My era, 1979!

Chapter 75 The real master

Mr. Zhu's wife, Ms. Zou, passed away many years ago. None of his children live with him, and he is not used to being cared for.

I feel that my health is okay, and I usually cook for myself.

Though poor, he was not dull; though solitary, he was not lonely.

Yangchun noodles are indeed his old man's specialty.

"You know how to take advantage of a situation." Old Zhu tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks, his eyes filled with a warm smile. "It's good that you come often. The books in my study won't get moldy if more people browse them."

"That's not just taking advantage of the situation, it's because the teacher's cooking is delicious!"

"Peiheng is absolutely right about you being slippery."

"No way!"

The meal was quickly finished, leaving Xu Chengjun feeling completely full. It was the most satisfying meal he had had since arriving in Shanghai.

Someone still needs to care!

Who says my master's house isn't home!
As Mr. Zhu was about to clear the dishes, Xu Chengjun quickly took over and washed them, saying with a smile, "Teacher, if you don't let me wash these dishes, I'll really be embarrassed to come and freeload next time!"

"Go ahead and wash, it's not bad to have a dishwasher out of nowhere!"

"Hurry up and finish swiping. Come to the study, and we'll have a good chat."

The old man sat leisurely in his wicker chair, sipping his tea.

Xu Chengjun stepped into the study.

I first talked to Xu Chengjun about his personal family and experiences, as well as his previous creative ideas.

When he heard about Xu Chengjun's father, he frowned but did not express any opinion.

He only mentioned that he wanted to finish things in Shanghai as soon as possible and go home to visit his family.

My parents are here and I won’t travel far.

When he heard about Xu Chengjun's awkwardness when creating "The Fitting Mirror", he chuckled and said, "Young people should have a sharp edge, and the most powerful things are the real things."

"I still have a lot to learn from you."

"I can't be your teacher when it comes to creative work! I'm too old!"

Just listen to what Old Zhu says!
What, you still want to agree?

"I've compiled some annotations of the Chu Ci that we talked about yesterday. Take a look at them slowly, and write down anything you don't understand. We can discuss them in detail next time you come."

As he spoke, Mr. Zhu pulled a yellowed notebook from the bookshelf.

Xu Chengjun accepted it with both hands. "Thank you for your trouble, teacher. I will definitely study it carefully."

This is the part that Professor Zhu mentioned last time about the missing literature, and it is also the content that was missing when he discussed theory with the professors.

This is such a thick book; it probably can't be organized in a short time.

He looked at Old Zhu's smiling face and his lips twitched.

In the end, nothing was said.

Some things don't need to be said; keeping them in your heart carries more weight.

All my words can be summed up in one sentence: "Thank you, teacher."

He glanced at a yellowed photograph pressed in the corner of the desk. The woman in the photo had short, ear-length hair and gentle features.

"Is this your teacher's wife?"

Following his gaze, Old Zhu's eyes softened: "It's your teacher's wife. When she was alive, she was the best at making this stir-fried pickled mustard greens with edamame. She said it had to be pickled well enough to be served with rice."

“Now when I pickle it myself, it always tastes a little off. Maybe it’s because I’m missing that trembling hand she used to sprinkle sugar into the jar.”

Xu Chengjun watched as Old Zhu gently tapped the photo frame with his fingertips, a gesture as tender as touching fragile moonlight. In this room filled with the fragrance of books, besides the crispness of ink, lay the warmth brewed by time.

Just like that bowl of pickled mustard greens on the table, wrapped in its salty and fragrant flavor is an unyielding longing.

Xu Chengjun spent the afternoon with Old Zhu, who taught him everything he knew by word and deed.

At noon, Xu Chengjun originally wanted to leave early so as not to disturb his family's rest.

The old man, however, was not happy about it.

"Why are you leaving? You look down on this old man and want to revise your thesis here."

"No way, I wouldn't mind disturbing your rest, teacher."

"You're so young, why do you have so many thoughts on your mind!"

"I told you to stay here to read books and revise your papers, so you stay here."

Old Zhu shook his head.

That afternoon, Zhu Dongrun only took a short nap for half an hour.

The rest of the time I was watching Xu Chengjun revise his thesis.

When the revisions are particularly insightful, Xu Chengjun will be praised.

The emotional value provided is exceptionally high!
In his spare time, Xu Chengjun saw Zhu Laohui looking through the letters sent by his children, stroking old photos of his eldest son Zhu Junda and second daughter Zhu Xiuruo, his eyes full of warmth.

When the topic of this comes up occasionally, the old man just shakes his head.

This generation is used to hardship.

Although the house was less lively than before, it was always filled with a quiet and warm atmosphere because of his dedication to academics and his concern for his family.

Before leaving,
Xu Chengjun noticed a copy of "The Great Biography of Zhang Juzheng" on the bookshelf.
The cover bears the inscription personally written by the author: "To study scholarship, one must first study history; to study history, one must first study people."

He asked, "When you write a biography, do you always try to make the person seem as if they are standing right in front of you?"

"You've hit the nail on the head."

“How can you write a biography by just recording birth and death dates, merits and demerits? You have to delve into the very bones of the person. Take Zhang Juzheng, for example. He was a powerful minister who implemented iron-fisted reforms in the court. When he was reviewing memorials late at night in his study, didn’t he also have his young son’s doodles on his desk? When I wrote about him, I always thought about the force with which he wrote the memorials and how his brows would quietly relax when his grandson ran into the door.”

Old Zhu picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"No one is purely good or bad. You have to put them back into the mundane details of daily life, let the words carry the warmth of everyday life, so that those characters can step off the page and stand in front of you to speak. Just like what your teacher's wife always said when she was pickling vegetables, without that touch of human warmth, even the most exquisite craftsmanship can't produce the authentic taste."

Is it human touch?

Xu Chengjun had actually heard similar things before.

But what would it feel like if a master personally gave you a lecture?
We walked out of Old Zhu's house.

He thought of the literary giants of modern times, but few people actually mentioned Zhu Dongrun.

However, Zhu Dongrun was indeed one of the masters that Xu Chengjun respected the most.

When he was a student, he held the "literary giants" of the Republic of China in the highest esteem.

They took the idea that "modern Chinese masters look to the Republic of China, and there are indeed few contemporary masters like them" to heart.

But if we really look back at the period from 1949 to 1976, that era of hard work and struggle...

The national industrial system was established from scratch, agricultural cooperatives were promoted, literacy campaigns were launched, barefoot doctors were established, rural electricity was made available, railways were built, and the national defense system began to take shape...

Who did all this?
Even without them, the new China has continued to develop.

Therefore, he said: "Intellectuals must integrate with workers and peasants, otherwise they have no way out."

Throughout history, there have been many dragon-slaying heroes, but only one person in history not only slew a dragon but also refused to become a dragon and left behind a dragon-slaying manual.

(End of this chapter)