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

Chapter 542 Many Talented Women

Historically, "Science Magazine" was the first official publication in my country to adopt Western punctuation typesetting, which is very meaningful.

Throughout the Republic of China, the country's respect for science has reached an all-time high. There are still some clowns in later generations who shouted "the theory of relativity is false" and "the theory of evolution is a lie." However, during the Republic of China, the Chinese people really respected science too much and would not do it. Making rash comments with little knowledge.

Even the conservatives dare not openly oppose science. At most, they are afraid that Western learning will dominate and suppress Chinese learning. Or perhaps we should retain the original concept of "Chinese learning as the body and Western learning as the application", regard science as a tool, and then coexist together.

Later generations actually had similar views, but they actually went beyond the scope of opposing science and were just talking about how to apply science.

The launch of the magazine went as well as expected.

Even though he knew that the turbulent current situation made it impossible to promote education and make it difficult for aspiring young people to exert their energy, Li Yu was still moved by the scientific enthusiasm of the Chinese people.

The magazine received a lot of letters from readers, and Li Yu really didn't have time to respond to them one by one. Folanya, an old man, didn't have that much energy, so Li Yu could only advertise in the newspaper to recruit new people for the magazine.

Soon, a female student in her twenties came to apply for a job.

The reason why you can tell at a glance that she is a female student is because apart from girls' schools, there are really not many girls with short hair nowadays.

"Are you Academician Li Yu? My name is Chen Hengzhe. I saw the recruitment notice in the newspaper." Chen Hengzhe said.

Li Yu knew that she was a talented woman in the Republic of China. Although she was not very famous, all of her students were very famous: Lin Huiyin, Ding Ling, Xiao Hong, and Bing Xin.

She can be called a talented lady’s master.

Chen Hengzhe received a good education. He studied at the Shanghai Patriotic Girls School co-founded by Cai Yuanpei a few years ago, and his English is relatively solid.

Moreover, this girl is quite modern-minded and resisted her parents' arranged marriage. Her parents arranged for her to be a rich second generation, but Chen Hengzhe believed in free love and disagreed. Then he came to Shanghai and publicly published in the newspaper that he would never marry.

"Please come in." Li Yu said. Before he could learn more about the other party's academic level, another young man arrived.

"Academician Li Yu, I just went to Beijing to find you, and you arrived in Shanghai! I could only get money from Mr. Sun and buy another train ticket."

Li Yu asked: "Who are you?"

"Forgot to introduce myself!" the young man said, "I will be the next Hongjun, and I have always admired the name of the academician."

The founding words of the historical "Science Magazine" were actually written by Ren Hongjun.

He is one of the founders of modern chemistry in my country and previously served as the temporary secretary of the Nanjing Presidential Palace.

Li Yu was startled and said to himself, "Is this fate?"

This was said not only because of Ren Hongjun's visit, but also because Ren Hongjun and Chen Hengzhe became life partners.

Moreover, there is an interesting campus love story between the two, which even involves Hu Shi.

Soon after, both of them were admitted to study in the United States, and met Hu Shi in the United States.

When Ren Hongjun was in the United States, he had a debate with Hu Shi about vernacular writing—about whether vernacular writing could be incorporated into poetry.

Ren Hongjun is a supporter of vernacular literature, but he believes that "vernacular language should have its own uses, whether in composition or novels, but it is not feasible to incorporate it into poetry."

Hu Shi insisted: "Classic prose is dead, or half-dead. Writing poetry should be like composition, and vernacular writing is not necessary."

Ren Hongjun wrote several ancient poems for Hu Shi to read. Hu Shi said that his writing was a mess, and then wrote a poem in vernacular to reply.

Although Hu Shi's level of writing modern poetry was really average, he prevailed in the debate between the two.

Later, Ren Hongjun saw two quatrains by Chen Hengzhe in the "Quarterly Report of Students Abroad in America" ​​and immediately copied them and sent them to Hu Shi at Wei Liansi's residence in New York.

At this moment, Hu Shi had developed an ambiguous relationship with the American girl Wei Liansi, but unfortunately he did not dare to pierce the window paper.

Ren Hongjun's writing seems to show off "only classical Chinese can compose poetry" and show off this quatrain.

However, Hu Shi did not believe that Ren Hongjun could write such an ancient poem with the style of Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty, and quickly guessed that this quatrain was from Chen Hengzhe.

Because looking at the students studying in the United States, he basically knows everyone who has literary talent. The only one who can write ancient poems of this level is Chen Hengzhe.

After that, Hu Shi and Chen Hengzhe became pen pals.

Hu Shi once invited Chen Hengzhe to write an article for the "Students in America Quarterly". After reading it, he said with shame: "While we were still exploring the feasibility of vernacular writing, Shafei (Chen Hengzhe's English name) had already begun to write literature in vernacular."

