Half a century later, Zhou Hexuan was invited to return to the mainland in 1979. At the end of the year, he attended the Fourth National Literary Congress as a writer and poet. He lived at Peking University during the conference and donated various publications collected in his early years, totaling 107 newspapers. copies, 32 magazines and 3 volumes of poetry journals.
These publications were later displayed in the Peking University History Museum, compiled into a book, printed and published, called "Collection of Curses on the Principal".
In the 1980s, Zhou Hexuan transformed from a reactionary scholar to a patriotic scholar, and an upsurge in research on him began in China. "Harvest" magazine interviewed Shen Congwen and Ding Ling respectively. The two had turned against each other at this time, but their evaluations of Zhou Hexuan were surprisingly consistent. .
"Harvest": Mr. Shen, when did you meet Principal Zhou?
Shen Congwen: I first met him through newspapers and magazines, but the first time we met was in November 1926. He gave a speech on the stage, and I listened in the audience. The speech was unique. He called himself a reactionary warlord. His lackey was spurned by many students.
Harvest: You don’t seem to be a student at Peking University. Why were you there at that time?
Shen Congwen: I worked as an auditor at Peking University, and even pretended to be a regular student to take the exam, and won a three-cent and five-cent scholarship. At that time, I happened to live near Peking University. When I heard that Mr. Zhou was coming, I worked with Hu Yepin and Ding Ling. went.
"Harvest": Why do students scold the principal?
Shen Congwen: Haha, that’s interesting. At that time, Mr. Zhou was the principal appointed by Zhang Zuolin. As soon as he took office, he banned students from spreading progressive ideas. Of course the students wanted to scold him. But it was just a show to the warlords. Privately, everyone still treated Mr. Zhou Very respectful.
"Harvest": Mr. Zhou seems to like to collect articles criticizing him?
Shen Congwen: Yes, Mr. Zhou is a very interesting person. He has a hobby of collecting. I was invited to follow Mr. Zhou to Tianjin and served as the editor of the supplement of "Popular". I worked with Mr. Zhou for more than a year. He saw that he was scolding me. He would carefully read and comment on the articles. He would laugh out loud if he was scolded well, and he would shake his head and sigh if the scolding was substandard. He also liked to collect calligraphy of famous people. I was just a small writer at the time, so he forced me to write. A few paintings of calligraphy.
"Harvest": What kind of person is Mr. Zhou in life?
Shen Congwen: He is not keen on material enjoyment, although he likes delicacies from the sea and the sea, as well as simple meals. He likes to make friends, and can talk, laugh and drink with people from all walks of life. He is smooth and pragmatic but sticks to the bottom line.
Harvest: What impressed you most about him?
Shen Congwen: His thoughts are unpredictable and he has an extremely keen ability to analyze the current situation. I remember that at the end of 1927, while drinking, he predicted that Zhang Zuolin's death was not far away. Looking back now, I have to I admire his insight. At that time, Zhang Zuolin had a deep conflict with the Japanese. Once he lost power and returned to the Northeast, he would inevitably become an assassination target.
Harvest: Since Marquez won the Nobel Prize for Literature last year, Mr. Zhou, the founder of the magical realism genre, has once again attracted widespread attention in the international literary world. Do you think he is likely to win the Nobel Prize?
Shen Congwen: Haha, I can’t say for sure. In 1938, Mr. Zhou was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. In the following decades, he was nominated a total of 21 times. This is already a record that is difficult to break. .
"Harvest": It is true, so Mr. Zhou is known as the uncrowned king of the literary world. Why do you think Mr. Zhou has been nominated but never won the award?
Shen Congwen: Because he is Chinese.
…
"Harvest": Ms. Ding Ling, what kind of person is Zhou Hexuan in your eyes?
Ding Ling: cunning, philistine, funny, knowledgeable, keen, eccentric, straightforward, courageous, responsible, childish, a patriot rooted in the blood and marrow.
"Harvest": Do you rank cunning first?
Ding Ling: He is one of the most cunning people I have ever seen. He is always able to stay safe in complicated situations. You can never guess what is going on in his mind. His philosophy on life, in my opinion, is People who would rather bend than bend often live well and for a long time.
"Harvest": But you also said that he is courageous and responsible?
Ding Ling: Being bold means that he can make decisive decisions. For example, when the reactionary warlord Chu Yupu was defeated and fled, he died inexplicably in the wilderness, and the millions of silver dollars he took with him disappeared. This was done by Zhou Hexuan.
"Harvest": Chu Yupu died at the hands of Mr. Zhou, are you convinced?
Ding Ling: I'm sure he admitted it himself.
"Harvest": It's unbelievable. This matter will definitely cause a sensation if word spreads about it. Where does Mr. Zhou's responsibility lie?
Ding Ling: What he does always leaves you guessing. He is usually a philistine and has an eye for money, but he is extremely generous to his friends. If a down-and-out scholar asks him for help, he will definitely help. I was arrested by the reactionaries in 1933 and placed under house arrest. He actively worked for me, and this friendship is very precious. When the national crisis hit, the Southwest Associated University was in financial difficulty, and he also helped with all his money and helped many teachers and students. At that time, many scholars gathered in Lizhuang, and they all lived in shacks. They ate coarse grains and were extremely poor. Liang Sicheng pawned all his clothes, sold his gold pens and watches, and exchanged them for two grass carps to replenish the health of the sick Lin Huiyin. Except for their children, who could wear cloth shoes in winter, they could only wear cloth shoes in other seasons. Barefoot or wearing straw sandals. After learning about this situation, Mr. Zhou transported three trucks of supplies to Zhouzhuang and distributed them to the scholars there. You must know that at that time, supplies were difficult and prices soared, so these things he transported were a huge sum of money.
"Harvest": Why was Mr. Zhou so rich when everyone was poor at that time, including many celebrities?
Ding Ling: Haha, so he is a cunning philistine. This man transferred his property before the war, sold all the properties in Shanghai and Tianjin, and purchased a large amount of land and houses in the southwest. I remember that there were two towns in Yibin at that time, and the entire The whole street belongs to him, and the rent collected alone can last for decades.
"Harvest": It seems that Mr. Zhou has a lot of business acumen.
Ding Ling: Not only did he have business acumen, but he also had a keen insight into the situation. He knew that North and East China could not be defended and the government would definitely move inland, so he purchased properties in the southwest at low prices in advance. At that time, there were dozens of small counties and towns in the mainland. You can buy a good house with silver dollars. But when the war started, the value immediately increased a hundred times because countless people fled and settled there.
"Harvest": Marquez has just won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is known as the master of magical realism. Mr. Zhou is the originator of the magical realism genre. When do you think Mr. Zhou will win the Nobel Prize?
Ding Ling: I guess it’s hard for me to live to see it.
Harvest: Do you think he has no hope of winning the award?
Ding Ling: Of course there is hope. Believe it or not, if he is willing to immigrate to Europe and the United States, he can win the award next year if he immigrates this year.
"Harvest": I believe it.
Ding Ling (laughing): But he only wants to be Chinese in this life.
