Chapter 69 Chapter 68: Mother's Embrace

There were many traffic jams and the driving was very slow, but the Warsaw car still arrived at the Capital Science Hall ten minutes earlier.It slowly drove into the compound and stopped beside a grass field.In late autumn, when the dusk is thick, the square is full of colorful lights, illuminating the majestic cream-yellow main building; the mist above the fountain is blown by the breeze, and the neon lights and colorful lights add a sense of fantasy to it... There are dozens of cars of various sizes parked in the compound.People got out of the car in twos and threes and walked towards the main building.Su Guanlan got out of the car and stood up straight.He was very tired, took deep breaths and expanded his chest, looked around and said, "Little Xingxing, look at the notice again, what kind of meeting is it? It seems a bit special."

"What's the matter?" "Premier Zhou is also here." "Really?" The girl clapped her hands, "That's great, that's great!" On the wide steps in front of the building, Su Guanlan met Li Zhuoyu, director of the Purple Mountain Observatory.Two people shake hands. "I heard you went to Vietnam?" "Yes, it's been a long time. I just came back yesterday." "No wonder you're so tanned!" "Are you coming to Beijing on business?" "No, I came from Nanjing specially for this meeting." "Why is it so important? The Prime Minister is also here."

I met two more acquainted scientists and nodded to each other.I also met a few journalists, including Zhu Ertong, and it was inevitable to exchange pleasantries.But Zhu Ertong was holding a tripod in his hand, a dozen of pockets on his vest were stuffed with film, and hanging around his neck were several cameras called "long guns and short cannons" with lenses of different sizes and lengths... "Look at your full body." Su Guanlan looked at him. "What am I?" Zhu Ertong pointed not far away, "That's what I call grandeur!" Hey, there was a big bus parked there, with the words "Central News Documentary Film Studio" written on the body.

"Do you want to make a documentary?" Su Guanlan said. "Yes, you see how important this will be!" "What kind of meeting is it?" "You came here for a meeting," Zhu Ertong laughed, "but you don't know what kind of meeting it is?" "I just came home yesterday, in a hurry." "Welcome to the assembly." "Who is welcome?" "Ouch!" Zhu Ertong discovered something.With a cry of surprise, he picked up a long-lens camera like a submachine gun, plunged into a crowd of people ahead and disappeared. Little Xingxing finally found out the meeting notice and admission ticket, and entered the main building with it.The venue is not in the auditorium, but in an academic lecture hall next to it that can accommodate about 300 people.Therefore, strictly speaking, it is not a "congress", but a small or medium meeting.Because it is an academic lecture hall, the decoration is simple and elegant, paying attention to acoustic effects and lighting configuration; also because it is an academic lecture hall, the interior layout is quite unique.For example, in general venues, the rostrum is always in a high position, "condescending"; but here, the slightly trapezoidal and arc-shaped audience seats are in a higher position, which can "overlook" the rostrum.Today, the podium was converted into a rostrum, covered with a red carpet and surrounded by flowers; in front of the rostrum was a long table covered with white cloth; a microphone was placed on the table, and eleven chairs were placed behind the table.When Su Guanlan and Xiao Xingxing entered the crowded hall, the loudspeaker was playing the march "Ode to the Motherland"...

Reporters and documentary filmmakers have taken "vantageous terrain" and set up their lighting, photography and recording equipment in the space on both sides of the rostrum and in all the aisles in the hall. The two seats assigned to the Institute of Experimental Medicine were in a corner at the back of the hall.Little Xingxing saw it and was very unhappy, muttering.Teacher Su said: "This location is very good! There are aisles on the side and behind. If you get impatient, you can get up and walk." There was a big red banner on the high wall behind the venue, with four golden three-dimensional characters inlaid: "Long live the motherland".At the other end of the venue, the glass blackboard on the rostrum was also changed into a big red banner, with fourteen three-dimensional characters also in golden yellow embedded on it: "Warmly welcome Professor Ding Jieqiong to return from overseas"...

