This woman's name is Feng Shundi, and when she was 17 years old, she married a man 30 years older than her as a continuation.
At the age of 23, she became a widow and never married.
She didn't study, but she trained her son Hu Shi to be a great writer.
If there is a woman behind a successful man who supports him silently, then the woman behind Hu Shi is his mother Feng Shundi.
As an ordinary mother, what is so special about Feng Shundi?Let's dive into her story.
Feng Shundi was born in 1873 and was a native of Jixi, Anhui Province.
Her father was a seamstress who supported his family of six by craft.
As the eldest in the family, Feng Shundi was very distressed when she watched her father work all day long.
She inadvertently learned from her mother that her father's wish was to renovate the family house, but because of poverty, the renovation of the house had not started for a long time.
In order to make his parents less tired, Feng Shundi often helped them with housework and took care of his younger siblings.
When Feng Shundi was about to get married, people from ten miles and eight villages were scrambling to marry Feng Shundi.
One named Hu Chuan is one of them.
Hu Chuan's original name was Shoushan, the word Tiehua, and Feng Shundi are in the same county.
He was tall and a scholar, and after entering school at the age of 24, he failed to pass several township exams after that, and then gave up.
After that, he began to study the geography of the frontier, traveling from south to north.
In 1884, Hu Chuan was sent to Hunchun to work with the Russian official Lang Misar to survey the border of Heidingzi.
In 1887, Hu Chuan went south to Hainan Island with Wu Dashi to inspect Litong Mountain Township and the ends of the world, and came to the conclusion that "Li is tame, and there is no need to suppress it."There are few trees, not enough;Li Tong is narrow, not worth the county", for Wu Dayi's reference when developing Qiongzhou.
In 1888, the Yellow River broke in Zhengzhou, and Wu was transferred to the post of governor of the river. Hu Chuan continued to accompany him to treat Huang.
In 1891, Hu Chuan was sent to the prefect of Jiangsu Province as an alternate.
Hu Chuan. Hu Chuan had two wives, and his original partner Feng died in the Taiping Army and had no children. The second wife, Cao, died after giving birth to three sons and three daughters.
Now that he went to Feng's house to propose marriage, he heard about Feng Shundi's good reputation, and he hoped that there would be a hostess in the family as soon as possible.
At this time, Feng Shundi was only 17 years old, and Hu Chuan was 30 years older than her.
Although the Hu family is rich and powerful, Feng's mother thinks that there is a huge age difference between the two, and Hu Chuan's child is even older than her daughter, and she still wants her daughter to fill the house, she is unwilling after all.
Just when she wanted to find a reason to refuse, Feng Shundi offered to marry Hu Chuan.
Listening to their daughter's words, Feng's father and Feng's mother were stunned, and they asked her why.
Feng Shundi: "I know that my father has always wanted to build a new house, but as the eldest daughter in the family, I can't help. If we marry him, they will give us a sum of money so that my father can build a house. ”
My father was in tears: "I want to build a new house, but I care more about whether you are happy." ”
Feng Shundi comforted his father: "I didn't marry him all for money, I didn't study, he was a scholar, marry him, I can study if I have children in the future, and I will live a good life in the future." ”
After listening to Feng Shundi's words, the parents felt that it was very reasonable, and after repeated considerations, they finally accepted Hu Chuan's proposal.
In this way, Feng Shundi became Hu Chuan's third wife.
Feng's father got a sum of money and built a new house as he wished, and Feng Shundi's life in the Hu family was also enjoyable.
It can be said that Feng Shundi's marriage to Hu Chuan is a win-win thing.
Soon after marriage, Feng Shundi gave birth to a son, Hu Shi, nicknamed Heimi.
In 1892, Hu Chuan went to Taiwan Island as the "Chief Inspector of the All-Taiwan Camp Office".
During this period, Feng Shundi stayed in Shanghai with his children.
In 1893, when Hu Shi was older, his mother Feng Shundi took Hu Shi to Taiwan to reunite with Hu Chuan.
Hu shi. In 1894, the Sino-Japanese War broke out.
In order to escape the war, Feng Shundi left Taiwan with his son and returned to his hometown of Shangzhuang Town, Jixi County, Anhui Province.
