Volume 1: A sound on Wall Street, Xinxiang City is busy copying books end
This chapter's subtitle: Yuan Sanduo's wedding story
Friday, January 21, 1921. St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, New York.
"I didn't expect them to get married so soon!"
"Yeah, how long have they known each other? It seems like less than two months."
"Hush, be quiet. The priest is going to start the oath."
"Urian Herman Chandler, do you take Julie Rogers to be your wife? Do you agree that no matter good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick, happy or sad, you will love her unconditionally and be faithful to her forever?"
"I do."
"Julie Rogers, are you willing to marry the man in front of you as a legal couple? No matter if you are healthy or sick, poor or rich, young and beautiful or old, you are always willing to love him, accompany him, support him, and stay with him for the rest of your life. Are you willing?"
"I do."
"In the presence of God and us, Julian and Julie held hands and made solemn vows to be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives. In the name of God, I declare them a legal couple. This is a marriage blessed by God, and may they never be separated."
"You can exchange rings now."
Best man Yuan Yanshu and bridesmaid Lillian Gish stepped forward and handed them wedding rings.
After they put on the rings, the priest said loudly: "Then groom, you can kiss your bride."
“Pah pah pah pah pah pah pah pah…”
While everyone was applauding, the bridesmaid glanced at the best man with a very resentful look, leaned over and whispered, "Mr. Yuan, when are you getting married?"
Yuan Yan suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "Lilian, please don't joke with me. If I'm unlucky, it will take at least three years for me to get married..."
" Even in the eyes of his contemporaries in the Republic of China, Mr. Yuan Yanshu was a very controversial figure. Not only did he spare no effort to seek innovation and change in literature, but he also made unprecedented discoveries in academia. In addition, he was even more eccentric in his private life and ignored secular legislation. He had a nickname called Yuan Sanduo, which meant that he had many friends, many enemies, and many women..."
"Someone once joked that Mr. Yuan was best at three things: making boyfriends, making enemies, and making girlfriends."
"To put it in modern terms, Mr. Yuan Yanshu had a very high emotional quotient and his eloquence was unmatched. As long as he was willing to say a few words, people would regard him as a close friend. People at that time said: Talking with Xiao Yuan was like being bathed in spring breeze."
"In addition, he was generous and never cared about material things. He also loved the hustle and bustle of life. Whether in China or abroad, as long as he settled down, his house was always full of banquets. Mr. Yuan often said that wherever there were people in the world, there were his friends. He called himself "Mengchang had three thousand guests, and Hongjian had five teachers."'. "
"But at the same time, he was wild and outspoken, and when he offended someone, he would offend them to death. For example, when he returned to China, he happened to catch up with the third debate between Chinese and Western culture, which was in full swing."
"The first direct theoretical confrontation between Chinese and Western culture began with the founding of New Youth in 1915. The focus of the first debate was on the evaluation and understanding of the differences between Chinese and Western cultures. The second large-scale debate followed after the May Fourth Movement in 1919. The spread of new culture was an unstoppable trend, and the argument of completely rejecting foreign culture was no longer tenable. Therefore, the 'harmony theory' of Chinese and Western culture, represented by Zhang Shizhao, emerged on the cultural front."
"The third debate between Chinese and Western culture took place in the early 1920s. Its theme was the status and value of Chinese culture in world culture. Liang Qichao returned from Europe and published "My European Travels" in 1918, in which he expressed a large number of his impressions. At the same time, Liang Shuming published "Eastern and Western Cultures and Their Philosophies" in 1921. They both came to the same conclusion: the road of Western culture had come to an end, and it was time for Chinese culture to revive and become world culture."
"Hu Shi and others immediately responded to the challenge. Mr. Hu believed that the scientific and democratic development, that is, Westernization, of China and India in the future was unquestionable. Li Dazhao, Qu Qiubai and other scholars began to use the theoretical weapons of Marxism to participate in this debate."
"At this time, Mr. Yuan returned to China. A reporter interviewed him about his views on the "Two Liangs". Mr. Yuan actually said that Liang Qichao was like Lu Fengxian, and his words were afraid of polluting his ears. Liang Shoumin looked like Pang Shiyuan, and his books were afraid of blinding his eyes...."
"As you can imagine, these two sentences immediately offended Erliang and their students, old friends, classmates and relatives, and created a large group of enemies out of thin air."
