"We want the country's social progress, we can't hope for educational progress; we want educational progress, we can't want the book industry to progress." Although our book industry is a small industry, its relationship with the national society is larger than any other industry. Mr. Lu Feikui (1886-1941), the founder of the Zhonghua Bookstore, said so.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the founding of Zhonghua Bookstore. In the 110-year history, whether it is the early publication of textbooks with the purpose of "opening up the wisdom of the people", or the collation and academic publication of ancient books since 1958, and the new era as an important town for promoting China's excellent traditional culture, Zhonghua Bookstore has made great contributions to the country's social progress. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary, China Reading Newspaper set up a column to share the fate story of the authors and employees of Zhonghua Bookstore and Zhonghua with the theme of "I and Zhonghua".
I have a threefold relationship with Zhonghua Bookstore.
The first is the reader. From the beginning of graduate school, the teacher said that to buy new printed ancient books, you should first buy the Zhonghua Bookstore, the Zhonghua Bookstore did not have it, and then buy other publishing houses. In this way, most of my (of course, other students') bookshelf is full of books from the Zhonghua Bookstore, and to this day, I still maintain this habit, telling students that to buy books, we must first see whether the Zhonghua Bookstore has it.
The second is employees. After graduating from my phD in 1991, I went to the bookstore to apply for a job, and my supervisor, Mr. Qi Gong, wrote a letter of recommendation for me. I remember that after telling his old man, I was asked to go to my house the next day to get it. When I took it, Mr. Qi read it to me sentence by sentence, and took a pen and added a word next to a sentence. In this way, I successfully entered the bookstore and worked in the bureau for more than 8 years from July of this year to December 1999. Later, when the bookstore wanted to publish multiple volumes based on the one-volume Qi Gong Series in the early years, it arranged for me to undertake the editing, which I regarded as one of the most meaningful things I had ever done in my life. In the preface, Mr. Qi also specifically mentioned that "the re-edition of the humble work "Series of Drafts", the re-compilation of sub-volumes, as well as the arrangement of articles and the revision of texts, more than Mr. Liu Shi and consultation, with great force" Yunyun. I quote this passage to show the world the style of the predecessors who were teachers!
In June 2002, after the 90th anniversary of the Zhonghua Bookstore, Xiong Guozhen, Shen Xilin, Mr. Qi Gong and Liu Shi (from left to right) took a group photo in front of the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People
In September 1990, Mr. Qi Gong recommended the author of this article into the Zhonghua Bookstore
The third is the author. In 2007, the bookstore asked Mr. Yuan Xingpei to organize a team to compile a set of "Selected Notes on Chinese Literary Works", which was used in conjunction with the university textbook "History of Chinese Literature" for the 21st century edited by him. I thought about more than 200 articles, it was not easy to find someone, the draft was also troublesome, simply one person to complete it. After the publication of this set of textbooks, many schools took it and reprinted it every year, and to this day, I think it is still one of the more ideal textbooks of the same kind.
Later, I began to sort out the "Essential Records of the Law Book", taking advantage of the convenience of the old staff, suggesting that my colleague and close friend Liu Yanjie at the bookstore should be responsible for editing. Liu Yanjie is both tolerant and strict with me, and tolerance means tolerating me to delay the delivery of manuscripts again and again, and strictly picking out countless problems. After the book was published in 2021, it was selected as the "Double Top Ten" of the book company of the year. I told her, if you want to say it, I can't do it, can't you?
"The Law Book to Record and Correct"
[Tang] Zhang Yanyuan Compiled Liu Shi School Manager
Published by Zhonghua Book Company in April 2021
With this triple relationship, Zhonghua Bookstore is not exactly the same as most people for me. How many people and things are unforgettable. Don't be afraid to hang a leak, just symbolically cite a few piles.
Mr. Fu Xuanchun
After Mr. Qi asked Mr. Fu to be the chairman of my thesis defense, I began to ask Mr. Fu for advice, and it is needless to say that it is more convenient to receive Mr. Fu's guidance in all aspects after arriving at the bookstore. One day Mr. Fu came to my office, smiled and handed me a paper bag, opened it, it was a carved glass plate, it turned out, this is a new wedding gift for me! Later, the specific department of my work changed, and Mr. Fu felt that staying any longer was not conducive to the growth of young people, and he did not communicate with me at all, so he recommended me to the Department of Chinese of Tsinghua University. When I first received a call from the Tsinghua Chinese Department and asked me to meet and talk, I also asked, do you have anything to do?
