Cao Kefan
Editor's note: On December 28, local time, pianist Fu Cong died in the United Kingdom due to infection with the new crown virus, at the age of 86. This article is excerpted from Cao Kefan's book "I Know Some Affectionate People".
Piano poet Mr. Fu Cong
Mr. Fu Cong's bad temper is notorious. At the concert, even a faint whisper or a "click" sound of taking a picture will make him unhappy. Sometimes, he even interrupts the performance in protest. However, the masters in life are kind and kind-eyed, and they are peaceful.
If you taste a few small dishes from your hometown, you are even more happy to raise your eyebrows, joke after joke, and live an old child. At this time, we pestered him and coaxed him to turn out some old news.
I remember once asking Mr. Fu to have dinner at the "Yongfu Society". It was originally the site of the British Consulate, and the furnishings in the house were all in the style of "Fancy Years", simple and elegant. On that day, Mr. Fu wore a deep navy blue printed satin coat, his hair neatly combed back, black half-cut plush gloves on his hands, and a pipe in his mouth. Between the words, a pure old Shanghainese, mixed with a little English and French. This scene seems to have the feeling of going back in time.
The private room where we ate was on the third floor, a converted storage room with two "tiger windows" on the roof. Thus, the topic began to spin from the foreign language of Shanghainese. Because "berth windows" are derived from the English "roof", "dirty three" is derived from "on sale", and "bad three" means "beg sir". Mr. Fu suddenly became interested, "The Shanghainese description of 'wa li wa la' that speaks loudly is actually French, and words like 'white phase' and 'silly big' are traced back to the source, probably inseparable from Spanish or Portuguese." ”
Mr. Fu Cong in life is kind and kind-eyed, and he is peaceful
After a while, the waiter will bring small dishes to the table, white chopped chicken, smoked fish, rotten shredded meat, eight treasure duck, pickled tuk tuk... And so on. The master praised while eating, especially praised the bowl of scallion oil noodles, "the taste is good, it is a little less", after saying it, he also felt a little embarrassed. "The long-term homesickness of our people who have lived abroad often starts with a few home-cooked side dishes. Zhang Ailing saw a handful of purple-red amaranth in Chinatown, usa, and wasn't she also thrilled? ”
Speaking of Zhang Ailing, I can't help but think of Mr. Fu Lei's advice to this legendary woman in his early years: "Skill is the most dangerous temptation for Ms. Zhang." Artists in any department, when the technique matures too much into the format, will inevitably repeat themselves. Subconsciously, the skill, like a nearby instinct, is constantly in turmoil, demanding a chance to show its skills, not asking if there is anything in the owner's chest that needs it to be expressed, and the result becomes a word game. ”
On April 7, 1908, Fu Lei was born in Fu Jiazhai, Nanhui County, Jiangsu Province
At that time, Zhang Ailing did not buy it, and tried to defend herself with the article "Her Own Article". Fu Cong said his father's criticism was pertinent. Therefore, Zhang Ailing was satisfied with Fu Lei in her conversation with Song Qi in her later years, but at that time, there were also female writers like Pan Liudai who did not think much of Zhang Ailing's smug so-called "aristocratic" bloodline, and said in a harsh voice, "In Ms. Pan's view, Zhang Ailing's blood relationship is completely far apart eight feet, which is like throwing a chicken into the Huangpu River, the chicken pulling water into the water, and then scooping a sip of water from the river, saying, 'Chicken soup is quite fresh', it is simply blind! When talking about this palm, Mr. Fu's expression was a little eyebrow flying, and he repeatedly emphasized, "Nong look, The law of the law, the most vivid gossip, the image is not to be obtained!" ”
"However, the only person who can really be called a master of humor is Qian Zhongshu." Mr. Fu's words turned sharply: "In the 1980s, I invited Qian Zhongshu and Yang Dai to a concert in Beijing, and as a result, Yang Dai came alone, but brought Qian Zhongshu a note. Roughly speaking Chinese there is a saying about cows playing the piano. However, according to research, cows can squeeze out more milk after listening to music. In this regard, he is not even as good as a cow, so he is not subservient. Alas, such an interesting letter doesn't know where it went! ”
Fu Lei's translation of John Christophe
Speaking of humor, I suddenly remembered an anecdote that happened to Liu Haisu. In a short article about humor, Cao Juren mentioned that Lin Yutang's editor-in-chief of the Analects magazine once had an article entitled "The Guan Municipal Government Sponsored the Exhibition of Liu Haisu's European Travel Works", and after briefly listing Liu Haisu's life, the author talked about the exhibition venue and light treatment, talked about the receptionist, talked about the stalls selling goods, and even talked about his own toilet, but did not say a word about Liu Haisu's works. Cao Juren called it "meaning beyond words, wonderful here." After Mr. Fu listened, he also casually told a similar story. Schoenberg trumpeted his twelve-tone system at a party, and everyone was sleepy, but he was still unsatisfied, and kept asking everyone if there was any problem. Only to see someone timidly raise his hand, "I have a question." May I ask, where is the toilet? "The man who raised his hand was the future Master Conductor Kleber.
