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

Later generations would shake license plates for more than ten years, just like buying lottery tickets, but at this time there were still not many cars in Beijing, and Li Yu's car was definitely a rarity.

At present, most of the people who buy cars are families who are rich and powerful at the same time, and their thoughts are more inclined to change, such as the sons of Beiyang bosses: the Yuan family, and Duan Qirui's son Duan Hongye.

In the early years of the Republic of China, there was a saying of the "Four Young Masters of the Republic of China". Yuan Shikai's son and Duan Qirui's son were both on the list. These people are young and have a lot of wealth. They are typical of the second generation of officials and the second generation of rich people. They like all kinds of things that can show off their status.

He is probably much stronger than the "Four Young Masters of the Capital" a hundred years from now - of course this is not a good thing.

A few years ago, the Yuan family's son bought a car through Li Yu.

Although cars are very expensive after arriving in China by sea, the practical significance of cars cannot be underestimated. It is not a bad thing to let them promote it first.

Li Yu and Lu Bicheng drove in the car and saw Mei Lanfang, who had just finished her performance, at the entrance of the hall.

It's also a coincidence that several of his plays today are "Fan Jiang Pass", so he doesn't need to take off his makeup after singing the Tang Hui play.

Li Yu stopped the car in front of him and said, "Boss Mei, Mr. Qi Rushan asked me to pick you up and take you to Guangde Building."

Mei Lanfang glanced at Li Yu, and then said: "Ah, I recognize it! You are Li Yu, the scientific giant who has been published in the newspaper!"

"Boss Mei has a good memory," Li Yu said.

"You are one of the most famous people in the country, and you can make us look good in front of foreigners! I often read newspapers, how could I not know this?" Mei Lanfang said.

Li Yu smiled and said: "You will also make the people of the country look good."

"Hi! I'm just an actor, so it's good if I don't lose face!" Mei Lanfang said, and then asked, "Why did Mr. Qi ask you to pick me up?"

"Because he can't drive," Li Yu said, then opened the car door and gave him a cloak, "Surround him, get in the car, and let's go."

After Mei Lanfang got into the car, she said to Lu Bicheng, "You must be Mrs. Li, the talented sister Bicheng who shocked the whole of Beijing and Tianjin?"

Lu Bicheng smiled slightly and praised: "She is very good at talking, and she looks like a famous actor."

Mei Lanfang was under 18 at this time, and was still considered a minor. However, people in the theater entered society early, and it was impossible to get ahead without some cleverness.

Lu Bicheng suddenly asked: "What if I am not Mrs. Li, but another girl?"

Mei Lanfang answered quickly: "Absolutely not! I can tell at a glance."

Lu Bicheng asked doubtfully: "How can you tell?"

Mei Lanfang said: "Look at Mr. Li Yu's eyes, which are gentle but not hot, affectionate but indifferent, calm and full of concern. This is a feeling that only the first couple can have."

Lu Bicheng said in disbelief: "You can see so many things just from your eyes?"

Mei Lanfang said: "Of course! For us opera singers, eye training is a top priority. In order to practice eye contact, I raised a lot of pigeons. And observing words and expressions is also a basic skill for me."

Mei Lanfang said it very realistically. The Republic of China was not a good era. It was not easy to become famous. It required the ability to be versatile.

Lu Bicheng said: "You work so hard at such a young age, and your future is limitless."

Li Yu had already started the car and stepped on the accelerator: "We have to hurry up, or the audience at Guangde Tower will really have their tickets refunded."

Mei Lanfang asked: "Refund?"

"The audience over there started shouting for refunds when they saw you weren't coming," Lu Bicheng said.

Mei Lanfang said in surprise: "That shouldn't be the case! There are two famous characters, Master Tan and Master Yang, in charge of the market. It doesn't make any difference whether I go or not."

Li Yu said: "You really underestimate the loyalty of your fans."

"Vermicelli? Henan vermicelli or Shandong Longkou vermicelli?" Mei Lanfang said, "I also love to eat vermicelli."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I am an English fan, a fan who likes your singing."

"He is indeed a great scholar who is an imperial teacher and an academician. I don't understand English," Mei Lanfang said, "but no matter what, refunding the ticket won't be a big deal."

Li Yu said: "If it were any later, half of the ticket holders would have already refunded their tickets and left."

Mei Lanfang stuck out her tongue: "That's not okay! Wouldn't this offend Master Tan and Master Yang? I can't bear this responsibility!"

The fan circle in Beijing is more harmonious than in Tianjin. Audiences clamoring for refunds have happened several times in Tianjin, but this is the first time in Beijing. However, what the theater owners are really worried about is offending the leading actors Tan Xinpei and Yang Xiaolou.

In the Guangde Building, the audience was watching Yang Xiaolou's performance with emotion. Suddenly someone shouted: "Mei Lanfang is here! After Boss Yang finishes singing, he will come on stage!"

