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

Chapter 374 Letter from Australia
On the way back, Lu Bicheng asked curiously: "How do you know such a long story? I have read so many books, but I have never read them."

Li Yu prevaricated: "I made it up myself."

"Fabulous?" Lu Bicheng's eye circles were still a little red, "It's really touching. I've never heard a story where the whole story is about love."

At present, the domestic novel circle is still in the category of the late Qing Dynasty, and entertainment novels are so popular that several powerful figures in the Republic of China period, such as Zhang Henshui, appeared on the stage.

But even they would certainly not be able to write a novel with such a big brain as Journey to the West, after all, the time limit is here.

Li Yu said: "Of course it is made up. How can there be the Monkey King or Fairy Bixia in this world? They are all stories. Even "Journey to the West" is not made up?"

Lu Bicheng nodded thoughtfully: "But in your stories, why are they all monogamous and loyal to their relationship? Among the books I have read, except for "The Peacock Flies Southeast". "

Li Yu said with a smile: "Isn't this what it should be, which country in Europe and America is not right?"

"In other words, is it what China should look like in the future?" Lu Bicheng asked.

Li Yu said: "There is no doubt about it! After all, we are setting up new schools everywhere, so we naturally want to learn excellent things."

However, Li Yu knew in his heart that even in the period of the Republic of China, the system of monogamy was still difficult to implement.Many people, including cultured celebrities, also have three wives and four concubines, even as a sign of success.

Even Lu Bicheng's mentor, Yan Fu, had two wives and one concubine.And the second wife was only 13 years old when she got married...

Yan Fu is a leading master of western studies in China, even he is like this, it will inevitably affect Lu Bicheng.

However, since Lu Bicheng is known as a "strange woman", it is because she has a maverick temperament. The reason why she never married in history is because she can't understand many so-called "feudal morals".

Yan Fu treated Lu Bicheng not only as a disciple, but almost as a daughter, and had a close relationship with Lu Bicheng's natal family, so he worried her a lot.

Lu Bicheng has both talent and beauty, and there are too many people who pursue her. Later, Yuan Shikai's son, Yuan Kewen, was also rejected by her.

Because she knows exactly what these people look like.

Lu Bicheng has a kind of advanced thinking that does not belong to the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.It is not without reason that later generations named her the head of the four talented women in the Republic of China.

Lu Bicheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Then you? Think the same way?"

Li Yu said resolutely: "Of course! Since I, Li Yu, am a figure in the new era, I will definitely not keep feudal dross."

Although Lu Bicheng didn't fully understand the word "feudal" at this time, she was talented and intelligent, and she already understood what Li Yu meant.

My heart suddenly felt a little sweet, as if the wind blowing against it was fragrant.

-

In the hotel where he stayed, Konoe Zhaoyuki was studying the afternoon tea that the British like to drink very much.

It just so happened that Li Yu sent Lu Bicheng back at this time, seeing Lu Bicheng's appearance was even more joyful, and Jin Wei Zhaoxue's expression was even more dignified.

Li Yu didn't stay long, and went back to Cambridge to find Rutherford.

Jinwei Zhaoxue asked Lu Bicheng to sit down, and said politely: "My sister is in good health, so I walked around all the way."

Lu Bicheng kept reminiscing about Li Yu's big story about Westward Journey in his mind, and took Jinwei Zhaoxue to sit aside: "Today at Mr. Hardy's cultural salon, Li Yu told a story about love and gods, which is so wonderful! "

"Love? Immortal?" Konoe Zhaoxue was full of suspicion, "What kind of strange story is this?"

Lu Bicheng immediately began to talk to her: "Although the protagonists in it are Monkey King and Tang Sanzang, they have nothing to do with learning Buddhist scriptures from the West."

Jinwei Zhaoxue didn't know the word "same person", and he was even more confused: "It's not going to the west to learn scriptures, is it to cast down demons and eliminate demons?"

"I've said it all, is it about love, or about Monkey King's love." Lu Bicheng said.

Konoe Zhaoxue felt his scalp go numb, "What a mess! Monkey King finally became a Buddha, how could there be love?"

Lu Bicheng picked up the Assam black tea on the table, and poured a cup for Jin Wei Zhaoxue and himself, "Listen to me, that's why it's a tear-jerking tragic story. By the way, you need to prepare a handkerchief first."

