Chapter 42

  Hua Xiongmao shouted and drove away outside, with the help of people living in the dormitory, they finally sent everyone else away. Chen Ke thought that students would naturally be very angry when they saw his attitude. But Chen didn't get angry, if someone really left in a huff, it could only be said that these people had poor upbringing. The current People's Party cannot serve such fierce Zhang Fei-like characters.

  Outside has already started collecting things, Chen Ke hurriedly got up to participate in the labor. As soon as the door opened, others were fine, but Yan Fu was sitting at the table, which shocked Chen Ke. No wonder Hua Xiongmao didn't come knocking on his own door.

  It's not good to go back once you've come out, so Chen Ke started cleaning up with everyone. There are six people living in the constant residence now: Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmao, Chen Tianhua, Xie Mingxian, He Zudao and Qin Wuan. Zhou Yuanxiao has already moved out. The temporary residents include these twenty people who followed Chen Tianhua back. Anyway, it's not cold, so Chen Ke temporarily set up a dormitory, plus the original one, which is just enough. What Chen Ke is urging to be rushed in the new school is the dormitory building. It will be capped soon. Once the dormitory building is basically completed, Chen Ke will immediately transfer the personnel to the school.

  Many hands make light work, and the cleaning was soon finished. Chen Ke had tidied up the kitchen, washed all the pots and pans that were out, and put away the tables and chairs. After the commotion just now, I'm sure everyone must be starving. The remaining dishes were piled on four tables, and everyone sat down again. "Come, let me toast you all," Chen Ke said with a smile. "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival."

  This time it was not as lively as before, and everyone really enjoyed the wine and appreciated the moon.

  "Mr. Chen, can you play the piano?" Wang Qiniang asked him at the table with Chen Keyi.

  "I know a little."

  "May I hear one or two?"

  "Just then, I had an itchy feeling." Chen Ke said, after eating a snack brought by Yan Fu, and drinking the yellow wine in his cup. With renewed enthusiasm, he walked back to the piano again.

  On an early autumn evening, the deep blue night sky was filled with a bright moon and sparse stars. The courtyard had already been fumigated with wormwood, mixed with the fragrance of wine and osmanthus flowers. Chen Ke felt quite good. His fingers flowed smoothly over the keyboard, causing him to recall past memories.

  Thanks to his father's love of music, Chen Ke often went to the railway bureau's music room when he was young. There was also an upright piano in the spacious music room where he followed his father to learn how to play the piano, which is a good memory for Chen Ke in his childhood. At that time, Chen Ke may not have really liked playing the piano, but he loved listening to his father play. However, his father also knew how to capture Chen Ke's thoughts, and after practicing continuously for 20 minutes, his father would play a piece for him. At that time, Chen Ke admired his father very much.

  Later, a piano was also bought at home, and Chen Ke fell into his mother's palm. His mother's requirements were strict, practicing for two hours every day, and 90% of the time was spent playing practice pieces, while only 10% of the time could be used to play songs that Chen Ke liked himself. Chen Ke never figured out why he encountered a strict mother and a kind father, rather than the traditional strict father and kind mother.

  These days, Chen Ke often thinks of his parents. As time goes by in this era, Chen Ke's hope of returning to his own era becomes smaller and smaller. The frequency of missing his parents is also getting lower and lower.

  His fingers touched the icy keys of the piano again, and Chen Ke couldn't help but think of the two people closest to him in the world. It had been several months since he arrived in this era, and if time was passing at the same rate on both sides, his parents should have discovered that their son was missing by now. He didn't know how anxious his parents would be when they suddenly lost contact with him. Although Chen Ke had already moved out to live on his own, no matter what, his parents wouldn't see him for too long and his disappearance would eventually be discovered. Although his parents had always hoped that Chen Ke could take control of his life and become a person who could live freely on his own strength, they still missed him dearly.

  Thinking of this, Chen Ke felt a sense of sadness. But this weak emotion made Chen Ke think of his mother's teachings again, "No one knows what will happen in the future. It's not even certain if you can live until tomorrow. So, don't be tempted by fame and wealth. Not that these are bad things. The problem is that when you pursue fame and wealth, you won't get them. Fame and wealth are given to you by others. Only when others need you will they give you fame and wealth. Therefore, if you don't ask for help from others, you won't be controlled by others. It's better to do things that you can control rather than pursuing things that you can't grasp."

