Gu Hongming
The flowers are blooming outside the window, and the people inside the window are noisy.
An old man wearing a black satin and a melon-skin hat with a red brim swaggered toward the classroom of Peking University's College of Letters.
As soon as he stood on the podium, he caused a burst of laughter.
The room full of young talents couldn't help but start pointing at him and judging him.
After all, his appearance was too different from other professors at Peking University.
It has been six years since the Republic of China, and he still has a neatly braided and oily braid on his head.
The old man naturally knew what his classmates were laughing at.
He first coughed, then said with great seriousness:
"I know, of course, why you're laughing. You laugh at me because of my braids. My braids are tangible and can be cut at any time, but the braids in the heads of my classmates are not so easy to cut."
Life photos
As soon as these words came out, the whole classroom fell silent and became silent.
Everyone began to look at the old man carefully, staring at him intently, and even began to admire him.
"He is indeed worthy of the title, the unparalleled man of the southeast and the northwest of the debater."
This old man is Gu Hongming, a generation of guoxue masters who scolded foreigners and let foreigners praise him.
In 1917, Cai Yuanpei took charge of Peking University and carried out drastic reforms to Peking University.
He not only hired Chen Duxiu as the dean of liberal arts at Peking University's College of Letters, but also invited Hu Shi and other enterprising young talents.
However, he is eclectic in his employment.
Even Gu Hongming, who was called "Strange Jie" by people at the time, and even satirized as "the remnants of the Manchu Qing Dynasty", he was extremely courteous and invited him into the Red Chamber of Peking University.
Cai Yuanpei
He said: "I ask Gu Hongming because he is a scholar, a wise man and a sage, and he is by no means a monster whose materials are soaring."
In fact, this is also true.
In the pile of scholars and literati at that time, there was no one who knew about European literature.
In 1867, Koo Hung-ming, who had just turned ten, was taken to England by his righteous father and mother from Penang in the Malay Peninsula. Began his 14-year study trip in a foreign country.
Gu Hongming is extremely talented in language and has the ability to never forget. From England to Germany, he mastered nine Chinese and received thirteen doctorates.
When Cai Yuanpei studied in Europe, Gu Hongming was already a well-known figure in Europe. When Lin Yutang went to the University of Leipzig to study, Gu Hongming's works were already a required reading list designated by the university.
Cai Yuanpei said that he was a scholar, which was naturally well deserved.
Peking University Red House
And praising him as a wise man is not empty. Cai Yuanpei naturally knew that his humorous anecdotes had already spread throughout Europe and were talked about by Europeans who considered themselves "civilized people".
Gu Hongming is not tall, his body is also a little emaciated, and he has a small braid on his head, which looks like the Qing people in the eyes of Europeans.
That day, he boarded a tram on the streets of London and prepared to go out. Sitting in his seat, he flipped through a copy of the Times.
A few young British people in the car, seeing that he had a Chinese face and that he was sitting alone in the car, mocked him in English.
It means laughing at whether he can read English, and if he can't understand it, don't pretend.
Gu Hongming was an extremely humorous person.
Professor at Peking University
Hearing that the young men were mocking him, he smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth, turned the newspaper upside down and held it in his hand, reading it with relish.
When those Few British people saw Gu Hongming's move, they were even more certain that Gu Hongming could not read English.
So, more arrogant. The voice grew louder, and the laughter of contempt spread throughout the carriage.
Just as several British people pointed at him and laughed, Gu Hongming opened his mouth to speak, and he said in extremely authentic London English, "English only has 26 letters, too simple." It's not interesting to read this newspaper, or it feels more like reading it upside down."
The Englishmen were speechless and looked at Gu Hongming in a daze.
As soon as the tram stopped, it ran out of the car.
Gu Hongming's ancestors operated in Penang for many years, but they never forgot their Chinese identity.
Cai Yuanpei suit photo
Just as Gu Hongming boarded a cruise ship to England, his father said to him affectionately, "Wherever you go, you must remember that you are a Chinese." This sentence was deeply imprinted in Gu Hongming's mind.
While studying in Germany, his landlord was a German woman.
Whenever it comes to the death day of a loved one, the landlady always wipes her tears and places the flowers in her hand in front of the tombstone of her relatives.
And whenever the traditional festival of Chinese, Gu Hongming always put sacrifices and incense burners in the direction of the east. Then, prostrate your head respectfully to show your thoughts for your family and homeland.
This German woman thought it was funny. I felt that Gu Hongming was engaging in some meaningless formalism. She couldn't help it.
"When will your ancestors be able to eat your offerings?"
Chen Duxiu
The German leaned against the door frame with one hand around his waist, looking at Gu Hongming, who was kneeling on the ground, with mockery.
