Peking to take a substitute class at Peking University, teaching Kunqu opera and calligraphy, and stayed at the home of his third sister. The Shen family was a gathering place for intellectuals in Peiping at that time. Yang Zhensheng, Zhu Guangqian, Mei Yiqi, He Lin, Feng Zhi, Bian Zhilin, etc. were all frequent guests of the Shen family. In March 1948, Shen Congwen's house at No. 32 Zhonglao Hutong welcomed a foreign guest, German-American sinologist Fu Hansi. Because he admired Shen Congwen's literary talent, he got to know Shen Congwen, whom he had admired for a long time, through Ji Xianlin's introduction.
Unexpectedly, this foreigner got along with Shen Congwen's two children, Long Zhu and Hu Chu, and often visited Shen's house. This Westerner who is direct, simple and yet also possesses Chinese elegance caught Chong He's attention, and slowly the two hearts began to get closer.
Shen Congwen was also observing this foreign gentleman. He felt that Mr. Fu was more interested in Chonghe than him. After that, every time Fu Hansi came, Brother Shen directly said "Chonghe". The children also gradually felt that they were close to each other. When they saw Fu Hansi, they shouted "Fourth Aunt Fu, Uncle Fu".
On November 19, 1948, German-American professor Fu Hansi married Peking University teacher Zhang Chonghe in Peking. This year, Zhang Chonghe was 35 years old and Fu Hansi was 32 years old.
Zhang Chonghe and Fu Hansi got married in Beijing.
In January 1949, Zhang Chonghe and Fu Hansi took the "General Gordon" to the United States.
From the first time Shen Congwen went to Suzhou to propose to Zhaohe, until Chonghe left China in 1949, Chonghe, his third sister and Shen Congwen spent most of their time together. She is Chonghe's caring sister, and her brother-in-law Shen Congwen is undoubtedly an important noble person in Chonghe. From career to love, Brother Shen has direct or indirect help.
The fifth nobleman: Husband Fu Hansi
Late love is always so passionate. Although they got married in a hurry, Chonghe stayed with the foreign professor Fu Hansi for the rest of his life.
In the years when they first arrived in the United States, their lives were not smooth. Neither of them had full-time regular jobs. They first went to work briefly at Stanford University, where Hansi's parents were, and later, with the help of friends, they The two entered California State University to work. Fu Hansi was engaged in Chinese history and culture research, and Chonghe was responsible for cataloging Chinese books in the library. The difficult life lasted for ten years. It was not until 1959, when Hansi Fu received his Ph.D. and entered Stanford University to teach (full-time) that their life became stable. In 1961, Fu Hansi was hired as an associate professor in the East Asian Department of Yale University. Soon after, Zhang Chonghe was also hired by Yale University to offer courses in Kunqu Opera and calligraphy.
During this period, many friends in China, including Zong He, persuaded Chong He to return to the motherland, but she did not act. She allowed Han Si to do his favorite professional research in peace, and she took more responsibility for family affairs because She saw Hansi’s devotion and concentration on Chinese culture. Chonghe attributed her calligraphy art to Han Si's support and contribution, and Han Si was the first reader of her calligraphy. Hansi also fully supports his wife Chonghe's Kunqu opera career and regards his wife's Kunqu opera career as part of his work. After each performance, Hansi keeps records of the actors, flutes, backstage, and commentary, etc. for future reference. Discuss and research.
"To keep a close friend very coldly, to spend this life in a daze" was written by Zhang Chonghe in 1985.
Hansi was unwilling to put his wife Chonghe under the rules. She should freely advocate like a poet. His wife's experience was Hansi's reference for studying Chinese poetry. Their seemingly ordinary relationship was also revealed by Endowed with mysterious poetry.
Chonghe sometimes thinks that what he is greedy for is just those scenes of human drama. She took Kun Opera through thousands of rivers and mountains, and finally settled in the exotic Beigang. The Fourth Miss, who escaped from the chaos, walked into her own small garden of life, just like the small regular script of life she wrote out one stroke at a time.