  By now, Chen Ke had truly understood what "the world is unpredictable" meant. Heaven knows how he crossed over.

  In this completely strange world, the only reason Chen Ke could follow was "to do what he could grasp." In 1905, his historical knowledge told him about the course of revolution. As for other ways to make a living, Chen Ke's knowledge in this era was simply not applicable. Whether it was chemical engineering or computer science, unless Chen Ke himself created these modern industries, he would have nothing to do with them.

  If his parents knew that their foolish son had returned to the past and chosen the path of revolution again, what would they say to themselves? Chen Ke's mind conjured up the vivid faces of his parents that he could never forget. His father would definitely have a worried expression and ask: "Can you do it well? Don't do things that you can't handle." As for his mother, her beautiful mouth would slightly curve into a unique and resolute smile that no one else could imitate, "No matter what you choose to do, remember that you must pursue the thing itself, absolutely not for the fame and benefits that come after completing it. You must become an expert in this thing, unwavering and unbetrayed, never deserting."

  Looking up at the moon on August 15th in the sky, Chen Ke sat on the stool and said silently: Dad, Mom, I won't pursue fame and wealth anymore. I will do what I think is right and complete my own career.

  Chen Ke's face wore a faint smile as he pressed down on the piano keys. This was "Lullaby". The composer Schubert, who had once been so hungry that his stomach growled, had exchanged the manuscript of this piece for a plate of beef stew with potatoes. Later, the manuscript had sold at auction for a record 4 million francs. Chen Ke loved this piece, and its warm melody was particularly suitable for this mid-autumn night when the moonlight was like water.

  The vast majority of the live audience had never heard piano performances before, and most of them had never seen a piano, nor did they know that such an instrument existed. But music itself has its charm, not to mention the piano, which is called the king of instruments. The beautiful sound flowed in the courtyard, even the moonlight seemed quieter.

  When Chen Ke finished playing the song, the people around him didn't react at all. Everyone thought the song was good, but they didn't know how to evaluate it. The exotic style that was completely different from Chinese music couldn't fully resonate with the audience.

  Chen Ke didn't mind, and casually played a jazz piano piece. Chen Ke then switched to Chinese music, "A Blooming Jasmine", "Celebrating Harvest", "Sesame Blossoms High", and "Xin Tian You". These authentic Chinese songs were played on the piano, and the audience was completely receptive. Many young people who had heard these songs before hummed along softly.

  But Chen Ke's purpose of wanting a piano was not just for entertainment, he sang and played "My Motherland".

  A wide river with big waves, the wind blows the fragrance of rice flowers on both banks. My home is just on the shore, I'm used to hearing the boatman's calls and seeing the white sails on the boats.

  The maiden is like a flower, the young man's heart is broad and wide. To open up new horizons, they awakened the dormant high mountains, and the river changed its appearance.

  Good mountains and good water make a good place, every road is wide and flat. When friends come, there's good wine; when wolves come, there are hunting guns to greet them.

  "This is the heroic motherland, where I grew up. On this ancient land, everywhere there are beautiful sceneries."

  Chen Ke knew that he couldn't sing as well as artists like Guo Lanying, and more importantly, this song was originally meant for a female singer. Chen Ke couldn't bring out the same feeling. So he just sang according to his own understanding of the song. The melody itself is great, and the lyrics are straightforward. Every time he sings it, Chen Ke feels like the scene described in the song is right before his eyes: the river, rice fields, boatmen, and sails. Chen Ke's main area of activity has always been north of the Yangtze River, so he didn't have a deep understanding of these things. But since he came to Shaoxing and then Shanghai, what he saw along the way matched the lyrics perfectly. And this song is healthy and uplifting, so it's fine to just sing it straightforwardly without having to be overly sentimental or pretentious like some love songs.

