What is the main content of Zhu Ziqing's collection of essays Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes.

Sun Yu, director of the Lu Xun Museum, commented on "Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes": "Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes is not a chronicle in the general sense. It records Zhu Ziqing's mentality during the Anti-Japanese War. The article mentions it several times. When it comes to the Anti-Japanese War, his words are full of expectations for victory. If we examine this article from this background, we will find that during the days of national crisis, Zhu Ziqing never immersed himself in a wandering teaching life. Here, his heart has always been connected with the people and the destiny of the nation. It can be said that Mengzi's life experience has deepened his confidence in the people. There is no such love and emotion in "Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes". It would not have such a beautiful state.

Original text of "Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes":

I lived in Mengzi for five months, and my family also lived there for two months. . I often think of this place now, especially when people are busy.

Mengzi is good at being small and has few people. I have seen Mengzi for a while. It feels like a toy, just like people who are used to riding ordinary trains will feel like a toy when they first step on a small blue stone train. But after living there, it gradually becomes interesting. There is only one main street in the city. You can easily find bookstores, stationery shops, snack shops, and flashlight shops in just one afternoon. It's so effortless to walk around. No matter whether it's in or outside the city, sometimes you can't see a single person. The whole world seems to be your own; it reminds me of Taizhou and Baima Lake. , when I lived in those two places, I also had this kind of quiet atmosphere.

There was a sweet porridge seller on the street, and the tables, stools and even bowls and spoons were very clean and cheap. Our teachers and students take great care of us. The shopkeeper is from Sichuan, his surname is Lei, and he has gray hair. He always has a smile on his face, but he doesn't seem to be trying to please customers. Bamboo and porcelain occupy half of the table; sugar porridge and cakes are placed on these tables to eat. He also has some "fine products" hidden in his house, and when he is happy, he will specially bring them to customers to enjoy. My wife, I'm happy living like this with a waiter. We call this shop "Thunder Porridge" and the shopkeeper is also called this guy; he's very popular.

The most noteworthy thing in the city is the door pairs. Many door pairs here match the family name. Of course, there are such things in other places, but not as many as here. You can guess them while walking. It's quite interesting. But the most people are anti-Japanese people. There are also some in Kunming, but proportionally speaking, I'm afraid there are not as many as Mengzi. If there are more, it will create an atmosphere that makes people walking on the street remember this era. This country. This seems to be the use of old forms to promote the Anti-Japanese War and the founding of the country, and it is worthy of encouragement. The old calendar year is coming, and this kind of Anti-Japanese Spring Festival couplets can be promoted in Mengzi’s official propaganda work. In addition to the slogans of the Party Headquarters, the efforts of the Education Bureau are also worth recording. They converted an old theater into a lecture platform and posted mimeographed broadcast messages every day. This is all beneficial to the people. They don't have much funding, so it's very promising if they can do it step by step. They also helped students from Peking University run a night school for the public. Registration was very enthusiastic, but due to the lack of teachers and seats, only 200 people were admitted. The night school has been running for two or three months. The students are very serious and the results are quite impressive. At that time, the United Nations General Assembly in Mengzi was about to move to Kunming, so it had to stop. The Director of Education expressed his regret to me; judging from his attitude, he was telling the truth. The people of Mengzi are quite willing to accept propaganda. Students from Lianda University once participated in a fly eradication campaign. There are so many flies in April and May. There was a friend who smiled on the street and opened his mouth and flew in. After the fly extermination campaign, many food shops on the streets were equipped with cold cloth covers. Although they were rudimentary, it could not but be said to be progress. The people at the shop often told us, "This is what you get after you come here." This shows that they are very modest.

There is a Torch Festival in Mengzi. It is held on the 24th night of the 6th lunar month in the four townships and on the 25th night in the city. That night, people in the city were burning reed stalks or branches at their doorsteps. There were piles of blazing fires everywhere, surrounded by men, women, adults and children. The children even carried rags soaked in oil and fireballs dangling in their hands. , jumping and shouting, the calm city suddenly became lively.

This fire is light, heat, strength, and youth. The vast space in Sixiang is burned with small trees; imagining balls of hot fire rising up in the vast darkness, the scene is majestic enough. Those barbarians in the four villages should enjoy this festival more, they should dance and shout more enthusiastically. This may be a joint, but it implies the greatness of life and is a meaningful custom; in this period of the Anti-Japanese War, when the spirit needs to be inspired, its significance is even more profound.

There is very little water in Nanhu in winter and spring, and half of it is almost dry. But in the summer, the swelling is so rosy that it feels like rejuvenation. Rows of eucalyptus trees are planted on the lake embankment; their tall and straight trunks have the potential to be "towering" without missing anything. The thin and long leaves are like weeping poplars that are used to brushing the water. As soon as I stood on the embankment, I couldn't help but think of Shichahai in Peiping. Coupled with the lotus leaves and lotus flowers in the Songdao area, it looks more like Shichahai. Songdao is a good place, but in my opinion it is not as winding and quiet as Sanshan Park. There are only three small mounds here. A few simple pavilions. However, it is winding and undulating, shaded by trees, and dotted here and there with some stone tables and stone piers; both looking at it and walking on it, it seems like there is some aftertaste to chew on. This must be thanked to Commander Li Song. The roads on Nanhu were all built by his sergeants, and Songdao and Junshan were also renovated by him; and this small park shows his ingenuity even more. He wrote many plaques in this area. Naturally, he is not a calligrapher, but his writing style is thin and firm, and is quite heroic.

The General Assembly has rented the former site of the Customs and Credit Agricole Bank, which is the best place in Mengzi. The tall eucalyptus trees and a patch of soft green grass in the customs are the main accents. When you walk in, your mind will be widened and your whole body will feel moisturized. There are many egrets on the treetops, which are the same type as the "grey cranes" in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Peking, and are called "Lao Wait" in the north. The pure white feathers and the smart posture are fascinating to watch, especially early in the morning. There is a path through the bushes in a corner. The moonlight filters through the gaps in the leaves at night, which must be very interesting. There are some mango trees and papaya trees growing in another corner. Unfortunately, the sun is not strong enough and the fruits are not fertile, but they have a bit of tropical flavor, which is also pleasant. There are many flowers in the bank, and the colors are everywhere. They are available at any time, so you are not lonely. The most beautiful ones are bougainvillea. The flowers are turbid purple, with distinct veins just like leaves, clustered in clumps, and they are really "too dense to bloom." It takes so long for the flowers to bloom. When we went in April, it was in full bloom. When we left in August, it was still in bloom.

Written on February 5-6, 1939

(Originally published in the third issue of "New Yunnan" on April 30, 1939)