On the scientific canopy of the 20th century, there are many shining stars that make the descendants of Yanhuang proud. Two of the giant stars rise on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, shining brightly with each other.
Living on the other side of the ocean is Professor Yang Zhenning, a Chinese-American. He and Li Zhengdao jointly proposed the principle of non-conservation of cosmology, which opened up a new world of microscopic particle research, won the Nobel Prize in Physics, and won the world's reputation.
Based on the land of China, President Deng Jiaxian, a pioneer in China's atomic and hydrogen bomb undertakings. In order to ignite the magic fire, he worked hard for 30 years, and his contribution was high.
One
The two families of Yang Zhenning and Deng Jiaxian can be described as family friends.
Yang Zhenning's father, Yang Wuzhi, whose ancestral home is Hefei, Anhui Province, returned to China after returning to the United States and worked as a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Deng Jiaxian's father, Deng Yixing, was originally from Huaining, Anhui Province, who specialized in art history and studied in the United States, and was hired as a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University. Hefei and Huaining are not far apart, and they work in the same school thousands of miles away, and the two professors feel very close and regard them as fellow villagers. Both of them lived in the west courtyard of Qinghuayuan, adjacent to each other, separated by only a wall, and the relationship was quite close.
Born in 1922, Yang Zhenning is the eldest in the family. Deng Jiaxian was two years younger than Yang Zhenning, and already had two older sisters. Although they are not brothers, they are similar in age, often playing together and feeling brothers and sisters.
Jia Xian and Zhen Ning really became good friends after they went to middle school. They were admitted to Chongde Secondary School, an English-run church school. Zhenning entered the school two years earlier, he is talented, quick thinking, and is a "clever ghost" that both teachers and classmates like. JiaXian is also very intelligent, but his personality is relatively calm, loyal and kind, sincere and reliable. These two friends are together, cherishing each other's strengths and seeing them as a complement to their own personality. In their spare time, they are often inseparable, or lying on the ground playing pinball, or shooting with their hands on the wall, imitating squash games, or talking together. When the two get along, Zhenning often points fingers and feet, and his mouth is like a river, while Jiaxian is smiling and listening.
Mr. Jia's mother is very affectionate and often cooks delicious meals to deliver to school. At this time, he called Zhenning to enjoy it together. The mother watched them eat all the food and return to Tsinghua Garden.
The Lugou Bridge Incident, the gunfire of the Japanese invaders shattered their carefree school life, and the pair of alumni were forced to separate. Yang Wuzhi's family moved to Kunming, and Yang Zhenning went south with his family. Deng Yijing suffered from tuberculosis and hemoptysis, so he had to stay in Tsinghua and rent a small house to live temporarily. Because Chongde Middle School was run by the British, the Japanese army did not dare to stop it, so Jia Xian continued to study for two years, and in 1939, he also went to Kunming with his eldest sister Deng Zhongxian.
Two
After the fall of Beiping, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Nankai University all moved to Kunming, Yunnan Province, and merged to form Southwest United University in an undulating hill on the outskirts of the city. This institution of higher learning, which was famous throughout the country during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, has many famous scholars and professors.
Yang Zhenning was admitted to the Department of Physics of Southwest United University in 1938, and after his undergraduate studies, he studied for two years of master's degree, so he studied for a total of 6 years. After arriving in Kunming in 1941, Deng Jia was also admitted to the Physics Department of Southwest United University and studied at the school for 4 years. In this way, they spent a total of 3 years studying in the same school and department.
The war disrupted the normal teaching order and created more contact opportunities for Zhenning and Jiaxian. They were three grades apart, but when they were hiding from air raids in the wild, they could be with them at any time. A pair of naughty alumni of Chongde Middle School have become heroic young college students at this time, and their relationship is still intertwined. Zhenning Zhi is far away. In his conversation, he often regarded the world as his duty, and his classmates playfully called him "the heavens will descend to the Slovaks" as well." Because of his clever mind and quick response, he was nicknamed "Yang Datou". Jia Xian was simple and loyal, kind and amiable, and his classmates affectionately called him "Deng Lao huan" or Pure (Meaning pure and innocent in English).
The study and life of Southwest United University is very important to Zhenning and Jiaxian's life. They learned a wealth of physics, tempered their will, and strengthened their friendship. They have personally experienced the pain of the ravaging of the nation and are determined to master advanced scientific knowledge and make their own contributions to the prosperity and strength of the people in the future.
Three
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Yang Zhenning was admitted as a publicly-funded international student and went to the University of Chicago to pursue a doctorate. After graduating from Southwest United University, Deng Jiaxian went north with the school and worked as a physics assistant at Peking University. Later, Deng Jiaxian was also admitted to graduate school in the United States. Before going to the United States, he wrote to Zhenning for advice on which university in the United States it would be more appropriate to study. After careful consideration, Zhenning suggested that Jia first go to Purdue University in Indiana for further study. The reason is that the school is close to Chicago, and the two can meet often; second, Purdue University has a high level of science and engineering, ranking in the top 10 of american polytechnic universities, and the fee is low, and the economy is easy to guarantee.
