Wen ◆ Liu Zhongcai
There were not many things in Lu Xun's life that made him feel sad, but there were two things that he had always remembered in his heart, and it was difficult to let go until his death. One is a personal marriage, and the other is to turn against his brother Zhou Zuoren.
Lu Xun lived in the Republic of China, where the feudal society was gradually declining, and his first wife was Zhu An, an old-fashioned woman wrapped in small feet, who was not only older than herself, but also had a low level of education, and whether she thought or saw, she was separated from Lu Xun who stayed in Japan in an insurmountable gap. This kind of arranged marriage is destined to have no love to speak of, and it is far from the happiness that Lu Xun envisioned. Later, Lu Xun met his own student Xu Guangping, and the hope that remained in Lu Xun's heart picked up again. However, just after Lu Xun and Xu Guangping lived together, they were sneered at by Zhou Zuoren, which brought Lu Xun unforgettable pain. Lu Xun, who was originally not good at exposing his emotions, was worthless because of his teacher-student love and was belittled by Zhou Zuoren. And Zhou Zuoren's relatively smooth emotional life, as well as his pampering of his wife Yu Taixinzi, seemed to be showing off himself to Lu Xun.
Mr. Lu Xun
Despite this, Lu Xun still accommodated Zhou Zuoren as the eldest brother. However, for the real thoughts of the heart, the two have not made in-depth exchanges, about the lives of the two families, they mostly shut up, the hidden feelings are unknown. However, on July 19, 1923, Zhou Zuoren suddenly handed Lu Xun a letter of renunciation, which fully proved that the brotherhood between the two had come to an end. It's just that Lu Xun didn't expect that things would come so suddenly and so unexpectedly.
Zhou Zuoren said in the letter of renunciation, Mr. Lu Xun, I only learned about it yesterday, but there is no need to say anything about the past. I am not a Christian, but fortunately I can bear it, and I don't want to blame anyone, everyone is a poor human world. My previous rose dreams were all illusory, and what I see now may be the real life. I want to revise my thinking and re-enter a new life. Please don't come back to the back yard in the future, there is nothing else. May you be at ease and self-respecting. The payment will be delivered on July 18.
Zhou Zuoren wrote a letter from Lu Xun
Zhou Zuoren's letter did not say much, but it was full of hostility. Between the words was a rebuke to Lu Xun. Especially at the end, asking Lu Xun not to go to the back yard, but also reminding Lu Xun with such words as self-respect, which could not help but shock Lu Xun's heart.
After Lu Xun read this letter, his five tastes were mixed, and his inner feelings were indescribable. On that day, he wrote in his diary that in the morning Qi Meng came with a letter by himself, and then he wanted to ask him, but he did not come.
Lu Xun wanted to ask what was the reason why Zhou Zuoren was so angry that his words were so harsh. However, Zhou Zuoren completely ignored it.
In fact, five days before receiving this letter, the tension between Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren had already begun to appear. On that day, Zhou Zuoren did not eat with Lu Xun's family. Lu Xun also said in his diary: "It was at night that I changed to eating in my own room, and I have a dish of myself. ”
Lu Xun's second brother Zhou Zuoren
This phenomenon is extremely abnormal, because since Lu Xun moved into the newly purchased house in Badaowan, Beijing, he has also taken over his mother and Zhou Zuoren and the wife and daughter family of his third brother Zhou Jianren. Lu Xun lived in the front yard, Zhou Zuoren lived in the backyard, the family's expenses were borne by Lu Xun, and the meals were also together and never separated. Now, suddenly separated, and a letter of renunciation has been sent, indicating that the problem has reached a very serious level.
The discord between Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren has not yet been conclusive, because lu Xun did not give an explanation before his death, and Zhou Zuoren did not say the real reason until his death. Therefore, the discord between the two is like a headless unjust case that sinks into the sea, which has always puzzled future generations.
However, Lu Xun's good friend Xu Shousheng expressed his views on this. He explained the contradiction between the two in "Impressions of His Dead Friend Lu Xun".
Xu Shousheng said that Zhou Zuoren's wife, Yu Taixinzi, was a person with a good moral appearance, who was humble and courteous to Lu Xun on the surface, but always had bad intentions in his heart. Zhou Zuoren listened to Yu Taixinzi, and Xu Shousheng once told Zhou Zuoren about this idea, enlightening Zhou Zuoren to have an opinion when encountering things, and to distinguish between right and wrong. However, Zhou Zuoren ignored it indifferently and did not enlighten himself.
