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

Chapter 307 Interesting Diet

Seth Lowe, president of Columbia University, suddenly poked his head out from the second floor: "General Cabertier, you forgot to take your top hat...Wait, is that Mr. Li Yu? My God, it's really you! "

Seth Lowe went downstairs quickly.

Downstairs, Ding Long and General Carpentier were still a little dazed: "Li Yu?"

Seth Lowe flashed past the two of them and came to Li Yu: "Oh my God, I didn't expect you to appear here, great master of oriental science!"

Li Yu didn't know him, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am the president of Columbia University, Seth Lowe."

"Mr. Principal, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Li Yu hurriedly shook hands with him.

Seth Low said: "It's really not easy to meet you. I've been reading a few astronomy articles you wrote these days. They are really wonderful. The combination of mathematical derivation and astronomy is quite like Sir Newton's."

Li Yu said: "The relationship between astronomy and mathematics will become closer and closer in the future. I just used the most conventional method."

Seth Low said: "Really? But I don't really read many articles as organized as yours. I remember that the great mathematician Gauss once said that mathematics is the queen of science. Only in your articles , I realized the deepest time and time again that you can use mathematics to interpret physics and astronomy so perfectly, and you are the most powerful person who combines mathematics and science in the world today."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Thank you for the praise, principal."

There is no need to be modest about this point, after all, the physics departments of later generations are trained like this.The mathematics of the physics department is generally not bad, because if you are not good at mathematics, you can't handle high-end physics content.

Ding Long came over and said, "Are you really the Emperor himself?"

Li Yu said: "If it is fake, we will replace it."

"You are the most famous Chinese in the world today!" Ding Long said excitedly, "Can the emperor give a special speech for our lecture? We are eager to improve the reputation of the lecture."

Cabentier also said: "Yes, Mr. Li Yu, the most famous Chinese in the United States is you."

Li Yu said: "Your lectures are about Sinology, and my level of Sinology is so bad that if I really want to show up, I will only make a fool of myself."

Gu Hongming is probably the most suitable person for this kind of speech. He is a staunch supporter of Chinese studies, and even in this most xenophobia era, he can speak clearly and logically.

Ding Long didn't want to let Li Yu go: "Sir, you can make any price, and we will definitely pay it all."

"It's not a matter of money or not. If it's a science lecture, I can still handle it. If it's Sinology, I only have a half-knowledge. Is it okay if I talk about Star Wars?" Li Yu said, "By the way, Liang Qichao will come again in a few days. When I go back to New York, I will call him here."

Liang Qichao's name is still famous enough, Ding Long said: "That's great, but you must also give a special speech."

Principal Seth Lowe invited from the side: "Mr. Li Yu, if what you want is a scientific speech, we can fully satisfy you."

Even Langmuir Owen chimed in: "The god of science and the star of Wenqun, it's a good idea to think about it together."

The hospitality of several people was hard to turn down, so Li Yu had no choice but to accept: "Okay, when Liang Qichao arrives, we will come to Columbia University together."

"We're going to be fully prepared for that," Seth Lowe said.

Franklin Roosevelt had completed the contract template at this time, took it and looked around for Li Yu, only to find that he was with the principal.

"Mr. Li Yu, I have finished your contract."

Li Yu took it over and said, "Thank you, I will need your legal assistance in the future."

Upon seeing this, Principal Seth Low said with a smile: "Our students have already done work for you, so you have to come and give a lecture on whatever you say."

When Li Yu left Columbia, Ding Long still accompanied him, "Mr. Li Yu, I don't know much about academics, but people say that you are an extraordinary person."

Li Yu was also quite curious about his lecture career, and asked, "Is there anything else I can help? There is no problem with donations."

Ding Long said: "We are not short of funds now, but what we lack are outstanding scholars to build momentum for the lectures, so we are so eager for your arrival."

Li Yu said: "I understand, what you are doing is not easy, I will do my best."

After all, it is called the Department of Sinology or Ding Long Lectures, and the students who come to participate want to study and study Chinese culture, so they need lecturers to give certain lectures.

It's just that the teaching format of this kind of lectures, as we all know, is relatively fragmented and not systematic enough.

But starting from nothing is not easy.

In fact, since then, many American universities have set up Sinology departments and Chinese libraries, mostly using Columbia University as a template.

-

At this time in San Francisco, Huang Sande, the current boss of Hongmen, approached Liang Qichao, "Mr. Liang, I heard from New York that Li Yu wants you to visit his laboratory and factories."

