OBS Chapter 1253 The dispute over Chinese characters
Chapter 1253 The dispute over Chinese characters
Chapter 1253 The dispute over Chinese characters
The dark gate of the Lu family’s courtyard was wide open.
When Lu Taiheng stepped into the courtyard with his cane, the dust raised by his shoes rolled in the light column. Zaohua held Lu Zhaohai's hand and followed him carefully into the courtyard.
The old man's skinny palm slapped on the camphorwood box, and the sound of the copper lock "clicking" popping open scared Lu Zhaohai so much that he poked his head out from the main room.
"Grandpa?" The child's crisp call made Lu Taiheng pause, his gray beard trembling. "Go back to your room and study. This is none of your business."
The blue cloth bundle at the bottom of the box was opened layer by layer, and eight stacks of silver dollars shone coldly in the twilight. The old man ran his fingers over the neatly stacked corners and sighed. Originally, this was to be used as a betrothal gift for his grandson Zhaohai.
“Zaohua!” Lu Taiheng suddenly raised his voice and pounded his cane on the ground: “Bring us the house deeds and land deeds!”
Zaohua hesitated but didn't move.
Lu Taiheng grabbed his daughter-in-law's wrist and said, "Do you want to watch Zhao Hai become fatherless?"
Tears left two bright lines on Zaohua's face. This usually humble woman suddenly straightened her back and said, "Da, tell me honestly, have I ever taken a grain of rice from my parents' home since I got married?"
"Da, in order to get him out early these years, you have used all the money in the family to take care of him. I didn't say anything, but this time is different. The house and land cannot be sold. They are my lifeblood. I have to plan for Zhaohai's future."
Lu Taiheng raised his hand, and Zaohua not only did not hide, but closed her eyes and walked forward.
"Oh my God, what sin have I, Lu Taiheng, committed in this life?" Lu Taiheng cried out in grief, and he seemed to have aged ten years and no longer had his previous energy and spirit.
When he bent down to pick up the red cloth bag, his spine made a cracking sound as he could not bear the weight. The moonlight filtered through the window lattice, nailing the old man's hunched shadow to the wall.
Outside the gate of the Bai family compound, Lu Taiheng pounded on the door with great difficulty, and had to lean against it to prevent himself from falling.
Suddenly, the courtyard door opened from the inside. Lu Taiheng lost his balance and fell in. The red cloth bag in his arms fell apart with a crash, and the silver dollars rolled all over the floor.
Lu Taiheng's hands, like dry tree bark, tightly grasped Bai Jiaxuan's collar and said, "Jiaxuan, please be kind and save your brother Zilin."
Bai Jiaxuan helped Lu Taiheng up and was about to speak when Qin Hao bent down and picked up a bag of silver dollars.
"Master Taiheng," Qin Hao's voice was like ice: "You should take the money back. Protecting the country and the people is our security team's responsibility."
Lu Taiheng opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. He had a premonition that he might never see his son again.
At the entrance of Bailu Village, villagers stood on both sides of the archway.
There was a sound of orderly footsteps. Thirty regimental soldiers lined up with their guns in hand, their barrels glowing blue in the moonlight.
"Let's go!" Heiwa's whistle pierced the night sky. Lu Taiheng held himself up and watched the long line of torches winding out of the village.
A woman from some unknown family suddenly started howling, scaring the crows on the old locust tree so much that they flew away.
The night wind from the Loess Plateau blew sand and gravel on my face. As soon as the security team passed the Bailuyuan boundary marker, Heiwa blew two short whistles. The team immediately dispersed and guarded, and Qin Hao dragged Heiwa to turn into the fork in the road. The sound of the two people's boots crushing the dry grass startled the field mice in the dark.
When the weeds at the cave entrance were pushed aside, Lu Zilin was gnawing at the hemp rope on his wrist. Moonlight shone in from the cave entrance, illuminating the scabby whip marks on his face—they were caused by his resistance last night. Seeing the man holding a short gun, he suddenly struggled violently, and the rattling of the iron chain was mixed with vague curses.
"Save your energy." Qin Hao squatted down and tapped his swollen cheek with the barrel of the gun: "I'll give you a quick death later."
