The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Chongqing, Southwest Hospital.

"Mr. Zhou, please come in quickly." Chen Xiaoxia invited Zhou Hexuan into the ward.

Chen Xiaoxia is Zhang Jiluan's third wife. She is young and beautiful. She married Zhang Jiluan five years ago. Zhang Jiluan's first wife, surnamed Gao, died of illness at an early age; his second wife, surnamed Fan, broke up peacefully. The first two wives could not produce children, so Zhang Jiluan married Chen Xiaoxia to continue their relationship.

Zhou Hexuan nodded and stepped into the door. He saw Zhang Jiluan on the hospital bed in a coma and was so thin that only his skeleton was left. He put the gift on the bedside and asked, "Sister-in-law, is Brother Ji Luan still awake?"

Chen Xiaoxia said: "I woke up for a while last night and talked some nonsense."

"What did the doctor say?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

"There is no cure." Chen Xiaoxia felt sad.

Historically, Zhang Jiluan died of illness as early as September, but now it is rare for him to wait until December. He had been seriously ill in the summer, and all affairs of "Ta Kung Pao" were entrusted to deputy editor Wang Yunsheng. A few days ago, Chiang Kai-shek visited the hospital in person.

Zhou Hexuan lamented: "I asked him to quit opium as soon as possible, but he just didn't listen."

Chen Xiaoxia said: "He also wants to quit, but he just can't."

Few people know that Zhang Jiluan, who often writes articles in newspapers calling for a ban on smoking, is actually an opium addict himself.

Zhang Jiluan once wrote an editorial "Smoking Ban and Foot Ban", comparing foot binding and opium smoking. He said that smoking ban is the foundation of national health care. Smoking opium is more harmful than binding feet and wearing pigtails. The National Government should make every effort to ban opium.

It can be seen that Zhang Jiluan is well aware of the harmful effects of opium, but he has a reckless nature and lacks perseverance. He has quit opium for half his life but has no effect.

Zhang Jiluan was one of those bohemian old-style literati who often invited friends to visit brothels. He wrote many editorials for Ta Kung Pao in the room of Lao Qi, a young prostitute. Japanese friend Kenkichi Yahara often advised Zhang Giluan to give up opium. He replied: "Afurong is like the seventh child. I am just acting for the occasion."

Yahara Kenkichi is a doctor who lives in Peiping. Northern literati such as Zhang Jiluan, Zhang Henshui, Guan Yixian, and many military and political officials would gather at Yahara Kenkichi's house every now and then. This Japanese friend has already left the United States because the Japanese army discovered that he helped his Chinese friends escape from occupied areas.

"Bang bang bang!"

There was a knock on the door.

Zhang Henshui came in to visit. He nodded to Zhou Hexuan and asked, "How is brother Ji Luan?"

Zhou Hexuan shook his head.

"Alas." Zhang Henshui sighed.

The two of them sat in the ward for half an hour. Zhang Jiluan was still unconscious, so they could only get up and say goodbye to Chen Xiaoxia.

After leaving the hospital, Zhou Hexuan and Zhang Henshui found a teahouse to sit down.

Zhou Hexuan recalled: "The first time I met Brother Ji Luan was in a teahouse in Tianjin. More than ten years passed in the blink of an eye."

"Who says it's not the case," Zhang Henshui shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I was drinking with Brother Ji Luan half a year ago. I didn't expect that he would be seriously ill when I came back from a trip to the south."

The two chatted with each other about interesting things from the past, and even laughed while chatting. Zhang Jiluan's anecdotes were really hilarious.

However, it was said that the dandies in Peiping were doing a lot of bad things, and a newspaper criticized them with the title "It is the father's fault if they are not educated." At that time, Zhang Jiluan, Zhang Henshui and others were gathering at Yahara Kenkichi's house. Zhang Jiluan said: "Reading this title, I got a couplet. The first couplet says: My father's fault, who of you can correct the second couplet?"

A friend said: "How about 'Zi Buyu'?"

Zhang Jiluan shook his head and said: "It's not right, it's not work, it's not as appropriate as 'fuck it'."

Everyone laughed and praised its wonderfulness.

Although the articles written by Zhang Jiluan are harsh and satirical, in private he is extremely witty and humorous, and he is proficient in eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling.

"By the way," Zhang Henshui put down the tea bowl, "Fu Mengzhen (Fu Sinian) wants to co-sign the name again, and he invited me to sign it too. Brother Mingcheng, have you received the invitation?"

Zhou Hexuan shook his head and said: "I received a letter from Fu Sinian, but Kong Xiangxi cannot be defeated, and I am too lazy to waste time."

"Yes, it's easier said than done," Zhang Henshui said with emotion. "This time, Chen Lifu used the topic to impeach Kong Xiangxi through the hands of your right hand. How could it be possible to succeed?"

Although Zhang Henshui was a scholar, he had a clear understanding of the factional struggle within the Kuomintang.

The CC Department controlled by Chen Lifu has become a behemoth, which makes Chiang Kai-shek deeply afraid. The more Chen Lifu impeaches Kong Xiangxi, the more Chiang Kai-shek will protect Kong Xiangxi - the CC Department must not let its hands get into the financial system.

Kong Xiangxi did not belong to any faction of the Kuomintang, but he had conflicts with almost all factions of the Kuomintang. Such a "lone minister" is Chang Kaishen's gun, playing an irreplaceable role in the political world.

"Has brother Zheng returned to Chongqing?" Zhang Henshui asked.

Zhou Hexuan said: "I came back yesterday. The exposure of the 'newspaper masters are worse than dogs' scandal made our President Jiang lose his face, so he quickly sent another special plane to pick him up."

"This is really dumbfounding. Are the Kong family all idiots?" Zhang Henshui shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Zhou Hexuan said disdainfully: "Kong Lingwei is a dog-brained person. I believe that Soong Ailing is a smart person. I often go to Yunxiu Tower to chat with Soong Meiling. Soong Meiling is seriously influenced by her eldest sister. Is a woman who can influence Soong Meiling ideologically a fool?" But she let more than a dozen pet dogs board the plane and was unwilling to give up a few empty seats for Zheng's brother. She was obviously arrogant, or she didn't regard the person who ran the newspaper as a human being at all."

Zhang Henshui said: "That's true. Last time I communicated with the US special envoy Mr. Curry, Mr. Curry said something that impressed me deeply. He was living in Kong Xiangxi's home at the time, and one day he discussed China's inflation with Kong Xiangxi. . What do you think Kong Xiangxi said? Kong Xiangxi said: How can there be inflation in China? It is because the ignorant people do not trust the government and do not use the legal currency printed by the government as money. This causes the legal currency to depreciate and prices to skyrocket. As long as everyone agrees Legal currency will inevitably have a solid currency value and stable prices.”

Zhou Hexuan laughed dumbly and said: "I'm afraid, our Minister Kong is telling lies. I don't believe he really doesn't understand."

"Who knows, maybe he really thinks so." Zhang Henshui shook his head repeatedly.

The two of them were drinking tea, chatting and listening to a play, feeling relaxed and comfortable. At this moment——

"Extra number! Extra number!"

"Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Japan attacked the U.S. fleet!"

"Extra number! Extra number..."

Zhang Henshui stood up and rushed outside the teahouse, knocking over several bamboo chairs along the way. He stood at the door and shouted: "Newspaper, give me a newspaper!"

Finally here, Zhou Hexuan walked out slowly with a smile.

After a while, Zhang Henshui danced with the newspaper: "Mingcheng, if the United States joins the war, China will have nothing to worry about. I guess the war will be almost over next year."