Love Has a Voice

By Mengmeng

Back in the Republic Era,marriage certificates had a poetic message written on them, “Joining in matrimony two matching abodes, a perfect couple forever betrothed... one man and one wife joined ‘til age and death do them part, a beautiful vow from these two soul mates heart;a promise of love to eternally endure, floating in a bottle on waves of love true and pure, let this certificate forthwith and for all time be, proof of the glory and grace of their conjugality.”Love at that time was like the promise in Western wedding vows that state, “to have and to hold for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do them part,” a sentiment so powerful that it could melt even the coldest heart. “I foresay that time and tide shall never flow athwart, so for the rest of my days my hand in thine shall ne’er be apart.”

Now, let’s take a moment to look at some old love letters penned during the Republic Era and appreciate how people in China expressed their love at that time.

I shall always take my letters to you to the post, I dislike letting them set in that little green mailbox by the roadside, as I worry ceaselessly that they shall be slow in reaching your eyes.

—Lu Xun to Xu Guangping

I got up and pulled weeds in the garden all day long, thinking of the time you would come home to a joyful sight, that of Lotuses mingling with the buds I planted likely abloom the very moment of your arrival. And I did it all for you with gladness in my heart.

—Wen Yiduo to Gao Xiaoxian

My greatest hope is that I hold steadfast to the sincerity of your advice and admonishments and keep their message clear in my mind. Daresaying I encounter some modicum of success one day, I would willingly take every last bit of that glory and give it back to thee.

—Yu Dafu to Wang Yingxia

I have saved and numbered every one of your letters, clearly denoting the day they were sent and the date of their arrival and have carried them home with me.I have been recording faithfully each passing day since we were last together from the very first and have found it to be five years since our last farewell.

—Zhu Xiang to Liu Nijun

Please come. Would it not be wonderful if we could travel together through Mount Qi and bathe in her hot springs?Would it not be wonderful if we could one day trek together to the wilderness alight with resplendent blossoms and stroll lazily through the deep woods accompanied by the nightingale’s sweet warble? Please come by any means. I am waiting for you.

—Bai Wei to Yang Sao

民國時期的結婚證書上，有一段美好的話：“兩姓聯姻，一堂締約，良緣永結，匹配同稱……謹以白頭之約，書向鴻箋；好將紅葉之盟，載明鴛譜。此證。”那時候的愛情如同“執子之手，與子偕老”的誓言，溫暖得使人心醉。“愿無歲月可回頭，且以深情共白首”，讓我們重讀民國時期的老情書，聽聽那時他們的愛情。

我寄你的信，總要送往郵局，不喜歡放在街邊的綠色郵筒中，我總疑心那里會慢一點。

——魯迅致許廣平

妹：今天早晨起來拔了半天草，心里想到等你回來看著高興，荷花也放了苞，大概也要等你回來開，一切都是為你。

——聞一多致高孝賢

你希望我的，規勸我的話，我以后一定牢牢地記著。假使我將來若有一點成就的時候，那么我的這一點成就的榮耀，愿意全部歸贈給你。

——郁達夫致王映霞

妹妹，你的信我都好好收起，注明號碼。哪封是哪天發的，哪天到，我都寫得明明白白，好帶回家去。我們肩并著肩從頭細看，細數這五年的離情別意。

——朱湘致劉霓君

你來。我們同游奇山，去洗溫泉不好么？早晚一塊兒往群芳競放的原野，在黃鶯回囀的密林下散步不好么？無論如何請來吧。我在等你。

——白薇致楊騷