Su Guanlan's heart seemed to be clenched violently. However, from seeing sister Qiong yesterday evening to now, after all, he has experienced 24 hours of tossing and turning and suffering, and he has a certain amount of mental preparation and endurance.When Zhu Ertong said it was a "welcome meeting" just now, he already had a premonition.He wobbled a bit and quickly returned to normal.Just as he and Xiao Xingxing were seated, the sound of lights and music suddenly increased, and there was warm applause in the hall... "Look, look, Teacher Su!" Little Xingxing looked at the rostrum and clapped vigorously, "Premier Zhou is here, Premier Zhou!"

Zhou Enlai and his party entered the hall through the side door and boarded the rostrum.The so-called rostrum is actually just a platform about 20 centimeters higher than the ground.Zhou Enlai, dressed in a dark Chinese tunic suit, walked steadily, with a smile on his face, and gently waved towards the venue.The one on his left... oh, Su Guanlan recognized it, it was Ling Yunzhu, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.Thirty years have passed since we met by accident on that perilous journey in 1929!After the founding of the People's Republic of China, although Su Guanlan had never met Ling Yunzhu in person, Professor Ling was an academician of the Academy of Sciences, a famous physicist, and one of the main leaders of the scientific community in our country. His photo can be seen in newspapers from time to time; Sixties, gray hair on the temples, obviously old, but the body and appearance have not changed much, still wearing the pair of shallow myopia glasses, the facial features are correct, the temperament is cowardly and elegant, and it is easy to recognize.

To the right of Zhou Enlai is the protagonist of today's conference... "Ah, Ding Jieqiong!" "Professor Ding Jieqiong!" "Professor Ding Jieqiong is here!" Three hundred pairs of eyes focused on the female professor.There was a murmur of exclamation in the hall. "Ah! Teacher Su," Little Xingxing yelled, "Look, Professor Ding is so beautiful, he is like Venus, a goddess!" But Teacher Su had a rigid expression and remained silent.His eyes were confused, as if he was attracted by the "goddess", and he seemed to be thinking...

Like the sister Qiong seen yesterday evening, her face is oval, with sculptural features, graceful lips, big and bright eyes protruding high, and her thick long hair is tied into a bun at the back of her head.The woman in front of her is not wearing a windbreaker, but a deep purple high-necked cheongsam with a ruby ​​brooch pinned to her left elbow and a crocodile leather satchel on her left elbow. The countenance showed a certain weariness and haggardness... Zhou Enlai, Ling Yunzhu and Ding Jieqiong took their seats in the middle of the rostrum.They were flanked by the State Science and Technology Commission and some other leaders of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The music stops.Deputy Dean Ling Yunzhu fiddled with several microphones in front of him, and announced the beginning of the "Conference on the return of Professor Ding Jieqiong from overseas with a warm welcome from the scientific community in the capital". The audience stood up. Play the national anthem of the People's Republic of China, namely "March of the Volunteers".What is different from the past is that what is played is not a symphony but a chorus, with lyrics—— The passionate melody and tragic lyrics of "March of the Volunteers" once resounded throughout the land of China where the anti-Japanese war was burning, calling on millions of Chinese troops, guerrillas, patriots and the masses to fight bloody one after another to defend the motherland; It spread all over the world, making the descendants of Chinese people all over the world feel excited...

