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

New Haven is very close to New York, and Li Yu and Liang Cheng took the train there that day.

On the train, Li Yu met Bishop Jason again.

Since Li Yu was received by Pope Pius X in the Vatican, the attitude of church people towards Li Yu has improved greatly. Bishop Jason said kindly: "Dear Mr. Li Yu, academician of the Holy See and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, long time no see. .”

Jason singled out this title specifically.

Li Yu said: "Hello, Bishop Jason."

Bishop Jason said: "The Holy See has issued new oracles to churches everywhere. We should learn as much new knowledge as possible in order to better spread the gospel."

"The Holy See's decision is very far-sighted." Li Yu replied.

Unexpectedly, they adapted very quickly, and they were really desperate to survive.

Bishop Jason said: "During this period, I went deep into Chinatowns in New York, Chicago and even San Francisco on the West Coast, hoping to understand Chinese culture and then carry out missionary work. However, just like the news brought back by past missionaries, I encountered difficulties in missionary work among Chinese groups. It’s extremely difficult and I don’t understand why this is happening.”

Li Yu smiled slightly and said: "The reason is very simple, because the cultural traditions are very different."

"But many families in Chinatown have passed down their inheritance to the second or even third generation. They should be infiltrated by American culture." Bishop Jason said.

Li Yu spread his hands: "China has a history of 4000 to 300 years, while the United States only has a history of [-] years. Can it be the same?"

"Then the problem still lies in culture," said Bishop Jason. "But I heard missionaries who came back from China say that there are many gods in China. Many people also believe that gods exist, but they don't imagine them. So religious.”

"This is almost the case," Li Yu said. "If China's new education can be promoted on a large scale, it will become more common."

"Why exactly? Since we don't believe in gods, why are there so many gods?" Bishop Jason couldn't figure it out.

Li Yu thought for a while and said: "I have not studied religion or theology, but I know very well that the production mechanisms of Chinese gods and European and American gods are very different."

"Generation mechanism?" Bishop Jason asked.

"In addition to the later Christian sects with a single god system, in the early Western god system, gods also paid attention to blood. To use an inappropriate term, let's call them 'innate gods', which means they were born gods. The entire Greek god system Isn't it just Zeus and a lot of children born to several gods?" Li Yu said.

Bishop Jason nodded: "Indeed."

"But Chinese gods are completely the opposite. They can be called 'acquired gods'." Li Yu said.

"The God of Tomorrow?" This was the first time Jason heard this explanation.

"Yes, he will be promoted to an immortal the day after tomorrow," Li Yu said, "for example, if he has some great achievements or something."

"You mean he was originally a human, and then he became a god?" Jason understood a little bit.

"The most typical ones are the widely loved martial sage Guan Yu, a figure in a period of Chinese history called the Three Kingdoms; and the God of Wealth Zhao Gongming, a figure from the Shang Dynasty. There are many like them," Li Yu said.

"It doesn't sound like worship, but reverence, reverence for the great ancestors," Jason, who studied in seminary, continued, "Essentially, what you revere is not a god, but a human being. It's just that you gave him godhood. ."

"It's quite interesting," Li Yu said, "and in traditional Chinese culture, many times we don't count on gods. Under the flood, China did not have Noah's Ark, but Dayu did manage the floods. You know, Dayu is the most important figure in Chinese culture. He had a very high status in China and was called Yao, Shun, and Yu. Dayu was also the founding monarch of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in China."

"Listening to what you said, is it possible that all Chinese people are atheists?" Bishop Jason asked.

"No." Li Yu said.

Bishop Jason rubbed his head and said, "You have confused me."

Li Yu said: "Chinese people are very pragmatic, and they are also very pragmatic when it comes to praying to God. Moreover, the Chinese language is very complex, and it makes sense everywhere. The left eye twitches for money, and the right eye twitches are sometimes interpreted as facial nerves. A brief tremor. If you encounter any exams, begging for a child, asking for money, etc., everyone will still go to the corresponding temple to pray."

"Corresponding?" Bishop Jason only had one idea in his mind.

Li Yu said: "Yes, you have to worship Wenquxing when taking exams, you have to worship Guanyin to give birth to children, and of course you have to worship the God of Wealth when you want wealth. If it comes true, you have to fulfill your wish; but if it doesn't come true, hey, China doesn't raise the God of Leisure, so at least it needs offerings. It must be gone."