Lu Xun and Xu Shousheng (front row, third from right) together
When there was a gap with Zhou Zuoren but there was no stalemate, Lu Xun moved to live outside the living room, but Zhou Zuoren did not understand the meaning. Later, Lu Xun directly moved out of Badaowan to live in Brick Tower Hutong, and the discord between the two became an open secret.
Lu Xun moved away from Badaowan and fought a very difficult ideological struggle. When lu xun bought the house in Badaowan, He spent 3700 oceans, the house was purchased by himself, and he personally designed it, and every room and every decoration was infiltrated with Lu Xun's emotions. But there was no choice but to leave. The painful thing was how to settle his wife Juan, Lu Xun had no clue.
Xu Shousheng said that before Lu Xun left, he had asked Zhu An whether he would like to stay in Badaowan or return to the Zhu family in Shaoxing. If she returned to Shaoxing, Lu Xun would send her living expenses on a monthly basis. After hearing these words, Juan's heart was very sad. Zhu An said to Lu Xun, I can't live in Badaowan, because if you move out, Niangniang (Lu Xun's mother) will move away sooner or later. I live alone with my uncles and nephews (Zhou Zuoren's family), what is it? My aunt (Hata Nobuko) is also Japanese, and she can't understand the words, so her life is not good. Shaoxing Zhu family I do not want to go back, after you move away, there is always someone to cook for you, laundry, these things I can do, I want to move out with you.
Juan
Juan's words were heavy. Lu Xun felt guilty and deeply felt that he was a little desperate. After all, Juan is his wife, who has accompanied her for so many years, and has no merit and hard work. Instead of sympathizing with her, he questioned her in a not-so-appropriate language.
After moving out of Badaowan, Lu Xun borrowed money to buy a three-bay courtyard in West Sanjo Hutong, the east room was reserved for his mother, and the west room was Juan's bedroom. After settling down, Lu Xun returned to his residence in Badaowan to get a book, but was blocked by Zhou Zuo and Yu Taixinzi. Yu Taixinzi also called for someone to come and tried to blast Lu Xun out, and Zhou Zuoren followed and still brought Lu Xun's book to the ground. Xu Shousheng said that this was what Lu Xun personally told him. As for this attitude of Zhou Zuoren and Yu Taixinzi, Lu Xun did not complain about them, saying that this was a family affair and insufficient with outsiders.
From Xu Shousheng's work, we can see that the discord between Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren has a lot to do with Yu Taixinzi's instigation in the middle. However, Zhou Zuoren listened to the woman's words indiscriminately, and allowed Yu Taixinzi to talk nonsense, resulting in the relationship between the two becoming increasingly estranged.
In 1923, Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren and their friends were at their home in Badaowan, Beijing
For Xu Shousheng's explanation, Zhou Zuoren refuted it. He said that my discord with Lu Xun had been said in the letter, and I had originally written it very clearly in my diary, but I still used scissors to cut out the words I had written. Zhou Zuoren said: I have never said publicly about that incident, which has been the case in the past and will remain so in the future.
What exactly that incident was, Zhou Zuoren did not say, lu Xun did not know, but we can guess that the incident that Zhou Zuoren said referred to was a woman's affair.
After Lu Xun broke with Zhou Zuoren, his third brother Zhou Jianren, who was far away in Shanghai, made his attitude clear. Obviously, Zhou Jianren stood against Zhou Zuoren and maintained a good brotherly relationship with Lu Xun. Zhou Jianren knew that Yu TaiXinzi was a person, but he also did not think much of what she did.
In addition, there was another reason for the discord between Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren. Zhou Jianren said that Yu Taixinzi did not know how to be frugal, the family had to eat, she was always generous in spending money, but Zhou Zuoren was accustomed to her. But the money spent by the family was provided by Lu Xun.
From 1912 onwards, Lu Xun was recommended by his friend Xu Shoutang to enter the Ministry of Education where Cai Yuanpei was the chief minister, and in August, Yuan Shikai appointed Lu Xun as the minister of education, with a monthly salary of 240 yuan, which rose to 300. In addition, Lu Xun also gave lectures at Peking University, writing in his spare time, and the lecture fee and the manuscript fee added up to several hundred, which belonged to the high-paying class at that time. However, so much money is still not enough, and it is already stretched before the end of the month.
