Joyful Moments in Oxford

By Xia Mo

In Oxford, England, Yang Jiang encountered twists and turns in her life, yet she stayed optimistic, saying that even when life was tough, one should learn to console oneself.

An Unexpected Fall in Oxford

When they were in Oxford, the couple, Yang Jiang and Qian Zhongshu shared an apartment with two single medical experts at the Old Jin’s home. The apartment manager would help clean up the room and provided three meals and an afternoon tea.They didn’t need to worry about trivial things and had plenty of time to enjoy classics of all kinds.

While living there, Qian Zhongshu had a bad fall and smashed one of his front teeth.When he came back home covering his mouth with a big handkerchief, Yang Jiang was shocked. “Blood was all over the handkerchief and in his mouth,”she said.“When I opened the handkerchief, half of the broken tooth fell out. Fortunately, our roommates were both doctors,who told us to look for a dentist as soon as possible, so that he could have the broken tooth removed and get a false one put in its place.”

This bloody incident ended up with a false tooth in Qian Zhongshu’s mouth and a hardwon lesson.

The bedroom was very small,which made life inconvenient.On the other hand, sharing a bathroom and toilet with others could also be an awkward experience sometimes. To make things worse, the food provided by the landlord was also getting worse and worse, which made it very uncomfortable for Qian Zhongshu, who had a picky stomach.

Since he couldn’t appreciate the taste of cheese and Western food,Yang Jiang saved her own foods for him, but he was always still hungry. The sight of her husband withering away made Yang Jiang feel uneasy, and she started looking for a new place, planning to move out.

一切从牛津开始

文/夏墨

在英国牛津，杨绛的生活也有各种波折起伏，但她乐观地说，即使生活再不如意，也要学会自我慰藉。

在牛津摔了一跤

在牛津时，她和钱钟书在“老金家”公寓与两位单身医学专家同住。公寓管理员会帮忙收拾房间，还提供一日三餐和下午茶。他们不用为生活操心，有充裕时间享受琳琅满目的文学经典。

到牛津不久，钱钟书摔了一跤，磕掉大半个门牙。当他用大手绢捂着嘴回到家时，杨绛吓了一跳：“手绢上和嘴里全是鲜血，抖开手绢，落下半枚断牙。幸好同寓都是医生，他们教我们赶快找牙医，拔去断牙，然后再镶假牙。”

一场带血的闹剧以假牙收场，或许，对钱钟书来说，这是一次血的教训。

卧室太小，起居总不方便，公用浴室、厕所也偶遇尴尬。另外，公寓的伙食也越来越糟，这对饮食保守的钱钟书来说，很是折磨。

钱钟书受不了干酪、西餐一类的洋味儿，杨绛便把她能吃的通通省下来给他，但他依然填不饱肚子。看着丈夫日渐消瘦，杨绛心疼，便张罗起搬家的事儿，一个人偷偷地找起了房子。

伙食也是冒险

杨绛去看了好几处房子，都不太满意，不是偏远，就是太贵。她忽然想起曾经在牛津大学附近看到一座三层洋楼上贴着招租启事，便决定去碰碰运气。

到那里时，启事不见了。她深吸一口气，敲门想问个究竟。门开了，女主人将她打量一番，带她到二楼看房。卧室、起居室、厨房、厕所、阳台……看着一应俱全的设施，杨绛动了心。另外，这套居所是与其他房间隔离开的，可由花园小门直接出入，这意味着完全的独立和私密。