息斋是我的好友刘元堂的字,阿堂为其自称,而我则习惯称其为“二哥”。我与元堂是同届、同宿舍、共同租房的“三同”博士。因我俩都姓刘,我又略长他两岁,为了区分彼此,按长幼次序我简称他为“刘二”。他极为不爽,原因是水浒里有个泼皮也叫“牛二”。我说音同字不同,他仍然不愿意。遂改称“二哥”。在古代小说里二哥都是重情、重义的英雄豪杰,如《隋唐演义》里的单雄信、秦叔宝,水浒里的宋江等。元堂是地道的山东人,肤白、微胖、性格豪爽,直言快语,有古之“二哥”遗风。元堂求学的地方较多, Interest fasting is the word of my friend Liu Yuantang, A Tong for their claim, but I used to call it “brother.” I and Yuantang is the same session, with the dormitory, co-rental “Three with ” Dr. Because we both surnamed Liu, I am a little longer than his two years old. In order to distinguish each other, according to the sequence of young and middle-aged, I call him “Liu Er”. He is extremely unhappy, because there is a Shuihu Shui Pi also called “Niu Er”. He said he still does not want to say that he is different in tone. Then renamed “brother ”. In ancient novels, brother and brother are all heavy lovers, heroic hero of retribution, such as “the Sui and Tang Dynasties” in a single letter, Qin Shu Bao, Water Margin Song Jiang. Yuantang is an authentic Shandong people, skin white, a little fat, generous character, bluntly language, ancient “brother” legacy. Yuantang study more places,