In September 1921, Zhou Jianren left the big house in Badaowan, Beijing, where the three brothers and their families lived together, and went to Shanghai to develop alone.
Why did he leave within two years after living here? It feels a bit helpless and forced.
Unlike the eldest brother Lu Xun and the second brother Zhou Zuoren, Zhou Jianren was the last of the three to come to the big city of Beijing.
He has been accompanying his mother in his hometown of Shaoxing . It was not until the end of 1919 that he came to Beijing with the rest of the Zhou family and moved into No. 11 Badaowan House.
At that time, Lu Xun was working in the Ministry of Education, and Zhou Zuoren was teaching at Peking University . In addition, they also had part-time courses in various universities, so they earned a lot of money.
Zhou Jianren, who had not found a job for the time being, felt that his academic qualifications and knowledge were not enough, so he went to Peking University to attend courses on social philosophy , and occasionally wrote some texts on biology and folklore . In " New Youth" etc. published everywhere.
At that time, Zhou Jianren was already in his thirties and the father of three children (the eldest son died young).
His wife is the sister of Yuta Nobuko, the wife of his second brother Zhou Zuoren. Yuta Yoshiko. She came to Shaoxing from Tokyo in 1912 to accompany her sister who had just given birth.
Fangzi was 15 years old and Zhou Jianren was 24 years old.
It is said that the marriage of the two was planned by Nobuko and his wife, "forced and deceived" (Lu Xun said): Zhou Jianren was first drunk, and then Yoshiko was pushed into his room, creating a fait accompli.
is simply a conspiracy.
However, after marriage, the young couple got along quite well, and children were born one after another.
However, things gradually changed after they moved to Beijing. Why did
suddenly leave Badaowan?
Zhou Jianren lost his job in Shaoxing and came to Beijing. While attending classes, he also read many progressive books. This was a sign that he was trying to improve himself and be on par with his two elder brothers.
However, this kind of behavior was incomprehensible to the clueless Xinzi sisters. They complained: "It's so embarrassing to have to go to class at such an old age..."
Seeing Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren in Beijing Culture As the world prospered and she made a lot of money, Fangzi felt more and more that her husband was poor and incompetent, and she often looked down on him.
Xinzi didn't give Zhou Jianren any face. He often ordered him to do housework and scolded him at every turn: "As slow as a crawling worm" and "Muhuhu, you are a Chinese with wooden hands and feet!"
The kind and honest Zhou Jianren has always been Choose patience and silence. Unexpectedly, the two sisters became even more serious.
太信子
One day, Zhou Zuoren, his wife and Fangzi were going to the countryside to play, and Zhou Jianren wanted to go with them.
When he was about to get into the car, Yoshiko squinted and said coldly: "Do you want to go too? Where's the money?" Zhou Zuoren sat aside without saying a word. This made Zhou Jianren feel humiliated.
As more and more things like this happened, Zhou Jianren gradually became unbearable. He begged his eldest brother and second brother to find him a job. He had to rely on his own efforts to support his wife and children.
So Lu Xun wrote two letters to Cai Yuanpei, asking him to help his brother find a job. Zhou Zuoren also wrote a letter to Hu Shi.
In this way, Zhou Jianren packed his bags and set off. The youngest brother became the first of the three brothers in the Zhou family to leave Badaowan. At that time, Yoshiko was pregnant with their fourth child, who later became Zhou Fengsan.
Young man Zhou Jianren
Zhou Zuoren first went to Hangzhou to teach for several years, and later went to Shanghai Commercial Press to work as an editor.
He originally thought that after leaving that suffocating home and starting to make money again, life would gradually get better.
However, things did not become as clear as he expected - after ostracizing himself, Hata Nobuko quickly pointed the finger at his eldest brother Lu Xun.
In less than two years, Lu Xun was also forced to leave Badaowan and completely broke with Zhou Zuoren.