  As the song came to an end, the audience was silent as if struck dumb. Chen Ke put down his zither and stood up. Then he saw Hua Xiongmao, with tears in his eyes, being the first to applaud. Although ci poetry was still popular at that time, the art of singing ci poems had long been on the decline. Singing songs had become one of the main businesses of prostitutes. Even if men sang, the majority were local operas. Suddenly hearing such a heavenly song, everyone felt as if they were in a trance. It wasn't until Hua Xiongmao took the lead in applauding that everyone else woke up from their reverie and followed suit.

  He walked back to the table, sat down and asked: "Wen Qing, who wrote this tune?"

  "I wrote it." Chen Ke casually took credit for the achievements of later generations.

  "Directly expressing one's feelings, the artistic conception is excellent. Good song." Yan Fu praised. This was not Yan Fu's polite words, although Yan Fu himself did not indulge in food, drink, prostitution or gambling, he was after all an official figure, and would occasionally accompany his colleagues to listen to opera or songs. He had never been interested in those lewd sounds. After listening to Chen Ke's song, Yan Fu felt invigorated. It was not just that the song was simple and unadorned, but the lyrics were even better. Compared to those ancient poems that were either bold and unrestrained or delicate and intricate, Chen Ke's lyrics, although written in colloquial language, were in no way inferior in terms of meaning or emotional resonance.

  "Wen Qing, teach me to sing this song." Huaxiong Mao said eagerly.

  "This great song can't be enjoyed by Mr. Wenqing alone, I must teach me how to sing it." Mao Ping also said.

  "Let's go moon-gazing tonight and teach singing tomorrow, how about that?" Chen Ke smiled.

  "It's settled then." The comrades all said in agreement.

  Chen Ke thought to himself, everyone wants to sing songs, and I still have many songs that haven't been taught yet. Comrades, after learning "My Motherland", the next one is "The Internationale".

  After drinking a few more cups of wine, the sky grew darker and some people couldn't hold their liquor anymore, getting up to bid farewell and go to sleep. Chen Ke saw that Yan Fu wasn't leaving and knew he had something to say, so he invited Yan Fu to sit in the classroom next to the laboratory for a while. Yan Fu naturally agreed.

  Chen Ke was collecting his things when Wang Qiniang approached him. "Wen Qing, I have something to discuss with you. I want to sell our medicine in Nanyang, are you willing or not?"

  "This is good news," Chen Ke heard and was delighted in his heart. "Tomorrow I will go to the hospital, let's discuss this matter in detail, how about it?"

  "I'll be waiting for you at the hospital tomorrow."

  After sending away those who should be sent away and collecting what should be collected, Chen Ke washed his hands, carried the teapot and snacks to the classroom. As soon as he entered the classroom, he saw Yan Fu sitting there in a daze under the candlelight, looking pale and gaunt. The whole person seemed to have been frozen in place. The dim candlelight cast an eerie shadow on this old fellow's figure.

  "Mr. Yan, what's wrong?" Chen Ke asked with a quiver, and Yan Fu's appearance really scared Chen Ke.

  "Reminded of some old things." Yan Fu's voice was somewhat distant and it seemed he had yet to extricate himself from his thoughts.

  Chen Ke put down his things and sat down, but saw Yan Fu's face facing himself. However, the angle formed by the glasses and the candle was peculiar. In Chen Ke's view, Yan Fu's glasses reflected a bright light, making it impossible to see Yan Fu's eyes behind the lenses. "How did Wen Qing know about the Jiawu affair? How did he find out?"

  "How did I know so much? I've read about both sides, as well as a lot of materials from abroad at that time, so I naturally knew it in such detail." Chen Ke said. But this must not be said to Yan Fu. "I was studying abroad at the time and some foreign classmates were speculating on Japanese government bonds, so I learned more from them." Chen Ke explained.

  Yan Fu's breathing became heavy, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Even young people overseas know about this, yet the imperial court is completely unaware."

  "The imperial court doesn't even understand modern intelligence systems, how can they know so much?" Chen Ke laughed.

  "What is a modern intelligence system." Yan Fu asked immediately.

  Chen Ke told Yan Fu that the characteristics of modern industrial countries are to steal the enemy's highest secrets, but in fact, it is only a small number of people working in the intelligence system. For industrialized countries, especially those with high organization, observing many subtle places, combining diplomacy and strategic layout understanding, can actually judge many things. The movement of various personnel, the purchase of materials, changes in transportation systems, and even fluctuations in prices of some special commodities can all reveal many things. Of course, these must be based on a deep understanding of industrialized countries.