Jia Xian took ZhenNing's suggestion. Just at this time, Zhenning's younger brother Zhenping was going to go to college in the United States, so Yang's father entrusted Zhenping to Jiaxian, and the two traveled together and arrived in San Francisco in 1948 by boat. Jia xian sent Zhenping to Zhenning in Chicago. Then he went to Purdue University.
After the end of World War II, the world's science and technology developed rapidly, people recognized the importance of nuclear physics, and it became a popular discipline in the world. Jia Xian and Zhen Ning both realized that mastering this knowledge was the only way to reach the forefront of science. Both majored in theoretical physics, the subdisciplinary was theoretical nuclear physics, and their doctoral dissertations also belonged to the same range of nuclear physics.
In the summer of 1949, Jia Xian came to Chicago to reunite with Zhenning and Zhenping. The three of them rented a house together, played, walked, chatted, and discussed academic issues with Wen's childhood. It was their longest and most fun party in the United States. In the home of Zhenning and Jiaxian, there are still photos taken by the two of them at that time.
Zhenning has already received his Ph.D. and was soon recruited to work at the Princeton Institute. Later, he married Du Zhili, the daughter of Mr. Du Yuming, who studied in the United States, and settled in the United States to engage in scientific research in theoretical physics.
Jia Xian was writing his doctoral dissertation at this time. As early as during his studies at the Southwest United University, Jia Xian accepted the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. He had several good classmates, all of whom were underground party members.
After the news of the birth of New China reached the other side of the ocean, Deng Jiaxian's mood could no longer be calm. On August 20, 1950, Deng Jiaxian completed his studies and obtained a doctorate, he broke through many obstacles, boarded the President Wilson ship, and embarked on the journey back to China on August 29.
During their studies in the United States, Zhenning and Jia xian both studied for two years to obtain doctorates, and they both mastered the theoretical nuclear physics science that was at the forefront of the world at that time, laying a solid foundation for their future outstanding achievements.
Four
After returning to his homeland, Deng Jiaxian participated in the ongoing work of creating the Institute of Modern Physics in China. He grew up rapidly in the embrace of his homeland, was named a young associate researcher, and in 1956 he joined the Communist Party of China.
In the spring of 1958, a historical burden weighed on Deng Jiaxian's still immature shoulders, and he was selected as the main attacker in the study of China's first atomic bomb. The task of lighting the flame was very glorious and arduous, and for the sake of the future of the country and the nation, Deng Jiaxian silently undertook it with his inherent loyalty and perseverance.
After that, Deng Jiaxian's name disappeared from public publications, his figure could no longer be seen on mass occasions, many relatives and friends could not find his traces, and even his wife Xu Luxi did not know the specific whereabouts of Jiaxian, only that he was on an extremely important mission.
Xu Luxi is the daughter of Mr. Xu Deheng, 4 years younger than Jia Xian. People say that behind successful men, there is often a great woman standing. In the long years of more than 20 years, Xu Luxi took on most of the housework and supported the family, so that Deng Jiaxian could devote all his body and mind to his career.
In October 1964, the first mushroom cloud rose in Shenzhou, and the whole country cheered for it. However, due to jiaxian's special position, his great achievements could not be known even to his closest family. When the elderly Xu Deheng heard the good news of the success of the atomic bomb explosion, he excitedly said to Mr. Yan Keats:
"We can build the atomic bomb by ourselves, I don't know who has such a great ability?"
Yan Keats, who knew the inside story, laughed and replied:
"Go ask your son-in-law!"
Five
Yang Zhenning stayed in the United States to continue his research in theoretical physics, successively serving as a researcher and professor at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, a professor at the State University of New York and the director of the Institute of Physics at the university. He has achieved a lot of scientific research, especially after winning the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, and has a pivotal position in the academic community, becoming a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
After hearing the news of The success of China's nuclear test, Yang Zhenning was excited and wanted to come back to see it. Due to the influence of the political situation, it was not until 1971 that he fulfilled his long-cherished wish and became the first Chinese-American to visit his family in China.
At the capital airport, Jia Xian greeted an old friend who had been separated for more than 20 years, and both of them were very excited, but they could not talk deeply. The clever Zhenning was already aware of JiaXian's unspeakable secret, so in the future conversation, he carefully avoided asking about JiaXian's work, but the doubts in his heart could not be dissipated for a long time. Before Zhenning left Beijing, Jia first went to the airport to drop him off. At the side of the plane's gangway, Zhenning finally couldn't bear it, and asked Jia Xian around the bend: "I heard that China tested the atomic bomb, and there was an American who was helping to carry it out. This problem made Jia Xian very embarrassed. If you answer no, you are admitting that you were involved in the construction of the atomic bomb. If you answer that you don't know, you are cheating on an old friend. After a moment's thought, he said, "Get on the plane first, and I'll tell you later." ”
After sending Yang Zhenning away, Jia Xian immediately reported the problem to his superiors and asked premier Zhou for instructions step by step. The premier said: "Deng Jiaxian should tell Yang Zhenning truthfully that China tested the atomic bomb without a single foreigner participating." In accordance with the instructions of the premier, Jia Xian wrote a letter to Zhenning overnight and handed it over to a special person to send to Shanghai immediately. At the banquet given to Yang Zhenning by the Shanghai Municipal Revolutionary Committee, Zhenning took the letter sent by the messenger and opened it on the spot to read it. When he knew for sure that he Chinese self-reliant to build successful nuclear weapons, he could no longer control the surging passion, and tears rolled down.
