In 1971, after sino-US relations gradually calmed down, Yang Zhenning, who had been wandering in the United States for more than two decades, returned to China for the first time to visit, and as the first well-known American scholar to visit China, Premier Zhou attached great importance to his arrival.
As soon as he set foot on the national territory, he was eagerly received by Premier Zhou, who specially held a reception banquet for him in the Great Hall of the People, along with Du Yuming and his wife.
Du Yuming was the father of Yang Zhenning's wife Du Zhili, and it is reasonable to say that Yang Zhenning should call Du Yuming "father-in-law". However, when talking to Du Yuming, he actually blurted out that Du Yuming was called "Mr. Du".
As soon as Yang Zhenning spoke, he was refuted by Premier Zhou: "It is not right for you to call it that, you should call it your father-in-law." The crowd reacted and burst out laughing.
So why didn't Yang Zhenning call Du Yuming's father-in-law, but instead call him "Mr. Du"?
Yang Zhenning was born in 1922 in Sanhe Town, Hefei, Anhui Province, to a family of scholars, and his father Yang Kechun was a middle school teacher, that is, the teacher of the famous mathematician Hua Luogeng, who was publicly funded to study in the United States shortly after Yang Zhenning was born.
Although her father was not around, Yang Zhenning's mother was also an intellectual, and she took the initiative to take on the task of taking care of her son.
Yang Zhenning was intelligent and studious since he was a child, and when he was 6 years old, he had already learned more than 3,000 Chinese characters under the guidance of his mother, and it was not until Yang Kechun received a doctorate from the University of Chicago that Yang Zhenning moved with his parents to live in Tsinghua Garden.
In that era, there were not many children who could be born in the Shuxiang family to receive a good education, Yang Zhenning was a lucky one, coupled with his intelligent and studious personality, his mastery and absorption of knowledge was always faster than that of children of the same age.
At the age of 16, he was admitted to the Southwest United University. After 6 years of in-depth study in physics, 22-year-old Yang Zhenning was once again admitted to Tsinghua University as a publicly-funded international student with excellent results, when he was the only public-funded student in physics to stay in the United States, and really responded to the sentence that his father had written behind his photo that "this son seems to have a different nature".
While waiting to study abroad, Yang Zhenning has been teaching mathematics in the school. At that time, he taught both the first and second grades of high school, but Yang Zhenning could speak all the content very thoroughly, coupled with his humorous and flexible teaching methods, many students liked such a teacher very much.
In 1945, Yang Zhenning, who had left his waiting period, became a graduate student at the University of Chicago and officially went to the United States to start his study abroad career.
He chose Chicago not because it was his father's alma mater, but because he wanted to meet Professor Fermi, whom he had admired for a long time.
Professor Fermi was the greatest physicist in the world at that time, and Yang Zhenning, who liked physics, naturally would not miss such an opportunity.
He spent four years at the University of Chicago, during which time he not only met his good friend Lee Jeong-do, but also met du Zhili, the love of his life.
In fact, Yang Zhenning and Du Zhili have known each other for a long time, and when he was teaching at the Affiliated Middle School of Southwest United University, Du Zhili was a student in his class. But at that time, Du Zhili was only a teenager, thin and small, and his grades were not outstanding, so Yang Zhenning did not notice her at all.
But Du Zhili was very admiring of such a teacher, especially when he was in class, Du Zhili always looked at him with bright eyes and admired the knowledge and charm he showed. However, since Yang Zhenning went to the United States in the summer of 1945, she has not heard from this teacher.
Du Zhili only came to the United States in 1947, when Du Yuming, who was seriously ill, was preparing to withdraw from the battlefield and go to the United States for treatment, but at this time the Kuomintang had fallen behind in the contest with the Communists, and Chiang Kai-shek was not willing to withdraw from the battlefield in any way.
In the end, at the insistence of Chiang Kai-shek, Du Yuming had to abandon his original plan and go to Shanghai for medical treatment, and Du Zhili went to the United States to study alone.
In 1949, as the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, Du Zhili's father, Du Yuming, also became a prisoner of the Communists, and under the coercion of Chiang Kai-shek, Du Yuming's wife Cao Xiuqing had to lead five children and her mother-in-law to Taiwan.