Many people found that Professor Ding Jieqiong on the rostrum stood upright while listening to the national anthem, with tears in his eyes. After the national anthem was played, everyone took their seats. Ding Jieqiong took out a handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and sat down slowly. Professor Ling Yunzhu certainly knows the inspiration of "March of the Volunteers" to Chinese people at home and abroad during the war years.He looked away from Jieqiong's face, restored his smile, looked at the audience and said, "I believe everyone is as happy as I am that Premier Zhou Enlai is attending the conference!" Amid the applause, Zhou Enlai nodded to the audience. After introducing other senior officials and famous scientists seated on the rostrum, Vice President Ling said: "I deliberately put Professor Ding Jieqiong, the protagonist of the welcome conference, at the end - ordinary people may not know 'Ding Jieqiong'. But today I come to this The people present at the meeting are not ordinary people, but scientific workers, including many physicists. For them, the name 'Ding Jieqiong' is not unfamiliar; but even they may only know Professor Ding Jieqiong's early work and achievements, But I don’t understand her experience in the past ten years, especially what happened to her from the mid-to-late 1940s to the 1950s.” The hall was so quiet that people's breathing could be heard. Su Guanlan recalled that in the past thirty years, especially in the past ten years, he often met Sister Qiong in his sleep.But, strangely, the encounters in dreams are always separated by a certain distance, at least a dozen or several meters; sometimes the two run towards each other, and are about to hold hands and embrace each other, but everything disappears suddenly and disappears without a trace!After waking up, there is only melancholy left... Did Zhuangzi dream and turn into a butterfly, or did the butterfly dream and turn into Zhuangzi?Was the scene yesterday evening, especially everything in front of me, real or a dream?The academic lecture hall is not big. Su Guanlan, who is sitting in the corner of the last row, is at most 20 to 30 meters away from Sister Qiong—yes, the real Sister Qiong in front of her is not a dream, no!Against the background of the deep purple high-necked cheongsam, the face, neck and hands of the female scientist are pale with whiteness, with a dignified and indifferent expression, just like a marble statue.Her eyes are a bit dim, but they are more serene, as deep and clear as a lake in a snow-capped mountain; now, she is silently watching the meeting place, as if she is thinking or searching... "Professor Ding Jieqiong is a first-class physicist and an outstanding patriot." Ling Yunzhu continued, "She has lived in the United States for 25 years, but there is always a Chinese heart beating in her chest. She When I went abroad, I made up my mind: I must return to China after I finish my studies, and dedicate all my wisdom and talents to my motherland and people! A quarter of a century has passed, and Professor Ding Jieqiong has not changed his original intention. Soon Today, after going through all kinds of hardships and obstacles, she finally returned thousands of miles and arrived in Beijing. From now on, she will live and work among us, and fight and advance with us for the prosperity of the motherland and the rejuvenation of the nation!" There was silence in the hall for a second or two, and then there was warm applause.Many people noticed that Premier Zhou Enlai, sitting in the middle of the rostrum, was the first to applaud... "As I mentioned just now, many people in the scientific and physical circles know Ding Jieqiong in the early days, but they don't know her experience from the mid-to-late 1940s to the 1950s." Ling Yunzhu looked around the venue and announced: "Next, invite Zhou Enlai The Premier introduced Professor Ding Jieqiong, her life, her patriotism and outstanding contributions to the General Assembly and to the scientific community in the capital." Premier Zhou Enlai stood up and shook hands with the female scientists.The audience applauded and cheered. Ling Yunzhu sometimes felt strange: no matter how ordinary the material was, no matter how ordinary the material was, no matter how suits, tunic suits or other clothes, Zhou Enlai always wore them so outstandingly, attracting countless enthusiastic and focused eyes.No matter what kind of action, Zhou Enlai always makes it so chic and fascinating.What is even more fascinating is that Zhou Enlai is full of energy, knowledgeable, meticulous, meticulous and meticulous... In November 1949, the Chinese Academy of Sciences was established on the basis of the former Academia Sinica and the Peking Research