The beginning of the story is more comical, especially when it comes to the happy time when Zhizunbao was a bandit in Wuzhishan.

Hearing that Bai Jingjing burned Zhizunbao with the real fire of Samadhi, she also said the phrase "change your image, and go to your promising career as a bandit!"

Jinwei Zhaoxue laughed and said, "This is not a fairy love story, it's like a toad trying to pursue a white swan."

"From now on, you won't think so." After Lu Bicheng finished speaking, he continued.

Sure enough, after hearing Fairy Zixia say "I guessed the beginning, but not the end"; and Patriarch Bodhi said "One day when you find that you fall in love with someone you hate, this relationship is the most terrible thing. "At that time, Jinwei Zhaoxue was quite touched.

After the story was told, Konoe Zhaoxue kept wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

Wiping her tears, she said, "Thinking that Li Yu is actually a sweetheart, he can tell such a soul-stirring and tear-jerking story."

The two women chatted endlessly about this kind of emotional topic.

After a while, Jinwei Zhaoxue stabilized his mind, and said: "The stories are all lies. There is no such thing as a great sage in the world, no colorful clouds, and a world-class hero."

Lu Bicheng said: "Perhaps, there is really something. Although he is just a mortal, even in this story, there is nothing wrong with being a mortal."

Konoe Zhaoxue was silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

At night, she lay on the bed for a long time unable to fall asleep, and her mind was full of stories about Journey to the West. She suddenly said to herself: "Last night, you called Miss Jingjing 98 times, and you called a girl named Zixia. 784 times. Do the math, the difference between the two is exactly 8 times, is he so logical even in making up stories?"

The next day, Konoe Zhaoxue woke up very early and was reading the latest "Daily Mail". The headline on the front page reported what happened to Li Yu and Lu Bicheng in the sky a few days ago.

The "Daily Mail" is mainly targeted at women, and its circulation is large, so it is estimated that it will spread quickly.

Lu Bicheng walked out of the room, glanced at the newspaper on the table, immediately picked it up and looked at it, his face flushed, the newspaper was filled with oil and vinegar, and the writing was even a bit evocative.

Fortunately, Lu Bicheng himself worked as an editor in a newspaper, and he knew that the newspaper was actually writing this on purpose to attract attention, but it would be a bit strange for the protagonist of the story to be himself.

Jinwei Zhaoxue felt an inexplicable sour feeling in his heart, and said with a smirk: "It turns out that my sister got on the hot air balloon together because of this."

Lu Bicheng was flustered at the moment, he didn't hear too much meaning in Jinwei Zhaoxue's words, and said quickly: "I didn't expect the difference between the sky and the ground to be so big."

"Why don't you know?" Konoe Zhaoxue said, "The third section of Chapter 4 of Mr. Li Yu's introductory physics lecture notes is devoted to the change of air pressure and temperature with altitude. You must have read it?"

"Yes, yes?" Lu Bicheng asked in surprise, "I don't remember."

Konoe Zhaoxue continued to smile and said, "I really don't remember? Why do I remember it so clearly?"

Lu Bicheng muttered: "Maybe it's me... I don't understand the way of science deeply enough, I didn't expect that the sky is really so cold and it's hard to breathe."

Konoe Zhaoxue said, "Really? So that's the case?"

Lu Bicheng said nonsense: "I, I don't know..."

Konoe Zhaoxue looked at the newspaper and said, "Then wait and see what everyone has to say."

-

At this time, Li Yu was with Rutherford in the Cavendish Laboratory.

Rutherford received a letter from the University of Adelaide in Australia yesterday, asking Li Yu to come and study together.

Rutherford said: "The person who sent the letter was Henry Bragg. He proposed a theory to explain the structure of the atom. Let me refer to it."

Henry Braque and his son William Bragg later shared the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics.Little Prague is also the youngest winner in the history of the Nobel Prize, only 25 years old at the time.

Rutherford opened the letter: "Mr. Bragg has come to a beautiful conclusion. He found that the blocking ability of matter to alpha rays is proportional to the square root of the atomic mass of the matter."

Li Yu read the letter, and in view of the current level of technological development, Prague's achievements are indeed commendable.

Li Yu said: "Why don't you show the letter to Director Thomson, isn't he studying the atomic model?"