However, the Taiwan authorities did not give them corresponding subsidies, and Cao Xiuqing had to find a job for himself to send and receive, and to support a large family with a meager salary, fortunately, the eldest son Du Zhiren was more competitive and was admitted to Harvard University in the United States.
But in the year when he was about to graduate, Du Zhiren was worried about the tuition fee of 3,000 US dollars, the previous tuition fee was already paid by loan, and now Du Zhiren and Cao Xiuqing really had no way to pay such a huge amount of money, so she had to go to Chiang Kai-shek to intercede. Who knew that Chiang Kai-shek had only agreed to give $10 million, and it was given in two installments.
Du Zhiren, who was depressed because he could not successfully graduate, was furious and ended his young life.
The sudden loss of a "top pillar" at home, Cao Xiuqing and Du Zhiren's brothers and sisters were very sad in their hearts, and Du Zhili, who was still studying in the United States at the time, was in a helpless situation.
When her brother died and tuition fees were interrupted, she had no choice but to transfer to the free St. Vincent's College in the United States to continue her studies in literature. Perhaps by fate, the two who had not seen each other for many years met again in such a place.
At Christmas 1949, Yang Zhenning made an appointment with a friend at Princeton for dinner. The two walked to the only Chinese restaurant in the area to prepare for dinner, and coincidentally, Du Zhili happened to be in this restaurant.
Neither of them, who had not seen each other for 4 years, did not expect to meet again in such an inconspicuous town. As Yang Zhenning later said, if he is one point earlier or one point later, both of them will miss it, and this meeting can be said to be the arrangement of the god of destiny, which is a miracle.
At this time, Yang Zhenning was 27 years old, and before that, someone had wanted to introduce an object to Yang Zhenning, but Yang Zhenning always pushed it away with his academic busyness.
However, after he saw Du Zhili, a ripple suddenly appeared in his heart, especially after learning about her brother, he was even more distressed by this isolated and helpless woman in a foreign country.
At this time, Du Zhili has also become a big girl under the influence of Jiangnan Water Town. Because with the outstanding appearance like his mother, Du Zhili has always had many suitors around him. She was originally grieving for the death of her brother, and she did not have any heart to focus on "starting a family".
But after being comforted by Yang Zhenning, she actually had some touches in her heart, not only gratitude, but also the joy of "meeting other people in other places".
As time went on, the two men became more and more intimate, and after showing their hearts to each other, they entered the palace of marriage in Princeton on August 26, 1950.
The combination of Lang Cai's female appearance envied many people at that time, and their friends sent them blessings. Yang Zhenning specializes in physics and Du Zhili specializes in literature, and the two are complementary in academics, life and personality, so their married life has always been very happy.
After du Zhili married Yang Zhenning, he also understood the responsibility on his shoulders. She understood that Yang Zhenning was not only fighting for herself but also for all mankind, so in order not to affect Yang Zhenning's work, she took the initiative to take on all the trivial matters in the family.
It is precisely because of what Du Zhili has done that Yang Zhenning was able to devote all his energy to physics research.
In 1956, Yang Zhenning and his friend Li Zhengdao officially published "Questioning the Conservation of Cosmic Names in Weak Interactions" in the Physical Review of the United States, which was verified by professionals and determined its authenticity.
Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao also won the Nobel Prize for this. At that time, Yang Zhenning was still a Chinese national, which also made China raise its eyebrows in the world.
After Yang Zhenning won the Nobel Prize, Chiang Kai-shek, who saw the wind and made the rudder, change his previous attitude toward Cao Xiuqing and once welcomed him as a "guest of honor".
However, at this time, Cao Xiuqing had already seen Chiang Kai-shek's vicious and cunning personality, and after careful consideration, she decided to return to the mainland to look for Du Yuming, so with the help of Yang Zhenning, Cao Xiuqing went to the United States first to settle down.
In 1959, Du was released from prison for his good performance in prison. Cao Xiuqing also broke through many obstacles to return to China to reunite with her husband in 1963, and Du Yuming and Cao Xiuqing were sincerely grateful for the help that the Communist Party had given to the couple.
At this time, Du Zhili, who was far away in the United States, also missed his father very much, but because of the restrictions of the United States, Du Zhili and Yang Zhenning had never had the opportunity to return to China to visit.
It was not until Kissinger's secret visit to China in 1971 and the gradual thawing of Sino-US relations that Yang Zhenning had the opportunity to return to China with his wife and children to visit Du Yuming and his wife.
