Figure丨 Deng Jiaxian and Yang Zhenning took a group photo
preface
"I hope that people will be long-lasting, and they will travel together for thousands of miles."
On the afternoon of September 22, 2021, Yang Zhenning delivered a touching speech at an ideological seminar jointly sponsored by several universities, telling the great changes in his life trajectory in the next 50 years since his first visit to China in 1971. At the end of the speech, Yang Zhenning expressed his remembrance of his old friend Deng Jiaxian:
"Jiaxian, I understand what you mean... I'm sure you'll be satisfied too. ”
"I will come back after I learn the skill"
In the scientific community of the last century,
Deng Jiaxian and Yang Zhenning can be said to be two rising superstars, although they live in different countries, but they have also made great contributions, few people know that these two scientists with completely different life trajectories are friends who have known each other for more than 50 years.
Figure 丨 Deng Jiaxian and Yang Zhenning brothers
Deng Jiaxian and Yang Zhenning's two families can be described as family friends, their fathers have studied in the United States, and after returning to China, they both taught at Tsinghua University, plus their ancestral home is the same as Anhui, so they are naturally close.
Although Yang Zhenning and Deng Jiaxian are two years apart, they often play together, and they are like brothers.
The two really became good friends after they were admitted to Chongde Middle School, Yang Zhenning preceded Deng Jia advanced school, because of his talent and intelligence, Yang Zhenning was deeply loved by teachers and classmates, and Yang Zhenning was not arrogant, often taking care of his younger classmates in school.
After Deng Jia first entered the school, the two of them cherished each other's strengths together as a complement to their own personality.
In his spare time, the two were often inseparable, and when they talked together, Yang Zhenning often talked endlessly, while Deng Jiaxian listened quietly with a smile on his face. Deng Jiaxian's mother would sometimes go to school to bring some meals to her children, and she would also call Yang Zhenning to enjoy them together, and wait until the two children ran out before leaving.
After the outbreak of the Lugou Bridge Incident, Yang Zhenning's family moved to Kunming, and Deng Jiaxian's father could only stay at Tsinghua University due to illness, because Chongde Middle School was run by the British, the Japanese did not dare to interfere at will, so Deng Jiaxian continued to study in Chongde Middle School for two years, and then went south to Kunming with his eldest sister.
Picture 丨 Youth Yang Zhenning (left)
After the establishment of Southwest United University, Yang Zhenning was successfully admitted to the Department of Physics, and then continued to study for master's degree, deng Jia first arrived in Kunming and was also admitted to the Department of Physics of Southwest United University, so the two had three years to study together. The frequent harassment of the Japanese army disrupted the normal learning order of the school, but created more opportunities for Yang Zhenning and Deng Jiaxian to contact.
While hiding from air raids together, the two of them often read professional books borrowed from the library together and discussed problems in physics together.
The study life of Southwest United University has played a very important role in the life of the two of them, not only learning a wealth of physics knowledge, but also enhancing the friendship between the two.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Yang Zhenning applied for a publicly-funded study abroad and went to Chicago, the United States to pursue a doctorate, Deng Jiaxian went to Peking University as a physics assistant after graduation, after being admitted to graduate school in the United States, Deng Jiaxian wrote to Yang Zhenning to ask him for his choice of American schools.
After repeated deliberations, Yang Zhenning suggested that Deng Jia first go to Purdue University for further study, on the one hand, it is relatively close to him, and the two can often meet, on the other hand, Purdue University ranks high, the fee is low, and the economy can have a good guarantee. Deng Jiaxian followed Yang Zhenning's advice and took a boat to the United States in 1948 for further study.
Figure 丨 Young Deng Jiaxian
Shortly after Yang Zhenning received his doctorate, he went to work at the Princeton Research Institute and married and settled with Du Zhili in the United States, continuing to engage in scientific research in theoretical physics. And Deng Jiaxian was writing a doctoral dissertation at the time.
As early as during his studies in China, Deng Jiaxian was deeply influenced by the Communist Party, and once a friend asked Deng Jiaxian if he was waiting in China to welcome liberation, and Deng Jiaxian replied:
"In the future, the construction of new China will need talents, and I will definitely come back after learning my skills."
"You're still young, you can't go"
After the news of the birth of New China reached the United States, Deng Jiaxian could no longer hold back his mood of returning to China, and he tried his best to get in touch with the motherland and be ready to return to China at any time.
Nine days after Deng Jiaxian obtained his doctorate in 1950, he resolutely broke through many obstacles and embarked on the journey back to China.
