In 1956, an associate professor of mathematics at Peking University walked into Qian Xuesen's office in confusion. He asked Qian Xuesen questions with hope, eager to get guidance from the scientific giant.
However, Qian Xuesen's answer was beyond his expectations: "You don't even understand such a question?" This sentence was like a hammer, slamming into the professor's heart, making him feel embarrassed, and turned away with a red face, ashamed in his heart.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze in an awkward silence, until a young and promising secretary appeared at the door. Her name is Zhang Kewen, and she is a mathematics teacher who just graduated from the Department of Mathematics of Peking University. She looked at the embarrassed professor and felt a wave of pity in her heart.
A few days later, Zhang Kewen found an opportunity, and he said to Qian Xuesen: "Mr. Qian, trees have bark, people have faces, how can people say that he is still an associate professor, it is not right to treat him like this." ”
After Qian Xuesen listened, there was a trace of surprise and incomprehension in his eyes. He didn't expect a young secretary to be so outspoken, but there was also a hint of respect in his heart. Years later, when he recalled the past, he was deeply grateful to the former secretary, because it was her criticism that awakened his long-dormant soul and made him re-examine his actions and responsibilities.
In 1947, Zhang Kewen was admitted to the Department of Mathematics of Peking University, and after graduation, he became a mathematics teacher at Beijing Workers' and Peasants' Accelerated Middle School.
In July 1956, a visit from the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences broke Zhang Kewen's originally peaceful life as a teacher. The leadership of the party means that she will serve as Qian Xuesen's secretary.
Zhang Kewen was hesitant and reluctant at first about the sudden change in identity. First of all, she felt that she had no experience as a secretary, and secondly, she had been a teacher for a while, and she was still reluctant to do so.
After careful consideration, although there was still uneasiness in his heart, Zhang Kewen finally decided to accept this arrangement. After all, the leader of the institute came to visit in person, and he had to give face. She thought to herself that if she really didn't fit in, she could choose to leave at any time.
In this way, Zhang Kewen became Qian Xuesen's first secretary after returning to China. In their first meeting, Qian Xuesen said directly to Zhang Kewen: "You also study mathematics, you should be able to understand the needs of my work, right?" This sentence made Zhang Kewen feel a kind of weight of responsibility, and also foreshadowed the various challenges she was about to face.
Zhang Kewen originally thought that Qian Xuesen, a returned scientist, would be a serious and serious person. However, in the day-to-day work together, she was surprised to find that Qian Xuesen was not only very talkative, but also funny and humorous. This has enriched Zhang Kewen's work life and broadened her worldview, especially in terms of international perspective.
In his office, Qian Xuesen spends most of his daily life on meticulously writing speeches and research reports, which he never easily entrusts to others. Zhang Kewen's work is mainly based on answering phone calls, sorting out documents, and recording the content of meetings.
In his spare time, Qian Xuesen often teaches Zhang Kewen to edit important articles in newspapers, and encourages her to read international science and technology magazines to get the latest scientific research trends.
Although Qian Xuesen has been overseas for many years, he is unusually low-key and simple, almost never wears a suit, and always wears a plain Zhongshan suit and a pair of round cloth shoes.
However, at work, Qian Xuesen has always been straightforward and straightforward in his speech, which often embarrasses the people below. In Zhang Kewen's words, this is the so-called "foreign style".
Once, an associate professor of the Department of Mathematics of Peking University came to ask for academic questions, and he stood like a student under Qian Xuesen's powerful aura. Qian Xuesen's face was expressionless, and he did not invite the other party to sit down, so the associate professor stood and listened to the half-hour explanation. When the associate professor asked another question, Qian Xuesen frowned lightly and said with disappointment: "You don't even understand this?"
As soon as these words came out, the associate professor's face instantly turned red, he stood awkwardly for a while, bowed to Qian Xuesen, and then turned around and went out.
This scene was clearly seen by Zhang Kewen outside, and a few days later, she found an opportunity and said to Qian Xuesen: "Mr. Qian, trees have bark, people have faces, no matter how people say that they are also an associate professor, it is not right to treat him like this." ”
Qian Xuesen was silent in the face of these words, neither answering nor refuting. However, since then, Qian Xuesen has never treated others like that again. Zhang Kewen knew in his heart that her words had been listened to by Qian Xuesen.
It is worth mentioning that Qian Xuesen still thanked Zhang Kewen for his outspokenness many years later, and said in a conversation: "My first secretary Zhang Kewen helped me a lot. ”