In the same year, Ni "returned from Jizhou". (1) The reason for going home is not clear. It may be because faithfulness angered the powerful. Ni also has plans to retire and wants to go back to his hometown to live a free life for a few years. Nida Village (then Jinsheng Village, Longchi, Tonghua Township, Pujiang County) is a small mountain village at the junction of Pujiang and Lanxi counties. Ni once wrote: "I live in Lanpu, with beautiful hills, secluded trees and windows, and horses and chariots are behind me, while the villagers are wild and autonomous outside the fields, doing nothing, or called Xiao Taoyuan Cloud." (2) After Ni returned to his hometown, there were many flowers and trees on the small lake (commonly known as "Longchi") far away from his residence. (3) Poems on Eight Scenes of Little West Lake were handed down from generation to generation. At this time, Ni Shangzhong devoted all his love to training his children, especially the young girl Ni Renji. Because she is in a relatively relaxed environment, Ni is also able to grow up freely physically and mentally. She clearly recalled: "Dr. Cheng Xian was only ten years old when he gave the book. It is better to regard him as a young man." (4) Ni's Genealogy also records in detail: Ni's "123" ability lies in poetry and prose, and he is good at embroidery and calligraphy and painting. Male (according to: Ni) shows people every time, only by what ". ⑤ This kind of "appreciation" education provides superior conditions for Ni's healthy growth and success. His third brother Ni, who is only ten years older than him (the elder brother Ni Renyou and the second brother Ni Renyou both died young at the age of nine or ten, so Ni and Ni have the deepest feelings) is a master of calligraphy and personally teaches her to practice calligraphy. According to Ni Yiying, the son of Ni, after Ni's training and her own efforts, her calligraphy is "round and rhyming, comparable to block letters, sensitive and knowledgeable, and can form its own sentences". ⑥
Of course, in this scholarly family, Ni also received a systematic Confucian education from an early age, "filial piety, Analects of Confucius, four books and two rituals." However, a remote and simple mountain village, a relatively enlightened father, a caring family and an encouraging education have all freed Ni from the bondage of "a woman without talent is virtue" to a certain extent, allowing her nature to develop freely and artistic cells to germinate, thus laying an indispensable solid foundation for her life-long creation.
In her "Ningxiangge Poetry Draft", there are three rare poems that record the life of girls, showing the extraordinary talent and innocence of "expressing feelings for new poems". The full text is reproduced below.
Flower dynasty:
"There is no good condition to enjoy spring, full of beautiful scenery. The bottom of the flower is poor, it was spent last month, and the old man accompanied the flowers. "
Run with Mrs. Fu:
"Meggie heaped up spring jade to cut shoulders, and Yushu walked slowly. Turn around and shine on the pool head, and a new kind of lotus will bloom on the water. "
Back to the boat:
"The riverside is so misty, it is difficult to dream, easy to worry, and I remember Xiling's smile, which makes me hate the boat."
Because of this, Ni remembered her hometown and a girl's life all her life, and drew inexhaustible artistic inspiration from it.
Happy and unhappy marriage.
When Ni Renji was fourteen, her biological mother died unfortunately. Nishang Middle School has shouldered the burden of his father and mother. Ni Renji once recalled: "fourteen years old, unfortunately, if you lose your first wife, your father will also be your mother." ⑧ Enlightened father, in order to fulfill the responsibility of both father and mother, adopted the extremely rare standard of "choosing a spouse by writing" at that time. The truthfully recorded Ni family tree left a precious record of "winning Lang with literature", and there were vivid stories in Dayuan village folklore, but this was deleted in the Qing Jiaqing edition of Yiwu County Chronicle with strong feudal color.
