Xu Shenru (1872~ 1944), whose real name is Guangpu, was born in Shi Xia Town, Haining, Zhejiang Province, and was the father of Xu Zhimo, a famous modern poet. He made a wide range of friends and was deeply influenced by the thought of "saving the country through industry".
The Xu family has been doing business for generations. In addition to running the ancestral Xu Yufeng sauce garden, Xu Shenru has also invested heavily in banking, commerce and industry, and family fortune has become the richest man in Shi Xia.
In the 23rd year of Guangxu (1897), Xu Shenru established Yutong Qianzhuang with others. 1965438+In February 2003, Shi Xia Electric Co., Ltd. was founded jointly with Shen Shuying and others, which is one of the earliest thermal power plants in Zhejiang Province. Four years later, he and his brother Xu Rongchu and others initiated the establishment of Li Jie Telephone Co., Ltd. to operate local telephones. 1926 In July, Xu Shenru and Li Bolu jointly built Shixia Shuangshan Silk Reeling Factory, imported 132 Italian silk reeling car, and employed more than 300 workers as the chairman.
Xu Shenru is honest and enthusiastic about local public welfare undertakings. 1934 haining drought, people were displaced. He resolutely became the chief member of the Standing Committee of the County Drought Relief Committee and the director of the Shanghai Branch, and actively participated in fundraising for disaster relief, which was praised and admired by the people.
From 1907 to 1935, Xu Shenru served as Prime Minister, President and Chairman of Shi Xia Chamber of Commerce for nearly 30 years. 19 1 1 was re-elected as a member of Zhejiang Provincial Consultation Bureau and elected as the general director of Shi Xia Town Board of Directors. Biography of People in the Republic of China said that he was "once famous for setting up industries in Zhejiang".
It costs a lot of money to train a son
Just as the family business is booming and its reputation is growing, 25-year-old Xu Shenru is very happy to have a son. 1897 65438+ 10 15 His second wife, Qian, gave birth to a fine-looking son named Zhang Yi, who later became an adult, also called Zhimo.
In order to let his son honor his ancestors in the future, Xu Shenru couldn't wait to hire a teacher to enlighten him just after his son turned 3. The following year, Professor Cha Sun Tong, a local celebrity, was invited.
19 18 years, after being recommended by others, Xu Shenru readily agreed that his son would learn from Liang Qichao, a heavyweight in political science, and he took out 1000 silver dollar as a gift.
It was also in this year that Xu Shenru found an opportunity for his son to go abroad for further study in the upsurge of going abroad at his own expense caused by studying in the United States. Xu Zhimo first went to the history department of Clark University, and then went to Columbia University to study political science.
Father and son turned against each other only for her-Lu Xiaoman
Watching his son grow up and finding a satisfactory marriage for him has become a top priority for Xu Shenru. Coincidentally, at this time, Zhang Jia, a famous family in Baoshan County, Jiangsu Province, heard that the Xu family had a gifted scholar of 16 years old, and decided to marry his daughter Zhang Youyi of 13 years old to the Xu family, so he took the initiative to find someone to propose marriage.
Xu Shenru didn't even consider asking his son Xu Zhimo for advice and nodded in agreement.
19151kloc-0/On October 29th, the wedding of Xu Zhimo and Zhang Youyi was held as scheduled. Newly married, young couples are still very happy. In the fourth year of marriage, Zhang Youyi gave birth to the first boy for the Xu family, named Ji Kai.
In the summer when the child was born, Xu Zhimo embarked on the road of studying abroad. Xu Shenru wholeheartedly expects him to return from his studies, inherit and expand the family business, and then rely on the strength of the Zhang family to develop into the financial or political circles. However, to Xu Shenru's surprise, his son went abroad for several years, was baptized by western culture, established the political ideal of social democracy and the cultural spirit of liberalism, and decided to jump out of the cage of feudal arranged marriage and love what he loved.
Soon, Xu Zhimo fell in love with the innocent girl Lin and agreed to divorce Zhang Youyi. After returning home, I fell in love with Lu Xiaoman, a married woman, and public opinion was in an uproar.
1926101On October 3rd, Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman got married in Beijing Beihai Park.
In early April, an urgent telegram sent Xu Zhimo back to Shi Xia. At this point, Xu Zhimo wanted Lu Xiaoman to wait on her mother-in-law, but met with fierce opposition. Xu Shenru said, "If she comes, I'll leave!"
1931On April 23rd, the old lady passed away.
Lu Xiaoman has been holding her breath for her father-in-law to deny her as a daughter-in-law, but after learning that her mother-in-law died, she came to Shi Xia in mourning. Unexpectedly, Xu Shenru immediately sent someone to stop her on the road and refused to let her in anyway. Lu Xiaoman had to return to Shanghai halfway.
Xu Zhimo didn't expect his father to do so well this time, so he contradicted his father that night and argued for Lu Xiaoman. In an instant, Xu Shenru ran to his wife's spirit and burst into tears, but his relatives and friends could not stop his persuasion. Father and son turned against each other from then on.
What Xu Shenru never expected was that on June 193 1, his proud son died in a plane crash near Jinan. The bad news came that Xu Shenru, who was over 60 years old, was in tears. His conclusion is that Lu Xiaoman killed his son, not because she spent money like water, and Zhimo would not work part-time everywhere for a living, running back and forth in Beijing and Shanghai all the year round. Without her, the Xu family would be at peace. How could such a tragedy happen?
From then on, the Xu family hated Lu Xiaoman, and later held a memorial service for Xu Zhimo in Haining. Lu Xiaoman couldn't attend because of Xu Shenru's prevention.
1944 In March, Xu Shenru, who lived in Shanghai, died in loneliness. Two years later, Zhang Youyi and his son Xu Jikai buried Xu Shenru next to Xu Zhimo's tomb in Dongshan, Shi Xia.