Gu Hongming did not speak, he prostrated his head in a formal manner, and then stood up.
He smiled and walked over to the landlady and looked at the German in front of him. Then, very humbly, he greeted the landlady.
He seemed to be seriously thinking about the landlord's problem. Sincerely said to her, "It must be your loved ones, before smelling your flowers."
This sentence made the landlady dumbfounded. A look of shame and embarrassment appeared on her face. She glanced at Gu Hongming and turned away angrily.
Also in Germany, it's just a different place.
It was on a train, and across from Gu Hongming sat three young Germans. Looking at this Chinese in front of them, they squeezed their eyebrows and pointed at Gu Hongming.
Southeastern-Northwestern people
Probably they felt that Gu Hongming couldn't understand what they were saying.
What Gu Hongming is most unaccustomed to is the arrogant and uninformed appearance of Europeans.
He was still the same, grabbed a German newspaper from the table, and looked at it upside down. The mood of these three people was even higher, and they laughed at Gu Hongming with their hands and feet over there.
Maybe it's reading too few books, maybe it's too young. They didn't even know that there was a saying in China called, "Happiness is born of sorrow."
Just as the three Germans were laughing forward and backward, Gu Hongming began to talk to himself in German as if no one was around.
"This German is too simple, or it is interesting to look at backwards." After saying this, he also took a special look at the German on the other side. The Germans were a little surprised, and Gu Hongming's interest also came.
A corner of the Red Chamber
"Newspapers are so simple, not to mention ordinary German, even Goethe's Faust is like a stream."
As soon as the words fell, Gu Hongming memorized Faust in a pure German. The Germans on the other side were flustered, and they had no idea that the Chinese of the little man in front of them was so powerful.
The people around them all cast their eyes on Gu Hongming's body. An awkward atmosphere was created next to three young Germans.
They seemed to have no place for themselves, and slipped out of their seats and fled to the other carriages.
There are too many such stories in Gu Hongming. He was always used to using his humor and wisdom to make those who tried to embarrass himself even more.
For these stories, the students of Peking University may have heard of them, but they really know the three words "Gu Hongming", probably because of Gu Hongming's words about "polygamy".
Lin Yutang
Victorious friends are like clouds, high friends are full of seats, the lights are staggered, and the cups and plates are messy.
It was at a party, and Gu Hongming sat comfortably in his seat and smoked a cigarette with his cigarette bag pot. He was flanked by foreigners from foreign lands, as if gossiping there.
The table was full of people talking back and forth to show friendship. Only Gu Hongming sat there without saying a word.
One of them had heard of Gu Hongming earlier. Seeing his tall appearance, he was naturally a little displeased in his heart. Gu Hongming was well-argued, and he was thinking about trying to give Gu Hongming a problem to humiliate him.
After thinking about it, he finally found a place. A bad custom that has been passed down in old China for thousands of years, but is despised by foreigners.
"Civilized countries are monogamous, but you in China are polygamous." It's unfair to women. You studied abroad and heard that you have concubines of your own. How does Mr. Gu view this issue? ”
Young Cai Yuanpei
The conversation and laughter just now suddenly stopped, and everyone's eyes moved to Gu Hongming's body. The foreigner was also smugly smug, as if satisfied with the conundrum he had raised.
Gu Hongming slowly entered the cigarette stick in his hand into his mouth and took a deep breath. He looked at the self-righteous foreigner in front of him, and then snorted contemptuously.
He pointed to the teapot on the table:
"One teapot with four tea bowls, it's natural. Have you ever seen a tea bowl with four teapots? Gu Hongming snorted again and once again put the cigarette stick into his mouth.
Suddenly, the entire feast became silent. Everyone present looked at Gu Hongming with their mouths open.
teapot
The foreigner who asked the question actually blushed at that moment, silently lowered his head, and stopped making a sound. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. After a while, I don't know who said a word, which broke the embarrassment of that moment.
Gu Hongming's answer seems to be unable to find any fault, and it seems that no flaw can be found in this sentence alone.
This remark was quickly spread by public opinion. An American who advocated for the Women's Movement in America couldn't stand it anymore. He was so angry that he found Gu Hongming's door and thought about having a good theory with Gu Hongming.
Gu Hongming opened the door and welcomed him into his home. The American pointed at Gu Hongming's nose and scolded, "Your remarks are shameless, this is disrespectful to women."
Hu shi
The Americans were there pointing, but Gu Hongming didn't say a word.
"This is probably the Westerners who think they are civilized, without the slightest bit of grace. Except for stirring things up and coercing others by force, there is probably no other skill."
Until the American couldn't swear, his breath was almost gone, and he collapsed in his chair.
Gu Hongming smiled and said to him, "Your American car has four wheels, why only has a pump?" According to your theory, shouldn't four wheels be equipped with four pumps? But how come I haven't seen it."