These words made Lu Zilin's pupils suddenly dilate. He shook his head frantically, and his saliva mixed with blood foam splashed on Qin Hao's leather boots.
Qin Hao gave Heiwa a wink, and the latter understood. He took the three people guarding the cave out of the cave and fired blank shots in different directions, scaring the night birds away.
Lu Zilin in the cave suddenly fell silent amid the gunfire. He stared at the starry sky at the cave entrance, remembering the same night sky he had seen when he was taken to the provincial capital prison eight years ago.
"Woo~~~"
Lu Zilin struggled unwillingly and shook his head desperately. The smell of urine instantly filled the entire cave.
"Zilinda, it's time to get on the road."
With a bang, Lu Zilin's unrecognizable body fell to the ground. Qin Hao handed the gun to Heiwa and instructed: "Take the body away and blow up the cave. Don't leave any traces."
Heiwa asked the other three to clean up the things in the cave, and then blew up the cave.
That night, Bailu Village was in chaos. Zaohua held Lu Zhaohai and squeezed to the front of the crowd, watching the security team carry back a stretcher covered with white cloth.
The wind blew up the corner of the cloth, revealing half of a bloody face - the jagged yellow teeth were undoubtedly Lu Zilin.
Her legs suddenly went weak and she fell to her knees, but her cries were half a beat slower than those of others.
Lu Taiheng fainted during the autopsy. The old scholar threw himself on his son, his fingers tightly grasping the edge of the stretcher. When Bai Jiaxuan tried to pry open his palm, he found that the old man's fingernails were full of blood - that was the dried blood clots from Lu Zilin's body.
Three days later, Lu Zilin was buried. On the same day, the county sent a commendation to the security team.
When Lu Zhaopeng rushed back, Lu Zilin had already been buried in the Lu family's ancestral tomb.
When Lu Taiheng saw his grandson coming back, he suddenly came to life, having been lying on the bed dying. He called Lu Zhaopeng to his side and spoke in a low voice.
"Go, go far away, and never come back... to Bailu Village..."
Lu Zhaopeng didn't understand what was going on and was about to ask for details when Lu Taiheng spat out a mouthful of blood on his face and he fell to the ground.
"Master~~~"
However, no matter how Lu Zhaopeng called, Lu Taiheng could not survive the night.
After two heads of the Lu family died in succession, Lu Zhaopeng became the only adult male. Logically, he should be the one to take care of the funeral.
However, Lu Zhaopeng was very resistant to the complicated funeral rules and insisted on keeping all ceremonies simple, so much so that many villagers secretly said that he was unfilial.
There was even an elder from the Lu family who pointed at Lu Zhaopeng's nose and scolded him harshly.
Helplessly, Lu Zhaopeng had to compromise and held a Taoist ceremony for three consecutive days before burying Lu Taiheng.
After the funeral, Lu Zhaopeng was preparing to pack up and return to Xi'an. Seeing this, Zaohua's eyes flashed with disappointment.
"Zhao Peng, are you going back to Xi'an like this?"
Lu Zhaopeng paused as he was packing his bag and said, "Mom, you and Zhao Hai wait at home for now. I'll rent a bigger house with a yard in Xi'an and bring you over when the time comes."
Zaohua shook her head and said, "I'm not going to Xi'an. This is my home. I'm not going anywhere."
"Mom, home has its advantages, and Xi'an has its advantages as well. You will definitely like it when you go there." Lu Zhaopeng continued to persuade.
Zaohua still insisted: "No matter how good Xi'an is, I won't go there. If I leave, this house and this land will be taken away by others. I have to guard them for Zhaohai."
"Mom, the house and land can be sold. If not, I'll talk to Jiaxuanda. He should be able to give a high price..."
Before she could finish her words, Zaohua screamed, "I said, I'm not going anywhere, and you are not allowed to sell either the house or the land!"
Seeing this, Lu Zhaopeng had no choice but to comfort his mother.
After a while, Zaohua calmed down and said to Lu Zhaopeng, "Now that your grandfather and your father are gone, your wedding will have to be postponed. Go and talk to Mr. Leng..."
Lu Zhaopeng agreed readily, but he had no intention of going to the Leng family at all.
