Qian Xiaohua, the founder of Pioneer Bookstore, personally wrote a small article written by his partner "Professor Sun Qing" who has been in the bookstore for 12 years. Although everyone's life may not start from a bookstore, he found his home in the book with his sincere love for books, and he also found his existence as a poet. ”
The professor's real name is "Sun Qing", he grew up with his parents in the countryside of Zhenjiang, his hometown is located in a small town on the Yangtze River, there is a quiet river in front of the door, nurturing his inner peace, there is his childhood paradise, he liked to read books since he was a child, his family's life at that time was very hard, it was difficult to survive, only by farming, in order to survive and work hard, they had to leave home to find a new life, his father went to a county town to do carpentry, his mother helped people do housekeeping in the city, he came to Nanjing alone to make a living When he was in middle school, he saw a front page in the "Language Newspaper" that introduced a pioneer bookstore in Nanjing, so he germinated the idea of working in Nanjing, I don't know what they encountered in the process of going out to work, if this is not called courage and determination, then it is nothing, the professor never talks to colleagues about family affairs, he is a quiet, humble, low-key person, never bragging about himself. Because he was knowledgeable, knowledgeable, dedicated, bookish, and sincere, the bookstore staff called him "Professor", which was the respect that everyone respected him, and now all people who come to the bookstore call him that.
"Professor" Sun Qing in the pioneer Wutaishan main store Qian Xiaohua
The professor's daily work is very exciting because he has found himself. He doesn't work for anyone, he does it for himself. He was always amazed at his own pleasure in the sea of books, and he was completely immersed in all the emotions. I once went to the hut he shared with two bookstore partners, walked in it is not like a home at all, three people divided into three spaces, each has its own desire and interest in books, all three people are a bit unconvinced, each bookshelf is divided into categories, some places can not reach the feet, the whole cottage looks like a complete bookstore, so that I suddenly recalled the Shakespeare bookstore in Paris, the layout size is similar; I also think, the professor is working with the bookstore partner to buy back the good books in the bookstore, One day, the three of them will work together to open a post-pioneer bookstore, which makes me suspicious. The professor also kept making excuses to go out with me to look for second-hand old books, and his appetite was getting bigger and bigger, and one day their bookstore really opened, which was a big challenge for me. I was also warned that sooner or later they would betray me and told me to be on guard.
The professor's bedroom was almost full of books, and he threw them all over the floor, all over the house, all over the bed, and it was as if he lived on the hill of books every day, sleeping in the bookstore. He left the bed in the middle of an empty space for himself to sleep, and he set up a writing desk on the bed and wrote it down as soon as he had the inspiration. Not only that, he also went to the flea market to find old-style bookcases, he also exaggerated the origin of the old bookcases he bought back, and even the iron bookshelf of the bookstore we used to open in the Xinjiekou Oriental Mall was bought by a certain bookstore, he knew it all, it can be said that the bookstore opened in Nanjing, he knows better than me.
Many people who visited his house said he was buried in a pile of books. Once there were old books on the shelves in the bookstore, I don't know where he got the news, he folded back from the way home from work, first, he thought about getting addicted, the other was to help friends find good books, afraid that there were good books that would be snatched away by others, and then he also put a cart of old books on the shelves before going home. Since the bookstore set aside the best position to create the "pioneer old edition of the book", he has been obliged to send thousands of his old books to the bookstore, teaching this love of the bookstore, which should be a portrayal of his personality. The most he said was: It's actually good to like books!
"Bookworm" Sun Qing in the Pioneer Bookstore Qian Xiaohua
In the professor's collection, his collection of poems is the largest. His bookshelf is filled with poems by Apollinaire, Tomitaro Tanigawa, Tsvetaeva, Lautreamon, Rimbaud, Maramé, Yves Bonafuva, Paul Celan, John Dane, Yeats, Rilke, Valery, Brodsky, Kitajima, Adonis, Pessoa, Pace, Claudel, Georg, Baudelaire, and others.
Once the president of a publishing house, they published a book of poetry, and he made a special trip to the professor's cabin to feast his eyes. The president looked at his poetry collection shelf, and his body was sweating coldly, and he was amazed, especially the professor's poetry set was relatively complete, and he was greatly praised, thinking that the professor was really worthy of the name. The professor cares more about niche poets and writers, he knows writers through writers, he knows poets through poets, and he discovers their other world from works. Now some poetry lovers either run to the bookstore to find him, or often go to his residence to talk happily.