Zhou Jianren (front row, first from left) with Lu Xun and Xu Guangping
After Lu Xun's family moved to Beijing, all the affairs of the family were handed over to Yu Taixinzi. The third brother, Zhou Jianren, said that Yu Tai Xinzi was very unsatisfactory, and she was generous and spent money like dirt. And she is very lazy, she doesn't worry about anything, only she is very interested in money, and all the work in the family is hired to do. What's even more infuriating is that she always thinks that one is one out and one out, and the meal is ready, but she suddenly says that she has no appetite and wants to eat something else. The newly bought quilt has not yet been covered, saying that the color is old, and it is directly given to the maid, but Zhou Zuoren is because of her nature, and does not dare to say anything more.
Lu Xun lived in the same courtyard as Zhou Zuoren's family, and every day's food and drink were provided by the kitchen, so he took out all his income for the family's life, not only that, he also pasted the remaining money he had accumulated.
These things were very clear to the third brother Zhou Jianren, but he did not live under the same roof as Lu Xun and Zhou Jianren, nor did he say too much. However, there was one point, Zhou Jianren was very dissatisfied with the second brother and Yu Taixinzi's approach.
Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren fell out of harmony, and many of the reasons were the troubles caused by Yu Taixinzi to the family. Women are always unconscious, and this is evident in Lu Xun's home. The discord between Yuta Nobuko should be the root of the brotherly rupture. In addition to the difference of opinion on the economic side, there is another matter that has to be said, that is, Zhou Zuoren's reservations in the letter of renunciation are also slightly obscure. And this incident was yu tai xinzi told Zhou Zuoren, saying that Lu Xun peeked at her bath.
For this matter, Lu Xun's son Zhou Haiying said in "Cool News and Me Seventy Years" that in the era when his father and Zhou Zuo were studying in Tokyo, when the average Japanese family bathed, men and women did not shy away from going in and out. When Zhou Hainian went to Visit Japan, the female workers cleaned in the toilet, and the men did not shy away from them when they went in. Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren's family lived in the same courtyard, and Yu TaiXinzi was Japanese, so it was a normal thing to go in and out of each other's residences, but Lu Xun would never deliberately spy on anything.
Hatta Nobuko (first from the left)
In addition, Lu Xun's neighbor Zhang Tingqian also explained the matter. Yu Tai Xinzi told Zhang Tingqian that Lu Xun was listening to the window outside her bedroom and that Lu Xun was flirting with her. Zhang Tingqian explained that yu tai xinzi's bedroom was in the north, and there were miscellaneous peanut trees planted in front of the window outside the house, and there were nephews and nieces living in the house, as well as Zhou Jianren's family, Lu Xun could never ignore others and step on the tall and low flowers and grass to peek at Yu Tai xinzi. The reason why Yu Tai Nobuko spread rumors and caused trouble and alienated the two brothers was mainly due to economic problems. Because, Yu Taixinzi spends money like flowing water, and although Lu Xun's monthly salary is quite large, it is not enough for Yu Taixinzi's profligacy. Yu Tai Xinzi could not satisfy his desire to spend money, so he pointed the spearhead at Lu Xun, which caused various contradictions.
In 1924, Lu Xun moved to Fuchengmen Brick Tower Hutong and completely parted ways with Zhou Zuoren. The emotions of the past are vividly remembered, and it is no longer possible to ripple in the heart, which is the pain of Lu Xun's life.
In 1925, Zhou Zuoren translated the Roman poet Cadullus's "Wounded Death" into a Chinese published in the supplement of the Beijing Daily. The last two sentences are "Brother, you have received these things, and they have penetrated my tears, and they will never be separated from each other." Brother, I only ask you to cherish. These few poems of Zhou Zuoren conveyed a signal to Lu Xun that the brotherhood between the two was like yin and yang, and it was impossible to reconcile in this life, and they would never see each other again.
20 days later, Lu Xun used the same title to create a short story "Wounded Death", after which Lu Xun wrote "Brother" to recall the past friendship between the two. However, all this has become a thing of the past, and although Lu Xun feels deeply guilty about the brothers' discord in a storytelling way in the novel, Zhou Zuoren still ignores it and colludes with his Japanese wife. Moreover, in August, Lu Xun was dismissed from public office by the Ministry of Education by Duan Qirui because he supported the student movement of Beijing Women's Normal University and participated in the public declaration of condemnation by the School Maintenance Council. Afterwards, Lu Xun appealed to the Pingzheng Yuan on the basis of reasoning, and the final dismissal was declared invalid by the Pingzheng Yuan, and Lu Xun continued to work in the Ministry of Education.