……
At night, the wind blew over Bailuyuan, making the old locust tree in the yard rustle. Bai Jiaxuan sat in the main room smoking a pipe, the sparks in the pipe flickering, reflecting his frown. Xiancao brought in a bowl of hot tea, and seeing his serious expression, she asked softly, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
Bai Jiaxuan shook his head and said nothing, but looked out the window. The gate was pushed open with a creak, and a tall and thin figure walked in under the moonlight. The man was wearing a dark gray student uniform, holding a magazine in his hand, and his steps were hurried, as if he had something important on his mind.
"Zhao Peng?" Bai Jiaxuan was stunned, then stood up: "It's so late, why are you coming here?"
Lu Zhaopeng smiled, but there was no joy on his face. Instead, he looked a little worried: "Jiaxuanda, I came to talk to Qin Hao about something."
Bai Jiaxuan nodded and called to the inner room: "Hao'er, Zhaopeng is here!"
Not long after, Qin Hao came out of the study with an account book in his hand. Seeing that it was Lu Zhaopeng, he smiled and said, "What a rare guest! How come you have time to come to my place today?"
Lu Zhaopeng sighed, with a hint of emotion in his tone: "I've been traveling outside for the past two years and have seen a lot of things. I feel very depressed and want to talk to you."
Qin Hao raised his eyebrows, motioned him to sit down, and asked Xiancao to make tea. Lu Zhaopeng was not polite, and sat directly at the eight-immortal table, feeling that his family had undergone a great change.
Qin Hao's expression looked a little unnatural. To be honest, it was he who was responsible for the huge changes in the Lu family.
Fortunately, Lu Zhaopeng did not dwell on this for too long. Instead, he spread out the magazine in his hand and pushed it in front of Qin Hao.
Qin Hao looked down and saw that it was a copy of New Youth. The paper had turned yellow and the edges were a little worn, which showed that it was quite old. He turned to the page that Lu Zhaopeng had folded and saw the title clearly written: "Proposal on Reducing the Strokes of Chinese Characters".
"It's an old article from two years ago." Qin Hao said casually, but when he looked at the author's signature, his brows immediately frowned: "Mr. Qian's article?"
Lu Zhaopeng nodded and pointed at the article. "It was Mr. Qian's article two years ago. At that time, it was only discussed in the literary circle. But recently, I heard that the education department has begun to seriously consider this issue, and..." He paused and lowered his voice a few degrees. "It's more radical than this. Some people even advocate the complete abolition of Chinese characters."
Qin Hao's eyes narrowed, he slowly closed the magazine, and looked up at Lu Zhaopeng: "Are you in favor of abolition or against abolition?"
Lu Zhaopeng said seriously: "Of course I am against it! Chinese characters have been passed down for thousands of years, how can they be abandoned just like that? But I also think that traditional Chinese characters are indeed cumbersome to write and should be simplified."
Qin Hao raised his lips slightly when he heard this: "It's rare that we both agree this time."
Lu Zhaopeng smiled bitterly, "It's useless for us to think this way alone. Right now in Beijing, the great men in the literary world are arguing fiercely. Lu Xun and Hu Shi both support the abolition of Chinese characters, and some advocate Latinization. Xi'an is located in a remote corner, and we are isolated from the news, but the trend outside can no longer be suppressed."
Qin Hao stared at Lu Zhaopeng and suddenly smiled: "You are a kid who never comes to visit me for no reason. You suddenly come to talk to me about this today. I'm afraid it's not just a casual chat, right?"
Lu Zhaopeng's thoughts were exposed and he chuckled: "I can't hide it from you."
He rubbed his hands and said sincerely, "Although I am somewhat famous in Xi'an, who outside Shaanxi would recognize me, Lu Zhaopeng? But you are different. Your new edition of textbooks has been distributed nationwide, and everyone in the education field knows your name. If you can stand up and speak out, the higher-ups will definitely pay attention to you."
Qin Hao laughed and scolded: "Are you waiting for me here?"
Lu Zhaopeng looked at him with a burning gaze, expectant in his eyes: "Brother Hao, this is about the foundation of our culture, we can't just sit back and do nothing."
Qin Hao was silent for a moment, then turned his gaze to the north, as if he was looking through the night at the distant city of Beijing.
