Zhao Jing Shen's Academic Path

Author: Zhao Yilin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Fu Xi has returned to Shaoxing, and the temporary editorship of Beixin has been taken over by me. After 40 issues, it may also be moved to Beijing for editing, and it will be changed to a monthly publication with expanded content. The article you sent, "The Gracefulness and Boldness of Chinese Literature," I daringly accepted for publication in Beixin. I hope this won’t cause offense? If you have intentions of coming to Shanghai, that would be great. After arriving in Shanghai, if you’re willing, I’d like to ask you to help out at the publishing house. Here’s some money for your travel expenses. No one is immune to hardship, and receiving a friend’s help during tough times is nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve boldly written these few lines, and at the end, I wish you a safe arrival in Shanghai.
Xiaofeng,
May 30th.
However, the financial support from Xiaoli Feng was not sent at the time, as the letter included a small note: "The transfer to your institution is not possible, so I couldn’t send it. What can I do?" Despite this, Xiaoli Feng’s invitation was sincere.
After Zhao Jingshen arrived in Shanghai, with the help of literary friends like Zheng Zhenduo, Gu Junzheng, and Xu Tiufu, he first joined the Open University Press. At that time, he lived in Xu Tiufu’s home. Later, after repeated invitations from Xiaoli Feng, he joined the North China Book Company in 1930. By then, Zhao Jingshen had already gained some reputation in the literary world and was appointed as the chief editor at the North China Book Company.
Xiaoli Feng had translated a children’s book titled Two Legs earlier in his youth. Coincidentally, Zhao Jingshen was also involved in children’s literature—he was the one who introduced The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm to China. When Zhao Jingshen first joined the North China Book Company, his meeting with Xiaoli Feng was nothing short of joyful! They both had round faces, wore thick-rimmed glasses, had short, plump physiques, and kept their hair in a flat-top style. Their attire was equally simple. It was as if they were kindred spirits from the moment they met, and they talked for hours on end, bursting into laughter at intervals.
In 1931, the two of them decided to translate a complete set of German Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The project resulted in 14 volumes. Only one volume was translated by Xiaoli Feng, while the rest were done by Zhao Jingshen. This set of fairy tales sold very well; because they could be purchased individually at low prices, many people bought them. Of course, quite a few also bought the entire set. Additionally, in 1934, Zhao Jingshen compiled a set of children’s picture stories, which totaled 55 volumes. Each book was very thin, costing just a few cents, and featured colorful covers, making them extremely popular among children. Among these, Little Black Carbon Beats the Bear and A Little Pea were written by Zhao Jingshen. However, this set of children’s picture stories was not published under the name of the North China Book Company but rather under the name of Children’s Book Publishing House to qualify for more paper permits.
As for other children’s books, many more were indeed compiled, but they are not worth elaborating on here. At that time, the North China Book Company had its own printing press, operated by a single printer named Zhu Qingquan. As a result, each printing run could only produce a few thousand copies, which was already quite impressive. When printing multi-color covers, technical difficulties led to many being ruined. Later, Zhu Qingquan improved his methods, added some kind of part, and ensured perfect color alignment, eliminating any further issues. I heard that Zhu Qingquan later opened his own printing factory and became a successful boss.
Xiaoli Feng put a lot of effort into producing the two sets of books mentioned above. From applying for paper permits to the final binding, he was involved in every step. Zhao Jingshen, on the other hand, placed great importance on proofreading.