"When it comes to women, most people have many women because they have a lot of money, but Mr. Yuan is just the opposite. He has a lot of money because he has many women. He and his first wife, Ms. Wei Mingzhu, the daughter of a wealthy family in Southeast Asia, agreed before marriage that they would never take concubines, but he had numerous casual affairs with Chinese and foreign women. In addition, Mr. Yuan Yanshu also 'kept' more than a dozen mistresses."
"And all these mistresses were wealthy. Some were food company owners, some were film and television company chairmen, some were clothing industry leaders, and some were shipping group shareholders. At the time, some people laughed at him for being a foreign-educated man who lived off his wife. Yuan Yanshu himself was not ashamed of it, but proud of it. He even said shamelessly, 'Why shouldn't I eat the food I eat with my own ability? If you have the ability, go eat it too!'"
"It is said that his father was very angry when he saw Mr. Yuan's statement and asked him to take back his words or he would sever the father-son relationship with him. Mr. Yuan Yanshu replied to his father that after severing the father-son relationship, the big hole in Yuan's Exchange had nothing to do with him."
"In fact, his wife Wei Mingzhu brought him a lot of wealth. It is said that the dowry given by the Wei family alone was worth 3 million Dutch guilders, equivalent to 1.2 million US dollars and 2.4 million silver dollars! This caused a sensation throughout China at the time. People at that time said: The Wei family married off their daughter, and the Yuan family was well fed."
"In fact, the Wei family is one of the wealthy families of Javanese native Chinese. At that time, Chinese immigrants in Java were divided into the Perana Kan community and the Totak community. Chinese immigration to Southeast Asia has a long history. According to statistics, before the Opium War, the Fujianese in Java accounted for more than 80% of the total number of overseas Chinese. At that time, the Qing government prohibited the Chinese from leaving the country, believing that the overseas Chinese "abandoned the rule of the king" and adopted a hostile attitude towards the overseas Chinese. Therefore, the phenomenon of large-scale Chinese immigration to Java had not yet appeared. After the Opium War, a large number of contract Chinese workers, mainly from Guangdong, entered Indonesia and became the main body of overseas Chinese from Guangdong. The descendants of the Fujianese who originally moved here are the Perana Kan, who are in the minority. The "newcomers", mainly "contract Chinese workers", are in the majority. The Perana Kan has an absolute advantage over the Totak in both politics and economy."
"The Nanyang Wei family originated from Chaozhou. The mid-Ming Dynasty was the most glorious period for the Chaoshan Wei family. At that time, foreign trade had already begun to take shape. The Wei family made full use of this advantage and formed a large and influential seafaring family. The Wei Xizhai family, who lived in Fusha, Chenghai, alone owned 18 large ships that could sail directly to the countries of Nanyang. His descendants called him "the Lord of the Sea." The Wei family who settled in Anbu built their own docks and warehouses. The Wei families in Jieyang, Chenghai and Chaozhou all became the richest people in their localities because of their involvement in seafaring."
"In the sixth year of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty (1470 AD), the imperial court sent an imperial commissioner to Chaozhou to investigate the ban. The Chaoshan shipping family, whose business was just beginning, suffered a heavy blow. People were arrested, detained and beheaded. Ships were burned and goods were confiscated. Several villages were scattered. The Wei family called this incident the "Navigation Case". At the end of the Ming Dynasty, after Wei Zhongxian's fall, the Donglin Party naturally filled the court. The Chaoshan Wei family was inexplicably "involved" in the case of Wei Zhongxian, the Nine Thousand Years Old, and actually became the eunuch party. Several villages inhabited by the Wei family were scattered in this incident. After these two groups of Wei family members came to Southeast Asia, they became prominent families among the native Chinese."
"But in fact, apart from a small part of the 3 million Dutch guilders being the real dowry, the rest was the 'gift money' from Huang Zhonghan, the richest man in Southeast Asia at the time, the 'Sugar King'. Otherwise, it would not have been possible to have so much. You should know that after his death, Ms. Huang Huilan's share of the estate was only 500,000 US dollars. And a large part of it was bribes given to some important people in Europe through Mr. Yuan."
"The Dutch colonists had long coveted the Huang family's huge wealth. In 1921, the Dutch Indonesian government demanded that Huang Zhonghan pay 35 million Dutch guilders in taxes on the grounds of levying "war taxes" and "double income taxes," and at the same time attempted to acquire his company for 70 million Dutch guilders. Huang Zhonghan refused to be blackmailed and moved to Singapore in anger."
