Love Mei Xiao Zha - Xu Zhimo's Love Letter to Lu Xiaoman

Author: Xu Zhimo / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-03-01
Features:
"Regarding Mei, the nourishment of my poetic soul entirely depends on you. You hold my poetic soul as a mother holds her child. If he gets cold, you must clothe him; if he gets hungry, you must feed him. With your love, he will never fear hunger or cold, and with your love, he will have life! — Xu Zhimo to Lu Xiaoman, 1936.
In 1936, a major event occurred in Shanghai literary circles. This year marked the fortieth anniversary of the birth and the fifth anniversary of the death of the pioneer of modern Chinese poetry, Xu Zhimo. Lu Xiaoman, Xu Zhimo’s surviving wife, published Diary of Love for Mei, a collection of diary entries and letters she had compiled and edited in memory of him. Thus, she publicly shared their deeply moving and passionate love story, adding a truly authentic and beautiful prose masterpiece to the history of modern Chinese literature.
The term Diary of Love for Mei refers to a series of diary entries and letters written by Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman in the 1920s, as they fell in love and pledged their hearts to each other despite the immense pressure from their families and society. Diary of Love for Mei exists in two versions. One is the "Authentic Handwritten Edition," published in January 1936 by Shanghai Yangrou Book Company. It is a facsimile of Xu Zhimo’s handwritten diary entries from August 9 to 31, 1925, and September 5 to 17, 1925, signed "Xin Shou" (Heart and Hand). The other is the typeset edition, published in March 1936 by Shanghai Yangrou Book Company. In addition to the aforementioned diary entries, it includes eleven letters from Xu Zhimo to Lu Xiaoman from March 3 to May 27, 1925, and Lu Xiaoman’s Diary of Xiaoman from March 11 to July 11, 1925.
The "Authentic Handwritten Edition" is printed on fine Lianshi paper in black and blue, bound with silk thread in a large format, exquisitely crafted, and limited to 100 copies, making it extremely rare. The typeset edition is a small 32-page hardcover book, paired with a delicate dust jacket, equally elegant and charming.
What makes Diary of Love for Mei noteworthy is that it is a sincere declaration of love between Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman. In their brief yet romantic 36 years of life, Xu Zhimo became entangled with three women—Zhang Youyi, Lin Huiyin, and Lu Xiaoman. Among these relationships, his love with Lu Xiaoman was the purest and most moving. After divorcing Zhang Youyi and breaking up with Lin Huiyin, Xu Zhimo met Lu Xiaoman and quickly fell deeply in love with her. Their love was passionate, intense, shocking to the hypocritical moralists of the time, and enviable to those who came after. All of this is clearly revealed in Diary of Love for Mei, allowing readers to experience the vibrant souls of Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman in the most authentic way possible.
Although Xu Zhimo defied conventional morality and pursued an ideal love, his effort to "find his sole soulmate in the vast sea of humanity" ultimately ended in an imperfect emotional tragedy, his love story reflects the confusion and sorrow of an era. Thus, it transcends the mere scandal of a famous figure and gains cultural depth and reflection.