Chapter 6 of 10
Chapter 6
18 min read4,464 words
The Republic of China was a畸形 era, during which countless scholars and celebrities emerged, including many master-level figures. The bustling international settlement was filled with extravagant upper-class individuals, and the younger generation enthusiastically pursued international trends. In stark contrast, the lives of the lower-class people were extremely difficult, with countless poor people dying from illness or starvation.
Take wages, for example. The rickshaw driver Zhou Hexuan encountered that day had to work himself to the bone just to barely support his family. If he fell ill, he would have no money for medical treatment and would have to endure the pain, often leading to death.
However, Zhou Hexuan's manuscript fees for writing novels were one yuan per thousand characters. He could easily earn enough to keep a rickshaw driver busy for half a month by writing a few thousand characters.
How valuable was one yuan?
At that time, rice in Shanghai cost only six cents per pound, and prices in the Beijing-Tianjin region were 20% lower, with four to five cents buying a pound of rice.
University lecturers at the time started with a monthly salary of 100 yuan, and professors earned several hundred yuan a month. The saying "knowledge is wealth" was vividly demonstrated in the Republic of China.
Of course, many professors and lecturers complained about being poor because the Beiyang government often delayed paying salaries. Sometimes they were delayed for months or even years, and sometimes they only received half their salary. Later, many northern professors and lecturers moved south, partly due to political reasons and partly because they couldn't get their salaries.
Take the great writer Lu Xun, for example. In 1920, his salary was delayed for three months; in 1921, it was delayed for six months; and in 1922, it was delayed for another three months. Lu Xun had to earn extra money by writing articles and giving lectures; otherwise, he couldn't afford to buy a house in Beijing.
If even a great writer like Lu Xun had his salary delayed, the situation for junior lecturers was even worse, with some Peking University teachers having to borrow money to get by.
Li Shoumin had previously worked as a junior civil servant in Beijing. He once complained to Zhou Hexuan during a casual chat, saying that working for the Beiyang government was not worth it, and getting half a year's salary after working for a year was considered good luck.
Just based on the fact that salaries were not paid, one could predict that the Beiyang government would eventually fall, as it was too unreliable!
Many people in later generations admired life in the Republic of China and idolized the so-called "Republican style." If these people were really sent back to the Republic of China for half a year, they would probably roll up their sleeves and curse.
...
Zhou Hexuan's 70,000-word manuscript earned him over 70 yuan in manuscript fees, finally filling his pockets and ensuring he wouldn't worry about next month's living expenses. He gave 10 silver dollars to Mrs. Zhou as this month's food money and decided to freeload at Li Shoumin's house from then on.
However, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" had not yet started serialization and had to wait until other works were completed.
That night, Li Shoumin returned home very late, sighing and looking extremely upset.
Zhou Hexuan asked, "What happened?"
"A tragedy occurred in Beijing. Feng Yuxiang's troops fired on petitioning students, killing 47 people on the spot and injuring over 100," Li Shoumin said, slamming the table in anger. "This is outrageous! They are completely lawless! If they are so capable, why don't they fire on the Japanese?"
Zhou Hexuan remained silent, knowing that the famous "March 18th Massacre" had finally happened.
The incident was triggered by the warlord conflicts of the Beiyang government. Feng Yuxiang, to defend against Zhang Zuolin's naval attack, laid mines at Dagu. This action angered the eight countries—Britain, America, France, Japan, and Italy—which jointly protested to the Beiyang government and issued a 44-hour ultimatum, demanding the removal of the mines at Dagu or they would use force.
These eight countries not only protested but also sent warships to Dagu.
The ultimatum from the eight countries was not just about removing the mines; it also demanded that the Beiyang government dismantle all the forts from Dagu to Beijing, which far exceeded the content of the Boxer Protocol.
When the news broke, patriotic students and the public were outraged. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party jointly held meetings and organized student and public demonstrations, hoping the Beiyang government would reject the shameless demands of the eight powers.
During the massacre, General Feng Yuxiang was not in Beijing; he had already resigned and was preparing to go to the Soviet Union (to avoid the storm). It was his subordinates who ordered the troops to fire, resulting in nearly 200 students and civilians being killed or injured.
...
The next morning, Zhou Hexuan bought several newspapers, and sure enough, the front-page news was all about the March 18th Massacre, with all major newspapers criticizing the Beiyang government.
The national public opinion was in an uproar because the Beiyang government was truly outrageous and excessive. The students and the public were engaged in patriotic petitions, targeting the eight powers, but the soldiers did not fight the powers; instead, they turned their guns on their own people.
What kind of nonsense is this?
Mr. Lu Xun's famous essay "In Memory of Liu Hezhen" was quickly published in the "Yu Si" weekly: "True warriors dare to face the bleakness of life, dare to confront the gushing blood..."
Zhou Hexuan had always viewed this era from an outsider's perspective and knew that the March 18th Massacre would happen on that day. But seeing the articles condemning the incident in the newspapers and Lu Xun's essay, he felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.
This was a society that had lost all sense of right and wrong!
Zhou Hexuan finally deeply understood why so many righteous and brave people in the Republic of China were willing to sacrifice their lives for a better world. They just wanted to create a clear and just society.
Perhaps he should do something?
Zhou Hexuan couldn't help but think this, but he was ultimately a minor figure with little influence. He didn't want to go south to apply to the Whampoa Military Academy, as it would be a waste to become cannon fodder. Even if the Beiyang government were overthrown, it would just be a change of faces, not a real change.
The more Zhou Hexuan thought, the more he felt lost, unable to find his place in this era.
Now, the passionate young people in China either joined patriotic organizations with enthusiasm or joined the military with ideals to serve the country. But Zhou Hexuan couldn't do it, as he knew the future course of history and didn't want to get involved, as joining any side would put his life at risk.
Sigh, let's just take it one step at a time.
Zhou Hexuan had an ostrich mentality and was not yet ready to throw himself into the tide of the times. As a small citizen living in Tianjin, his most direct feeling was that prices were rising!
Zhang Zuolin was attacking Tianjin, and the Japanese were helping him. Feng Yuxiang's National Army was clearly struggling, and the city was on the verge of falling.
With the war imminent, everything in the city was getting more expensive, and many citizens were stockpiling food and water to prepare for various emergencies.
Ironically, the teahouses in Tianjin continued to do business as usual, with no shortage of people drinking tea and playing cards. The theaters were still bustling, with performances on stage and enthusiastic applause from the audience.
It seemed that people had long become accustomed to war.
No matter how the political landscape changed, ordinary people were most concerned about their own lives. They just wanted to eat and stay warm, and if they had some spare money, they would go out for tea or a show, regardless of who was the president.
It was under these circumstances that Zhou Hexuan's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" began serialization.
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