As a result of the choice, Ni 17 married a scholar in Dayuan Village, Qingkou, Yiwu, 40 miles away. They are like-minded and naturally very loving. He was also a scholar of several generations, and his great-grandfather Wu was also an honest official. He saved the people in the anti-Japanese struggle, strongly supported the clean government action of Hai Rui (then county magistrate), and finally went to the minister of punishments. But in the two generations of Wu Zhiyi's grandfather Wu Dayuan and his father Wu Cunzhong, there were no big officials. Ranked fourth, his eldest brother Wu, his second brother Wu Zhishi and his third brother are all talented but hardworking scholars. When Ni got married, his father Wu Cunzhong had passed away. My widowed mother Gong is too eager for her children to succeed, and her study in class is too strict, which puts too much pressure on Wu Zhiyi. According to the "Ni's Genealogy", "he is a noble son, and he is less conceited. Ji saw the Gong widow's family and learned to be kind in the class, so he had to accept it and stay in his room. If he is afraid of friends, his artistic rationality will be beneficial. " Pet-name ruby but Wu Zhiyi's mental burden has not been reduced, originally weak body overwhelmed, and unfortunately was hit by the "Xia Di", which is accurately recorded in Nishi's genealogy. Ni's two poems "Sending Abroad" in "Ningxiangge Poetry Talk" also reveal a long journey after marriage.
"The new poems are far away, and the scenery is as light as autumn. The grass is ruthless, and the cuckoo has a branch that hates to swallow. Just because I pity my guests, not because I regret looking for them. Don't go to the end of the world to bitter carp, spring is used to today. "
"MuPingLin tired birds cast, why linger for a long time. Every suspicious curtain bamboo frequently pushes the pillow, fearing that it will be wrong to return to the building. The wind sends Yu Qian to buy a dream, and the spring is full of sorrow. It's raining. It's worth it. I don't want to rest in the west. "
It is estimated that Wu Zhiyi took the exam outside, because he didn't go home because he was not the first, so he stayed. From spring to autumn, Ni waited hard.
Wu Zhiyi finally came back, but what he brought back was a heavy mental burden and a weaker body. At this time, I met a complicated incident in which the whole family buried his father Wu Cunzhong. So suddenly a serious illness, this is the true record of "and in the first place, from the younger brother buried his father into a disease" in Ni's genealogy. However, the Jiaqing edition of Yiwu County Records in Qing Dynasty only recorded that "his art was damaged by his father's illness", which covered up the truth and made the unfortunate side of Ni's happy marriage a mystery through the ages. It's time to completely solve this mystery.
When she was seriously ill, Ni's "day by day, soup and tears" showed the deep affection of loving couples. At that time, they had no children. When Wu Zhiyi died, Ni, who was only 20 years old, was heartbroken and didn't even want to live alone, but wanted to "die". However, Wu Zhiyi, who deeply loves Ni Renji, understands his wife. He "knew, tried to stop it, and asked him to be an heir." With the principle of "serving my aunt as an heir", Ni has the courage to continue to survive. Therefore, "Renji burst into tears" was the apocalypse of Bingyin (according to AD 1626).
"I only know the promise I made up my mind to make, and I will stick to my feelings without hesitation." Ni's loyalty and affection for his lover are reflected in his future actions to fulfill his promise.