In the following months, the two communicated frequently, and they seemed to have a longing for each other.

But Hu Shi did not puncture the window paper. Perhaps it was because of Chen Hengzhe's vow to "never marry"; but more importantly because, like Lu Xun, he was urged by his old mother to go home and marry a woman with small feet whom he had never met before.

Hu Shi must have had love for Chen Hengzhe in his heart, otherwise he would not have named his daughter Su Fei after Chen Hengzhe's English name. ——Hu Shi himself confessed this matter in his diary.

It wasn't until Hu Shi returned to China to get married that Ren Hongjun dared to pursue Chen Hengzhe.

At this time, after listening to Li Yu's inexplicable words, Ren Hongjun asked doubtfully: "Mr. Academician, what do you mean by fate?"

Li Yu quickly smiled and said: "It's nothing, I just feel that meeting two young talents suddenly makes me feel a lot of fate."

Chen Hengzhe said: "Mr. Academician, we are not very young. In front of you, we are not young talents. At most, we are dissolute youths."

Li Yu returned to the topic: "It's a bit of a waste of talent for you to join the newspaper. I would like it more if you are willing to contribute articles."

Ren Hongjun asked: "Mr. Academician, you don't want to accept us?"

"It's not a matter of acceptance or not," Li Yu said. "You are still in your studies and may want to study abroad in the future. It is really inappropriate to work in a newspaper so early."

Ren Hongjun said with a little pride: "I have been studying at RB for many years, majoring in applied chemistry."

"Applied chemistry is a good direction," Li Yu said, and asked, "What level have you learned?"

"What level..." Ren Hongjun scratched his head, "I can't say."

Li Yu said: "I thought of a related question. If you can answer it, it means you don't need to study."

Ren Hongjun said: "Please ask academicians to come up with topics."

Li Yu picked up a piece of soap and said, "You must have used this before. It can remove stains."

Ren Hongjun immediately answered: "I know how soap is made."

"No! No! No!" Li Yu stretched out a finger and shook it, and then said, "What I want to ask is not how to make it, but what is the decontamination principle of soap?"

Ren Hongjun opened his mouth: "Go to...the principle of decontamination?"

Li Yu smiled and sat back in his seat, taking a leisurely sip of tea: "If you can answer this question, it means you have achieved something in your studies."

"This..." Ren Hongjun scratched his head, not thinking at all, and finally sighed, "It seems that I really have to continue studying."

Li Yu said: "In the few years you have been at RB, you have reached the middle school level or above. If you obtain the qualification to study in the United States and study in a better university for a few years, it will be more helpful for you to realize your ambition after returning to China." Ren Hongjun said seriously: "Listen A word from you is worth ten years of reading! Thanks to me traveling thousands of kilometers to see you, I understand what to do."

Chen Hengzhe on the side suddenly asked: "Mr. Academician, can women also apply for the quota you mentioned to study in the United States?"

"Of course!" Li Yu affirmed, "It is clearly written in Tsinghua's charter that as long as you are of good conduct and virtuous, have no bound feet, are not engaged, are no more than 23 years old, have Chinese language that reaches the level of a middle school graduate, and English and science that can directly It’s enough to get into an American university and then pass the selection exam.”

Chen Hengzhe bit his lip: "I also want to take the test."

Li Yu said: "You can definitely take the exam together. Where is your student status?"

Chen Hengzhe said: "I am a student from Shanghai."

Ren Hongjun said: "I am a Sichuan student."

Li Yu said: "It doesn't matter, there are places for everyone."

Chen Hengzhe thought for a while and then said: "In this case... I will go back and make more preparations."

After she heard Li Yu say there was an age limit, she knew she didn't have much time and had to win it all at once.

Li Yu encouraged: "If you really want to be an independent modern woman, arming your mind with knowledge is the first step."

"I will remember Mr. Academician's words!" Chen Hengzhe said, then looked at the magazine, "Sorry to disturb you."

"Don't worry, the magazine will not be short of people," Li Yu said with a smile, then picked up a few books, "I will use them during review."

Chen Hengzhe said gratefully: "I will study it carefully!"

After seeing her off, Li Yu said to Ren Hongjun, who was still standing in the room, "What, you still want to stay here?"

Ren Hongjun withdrew his eyes and said, "I, I'll get ready right now!"

"Wait a minute." Li Yu said.

Ren Hongjun asked: "Is there anything else you would like to tell me, sir?"

Li Yu spread out a piece of paper and said, "I'll give you a piece of advice."

"A clever tip?" Ren Hongjun was confused, "About the exam?"