Liang Qichao actually didn't know that Li Yu had arrived in the United States, the news was so late, there was no Weibo, circle of friends or anything like that.

"That's exactly what I intend," Liang Qichao said, and then asked: "Isn't the leader coming to see me in person, isn't he afraid that the teacher will have some opinions?"

In fact, it was the previous meeting with Mr. Zhongshan that aroused Kang Youwei's dissatisfaction.

Huang Sande said: "Mr. Liang, I received a letter from Mr. Zhongshan before. He mentioned that you are a man of great strength. There is nothing wrong with me coming to see you in person. Even if Mr. Nanhai has opinions, I think he will understand."

Liang Qichao smiled wryly: "The teacher is a very determined person, and some things are difficult to understand each other."

Then he asked again: "You said that Mr. Zhongshan sent a letter, could it be?"

Huang Sande said: "Mr. Zhongshan has decided to join Hongmen in Honolulu."

In fact, the Hongmen branch in Honolulu originally rejected it, but it was Huang Sande who personally instructed to accept Mr. Zhongshan.Facts have proved that this is a very wise decision.

Liang Qichao said: "Since this is the case, I already understand Hongmen's attitude."

Huang Sande said: "The trend of the times, I hope Mr...."

Liang Qichao raised his hand to interrupt him: "I don't want to talk about it now, even if I want to talk about it, let's see the real chapter in the newspaper."

It is not easy to overwhelm Liang Qichao in terms of writing. Huang Sande saw that he could not move him, so he had to cup his fists and say, "Mr. Liang, have a good journey."

-

When Liang Qichao arrived in New York, Li Yu had already come to the station to meet him.

"Brother Liang has worked hard all the way."

Liang Qichao said: "It's not hard to talk about taking a train. I only hope that there will be so many railways in China."

The railways in the United States have indeed grown wildly. In the past half century, about 27 kilometers have been repaired.

This is a very scary figure. As of 2022, the total mileage of global railways is only 110 million kilometers, of which the total mileage of my country's railways is 15 kilometers.

It can be said that the United States basically achieved its industrial rise by relying on infrastructure, and became the world's number one in 1900.

The railway foundation of Laomei was basically completed in this year.

Liang Qichao is super jealous of so many railways, not only him, but Mr. Sun Yat-sen is even more jealous.

Because after a little research, you will know how powerful the railway is.

Li Yu said, "Of course there will be in the future."

Liang Qichao sighed: "I don't know when it will be possible, and I don't know how the Americans will do it? What a huge amount of money is needed for hundreds of thousands of miles of railways. Is the United States really so rich?"

"Actually, it's all thanks to Wall Street," Li Yu said.

"Wall Street?" Liang Qichao asked.

"It's the capital market." Li Yu talked about the so-called stock market financing in general, and then said, "Brother Zhuo Ru should have read Mr. Marx's book. He once said that without the capital market, there would be no railway."

Liang Qichao should be the first to introduce Marx.

In 1902, under the pen name of "Xinmin of China", he mentioned in "Xinmin Congbao", "In Germany today, there are two most influential ideas, one is the socialism of McCarthy, and the other is socialism. Nizier's individualism."

McCarthy is Marx.

Liang Qichao said: "I have read it, but I can't imagine that the capital market has such great energy."

Li Yu said: "The power of capital or finance is indeed great. Without them, France would not be able to recover so quickly from the Franco-Prussian War."

At the beginning, the French compensation was 50 billion francs, equivalent to 12 billion taels of silver, exceeding the total compensation of all Qing Dynasty.But France, through the financial market, is enough to raise a few times of national bond issuance.

Liang Qichao didn't think deeply about it from an economic point of view, so he said: "Can we do the same, the common people will suffer a lot?"

Li Yu shook his head: "No, finance is a high-level tool, and the imperial court has no ability to control it."

Liang Qichao sighed: "So now I am really entangled in whether it is reform or revolution, the court..."

Li Yu waved his hand: "Don't mention this matter, it's just at noon, let's have lunch together."

Liang Qichao didn't want to talk about state affairs either, so he said, "It's better to eat some Chinese food. I've been in the United States for nearly a year, and I've eaten enough Western food! It's not as good as the Japanese food I ate when I was in Japan."

Liang Qichao pointed to his figure: "You see, I have lost a lot of weight."

Li Yu said, "If you want to eat Chinese food, you have to go to Chinatown."

Liang Qichao said: "As long as you can eat Chinese food, anything is fine."