He studied a large number of foreign poems, and introduced them to many people who loved to read poetry, so that the good poetry collections in the bookstore were often out of stock, and he could even report the names of hundreds of poets and the titles of their works in one breath, and he was a man of great knowledge, and from the works of these poets, he also really got the light and the opening of life, and no one loved poetry more than him; in my opinion, this is a rare thing in the world. For him, poetry was his life, the only armor he needed.
The professor not only collected a large collection of poems, but he was also busy creating poems. The professor will put a notebook in his pocket every day, his soul flies, brewing ambitious plans, he wants to grasp eternity through the moment, he fights in the storm of language, the hair that falls off is woven into the longitude and latitude of his poems, he wants to escape himself, escape his family, he lives and dies in fear; in just a few years of kung fu, he created hundreds of poems, and in 2018 published the poetry collection "Step by Step", when there was a little tremor in the Nanjing poetry world, many book friends came to the bookstore to ask him to sign, This book of poems suddenly rushed to the top three sales of bookstore poetry collections, which was still beyond my imagination.
What's even more incredible is that he also invited Zhou Chen, the world's most beautiful book binding designer, to work for him, and he is currently planning to publish a second book of poems. The professor's desire for poetry was so intense, so boundless. In fact, I have a hard time finding the right words to describe him, and his fascination with poetry is like the lover of his dreams. The professor wants to learn from Zhou Mengdi, who makes a living by selling books at a book stall, writing poetry all day long, and living in peace and happiness; while the professor puts the best life in the most appropriate place, and gallops in the world of his own poetry on books. He became a bookstore poet because poetry made his life.
Poets Sun Qing, Kitajima and Qian Xiaohua
Professors are respected in both poet and writer circles. Poets Beidao, Ouyang Jianghe, Yu Jian, Wang Jiaxin, Han Dong, Lan Lan, Duoduo, Chen Dongdong, Yang Jian, Adonis, Luo Fu, Zheng Shuoyu, Huang Fan, Pang Pei, Potato Brothers, etc.; writer Ah Yi and singer Zhong Lifeng have all become his friends, as long as they want books, he has helped to find them, I have personally seen him recommend poetry collections for Beidao, Ouyang Jianghe, Lan Lan, and Yang Jian. The professor saw that they were all rubbing their fists, a show of skill, the professor recommended the collection of poems, almost a hundred hairs, this is his experience and eyesight for many years of experience, on the other hand, to understand their love for a certain type of poetry and a certain poet, so the recommendation is hand to hand, I personally saw the professors of Nanda and Nanshi come to the bookstore to find the professor's recommendation, he quickly took out ten books and eight books. The professor's recommended books have a unique set of skills, all of which are series, novel themes, and unique editions of books. He is like a commander on the battlefield, holding tens of millions of troops, commanding steadily, strategizing, and flexible, which makes people have to admire his shrewd ability. The professor is simply a "samurai of books".
Poets Sun Qing, Kitajima, Zhao Ye, and writer A Yi in the pioneer poet's house Qian Xiaohua
The professor is a kind and compassionate man at heart. There is a customer in the bookstore who often comes to buy books called Xue Qingjia, after he divorced his wife, he rented a house in the neighborhood next door to the professor, he bought books on kong for many years, living a life of solitude; day after day, year after year, they became book friends, but also forgot the year. Later, this book friend suffered from advanced diabetes, it has been three years, he has not gone to the doctor, the condition has deteriorated to the point that his eyes are blind, walking is crooked; his family still has two dogs, every day the ground is full of feces, the professor seems to be his nanny, helping to clean up, busy to the supermarket to buy dumplings to cook for him to eat; not only that, the professor also became a doctor, he treated the needles and eyes of diabetes to help him debug, almost every day to do these daily chores, he finally did not survive, When he died, he was less than fifty years old, and the professor was very depressed, feeling that a man's life was so fragile, watching a young and lively life disappear from his eyes, and for a while I saw that his face was full of sorrow, as if it was the loss of his own life, after all, there was a sincere friendship between them for five or six years.