"No, you will know it when the time comes," Li Yu said as he wrote, "but you can only know this tip, and you must not tell others."

Ren Hongjun became interested: "Sir, he actually looks like Zhuge Kongming."

After Li Yu finished writing, he gave him the piece of paper: "You will use it in the future."

Ren Hongjun looked at it and saw a few lines written on it:

“What you can’t get is always in turmoil.

Those who are favored are fearless

The redness of roses easily hurts the dream

It is held in the hand but lost between the fingers.”

Ren Hongjun wondered: "Four lines, a Tang poem? But the number of words is wrong, and the meaning is so straightforward... Mr. Academician, why are you writing this?"

Li Yu laughed and said, "The secret must not be leaked! I told you, you will know sooner or later."

A few years later, when he debates modern poetry with Hu Shi and then pursues the talented girl Chen Hengzhe, Li Yu will definitely be grateful to death with this tip bag.

Although Li Yu's literary talent is not very good, in terms of modern poetry, with just a few memorized poems and some classic lyrics, in the early years of the Republic of China, an era when modern poetry consisted of random fragments of sentences, he was already at the level of indiscriminate killing.

-

A few days later, Li Yu received a telegram from Lu Bicheng, saying that she was going south with her sister Lu Kunxiu.

Meeting them at the train station, Li Yucai learned the specific reason: Lu Kunxiu was invited to work as a teacher at Xiamen Women's Normal School.

The four sisters of the Lu family are indeed very powerful: Lu Huiru is the principal of Nanjing Women's Normal School, Lu Meisun is the principal of Fengtian Women's Normal School, Lu Bicheng is the principal of Tianjin Beiyang Women's Normal School, and Lu Kunxiu is a teacher of Xiamen Women's Normal School. The four sisters have all worked in education.

The "Four Talented Women of Jingde" was widely praised in the Republic of China and was the envy of people at that time. It is also a good story in the history of modern Chinese education.

However, Lu Bicheng's younger sister, Lu Kunxiu, had always been thin and she was worried about it, so she asked her mother to take care of the children on her behalf, and she took the train with her to take up her post.

Li Yu happened to have agreed to Tan Kah Kee's request to go to Xiamen before, so he bought three ferry tickets and took the two sisters to the pier.

This passenger ship belongs to Sanbei Shipping Company, which was just founded by Yu Qiaqing, and runs ocean routes from cities along the Yangtze River to Singapore.

Yu Qiaqing has made huge profits from this route. Today he is on the ship and wants to take a trip himself.

When he saw Li Yu, Yu Qiaqing clasped his fists and said, "President Li, I would like to thank you for boarding our ship's maiden voyage."

Li Yu said: "It is not appropriate to say the word 'maiden voyage' this year."

Yu Qiaqing knew that what Li Yu was talking about was the sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage, so he pointed to the captain's cabin and said: "I installed your wireless telegraph machine, and I have read your article about the sinking of the Titanic. I will never make a mistake." . The most important thing is that before the maiden voyage, I had killed pigs, cattle and sheep to offer sacrifices to heaven; I also put pig heads, sheep heads, cow heads and statues of Guan Gong on the ship. No matter how big the shipwreck was, it would not be my fault."

Li Yu smiled and said: "With so many good fortunes, nothing will happen."

When the ship docked temporarily in Xiamen, Li Yu and three others got off the ship.

Xiamen Girls Normal School is located in Gulangyu Island.

At this time, Gulangyu Island was a foreign concession with many embassies. When landing on the island, the customs first checked the documents of several people.

Li Yuman was reluctant, after all, it was his own land.

Gulangyu Island is very small, but there is no shortage of educational facilities such as kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools. The kindergarten above is one of the earliest kindergartens in the country.

Not long after walking, they arrived at this equally small women's normal school.

There are not many students, but those who enroll are all famous ladies from Gulangyu Island.

Lu Bicheng had more teaching experience and accompanied her sister to give a speech. In terms of talent, Lu Bicheng was naturally the tallest among the four sisters, so much so that the principal wanted to keep her with him.

Li Yuze had nothing to do, so he picked up a roster of newly admitted students and read it casually.

I couldn't believe that such a small place had a crouching tiger, hidden dragon, and a very conspicuous name on it: Lin Qiaozhi.

Lin Qiaozhi is a well-known obstetrician and gynecologist in the history of modern Chinese medicine. He is the founder of obstetrics and gynecology in my country. He has served as the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department of Union Hospital for many years and is known as "the 20 most outstanding doctors in modern Chinese history." Outstanding Women".

Li Yu looked over curiously and vaguely recognized that she was still a thin ten-year-old girl at this time. Who would have thought that she would be able to bear such a heavy burden in the future.

(End of this chapter)