There is such a special reader, named Li Guangyu. His obsession with Ye Lingfeng lasted for decades, and he continued to read, excavate, research, and write related works. Such an obsession is rare and amazing. So, what charm does Ye Lingfeng have that can attract Li Guangyu to be so engaged? What valuable nourishment did Li Guangyu get from Ye Lingfeng?
On the afternoon of October 14th and the morning of October 15th, Li Guangyu brought his new book "Southern Red Beans Most Lovesick" to the two sub-venues of the Tianfu Book Fair, Xuankehui Bookstore and Alai Study, and held two themed sharing. He detailed why he was so obsessed with Ye Lingfeng, and shared his journey and gains from researching and collecting Ye Lingfeng's works over the years. He comprehensively displayed all aspects of Ye Lingfeng, especially the wonders of Ye Lingfeng's book collection and reading world, leading readers to travel through time and space together to appreciate the treasures of the bibliophile's paper room.
At the sharing session in Alai's study, the host was Zhou Zhijiang, deputy director of the Confucius Academy Cultural Communication Center from Guiyang, who himself was a fan of Ye Lingfeng. He said that he read Ye Lingfeng's articles in his early years and liked them very much, but he did not expect to be able to have face-to-face and in-depth exchanges with Ye Lingfeng's research expert Li Guangyu this time.
The name "Ye Lingfeng" may be a little strange and distant to young readers today. At the sharing session, some readers asked Li Guangyu why he was so obsessed with a relatively "unpopular" modern writer, and was so persistent in researching, writing and promoting it.
"It is true that Ye Lingfeng is relatively unpopular, but he should not be so unpopular. This is also an important reason why I conducted Ye Lingfeng's research. In Li Guangyu's view, Ye Lingfeng was once misunderstood, ignored, and covered by the dust and smoke of history, but as long as you get close to him and delve into his unique world, you will find his undervalued value and overlooked charm. In fact, in addition to his unique reading essays, Yip Lingfeng has outstanding achievements in painting and binding, novel creation, newspaper editing, literary translation, and Hong Kong historical research.
In the late 80s of last century, Ye Lingfeng's "Reading Essays" caused a sensation in the mainland reading circle, and it was at this time that Li Guangyu, as a legal professional who loved reading and writing reading essays, discovered a "super soulmate" who was connected to his heart. Even while busy with work, he never stopped pursuing Ye Lingfeng.
A native of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Ye Lingfeng studied and worked in Shanghai in his early years before living in Hong Kong for a long time. He wrote the "Hong Kong Fang Mono Record" with the brushwork of literary essays and scientific sketches, filling the gap in the Hong Kong Fang Wu record. The book, which brings together information on Hong Kong's history and geography, flowers and trees, animals, insects and birds, was first published in a column in a newspaper supplement in 1953. These short articles are not only informative, but also have been verified many times. Yip Lingfeng is regarded as a pioneer in the study of Hong Kong's historical places.
Ye Lingfeng, who calls himself a "book lover", has been involved in a wide range of ancient and modern Chinese and foreign books. Li Guangyu said: "He kept collecting, buying, reading, writing. Before he took refuge in Hong Kong in 1938, his collection had reached tens of thousands of volumes, including many rare books. But Ye Lingfeng is a true book lover and bibliophile, not a slave who sticks to books. ”
Yip's collection of Hong Kong-related books is particularly rich, ranging from Chinese to English and Portuguese. His proudest collection is a Xin'an County Chronicle from the Jiaqing period. In recent editions of the Hong Kong Fangmono Chronicle, the first illustration is a map of the coastal islands of Kowloon contained in the Xin'an County Chronicle, and the second illustration is a photocopy of a page of the "Records of Property" in volume 3 of the Xin'an County Chronicle, which is specifically marked 'Author's Collection'. This fully demonstrates his joy for this rare overseas book. Li Guangyu said.
Since both Shenzhen and Hong Kong were historically part of Bao'an (Xin'an) County, the content recorded in the Xin'an County Chronicle is closely related to the common history of the two places and is very precious. Xin'an County Chronicle is not only the most complete document that records the historical evolution, economic situation, social changes and cultural customs of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, but also the last county chronicle in ancient China to comprehensively record the history of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. From the cultural perspective of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Xin'an County Chronicle has the role of a cultural bond to find roots and ancestors.
Li Guangyu said that when Ye Lingfeng was alive, he resolutely refused a high-priced acquisition request from a Western library. After his death, his family donated this rare overseas book to the Zhongshan Library in Guangdong in accordance with his last wishes.
There is a complicated relationship between Ye Lingfeng and Lu Xun. Back then, there were several verbal battles between Lu Xun and Ye Lingfeng. Ye Lingfeng once satirized Lu Xun in a comic as "an old man with a yin and yang face hiding behind a wine tank". Lu Xun, on the other hand, shot back sharply and gave Ye Lingfeng the title of "new rogue painter" who "swallowed Yazley alive and skinned Gu Hong'er alive".
For the controversy between the two, the host Zhou Zhijiang summed it up with "love and kill", which was recognized by Li Guangyu. He said: "Ye Lingfeng and Lu Xun are in the same breath and do not seek each other. In Li Guangyu's opinion, Ye Lingfeng is young and vigorous, and he is not afraid of any challenges when he is just starting out; Lu Xun, on the other hand, adheres to the fighting spirit of "no one forgives". However, upon closer examination, the two have striking similarities in many aspects, such as both love art, both like to do book binding design, both admire the British "short-lived genius" Beardsley, love the German printmaker Kollwitz, and even co-wrote the foreword to the story collection of the woodcut comic strips of the Belgian woodcarver Mai Suelele.
As for the so-called "traitor" suspicions that once plagued Ye Lingfeng, Li Guangyu said: "There are conclusive archival materials that show that Ye Lingfeng is not only not a traitor, but also an intelligence officer serving the war of resistance on the hidden front. His actions and his words are full of longing, yearning and attachment to the motherland. "Southern Red Beans Most Lovesick", what he misses the most is the motherland that he misses in his heart. ”
During the sharing activity, Li Guangyu also conveyed Ye Lingfeng's daughter Ye Zhongmin's congratulations on his sharing activity in Chengdu: "She and her family are especially grateful to readers for their attention and love for her father. ”
Ye Lingfeng is a complex and versatile treasure figure. As a student of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, he joined the publishing department of the Creation Society and drew a large number of covers, illustrations and decorative paintings for the publications of the Creation Society. His own magazines are also known for their illustrated. Although he later stopped painting, his love for fine art remained the same. He collected many reproductions and albums of famous paintings, and wrote many art appreciation articles in newspapers and magazines, providing readers with a rare art guide.
Ye Lingfeng is also a practitioner and explorer of the first generation of book binding in China. This time, Li Guangyu brought a whole box of precious Ye Lingfeng versions in the sharing activity in Chengdu, and held the "Li Guangyu Collection Ye Lingfeng Version Exhibition" in Alai's study. These include Ye Lingfeng's collection of fiction essays, his translations, his magazines, and his various binding designs. When audiences admire these century-old publications, they are amazed by their well-preserved quality, as well as by their beauty and avant-garde. Li Guangyu pointed out that Ye Lingfeng's contribution to the art of binding far exceeded people's estimates and was worth further excavating.
In the interactive part of the sharing meeting, some readers asked Li Guangyu if he could briefly summarize what kind of person Ye Lingfeng was. Li Guangyu replied: "Ye Lingfeng is a complex and versatile treasure figure. At the same time, he is very simple and pure - he loves books and paintings, loves the country and Hong Kong. ”