Institute, with Ling Yunzhu as its vice president.He remembers very clearly that within a few days after the establishment of the institute, Zhou Enlai, Premier of the Government Affairs Council, invited him to ask about the situation of many Chinese scientists studying in the United States. Especially detailed, straight to Jieqiong's sudden disappearance in 1946.After that, Zhou Enlai fell into deep thought. In the next ten years, Zhou Enlai talked to Ling Yunzhu about Ding Jieqiong many times.In the early to mid-1950s, many scientists who studied in Europe and the United States returned to China, but Ding Jieqiong's whereabouts have never been known... Finally, last year, one day in 1958, Zhou Enlai told Ling Yunzhu softly: "We have accurate information about Jieqiong..." "How is she?" the professor cried out. "She's still in the U.S., but she's desperate to go back to her home country. We're working on that as well." "Great!" Ling Yunzhu knew that Zhou Enlai had actually "worked hard" for this for many years. "Yunzhu, you are Jieqiong's teacher. In a sense, you and Subo are still her elders and relatives." Zhou Enlai looked at Ling Yunzhu intently, "In the future, please help me do this well." Work. Let's work together to get Jieqiong back as soon as possible, especially to ensure her safe return." "Yes, Prime Minister." Then, for as long as a year, Ling Yunzhu directly assisted Premier Zhou in planning the return of Professor Ding Jieqiong, and implemented every detail, one by one; The plot is thrilling and not easy, especially for Premier Zhou. More than ten days ago, on the eve of Professor Ding Jieqiong, who finally "returned safely" and flew to Beijing, Premier Zhou, who was abroad, called Ling Yunzhu: "Please and Su Bo greet Jieqiong at the airport on my behalf, and explain this to Jieqiong. The State Council, the Science and Technology Commission and the Academy of Sciences also sent people. Tell Jieqiong that after I return to China, I will visit her as soon as possible.” On the evening of Zhou Enlai's return to Beijing, Ling Yunzhu accompanied him and Sister Deng to the hotel to visit Professor Ding Jieqiong.After leaving the hotel, Zhou Enlai invited Ling Yunzhu to return to the city in the same car, and talked late at night in the West Flower Hall.During the conversation, Zhou Enlai pondered: "Jieqiong doesn't seem to be in a good mood?" "It seems, yes." Ling Yunzhu knew that the Prime Minister's feeling was accurate. "why?" "No, I don't know." Ling Yunzhu shook his head, "She has been abroad for more than 20 years, and she has only been back for a few days. There are many things that Su Bo and I haven't had time to discuss with her in detail." "Did Jieqiong express anything?" "She just said she wanted to be alone and quiet, not to arrange an interview." "Oh," Zhou Enlai nodded. "Also, she mentioned not to hold a welcoming ceremony." Ling Yunzhu added, "I think this is consistent with her desire for solitude and tranquility..." "You said you were going to hold a welcome meeting?" "I said there were more than a thousand people, or more." Zhou Enlai frowned his thick eyebrows, stared at a certain corner, and remained silent for a long time.After returning to the West Flower Hall, Sister Deng walked away.The office was so quiet that the heartbeats of the two could be heard.There is a single sofa here, but the Prime Minister sat side by side with Ling Yunzhu on a double sofa, on the professor's right. "Let's hold a welcome party. The number of people can be reduced to the minimum." Zhou Enlai finally said, "I've been quite busy recently. Yunzhu, please thank you. You have done a lot of work this year. Share your worries with me..." "It's all what I have to do and what I should do, Prime Minister." Ling Yunzhu looked at the mountain of official documents on the desk, "If there is anything, you can just give instructions." "Our country has a group of outstanding physicists." Zhou Enlai was still staring at a certain corner, his tone was slow, with deep emotion, "However, Jieqiong was the only one who directly participated in the 'Manhattan Project' back then..." Zhou Enlai stopped abruptly.He didn't finish his sentence, but Ling Yunzhu felt that he understood all of his meaning. "We are facing many difficulties." Zhou Enlai paused for a moment, then turned to look at Ling Yunzhu: "Jieqiong's return is not easy, we must cherish it..." After that, the office fell silent again.The autumn wind is bleak late at night, and the rustling of leaves can be heard outside the window.Suddenly, Ling Yunzhu felt a chill on the back of his right hand, as well as a kind of pressure.He took a closer look, and it turned out that it was Zhou Enlai who pressed his left hand on the back of his right hand.Ling