In June 1997, he and Mr. Fu Xuanchun were in Tiantong Temple, Ningbo, Zhejiang
Mr. Xu Yimin
Soon after arriving at the bookstore, I heard Mr. Xu say that anyone's manuscript in the Zhonghua Bookstore would dare to withdraw, as long as you were sure. He also said that he had just withdrawn the manuscript of an old gentleman. Of course I remembered the old gentleman's name, but I didn't dare to say it. Mr. Xu's words reflect the confidence of the bookstore people, and also reflect the dedication of the bookstore people. Later, when I was hesitant to deal with some manuscripts, I always took this sentence to cheer myself up. I worked under Mr. Xu for a long time, when I was young and vigorous, I expressed my opinions directly when I had different opinions at work, and he didn't think anything of it. Once, on the way, I met him and his wife, saw me with gauze tied to my right hand, and inquired about it, knowing that the flames burned my hand while cooking. As a result, that night, Mr. Xu personally came to the door and sent a large bag of steamed buns, saying that his wife had confessed that his hand was injured and it was inconvenient to cook, so let's make it up for a few days. Mr. Xu's wife has been dead for many years, and I am here to silently pray for her to rest in peace!
Spring 1992 Shidu, Fangshan, Beijing, from left: Liu Shi, Xu Yimin, Fu Xuanqun, Xu Jun, Gu Qing
Mr. Liu Zonghan
Legend has it that Mr. Liu was admitted to Mr. Zhang Zhengxiu's graduate school and ranked first, but he mainly wanted to prove his ability, so he did not go to study. Scholars of his age are already the higher education they received after the new China, there are many specialized scholars, there are few polymaths, mr. Liu is not, his knowledge is very extensive, the old learning skills are quite deep, and he has the style of a scholar who is one and a half generations older than him. If you don't understand and don't know where to check, I went to consult Mr. Liu at the first time, and this is still the case today. Last year, I wrote an article about the ancient calligraphy, I had a disagreement with a friend, I said that the word foot in the letter should be used in the top to the bottom, and the friend said that since the Qin and Han Dynasties, it has been used for the lower to the upper or lower generations, which has caused me to think, a word in a long historical period, the meaning and usage are often changed, how should we deal with it today? Mr. Liu answered without hesitation that the calligraphy used in the Republic of China was formed at the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and if we imitate it today, we should refer to the usage of this period, that is, the word foot is used for up to bottom, and it is not appropriate to reverse it.
In June 2020, the author of this article was at the house of Mr. Liu Zonghan
Another point that should be mentioned is that When Mr. Liu and I lived upstairs, after the dog was born, Mr. Liu came to visit his home. He looked at the doll in the crib and said, "Let the boy look very decent, let's call it Duanduan." We think it's very good when we hear it, it's important to look right, and good character is even more necessary, so we really take it as the nickname of the dog!
Xu Jun
When I first entered the bookstore, Xu Junjie was the deputy director of the literary editing office, my direct leader. Later, the officials became bigger and bigger, until they became the head of the bookstore. After I left the bookstore, he also left for a while, and soon his superiors asked him to go back, and I advised him not to go back, and there were better conditions for doing research in the Academy of Social Sciences. He did not hesitate to say that the trust of the leader had failed to live up to the inappropriateness, and that he had feelings for the bookstore. Shortly after I arrived at the bookstore, I asked the young man to donate blood and sent it to me. I was ready to give, and suddenly I was notified that I didn't have to give. When I inquired, I learned that it was Xu Junjie who said that people were single, and they didn't even have a person who cooked when they donated blood to go home. I was touched by being so attentive to my colleagues.
Group photo with Xu Jun (left) in March 2021 at the 70th anniversary celebration of the People's Literature Publishing House
Liu Yanjie and Zhang Jiazhen
These two female colleagues in the office are younger than me, but their business level and work ability are better than mine. At that time, I just used a computer, and there were many input methods such as Wang Code and Zheng Code. It was they who firmly told me that we must learn the five-stroke input method, although it is difficult when learning, once and for all when we learn it. Seeing that I was afraid of difficulties, I encouraged me and said, we teach you, we will both master it in one day, and I estimate that you will have to take a little longer, three days. I thought to myself, can I be three times dumber than you? learn! Finally, I learned it on the fourth day!