Poor Yang Xiaolou's good show ended hastily amid the clamor of the whole audience. This scene was nothing more than an insult and ridicule to him. He could not wipe out his face for a while. After Yang Xiaolou got off the stage, he turned around and left without saying a word.

Seeing this, Tan Xinpei seemed to have a premonition that he would have such a result. He was as sad as Yang Xiaolou, but he was still unwilling to give up, so he put on his clothes early and rubbed his face, but he didn't wear a net. Go to a secluded private room to watch Mei Lanfang's performance.

Li Yu and Lu Bicheng also sat back in the private room. Qi Rushan said happily: "Shu Cai, you really saved the day!"

Li Yu waved his hand and said relaxedly: "It's no big deal, and it's not me who saves the situation, but Mei Lanfang."

At this time, Mei Lanfang had already appeared on the stage. As soon as he appeared, the audience's emotions were high again, and they burst into applause, cheers and cheers. Mei opened her mouth, and the theater suddenly became silent, which shows its charm.

Although Mei Lanfang's status in the hearts of the audience is getting higher and higher day by day, insiders such as Tan Xinpei and Qi Rushan do not think so.

After watching most of the play, Tan Xinpei said to Qi Rushan standing by: "It's nothing!"

His phrase "nothing" means that Mei's singing is not that outstanding, and it may also be inexplicable from the audience's reaction.

But since it's "nothing", why do the audience have such a fanatical enthusiasm for Mei Lanfang?

This puzzled Tan Xinpei.

Qi Rushan had the same feeling as Tan Xinpei, and he replied: "According to art, it is very mediocre."

Tan Xinpei said: "But you see the audience is so enthusiastic."

Qi Rushan said: "From my observation, Mei Lanfang does meet the first three of the six essentials for acting, that is, a good voice, a good appearance, and a good figure. Although I cannot say [-]%, other female actors are not as good as him. .”

Tan Xinpei knew that Qi Rushan had studied abroad and had studied Chinese and foreign dramas. He was a theorist with a solid foundation, so he then asked: "What are the other three points?"

Qi Rushan said: "On the other three points, he can sing, has a good figure, and can express his emotions. Even if he is not perfect, as long as someone gives a little guidance, he will make rapid progress."

Tan Xinpei said: "Boss Qi's evaluation is already very high." Qi Rushan continued: "But I still don't understand why Mei Lanfang is so popular and popular now?"

Tan Xinpei stood up and sighed: "The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. From now on, this baby will be famous all over the world. No more talking, it's my turn to take the stage."

Mei Lanfang, who has just debuted, is not necessarily "very mediocre" in terms of art as Qi Rushan said, and it is true that he has not yet reached the level of perfection.

The reason why he is popular and loved by the audience has a lot to do with the current social environment.

When the female troupe of Peking Opera began to flourish, male and female actors could not perform on the same stage. This kind of convention has seriously restricted the development of Peking Opera.

As I have said many times before, the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China was a period of great change unseen in three thousand years. It was not only limited to the transformation of the state system and the demise of the imperial system, but also had a great impact on all aspects of society. The speed of change was far beyond most people's imagination.

Even though there are still many shackles preventing women from entering the theater, there are still more and more women in the audience due to the general trend.

As a result, many dramatic changes have taken place in the entire theater world: in the past, Laosheng and Wusheng had always dominated the stage, but now the status of Tsing Yi Hua Dan is becoming more and more prosperous day by day.

Mei Lanfang himself summed it up many years later: "In the past, it was Laosheng Wusheng who had the advantage, because male spectators had a long history of listening to operas, and it was easy to criticize and appreciate Laosheng Wusheng's art. Female spectators had just begun. Going to the theater is naturally a layman's job. It's just for fun, so you must first choose something beautiful to watch. If an old man like Tan Xinpei doesn't know how to appreciate his art, he won't be interested in him. So. The female actors and actresses have become their favorite objects..."

Coupled with Mei Lanfang's excellent skills, her clear voice, mellow accent, delicate workmanship, and thoughtful expressions all reveal the charm of beauty, which is consistent with the current public aesthetics.

In short, as society opened up and women entered the theater, Danxing's status soared, and Mei Lanfang's rise was inevitable.

Since the Yuhua Primary School fund-raising voluntary performance, Tan Xinpei has experienced the power of Mei Lanfang, who is 47 years younger than him and can be considered a grandchild.

As the current top performer in Beijing's opera circle, there were rumors that Mei Lanfang's friends had asked Tan Xinpei to take extra care of Mei Lanfang. In fact, it was not at all true. Tan Xinpei and the Mei family had always had a good relationship.

Before the end of today's performance, many people made donations, and Li Yu donated the most.