Li Yu put it very euphemistically. In fact, only those who are useful are called gods, and those who are useless are feudal superstitions.

Bishop Jason asked: "Did Mr. Academician also worship the Wenquxing you mentioned?"

Li Yu said: "I sometimes recite a few words before the exam."

Bishop Jason said: "It turns out that Mr. Academician is not a person who does not believe in religion at all, so I feel a little relieved."

Li Yu said: "In general, I definitely still believe in the materialist view that matter determines consciousness, and consciousness reacts on matter."

"It turned out to be the German philosopher Marx?" Jason actually knew him, and then said, "German philosophy is already popular in China?"

"Only a few literate intellectuals have read it," Li Yu said. "Most Chinese people are actually illiterate. You know, in this case, it is easier to understand if you believe in gods."

Jason suddenly said: "Since there are so many gods, we are not afraid of one more..."

Li Yu said: "If the bishop really wants to preach, I have a good idea."

Jason said: "Ask the academician to teach me."

Li Yu said: "I just said a lot, you should understand that the Chinese people are pragmatic. If the church can do more good things in Chinatown, such as regular charity activities, opening hospitals and schools, let the local government improve The treatment of the Chinese, etc., the Chinese are very particular about taking advantage of others, so when the time comes, I will definitely go to the church to give them a face... Oh, let’s go and pray!”

"Really useful?" Jason asked.

Li Yu said: "If you don't believe it, just ask the bishops who have returned from China. As long as free peanuts are distributed during Saturday prayers, it will attract a large number of people."

Bishop Jason said: "They have talked about it, but the percentage of people who end up converting is not high."

"That was in China," Li Yu continued to lie, "As you just said, many people in Chinatown have passed on to the second generation. Under your strong cultural background, there have been some changes, so the conversion rate will be high. Some."

Jason said, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

Li Yu smiled and said: "It will definitely succeed!"

Li Yu has now become a guest of the Holy See, and his words have some influence in the church circle. Bishop Jason still believes in him.

The church has plenty of money, so there is nothing wrong with doing some good deeds.

Moreover, most missionaries are very persistent and will do whatever it takes for the cause of missionary work.

With so many Chinese people, it is inevitable to have some religious beliefs. It is better to take advantage of the opportunity to benefit from it, at least starting with one meal a week.

After arriving in New Haven, Li Yu and Liang Cheng got out of the car.

Liang Cheng couldn't hold it back for a long time and said with a smile: "Brother Shucai is so eloquent that he solved the headaches of our embassy in just a few words. It is like the reincarnation of Zhang Yi." Li Yu also laughed and said: "Nowadays, the word 'rebirth' is popular word."

Liang Cheng gave a thumbs up: "The reborn Zhang Yi!"

Soon, the two came to Yale University.

Yale-China Club's influence in Yale University is not small, and it has a dedicated building.

Li Yu and Liang Cheng first went to the farewell ceremony and presented flowers.

Although Americans have their own selfish motives for attaching importance to education in China, China does need foreign capital to invest in education at this time. From a game theory perspective, it is currently a win-win situation and is acceptable to both.

Many progressive people in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, including Lu Xun, had realized that blind hostility to xenophobia or blind worship of foreigners was dangerous.

After hearing that the two had arrived, Yale University President Hadley also rushed to greet them.

President Hadley was somewhat jealous of the fact that the Harvard University Observatory invited Li Yu and made many great discoveries.

As two universities that are close to each other, in the past two years, I even feel that I have been somewhat outshone by Harvard.

However, Li Yu could not stay in the United States for too long this time, so he rejected President Hadley's request to let him give lectures.

——Li Yu already owes many lectures, including many at Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Harvard University.

Unless you learn the art of shadow clone, you will definitely be too busy.

But Li Yu agreed to visit Yale-China University in Changsha more often in China.

At Yale University, Li Yu met a Chinese student-Yan Fuqing.

He is currently studying for a doctorate in medicine at Yale University and will become the school's first Asian-American doctor of medicine.

In the future, Yan Fuqing was one of the important pioneers of the Xiangya Department. He founded Changsha Xiangya Medical College (the predecessor of Hunan Medical University) and served as the first president.