The hardships of young widows and their "class success"
Losing a loved one at the age of 20 is sad for young women of any age. Especially from 1626 (from Bing Yin tomorrow) to 1643 (from Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty), between the ages of 20 and 38, the grief of losing her husband has never disappeared, and the bitterness in her heart has nowhere to tell. In order to prevent gossip from all directions, I have to restrain my behavior everywhere, and its deeply repressed pain is vividly shown in the manuscript. Obviously, it is like "Mourning": "The loneliness of a lonely museum is still forbidden. Who is the case of the empty curtain? There is a trace of rest in the remnants, and there is still a trace of dust. " "Qingming": "The rain in the north and south of the mountain is rustling, and tears are not sold. The lonely lamp is silent, and the light cold is still remembered. " Tomb-Sweeping Day's Tomb Sweeping: "Even rainy nights are reported to Tomb-Sweeping Day, but it's a pity that it will clear up in cold weather. If the sleeves of azaleas are stained with blood, you will always get hurt if you spread creeping weeds. When Huang Yong was dreaming, Bai Shiwei began to learn. If you want to sigh the deep mountains, you will be afraid that the apes and birds will swallow their voices. " It's hard to leave the word "bitterness" whether it's embroidery, playing the piano, writing poems or reading books. "It is difficult to embroider at the beginning of the year" and "The courtyard is silent". "A withered heart is still alive and heartbroken." (Playing the Piano) "The wind blows the tea boiling", "Nothing will happen when you are alone for a long time" ("That's it"). "Wandering around the old curtain list, I intend to show the lazy view of Xiangzi". ("Step on the Moon")
At this time, she obeyed her husband's dying entrustment and focused on serving her mother-in-law and cultivating her stepson. After Wu Zhiyi's death, his three brothers adopted their second sons, generals Wu Yun, Wu Yunting and Wu Yunjin, to Ni. She set up a family school in Yangzhitang, taught in person and taught students in accordance with their aptitude, which was quite effective and spread to the countryside to become a beautiful talk. Ni's story records many stories of "good lessons". "Yiwu County Records" also records: "After raising, the third sons, Jiang Yun and Ting Yun, all ate, and the clouds were loud." Although there are no officials in middle schools, they all have certain knowledge and self-reliance ability. Maybe Ni can learn a lesson from her husband's hard work and die, and she can educate from reality. At the same time, she "cares about her mother and has leisure time to call it an ancient biography." Count "thirteen years". In order to subsidize the family, "needle embroidery is a course". spinning
After the erosion of time, Ni Renji gradually returned to calm. For example, "Seclusion is a matter" wrote: "Small buildings are far from the mountains and customs, and secluded buildings are set up by themselves. Water chrysanthemums and pick up dead branches to make tea when you only bring a bottle of water. A person sitting in a pleasant tree can have a full meal and enjoy the sunshine. Qiu Lai is as wild as an elk, and the rock head outside the villa is old. " So this life also left some relaxed poems.
For example, After the Rain on a Summer Night: "It rains in zhu liu, and when it is cool, the moon spits out. Living in seclusion in a deep valley, there is no bay in summer. "
Of course, for healthy young women, widowed life is always very sad. According to the folklore of Dayuan Village, sometimes at night, Mr. Ni will scatter copper coins all over the floor and then pick them up one by one until dawn. In this way, we can spend a hard night. As she said in the poem "Watching the Lotus Show My Nephew and Wife": "I saw Tingting wearing makeup and shared the same sorrow with the withered reed. All the red clothes are scattered, leaving Ao Shuang in the room. " Written in 1642(35 years old), Mid-Autumn Night is the most representative: "The ice tray is full of helpless days, lovely and pitiful. Thirty-five nights without this victory, hundreds of billions of years hanged himself. Xiao Shu's temples are empty and the pitch is quiet. I was even more distressed, and my tears were almost dripping. "
Returning home to avoid chaos-an opportunity to return to normal feelings
Ni lived in the late Ming Dynasty, and this decadent feudal dynasty was hopelessly on the verge of collapse. At this time, the instability of political rule also caused a certain relaxation of ideological imprisonment. This is undoubtedly a good thing for Ni Renji. 1643- 1644, Li Zicheng rebels occupied Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself in Jingshan Park; Soon the Qing soldiers entered the customs, and the world was in chaos. Dayuan Village is located in the hilly area at the junction of Dongyang and Yiwu, on the main road of Jiang Nanan, Yiwu, so it was naturally impacted by the turmoil. So Ni decided to go back to Pujiang's hometown for a while. She recalled: "I didn't apply at the age of (according to Wei and Gui Wei, that is, AD1643; Shen, that is, AD 1644), the police are connected with the police, and the rest are avoided. " This is another major turning point in her life.
