Yonako Matsumoto (1905 – May 23, 1986) was a native of Sendai, Japan. She is the wife of the Chinese mathematician Su Buqing and the daughter of Professor Matsumoto, Su Buqing's teacher when he studied in Japan. Yonako Matsumoto became a Chinese citizen in 1953 and changed her name to Su Matsumoto, becoming one of the first Japanese to become a citizen of the People's Republic of China. On May 23, 1986, Su Songben died of illness in Shanghai.
Su Buqing was born on September 23, 1902, in an ordinary farming family in the Yandang Mountains of Pingyang County, Zhejiang Province. When he was in the third year of junior high school in Zhejiang Province, his interest in learning shifted from literature to mathematics. His mathematical talent attracted the great attention of the principal Hong Yanyuan, who specially arranged for teachers to guide him. In 1919, when Su Buqing graduated from high school, Hong Yanyuan, who had already transferred out of school, sent him 200 silver dollars to study in Japan.
As a result, 17-year-old Su Buqing embarked on the road of studying abroad alone. In the spring of 1920, Su Buqing, who had only been in Japan for more than three months, passed the Japanese language pass and was admitted to the Electrical Engineering Department of the Tokyo Higher Technical School in Japan with the first place. In the spring of 1924, as the only Chinese student to apply for the mathematics department of the prestigious Sendai Tohoku Imperial University, he was admitted with the first place. Imperial University is a well-known university in Japan, Subu youth won the first place, he also has some research projects in progress, naturally became a celebrity of the school.
At this time, he developed a special interest in another celebrity at the school, Matsumoto Yonako. The daughter of Professor Matsumoto of Imperial University, Yonako is not only talented in appearance, but also proficient in flower arrangement, calligraphy and tea ceremony, and loves music, especially playing guzheng. After a party, Su Buqing and Yonako met. Yonako has always admired Su Buqing, and her especially touched by his wisdom and sincerity. Gradually, the two fell in love.
One day she asked Su Buqing, "Why are you studying mathematics so desperately?" Do you really think that's a lot of fun?" Su Buqing replied: "China's development needs mathematics. At first I did think it wasn't as interesting as listening to songs and dancing, but when you associate mathematics with national fortunes, you'll see how rich and tempting it is. This made Yonako see that Su Buqing was a responsible and ambitious man.
In 1927, the Department of Mathematics at Tohoku Imperial University hired Su Buqing, who was studying for graduate school, as a lecturer in algebra, making him the first foreign student in the history of the university to serve as a lecturer. The love affair between the two became an open secret in the school, and many people blessed them. Those who pursue Yonago have a jealous mentality, and they say to Yonako: "Su Buqing is a Chinese countryman, his family is very poor, and those who study well may not necessarily have a future future." You won't have a good life with him. But Yonako was unmoved. Su Buqing couldn't stand the hostility of those boys, and didn't want Yonako to be pestered again, and after discussion, they decided to get married as soon as possible.
Yonako Matsumoto in his youth
Yonako's mother, a kind Japanese housewife, believes that Su Buqing is the person Yonako can entrust for life. Although Professor Matsumoto also likes Su Buqing, he feels that he is Chinese after all, and his origin is low, so he has always been very disapproving of this marriage. At Yonako's insistence, Professor Matsumoto eventually compromised. In 1928, the two foreign youths finally came together and tied the knot in Sendai City.
Soon after marriage, Su Buqing found four (third-order) algebraic cones in the study of general surfaces, which caused great repercussions in the international mathematical community and was known as "Su cone surface". In 1931, he received his Doctor of Science degree, and 41 research papers on affine differential geometry and related aspects have appeared in mathematical journals in Japan, the United States and Italy, becoming a famous figure in the Japanese and even international mathematical circles. Elder Su recalled in his later years: "They only then knew my true nationality, and they secretly said: Such a powerful Chinese, why didn't they tell us earlier?" "Behind these proud achievements, we see the shadow of a happy marriage.
After marriage, Yonako devoted herself to becoming a housewife. In order not to affect Su Buqing, she even abandoned her guzheng, calligraphy and other specialties, leaving only the tea ceremony and flower arrangement, because these two hobbies are beneficial to Su Buqing's body and spirit. A year after marriage, in 1929, Yonako gave birth to a girl.
The Matsumoto family wanted Su Buqing to stay in Japan and work. Northeastern Imperial University also issued him a letter of appointment. Su Buqing has his own difficulties. Before going abroad, he met with the senior Chen Jiangong, returned to China after completing his studies, and built a first-class mathematics department in his hometown. Now that Chen Jiangong had completed his studies and returned to China in advance, whether he was going or staying had become a problem that plagued his soul.