Qi Rushan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you Academician Li for your generous donation to the primary school, and 666 taels is really a good number! Good luck!"

Li Yu could only appreciate the homophonic meaning of "666" by himself, and replied: "I hope everything goes well for the school and accepts more children from ordinary families."

Qi Rushan said: "Most of the children accepted by the Yuhua Association are poor children. Who from a wealthy family would send their children to a pear garden?"

Li Yu added: "If you need teaching materials later, you can contact me at any time."

Qi Rushan said: "Mr. Youlao is worried about me."

On the way home, Lu Bicheng admired her: "The Mei Lanfang who just sang is so good, her body movements and eyes are so lifelike. When she is on stage, she looks more like a woman than a woman."

Li Yu said: "He is a typical example of God's reward. It's hard not to be popular."

Lu Bicheng said: "Besides, he is still so young, so I hope he will not die in the middle. After all, it is really difficult to be an actor for a long time."

Li Yu said: "It's the Republic of China, and times have changed. Everyone pays attention to individual citizenship and equality. The previous notion of being low-spirited will disappear soon."

"I hope so."

After Lu Bicheng finished speaking, she tightened her collar.

The convertible car does feel a bit cold to drive.

Li Yu's patent application for a fully covered closed body and balance shaft in the United States has been approved and will be slowly installed in half a year.

However, this patent is currently only used by American companies such as Ford. European car companies are relatively conservative and will not use it immediately in the short term.

In the eyes of future generations, this is an ordinary design. Li Yu came up with it a little earlier. It is not that shocking, but it is expected to increase the price of the car. After all, there are several more links in the production of the whole vehicle.

Unexpectedly, the car prices in the future were not much different from those in history. At that time, Li Yu finally understood some very general words in the books when he was in school.

From now until the economic crisis in the late 20s, Europe and the United States have entered a special period of economic development. Both internally and externally, they are frantically exploiting, which is the so-called squeezing of surplus labor.

Wall Street and business owners must have found the break-even point through economic analysis and found that maintaining prices, increasing production capacity and sales can bring much higher benefits than raising car prices and reducing sales.

That's why they choose to exploit the costs back on workers and continue to sell at a price that's not too high.

Although Li Yu is ashamed, this kind of political and economic problem that touches the bottom design cannot be solved by any one person. He can only rely on the rolling historical torrent to promote the development of the general trend.

-

After returning home, Fengling gave Li Yu a telegram from Zhou Xuexi, known as the "Northern Industrial Giant". In the telegram, he hoped that Li Yu could be a scientific leader and write an article advocating that people in the capital use more tap water. .

Today's Chinese people believe in Li Yu's words as long as they involve a little bit of science.

So Li Yu did his part and wrote an article explaining the principles of tap water, especially stating that tap water is not only convenient, but also harmless.

This matter is quite meaningful. If you look at the history of urban construction in Beijing, you will find that as the capital, it has always had a water shortage problem.

Even the imperial palace has to go to Yuquan Mountain and other places to collect water every day, and then use water trucks to transport it back to the Forbidden City for use.

As for ordinary people, they can only rely on well water to solve their daily drinking water problems.

However, most of the groundwater in Beijing is not of good quality. The water is very hard and not suitable for drinking water.

A small amount of well water with good quality is collected and sold, and there are even shops specializing in selling water in the streets and alleys.

Long before Beijing, more than ten cities including Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, Qingdao, Wuhan, and Chengdu had already opened tap water. Although Beijing was a little later, Zhou Xuexi was responsible for completing the construction of the capital's tap water project in 1910. Water circulation was achieved.

This project has always ensured water supply for the capital during the Republic of China. During the construction process, in order to protect the interests of national industry, Zhou Xuexi insisted on recruiting only Chinese stocks and not foreign stocks, which is a commendable achievement.

Li Yu's home was naturally connected to running water and electric wires early.

It's just that in the late Qing Dynasty, the capital was always conservative, and the people were unfamiliar with tap water, calling it "foreign water."

Because "foreign water" is sometimes accompanied by bubbles when it comes out of the tap, they think it is soapy water and dare not drink it. Some people spread rumors that "drinking it will kill people" or even "die off their children and grandchildren."

In addition, the bosses who sold water in the past made things difficult for them, making the promotion of tap water very difficult.

Zhou Xuexi wanted to take advantage of the demise of the imperial system to promote new things.

The article was not difficult to write at all, just like the previous promotion of disinfection, it was very easy to write. And taking into account the current public acceptance, Li Yu deliberately omitted some professional terminology in purification projects. Otherwise, if many people knew that the chlorine used for disinfection in tap water production is itself a poisonous gas, it would probably cause unnecessary worries.

To popularize chlorine gas and technology, we need to learn chemistry. The general public does not know so much at present, so it is better to write the article in a more popular way. After all, it is published in a newspaper to save everyone from worrying.