Figure 丨 Deng Jiaxian obtained a doctoral degree photo
Deng Jia first returned to Beijing and entered the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he worked for 8 years, from the initial assistant researcher to an associate researcher, under the leadership of Professor Peng Hengwu engaged in nuclear theory research. In 1953, Deng Jiaxian married Xu Luxi and gave birth to two children.
In August 1958, Qian Sanqiang, director of the Institute of Atomic Energy, approached Deng Jiaxian and informed him that the state was preparing to put a "cannon battle" and wanted to transfer him to do this work. Deng Jiaxian immediately understood that he wanted to transfer himself to study the atomic bomb, and asked himself:
"Can I do it?"
Qian Sanqiang then told him the task of this job, and Deng Jiaxian said that he obeyed the organization's arrangement. That night, Deng Jia first went home later than usual, and when he pushed open the door, Xu Luxi casually asked him how he came back late, and Deng Jia nodded without speaking, sitting alone in a chair.
Figure丨 Qian Sanqiang old photo
After lying in bed at night, Deng Jia couldn't sleep over and over again, and all kinds of things were mixed up in his mind, Xu Luxi finally couldn't help it, and asked him as indifferently as possible:
Is there something wrong with it?
In the face of his wife's questioning, Deng Jiaxian did not have a clear answer, and the two people lay quietly on the bed for a long time before Deng Jiaxian opened his mouth:
"I'm going to move."
Xu Luxi asked him where he was transferred and what kind of work he did, Deng Jiaxian just replied "I don't know" and "can't say", Xu Luxi asked Deng Jiaxian to go to the place of work to write a letter to himself, telling her that the address of the reply letter is always OK, Deng Jiaxian still shook his head:
"Probably not either."
Xu Luxi knew that Deng Jiaxian's work was special, so he stopped asking questions, and Deng Jiaxian then instructed his wife that he might not be able to take care of the family in the future, and all these things had to be undertaken by Xu Luxi. After Xu Luxi listened to Deng Jiaxian's words, he was suddenly dazed,
I have just turned 30 years old, not only to take care of my two children and the elderly at home, but also to pursue a career future. But she understood that what her husband was doing must be a major event related to the development of the country, and she could not let Deng Jiaxian be distracted by the trivial matters at home.
Hence the saying:
"I'm behind you."
Picture 丨 Deng Jiaxian family portrait
Since then, Deng Jiaxian has disappeared as if he could not publish papers, make reports publicly, interact with friends casually, and even reveal to his family where he was. In the long years, Deng Jiaxian threw all his body and mind into the country's nuclear cause.
Deng Jiaxian spent a full 8 years in a test site far away from his family, often braving the cold and heat to test on the deserted Gobi Desert, and had 15 experiences in guiding nuclear tests on the spot, and obtained a large amount of first-hand information. He also took researchers into the explosion site to take samples immediately after the test to collect evidence of the test's effectiveness.
Once, during the test, there was a problem with the parachute, the atomic bomb landed and broke, Deng Jia first risked great danger, rushed forward alone to pick up the atomic bomb fragments, held it in his hand and repeatedly examined it. Later, during his physical examination, the doctor found that her liver was damaged and that her body also carried radioactive substances. Despite this, Deng Jiaxian resolutely insisted on returning to the test base, personally installing the detonator, and ordering the people around him:
"You're still young, you can't go!"
Figure 丨 Deng Jia first compared the size of the atomic bomb with his hand
In 1964, the first atomic bomb of New China was successfully detonated, and the whole country boiled over, but Deng Jiaxian, because of his special status, made great achievements in it, and even the people closest to him could not know.
When Deng Jiaxian's father-in-law, Xu Deheng, heard the good news of the atomic bomb explosion, he excitedly asked Yan Keats:
"I don't know who has such a great ability to build an atomic bomb."
“
Go ask your son-in-law!
Yan Keats knew the inside story and replied with a big laugh.
"Did foreigners help with our two bombs?"
The news of the success of the new Chinese atomic bomb test soon spread overseas, and Yang Zhenning was excited after hearing about it, and he had long wanted to come back to see it, but forced by the situation at that time, Yang Zhenning's wish was not realized until 1971. At that time, he first flew to Paris and applied to the embassy to visit relatives, a cup of tea had not yet been drunk, the visa procedures were all completed, and Yang Zhenning also became the first Chinese American in New China to visit relatives in China.
Photo: Premier Zhou shook hands with Yang Zhenning cordially
After Yang Zhenning arrived in Shanghai, the person in charge of reception arranged a trip for him at the airport and asked him to make a list of people he wanted to meet when he returned to China. The first person Yang Zhenning proposed to meet in Beijing was Deng Jiaxian.