Two years seems to be an unbreakable time curse for the Zhou family.
At this point, there is only one Chinese left in the entire Badaowan Zhou residence.
I recall that when they were studying in Japan, Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren made a promise to their third brother who was left behind at home: We will share happiness together and never be separated.
It seems like this happened just yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, the rose-colored dream has been shattered and lost its color.
Later, the marriage between Zhou Jianren and Fangzi also evolved into a human tragedy.
begins with abnormal expectations. It is a flower blooming in the black soil. If it is not carefully cultivated, the fruit it forcibly produces will only be extremely sour.
set up another family in Shanghai
Zhou Jianren worked in the compilation office of Commercial Press , and the director was Wang Yunwu. Wang is known for his strict management. He uses a time card machine imported from abroad to check attendance. If someone is late, he will be fined, deducted from his salary, or even fired.
Zhou Jianren has been working diligently and often takes manuscripts home to stay up late and work overtime.
But because of his junior qualifications, his salary is only 80 yuan per month.
He started to send thirty yuan to his family every month, but Yoshiko thought it was not enough and kept urging him, so he only added another twenty yuan and sent fifty yuan every month.
Wang Yunwu
Zhou Jianren wrote to Fangzi, hoping that she would bring her children to Shanghai to reunite with him. However, Xinzi refused to let Fangzi go and advised her:
You two are in Beijing, you have a big house to live in, and you have no worries about food and drink, There are also eldest uncle and second uncle who are raising . Prices in Shanghai are high, and Zhou Jianren's salary as a clerk is so low. You must have had a hard time in the past...
Then Fangzi was shaken. She was unwilling to go to Shanghai and let her husband write letters to invite her. Don’t even go to Shanghai to visit.
Lu's mother was deeply dissatisfied with this. She once said to relatives and friends many times : "When a woman gets married, she should live with her husband. How can it be like the third wife staying with her sister instead of her husband."
Later, Zhou Jianren I became sick due to overwork, and there was no one around me to take care of me. I got tuberculosis, but I still managed to go to work.
This was delayed until 1925, and the marriage between Zhou Jianren and Yoshiko was in name only.
At the most helpless moment, Wang Yunru, Zhou Jianren's former student in Shaoxing, appeared. The two gradually developed feelings and united.
They later had their own children, but Zhou Jianren still sent living expenses to his family in Beijing every month, so he and Wang Yunru lived very hard.
Fortunately, his eldest brother Lu Xun knew that his life was difficult and often provided him with assistance. For example, Lu Xun's diary records, September 11, 1926: "In the morning, Tuo Fuyuan went to the Bank of China to send 200 yuan to the third brother"; January 8, 1927: "To send 100 yuan to the third brother."
On October 3, 1927, Lu Xun arrived in Shanghai with Xu Guangping and planned to settle down. In this way, he and Zhou Jian's family can take care of each other.
They lived separately at first, and then moved into the same house. It was not until the "January 28" incident between China and Japan broke out, and the house was destroyed by the war, that they lived separately again.
Front row from right: Lu Xun, Xu Guangping, Zhou Jianren photographed in Shanghai
During this period until Lu Xun's death, Zhou Jianren received a lot of care from his elder brother:
Lu Xun often gave Zhou Jianren money to pay tuition for his children or provide living allowances, etc. etc.; the war destroyed the Commercial Press and Zhou Jianren lost his job. Lu Xun asked Xu Shoushang and Cai Yuanpei to come forward and request Wang Yunwu to continue to employ Zhou Jianren.
And Zhou Jianren’s family also gave Lu Xun’s family a lot of care. When Lu Xun and Xu Guangping first arrived in Shanghai, they helped find a house together; after Xu Guangping gave birth to Zhou Haiying, Wang Yunru also gave a lot of help due to his lack of parenting experience.
In the last years of Lu Xun's life, he did feel the warmth of "brother Yiyi", which probably also appropriately comforted his heart that was hurt by Zhou Zuoren.