Yan Fuqing was very excited after seeing Li Yu: "I have long admired Academician Li Yu very much!"

Li Yu shook hands with him cordially and said, "It's been hard studying abroad."

"In a few years, I will return to China after completing my studies." Yan Fuqing said.

Li Yu said: "Graduating a PhD is not easy either."

Yan Fuqing said: "The medical major for Westerners is not complicated to learn. I have already thought about what topic to use for graduation."

Yan Fuqing was not bragging. To be honest, Western medicine at this time was not very good, and it was far less complicated than before Li Yu traveled through time.

Western medicine is a typical scientific medicine, completely rooted in the level of scientific development, but it has not yet reached the time for a major explosion in related fields.

Therefore, it is currently much easier to become a qualified Western medicine practitioner than a Chinese medicine practitioner.If you don’t have 20 years of clinical experience, you can’t practice Chinese medicine.

Li Yu said: "I will be very busy after returning to China. Not only do I have to be a doctor, I will probably also do medical education."

Yan Fuqing is full of confidence: "I just want to bring this system back. An excellent doctor should have a dual identity. He should be a lecturer in a university and a physician in a hospital. Only in this way can he keep up with the times. Advance and teach through words and deeds, cultivating talents from generation to generation.”

Li Yu praised: "That's very good. I will definitely visit you when I return to China in the future."

Yan Fuqing said: "People who eat whole grains will inevitably get sick. If my husband is sick, no matter where I am, if I can help, I will go to all over the world to treat him."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I feel relieved with your words, but I still hope I won't have to use them."

Yan Fuqing also smiled and said: "If we never see each other again, of course it would be better than anything else."

-

After returning to New York from Yale, Li Yu received an invitation from Collins Publishing Group and received this batch of manuscript fees, which had reached US$76 in two years.

Collins Publishing House was not prepared to miss the opportunity for Li Yu to arrive in New York, so it held a special book signing event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and made a huge poster with portraits of Li Yu and Lu Bicheng.In order to cooperate with sales, iconic elements such as lightsabers and Death Stars are also added. Many toy companies that produce peripheral products also spend a lot of effort on this.

Star Wars is indeed the number one IP in Western science fiction, and its appeal at this time is unparalleled.

When Collins Publishing asks these game companies for licensing royalties, it will be a huge sum of money.

Li Yu and Lu Bicheng's autograph session that day will sell 500 sets of Star Wars series signed by both of them. The two of them will sit behind an exquisite table and sign each book one by one.

Li Yu originally wanted to use a pen, but Lu Bicheng paid more attention to it and specially found pen, ink, paper and inkstone from Chinatown.Or women are more attentive.

Situ Meitang paid great attention to his sister-in-law's request and even came to study the ink himself.

When Li Yu saw it, he felt that it could be used as a way of cultural promotion. The brush was a symbol that could directly represent Chinese literati.

In fact, foreigners also prefer them to sign with a brush, which has a more ceremonial feel.

James, the editor-in-chief of Collins Publishing House, also asked Li Yu to switch to a writing brush, but the speed would be slower. The 500 sets would definitely not be signed, and the maximum would be [-] sets.

Editor-in-Chief James is usually good at doing business, so he immediately doubled the price and made more money.

Because there are enough gimmicks, the queue is extremely hot, and many celebrities in New York come to buy it.

"It's not easy. I was finally able to get in line."

Li Yu looked up and saw that it was Edison.

"Are you coming to line up in person?" Li Yu said.

Edison said: "If I didn't live close by, I might not even be able to grab such a good thing."

Li Yu laughed: "I haven't asked you to sign, but I gave you my signature first."

Edison said: "Now I am no longer obsessed with direct current. I admit that I have lost the current war with Mr. Tesla. I heard that he is well treated in your company and that Westinghouse has made great contributions to the victory of alternating current." My husband has also joined your company, which is really unexpected to me. I hope you two can continue to use their intelligence and talents in your company."

Of course, Li Yu couldn't poach Edison. His cement and phonograph business was now very large, and his movies were also making great progress, which brought him considerable profits and greatly increased his popularity.

Li Yu could only say politely for the time being: "I will bring your words to them both. I think they will be very happy."

Edison and Tesla were bitter rivals, and their conflicts were extremely difficult to reconcile.