Yunzhu and Duke Zhou have known each other for more than 20 years, and they have shaken hands hundreds of times, but this is the first time they have been so close.Zhou Enlai's hands are broad and thick, and there is always a stream of warmth; but at this moment... Ling Yunzhu stared at Zhou Enlai in a daze.But the other party fell silent again, looking away; for a long time, as if accompanied by a light sigh, as if talking to himself, he paused word by word: "It's been more than two years, and no one has come back..." What?What did the Prime Minister say?Ling Yunzhu began to doubt her ears.He thought about it carefully and concluded that he had heard correctly.However, what is "more than two years"?What is "no one came back"? Since 1950, many Chinese scholars studying in Europe and the United States have overcome resistance and difficulties and returned to the motherland one after another.Among them are many outstanding talents, even famous scientists.This return reached a climax throughout the early and mid-1950s, which not only strongly promoted the vigorous development of science and technology and higher education in New China, but also demonstrated to the world the valuable cohesion of the new regime and the great centripetal force of the Chinese nation. Zhao Jiuzhen, former academician of Academia Sinica and former director of the National Observatory, went to Europe in 1948 to investigate and purchase observation instruments, and stayed in the UK due to changes in the domestic situation.As early as the 1930s, he was a well-known seismologist in the world. In the 1940s, he created the "Mathematical Model of Atmospheric Physical Processes", which triggered a revolution in weather forecasting science and promoted the development of applied mathematics and computing technology.At the beginning of 1957 Zhao Jiuzhen decided to return to China.In May of this year, he arrived in Hong Kong.Almost at the same time, Ling Yunzhu was commissioned by Premier Zhou to go to Hong Kong to meet this old friend.According to the scheduled arrangement, Zhao Jiuzhen will be accompanied by Ling Yunzhu after giving lectures in Hong Kong for one month, and will return to the mainland from Luohu Customs.However, just this month, the so-called "big waves" began to occur.Zhao Jiuzhen lived in Hong Kong for three months, reading newspapers and listening to the radio every day, without saying a word, then left silently and returned to Europe.When Ling Yunzhu saw Zhao Jiuzhen off at Kai Tak Airport, the scene can only be expressed in four words: "relatively speechless".Not long after, Reuters and other major western news agencies released the news that "Dr. Zhao Jiuzhen, an international geoscience authority, applied for British citizenship in London". Indeed, since then, after the spring and summer of the previous year, for more than two years, none of the Chinese scholars studying in Europe and the United States have returned to mainland China!On the contrary, many of them, it can be said that the vast majority of them, including Nobel Prize winners who have won great honor for the motherland and the nation, successively renounced Chinese nationality and joined the nationality of the host country.During the long years when China was poor, weak, devastated, and bullied by foreign powers, they have always held Chinese passports and insisted on being a Chinese; but now... Ling Yunzhu was in deep pain, but there was nothing he could do.Compared with Zhao Jiuzhen, he must be better at silence, learn to be silent on many issues, and keep silent—but, being silent is just being unable to speak, not daring to speak, does not mean being unable to distinguish between right and wrong.Now he understands Duke Zhou's sigh, his expression and his words: "Jieqiong's return is not easy, we must cherish it..." Ling Yunzhu looked at his watch, got up and said, "It's late, I'll go first, Prime Minister. Please rest assured, I will do my best." A week later, the welcome party was finally successfully held. Jieqiong only made one "special" request for the welcome meeting: she hopes to play the national anthem with lyrics, that is, the chorus "March of the Volunteers". Zhou Enlai instructed: Okay, let's do it like this. Ling Yunzhu understands that this is not just a welcome meeting, welcoming the return of a famous scientist and a "senior intellectual"; it is full of Zhou Enlai's painstaking efforts and deep meaning, it is a spirit, a declaration... Zhou Enlai's loud voice interrupted Ling Yunzhu's reverie: "Friends and comrades, please join me in welcoming Professor Ding Jieqiong with the warmest applause! Welcome to this outstanding patriot and world-class physicist, Return to the great motherland, return to the warm embrace of mother!"