In Mr. Lu Xun's pen, there is always an indelible shadow in his childhood memories, that is, his best friend Runtu. Their story is engraved between the lines of "Hometown", making the name Runtu a household legend. However, when many years later, the sound of "master" came out of the mouth of the leap earth, and we suddenly realized that the distance between the two of them had long been like a moat and insurmountable.
What kind of story is hidden behind the name Runtu? Is his life magnificent or unremarkable? Will his descendants be able to break free from the shackles of fate? The real Runtu, his inner world, his emotional changes, and his growth trajectory, are little known.
In 1903, Runtu was in the prime of his youth, only 24 years old, but the great wheel of fate ruthlessly took his father's life. The young Runtu was forced to shoulder the burden of the entire family. Coincidentally, Lu Xun's father also died of illness in the same year. However, the deaths of the two fathers have brought very different trajectories of fate.
Runtu's father was unable to receive medical treatment due to poverty, so he had to wait at home for the end of his life. And Lu Xun's father, although he was treated, was unfortunately mistaken by quacks, and in the end he could not escape the fate of death.
Lu Xun mentioned in "Juvenile Leap Land" that the two of them had not met for 30 years since that separation. In reality, however, their destinies always seem to be entangled. In 1900, when Lu Xun was studying at the Nanjing Mining Road School, Runtu came to visit, and the two young minds left laughter and laughter on the land of Shaoxing. Runtu was envious of Lu Xun's ability to receive education, and he also longed for the light of knowledge to illuminate his life.
However, the death of his father three years later put Runtu's life in a difficult situation. Although he inherited his father's skills, from farming and fishing to playing and singing, his life did not improve. He is industrious and busy day after day, but he has never been able to escape the shackles of poverty.
In 1919, Runtu had entered middle age, and the weight of life had bent his back and his eyes had lost their former brilliance. It was in such a situation that he met Lu Xun again. In the face of his childhood friend, Runtu is no longer the agile young man, but calls Lu Xun "master" in a wooden manner. Although Lu Xun's heart was full of sympathy and concern for the leap soil, he also knew that he could not completely change the fate of the leap earth.
On the occasion of separation, Lu Xun tried his best to give Runtu some money, hoping to bring him a trace of warmth and hope. However, the ruthlessness of fate has not changed because of this. Life in Runtu is still difficult, and his fate seems destined to be accompanied by poverty and hardship.
In 1934, Zhejiang suffered a rare drought, and Runtu had no choice but to sell the six acres of fertile land on which his family depended, and from then on, he was no longer the proud peasant, but a tenant farmer who was dominated by others. However, fate did not let him go. As a result of years of hard work, a vicious sore grew on his back, as if it were nature's merciless taunt of him. Under the double pressure of natural and man-made disasters, the Runtu family could not maintain even the most basic food and clothing, let alone raise medical expenses for the treatment of sores. Whenever the pain hits, Runtu can only endure it silently and ask his little daughter to help him wipe the pus and blood.
In September 1936, Runtu finally failed to survive the illness and closed his eyes forever. At the last moment of his life, he still remembered to bring Mr. Zhou some hometown souvenirs, and the gratitude and concern were moving. At the same time, Lu Xun, who was far away in Shanghai, was also seriously ill, and his physical condition deteriorated. On October 19, Lu Xun left this world. According to his son Zhou Haiying's recollection, in the last stage of his life, his father always wanted to be able to return to his hometown and see the land again. However, the entanglement of illness prevented him from achieving his wish.
Two friends, one at the end of the sky and the other at the corner of the sea, both passed away in the same year, as if fate was silently telling their deep friendship.
Runtu, the ill-fated farmer, gave birth to six children in his lifetime. However, in that turbulent era, his children were like falling leaves, each struggling in the whirlpool of life. The eldest son, Shui Sheng, inherited the diligence and wisdom of Runtu, but he has never been able to get rid of the shackles of poverty. In 1940, at the age of 38, Shui Sheng died of cholera, and his death seemed like a silent indictment of that difficult era.
Among the children of Runtu, the youngest daughter Zhang Ahua is relatively stable. She married into a neighboring village, and although she was also plagued by poverty, at least she was able to protect herself from illness and disaster in that stormy era. In 1975, Zhang Ahua, who had entered his old age, was interviewed by the Shaoxing Cultural Center. She narrated the joys and sorrows of the family in simple language, leaving a valuable historical memory for future generations.
The other children of Runtu also lived a bad fate. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, they said with emotion that it was New China that gave them the opportunity to be reborn. Among these children, Zhang Gui became a turning point. As an aquatic son, he followed his father to work in the landlord's house in his early years, and even accompanied the young master of the landlord's family to study in a private school. However, the death of his father forced him to take over the burden of life.
Fortunately, when New China was founded, Zhang Gui was in the prime of his youth. He cherished the hard-won opportunity to study, working during the day and studying hard at night. Finally, he was admitted to the university with his own efforts and got out of the quagmire of poverty. With the relationship with Lu Xun's family, Zhang Gui was able to work in the Lu Xun Memorial Hall and served as the deputy director.
In the Lu Xun Memorial Hall, Zhang Gui was fortunate to meet Zhou Haiying. He knew that his father had a deep friendship with Zhou Haiying's father. This friendship across time and space makes the two feel more cordial.
Although Runtu's life was full of ups and downs and misfortunes, his friendship with Mr. Lu Xun became an opportunity for his descendants to change their fate. This shows us that even in the most difficult moments, we must hold on to our faith, because fate will always inadvertently open a window for us.