Li Yu pointed to the Buick he drove: "I'll take you there."

Liang Qichao asked in surprise, "You know how to drive this kind of machine?"

"Of course," Li Yu smiled, and then opened the car door, "Please."

Liang Qichao sat in the co-pilot, and Li Yu started the car and drove towards Chinatown.

Liang Qichao sighed: "The teacher doesn't like cars, so I have never experienced it."

Kang Youwei went overseas, but still couldn't accept the car.In a book written last year, it was also mentioned that cars suffer from "collision pain".I am extremely worried about the car's "speeding and electric driving, going forward indomitable", and if there is a slight carelessness, "the whole car will be broken, the characters will fly, the heads and arms will be crossed, and the flesh and blood will be messed up".

He doesn't like cars and doesn't allow doors to be opened.

When you arrive in Chinatown, you will see all the "Li Hongzhang restaurants", such as "Li Hongzhang noodle soup", "Li Hongzhang fried rice", etc., and the most popular one is "Li Hongzhang chop suey".

Of course, I am not scolding Li Hongzhang. The name is entirely due to the allusion left by Li Hongzhang when he traveled to New York two years ago.

When Li Zhongtang visited the United States, he wanted to eat Chinese food, so he ordered a restaurant in Chinatown to choose ingredients to cook, and he also entertained Americans by the way.

Chinese food, compared with American food, is definitely a dimensionality reduction blow, so Americans feel delicious after eating, and then the Americans asked Li Zhongtang the name of the dish in front of him. .

Unexpectedly, "the name of chop suey has become very popular since then", "there are three or four hundred chop suey restaurants in one corner of New York alone", and the dishes named after Li Hongzhang also emerge in endlessly.

After the two entered the restaurant, they ordered a few "Li Hongzhang dishes". Liang Qichao smiled and said, "Hefei (that is, Li Hongzhang) has suffered!"

The restaurant owner suddenly recognized Li Yu: "You are a great benefactor! My child has just entered your training class, and everyone is looking forward to him continuing to enter the factory."

Li Yu said: "It's an honor, but don't relax, the future assessment will be more stringent."

The owner of the restaurant was very confident and said, "This kid is really promising. In your factory, he makes more money in one month than I do in half a year. Maybe I can put down this restaurant in the future and take good care of my back."

Li Yu said: "If you can really become a formal employee, I think you can really rest, boss."

The restaurant owner said happily: "Benefactor, you are the benefactor of the whole Chinatown, you don't have to pay for today's meal."

Li Yu smiled and said, "It's not necessary."

"I'll be very sorry if you say no," the restaurant owner insisted.

Li Yu no longer evaded: "Thank you."

The restaurant owner continued: "By the way, we recently served a dish named after you."

Li Yu asked in surprise, "Named after me?"

The restaurant owner pointed to the menu: "It's called carp jumping over the dragon's gate. Didn't you come up with a great theory called the carp effect? ​​Just because of the good meaning of jumping over the dragon's gate, this dish is very popular now. Don't worry about the taste. We specially found a cook from Shandong to develop it."

Liang Qichao became interested: "It must be added! I have to try it!"

The owner of the restaurant said: "Wait a moment, both of you!"

Carp floods appeared in the United States in later generations.But carp were actually introduced to the United States as early as the 1870s.

And because of its rarity, it was once favored by wealthy Americans.

At that time, there were very few fish in the Mississippi River, and carp were introduced to fill the gap in the fishery.

But soon, carp's strong reproductive ability allowed it to enter the table of ordinary people.The price fell from $1 a pound to 1900 cents a pound in 3.

And once thousands of households can afford it, the rich will no longer like it.

Another factor is that Americans really don't know how to cook fish.Carp itself has a somewhat earthy taste, and its meat quality is not superior to that of southern fish. It requires excellent cooking skills, which is obviously beyond the capabilities of Americans.

Moreover, the level of carp breeding in the United States is also not good. They are basically amateur breeding and there is no formal selection.

After the food was served, the two ate a few mouthfuls. Although the taste was indeed a little lacking, it was much better than eating Western food every day.

After eating, Li Yu showed him his laboratory again, and showed him some results.

Liang Qichao saw the radio facilities and the parts of the car, and sighed: "Brother Shucai, I know that you are on the right path, and you are not from any faction. Object. Perhaps, you are the wisest."

Li Yu, as an "experienced person", of course knows what to do is the most correct.

(End of this chapter)