There was also a professor of foreign Chinese, who had silver hair, and every time he came to the bookstore he communicated through a note, or the books he needed, he seemed to have a special love for Thoreau, and every time he saw a new edition of Walden, he bought dozens of copies, and he bought them back for students and friends. He had surgery on his throat and could not speak, so he took a note from his pocket and wrote it down and handed it to the professor. The professor recently asked me if I had the professor's address and wanted to go to his house together, but he hadn't been to the bookstore for more than a year, afraid that something would happen to him.
There was also an old gentleman in his eighties who specialized in lu xun, he was accompanied by a nanny to the bookstore every time to buy books, the professor did not see him for three or four years, and he was also very worried. In the eyes of the professor, some old readers, especially the older ones, if they don't see each other for a year or two, the professor is very worried about them, and they will not have the opportunity to meet again in the future, which is the most painful for the professor. Although the professor is a scholar, he always has compassion in his heart, and he has done his duty to be a good person with feelings, righteousness and kindness.
The professor has always regarded October 19 as his lucky day, and every day he invites old readers to his residence to gather. The professor made many people who came to the bookstore feel warm, and felt that there was still hope for the existence of the bookstore.
Poets Liang Xuebo, Liu Xuan, Chen Li, Liang Xiaoman, Ouyang Jianghe, Gu Ailing, Cai Yuanfeng, Chen Dongdong, Sun Qing, Liao Weitang, Wang Jiaxin at the pioneer Wutaishan main store Qian Xiaohua
A senior reader commented on the professor: He is persistent in the field of literary criticism and poetry, enthusiastic about people, and humble; he is immersed in the sea of poetry and cannot extricate himself; he reads accurately and has a poisonous vision; he is both a friend and a poet.
Some people also commented on the professor: simple, simple, enthusiastic, sincere, faithful, well-intentioned, ordinary bookish, but he is most important as a poet.
Here is an excerpt from a diary he wrote, from which the reader's place in his heart can be seen:
"An old reader recommended Ryunosuke Wasagawa to him the last time he came, and the bookstore was the only one, and he was a little moved. This time I saw him visiting the bookstore, and I felt the need to push it a little further and let his interest in this set of books go deeper. So I bypassed the introduction to the work and told him a story about the author.
When Wasagawa was in college, he began to write novels and publish works, until he became famous for writing "The Nose", and Natsume Soseki, who had become a generation of people at that time, said to him: "If you write such works as poems again, you will become a distinctive writer not only in Japan, but also in the world literary world." Later, Wasagawa's creative power was very strong, he only lived for thirty-five years, and wrote more than a hundred short stories alone. Japan's highest pure literature award is the 'Ryunosuke Wasagawa Literature Prize' named after him!
He happily put the book in the trolley and enthusiastically brought me a cup of coffee! ”
The professor is an irreproducible man, he is not as sleek and sophisticated as some people, modern man has degenerated to the point of no return, wearing a false mask every day, living a life of dual personality; the professor is like a drop of water, living very brightly, he is the crystal of poetry. I feel that with such a real and loyal partner as an example, I run a bookstore with the power of sunshine. From the bottom of my heart, I not only admired him, but also appreciated him. He wrote his life into poetry, and he lived in the life of poetry. He was short and round, and some people laughed that he was just as impressive no matter which direction he looked from. It is undeniable that he has brought a lot of money to the bookstore, and the circle is his inner life of "harmony and perfection". Napoleon was born in Corsica as a diminutive figure, but his ambition to conquer the world was unsurpassed, and history was driven by dwarves. The professor's ambition for poetry is also unparalleled, and he wants to flow from poetry from rivers of living water.
"Professor" Sun Qing at the Avant-garde Art Cafe Qian Xiaohua after work
I've been in the book industry for 25 years and haven't seen a genius like him. The professor was the first person to have the title of "chief shopping guide" in the bookstore, and the honor of "chief shopping guide" was not won, he proved his professionalism and high sense of responsibility through his hard work. The professor made us feel that as long as we do our duty, as long as we work hard, we can do anything and we can win people's respect. No one denied that he was an integral part of the vanguard; it was he who chose the bookstore, and perhaps the bookstore chose him. A generation has passed, a generation has come. Pioneers are always greener than blue, and the back wave pushes the front wave.
