Qian Xuesen was 36 years old and did not have a family, his sister introduced him to a partner, but he turned his head and proposed to his sister. This seemingly absurd scene actually stems from a little-known family relationship.
Qian Xuesen, the well-known father of aerospace and a scientific giant, is unattainable in people's minds. However, in the eyes of his family, he was also a frank and cute little boy. The bits and pieces of his childhood with his sister Jiang Ying have long been deeply engraved in his memory.
Back then, Qian Junfu and Jiang Baili were good friends, and in order for the two families to "stay together forever", they made a decision - to pass Jiang Ying to the Qian family and make her Qian Xuesen's sister. Unexpectedly, this decision led to an earth-shaking turning point in Qian Xuesen's life trajectory.
Jiang Ying has been lively and cute since she was a child, and she is like a brother and sister to Qian Xuesen. Later, they each made their way on the path of scholarship and music. However, when Jiang Ying reunited with Qian Xuesen again for a blind date, Qian Xuesen turned a blind eye to the girls introduced and turned his head to propose to Jiang Ying. This unexpected reluctance to seek the near and far surprised everyone. Why did Qian Xuesen make such a "rebellious" move? What is the relationship between the two? How did Jiang Ying feel at that time?
An extraordinary decision
During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the Huai'an area of Jiangsu Province was the ancestral land of the Qian and Jiang families. Qian Junfu and Jiang Baili have been inseparable friends since childhood, and their friendship is as deep as the sea, just like the local saying "Qian Jiang's family".
Qian Junfu's family history is respectful, and his ancestors once had a very prominent official road. And Jiang Baili was originally a family of cloth clothes, relying on his diligence and studiousness, he finally gained fame and fame, and it can be regarded as knocking on the door of the eunuch. The two have similar interests, and since they were teenagers, they have dreamed of one day being able to travel together in the Wenyuan.
When they grew up and started a family, Qian Junfu and Jiang Baili also attached great importance to the education of their children. Qian Junfu has only one son, Qian Xuesen. According to custom, there should be a daughter in the family, so that it can be considered a "good" word. However, after his wife gave birth to Qian Xuesen, it was difficult to get pregnant. In contrast, Jiang Baili's family is croaking and has given birth to five daughters, three of whom are outstanding Jiang Yao, Jiang Ning and Jiang Ying.
Jiang Ying has been a smart and lovely girl since she was a child, sharp teeth, lively and cheerful. Every time Mrs. Qian saw Jiang Ying, she couldn't help but sigh: "It would be great if our family also had such a daughter!" When Qian Junfu heard his wife's sigh, he seemed to have a bold idea.
One day, Qian Junfu found Jiang Baili, and the two discussed for a long time in a secluded tea shop. In the end, under the joint decision of the two, the five-year-old Jiang Ying was officially included in the Qian family, returned to the Qian family's mansion with Qian Junfu, and was raised as Qian Xuesen's own sister under the name of Qian Xueying.
Mrs. Qian is 45 years old this year, and she is the most child-hungry year. Although she has Qian Xuesen, she has never forgotten her daughter, and Qian Xueying is like a gift that fulfills her long-cherished wish for many years. After Jiang Ying came to Qian's house, Mrs. Qian was considerate to her, talked and laughed with her, and often loved Jiang Ying as a baby. If Jiang Ying lacks anything, the Qian family will satisfy her as soon as possible.
At that time, Qian Xuesen was only thirteen years old, and he was a quiet, introverted and stable child. Jiang Ying's arrival is like injecting a fresh blood into Qian Xuesen's calm life. Jiang Ying is like a lively elf in the forest, with laughter everywhere. What makes Qian Xuesen feel even more novel is that Jiang Ying can also sing some small songs, and her voice is crisp and pleasant, which makes the dull Qian family's house suddenly full of vitality and joy.