  These words are actually not necessarily correct, but Chen Ke believes that his understanding of industrialized countries far surpasses Yan Fu's. If he thinks these words are somewhat true, then fooling Yan Fu is absolutely no problem.

  As expected, Yan Fu listened to Chen Ke's words and nodded continuously.

  "Wen Qing, you are so young, yet so knowledgeable and well-informed. You conduct yourself with humility, as if inspired by the virtuous, but I don't know what your respected father is called, perhaps I have had the good fortune to meet him before, though it's not certain."

  "Mr. Yan, before I left home, my father made me take an oath that I would never mention my family background. I couldn't be honest with you, please forgive me." Every time someone mentions Chen Ke's family background, Chen Ke feels a very uncomfortable feeling. Although this reason has been mentioned many times, when speaking of it, Chen Ke still has some awkward expressions.

  Yan Fu nodded after listening, and then stared at Chen Ke for a moment. Yan Fu suddenly said: "Wen Qing's talent far surpasses mine, but I am older than him by several years. I want to take Wen Qing as my apprentice, I wonder if Wen Qing is willing?"

  "Ah?" Chen Ke heard this unexpected remark and couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, "Mr. Yan, you're not joking, are you?"

  "I used to be the principal of Beiyang Naval Academy, although many students studied at the academy, but to tell the truth, they were students of the academy, not my students. I'm not joking, I want Wen Qing to be my student."

  So that's how it is. Chen Ke finally understood. Unlike modern education, in ancient times, taking on an apprentice was a very serious matter. The so-called master, this teacher was someone of the same level as one's father. It wasn't uncommon for a disciple to get into trouble and bring calamity to their master's door. Yan Fu saying this meant that he wanted to establish a private master-disciple relationship with Chen Ke. Once this relationship was established, it would mean that Yan Fu would have to vouch for Chen Ke in social relationships. With Yan Fu's great reputation, Chen Ke's value would immediately increase exponentially. As Yan Fu's disciple, his identity would be highly respected among Yan Fu's relatives and friends. Just by looking at this identity, they would have to treat Chen Ke with much more courtesy. They would also be willing to lend a helping hand whenever possible. Moreover, this proposal had another very tempting aspect for Chen Ke: becoming Yan Fu's disciple could greatly make up for his unclear origins.

  However, Chen Ke did not want to agree. Power means responsibility. Becoming Yan Fu's private disciple in an era that attaches great importance to the master-disciple relationship means that those who follow Chen Ke are all considered part of Yan Fu's school in some sense. Yan Fu had a very polarized evaluation of new-style schools and old-style master-disciple relationships. After establishing a private master-disciple relationship, Chen Ke would have to assume certain responsibilities. This is not unfair, as everyone knows the definition of this kind of master-disciple relationship, and this master-disciple relationship was established when Chen Ke was an adult, with no coercion whatsoever. This is very unfavorable for Chen Ke.

  "This...". Chen Ke was considering how to tactfully decline Yan Fu's suggestion. After all, Yan Fu was a big shot who had bluntly made this request. Being flatly rejected would be extremely embarrassing. If he responded inappropriately and enraged Yan Fu, it would be disastrous for Chen Ke, whose foundation was not deep.

  Before Chen Ke finished speaking, Yan Fu said: "Wen Qing's ambitions, I have read Wen Qing's books, listened to Wen Qing's lectures, and seen Wen Qing's military exercises. Today's students can all express Wen Qing's thoughts. If Wen Qing thinks I am completely unaware, it would be underestimating me."

  After hearing Yan Fu's words, Chen Ke was shocked. Could it be that his revolutionary ideas had been seen through so easily? It was truly a failure. But since Yan Fu had seen through his thoughts and still wanted to keep him as a disciple, with Yan Fu's identity, he naturally wouldn't deceive himself. However, he had never heard that Yan Fu was a revolutionary party member.

  "When today's chaos has already formed. If the literati wanted to rely on the imperial court, they would have taken office long ago. Since the literati are concerned about the country and do not want to take office, and gather a crowd of people, I don't want to say more." Yan Fu's words were straightforward.