However, not long after Feng Shundi returned, there was news that Hu Chuan had died of a serious illness in Xiamen.
When Feng Shundi heard the bad news, her body fell backwards, and she fell to the ground with a chair, and immediately burst into tears, and the whole family also cried.
At this time, Feng Shundi was only 23 years old, and his son Hu Shi was only 3 years old.
In this way, the young Feng Shundi began a widowhood life.
When he decided to marry Hu Chuan, Feng Shundi was already ready to let his children study hard, although now that her husband is gone, the matter of studying cannot be put on hold.
In fact, before Hu Shi was 3 years old, Feng Shundi had already taught him to know a lot of words.
Originally, Feng Shundi was also illiterate, but her husband Hu Chuanchuan taught her after marriage, Hu Chuanchuan wrote italics on the square red paper, taught Feng Shundi to read and write one by one, and then Feng Shundi taught his son Hu Shi.
In more than a year, Feng Shundi knew nearly 1,000 words, and his son also knew more than 700 words.
After Hu Chuan's death, Feng Shundi always remembered his last words: "My son is quite talented, and he should be allowed to study." ”
Therefore, when his son was four years old, Feng Shundi sent him to a private school to study.
In the private school, because he was too short, Hu Shi couldn't climb the stool, and he had to be hugged and hugged every day, but Feng Shundi didn't give up and let him study.
In order to let the teacher take more care of Hu Shi and teach Hu Shi more knowledge, Feng Shundi will pay more tuition to the teacher every year. The annual tuition fee of other students was only two silver yuan, but Feng Shundi gave six yuan. Later, it reached 12 pieces.
This is definitely a lot of money for Feng Shundi, who is living in poverty, and for this reason, she also sold her jewelry.
But in order for his son to learn more knowledge, Feng Shundi was willing.
Feng Shundi hopes that his son can become a man who stands up to the sky like his husband, "You always have to step in the footsteps of your old son." I have only known this perfect man all my life, and you must learn from him, and do not fall into his shares. ”
Falling in stock means losing face or making a fool of yourself. ）
Hu Chuan once said to Feng Shundi that Zengzi's famous saying "I am three provinces and my body", and she insisted on spurring her son with this.
Every night before going to bed, Feng Shundi sat on the edge of the bed and asked Hu Shi to stand in front of the bed, thinking about what he had done wrong today, what he said wrong, and whether he had completed the homework that he should memorize and write.
In the morning, she would wake up her son and urge him to go to school quickly.
In the ten days, there is always a ** day Hu Shi is the first to go to the school gate.
Hu Shi did not disappoint his mother, and his grades have always been excellent. When Hu Shi was nine years old, he began to read classic literature such as "Water Margin".
At the age of eleven, Hu Shi was already able to read "Zizhi Tongjian" with a red pen, and he also created a "Song of the Emperors of the Past Dynasties".
Later, this manuscript was passed to the local prefect, and the prefect was so appreciative that hundreds of copies were printed on rice paper and distributed everywhere. Hu Shi has since won the title of "little prodigy".
In 1904, Hu Shi went to Shanghai to study at the recommendation of his private school teacher. ”
Later, Hu Shi went to the United States to study, in order to support his son's further academic attainments, Feng Shundi heard that a relative's family had a set of books "Book Integration" at a low price**, she actually borrowed 80 yuan to buy it for her son, just because she had heard her son say that he wanted this set of books very much, but he couldn't do it due to financial constraints.
It can be said that Feng Shundi built a bridge to the country of knowledge for Hu Shi with the deepest love of a mother, and she supported her son to swim in the ocean of knowledge with the most simple methods.
Although Feng Shundi only has one baby son, she is never pampered.
Hu Shi had an illness in Taiwan when he was a child, and his body was very thin, so his mother Feng Shundi did not allow him to run and jump, let alone play with naughty children.
But children are making trouble every day, whenever Hu Shi does something wrong, Feng Shundi never reproaches him in front of others, just glances at it with a stern eye, and Hu Shi is frightened.
In the dead of night, Feng Shundi closed the door and taught him a hard lesson, so that he could firmly remember his mistakes.