At first, Qian Xuesen's approach to Jiang Ying was still a little rusty and restrained. As time passed, he gradually became attracted to this sister. It didn't take long for them to be close, like brothers and sisters born to each other. Although Qian Xuesen is taciturn, he is talented and intelligent, and is often praised as a "prodigy". Jiang Ying is not inferior to Qian Xuesen, in terms of singing, she has shown extraordinary talent, and is known as the "bel canto fairy".
After Jiang Ying came to Qian's house, Qian Xuesen's love for this sister increased day by day. In Qian Xuesen's impression, his sister is an innocent and lovely little angel, not pretentious at all, with a loud voice, very individual, and a sweet smile, which is very likable. The two of them often stick together and play, talk and laugh, and have a good time.
Perhaps because of the same foundation, Qian Xuesen and Jiang Ying don't have that sense of alienation at all. When Mrs. Qian saw this scene, she couldn't help but be happy for them from the bottom of her heart, and secretly prayed in her heart, hoping that her children would always be so close and never separated.
A gifted brother and sister
Time flies, Jiang Ying has been with Qian Xuesen for nearly 20 years. From a naughty and naughty little girl, Jiang Ying gradually transformed into a beautiful lady with ice and jade. And Qian Xuesen has long been a well-known "prodigy".
Since childhood, Qian Xuesen has been regarded as an ancestral talent, and his talent for mathematics and desire to explore knowledge are far beyond ordinary people. Taught by his mother's words and deeds, he was passionate about science and devoted himself to it for many years. Even after Jiang Ying came to the Qian family, he never slackened his pace of scientific research. In his free time at home, Qian Xuesen's favorite thing to do is to silently study those seemingly boring formulas and symbols.
And while Qian Xuesen was thinking hard about the pen and paper and the abacus, Jiang Ying's singing voice flowed sweetly like spring water, bringing bursts of cheerful melodies to the Qian family's house. Jiang Ying has a natural keen sense of music, and since she was a child, she likes to imitate the whistles or singing of people around her, which often attracts the attention of passers-by. Her musical talent was soon discovered by the Qian family, and Mrs. Qian invited a famous teacher to guide her.
As she grew older, Jiang Ying not only became more and more inspiring, but also became more proficient in singing. When she was fifteen years old, she sang for the first time in front of her family and friends, and the sound of man's voice flowed into her ears, so that everyone present was intoxicated by her singing. Since then, the reputation of "Bel Canto Fairy" has been like thunder, and it has been very loud.
Compared with Jiang Ying's small achievements in art cultivation, Qian Xuesen became the darling of the academic world early on with his attainments in mathematics and aerodynamics. Despite his young age, his ingenious scientific research has been widely admired by his peers.
Around 1935, Qian Xuesen successively published a number of papers in the journals of Jiaotong University and the Society of Aeronautics, and his research on the theory of aircraft dynamics attracted great attention from the aviation circles at home and abroad, and even his fellow master Kalman sincerely admired his achievements.
Finally, in 1935, Qian Xuesen was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which began his later wandering career in the United States.
Before parting, Mrs. Qian personally sorted out the outfit for Qian Xuesen. She picked up a thin little book from Qian Xuesen's desk, and opened it crisply, which was a soothing and gentle Tang poem, all of which were written by Jiang Ying. Qian Xuesen regarded this collection of poems as a treasure, and read it carefully and fell asleep night after night to review his sister's painstaking work.
Seeing this, Mrs. Qian secretly laughed. Of course, she knew how deep her son's affection was for his sister, perhaps more than she had given them. She gently patted Qian Xuesen's shoulder and told him to take care of the long way away.
In the spring of 1936, Qian Xuesen crossed the sea with the blessings of his mother and sister. In a foreign country far from home, Qian Xuesen was alone and devoted himself to the difficult schoolwork. However, this thin collection of poems has become his only spiritual sustenance. Whenever homesickness surges, he will pick up the poetry book and read the beautiful and moving words in it, as if he can feel his sister's whispering in the air.