The attentive Yonago had long ago found that he had been sighing all day and not thinking about tea and rice. One day after dinner, Su Buqing, who had never smoked, was smoking a cigarette, and Yonako asked him what was on his mind. Su Buqing put out his heart words and thoughts, he did not want to stay in Dongying because of his own selfishness. To his surprise, Yonako heard his plan and did not stop it, but instead encouraged, "Ao, I support your decision." First of all, I love you, and you love China, so I love China too. I support you to return to the place we all love, and I will follow you wherever you go. ”
In just a few words, Su Buqing was particularly moved: Yonako is a woman who knows a lot! With the support of his wife, Su Buqing returned to Hangzhou alone. The conditions at Zhejiang University were far worse than he had imagined, and although he was called an associate professor, he did not get a penny for four consecutive months. Fortunately, there was also his brother who was an engineer in the Shanghai Arsenal who helped in time, otherwise Su Buqing would have to rely on being a thing to survive. In order to support his family, Su Buqing planned to return to Japan.
The sound of the wind reached the ears of Shao Peizi, the president of Zhejiang University. The educator who cherished his talent and fate knocked on Su Buqing's door that night to keep Su Buqing. Touched by the sincerity of the principal, Su Buqing decided to stay. A few days later, Principal Shao personally raised 1200 oceans for Su Buqing, solving his urgent need. During the summer vacation, Su Buqing, who had some savings, returned to Japan to pick up Yonago. In September 1931, Su Buqing and Yonako returned home with their children aboard the Shanghai Maru passenger ship. Su Buqing improvised a poem by relying on the railing of the steamship:
Ferry clouds and smoke seabirds fly,
The spring color by the river is faint.
Ten years of laughter on the island,
Win sideburns and cloth coats.
Yonako Matsumoto smiled and shed two lines of tears.
A few days after Su Buqing and his wife arrived at the shore of Xizi Lake, news of the 9/18 incident came. They froze. Yonako immediately said, "Bu Qing, it's time for us to come back."
He responded: Yes! If you hesitate, you can't come back!
On July 7, 1937, Japan launched a full-scale war of aggression against China. Su Buqing and Yonako's life in China had just begun, and it was affected by fluctuations. After the "August 13" incident this year, Japanese planes bombed indiscriminately in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the environment of Zhejiang University was very dangerous. The school met overnight to discuss and decided to relocate.
A few days later, an official at the Japanese consulate in Hangzhou found Su Buqing's home. Su Buqing happened to be absent, and the official thought that it was better to win over Yonako as a Japanese woman, so he said: "As a Japanese, I wonder if madame is willing to come to the consulate to taste the food of her hometown?" We are happy to look forward to it. Yonako immediately refused, "Since I married Su Jun, I have been accustomed to a life of Chinese and eating Chinese meals." "The people who came had to leave.
A few days later, someone came to lobby Su Buqing: "Your wife is Japanese, you are a Japanese son-in-law, and the Japanese will not be unfavorable to you." Su Buqing immediately asked, "You mean that you want me to be a traitor?" These words are like a sharp blade, leaving the other party speechless. When the couple was ready to relocate with the school, they suddenly received a special emergency telegram from Sendai: Professor Matsumoto is critically ill!
Su Buqing handed the telegram to Yonago, who had a good relationship with his father-in-law, but because of the problems involving the country, he could not go back to visit his old man's home, and he wanted Yonako to return to Sendai alone to see his father. Yonako listened to him, lowered her head and thought for a moment, and said something that shocked Su Buqing: "I will not go back." Anyway, I'll follow you! Always follow you! ”
The difficult migration began. Su Buqing carried the burden, one end containing books and lesson plans, and the other with young children. Yonako was carrying some simple clothes in one hand and the older child in the other. Because the road conditions were not good, in order to avoid Japanese bombing, coupled with the lack of transportation, most of the time they went on foot.
What is even more embarrassing, however, is the harsh interrogation along the way. Since Yonako was Japanese and an enemy country, every time he passed through the checkpoint, the military and political personnel on duty always repeatedly examined Yonako and Su Buqing's family. Su Buqing's explanations were to no avail, and later it was the principal Zhu Kezhen who obtained a special pass from the war zone chief to avoid this suffering.