"When Mr. Yuan Yanshu, who was in Europe at the time, learned about this, he used his power to exert great pressure on the Dutch government. He also met with Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands through William II to "advise" her, which finally made the matter come to nothing. So, as he himself said, this big bowl of soft rice was really earned by his own ability."
"The marriage between the Yuan and Wei families was a sensation at the time, especially in the Chinese community around the world, and was considered a grand event. The two people who came to the wedding were Shi Zhaoji and Gu Weijun, the two ministers of the Republic of China to the United Kingdom and the United States. They first held a wedding ceremony in New York.. "
"Compared to the grand wedding reception, what was more interesting was the marriage ceremony between the two of them. Mrs. Yuan had originally refused the marriage proposal before they even met because of her religious beliefs, but she unexpectedly fell in love with Mr. Yuan Yanshu at first sight and decided to marry him. Blinded by love, she boldly proposed to Mr. Yuan in public and asked for the wedding to be held on the spot."
"This was absolutely a shocking move at the time, not to mention in the conservative Chinese community. However, the amazing thing is that afterward, these Chinese people, young and old, praised Wei Mingzhu's bold action and called her a remarkable woman who recognized heroes and respected heroes."
"If it weren't for her niece, Ms. Huang Huilan, who accompanied her on the blind date, who stopped their hasty behavior, the wedding might have really been held on Christmas Eve in 1920. Ms. Huang persuaded her aunt to give up her impulsive behavior. In the end, the two held a simple but solemn Naji ceremony under the witness of the Chinese community in New York."
"If we follow the Zhou Li, then there are six rituals in marriage: Nacai, Wenming, Naji, Nazheng, Qingqi, and Qinying. The third step is that the man compares the names of both parties and if he thinks it is auspicious, he will send a matchmaker with a small gift to the woman to make the engagement, which is also called Xiaoding and Wending."
"By the time of the Republic of China, marriage ceremonies naturally did not need to be so complicated. Ms. Huang Huilan did this because she felt that under the conditions at the time, holding an engagement ceremony seemed shabby, let alone a wedding. In addition, neither party's parents or relatives were present, and there was not even a suitable witness, which was really not in line with the status of the two parties. So after discussing with others, she held a Naji ceremony, which was actually an engagement ceremony."
"The overseas Chinese present donated money one after another, and the gift money alone amounted to four to five thousand US dollars. In addition, the Hongmen in New York held a three-day banquet in Chinatown for the couple's engagement."
"According to the original plan, they would hold their wedding in New York after informing their parents. But unexpected events happened. Just after the New Year of 1921, Wei Mingzhu received a telegram saying that her father was seriously ill, and she had to board a ship back to Java."
"Fortunately, Mr. Wei eventually recovered his health, but their marriage was still delayed. It was not until 1922 that Mr. Yuan Yanshu went to Semarang to pick up his bride. Their wedding was finally held in Shanghai, China. It was a case of good things taking time and twists and turns."
"When the two got married in Shanghai, important figures from all walks of life in Europe and the United States, such as US President Harding, Secretary of State Hughes, Wall Street tycoons Mr. Morgan Jr. and Mr. Rockefeller Jr., Russell, Keynes, Einstein, etc., all sent congratulatory telegrams. The guests present were even more famous and celebrities, and the consuls of various countries in Shanghai went to congratulate them in person. Not only the Shanghai police, but also Zhejiang Post-War Supervisor Lu Yongxiang and Songhu Guard Envoy He Fenglin, as well as the US and Japanese Marines, all sent troops to maintain order at the wedding. It was truly an unprecedented grand occasion. Even the subsequent marriage between Chiang and Song could not compare to it. It is said that Soong Mei-ling considered it the greatest hatred in her life, and this also caused a rift between Mr. Yuan Yanshu and the four major families."
"Newspapers in northern and southern China, as well as major newspapers around the world such as The New York Times and The Times, all published extensive coverage of their wedding. These media outlets called their wedding the 'Chinese wedding of the century.'"
"After that, there was a saying in Shanghai: If you want to marry a wife, marry Wei Mingzhu; if you want to marry a man, marry Yuan Hongjian."
——Excerpt from Anecdotes of Masters in the Republic of China
