After receiving the news that the lectures were going as usual, Chen Muwu finally got some reassurance.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered another thing, so he turned around and asked Hu Shi a question: "In addition, I would also like to ask sir, when you were in the conference room today, did Mr. Zhou Qimeng show up for the meeting? "
"Qimeng?" Hu Shi thought for a moment, "It seems that he didn't come. I don't know if it's because there are classes at Beijing Normal University, or for some other reason."
"Okay, thank you sir, I'll take my leave now."
Zhou Qimeng, another friend whom his eldest brother Chen Muqiao asked him to visit, also taught at Bei University.
The reason why Chen Muwu asked Hu Shi about this person was because he still had three kilograms of winter bamboo shoots to give to him.
Winter bamboo shoots, a very tender and fresh thing, begin to age quickly as soon as they are dug out of the ground, so they must be eaten as soon as possible.
The six kilograms of winter bamboo shoots that Chen Muwu brought with him took him two days of traveling from Jihai to Beijing. If they were not handed over to others quickly, they would probably become a piece of firewood that could not be chewed.
After coming out of Beida, he went back to the horse house in Dongbanqiao, took another three kilograms of winter bamboo shoots, called a foreign car, and went straight to Badaowan.
When he called for a foreign car again, Chen Muwu was still under a lot of psychological pressure, but the main reason was that he was not familiar with the geography of Beijing and didn't know where the address was this time, so he had to ask others for help.
This time, the rickshaw driver was not as talkative as Xiangzi in the morning. He was like a dull gourd, pulling the cart away without saying a word.
This gave Chen Muwu plenty of time to think: he had always been curious about how the male owner of the family chose a house so that he could be far away from the Ministry of Education where he worked and the Beida University where he worked part-time at the same time.
Speaking of Zhou Qimeng, the old friend of eldest brother Chen Muqiao, readers may not know who this person is yet.
But when it comes to his name Zhou Zuoren, many people may feel familiar with it.
Speaking of Zhou Zuoren's eldest brother Zhou Shuren, everyone knows about it.
That's right, through Chen Muwu's eldest brother and Mr. Lu Xun's second brother, these two unrelated characters are connected.
In 1905, Jiang Province selected one hundred students to study abroad at public expense, specializing in normal education, commonly known as the "Hundred Normal School".
Chen Muwu's eldest brother, Chen Muqiao, and his wife, Ma Yuzao's family, where Chen Muwu lives now, were selected together.
Chen Muqiao was from Jiyu County, Shaoxing Prefecture, and Ma Yuzao was from Yinxian County, Linbo Prefecture. The two prefectures of Ningxia and Shaoxing have been one family since ancient times.
Therefore, although Ma Yuzao was seven or eight years older than Chen Muqiao, the two people in a foreign country quickly became close.
The next year, Zhou Zuoren also followed in his eldest brother's footsteps and traveled east to Qiben to study. He was the same age as Chen Muqiao and both were from Shaoxing Prefecture, so the two naturally got together.
During the years when Chen Muqiao studied abroad in Qianben, among the best friends he made, these two were the two of them.
After returning to China, Ma Yuzao entered Bei University and became the dean of the Department of Chinese Studies. Zhou Zuoren once again followed in his elder brother's footsteps and also lived in Bei Jing.
Chen Muqiao, on the other hand, wanted to find a job close to home, so he returned to Baihai and entered Nanyang Public School.
"There are close friends across the sea, and they are like neighbors across the world." The three friends were separated in two places, but the exchange of letters between them never stopped.
After learning that his younger brother was going to give lectures at Bei University, Chen Muqiao immediately thought of his two good friends, so he sent a telegram to them respectively, asking them to take more care of them, and asked if they could use the spare room to allow him to My younger brother stayed with me for ten days and a half.
Zhou Zuoren himself lives in a house bought by his elder brother, and there are many female dependents at home, so it is inconvenient to arrange it.
Fortunately, Yuzao Arima sent a positive reply in the call back, so that Chen Muwu in Beijing would not be reduced to a situation where he had no place to stay.
"Sir, Badaowan Hutong has arrived."
The coachman's call brought Chen Muwu, who was wandering in a daze, back to his senses.
He got out of the car with his baggage, paid the fare, and knocked on the black door of the Shenzhai compound again.
The door opened a small crack, and a teenage boy showed his head: "Who are you looking for?"
"My name is Chen Muwu, and I'm here to see Mr. Zhou Qimeng."
"Are you looking for my father? Then please come in."
He then opened the door, and Chen Muwu followed him into the yard.
"Dad, Dad! Someone is looking for you!"
The child shouted towards the backyard while taking small steps.
"Master Feng'er, please keep your voice down, Mr. Da is studying in the room."
A middle-aged woman dressed as a maid spoke in a local accent and whispered to the child in front of her.
Mr. Big? Could it be referring to Lu Xun?
Chen Muwu thought to himself.
He followed the child to the west wing of the backyard and saw a rich middle-aged man coming to the door to greet him. This man must be Zhou Zuoren.
"Brother Tuesday, my younger brother Chen Muwu came to visit me."
"Resembling, really resembling! Han Chen, you really seem to be carved from the same mold as your elder brother. Please come into the house!"
Chen Muwu secretly cursed and said that my eldest brother and I look alike, but you and your eldest brother are the same!
No wonder Chen Muwu said this. If Zhou Zuoren could grow the hair on his bald head, he would be like Lu Xun.
Zhou Zuoren led Chen Muwu to the Eight Immortals table and sat on the left and right sides.
His wife, Yuta Nobuko, then served Chen Muwu a cup of tea.
Chen Muwu put the baggage on the Eight Immortals table: "Brother Tuesday, these are three kilograms of winter bamboo shoots that my eldest brother asked me to bring. After two days on the road, I don't know how many parts are left to eat. You have to eat them as soon as possible."
Zhou Zuoren asked his wife to send the winter bamboo shoots to the kitchen so that there would be an extra dish of dry-roasted winter bamboo shoots at noon today.
Then he started chatting with Chen Muwu, talking about the current situation of his elder brother Chen Muqiao, the flood that happened in Bijiang Province last year, etc.
The two chatted here and there, and the time soon came to noon.
"Dad, dad, let's eat, let's eat!"
Zhou Zuoren's son ran in again, so Zhou Zuoren also extended an invitation to Chen Muwu: "Hanchen, please have a bite at home at noon today."
You can just take a bite as you say, but in Chinese hospitality etiquette, staying at home to eat is the highest treatment.
Chen Muwu knew that this was a sign of intimacy, so he did not reject the kindness.
He followed Zhou Zuoren to the restaurant, where there was a small square table with four pairs of bowls and chopsticks placed on it.
It seemed that it was just the host and his wife, plus the children, and himself.
Unexpectedly, after the three of them sat down, Zhou Zuoren's wife Yu Taixinzi did not show up.
After a few more minutes, when no one came, Zhou Zuoren said to his youngest son beside him: "Feng'er, go and ask your uncle to come for dinner."
The child got up from his chair and ran to the door.
Chen Muwu was shocked: So this fourth set of bowls and chopsticks was not prepared for Mrs. Zhou?
Uncle?
Is it really Mr. Lu Xun?
