South Pass Journal - Wild Gourd Introduction, Volume 1 - East Treasury Chronicle Wild Gourd Introduction, Volume 2

Author: Zong Pu / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The novel is set against the backdrop of the great era of war, concerning the fate and future of humanity. The author occasionally expresses philosophical reflections in her writing. For example, when discussing the captured soldiers of the Japanese invaders, Meng Fu said, "They are also human, but under the influence of fascist policies, they have become tools and have been 'alienated.' In the war we are fighting to defend our nation and people, we must not only eliminate the fascists who are against humanity but also restore 'humanity' to its true form." "Restoring 'humanity' to its true form" is a profound issue concerning the destiny of the people. Throughout history, how many philosophers have devoted their thoughts to this matter! The book also devotes much attention to the young people of that time, who are now over seventy years old. Each of them is civilized, intelligent, lively, and innocent, with education and ideals. Their conversations and expressions often reveal the influence of their parents in their interactions, even in the face of the barbaric bombing by the enemy. I greatly enjoy these descriptions. For instance, the section where a group of young people, led by a biology teacher, go into the mountains and fields to collect plant specimens is both touching and picturesque. The Wild Gourd Guide is about intellectuals and is primarily written for intellectuals. It particularly depicts their integrity in critical moments of national survival and how they steadfastly and loyally protect the sacred "frontier" of education, which concerns the future of generations to come. In summary, it is a work that chronicles the lives of intellectuals. Zong Pu's writing style is very distinctive, as the style reflects the person. It is immediately recognizable as Zong Pu's, not anyone else's. The entire book is written in short sentences, making it easy to read and flowing without any awkwardness. This is thanks to her training in classical Chinese literature.
The room is very quiet. The small antechamber with light yellow gauze curtains is very comfortable and pleasant. Above the door of the passage hangs an exquisite plaque inscribed with the characters "Fang Hu" in archaic large seal script. According to research, this is the original name of the house. Not far away is the principal's residence, named "Yuan Zeng." Every time Meng Yu comes home, the moment he steps across the threshold, he feels a sense of security. He knows that there will always be a gentle, smiling face and the innocent, childlike voice calling "Daddy" waiting for him. Should they have already had their nap? He walks into the passage, where there is an outward-curving arched window at the bend, facing the garden. Under the bay window is a long wooden bench embedded in the wall, where the children climb up and down. At that moment, a boy is sitting there with his head down.
"Little kid! Why aren't you sleeping?" Meng Yu asks in surprise. The boy does not rush to greet his father as usual. He slowly puts down the thing he is playing with, looks up, and has a focused, thoughtful expression on his face, which is quite out of place for a six-year-old. After a moment, he still runs over and takes his father's hand, looking up and asking, "Daddy, when was Jesus born?"
Meng Yu rarely spends time talking with his children, but each time, the boy asks more than one question, which makes him lose some of his dignity as a father. This time, however, it is not so bad, as he answers without thinking: "Today is July 7, 1937. Jesus was born a thousand nine hundred thirty-seven years ago. Our Anno Domini calendar starts from the year Jesus was born."
"Why does it start from Jesus? Why doesn't it start from when you were born, or when your mother was born, or when your sister or Mei was born?"
"Jesus was a great figure," Meng Yu says, realizing it is difficult to explain how great Jesus really was.
"He loves people and is willing to sacrifice for others—what have you been playing with just now?"
They walk to the bay window. The boy picks up a wooden cross from the bench and gives it to Meng Yu. The cross has a finely carved image of Jesus' crucifixion. No wonder the child asked such a question.
"This is from Mei's sister's room," the boy says. Mei, the younger sister, has a small name of E, and she recently graduated from a church-affiliated high school and is preparing to take the university entrance exam.
"Jesus loves people and is willing to sacrifice, so others nailed him to the cross?" The boy still looks up and asks.
"Of course, those people were bad," Meng Yu suddenly feels a bit annoyed and returns the wooden statue to the boy.
The boy understands that his father might be tired and holds the statue quietly without speaking, following Meng Yu into the inner room. The room is colorful, with shiny paper chains draped on the bed and the floor, like small streams of bright colors flowing everywhere.
Mrs. Meng, Lü Bichu, and her ten-year-old daughter Mei are happily cutting paper and applying paste.
"Careful! Don't step on it!" They laugh and warn.
The boy pulls up a golden paper chain and then a bright red one. "I'll help too! I know how to apply paste!"
"Alright, alright, almost done," Lü Bichu says.
"Is this for Wei Feng's wedding tomorrow?" Meng Yu takes off his long gown, and Mei eagerly takes it from the chair. Lü Bichu also rises with a smile, picks up the gown from the chair and hangs it up, then takes a cool hand towel from the bathroom and hands it to Fu Zhi to wipe his sweat, saying, "We don't need to worry about the wedding. The new room is nicely decorated, but it's too plain. Adding a few colorful chains will make it livelier. That's enough."
As she says this, she glances at the wooden statue in the boy's hands and says, "This is E's. How did you bring it out? Your sister will be angry soon."
"It was me who took it," Mei quickly says, "We'll put it back." The sister is the one who gets angry the most in the family, and no one wants to provoke her.
"First, let's clean up here," Lü Bichu says. The boy also helps, talking and laughing, but it's unclear what he is saying or why he is laughing. The warm atmosphere in the room makes one's heart feel at ease.
Fu Zhi sits in the rattan chair, watching, and suddenly murmurs to himself, "When the nest is destroyed, how can the eggs remain intact!"
"What did you say?" Lü Bichu ties up the colorful streams of paper and puts them in the miscellaneous cabinet, turning to ask. She immediately adds, "What's the situation like? Any news outside?"
"That policy of nibbling away is obvious. A wolf's ambition can never be satisfied. If we keep yielding, there will come a time when the country and family will perish." He says, seeing the three faces—big, middle, and small—all looking at him, and he smiles.
"It won't reach Beijing right away," he says, getting up and heading toward the study.
P4-P6