The plum blossom fragrance comes from the bitter cold
-- Comrade Zhou Shizhong, president of the Calligraphy and Painting Research Association of Old Cadres of Linqu County and the Temple Branch of the Calligraphers and Painters Association
Author | Feng Chunzhi
On September 2, 1956, at the home of a private school gentleman in Qingya Village, Lüqu Township, Linqu County, a fat male doll came to this world, and the family smiled happily for the joy of Tian guizi. He is now a veteran teacher who has been teaching for 42 years and has been honorably retired, a member of the Chinese Peasant Calligraphy and Painting Research Association, a member of the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Research Association, a member of the China List Bookers Association, a member of the China Hard Pen Calligraphy Association, a member of the Weifang Calligraphers Association in Shandong Province, a member of the Linqu County Calligraphers Association, a member of the Linqu County Old Cadres Calligraphy and Painting Research Association, and the president of the Sitou Branch of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.
"The blade of the sword is sharpened, and the plum blossom fragrance comes from the bitter cold", which is most appropriate for President Zhou Shizhong. Since childhood, he was influenced by his father, who was an old private schoolman, and had a special love for calligraphy. The calligraphy of his father, Mr. Zhou Lichun, is famous in the neighborhood and surrounding countryside. All those who have a happy marriage are invited to write a marriage union and a congratulatory union. Every Spring Festival, I was invited to go through the homes of families in the village and the homes of villagers in neighboring villages to write couplets. Zhou Shizhong grew up in such a family and studied calligraphy with his father since he was a child. Under the guidance of his father, the level of calligraphy continued to improve.
After graduating from high school, Zhou Shizhong was recruited as a people's teacher after being examined by the county personnel bureau and the education bureau in many aspects and conducted business examinations. After joining the work, he did not live up to the expectations of the party and the people, worked diligently, and devoted himself to the cause of teaching, and was rated as an advanced worker and an excellent teacher many times. In the teaching work, we not only use our spare time to practice calligraphy by ourselves, but also add calligraphy courses for students in addition to completing the teaching hours. In addition to completing the required lesson hours every week, he took out one class of spare time to teach students the basic knowledge of calligraphy and calligraphy practice, so that many students fell in love with calligraphy. In this way, he is like a pioneering cow in the teaching position, burying his head in cultivation and working for 42 years.
After his retirement, he devoted himself to the cause of calligraphy. In order to improve his calligraphy level, he first signed up for the calligraphy class of Linqu County University for the Elderly. In 2006, he enrolled in the calligraphy professional class of the Correspondence University of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting for three years. In July 2009, he completed the courses stipulated in the junior college teaching plan and successfully graduated with academic results. However, he was not satisfied with getting a college degree, and in September 2013, he saw in the newspaper the news that Professor Lu Zhongnan, a famous calligrapher in the country, was going to hold a study class on list books, and immediately signed up and traveled thousands of miles to Beijing to participate in the study. He not only listened to Professor Lu's lectures, but also received his hand-in-hand guidance, which made his list book level improve a new way.
Comrade Zhou Shizhong deeply understands: Knowledge is endless, and there is no end to learning the sea. His study of calligraphy is always not satisfied with the existing level, to achieve excellence, meticulous, and constantly take new steps. In order to improve his writing skills, he often went out to learn from his teachers. In 2017, when he learned that Professor Wang Bingjian of the Tianjin Chinese Calligraphy Association was going to hold a calligraphy tutoring class in Linqu, he was the first to sign up for the study. At the same time, he often went to the homes of famous calligraphers in the county, such as Liu Xinglu, Feng Enliang, and Xia Mingli, to learn art, so that his calligraphy level has been continuously improved.
Hard work and sweat can eventually water a fruitful fruit. His calligraphy works have been continuously selected for exhibition in Beijing and won good awards. In 2011, when celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, his works were selected for Jinjing to be exhibited in the exhibition hall of "China's Home of Calligraphy and Painting for the Elderly"; in September 2012, a list of book works was awarded the "World List book federation" in Shanghai's "China List of Famous Books" exhibition, and in May 2012, the calligraphy works won the excellent work award in the "National Fine Arts, Calligraphy Celebrities, Famous Works" (China Academy of Calligraphy and Painting) exhibition, and was awarded the honorary title of "Chinese Calligraphy and Fine Arts" by Shen Dian. In 2015, the list book "Endeavor" was selected to participate in the list book fair in Jinjing to "commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan" and won the award.
Comrade Zhou Shizhong deeply understands that calligraphy is the national essence of China, and it must be passed on from generation to generation. Therefore, he suggested to the Sitou Town Education Committee that a professional course on calligraphy be set up in all primary and secondary schools, and that calligraphy classes be taught successively at the town's Sitou, Wangzhuang, Lüquan, Shifo, Li Ji, and other primary schools, as well as at The Sitou, Jiushan, and Shijiahe Junior High Schools. He also used holidays and Sundays to set up calligraphy tutoring classes for primary and secondary school students who came to study and teach, and in recent years, the number of trainees has reached tens of thousands. Some primary school students who love calligraphy often come to his home to study and teach in person or accompanied by their parents. As long as there are students to study, no matter how busy he is at home, he always throws his own things away and gives lessons to the students who come to his door for advice.
Once, he was ready to go to Yanghe Village, six miles away from his wife, and wished for a happy birthday at his brother's house. Just as he was leaving, Yu Haixin, a calligraphy lover in Sitou Village, came to his home to ask him for guidance. Teacher Zhou Shizhong didn't say a word, so he let his wife go to his brother's house by himself, and he stayed behind to tutor the student to learn calligraphy. That's it, this student located in Haixin under the guidance and study of Teacher Zhou for three years, after his own hard study, hard practice, and finally achieved good results. In 2019, in the exhibition of the "Children's Calligraphy and Painting Competition" in the province, one of his calligraphy works won the silver medal. So that this rising star, in the province of small lotus first revealed sharp corners. On the day that Yu Haixin returned from winning the award in the province, he was accompanied by his mother and came to Teacher Zhou's home to announce the good news. And tightly held Teacher Zhou's hand, said with deep emotion: "This silver award is poured out by Teacher Zhou with your hard work!" ”
This is exactly:
Learning the sea is endlessly arduous, and thousands of hammers and hundreds of refinements will eventually become talents;
There is no shortcut to everything in the world, and the plum blossom fragrance comes from the bitter cold.
Feng Chunzhi, pen name ZhiYong, is a fool. A native of Shifotang Village, Sitou Town, he has been engaged in communication and reporting work for more than 20 years, and after retirement, he has studied literature, and has published the anthology "Nian Lun", the historical record "Under the Jade Elephant Mountain - Shifotang Village Zhiluo", the intangible cultural folk game "Children's Fun", and the genealogical history "Shifotang Village Surname Preliminary Examination". He is currently a member of the Linqu County Local History Society, a member of the Linqu County Writers Association, and the deputy secretary-general of the Sitou Town Literary Federation of Linqu County.