After a while, he slowly said, "It's time to go to Beijing."
……
In the winter of 1922, Beijing welcomed the first heavy snowfall since the beginning of winter.
The gray sky was very low, and goose-feather-like snowflakes fell, covering the platform, rails, and roofs with a thick layer of white. The north wind was howling, and the snow particles hit my face, like tiny knives, scratching me painfully.
Qin Hao tightened his sheepskin coat, and the white breath he exhaled quickly condensed into frost in the cold wind. He stood on the platform of Beijing Station, looking at the train slowly approaching in the distance. The black front of the train spewed thick smoke, which looked particularly heavy in the snow.
The train stopped with a clang, and steam gushed out, blurring the view. Passengers got off the train one after another, some wrapped in thick cotton-padded jackets, some wearing fur hats, and some carrying rattan boxes, and hurried out of the station. Qin Hao searched the crowd, and suddenly, a familiar figure came into his sight——
The man was wearing a thin grey gown and carrying an old cloth bag on his shoulder. His thin body was shivering slightly in the snow. He lowered his head and walked hurriedly, as if he was in a hurry to leave this cold place.
"Mr. Cai!" Qin Hao shouted loudly, his voice seemed a little vague in the wind and snow.
The man looked up at the sound, squinting his eyes and looking over. When he saw Qin Hao's face clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Zi Han?!"
Qin Hao walked over quickly and took the cloth bag from the man's shoulder. "Why are you wearing so little? The weather in Beijing is no joke."
Mr. Cai rubbed his red, frozen hands and said with a wry smile, "The train was so crowded that I didn't feel cold until I got off the train and realized I had miscalculated."
Seeing that his lips were blue from the cold, Qin Hao quickly said, "Don't stand here and talk for now. Let's find a warm place to talk."
He raised his hand to hail a rickshaw. The driver was wrapped in a ragged cotton-padded jacket, with a layer of snow on the brim of his hat. Seeing that there was business, he hurried over and said, "Where are you going, gentlemen?"
"Qianmen Street, Fulai Inn." Qin Hao helped Mr. Cai get on the car, and he sat on the other side. The driver pulled up the pole and started walking. The wheels rolled over the snow, making a "crunching" sound.
The snow was still blowing, and the shops on both sides of the street had already hung up their cotton curtains. There were few pedestrians, and occasionally a few vendors selling candied haws huddled in the corner, blowing out the hot air and rubbing their hands. The rickshaw passed through several alleys and finally stopped in front of an inn with a plaque that read "Fulai Inn".
Qin Hao paid the taxi fare first and led Mr. Cai into the inn. The charcoal fire was burning brightly in the room, and the warmth was overwhelming. Mr. Cai breathed a sigh of relief, and his frozen fingers finally regained feeling.
"Boss, two rooms upstairs." Qin Hao took out a few silver dollars and placed them on the counter.
The shopkeeper was a thin middle-aged man. Seeing the guests' generous spending, he immediately put on a smile and said, "Okay! Please go upstairs, gentlemen!"
After settling down, Qin Hao asked the waiter to bring up a pot of hot tea. The two of them sat around the charcoal basin, the aroma of the tea dispelling the coldness from their bodies.
Mr. Cai held the tea bowl to warm his hands, and then asked, "Zi Han, what brings you to Beijing this time?"
Qin Hao did not hide it and said bluntly: "I heard that the Ministry of Education was going to discuss the reform of Chinese characters, so I came here specially."
Mr. Cai's eyes sparkled when he heard this, and he leaned forward slightly: "It's hard to understand if you don't understand the truth. Zihan came at the right time!"
He put down the tea bowl and said excitedly: "The Ministry of Education will hold a discussion meeting in three days. Hu Shi, Qian Xuantong, Lu Xun and other literary masters will be present. It will be a time for a hundred schools of thought to contend!"
Qin Hao raised his eyebrows slightly: "Oh? That's a coincidence."
Mr. Cai smiled and said, "Isn't it? This debate concerns the survival of Chinese characters, which is by no means a trivial matter. Since Zihan has an opinion, why don't you go with us?"
Qin Hao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's exactly what I meant."