Regarding Liu Haisu and Fu Lei, the anecdotes are full of various rumors. Some people say that Fu Lei left the American College chair because he was slapped because he prevented Zhao Dan and other progressive students from marching in the streets; others said that Fu and Liu were angry because Liu advised Fu not to beat his son.
Mr. Fu Cong clarified: "The fuse of my father's estrangement from Liu Haisu originated from a poor american teacher, Zhang Xian. His father spoke highly of Zhang Xian, calling him a "person with a lonely moral strength and a strong and unacceptive self-confidence." His father argued with Liu Haisu for Zhang Xian's pitiful salary, but to no avail. In the end, Zhang Xian died of poverty and depression, and he was only in his thirties when he died. After Zhang Xian's death, his father suggested that zhang do an exhibition of his posthumous works, but the result was no longer a problem. The father was heartbroken. The two have been strangers ever since. ”
However, Mr. and Mrs. Fu Lei have always had a strong friendship with Liu Haisu's ex-wife Chenghe (Hong Kong star Xiao Fangfang's mother), and many of the articles in Fu Lei's Family Letter are written for Chengjiahe. Cheng Jiahe's younger sister Cheng Jia Liu is Mr. Fu Lei's confidant. Mr. Fu Cong did not hide this past, "ChengJialiu is indeed as beautiful as a heavenly immortal, and like his father, he has a passion like fire, and the two love to the death and live." As long as she wasn't around, her father couldn't work. Every now and then, my mother would call her and say, come on, old Fu is gone, he can't work without you. The kindness and tolerance of the mother touched the chengjia liu. She chose to leave her father and go to Hong Kong on her own initiative..." Mr. Fu said that he had read the letters his father had sent to Cheng Jialiu, which were full of praise and arias about nature, and could not read the slightest bit of children's private feelings. "Father and mother's generation are really amazing!" Mr. Fu Cong let out a long sigh.
Fu Lei's wedding to his wife Zhu Meifu
Fu Lei took a group photo with his wife Zhu Meifu
Indeed, there is a letter written by Zhu Meifu to Fu Cong in the "Fu Lei Family Letter": "I am full of your father's temperament and temperament, and I am obedient to it, and I am principled. Because I know him too well, he has always been obedient, vicious as a vendetta... He is a man of integrity and loyalty to his cause. I love him and I forgive him. For the happiness of the family, the happiness of his children, and the achievements of his tireless career, he gave up the ego and took care of the overall situation. After listening to this legend and reading that passage again, I couldn't help but be stunned.
I also wanted Mr. Fu Cong to tell the story behind the "Fu Lei Family Book", and the master waved his hand, "Alas, everyone who sees me will say "Fu Lei Family Book", as if I am not old enough." In fact, I am also a person who hopes for seven, and it has been a long time since I left the "Book of Fu Lei's Family"..."
"Fu Lei's Family Book" Writers Publishing House Published in May 2019
Cao Kefan's "I Know Some Affectionate People"
Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Zhe