Training the Heavens

Chapter 369 Qinling Mountains
Yu Boxun is a great calligrapher of our time, known as the "contemporary master of cursive script" and the "modern master of calligraphy". His regular and running scripts are bold and unrestrained, full of masculine beauty. His cursive scripts pursue the simplicity of written words, and are ingenious in simplicity. They are beautiful in form, full and thick, with endless aftertaste.

Many people wanted to ask him for calligraphy, and therefore many jokes were born.

It is said that during his tenure in Nanjing, people often urinated in the corner of his office, which was very unhygienic, smelly, and unsightly. So he wrote a six-word notice "No urinating anywhere" and asked his secretary to post it there.

Because Yu Bosun's handwriting was so beautiful and many people wanted to imitate him, the notice was taken down within a few days. The person who took down the notice was quite clever. He cut the notice into two pieces and pieced them together again, which turned it into a motto "Don't be careless with small things", which became a popular story for a while.

In his early years, Yu Boxun often carried a saddle bag with only two seals in it. If someone asked him to write something for him, he would pick up the pen and write, and take the seal to stamp it, and never charge money. Therefore, people from all walks of life came to him to ask for his ink. When Yu Boxun wrote for others, he did not consider the position or status of the person, but only considered whether he liked it or not.

Mr. Song's younger brother liked his calligraphy very much, so he bought a precious fan and asked Yu Boxun to write on it. Yu Boxun refused outright, but he wrote a couplet for the waitress at the Dajicheng Tavern in Nanjing Confucius Temple, which read, "A jade pot sells spring, a thatched cottage enjoys the rain, the handsome men are seated with bamboos on both sides."

Sometimes he would go to the hospital to comfort the wounded soldiers of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. As long as they asked for calligraphy, he would always agree. He would write dozens of pieces in one night. Afterwards, some of the wounded soldiers sold their calligraphy to others at a high price, which solved their livelihood problem.

When he came to the northwest for inspection, naturally many gentry wanted to ask him for calligraphy, but Yu Bosun really disliked these people and refused all requests for calligraphy. Now that he heard that Zhang Xingjiu was going to open a school in Xi'an, he immediately relaxed the restrictions and published the news in the newspaper, declaring that as long as anyone was willing to donate money to support education, he would write a calligraphy for him according to the other party's request.

Running a school is a good thing in itself, and now one can get a piece of Yu Boxun's calligraphy. Now people of all ages in Xi'an come to Yu Boxun's residence to line up to ask for his calligraphy. Yu Boxun does not mind the large number of people, and simply takes them to the bottom of the bell tower, where he sets up a table, grinds ink and moistens the brush, spreads out paper, and writes for each one. No matter how much the donation is, even if it is only a dollar, he will not refuse it.

When Zhang Xingjiu took his students to Xi'an to look for a site for the school, Yu Boxun stayed under the bell tower to write. When Zhang Xingjiu came back after finding a suitable place, Yu Boxun's hands were swollen and he couldn't even eat by himself, so he had to be fed by others.

All his hard work was not in vain. He proudly handed several large boxes to Zhang Xingjiu and said, "Teacher, I have accomplished your mission. I have raised two hundred and thirty-six thousand five hundred and thirty-eight dollars and forty-seven cents for the school these days. Now it's all here!"

"Bo Xun has worked hard. Thank you on behalf of the students in Northwest China!" Seeing his hands and the money, Zhang Xingjiu was deeply moved.

"Hey, this is all for our fellow villagers. If anyone is to thank someone, it should be me who thanks you, teacher! It's just writing a few words, how much effort does it take? On the contrary, it is you, teacher, who came thousands of miles to Shaanxi to run a school. You are the great benefactor of us people in the northwest!" Yu Boxun refused to take any credit for it.

"By the way, I have been busy writing these days and have not been able to accompany you to inspect the site. I wonder where you have decided on the school site? I think the southwest is quite suitable." Yu Boxun asked. His vision was indeed good. The place he mentioned was the site of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

However, considering the needs of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it was not appropriate to locate the school in the city at this time. During the war, Xi'an also suffered long-term bombing. The Japanese air raid on Xi'an totaled 147 times, dispatching 1232 enemy aircraft and dropping 3657 bombs, resulting in 2719 deaths and destroying 7972 houses. Although the intensity of the bombing was not comparable to that of Chongqing and Wuhan, it was still necessary to prevent it. Therefore, Zhang Xingjiu chose to locate the school outside the city. "I think the place of Fengyukou in the Qinling Mountains is good. It has mountains and water, and it is quiet and suitable for students to study."

This is a ravine about fifty miles away from the bell tower. It is well concealed and can effectively prevent bombing. It is also an important road leading to southern Shaanxi and Sichuan, and is convenient for students from nearby areas to come and study.

"Why did you choose such a remote place?" Yu Boxun was stunned for a moment, then frowned. "Teacher, you have been in Peking for the past few years. Do you think the Japanese can still fight their way to the edge of Xi'an?"

"The Japanese are eyeing us covetously, and the country is in this situation. North China is still a vast plain with almost no strategic location to defend. I have to be on guard. Arranging the school in a remote location will not affect the students' studies. If something happens, it can still be of great use. However, for now, I will only tell the outside world that I am following the example of famous European and American universities such as Cambridge and Princeton. The school is arranged in a remote location to help students study." Considering Yu Boxun's character, Zhang Xingjiu did not hide it from him.

Speaking of the current situation, Yu Boxun sighed repeatedly, "Teacher, your concerns are indeed reasonable. Let's build the school in Fengyukou for the time being. After the Japanese are driven away, we can move the school to the city."

When the officials from the provincial and municipal governments heard that the school was going to be built in such a remote place, they were very puzzled. Zhang Xingjiu then cited the examples of Cambridge, Oxford, Princeton, as well as some ancient academies on Mount Zhongnan, and finally convinced them.

He immediately arranged for people to go and negotiate with the local people about buying land. When they heard that a university was going to be built right at their doorstep and that Yu Boxun, the pride of Shaanxi people, would be the teacher who founded the school, the landlords who had some money at home simply gave their land to the school, and those people who only had a few acres of land did not say a word either.

Yu Boxun immediately endured the pain in his hands and wrote auspicious calligraphy on the themes of those places, such as "Expert in Farming and Reading" and "Benevolent Family".

As for those people from poor families, Zhang Xingjiu not only bought their land at market price, but also arranged jobs for them. Now they can help with work and earn money, and when the school is built, they can also work as school workers, so that they can have a way to make money.

The accompanying architects quickly designed a school construction plan based on the local conditions. This time, instead of building high-rise buildings as before, they scattered many bungalows in the ravines, which could more effectively enhance concealment and reduce losses caused by bombing.

An auspicious day was chosen to officially start the construction, and then Zhang Xingjiu left some people here to supervise the construction of the school. At the same time, they taught in existing universities in Xi'an to help them improve their teaching level.

He took the rest of the people to Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming and other places to continue preparing for the future.

(End of this chapter)