In the days of Meitan, the lives of teachers and students were extremely difficult, and university professors could not make ends meet on their salaries. Su Buqing bought a hoe, every day when he came home from work or on a rest day, he would open up the wilderness to grow vegetables, and once, the Meitan Restaurant vegetable house could not be supplied, so he had to go to a few baskets of cauliflower from the Subu vegetable field. Another evening, Principal Zhu came to the ruined temple where he lived and saw Su Buqing carrying water to grow vegetables, and Yonako was cooking rice with his son on his back. The careful Principal Zhu saw that the pot was full of turnips and dried sweet potatoes, so he asked Su Buqing. Su Buqing explained: "My family has a lot of children, and the salary is not enough to buy rice. Dried sweet potatoes dipped in salt, we've been eating them for months. Zhu Kezhen was stunned. Therefore, he gave Su Buqing's two sons who were in middle school to make an exception to eat in the middle school and live at home (because the Su family could not get the bedding).
The difficulties in life deteriorated, and one of Su Buqing's youngest sons died shortly after birth due to malnutrition. Su Buqing buried him on the mountain of Meitan, and carved the words "Tomb of Su Baby" on the small stone stele.
The hard life of Zhejiang University (described in detail in it) and the artillery fire of the War of Resistance Against Japan did not frighten Su Buqing and his wife. As a professor, Su Buqing often wears a patchy dress in class, and when he draws geometric figures on the blackboard, the students point at his back and say: "Look, the triangles, trapezoids, squares, and spiral curves on Mr. Su's clothes are complete!" ”
In the evening, Su Buqing put the tung oil lamp on the incense case of the broken temple to write the teaching materials, and finally completed the book "Introduction to the Projective Curve" with his stoic will.
In 1942, Su Buqing took a group photo with his family while in Meitan
In 1949, the su family's economic situation was not very good due to the increasing population. With eight children and two adults, Yonako is meticulous in everything to save money. She was even harsh on herself, and in the first few decades of her life in China, Yonako had not bought a new dress for herself.
After the "Cultural Revolution" began, the Red Guards broke into Su's house and turned his house upside down. Su Buqing was pulled to the stage every day to criticize the fight, he was a man with extremely strong self-esteem, how could he endure such a strange shame and humiliation, he had thought of dying. But the children pulled him aside and said, "For the sake of mom, you must hold on." Su Buqing knew that Yonako had made great sacrifices over the years, and he finally nodded his head and agreed to the children.
After the end of the Cultural Revolution, Su Buqing taught scientific research, and the family's living standards gradually improved. However, Yonako's health deteriorated due to years of hard work. One weekend in 1979, Su Buqing stared straight at Mizi for half a day and said caressingly: "Add a few sets of clothes to yourself, after all..."
"We have so many children in our family, and we don't need to make more clothes to take care of the housework."
Su Buqing quickly blocked her mouth: "How many times have you said this?" Now that we're in a different situation and the kids are independent, you have to buy a new dress anyway, and..."
"And what?"
"And you should go back and have a look."
"Where to go back?" Yonako looked puzzled.
Su Buqing patted Yonako on the shoulder and said, "Japan! Your hometown..." After saying this, he saw that Yonako's eye circles were red, and then fell into his arms and cried loudly...
Yonako, accompanied by Su Buqing, finally returned to her hometown of Japan. After a 43-year absence, this is the first time she has returned to China with her husband, and that feeling really can't be expressed in words.
In 1982, Yonako was finally bedridden due to years of hard work. In May 1986, Yonako Matsumoto passed away quietly at the age of 81. Her biggest wish before she died was that Su Buqing should not be sad and live well.
After the death of his wife, Su Buqing took the photo of his wife with him at all times and said meaningfully: "I deeply appreciate the phrase 'living in my heart'. It is as if my wife is still walking in the garden with me, lecturing on the pulpit together, attending meetings together..." In 2003, the centenarian Su Buqing completed the last part of his life in this nostalgia for his deceased wife.
Su Buqing and her ups and downs for 60 years, achieved a touching and profound love of the century.
Su Buqing and Yonako in 1980
Su Buqing Former Residence
Su Buqing's former residence: The birthplace of Su Buqing, is located in Tengjiao Town, Pingyang County, tengdai village, daxi, backed by Qingzhi Mountain, that is, Woniu Mountain. Su Buqing's former residence is a wooden bungalow with ancestral relics. Built in the late Qing Dynasty, it is 5 bays wide. In the 1940s, Su Buqing's brother Bugao continued to build two more rooms in the east, all of which were pavilions. Sitting northeast to southwest, it covers an area of 3500 square meters. The west side is surrounded by ancient vines, and there are strange trees in front of the house to hold loquats; the backyard has a well, the water is as clear as a mirror, warm in winter and cool in summer; four walls, the doorway is west; the forecourt is vast, the backyard is deep, and it is a typical zhejiang southern village residential house and farmhouse.