Rutherford said: "It's not the same. Mr. Bragg's theory was originally intended to verify Renard's matter absorption theory."

"Material absorption theory?" Li Yu was a little puzzled.

I mentioned Leonard before, he also won the Nobel Prize in Physics, but he has been dedicated to sodium brittleness since then.

Rutherford said: "Mr. Renard believes that the tiny structure that makes up the atom is called a forceon, and each forceon contains a negatively charged ion and a positively charged ion."

— a bit like a dipole for posterity.

Rutherford continued: "When the ray travels through the matter, it will inevitably be deflected by the electric field existing inside the particle or between adjacent particles and cannot go forward, which is equivalent to being absorbed by the matter. This is Leonard Sir's theory of matter absorption."

Li Yu suddenly remembered: "Did Mr. Leonard also come to the conclusion that the intensity of cathode rays and the penetration depth satisfy the e-exponential attenuation relationship?"

This relationship is still used in later generations.

Rutherford nodded: "That's right, so it makes sense."

Li Yu carefully read Prague's letter again.

To put it simply, Bragg was inspired by Leonard, and suddenly thought of using particles with a large charge-to-mass ratio (the charge is the same, but the mass is much larger than electrons), and the penetrating ability will be stronger.

Such things are naturally alpha particles.

Then Prague worked hard to get some radium bromide from France and did experiments.

Prague probably has a good relationship with the Curies. Now every university wants radium bromide. It is very scarce and it is not easy to get it. It may be a gift from the Curies.

Today's humans are really not aware of the dangers of radioactivity, so they are transported over on ships.

Li Yu said: "If I remember correctly, you are also doing experiments related to alpha rays."

Rutherford said: "I have been working on it for a long time. The experimental equipment is in Canada. If you are interested in that time, you can also go and have a look."

Li Yu said: "The penetrating experiment of alpha rays is indeed worthy of further investigation."

Rutherford nodded: "I'm making some more sophisticated instruments, and Prague's letter has also inspired me. When I return to Canada, I must continue to experiment."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Wait for the good news."

What Rutherford was doing, of course, was the alpha particle scattering experiment.

In fact, there were people who thought of this at the same time, but they were not as thorough as him, nor could they make those ingenious experimental designs and instruments like him, and he had such great assistants as Geiger.

Although Li Yu has an insight into the principle of the experiment, it is difficult to use the existing conditions to manufacture experimental equipment, and radiation is always harmful to the body. Unlike Rutherford and Prague, who are married and have children, Li Yu still has some concerns about this aspect.

Li Yu remembered his bet with Lord Kelvin, so he said to Rutherford: "Lord Kelvin has now accepted your ray theory, and he even lost 10 shillings to me."

Rutherford was very happy: "Great, if this old man accepts it, I will feel much more at ease when I give a report at the Royal Society in the future."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Why do you seem to be afraid of your mentor?"

Rutherford smiled bitterly: "Lord Kelvin is very strict, don't you know?"

Li Yu shook his head: "I didn't feel it."

"He only does this to you," Rutherford sighed, "Anyway, I get a little nervous every time I see him."

Li Yu said: "I think you can see his public statement in the conference journal today, supporting your theory."

Owen Richardson walked in suddenly: "Don't read the Lord's statement, just read today's newspaper."

He put the "Daily Mail" in front of the two of them, and a big line in the newspaper was very eye-catching:

"High-altitude passion, Star Wars male and female authors, disheveled wits and beautiful ladies from the East!"

"Oh~~~" Rutherford was immediately amused, and read carefully, "Why didn't I know there was such a thing?"

Owen Richardson apologized: "I'm really sorry, I only told Lilian, but I didn't expect it to spread so quickly."

Rutherford said: "You really value sex and despise friends. You don't tell me such funny things, but tell your girlfriend!"

Owen Richardson scratched his scalp and said embarrassedly: "I went on a date with Miss Lillian that night. I wanted to go further, so I talked about the matter on the hot air balloon."

Rutherford suddenly became a little gossip: "Have you hit base?"

Owen Richardson regretted: "No."

Rutherford suddenly felt boring: "It's really boring!"

Li Yu on the side was a little helpless. He had always heard that the British tabloids were very powerful, and today he saw it. Originally, there was only 1, but it can fill it up to 10 for you.It would be unimaginable if this was published in the newspapers of the Qing Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)