Shen Congwen and Ding Ling

Author: Li Hui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: When the first edition of Shen Congwen and Ding Ling was published, the title was Grudges and Vicissitudes—Shen Congwen and Ding Ling. It tells the story of the enmity, friendship, and eventual estrangement between the two renowned writers, making it a highly readable book. It provides abundant historical materials for readers to compare and examine, based on facts yet filled with insightful observations. Not only will those interested in the history of modern Chinese literature find it fascinating, but it also helps readers gain insights into life. It is both a notebook of literary research and a narrative prose filled with plots. Based on rich historical materials, the book vividly details the extraordinary friendship between Shen Congwen and Ding Ling, two giants in modern Chinese literature, from the 1920s to the 1980s, as well as their later regrettable rupture. Mr. Jiang Deming, in his preface, praises the book as "a notebook of literary research, a narrative prose filled with plots, and a literary read that is rich in emotion, conflict, love, and reason, enjoyable for a wide audience."
Excerpt: "Different paths make it hard to plan together?" On April 18, 1983, Ding Ling and Liu Binyan visited Paris. During an interview, Ding Ling spoke of Shen Congwen: "The book Reminiscence of Ding Ling he wrote is full of lies; it’s a novel, focused on entertainment. True, he once accompanied me in sending our child back to Hunan because there was no other choice at the time, and only he could ensure safety (as cited in Jiang Mu’s The Character and Marriage of Shen Congwen). Faced with Ding Ling’s sharp criticism and accusations, Shen Congwen felt surprised. He didn’t understand, he was confused, and then angry. Those who knew him well knew that he was often extremely kind and forgiving, but in this case involving Ding Ling, he showed a rare intensity. He didn’t understand that over the years, the physical and mental blows to Ding Ling had been far greater from others who were still alive, not from him. Even if he had had disagreements with her, compared to political torment and injustice, personal grievances were insignificant and certainly not worth such a fuss. This frustration and confusion tormented Shen Congwen’s usually calm heart. Since the day he learned about the article, though he appeared composed and unhurried in front of many people, he couldn’t hide his resentment in the presence of close friends and relatives. In a letter to his old friend, the writer Xu Chi, written in July of that year, Shen Congwen vented his grievances without reservation. He wrote:
Certainly, there was also the "opposite" side, which was worth admiring—her article in Poetry Magazine in March, where the "great female writer of China" cursed me. It was not only unexpected but also beyond my expectations. It was truly like what Lu Xun once said, "to be stabbed unexpectedly from behind," terrifying! At first glance, it seemed deeply calculated, with extremely dangerous wording. However, upon closer analysis, it was laughable, especially when someone asked about the intent behind her article. She evaded the question, gave irrelevant answers, and couldn’t provide a direct response. Her grievances over the past two decades came from where? Could she not see it clearly? She dared not complain even once, clearly having her own hardships. Yet she chose me to vent her anger, showing her cleverness. The reason is that I had no power or influence, and I understood her character well—I would never argue with her over right or wrong. I thought this move was "extremely clever," but in reality, there were still many acquaintances alive in the 1930s (even those who didn’t know me well and had criticized me in the past would, from my impressions over the past three decades, understand the intent behind her article). I had been good friends with her and her husband, and had done my best to help them in their difficulties. Yet when she was at her most triumphant, she never relied on her to seek any official position. Almost all my old colleagues and peers, when they were living comfortably in the new society, were silent while I quietly served as a "guide" in the museum for a whole decade without complaint. All my books were burned, and I considered it normal, not affecting my confidence in my new work or my love for the country. When she was sidelined due to internal conflicts, I showed sympathy. When I learned she had moved to Linfen, Shanxi, I even had a friend convey my regards. But I never expected that to restore her "hegemonic" status, she would invent a new way to "sacrifice" an old friend, thinking that by doing so, I would truly become a "petty person" and no one else would dare to disagree.
Besides this letter, Shen Congwen privately expressed strong dissatisfaction with Ding Ling’s article in letters to others and in corresponding settings. However, he did not publish his opinions publicly, as he often did in the past—rarely engaging in arguments over others’ criticisms or accusations. Nie Junru once recalled an incident. In the 1940s, he saw an article whose views were similar to Shen Congwen’s and mistakenly thought it was written by him. He then wrote an article criticizing Shen Congwen, only to later realize it wasn’t his work. Nie Junru said, "He was quite a person—let you criticize, and he would just do his own thing. If you criticized him rightly, he wouldn’t say a word; if you criticized him wrongly, he wouldn’t say a word either."