A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 289 The Craftsman
The two were chatting happily, and someone came to the door again.

When he entered the door, he shouted: "Information, I am Per Fisher, Counselor of the German Legation."

Lu Bicheng, who was working as a female celebrity in another room, also heard it, and quickly came to the hall.

Per Fisher will become the official German Minister to the Qing Dynasty in a few years. This person can be regarded as a small "China hand" and has studied Chinese for many years.

Li Yu came out and said, "Mr. Counselor, I'm sorry."

Per Fisher said bluntly, "Mr. Di Shi, have you been a little too talkative lately?"

Li Yu laughed and said, "Mr. Counselor can speak idioms, but why do you say that?"

Per Fisher took out the "Ta Kung Pao" and said: "Mr. Di Shi talked about my country's great philosophy Hegel in the newspaper. I am afraid it is not appropriate. You should have enough respect for our country's thinkers."

Li Yudao: "If it is Mr. Hegel who doesn't respect the sages of our country first? What should I say?"

"That's a philosophical question, no disrespect, and I've read your so-called classics of ancient thinkers. I think Hegel is qualified to criticize them." Per Fisher said.

Zhu Guozhen was a serious person who came out of the imperial examination, so he immediately refused to accept it: "Counselor, now you are even more disrespectful to us."

"I'm not talking out of thin air," said Per Fisher.

Li Yu corrected: "It should be groundless."

Just now I praised him for being able to speak idioms.

Per Fisher took out an English translation of "Zhuangzi" and said: "I think this is the supreme thought classic of your country?"

Li Yu nodded: "That's right."

Per Fisher proudly said: "Looking at these sentences, it tastes like eating candles! How can there be any profound thoughts?"

Li Yu didn't bother to correct his idiom mistakes. He looked down and saw this sentence: "The ends of the fine hairs that grow on birds and beasts in autumn are bigger than Mount Tai."

English literal translation is so embarrassing.

Li Yu thought about it for a while, but didn't want to understand where it came from. Zhu Guozhen didn't understand English very well, so he asked, "Which sentence is it?"

Li Yu gave him a literal translation.

Zhu Guozhen rubbed his chin and thought for a while: "Autumn birds and beasts, the ends of fine hairs, are bigger than Mount Tai? Harm! It is clear that there is nothing in the world bigger than the end of an autumn hair, but Mount Tai is small. Heaven and earth live side by side with me, and all things Be one with me'."

Sure enough, in terms of familiarity with classics, Li Yu was far behind people like them who passed the imperial examination.

Fortunately, this sentence is quite famous, and Li Yu once read it.

Per Fisher said, "Why are you talking differently?"

Li Yu said: "Mr. Counselor, this is a problem of translation. If you want to understand Chinese culture, it is impossible to rely on translations. It is only possible to go deep into ancient books, understand classical Chinese, and understand the history at that time."

Now, including the later English translations of "The Analects of Confucius" and "Zhuangzi", they are all at the same level. Even if Gu Hongming is better, he can only explain the meaning in place. The momentum of classical Chinese.

Before Li Yu traveled, the largest publishing house in the UK had just published "Zhuangzi", so we can learn how Europeans and Americans read ancient books.

It is translated from the original work to English, and then translated back to Chinese. The content is "the end of the new hair that grows on the birds and beasts in autumn is bigger than Mount Tai".

Immediately, Zhu Guozhen didn't feel that foreigners were so powerful, he laughed and said: "Mr. Counselor, your Chinese level needs to be improved!"

This is a bit embarrassing for Per Fisher. In fact, even Li Yu's ability to understand classical Chinese is limited to what he has taught in Chinese classes at school.

Zhu Guozhen even wrote it out and showed it to Per Fisher.

Per Fisher has indeed never read the original "Zhuangzi", to be precise, he can't understand it.

"Isn't that a meaning?" asked Per Fisher.

Li Yu said: "Let me teach you another Chinese proverb, which can only be understood but not conveyed in words. If you can't understand the original version, don't say you understand "Zhuangzi", let alone criticize Confucius and Zhuangzi."

"Aren't you criticizing our Hegel?" Per Fisher insisted.

"It's not the same," Li Yu spread his hands, "I'm talking about the facts, and I respect his dialectical philosophy from the bottom of my heart. But it doesn't mean that everything a thinker said is correct. Shall we talk about dialectical philosophy?"

Even if Li Yu doesn't understand philosophy, but growing up in an atheist society like China, he understands dialectics very well.

Per Fisher opened his mouth: "We...have a chance to talk about this issue again."

Li Yu found a copy of "Zhuangzi" from the bookshelf: "For you."