This sentence confused the American, who did not know how to answer Gu Hongming's question, and could only leave in a daze.
Gu Hongming seems to have become obsessed with this issue and advocated "polygamy".
Gu Hongming and two wives
In fact, he himself did the same. After having a wife, Shugu, he also took a Japanese concubine named Sadako Yoshida.
No one can say whether Gu Hongming really likes it or is different. He also has a crush on small-footed women. His wife, Shugu, was a woman with her feet wrapped around her feet.
Gu Hongming's "love lotus" habit is even more sensational. This lotus is the "three-inch golden lotus", which is the woman's little foot.
He was proficient in European literature and also had some experience in sinology, often writing some articles and works. However, no matter how talented people are, when they are pondering the writing, there are also times when their talents are exhausted.
Whenever it was difficult to write, he always shouted Shugu's name.
At this time, Shugu would come to his room and sit next to Gu Hongming.
Gu Hongming and Tagore
She took off her shoes and put her feet in Gu Hongming's arms. Gu Hongming played with Shugu's little feet, just like falling into the vast sea of books. At that moment, he could always find inspiration for his creations, like a fountain of talent.
As for the source of inspiration, the witty and humorous Gu Hongming actually blamed the stink of the little foot.
"The beauty of a woman, the beauty of the little feet, the beauty of the little feet, the beauty of its stink." There are stinky tofu and rotten eggs in the food, and this flavor is barely comparable to that of the little feet."
So, does he really like little feet? Maybe not quite, probably just a fetish.
Since ancient talents have been popular, Gu Hongming is naturally not exempt from this, not to mention that he is still happy in it. "Polygamy" is the life he enjoys the most.
Love Shugu, but also love Sadako Yoshida. After the death of Sadako Yoshida, Gu Hongming was devastated and depressed all the time. It wasn't until he married Bi Yunxia again in his old age that he had to talk for comfort. Reclining into the gentle township.
image
At that time, the only critics of Gu Hongming were Westerners. Even those Chinese who had studied Western studies could hardly tolerate him.
Gu Hongming is like an outrageous bookworm, living in the world he imagines.
He has also explained to the outside world why he promotes "polygamy" and tries to be clear for himself, but who wants to listen?
Years of experience studying in Europe made him tired of the self-righteous civilization of the West and the hypocrisy of the Western world.
A Western gentleman in a suit and leather shoes drives a spotlessly washed car. The car stopped at an intersection, or a young and beautiful woman got into the car, or a dressed woman got out of the car. The next day, the same thing happened at the same intersection.
Portrait of Gu Hongming
Unbeknownst to him, these blonde foreigners, who looked like gentlemen, also had a wife who worked for him in his home.
And the woman who got in the car or got out of the car was just the mistress of this person. After a night of entertainment, he was pushed back onto the road.
This is the European in Gu Hongming's eyes.
In the article, he said that this is the morality of Europeans. Compared to Chinese, Europeans are not only selfish, but cowardly.
Chinese men are much more generous than they are. The concubines were brought home by them. It is bright and upright, and it is also bright and upright. Compared with those European and American women who were pushed out of the car, those concubines who Chinese were much happier than them.
Old photos
However, Gu Hongming's theory is like a kind of absurdity, and everyone is willing to think about it.
After the Outbreak of the May Fourth Movement, Gu Hongming, a self-proclaimed "defender of Chinese culture," was expelled from Peking University.
But he still did not change his former style, or laughed and cursed at the world.
His translation of the Four Books and Five Classics opened a new door for the European world to understand Chinese culture, and his culture prevailed in Europe and the United States. Europeans and Americans regard it as a model, and even the Japanese regard him as a great Chinese scholar.
When the famous British writer Maugham traveled to China, he also took the opportunity to meet Gu Hongming.
Gu Hongming and Maugham chatted for a long time. On his deathbed, he also wrote two poems for Maugham.
Maugham
However, when Maugham asked Gu Hongming the meaning of these two poems, Gu Hongming said, "You still don't know."
Later, Maugham figured out that it was Gu Hongming's two poems about prostitutes, which made Maugham cry and laugh.
He was such a person, scolding and grinning all his life. As for his "teapot theory", it now seems to be nothing more than a way to steal the concept.
Maybe he wasn't accepted by that era, but he was defending Chinese culture with his own strength.
As he said to Zhang Zhidong at that time, "European and American lords are rich and strong, and those who are outsiders are also, And China emphasizes etiquette, and those who cultivate inside are also." It seems that the strength and prosperity of the moment are better than China, and if the long-term peace and stability are sought, the Chinese way is beautiful! ”
Today, it seems, however, the same is true. He was simply living in his own way.
Zhang Zhidong