In this way, Qian Xuesen relied on his extraordinary perseverance and talent to study and work at MIT for many years, and finally became the youngest tenured professor in the United States at that time. On the other side of the ocean, Jiang Ying's reputation has also begun to resound in the international music scene. She has won many music competitions at home and abroad, and was admitted to the University of Berlin as a vocal music student, starting her overseas study career.
In the blink of an eye, time passed quietly. When the brother and sister who have crossed the ocean reunite, they are already in the ascendancy, each invincible, like the old prodigy and the bel canto fairy leading the way in different fields.
A misunderstanding caused by a blind date
A.D. 1947, this year is of special significance to Qian Xuesen. After many years of traveling, he finally had the opportunity to set foot on the soil of his homeland again and reunite with his family.
Since leaving China in 1936, Qian Xuesen has never returned to his hometown. At that time, the war was raging, and the country was in turmoil. In order to concentrate on scientific research, he had to travel across the ocean to the United States for further study. In the space of ten years, he finally became the youngest tenured professor at MIT with extraordinary talent and perseverance. However, the smooth road of scientific research did not make him miss his hometown even a little.
Jiang Ying had already heard about her brother-in-law Qian Xuesen's outstanding performance abroad. Although she was proud of it, she also felt a little melancholy. After all, the brother and sister had a ruthless awkward encounter with their family when they were very young, and the laughter and laughter that accompanied them day and night also disappeared. In order to pass the loneliness, Jiang Ying put all her thoughts into the music career. She has won many championships in important competitions at home and abroad, and her clear and bell-like voice has earned her the reputation of "bel canto diva".
Jiang Ying also went to the United Kingdom to study at the Royal Academy of Music of the University of London. There, she befriended a fellow friend, and the two quickly became confidants who talked about everything. However, just before leaving the UK, the friend suddenly proposed to Jiang Ying. Although Jiang Ying was at a loss for a while, she still politely declined the other party. She told her friend that she already had a sweetheart, but she hadn't said goodbye to him yet.
After returning to her motherland, Jiang Ying has been living a life away from the world. She often wandered in the Qian family's house, recalling the warm years with Qian Xuesen. Whenever she heard the crisp birdsong, she couldn't help but chant Qian Xuesen's favorite poem back then.
At the same time, Qian Xuesen's scientific research career in the United States is thriving, and his reputation in the industry is growing. However, the power of returning to the heart is also increasing day by day. Finally, in 1947, he took the opportunity of a scientific conference to return to his homeland with the expectation of revisiting his hometown. When he arrived at the Qian family's house, he found that his parents were no longer there. Only his wife Zhang Shuxian and three children are left at home, looking forward to his return.
Qian Xuesen had mixed feelings for a while, as if he was in a different world. The bustling mansion in his memory has now become deserted. And the parents who gave him meticulous care with Lantian back then have also disappeared with the passage of time. The only thing that made him feel a little kind of affection was that his wife was by his side. However, when he turned to look for another person he had been waiting for, he found that his sister Jiang Ying was also missing.
Seeing that Qian Xuesen was worried about this matter, the family began to look for a partner for him, hoping that he could start a family as soon as possible. At this moment, Jiang Ying also happened to rush back to the Qian family. When she heard that her brother-in-law Qian Xuesen had returned, her heart was filled with infinite joy. She must honor this brother-in-law who she misses day and night.
To this end, Jiang Ying has carefully prepared a big gift, which is an exclusive vinyl record containing her latest recordings. She hopes that through this gift, her younger brother, who used to only love reading, can also have a little interest in music.
However, when Jiang Ying personally sent the record to Qian Xuesen, he did not expect to cause a shocking accident. Qian Xuesen not only did not gladly accept his sister's wishes, but suddenly knelt down and proposed to Jiang Ying in front of relatives and friends.
