Two brothers of Ba Jin

Author: Wang Zhizheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Ba Jin studied under him, and his older brother was the one he loved the most deeply, while his younger brother cared for him. Ba Jin also said that the common trait of the three brothers was their willingness to think more for others and to give more. "My two older brothers helped me a lot, and I wanted to help them, but I didn’t get the chance. I may not be forgotten by people, but I hope the two of them will be remembered." Ba Jin’s wish for his two older brothers to be remembered was not just out of brotherly affection but also because of their genuine love for people. What kind of stories did Ba Jin and his two older brothers have? Presented to a Person, Awakening the Forgotten Youth, The Older Brother, Jue Xin and His Older Brother, In Memory of My Older Brother, and My Older Brother Li YaoLin. From the 1930s to the 1980s, Ba Jin wrote numerous articles about his two older brothers. Through his emotionally charged words, one could sense the older brother: a man who was intelligent from a young age, full of ambition and ideals, deeply influenced by the New Culture Movement of the May Fourth Era, yet naturally weak, and eventually pushed to the brink by old traditions and outdated thoughts. He was the first to bring the ideas of the May Fourth New Culture Movement into his family; he sacrificed his own future to bear the entire financial burden of a declining family; he sent his two beloved younger brothers to study abroad; and during times of family hardship, he supported his fourth brother, Ba Jin. Ba Jin said that his older brother was the one who loved him the most deeply. Ba Jin and his younger brother YaoLin grew up sleeping in the same bed and even took the same small boat out of Sichuan for studies and work. After his older brother’s passing, this talented high school teacher, a graduate of Peking University, gave up marriage and quietly took on the full financial responsibility of 11 people in their hometown, and later passed away in poverty and illness. Ba Jin said that his younger brother was the one who cared for him. Ba Jin’s Two Older Brothers also includes recollections written by his older brother’s son, Li Zhi, his younger brother’s siblings Li Jisheng, Li Cai Chen, his younger brother’s friend Li Jian Wu, his students Huang Chang, Huang Zong Jiang, and Yang Yi. Through their heartfelt words, one not only feels the brotherly love of Ba Jin and his three brothers but also the genuine human emotions that are fading between people. When Ba Jin’s father passed away, Li Zhi was only one year and five months old. For a long time, Li Zhi could not understand why his father took his own life, leaving them orphans and widowers. "The world has lost a gentleman." These are the opening words of Mr. Li Jian Wu’s Eulogy for My Third Brother, written in 1945, the year of his passing. After graduating from Peking University, his older brother taught at Nankai High School in Tianjin. Among his students were academicians such as Shen Pan Wen, Guan Shi Cong, Ju Gong, and the redologist Zhou Ru Chang, as well as the literary scholar Zhou Jue Liang and the media and publishing expert Xing Fang Qun. This outstanding high school teacher was also a gifted translator. His translated works, such as The Cliff, The Island of No Name, and War, are still remembered today. Ba Jin’s two older brothers were traditional intellectuals who were happy to give and sacrifice for others. With their selflessness and love, they nurtured and influenced Ba Jin. Ba Jin, in turn, passed this selflessness and love onto society. In a letter to Ba Jin, his older brother once wrote, "Brother, you are too cold towards modern society, while I am too hot. Neither of us fits into modern society. Modern society requires false emotions and invaluable gold, both of which we reject and dislike." Ba Jin once analyzed the similarities and differences between his brothers, telling his older brother, "Our love for humanity is very strong." In his later years, he often told people that his three brothers shared a common quality: "willing to think for others and to give more." He also repeatedly tearfully told Li Zhi, "My two older brothers died because they didn’t have money. Later, even when I had money, it was useless. So, I don’t want to live a good life either." Today, Ba Jin, lying on his deathbed, can no longer speak. However, he still harbors a hope in his heart, one he often expressed: "I may not be forgotten by people, but I hope the two of them will be remembered." Through the efforts of Ba Jin’s nephew-in-law, Wang Zhizheng, this book, Ba Jin’s Two Older Brothers, was published by the People’s Literature Publishing House, fulfilling Ba Jin’s long-held wish.