Under the influence of the professor, a number of "pioneer poetry groups" appeared in the pioneer, the bookstore had more than twenty partners to create poetry, "pioneer poetry society", "poet's home", "poetry bookstore", "poetry tower", "poetry award", "New Year's Eve poetry society" was also born, pioneer bookstore seems to have become a cradle of poetry. The professor also brought out a large number of disciples who cherish books and love poetry, such as the so-called Commander Tang, Teacher Kong, Dr. Zhang, Professor Ding, etc., and this bond between them is so strong that they are like anchors to the soul, strong and solid. Be a beacon of pioneers and illuminate the way forward. Once again, their presence has made me appreciate the meaning of the fact that "what a bookstore is" and will once again recognize the dignity and spirit of defending bookstores. What they do is not representing the individual, I think they represent the faith of the bookstore.
The presence of bookstores makes each of our lives more breadth and depth. Professors often tell people that Pioneer itself is a university, a place to study. The professor also modestly called me the principal, but now the readers who come to the bookstore are not looking for me, and they all regard the professor as the real owner of the bookstore.
Thank them for everything they have done, for their perseverance in times of crisis; the vanguard has come all the way, the road is bumpy, relying on perseverance, never give up the faith, without them there is no vanguard, the history of the vanguard is written by them, they are the unsung heroes of the vanguard, they saved the vanguard, which is the most important.
"Professor" Sun Qing and colleagues in the bookstore
The professor still maintains the pure heart of a country boy, and he is often attracted to the river in his hometown, which is the source of his life, and his heart is deeply touched by the rolling and undulating farmland and pleasant villages on both sides of the river. In the summer of 2018, the professor invited me and a few colleagues to go to his hometown of Jiangxinzhou, Dantu Gaoqiao Town, his family lived on a mysterious island, the scenery was pleasant, we had to cross the river by ferry to arrive, lunch in the town at noon, the owner of the hotel recognized him. His home was just two ordinary small bungalows, tightly wrapped in a barren artemisia grass, and the professor actually wanted to stay in his hometown for a few more days, where the beautiful scenery nourished the soul, where he could live quietly and quietly, writing his own poems and songs with all his heart, and he was a very pure poet in his bones.
That afternoon, the professor also took us to visit his mother, who was doing housekeeping in Zhenjiang; her thin body, her hair was gray, and she was an amiable person. His father has also been working as a carpenter in the field for many years, and now he has begun to turn to housekeeping, both of them are more than seventy years old, the professor is very uneasy, he feels that he is ashamed of his parents, he has not fulfilled his obligation to be a son, they are still wandering everywhere at such an age, working hard for the world. There was a twist in his parents' feelings, and the professor was even more heartbroken, he did not want to lose them, and he went home several times to persuade them to reconcile, and finally let them get back together. The calm after the storm was incomparable, and the professor was always grateful to his parents for their efforts. Every time I think of that brief meeting with his mother, I have mixed feelings that give rise to courage and determination.
Melancholy is a disease of our time, and the melancholy color that lingers on the professor's shedding hair is the melody of the poet's life. He's in his early thirties now, still single, but conflicted inside. He personally told me that it costs a lot of money to make a girlfriend, and it only costs a small amount of money to buy books; once he returned to Zhenjiang, his sister wanted to introduce him to work, afraid that he would not find a partner in Nanjing, to help him find a girlfriend in the local area to start a family, he said that he would not go back; in order to prove his determination, he also took the original collection of books at home, asked his colleagues to drag them to his residence in Nanjing, books were as beautiful as birds in his world, and poetry was the mystery hidden by his bright light. In my opinion, how many people like professors have really discovered their lives in bookstores and have a place in poetry. Don't say that it is in the vanguard, even in China, it is rare. So the professor is the happiest person in the world. "Professor, what exactly do you want, what are you so depressed about..."
I was on the road, in his dreams, sitting alone on the deserted railroad tracks, in the twilight, staring at the tides of the great seabed, that was the richness of his life, that was the pain of his poetry - because a poet has risen, because love is a flame in the sea...
2021.5.30 In Lishui Oriental Wenting
2021.6.16Modified to Bishan Enyuan