Chapter 9 first quarter

Cheng Shaozhong has been in the United States for three days.A month ago, he bid farewell to his uncle, aunt, brother, sister-in-law and his newly married wife He Ruohan, bid farewell to the reopened Huichun Hall, and accompanied two other Chinese youths who came to the United States to study in the United States, and went to Hankou from Beijing to Shanghai. Take the French liner to San Francisco on the west coast of the United States, and then take the train across the United States. Cheng Shaozhong's adoptive father, Brown Kewen, was indeed a very trustworthy person, and he fulfilled all the promises he made to Cheng Hanqing in Beijing.He let Cheng Shaozhong live in his own home and live with their family, which fundamentally solved the problem of Cheng Shaozhong's accommodation during his study abroad.At the same time, he also arranged for his son Mike and daughter Sophia to be his extracurricular tutors for surprise English learning, amateur coaches for learning to drive cars, and tour guides all over the United States.The initial plan he made for Cheng Shaozhong to study in the United States was: spend half a year to learn daily English conversation, and then spend half a year to focus on strengthening professional English, and during this period to investigate and understand the current situation of all aspects of the American western medicine system.In this way, one year later, when Cheng Shaozhong entered the Georgetown University School of Medicine to formally study pharmacology and epidemiology, not only would he no longer have language barriers, but he would also have no blind spots in his understanding of the above-mentioned subjects of Western medicine.As for whether to study for a master's degree or a doctor's degree directly, he must respect his own choice.Brown only told him that it only takes two to three years to study for a master's degree, five to six years to study for a doctorate, and about six years to study for a doctorate after a master's degree. No, but you can get a master's degree by first reading a master's degree.However, the monthly salary for employment with a master's degree is five to six hundred dollars, and the monthly salary for employment with a doctoral degree is seven to eight hundred dollars. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so he needs to decide for himself.As for the cost, he knew that it was not a problem for Cheng Shaozhong, because he knew that Cheng Hanqing was often rewarded by the emperor and the queen mother, with a hundred taels of silver and a few gold bars at every turn. Expenses are no problem either.Besides, judging from Cheng Shaozhong's talent, his academic performance will definitely be good. If that's the case, Brown can help him apply for a certain amount of scholarship every month...

Therefore, he, Cheng Shaozhong, could face his new life with full confidence—Brown encouraged him like this.And asked him to write a letter to tell his father (Cheng Shaozhong was afraid that Brown would be sad, so he didn't tell him that his father was killed by a poisonous snake) and all relatives. With his adoptive father taking care of him, everyone would have no reason to worry about Cheng Shaozhong anymore. Because of Brown's meticulous care, and because everything has been implemented, Cheng Shaozhong is in a particularly good mood. For three days in a row, Brown arranged for him to familiarize himself with and adapt to the environment.Based on Brown's understanding of China, he knows that Cheng Shaozhong, who is used to sitting in a sedan chair, will be stunned when he sees the cars all over the street. People who are used to dirt roads and brick roads will definitely be a little stunned when they see so many wide asphalt roads suddenly. I am at a loss, especially the lights at the intersection, I must first help Cheng Shaozhong understand its function, because the traffic rules in Cheng Shaozhong's mind are only how to avoid ostentatious cars, chariots, sedan chairs, etc. .In addition, there are electric lights, which are also new to Cheng Shaozhong, because he comes from a country without electricity, and he needs to be told in detail about the safe use of electricity and the knowledge of saving electricity.Of course, the most important thing is to suggest that he cut off the braids and change them into separates.Cheng Shaozhong wanted to do this in China, because the Revolution of 1911 required braids to be cut, but because the proclamation of the Thirty-Six Prohibition included a ban on Chinese medicine, which made Cheng Shaozhong disgusted, and in order to express dissatisfaction, he even cut his braids Not cut.Now in the United States, there is no one with long braids, who can no longer cut them off, so they have to cut them off painfully. As a result, the neck always leans forward for no reason, losing drag and losing balance.At the same time as cutting the braids, he took off the mandarin jacket and robes and the pair of face shoes, put on a suit and leather shoes, and tied a tie. It took Cheng Shaozhong a lot of effort to learn it.For him, in addition to adapting his own image to the environment, there is also psychological adaptation, such as crossing the road without panic or fear in the traffic of cars all over the street.For another example, you should not be surprised when you see a blonde girl with a bare chest and bare legs, and you should be calm when you see men and women together or kissing in public... Although Cheng Shaozhong had sufficient mental preparations before going abroad, he faced He is still a little confused and troubled by the kaleidoscope of living American social customs. He deeply feels the poverty of his imagination, so he has to be dumbfounded often.He didn't understand at the time that the industrial revolution had been going on in this country for nearly a century, while his motherland had just opened its doors and looked out. Can't take care of.During these three days, he took the Lincoln car driven by Mike out to browse the city every day. He came out of Brown's house on 27th Pennsylvania Avenue and turned a corner to Lafayette Square.Mike told him that this was a famous French general who helped the Americans at the most critical moment in the American War of Independence, so he was sincerely loved by the American people, and a bronze statue was cast to commemorate him on this verdant lawn. .

Close to the west side of Lafayette Square, there is a gray and white Gothic three-story building with a very elegant style. Mike told him: This small building is called Blare House, and it is the place where the President of the United States entertains distinguished guests. , many politicians in the world have stayed here. Opposite Lafayette Square is the official residence of the President of the United States - the White House, separated from the square by Pennsylvania Avenue.Mike told him that the White House can be visited, but Cheng Shaozhong didn't seem to be interested in this American palace, so Mike didn't even stop the car.Only circled around the dark green iron fence of the White House, Cheng Shaozhong saw that the large courtyard was covered with open lawns, and in the middle of the lawn was a white building complex, only three stories high, which looked nothing special from a distance It is not as magnificent and majestic as the Chinese imperial palace.But he noticed that there were little squirrels running around on the lawn, and some black birds were flying down freely.He believes that the freedom of such little creatures does not exist in the Chinese imperial palace.

The other side of the White House faces the Washington Monument across a wide lawn. This monument has a total of 898 steps from bottom to top, 169 meters. The shape is completely different from that of Chinese towers, and it is much thinner. , like a white pillar, and like a sword pointing directly at the blue sky.To the south of the Washington Monument is the memorial hall of Jefferson, the third president of the United States, and to the east and west are the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. These buildings look even more magnificent from the reflection of the Potomac River surrounding Washington.

When he was tired after browsing the city for too long, Cheng Shaozhong liked to let Mike park the car beside the grass beside the Potomac River, watching the sunset on the river and listening to the gurgling of the river.At this time, he can capture the charm of his hometown Yanqi River among the geese swimming in groups on the surface of the Potomac River, and recall the happy scene of practicing dog planing in the Yanqi River and searching for things in the river when he was a child. The joy when you arrive at the goose egg. "Are you thinking about China?" Mike would ask in blunt Chinese at this time.He learned Chinese when his mother went to China to visit his father.

"Yes, there is such a river in my hometown, and it is so beautiful. Wild geese often spend the night on the river beach." Cheng Shaozhong could only answer in Chinese while gesturing. "Then why did you come to America?" Mike couldn't fully understand what he said, but he still got the basic meaning. "I don't know. Your dad asked me to study Western medicine. My dad thought I should, so I came here." "You like being a doctor?" "My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father are all doctors. I have memorized "Soup Song" since I was a child, and I have never learned anything else."

Mike raised his mouth exaggeratedly, squeezed his eyes, spread his hands, and shrugged his shoulders, which seemed to mean: it's really interesting.Then, as if to himself, he said: "I don't like being a doctor, Sophia does."