Dear President Xu,
Hello. I am writing to you today with great anxiety and anxiety. Anxiety is because it matters a lot, and anxiety is because of fear of writing impudently because of anxiety. Anyway, I must tell you something that has been buried in my heart for a long time. These words are related to a bookstore and the owner of this bookstore.
If you have ever walked through every corner of Quanshan Campus of Normal University, you may remember that there is a row of low-rise bungalows in the southwest corner of the gymnasium. In the bungalow, there is a bookstore called Jianghai Bookstore. Mr. Liao Haijiang, the shopkeeper, is an influential folk poet. There is no doubt that this bookstore is like an island in the Pacific Ocean and an oasis in the desert. Its outstanding temperament is in sharp contrast with the vulgar and noisy business district in the distance.
Universities are based on humanities and academics. If you have been to Jianghai Bookstore, you will find that any book in it has rich humanistic connotation and far-reaching academic significance, and there is no vulgar work. Therefore, it is of far-reaching significance to Xu Normal University students and Xu Normal University. The significance of its owner, Mr. Liao Haijiang, to Xu Normal University may not be easy to see today, but I believe that ten or twenty years later, it will definitely be another scene. At that time, people mentioned Xu Normal University, besides Mr. Liao Xudong, there were also you-Mr. Xu Fangming, Mr. Li Changji, Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang. They will also mention Mr. Liao Haijiang with great emotion. Why do you have to feel bad? Because * * * what he wants to do most in his life is just to contribute to the transmission of the humanistic fire of Xu Normal University and add more charm to this university with profound humanistic background. Today, however, he faces losing such an opportunity. He said with emotion: "Although the Normal University is big, there is no place for me to study." His emotion is reminiscent of the cry in the 1930s: "Beiping is too big, quiet desk!" "
Your colleague, Mr. Cai Yuanpei, a saint, once said, "Great scholars, people who study profound knowledge ... follow the principle of freedom of thought and adopt the doctrine of tolerance." Therefore, in the era when Cai Yuanpei was in charge of Peking University, there were not only rich masters of Chinese studies such as Huang Kan and Liu, but also pioneers of thought such as Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi and Lu Xun. Similarly, Xu Normal University, which you are in charge of, is also full of stars: Mr. Li Changji, a master of Yuanqu, Mr. neurolinguistics, a pioneer of popular literature research in Taiwan Province Province, and Dr. Tian Chongxue, who is famous for his research ... Their personalities are also very unique. Mr. Li Changji is aloof, Mr. Yang Yiming is childlike, Mr. Zhong Fang is low-key and modest, and Mr. Tian Chongxue is spontaneous. Look at these stars and their temperament, it seems that something is missing. Mr. Liao Haijiang has something that seems to be missing, that is, the grassroots consciousness and the consciousness of helping the world.
This reminds me that many predecessors happily recalled Mr. Liao Haijiang's concern for them. They have never been looked down upon for reading in the bookstore. Instead, they often enjoy the treatment that Mr. Liao Haijiang gave them his seat. Mr. Liao Haijiang sells their old books on behalf of others and never takes much money. Moreover, the price of the books he usually sells is extremely low, and often the genuine books are only 2~4 fold. This is undoubtedly a gospel for many students (including me) who are hard up. And we forget that Mr. Liao Haijiang's income is only enough to maintain shop operation and basic living expenses. His glasses are huge black plastic frames in the 1960s (I believe you have worn them). And one of the temples is broken, so I barely use super glue.
You once talked about the integrity and personality beauty of the great sage Mencius in the lecture room, and we admire it very much. Mencius has a saying: if you are poor, you will be immune to it, and if you are rich, you will help the world. In today's society, it is difficult to be independent, let alone help the world. But Mr Liao Haijiang is silently doing this seemingly slogan thing. Many poor students often go to Liao Haijiang's home for dinner. Mr. Liao Haijiang is never supercilious and always smiles. One more thing is admirable. A classmate once took out his books for charity sale and donated them to poor students. After Mr. Liao heard about it, he immediately took out 200 new books to support it. Later, six or seven hundred yuan was raised and donated to poor students, but Mr. Liao only got back the rest of the books and never mentioned it again.
It is such a grass-roots poet who treats others with self-denial, but today he is involved in an endless lawsuit with the College of Arts and Sciences. I am well aware of the specific situation, and dare not comment on it because it is of great importance. I just want to say that under the sky of Normal University, there is no need to go to court and meet each other late. What's more, Mr. Liao Haijiang, who is in it, is restrained everywhere and often wants to value peace. However, some people in the society instigated him to try to force Mr. Liao to leave by smashing doors, welding doors and throwing books. I witnessed the whole process one by one, and there are photos to prove it. If you have time, please browse a little, and you will definitely judge right and wrong in your mind.
President Xu, I love Xu Normal University. No matter how wrong it is, I still love her, as Mr. Yu Guangzhong said, "I still love my mother who has syphilis." Because of his deep love and urgent responsibility, a senior wrote an open letter to Mr. Zhong Fang on the thoroughfare of five provinces a few years ago, which attracted numerous posts. It is said that after reading the open letter, Mr. Zhong Fang was deeply moved, saying that after all, there are such people in the College of Liberal Arts that make people afraid. Today, I was learning and doing, and I didn't dare to write until things got worse. I feel speechless and ashamed for my predecessors. Wang Binbin has a saying: China's writers are too clever. Although I am not a writer, I am a scholar after all. I dare to talk to you today, and I dare to say it once to let you know that in this normal university, which is dominated by girls, there are still enthusiastic scholars who dare to say it. With your generosity, I believe you can forgive the recklessness and impulsiveness of future generations.
Remember the last seminar on China literature in the 20th century, when Mr. Chen tentatively asked if you could criticize Mr. Xu? Like Hong Zhong, you answered without hesitation, which drew warm applause from the audience. At that time, your manners amazed us. I hope you can accept a scholar's immature humble opinion, and at the same time I hope you can strengthen communication with the college, so that the college and Mr. Liao can reach an understanding and not fight to the death. And you are the backbone of turning war into friendship, and you are bound to make great contributions.
If you don't give up, you can condescend to visit Jianghai Bookstore in your spare time at night, and you will have unexpected gains.
Gossip, seemingly indecent, nonsense, honestly, looking forward to your reply.
Song Ji
Normal college students: Zhou Shuai.
This post was published by students of Beijing Normal University in Beijing Review on April 22nd, 2008 19:20:47.