Everyone was stunned by Qian Xuesen's unexpected move. One after another, you said that it was a big mistake to do such a ridiculous thing. Some people even say that Qian Xuesen must have been stimulated by so many years of wandering life to have such thoughts.
Although Jiang Ying was speechless by Qian Xuesen's move, she had some vague expectations in her heart. Since that friend proposed to her in the UK, she has always cherished that heart, but she couldn't say it to Qian Xuesen. Now it seems that perhaps this is a golden opportunity for her to appeal to this intention without reservation.
The reunion of Jiang Ying and Qian Xuesen
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, Qian Xuesen has lived in the United States for more than ten years. In 1947, in the name of an international scientific conference, Qian Xuesen finally had the opportunity to return to his motherland. At that time, he was already an internationally renowned aerodynamicist and had a great reputation in the industry.
As soon as he set foot on the land of his hometown, Qian Xuesen was full of infinite homesickness. He remembered that he had been regarded as an ancestral hero since he was a child, and now he had achieved certain achievements in a foreign country. However, this did not weaken his nostalgia for his hometown in the slightest. He is desperate to reunite with his family and catch up with his friends and family.
However, what Qian Xuesen didn't expect was that when he returned to the Qian family's house, it was already a scene of people on all sides of the house going to the empty building. His parents have long since died, and only his wife and children are left in the mansion waiting for his return. Qian Xuesen was at a loss for a while, but only his wife Zhang Shuxian was by his side to give him some comfort.
And what surprised him even more was that his sister Jiang Ying, who had always been close to him, was nowhere to be found. Qian Xuesen originally thought that he would be able to reunite with his sister when he returned to China this time. Unexpectedly, her whereabouts have become a mystery now. Qian Xuesen was very anxious, but he had no way to find out.
Just when Qian Xuesen was full of worries, Jiang Ying had already rushed back to the Qian family first. She learned the news that her brother-in-law Qian Xuesen was about to return to China from a friend in the UK, and immediately put down everything and rushed back to China, hoping to renew her relationship with Qian Xuesen.
Jiang Ying had long heard about her brother-in-law's outstanding performance abroad. She was very proud of this, but she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. After all, he and Qian Xuesen have been separated from their parents since they were children, and their voices and smiles have been gone forever for more than ten years.
In order to pass the pain of homesickness, Jiang Ying devoted all her energy to her vocal career. With her outstanding voice and unremitting efforts, she has frequently won in important competitions at home and abroad. Soon, the great reputation of "bel canto diva" spread all over the world.
However, although she has made small achievements in her career, deep down she always thinks about Qian Xuesen's recent life. Jiang Ying has always regarded Qian Xuesen as his confidant, closer than his biological brother. Every time she recalls the years when she was dependent on Qian Xuesen, she can't help but recite Qian Xuesen's favorite poems and masterpieces.
Finally in 1947, the two reunited in the Qian family's house. Although Qian Xuesen has gray hair, he is still the heroic prodigy he was back then. And Jiang Ying is no longer the innocent little girl she was at the beginning, she has transformed into a blooming lotus flower, dazzling.
But what people didn't expect was that on the occasion of this reunion, the two staged a big rebellious scene. It turned out that Jiang Ying specially prepared an exclusive vinyl record as a congratulatory gift in order to honor her brother-in-law. However, when she handed the record to Qian Xuesen with her own hands, Qian Xuesen knelt down and proposed to Jiang Ying in front of relatives and friends.
Such an unexpected move certainly surprised everyone present. As soon as you say a word, you speculate whether Qian Xuesen is really stimulated by something to do such a ridiculous thing.
Jiang Ying was stunned by Qian Xuesen's cheer up and couldn't say a complete sentence. Although there was some faint joy rising in her heart, reason still made her unable to accept her brother's marriage proposal easily.
