To Brother Zisheng [2]:

Your humble letter has reached me; I wonder whether it arrived safely? Communication is often circuitous and not easily conveyed. Now the scorching sun blazes forth, making weary reading all the more arduous. The urban environment, far from springs and rocks, is filled with clamor and filth—truly unbearable. My present abode is only slightly better than other places. Recently, Mr. Fang Weixia [3] returned home on leave and informed me that the position of Chinese literature teacher at the county’s higher primary school is vacant. Candidates from the provincial capital have already gone back to their hometowns for the summer, and truly capable individuals are rare; moreover, even those who exist are usually snapped up by the first to apply. Therefore, he came to inquire about me, suggesting that you might be just the right person. However, I do not know whether you are free or occupied. It seems to me that your heart lies in the provincial capital, and you would prefer not to move elsewhere—to entrust yourself to a prestigious school where outstanding talents can be nurtured—that is one reason; secondly, being among teachers and friends of high caliber would provide ample opportunities for mutual learning and instruction. As for ordinary schools, it would indeed be appropriate not to consider them. Yet times change, and one’s intentions may shift as well—it remains to be seen. Thus, I have set forth these thoughts, leaving the final decision to you! The post in question involves teaching fifteen hours per week as head of the Chinese department at a regular school, with an annual salary of two hundred strings of cash, plus separate provisions for horse and carriage. According to Mr. Fang, there are still many distinguished scholars working at that school. One gentleman, for example, has been there for over ten years and possesses a solid scholarly foundation, so if he wishes to pursue advanced research in classical learning, he will certainly find many congenial colleagues with whom to exchange ideas. Please reply as soon as you receive this letter, for the new term is drawing near, and the person responsible for hiring—the principal—is already awaiting your response. I shall not dwell further upon this matter.

With respectful greetings and best wishes,

To my venerable elder brother Zizhang [4],

Your younger brother, Ze Dong, respectfully submits this note.

August 3rd

Printed from the manuscript.

Notes

[1] This letter does not indicate the year of composition. The letter asks whether Xiao Zisheng is “free” and willing to teach at a “regular school,” which suggests that it was written around the time Xiao graduated from the First Normal School in 1915, before he had decided to take up a teaching post at the Xiuye School. Therefore, this letter likely dates from 1915.

[2] Zisheng refers to Xiao Zisheng (1894–1976), also known as Xudong, a native of Xiangxiang County, Hunan Province. He was a student in the third class of Hunan Provincial No. 1 Normal School and one of the founders of the New People’s Society. After graduating from the Normal School in 1915, he successively taught at the Xiuye and Chuyi Schools in Changsha. In 1919, he went to France to study through the Work-Study Program, returning to China in 1924. He later served as a member of the Beiping Municipal Party Affairs Guidance Committee of the Kuomintang. Following the split between the KMT and the CPC in 1927, he held various posts such as Vice Minister of Agriculture and Mining in the Nationalist government, and subsequently lived abroad for many years. He died in Paraguay in 1976.

[3] Fang Weixia (1879–1936) was from Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. He studied in Japan in his youth and returned to China in 1910, serving as a teacher and supervisor at Hunan Provincial No. 1 Normal School. In 1926, he joined the Communist Party of China. He later held positions such as Party Representative of the Fifth Division of the Second Army of the National Revolutionary Army and Director-General of the General Office of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic. He was killed in action at Shatian, Guidong County, Hunan Province, in 1936.

[4] Zizhang refers to Xiao Zizhang (1896–1983), also known as Xiao Zhibin or Xiao San, a native of Xiangxiang County, Hunan Province. He was the younger brother of Xiao Zisheng and a student in the third class of Hunan Provincial No. 1 Normal School. A member of the New People’s Society, he went to France in 1920 under the Work-Study Program and joined the Communist Party of China in 1922. The following year, he traveled to the Soviet Union for further studies, returning to China in 1924. He served as Secretary of the Northern Regional Committee of the Communist Youth League and Head of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, among other posts. In 1930, representing Chinese leftist writers, he attended the International Congress of Revolutionary Writers, edited the Chinese edition of “World Revolutionary Literature,” and engaged in literary creation. In 1939, he returned to Yan’an. Before and after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he was involved in international diplomatic work and cultural activities.