Severed ties with Badaowan family
In 1936, December of the year Lu Xun died, it was the eightieth birthday of Lu Rui, the mother of the Zhou family.Lu Rui, who was deeply saddened by the loss of his eldest son, especially hoped that his younger son could return to Beijing to see him.
So Zhou Jianren took Wang Yunru back to Beijing for the first time. They also wanted to take this opportunity to announce the reality of their marriage, and at the same time end their unfortunate marriage with Yoshiko.
However, the birthday banquet was not held in Xisanjo where Lu's mother lived, but in Badaowan. So Wang Yunru did not attend, and only Zhou Jianren went.
Unexpectedly, a very thrilling scene happened:
When Zhou Jianren was congratulating his mother on her birthday, his second son Zhou Fenger, who was born to Yoshiko, suddenly rushed out of the house, holding a saber.
complained that his mother was being unfair, while he slashed at Zhou Jianren. Fortunately, all relatives and friends immediately took the knife from his hand, and this "murderous crime" was put to rest.
Since then, Zhou Jiancai cruelly cut off all relations with the Badaowan family and stopped sending money back.
Zhou Jianren and Wang Yunru
Zhou Zuoren was very angry about the situation where both brothers married other people. He bitterly called "bad family tradition" , thinking that they were taking concubines and throwing a heavy burden on himself.
Zhu An Fortunately, Lu Xun would send her living expenses; but Fangzi and her three children were almost all supported by Zhou Zuoren alone.
He once wrote to Zhou Jianren, accusing him of abandoning Yu Taifangzi and living with Wang Yunti:
"You think highly of Ms. Wang, but others can only treat her as a concubine. What you call free love can only be applied to women who can In a society where people live independently, in China, male and female workers in Shanghai can barely compare with concubines. In a society where women are supported by men, they still have concubines, no matter what the theoretical basis is. "
During the Anti-Japanese War, they held pseudo-jobs. Relying on the power of the Japanese invaders, Zhou Zuoren asked the Japanese Embassy in Peiping to notify the Shanghai Consulate and ordered Wang Yunwu to deduct half of Zhou Jianren's salary and remit it directly to Zhou Zuoren.
This is what Zhou Haiying recorded in his memoirs.
Zhou Jianren's family of five has a very difficult life. However, he always maintained his national integrity and was always unwilling to cooperate with the Japanese invaders despite various threats and inducements.
He actively participated in the national salvation movement and signed his signature on many national salvation movements. Although his life was difficult, he was sick, and he needed money, he was determined not to do anything for the Japanese.
When children are sick, they will never go to the hospital unless they are serious.
Their family is supporting themselves in such a difficult environment. According to records, since Zhou Zuoren betrayed the nation, Zhou Jianren severed contact with him.
Xu Guangping, Zhou Haiying and Zhou Jianren's family
In New China, the two brothers were in extremely different situations
1941 was a sad year for Zhou Jianren. Because his youngest son Zhou Fengsan shot himself.
According to Zhou Haiying, Zhou Fengsan is a child with a strong sense of justice and is always concerned about the safety of the country.
He was very anxious when he saw his second uncle betraying the country and the nation. I often tried hard to persuade him, but my second uncle couldn't listen. In the end, he had no choice but to retaliate with death, sacrificing his young life in vain.
Some scholars hold different views. Ni Moyan clearly stated in "China's Traitors and Hermits: Zhou Zuoren" that most of Fengsan's suicide was caused by family disputes.
He has lacked father's love since he was a child. He can't understand why his parents have reached this stage and why his father wants to cut off relations with them.
No matter what, this is a poor child, he is not guilty. He was a victim of his parents' tragic marriage.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the situations of Zhou Zuoren and Zhou Jianren have undergone earth-shaking changes. One became a prisoner, and the other regained a new life.