At this juncture, Jiang Ying suddenly recalled the friend who proposed to her in England many years ago. At that time, in order to protect Qian Xuesen's image in her heart, she did not tell her friend what she thought to her. And now, that opportunity has finally arrived. She suddenly became enlightened and planned to confide in Qian Xuesen the secret that had been hidden in her heart for many years.
Truth
Just when Jiang Ying was about to confide in Qian Xuesen the secret she had kept for him for many years, Qian Xuesen's wife Zhang Shuxian suddenly rushed out and slapped Jiang Ying hard.
Zhang Shuxian pointed at Jiang Ying and asked loudly: "You lucky thing, what happened when you stayed in the UK?" How dare you seduce my husband's younger brother? ＂
Jiang Ying covered her swollen and aching cheeks, her face dazed. She really didn't understand why Zhang Shuxian was suddenly so angry.
It turned out that on the eve of Jiang Ying's departure from the UK, the friend who had proposed to her suddenly came to say goodbye. Jiang Ying happened to be absent at that time, so the friend sincerely told Zhang Shuxian about his intentions. He said that Jiang Ying was the love of his life, and hoped that Zhang Shuxian could fulfill the two of them and match them.
As a traditional Oriental woman, Zhang Shuxian felt that these words were really unseemly. She immediately rejected the friend's request and kept the matter secret from Qian Xuesen without mentioning it. Since then, she has regarded Jiang Ying as a woman who does not abide by women's morals and attracts bees and butterflies, and has great prejudice against her.
Now that Jiang Ying actually proposed to Qian Xuesen in a grand manner after Qian Xuesen returned to China, Zhang Shuxian was naturally very angry. In her opinion, this is undoubtedly Jiang Ying's desire to collude with Qian Xuesen with the intention of harming her and the children. As the housewife of the Qian family, she must kill the killer and kill this bane as soon as possible.
Seeing that Zhang Shuxian was so righteous and strict, the relatives present also echoed it, accusing Jiang Ying of acting really unusual. Even Qian Xuesen himself was persuaded by Zhang Shuxian's words, thinking that his marriage proposal was really confused for a while, and he must not get together with Jiang Ying.
Only Jiang Ying herself has never been able to come back to her senses. She thought that she could finally regain the friendship with Qian Xuesen today, but it turned out to be such a farce. Qian Xuesen was also confused by his wife's words and misunderstood his mind.
Jiang Ying was extremely sad and tears rained down. She tried her best to choke up and explain to Qian Xuesen everything that happened in the UK, hoping that Qian Xuesen could believe in her innocence. However, whenever she tried to speak, Zhang Shuxian glared at her angrily and took a sip.
Just when the stalemate was difficult to solve, a trembling old voice suddenly sounded in the field: "Xuesen, Jiang Ying, she didn't lie. ＂
It turned out to be an old friend of Qian Xuesen, and as early as when Qian Xuesen was a child, he was his most respected teacher. This old man has always admired Qian Xuesen and Jiang Ying, brother and sister, and regarded them as his own. He knew that on the eve of Jiang Ying's departure from the UK, a friend did propose to her, but in the end Jiang Ying politely declined.
The reason is that Jiang Ying already had a special friendship with Qian Xuesen at that time, and she was unwilling to betray her heart. It's a pity that to this day, she finally hasn't been able to tell this secret.
After Qian Xuesen heard this, he couldn't help but think of all kinds of past events when he and Jiang Ying depended on each other. It dawned on him that he had a clear understanding. He finally understood that there was already a deep relationship between himself and his sister that transcended blood. Qian Xuesen smiled, a little ashamed that his impulse had hurt Jiang Ying's life.
He stepped forward, hugged his sister tightly after a long absence, and begged her to forgive him for his ignorance and pedantic. Jiang Ying choked up and said that she had waited too long. Qian Xuesen looked at his sister's teary-eyed delicate face and felt distressed. He silently swore in his heart that he would cherish the hard-won fate in front of him.