  "Mr. Yan, with your talent. I personally hope to become Mr. Yan's disciple. However, since Mr. Yan knows my ambition, he must know that what I will do in the future will inevitably implicate Mr. Yan. To be honest, if I were to bow to Mr. Yan as a master now, all I would ask for is Mr. Yan's help. As a disciple, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do anything I should. Even if Mr. Yan doesn't mind, I myself would feel guilty. So, Mr. Yan, I still can't fulfill your wishes."

  "A teacher should help their disciples, right? What Wén Qīng said might seem to put himself in danger from other people's perspective. But for me, it's entirely different. If Wén Qīng were in power in today's China, things wouldn't have fallen into the current state. Wén Qīng refusing to follow the imperial court is just a matter of personal ambition. However, if I couldn't assist someone like Wén Qīng, I would feel uneasy. Besides, I wasn't helping Wén Qīng for my own power or position in the first place. So, Wén Qīng doesn't need to worry about that."

  Chen Ke did not doubt Yan Fu's words, but now Yan Fu has no idea, it does not mean that he will not have an idea in the future. Even if Yan Fu has no idea, others will definitely have ideas. So Chen Ke will absolutely not agree to this matter.

  Yan Fu looked at Chen Ke's expression and knew that Chen Ke would not agree, but he showed no signs of annoyance. "As for what Wen Qing is hoping for now, I can probably guess that it is just a matter of relying on the soil. Whether this will be easy or difficult is still unknown."

  Chen Ke secretly admired him, this old general's vision was still very accurate, and he had been working hard to prepare for the establishment of a base.

  However, the literati must go north once. Although I am a Fujianese and have never been fond of northerners, and today the south seems to be thriving, the true heroes who can determine the fate are still in the north. If the literati want to achieve great things, they need the help of northern heroes. I think taking the literati as an apprentice is to let them go to Beijing once. Many of my old friends are in Beijing and Tianjin, among whom there are many talents. I will introduce the literati to them.

  Chen Ke was really moved by these words. He had also wanted to go north and establish a party branch, but he was stuck without a breakthrough point. If Chen Ke went alone, the heroes of the north would not have recognized him as a "fake foreign devil" plus a "real comprador". With Yan Fu's help, Beijing might really be able to go. However, Chen Ke still did not want to acknowledge Yan Fu as his master. After all, Chen Ke was the leader of the People's Party and could not make decisions on such matters without the consent of the party branch.

  "This..." Chen Ke wanted to speak but stopped himself.

  "There's no need to rush this matter. Today, after listening to Wén Qīng's account of many things, I also had some feelings. That's why I hastily wanted to take Wén Qīng as a disciple. This matter can be considered carefully later." After finishing speaking, Yán Fù stood up. "It's already very late, I'll take my leave now."

  Chen Ke saw Yan Fu off at the gate with a relaxed heart.

  "Wen Qing doesn't have to see us off far. Let's say goodbye here." Yan Fu said.

  "Mr. Yan, I apologize if my words have offended you in any way." Chen Ke was still a bit nervous.

  "It is said that one should not mind sacrificing oneself for the task at hand, and not forget one's life when seeing benefits. Wen Qing, you have done a good job. Keep it up." Yan Fu said, slightly waving his hand towards Chen Ke. This old general walked with light steps, using the powerful movements unique to military personnel, walking towards the street entrance. Although he had a queue, his figure in Chen Ke's eyes was not unpleasant at all.

  Watching Yan Fu's figure disappear into the distance, Chen Ke finally let out a sigh of relief. Since none of the party members were around today, he would definitely have to tell them about Yan Fu's matter tomorrow. Oh right, tomorrow he also had to remember to mention Wang Qi Nian's proposal to sell medicine in Southeast Asia. Watching Yan Fu's figure disappear around the street corner, Chen Ke entered the courtyard, carefully closing and locking the door. He covered the piano with a cloth, then took another look around before returning to his dormitory. Lying on his bed, Chen Ke thought he would think about many things. Unexpectedly, not long after lying down, he fell into a dreamland.

  Episode 42