Lu Xun's family
Multiple confusions and setbacks not only made Lu Xun mentally tortured, but also his physical condition deteriorated. Since 1923, for more than two years, Lu Xun has been admitted to the hospital due to the recurrence of lung disease, once because of the contradiction and conflict with Zhou Zuoren, and the other is the dismissal storm in 1925. At this time, Lu Xun was no longer willing to stay in Beijing, and then he had the idea of going south.
On the one hand, the contradiction between Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren made him feel that living in Beijing was an unhappy knot, and although Beijing had long since become Lu Xun's second hometown, it still left an indelible wound on his soul. On the other hand, Lu Xun's relationship with Xu Guangping has developed into a lover, and Lu Xun has a wife, and his original wife lives with him in Beijing. Although he did not accept Juan, he did not intend to abandon her, but it was obviously inappropriate to take care of Juan's feelings and be with Xu Guangping, both of whom were in Beijing. Therefore, if you want to get along with Xu Guangping day and night, staying in Beijing will do no harm.
After careful consideration, Lu Xun decided to go south. In 1926, Lu Xun left Beijing and was invited by Lin Yutang, then head of the Department of Chinese Studies of Xiamen University, to become a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature and the Institute of Chinese Studies of Xiamen University, with a monthly salary of 400 yuan. Four months later, however, Lu Xun resigned and went to Guangzhou because of a conflict with Xiamen University President Lin Wenqing over his study style.
In 1927, Lu Xun was working at Sun Yat-sen University, when Chiang Kai-shek launched the April 12 counter-revolutionary coup, he tried his best to rescue the arrested students, all of which ended in failure, so he left in anger, and in September left away from the land of right and wrong, and took a boat to Shanghai.
In October 1927, Lu Xun and Xu Guangping arrived in Shanghai and stayed at the Republic Hotel. That night, Lin Yutang, Sun Fuyuan, and Sun Fuxi came together to greet Lu Xun and hoped that Lu Xun could live in Shanghai for a long time. Lu Xun's answer at that time was only three words, look again.
In 1931, Lu Xun was in the study of his home in Shanghai
The next day, Lu Xun and Xu Guangping went to Hengbang Road to find his third brother Zhou Jianren. Zhou Jianren lived at No. 10, Lane 10, Jingyunli, and his east and west neighbors lived Ye Shengtao and Mao Dun respectively. Lu Xun felt that the cultural atmosphere here was strong and the life was very warm, so he had the intention of staying.
On October 8, Lu Xun settled down in Jingyun, and this stay was 9 years.
The days in Shanghai were the most brilliant moments of Lu Xun's life Chinese study. During this period, he published the "New Compilation of Stories", joined the Left-Wing Writers' Union in 1930, founded "Outpost" with Feng Xuefeng in 1931, and formed a deep friendship with Qu Qiubai, Uchiyama Completed, and Smedley.
However, happiness is always accompanied by illness, especially the break with Zhou Zuoren, which accelerates Lu Xun's aging to a certain extent. Lu Xun, who already suffered from lung disease, also recurred several times because of excessive smoking. In addition, he read and wrote day and night, resulting in serious physical overdraft.
At 5:25 a.m. on October 19, 1936, Mr. Lu Xun, the standard-bearer of the Chinese cultural front and a fighter for the democratic revolution, died of illness in his apartment in Shanghai at the age of 56.
Lu Xun's funeral
After Lu Xun's death, Hu Xuefeng and Song Qingling rushed to mourn, and with Xu Guangping's consent, established the Lu Xun Funeral Committee. On October 22, Mr. Lu Xun's coffin was sent from the Wanguo Funeral Home to the Wanguo Cemetery, and Hu Feng, Ba Jin, Huang Yuan, Li Liewen, Meng Shihuan, Jin Yi, Zhang Tianyi, Wu Langxi, Chen Baichen, Xiao Qian, Nie Qian, Ouyang Shan, Zhou Wen, Cao Bai, and Xiao Jun personally carried the coffin for Mr. Lu Xun. From leaving Beijing to Shanghai until Lu Xun's death, he never had any contact with Zhou Zuoren.
Thirteen years after Lu Xun's death, the poet Zang Kejia wrote a poem in honor of Lu Xun, "Some People". Some people are alive and he is dead; some people are dead, he is still alive...
I would like to dedicate this article to the deceased Lu Xun.
(Writing is not easy, and it is good and cherished)