At that time, Deng Jiaxian was at the Qinghai Atomic Energy Base, and after Premier Zhou saw Yang Zhenning's list of guests, he immediately instructed Deng Jiaxian to return to Beijing from the base to meet Yang Zhenning.
Due to the provisions of the secrecy system at that time, Deng Jia first met Yang Zhenning in Beijing and never talked about his work. In fact, after Yang Zhenning learned of the success of the new China atomic bomb test, he guessed that Deng Jiaxian was engaged in this work, so he very much wanted to confirm this speculation from his old friend, and Deng Jiaxian was very careful, but replied that he was working outside Beijing.
Yang Zhenning went to ask his brother what "Outside Beijing" meant, and his brother replied that "Outside Beijing" was outside Beijing, and it seemed that Deng Jiaxian did not want him to know his job. Therefore, in the subsequent meeting, although Yang Zhenning and Deng Jiaxian did not talk about anything, they did not mention Deng Jiaxian's work.
Picture 丨 In 1972, Yang Zhenning, Deng Jiaxian and others took photos in Beijing
Before leaving Beijing, Deng Jia first sent Yang Zhenning to the plane, and the moment he boarded the gangway, Yang Zhenning could no longer contain his inner curiosity and turned to ask Deng Jiaxian:
"I heard in the United States that our atomic and hydrogen bombs are being carried out with the help of foreign scientists, is that true?"
For Yang Zhenning's questioning method, Deng Jiaxian admired the wisdom of his old friend very much. If you answer "no", you will prove that you are engaged in "two bombs", and if you answer "don't know", you are deceiving this old friend, sorry for the friendship between them for many years.
Looking at Yang Zhenning's eager eyes, Deng Jiaxian hesitated for a moment and replied:
"You get on the plane first, and I'll tell you later."
Pictured: Yang Zhenning (first from right) and Deng Jiaxian (second from left) and others
After sending Yang Zhenning away, Deng Jiaxian immediately reported the situation to his superiors, and Premier Zhou instructed Deng Jiaxian,
Please tell Yang Zhenning truthfully that not a single foreigner participated in the process of developing the two bombs in our country.
He personally arranged for a messenger, and after Deng Jia first wrote the letter, he immediately rushed to Shanghai to send Yang Zhenning off.
Upon receiving Premier Zhou's instructions, Deng Jiaxian was so excited that he lay down on his desk all night to write a letter, and the next morning he handed the letter to the messenger and delivered it directly to Yang Zhenning's hands by plane. In order to allow Yang Zhenning to see Deng Jiaxian's letter before leaving Shanghai, Premier Zhou specially instructed the messenger to hand the letter directly to Yang Zhenning and not to change hands.
In this letter, Deng Jiaxian clearly stated that there were basically no foreigners involved in China's atomic bomb, and also expressed that Deng Jiaxian had many words that he could not say in his previous meetings. At the end of the letter, Deng Jiaxian left Yang Zhenning with an expectation:
"May people be long-lasting, a thousand miles a common way"
Figure 丨 Deng Jia first wrote a letter to Yang Zhenning
But Yang Zhenning did not understand what this sentence meant at that time, but only guessed that it had a deep meaning. It wasn't until 50 years later that Yang Zhenning confessed that he understood the meaning.
At the end of July 1985, Zhang Aiping presided over the meeting in Beijing, deng Jia first returned to Beijing from the base to participate, Zhang Aiping saw Deng Jia and asked him with concern how thin he was, and his appearance was not good. Deng Jia first replied that he would go to see a doctor after the meeting, which should not be a serious disease. Zhang Aiping then walked out of the conference room, personally called the hospital to make arrangements, and sent her own car to take Deng Jia to the hospital first.
Figure丨 Deng Jiaxian and Zhang Aiping at the base test site
The organization will arrange physical examinations for the employees every year, but Deng Jiaxian has not been examined once, either to the test site, or in other bases, after some examination, the doctor confirmed that Deng Jiaxian suffered from a malignant tumor, and immediately "withheld" Deng Jiaxian and did not let him go, and was immediately hospitalized for treatment.
At that time, Deng Jiaxian also explained that he still had an important meeting and could not be hospitalized, and the doctor said: "This is not a conference room, this is a hospital." There was no room for Deng Jia to discuss first, and he immediately understood that something was wrong with his body.
In fact, Deng Jiaxian knew early on that this day would eventually come, but he didn't expect it to be so fast.