In August 1949, Zhou Zuoren returned to Badaowan, Beijing after being released from prison. But he did not have citizenship rights and could not be seen in public.
The government thought that he was proficient in many foreign languages and asked him to translate foreign books. However, he could not use his own name when publishing, and could only use unfamiliar pen names, such as "Zhou Xia Shou", " Zhou Qiming ", etc.
Due to the large population in his family and their old age and illness, the 67-year-old Zhou Zuoren wrote 908 articles in more than two years from November 1949 to March 1952 to earn royalties to support his family.
But the income is still small and unstable. During domestic natural disasters in his later years, he had to write letters to friends in Hong Kong, begging for food and medicine, just like a sad old "beggar".
Elderly Zhou Zuoren and his young grandson
As for Zhou Jianren, his status rose rapidly after the founding of the People's Republic of China. He successively served as deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication, deputy minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, and governor of Zhejiang Province. He was also elected as a member of the Central Committee.
In 1965, Zhou Jianren was elected vice chairman of the National People's Congress. In 1978, he was elected vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, becoming a deputy national-level cadre.
In New China, the two brothers lived in the same city but had no contact with each other. There is no information showing that Zhou Jianren helped Zhou Zuoren, or that Zhou Zuoren sought help from Zhou Jianren. They are like passers-by.
The pitiable Zhou Zuoren actually broke up with his two brothers throughout his life.
Old Zhou Jianren
Ending
Zhou Jianren wrote an article "Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren" in his later years. He talked about an encounter between himself and Zhou Zuoren:
"Shortly after the liberation of the country, once, I suddenly met face to face in the textbook editing and review committee. When we met Zhou Zuoren, we all stopped involuntarily.
He was old, and so was I. I saw him saying rather sadly: "You once wrote to persuade me to come to Shanghai." Yes, I did. I hope.
'I support them, but they treat me like this.'
I knew he didn't understand yet, and thought he was the master of Badaowan. In fact, he was just the master. A slave.
It's too late, the past can't be recovered. "
This may be the last conversation between the two brothers in their lifetime, so intriguing and a little sad.
History is so ruthless, and human destiny is so unpredictable.
Finally, let’s talk about the endings of the protagonists in Zhou Jianren’s tragic marriage.
His first wife, Yuta Yoshiko (after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the court ruled that the two were divorced) had been living with her sister Nobuko in Badaowan, Beijing, and died of illness in 1964.
His second son, Zhou Feng'er, later became a mathematics teacher in middle school. He and his wife had a stepdaughter, Zhou Ling, and their son-in-law was Liang Qichao's grandson Liang Renkan.
After he severed ties with his father, he stopped communicating with him throughout his life and lived with his mother and his second uncle's family. He died of illness in 1992.
His eldest daughter Zhou Juzi did not participate in the activities to denounce her father. Therefore, Zhou Jianren secretly sent her living expenses to her grandmother. She has been living with her mother and studying music. After
got married, she and her husband settled in Tangshan . Unfortunately, he died in the Tangshan earthquake in 1976.
Right: Zhou Juzi (also called Ma Li)
If it weren’t for his kindness, Zhou Jianren would not have allowed others to marry him into a marriage he didn’t want; if it weren’t for his kindness, Zhou Jianren would not have chosen to be patient and give up the opportunity to improve himself, silently He left Badaowan and went to work hard in other places; if it were not for his kindness, Zhou Jianren would not have allowed his wife and children to live without him, which would lead to a series of tragedies later...
What about Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren? It seems to be even worse: one was kicked out of the house, broke with his brothers, and died young with hatred; the other was used as a money-making tool, and finally hesitated to betray and became a national traitor.
The three brothers all paid a heavy price for their overdrafted kindness. It only leaves future generations with endless sighs and lamentations.
Kindness is a beautiful quality that people should have, but we cannot let it be used by evil people and overdraft. I think this is a question worth thinking about for everyone.
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