In Dayuan village, although my husband and in-laws have passed away, raising my stepson has become an adult, and I have passed the right and wrong stage of a young widow, there are still many constraints and freedom of movement. When she returned to her hometown, which was troubled by dreams, she was much freer. First, this place is "inaccessible by car" and "there are many people in the village", which is further away from the world. Secondly, although my father Ni died in 1630 (Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen) and my third brother Ni also died in 1645 (Qing Dynasty Yiyou, Shunzhi), my sister-in-law and niece can be my companions. Ni, originally with Yan, died before 1634 (Chongzhen). Wu, a family heir, was born in 16 17 (Wanli Dingsi), younger than Ni 10 years old, and has many languages. Ni Zeng happily recalled that after returning to his hometown, he "wandered in the mountain path with my sister-in-law and two or three female companions every day, when snowflakes fell, when Mei Xin teased, when bamboo screamed, when the piano sounded, and the wild feelings were sultry." All her emotional life and artistic cells have been revived.
What is even more rare is that her beloved niece and fellow traveler Ni also visited her in her hometown. "My niece is a talented woman, alert and smart, and she knows nothing about piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry and embroidery." This really became her confidant. A few years ago, when she was widowed in Dayuan Village, she expressed her feelings in the poem "A Courtesy of Nephews, Cambodia": "After a long time of painting and dyeing, I suddenly felt that the clouds blew up. The splashing water and sand seem like today, as well as flying clouds and colorful memories of the past. Guangxi is burned, but the fragrance is hard to change and the dream is hard to change. Looking back at the west of the city is infinite, when the mountains are bleak. " Now, she has returned to her hometown in the west of Yiwu, with her brother, sister-in-law, niece and girlfriend as companions. How comfortable it is to wander in the mountains and rivers. Ni wrote in the poem "Huaijiashan in the City": "The mountains are forty miles to the west, and the Yuan Dynasty is an old thatched cottage. Apricots and peaches surround thousands of trees, and there are hundreds of orchids in the valley. The poor taste goes deep into the clouds, and the medicine is collected and the stone is drunk. Looking back at the victory tour, the ancient trees in the sea hang the sunset. " "Loneliness is better than reminiscing about the past, and the yellow-flowered mangroves compose late autumn. Water overflows the glass mirror, and mountains pile up into jade buildings. Every dangerous sentence falls from the sky, and Dan Qing only takes a look. It is difficult to get to the smoky place when you are free, and you are half hooked on the window. " It's emotion that gives birth to scenery, and poetry gives birth to emotion. "Every dangerous sentence is obtained from outer space, and Dan Qing only takes a look." So many excellent embroidery, painting and poetry works were born at this time. Ni Renji recalled the scene at that time: "Ziyi said that it was profitable. It's cutting elements. Suo Yu wrote dozens of frames as a wife, thinking that the true colors are hard to live and the painters are easy to write. And I also regard the sky as a real person. " In addition to painting, I have to write poems. "I haven't finished my meaning yet, so I will draw up a subtitle on the spot to reflect the beautiful scenery." Although it could not be written for some reason at that time, the idea of 140 "Five Wonders" (with the general title of "Miscellaneous Poems in the Mountains") written more than ten years later (the Reform Movement of 1898, AD 1658) has been completed at this time. This group of poems has novel themes, fresh and simple, moving artistic conception and beautiful sentences, which can be called Ni's representative poems. In her hometown, she also accepted her nephew and daughter-in-law Zhang Ximeng as an apprentice. Grandnephew Ginny (born in 1636) married Ibn Zhang Ximeng (born in 1639). Simon "loves to write pictures of rulers, landscapes and ink Guanyin, all of which are the incense of his master". "Ni's Genealogy" also records: Ni's "embroidery skill is a stunt, capturing the beauty of the sun, making the face fragrant and famous embroiderers tell it". It can be seen that the influence was already great.