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

民国时期的结婚证书上，有一段美好的话：“两姓联姻，一堂缔约，良缘永结，匹配同称……谨以白头之约，书向鸿笺；好将红叶之盟，载明鸳谱。此证。”那时候的爱情如同“执子之手，与子偕老”的誓言，温暖得使人心醉。“愿无岁月可回头，且以深情共白首”，让我们重读民国时期的老情书，听听那时他们的爱情。

我寄你的信，总要送往邮局，不喜欢放在街边的绿色邮筒中，我总疑心那里会慢一点。

——鲁迅致许广平

妹：今天早晨起来拔了半天草，心里想到等你回来看着高兴，荷花也放了苞，大概也要等你回来开，一切都是为你。

——闻一多致高孝贤

你希望我的，规劝我的话，我以后一定牢牢地记着。假使我将来若有一点成就的时候，那么我的这一点成就的荣耀，愿意全部归赠给你。

——郁达夫致王映霞

妹妹，你的信我都好好收起，注明号码。哪封是哪天发的，哪天到，我都写得明明白白，好带回家去。我们肩并着肩从头细看，细数这五年的离情别意。

——朱湘致刘霓君

你来。我们同游奇山，去洗温泉不好么？早晚一块儿往群芳竞放的原野，在黄莺回啭的密林下散步不好么？无论如何请来吧。我在等你。

——白薇致杨骚