Six
In recent years, Yang Zhenning has become more concerned about China's scientific undertakings and has visited China many times. Every time he came to China, as long as the conditions permitted, he would meet with Jia Xian and talk about friendship. Zhenning gradually learned about Jia Xian's historical merits, respected and cared for him more, and talked about his heart in various ways. The careful Zhenning still remembered Jia Xian's hobbies, knew that he had a quiet personality, liked Peking Opera and symphony, so he specially brought a secret record of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony from the United States and gave it to Jia Xian. When Jia Xian was about to turn 60, Zhen Ning bought a pair of chess pieces with computer programs from the United States, and asked Jia Xian to pay attention to rest and entertainment, and to play alone with the computer in his spare time. Jia Xian thanked his old friend for his kindness and accepted the gift. But he really had no spare time, and this chess game was still lying quietly in the cabinet of Jia Xian's family.
By the 1980s, the two scientists were old men. But when they were together, they seemed to return to a pleasant juvenile period, full of childish and innocent interest. When Zhenning came to Beijing in 1983, he once had a small conversation with Jia Xian on the phone, and during the conversation, Zhen Ning suddenly had a whim, and he wanted to borrow a bicycle from Jia Xian, and the two of them rode to the Summer Palace together. Jia Xian said: "I have a few bicycles in my house, but..." Just think, one is a distinguished guest of the state, and the other is a giant who is regarded as a treasure by the country, how can people let the two old people take such a risk? Zhen Ning calmed down, and had to regret it.
Extreme nervousness and fatigue prematurely lost Jia Xian's health. In 1985, he was diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized. During his one year in the hospital, Yang Zhenning visited him twice. During his first visit, Jia Xian was still in good spirits and could still stand up to greet Zhenning. The two talked very happily, they recalled the past together, asked each other about the recent situation of acquaintances, Zhenning also introduced the research status of the international academic community at that time with great interest, and wrote some formulas and schematic diagrams at will. Before separating, the two took a group photo in the ward, and Jia Xian insisted on sending it to the door of the ward, and asked Lu Xi to send Zhenning downstairs on his behalf. Before Zhenning got into the car, Lu Xi told him that Jiaxian's condition was very dangerous and there was almost no hope of a cure. This news hit Zhenning hard. He was anxious about his old friend's condition. Looking for new drugs to treat cancer in the United States, I asked Ambassador Han Xu to quickly send them to Beijing through a courier. Unfortunately, it was too late for the medicine to arrive.
On June 13, 1986, Zhenning came to visit Jiaxian before returning to the United States. At this time, Jia Xian began to bleed heavily, and the doctor could not control the deterioration of the disease. Zhen Ning stood in front of the hospital bed, looking affectionately at the bedridden Jia Xian's miserable atmosphere. Zhen Ning sent a huge bouquet of flowers, and he knew that this time it might be a farewell to his old friend. Jia Xian's sanity was still very clear, and after Zhen Ning left, he said to Lu Xi, "Zhen Ning knows that I can't do it, so he sent a huge bouquet of flowers..."
A little over a month later, on July 29, 1986, a science superstar fell. At this time, Zhenning was abroad, and he sent a condolence telegram to Lu Xi: "...
Jia Xian is loyal and pure, and is my most beloved and close friend. His selfless spirit and great contribution are yours and my eternal pride..."
Seven
In October 1987, Yang Zhenning came to China again. On a day when the autumn breeze was blowing, accompanied by Jiaxian's eldest sister Deng Zhongxian and his wife Xu Luxi, Zhenning went to the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery to pay tribute to Jiaxian. He walked slowly to the cemetery, shedding tears to mourn his deceased friend, and his grief was overwhelming.
Zhenning heard that When Jia Xian was entrusted with a heavy responsibility in 1958, he said: "In order to complete this task, it is worth dying." A few days before his death, Jia Xian said, "I am blind when I die!" Jiaxian, you have worked hard for eternity, and you can sleep for a long time without shame!
Xu Luxi, who was standing in front of the tomb, also had thoughts. She remembered the handwritten letter that Zhenning wrote after Jia Xian's death, which said: "The news of Jia Xian's death reminds me of his friendship with me for half a century. I know I will cherish these memories forever... I hope that on this painful day, you will look at Jiaxian and your life from a long-term historical perspective. Only what is truly eternal is valuable. ”