In July 1971, Yang Zhenning, with his wife and children, traveled thousands of miles from the United States to return, first visiting his parents and mentors, and then meeting his good friend Deng Jiaxian. After staying in the United States for 26 years, he couldn't help but cry when he saw the deceased.
On July 28, Premier Zhou specially hosted a banquet in the Great Hall of the People to entertain Yang Zhenning's family. This was the first time yang zhenning and Du Zhili had met Du Yuming and his wife since they got married.
The outside world is widely rumored that Du Yuming was "tortured" in prison, and although Du Zhili knew that his father had not suffered any grievances, he still felt that his eyes lit up when he saw his father.
Only to see Du Yuming was full of energy and talking with Premier Zhou, without the slightest hint of "wronged", Cao Xiuqing was also on the side, smiling and watching the two talk and laugh.
Du Yuming, who learned that he was about to be able to see his daughter, was still happy at this time, and his face had more red light, and he looked very good.
With the help of Premier Zhou, the families who were scattered in various places were finally able to get together smoothly, and they were all in tears for a while, and they did not know where to start after decades of encounters.
But at this time, Yang Zhenning seemed a little restrained, although the two sides had exchanged letters, but when they met, Yang Zhenning did not know what to say.
He first called out "Mom" to Cao Xiuqing affectionately, and when he turned his head to call Du Yuming, he suddenly hesitated and respectfully called out to Mr. Du. It turned out that at this time, he did not know Du Yuming's political position, thinking that he was still the original Kuomintang general, so he did not dare to scream in front of Premier Zhou, but he could not but call Du Yuming "Mr. Du".
Without the unexpected "Dad", Du Yuming's face also changed invisibly, and the atmosphere during the banquet instantly became very awkward.
When Premier Zhou saw the situation, he hurriedly stood up and hit the round field: "How can you call Sir?" Supposedly, you should be called Your Father-in-Law! ”
Yang Zhenning wiped the sweat from his head and apologized in a loud voice: "Yes... It is time to call the father-in-law. After saying that, he changed his title again and respectfully greeted Du Yuming again.
Du Yuming suddenly laughed loudly, saying that he did not blame him, but on the contrary, he admired this young man very much. The original tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed, and everyone sat in their seats laughing and laughing, and began to celebrate this hard-won reunion.
During the banquet, Du Yuming solemnly thanked Premier Zhou for taking care of his family, and urged Yang Zhenning and his daughter to serve the country more in the future and not to live up to the expectations of the state. Yang Zhenning and Du Zhili also followed their father's words and said yes.
Later, after Yang Zhenning returned to the United States, he has been committed to promoting science education in China. He first founded the China Academic Exchange Committee, relying on his prestige to bring together the scientific giants of various academic circles, and later set up the Foundation for advanced academic research of Sun Yat-sen University and the Elida Youth Invention Award.
It can be said that Yang Zhenning has made great contributions to promoting the development of science and technology in China. Yang Zhenning was also appointed by China as a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and will name the discovered asteroid after Yang Zhenning.
In addition, the couple also made great painstaking efforts and efforts to promote Taiwan's return to China and the reunification of the motherland, and when Yang Zhenning returned to China for the third time, they were cordially received by Chairman Mao.
In October 2003, after Yang Zhenning and his wife spent 53 years of happy life in Qinse and Mingzhong, Du Zhili unfortunately died of illness.
Du Zhili's death was a big blow to Yang Zhenning, and after the death of his wife, he decided to return to China to continue his scientific research according to his father-in-law's last words.
In 2004, Yang Zhenning, who had lived in the United States for 55 years, returned to China, settled in Tsinghua Garden, and taught at domestic universities.
It was during this period that Yang Zhenning, who was already 82 years old, met his second wife, Weng Fan. Weng Fan was once responsible for taking care of Yang Zhenning and his wife when they visited Shantou University.
Later, the two contacted each other again with a Christmas card, at this time Yang Zhenning had just recovered from the death of his wife, under the care of Weng Fan, the feelings of the two people quickly warmed up, and smoothly entered the palace of marriage.
Although the age difference between the two is large, Yang Zhenning has publicly stated: "I am very optimistic about this marriage, which is a very successful marriage for me." ”
Now the two are qinser and ming, respect each other like guests, and live a very happy and happy life.