It was somewhat ironic, but Per Fisher now almost knew that he had misunderstood, so he took it cheekily: "I know Chinese, and I can finish reading it in a short time."

Li Yu jokingly said, "I hope the Counselor will criticize you at that time."

He didn't believe that the other party could really understand.

After Per Fisher left, Zhu Guozhen said: "It is unexpected that foreigners view our classics in this way."

Li Yu was already annoyed by the strangeness: "It can't be changed."

Zhu Guozhen said: "In this way, the writing of foreigners is only mediocre!"

Li Yu said: "Don't be so confident. It can only be said that the way of thinking between the East and the West is very different."

Zhu Guozhen said: "Then why didn't you just keep him here and talk more? Maybe you can let him truly understand and respect our culture."

Li Yu said: "An Englishman said this: He is a sheep herder, and I am a woodcutter. We chatted all afternoon, and his sheep are full, but where is my firewood?"

Zhu Guozhen pondered for a while, "This sentence seems to make sense, it seems that the British still have some meaning when they speak."

That sentence comes from Maugham, the author of "The Moon and Sixpence".

Li Yu said: "So even if I can understand him, so what? I can't gain anything, but wasted time. Books, like plants, depend heavily on the water and soil environment. When the cultural environment changes, no matter how time changes, Or the change of space will make a book weird.”

Zhu Guozhen said: "But you can't let foreigners just misunderstand like this?"

Li Yu spread his hands: "You have also seen how difficult it is for a foreigner to understand China. They must be willing to spend a lot of time, but how many people are really willing to do this?"

Zhu Guozhen was a little disappointed and said: "But we must be willing to learn from them."

Li Yu patted him on the shoulder: "30 years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi, take your time, things will always change."

Lu Bicheng also breathed a sigh of relief at this time, thinking in his heart: "Li Yu is really capable. He doesn't seem to understand Confucianism, but he can defend Confucianism in front of foreigners time and time again. It's really weird."

After Zhu Guozhen left, Li Yu went to the noodle stall at Ding Deshan in Dong'an Market.

"Yo, it's the Emperor Master!" Ding Deshan already knew Li Yu's identity, "The Emperor Master comes to my stall to eat noodles again, what a villain."

Li Yu said, "I'm really not here to eat noodles today. I want to talk to you about some big business."

"Big deal?" Ding Deshan picked up a towel and wiped his forehead, "Master Emperor, I'm just a small stall owner, so I don't know what big deal is."

Donglaishun will not be a big deal in the future.

Li Yu said, "I'm asking you to develop a product. After you succeed, I will give you a minimum of 500 taels of silver as a reward."

"500 taels?!" Ding Deshan was shocked. This was a huge amount of wealth that he could not save for four or five years.

Li Yu asked, "How is it? Do you want to do it?"

Ding Deshan swallowed and said, "I have no talent or virtue, how can the emperor think of a villain? Apart from making some noodles, I can't do anything."

Li Yu smiled and said, "It's just making noodles."

Ding Deshan was even more confused: "What kind of noodles can be made with 500 taels?"

Li Yu said: "I think about making a noodle that is easy to carry and can be brewed anytime and anywhere."

"Anytime, anywhere? Is there such a thing?" Of course Ding Deshan had never heard of it.

Li Yu explained to him again, and then said: "This is basically the case, but many details and key material package preparation need your help."

Ding Deshan felt that it was not too difficult, it was completely his old business, the main reason was that the 500 taels of silver was too tempting, so he agreed: "I hope the emperor will not be disappointed."

Li Yu said: "I believe you can definitely do it! I even thought about the promotional words, which is called 'inheritance of the craftsman's spirit, the taste of eternal transmission'."

Ding Deshan said embarrassingly: "The emperor's teacher is too famous."

Li Yu said: "Where is the reputation? You don't know that in Japan on the other side of the sea, cooking rice for decades can be regarded as the god of rice, which is the so-called craftsmanship. You have made thousands of rice. What is wrong with a bowl of noodles?"

"The word craftsmanship sounds really cultured, I like it." Ding Deshan said.

Li Yu laughed and said: "If you like it, the instant noodle brand we will launch in the future will be called Craftsman, and it will be sold to Japan in large quantities, and it will also earn a small amount of money from Japan!"

"The emperor's words sound relieved, I must do it!" Ding Deshan said.

"That's great! You can come to my house tomorrow, don't worry, I will also pay for lost wages." Li Yu gave him another guarantee.

Ding Deshan was very grateful, he had never seen such a business at all: "Di Shi, you are really the master of Qingtian!"

The next day, Ding Deshan came early.