In October 1993, Xu Jun, Zhang Jiazhen, Zhang Shilin, Liu Yanjie, Xu Yimin, and Liu Shi (from left to right) were at the Shaolin Temple
Liu Yanjie graduated from Peking University with a master's degree in classical literature in the department of Chinese – not to scare people with this, I just want to show that there is a reason for her deep foundation in ancient literature. Her biggest problem is that her reputation is not strong, and she does not want to rely on her solid academic ability to be the pillar and rafter of the academic building, and even the bricks and tiles are not willing to do, only willing to do the hook and sewing agent of the bricks and tiles. Through her manuscripts, she was always able to pick out problems that others might not necessarily be able to pick out. She once said that I had worked hard to pick a bunch of mistakes for so-and-so's manuscript, and he didn't seem to understand it, and he didn't appreciate it, and said that I had delayed the progress of publication! Once, at a project review meeting, I happened to meet the gentleman's application materials, and I blurted out that this application was not OK. The person next to you wondered, haven't you yet looked at the material? I said, don't look, Liu Yanjie has already said it!
Mr. Kuang Yaming
We were all honored as Kuang Lao. Kuang Lao is the old predecessor I respect the most in my life, who is also an old revolutionary and an old scholar. He was a member of the Communist Party in 1926. In 1992, he became the third head of the Planning Group for the Collation and Publication of Ancient Books of the State Council, and at that time he planned to create a magazine called "Traditional Culture and Modernization", and later I learned that the idea of starting this magazine had sprouted in Yan'an at the latest! The Ancient Books Group has always designated the Zhonghua Bookstore as its office, so I was transferred from the Literary Editing Office to the Office of the Ancient Books Group to participate in the founding and editing of the magazine.
Old Man Kuang is in Nanjing, sometimes comes to Beijing, and more often lets us go to Nanjing to report on our work. He did not once treat young people harshly, and his attitude towards work was clear, but his tone was very gentle. Once he left us for dinner at home, during the banquet I saw that his old man was happy, so he took the opportunity to say, Kuang Lao, want to ask you the same thing, Kuang Lao asked in response, is it a word? I replied, no, it was your new Commentary on Confucius, so I got a signed copy of the Commentary on Confucius. Whenever I think about it, I regret it and deeply feel how terrible it is not to turn my brain! You know, Kuang Lao's calligraphy was very sought-after at that time, and now it is even more precious!
Zhou Xuanlong
Some people will say when they see this, Zhou Xuanlong came to the bookstore not long ago, what does it have to do with you? As everyone knows, he went from editor to deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Literature Publishing House, and we are old friends for decades. The two things I came up with at his old club's house, "Su Shi's Selected Words" and "Between Poetry and Painting", were both agreed upon by him or with a big stroke of a pen. He has not been in the bookstore for a long time, but I know his academic ability, professional experience and work style, and I hope to continue to write brilliant for this century-old trumpet! Although I don't know the inside story of the rapid handling of the recent Liang Peilan incident, from the perspective of a frank and sincere attitude and a fierce style, I feel like his handwriting. Therefore, when I write about him, I can't see him as a clinging to him as the successor head of the bookstore, and if I say yes, I can only say that I spent 8 years of youth in the Zhonghua Bookstore! What's more, this reminiscence article was specially called by him to ask me to write, and before he could finish listening to my writhing pushback, he said that I was going to have a meeting, you had to write, hung up, and the phone hung up. Since he asked me to write the article, is it appropriate not to write about him?
The length does not allow my memories to continue, and finally I take the sentences from Li Shimin and Li Zhi's father and son's "Sacred Orders and Records" and integrate a sum of eight words to express my sincere praise and heartfelt wishes for the 110th anniversary of the bookstore:
Truncated continuation, randomized
Looking up to the strange, according to the past and the present
(This article was originally published in the 14th edition of China Reading News on April 6, 2022)
(Co-ordinator: Lu Quan; Editor: Bai Xinhui)