Feng Shundi's education method that was both strict and protective of his self-esteem made Hu Shi know how to be a serious person and cherish his reputation since he was a child.
Once, Feng Shundi asked his son who made a mistake to kneel, Hu Shi kept wiping his eyes with the back of his hand while crying, and his eyes were accidentally infected with bacteria and suffered from eye diseases for more than a year.
Later, Feng Shundi heard a local method, that is, licking with the tongue can cure the eye disease, that night, Feng Shundi woke up the sleeping Hu Shi, licked his sick eye with his tongue, and finally his eye disease was really cured.
Feng Shundi's approach is really moving, in this kind of strict education, it is more of a mother's love.
After Hu Chuan's death, Feng Shundi became the head of the house, and she was very strict in running the house. How much money is spent at home, every day every month, every penny is also required to be recorded by the young Hu Shi so that everyone in the family knows.
She is in charge of the house, and she will not embezzle a penny for private individuals. She has to record it personally every time, so that her son knows how her money is used and her housekeeper is fair.
After Hu Chuan's death, a large family lost their pillars and lost their economy, and life became more and more difficult.
Since Hu Shi's eldest brother and second sister are older than Feng Shundi, it is really difficult for her to be in charge of such a big family at the age of twenty-three.
Hu Shi's eldest brother has been a loser since he was a child, he smokes opium and gambles, as long as the money arrives, it will be all spent immediately. When you don't have money, you take out the valuable things at home and sell them.
Hu shi. Every year on Chinese New Year's Eve, a large number of people who want accounts come to the door, and at first Feng Shundi pretended not to see it, until midnight, she begged the neighbor's family to send a little money to each of the people who asked for accounts, so that they could be sent away.
The debtor left, and Hu Shi's eldest brother dared to knock on the door and go home.
Although such a thing has happened for six or seven years, Feng Shundi has never scolded this eldest son who is older than himself.
Fortunately, Hu Shi's second brother is very competitive, and he has been working hard outside to do business to earn money to support the family, which also makes Feng Shundi, as the head of the house, a little easier.
Although he was a little easier financially, Feng Shundi lived a very humble life.
When Hu Shi was eleven years old, Feng Shundi asked Hu Shi's second and third brothers: "Mi is eleven years old this year." You told him to study. Can you see how he reads?”
The second brother didn't speak, and the third brother sneered: "Hmph, study!."”
The second brother never said anything.
Feng Shundi sat for a while, and only when he returned to the room did he dare to shed tears. She didn't dare to offend them, because the family's financial power was all in the hands of the second brother, and if her son went out to study, he would have to rely on him to pay for the tuition.
So Feng Shundi could only shed tears and didn't dare to cry all year round.
Hu Shi's two sisters-in-law often quarreled, and they would scold each other, which was unbearable, and sometimes they would beat and scold the children to get angry.
Feng Shundi never spoke, pretending not to hear, sometimes they scolded too badly, Feng Shundi would find a place where no one was there to hide.
Feng Shundi treats people very kindly and gently, and never says anything hurtful about feelings, but she can't bear the insults in terms of personality.
Once, Feng Shundi heard Hu Shi's fifth brother spread a rumor about her: when Feng Shundi had something at home, he always asked someone for help, and it was likely that he had given him some benefits, and the relationship between the two was not innocent.
Feng Shundi cried angrily when she found out, she asked several elders of her family to administer justice and confront Hu Shi's fifth brother face to face.
Hu Shi's fifth brother is an unemployed vagrant, without a proper job, he has nothing to do all day long, often chewing his tongue and telling right and wrong.
In front of the elders, he knew that he was at the loss, and finally he apologized to Brother Feng Shun.
Feng Shundi had to see the face of Hu Shi's brother and sister-in-law at home, to maintain the harmony of the big family, to be wronged for no reason, and to try his best to fight for Hu Shi's education funds ...... from the cracks of life
It's hard to imagine this kind of pain for people who haven't experienced it.