Li Yu explained the process to him, and then asked Fengling to bring a lot of oil, noodles, and condiments.

Li Yu said: "Don't be afraid of waste, all the expenses in the scientific research process are funded by me."

Feng Ling asked curiously: "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Develop a new variety of noodles." Li Yu said.

"I'm familiar with this too!" Feng Ling said suddenly, "Why don't I help Master Ding here."

Fengling really has a way of cooking, and in fact there are no complicated secrets in instant noodles. Perhaps the most important thing should be the recipe of the ingredients.

What may be really troublesome is the assembly line manufacturing.

Fortunately, no matter what Li Yu said, he had a double bachelor's degree in mechanical design as an undergraduate. As long as he bought a similar noodle machine, he could modify and design it.

Now there are electric noodle machines in Europe and the United States, and a grand exhibition will be held in New York, USA in one or two years.

It's just that foreigners don't like noodles very much.

The aroma of Dingdeshan fried noodles quickly attracted people from other yards.

Yu Heqin also put down the purification test of MSG and followed the smell to come here: "Sir, why is dinner so early today?"

Li Yu spread his hands: "There is no meal, just like your research and development of monosodium glutamate, you are engaged in food research and development. When the time comes to add monosodium glutamate to the ingredients, it will be absolutely perfect."

To be honest, even if Li Yu is not short of money now, the food in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China is far from what he ate in the university cafeteria back then.

I have even begun to miss instant noodles and ham sausage.

In the current situation, at least for many years, the purification of monosodium glutamate needs to rely on the hydrolysis method, and the fermentation method cannot be used, because it takes more time to find the strain.

Although the hydrolysis method is more expensive, at least the way is simple, and it will be improved slowly in the future.

Yu and Qin had different concerns: "What kind of food is Jue Jue Zi?"

"Eh... it's an adjective, and it means very good." Li Yu explained.

Yu Heqin thought for a while: "Juejuezi, where did it come from? Why haven't I seen it in other books?"

Li Yu couldn't talk to him in detail, so he quickly changed the topic: "By the way, after you finish researching MSG, I still have something to ask you to continue researching and developing."

Yu Heqin said: "As long as it's about chemistry, you just leave it to me."

"Of course it is in the field of chemistry. I want to develop a bag that is soft, tough and easy to carry." Li Yu said.

"Bag?" Yu Heqin asked, "What's there to study?"

"I'm talking about a chemical product. Ethylene can be synthesized into a polymer structure and become polyethylene under certain conditions, such as high pressure or the action of a catalyst." Li Yu said briefly.

Yu Heqin's eyes widened: "It can still be like this! Master Di, your idea is too genius, you are simply a god of chemistry!"

Li Yu said with a smile: "It is still a conception, mainly because the current development conditions are not yet met. But I want you to remember this matter. When you study abroad in the future, learn more relevant content. It will definitely be useful."

Yu Heqin really admired Li Yu: "The emperor's teacher is the emperor's teacher! It turns out that you are not only proficient in mathematics, physics, astronomy, but even chemistry."

This kind of thing is not exaggerated, after all, he learned it in chemistry class back then, and when he crossed, plastic bags were banned.

However, plastic bags were still valuable in the early years, and even if there was pollution, it must go through this process.

——History has proved time and time again that it is useless to insist that human beings do not suffer a lot.

The development process of key plastics is quite meaningful, and many chemical companies will inevitably be born in the future.

The layout of related industries, including glass, was a move planned by Li Yu in advance.

For fields other than mathematics, science and astronomy, Li Yu can indeed only play the role of an overall planner.

If applied to future generations, it is a bit like some Internet companies: some great gods only study key algorithms and core businesses. As for the people who write codes, they all have dedicated coders, or they are outsourced directly.

For example, scientists in companies such as Google and TSMC are actually very leisurely, and they even admit that they are "not busy at all."

Because they dare not make changes at will. As long as a small change is made, the outsourcing companies or code farmers below will have to modify countless contents and then test it many times.

And once this change is proposed, scientists have to rest for a long time with nothing to do.

So most of their time is to drink coffee and read more emails, and hold meetings to discuss with others, making sure that no mistakes are made.

It also seems to explain why Europeans seem to be less busy and have higher welfare.

Li Yu actually doesn't know the specific research and development of plastics, the manufacture of instant noodles, and the purification of monosodium glutamate.

However, he can rely on the concept of the traverser to be hundreds of years ahead to ensure that the general direction will never be wrong. For the research and development of enterprises, it is already the most important thing, otherwise the research and development funds will be in vain, and time will be wasted. Opportunity.

(End of this chapter)