In order to carry out a more detailed examination, the doctor arranged a live material surgery for Deng Jiaxian, and after the operation, Zhang Aiping anxiously asked the doctor whether the cancer cells had spread, but the doctor replied:
"It's a week before you know the results."
Zhang Aiping, who is reporting the atomic bomb explosion
Zhang Aiping was suddenly anxious and told the doctor that she was waiting here, and they would come up with the test results as soon as possible. At Zhang Aiping's "request", the doctor spent half an hour to get the result, deng Jia first suffered from rectal cancer. Four days later, the hospital arranged for Deng Jiaxian to clear the operation, and zhang Aiping and the leaders of the Ministry of Nuclear Industry came to the hospital early that morning, Xu Luxi was guarding the door of the operating room, as a doctor, she knew how weak the resistance to cancer was in the elderly who had received severe radiation.
The operation process is smooth, but the key to postoperative recovery lies in the degree of spread of cancer cells and whether Deng Jiaxian's body can withstand radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
On March 14, 1986, Deng Jiaxian received his first chemotherapy, during the chemotherapy, Deng Jiaxian looked at the material while doing treatment, and Xu Luxi continued to gently wipe his sweaty head next to him.
On May 16, Deng Jiaxian underwent a second major operation to remove the part that was invaded by the tumor to delay the progression of the disease, but the doctor was on the operating table at the time, and the cancer cell tissue that could be seen had invaded the key parts that the scalpel could not remove, and after the operation, Deng Jiaxian felt that his body was getting weaker and weaker.
Figure丨 Deng Jiaxian compared the size of a hydrogen bomb with his hands in the ward
Many people in front of Mr. Deng Jia asked him a question about how much the state would give him after the success of the atomic bomb. For this question, Deng Jiaxian usually laughed and did not answer.
When Deng Jiaxian was critically ill, Yang Zhenning returned to China to visit the hospital and also asked about this matter, and Xu Luxi replied:
"RMB 10."
Yang Zhenning looked at Deng Jiaxian, and Deng Jiaxian agreed, saying that the atomic bomb was 10 yuan and the hydrogen bomb was 10 yuan. Yang Zhenning felt a little incredulous, and then asked them if they were joking. They explained that it was true, not a joke.
At that time, the state issued a bonus of 10,000 yuan, the units were evenly distributed, everyone had a share, and finally deng Jiaxian only allocated 10 yuan.
On July 29, Deng Jiaxian died of heavy bleeding, and before his death, he had already arranged his own posthumous affairs: no memorial service was held, and the ashes were placed next to his mother's tomb.
A few months later, Yang Zhenning came to BabaoShan to visit Deng Jiaxian's tomb, and in front of Deng Jiaxian's portrait, Yang Zhenning stood for a long time and asked Xu Luxi next to him softly:
"When did Jiaxian take this picture?"
"In 1971, after the success of the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb, he was 47 years old."
Pictured yang Zhenning presenting a flower basket for Deng Jiaxian
After the tomb sweeping ceremony was over, Xu Luxi took out a blue box and handed it to Yang Zhenning with both hands, which read: "Zhenning, to the gift of Cun Nian." Jia Xian instructed, Lu Xi gave.". Xu Luxi opened the box, and inside were neatly arranged the four treasures of the study room produced by the two of them in their hometown, and Deng Jiaxian finally asked them to give these things to Yang Zhenning, hoping that the friendship between the two of them for half a century would last forever.
On September 22, 2021, in order to celebrate Yang Zhenning's 100th birthday, Tsinghua University, the Chinese Physical Society and the University of Chinese in Hong Kong jointly hosted a seminar on ideas, at which Yang Zhenning delivered a speech on the theme of "I hope that people will be long-lasting, and a thousand miles are on the same road". In this speech, Yang Zhenning mentioned the scene when he first returned to New China.
At that time, Yang Zhenning confirmed through Deng Jiaxian that the success of China's atomic bomb was not aided by the Americans, and once again mentioned the letter that Deng Jiaxian wrote to himself. At the end of the letter, Deng Jiaxian gave him an expectation: "I hope that people will be long, and there will be a common path for thousands of miles", at that time, Yang Zhenning did not understand Deng Jiaxian's meaning.
Pictured: Yang Zhenning gave a speech on his 100th birthday
Later, the letter was published in Yang Zhenning's new book, and when Yang Zhenning read it carefully again, he understood the meaning of Deng Jiaxian, and he said with emotion to the people who came to the seminar:
"I think that fifty years from today, I can say to Deng Jiaxian: 'Jiaxian, I understand what you mean by 'common way', and I can confidently tell you that my next fifty years will be in line with your vision of 'common way', and I believe you will be satisfied."' ”