When Hu Shi missed his mother, he wrote: "The pain of this kind of life, my stupid pen can't write 1/2/10,000. - If I have learned the slightest bit of good temper, if I have learned a little bit of kindness, if I can forgive and be considerate, I have to thank my loving mother. ”
In Hu Shi's education, Feng Shundi is an enlightened mother who pays great attention to intellectual investment, but in the marriage of her son, Feng Shundi is not so enlightened.
When Hu Shi was thirteen years old, Feng Shundi set a family affair for him, the woman's name was Jiang Dongxiu, one year older than Hu Shi, and the two families were a little related, Jiang Dongxiu's aunt was Hu Shi's aunt.
Jiang Dongxiu was born in a large family, but he didn't read much, he only knew simple words and could read letters.
Jiang Dongxiu and Hu Shi.
Jiang's mother likes Hu Shi very much, thinking that he has a future and is the most suitable son-in-law of the Jiang family, and she is bent on forming this family business.
At first, Feng Shundi was unwilling.
Later, Jiang's mother asked Hu Shi's uncle (who gave him a lot of benefits) to be a matchmaker for Mr. Hu Xiangjian, who taught a private school in Jiangcun, and Jiang Dongxiu was a student of Hu Xiangjian.
In order to promote this family business, Hu Xiangjian tried his best to speak well in front of Feng Shundi, and said a lot of good things about Jiang Dongxiu, and Feng Shundi was moved by him.
Later, Feng Shundi watched Jiang Dongxiu's "Eight Characters" again, which was very suitable for his son.
In this way, their marriage was decided in 1904.
However, Hu Shi did not agree with this family business.
Later, when Hu Shi was studying in the United States, he got along with an American girl named Wei Liansi.
Wei Liansi was born in a scholarly family in New York, Hu Shi was 7 years old, and Hu Shi was in the same university as Hu Shi, and she was a classmate, but she studied art.
After the two became emotional, Hu Shi wrote a letter to his mother Feng Shundi, asking to dissolve the marriage contract with Jiang Dongxiu.
After Feng Shundi received the letter, she told Hu Shi that this was impossible, and on the other hand, she also wrote a letter to Wei Liansi, telling her that Hu Shi already had a wife at home.
Willens. Originally, Wei Liansi's mother did not agree that she and Hu Shi were together, and coupled with Feng Shundi's "divine assistance", Hu Shi and Wei Liansi, the lovers, had to break up.
In the end, Hu Shi returned to his hometown and married Jiang Dongxiu.
At the beginning of 1910, Hu Shi's second brother learned that in June of the same year, the capital would hold an entrance examination for official students studying in the United States, and strongly recommended Hu Shi to participate.
Hu Shi wrote a letter to tell his mother, and Feng Shundi immediately replied, encouraging his son to study and go to Beijing to take the exam. After being admitted to the official scholarship in the United States, Hu Shi wrote a letter to his mother to report the good news.
Feng Shundi immediately replied to his son: "After you arrive in the United States, you should send a letter to your home diligently, at least once a month." Take two photos a year and send them to your home, don't be lazy. ”
During Hu Shi's study in the United States, he could only write letters to communicate with his mother.
Feng Shundi knows that her son's opportunity to study Xi is not easy to come by, she understands and supports her son, in 7 years, she has never had a word of complaint, and even when he is seriously ill, he does not let people tell his son, Feng Shundi instructed his family: "If I am ill, I must not tell my son about this, but still ask someone to write to him every month to make it look like I am still alive." When he returns home after completing his studies, show him this ** of mine, just like seeing me in person. ”
Hu Shi lived up to his mother's expectations. In 1917, he passed the defense of his doctorate at Columbia University, received his doctorate, and returned to his hometown.
Feng Shundi leaned against the door, saw his son from a distance, and couldn't help but burst into tears.
After Hu Shi returned to China, the family's economic situation improved, but Feng Shundi died the next year at the age of 46 due to overwork and physical exhaustion.
Under the cultivation and influence of Feng Shundi, his son Hu Shi later became the founder of China's new literature, historiography, and philosophy, and became internationally famous, and was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Although Feng Shundi's family was poor, she was only the most ordinary of thousands of women at that time, and her extraordinary thing was that she cultivated an excellent son.
If Hu Shi's knowledge is as majestic as Kunlun, then Feng Shundi may be even taller.