Training the Heavens

Chapter 265 The Building of Physics Has Been Completed
The Sorbonne University does not provide dormitories for students, so Zhang Xingjiu had to rent a house. It was the first day he arrived at the school and he didn't know where to find a house, so he asked the Curies.

Mary said with some concern, "For the sake of your studies, it would be best to rent a house near the school, but the rent in Paris is too expensive."

Living in Paris is not easy, and this has been going on for a long time. As the capital and most prosperous city of France, a large number of outsiders flock to Paris every year, and the rent is naturally high.

When Marie first came to Paris, she initially lived with relatives. It took her more than an hour to take a public carriage from home to the Sorbonne every day. Later, she spent 15 francs a month to rent an attic.

There were 85 francs left, and the daily expenses were less than 3 francs. He could only eat the cheapest bread and cheap vegetables such as carrots. He didn't dare to make a fire to cook easily because it was too tiring to carry the coal to the fourth floor.

The high-intensity study and extremely poor food made her seriously ill. If she had not met Pierre later, it would have been difficult for her to persist, let alone achieve the success she would have achieved later.

Zhang Xingjiu smiled and said, "When I was in Shanghai, I made some money from stocks. On the train from Marseille to Paris, I also heard another Mr. Pierre talk about the prices in Paris. This money should be enough to support my studies for a few years."

"That would be the best. A more affluent financial situation will allow you to study better. I wonder what kind of house you want to rent? What is your budget?" Pierre asked.

The average rent in Paris city center this year is 642 francs per year. The 8th and 16th arrondissements in the west of Paris are where wealthy people live. The rent in these two arrondissements is 2425 francs and 1427 francs per year respectively. The 20th arrondissement is in the east of Paris, where the rent is only 218 francs per year.

Some high-end luxury apartments cost tens of thousands of francs a year. A few years ago, when the famous Robert Hart came to Paris on a business trip, his assistant Jin Denggan found a four-story house with a garden for Hart at 189 Avenue des Marles-Berby, and the rent for half a year was 4 francs.

The Latin Quarter where the Sorbonne University is located is not a wealthy area, and the rent is slightly cheaper. However, because there are a large number of students renting houses near the school, the rent in these places is not much cheaper.

Pierre took Zhang Xingjiu to see several houses. Zhang Xingjiu chose a moderately priced one with an annual rent of 1,500 francs, a two-bedroom, one-living room layout, and all water, electricity, and gas included. The landlord's maid would come to help him clean the room every week.

"If you live alone, one bedroom is enough, and the money saved can be used for other things." Seeing him spending so lavishly, Pierre couldn't help but persuade him.

Today, the annual salary of a French high school teacher is 7000 francs, and the annual salary of an engineer who has just graduated from the École Polytechnique in Paris is between 3000 and 5000 francs.

Pierre works as a professor and laboratory director at the university. He works long hours and his salary should be high, probably more than 10,000 francs. Even so, he feels that Zhang Xingjiu's spending is a bit extravagant.

"That's okay. I have some confidence in stock market operations. Once I've cleaned up the house, I'll go to the Bank of France to withdraw the money and invest it in the stock market. Besides, I might have some income this year, so I can definitely afford this expense."

Zhang Xingjiu also explained why he rented a two-bedroom apartment. "I love making friends. The collision of ideas often sparks inspiration. Sometimes, if the conversation runs too late, I can let my guests rest at home without worrying about them getting into trouble when they return home late at night." Pierre shook his head and smiled. "For me, stocks are much more complicated than physics."

After signing the contract and paying the deposit, Pierre accompanied him to the nearby Bank of France to withdraw cash. Seeing the balance in Zhang Xingjiu's account, he finally felt relieved. "This money is indeed enough for you to get a bachelor's degree. However, I still want to remind you that the stock market is very risky, so it's better to be cautious."

"I won't invest all my money. I will only take action when I encounter a sure opportunity," said Zhang Xingjiu.

Although he was not clear about the French stock market in the 19th century, some principles were the same. Changes in the political situation and advances in science and technology would affect the stock market. He only needed to make decisions at several key points according to his memory, allocate funds properly, and not go all in easily. He would basically make money.

Pierre was very enthusiastic. After paying the rent, he took Zhang Xingjiu to buy some second-hand furniture to decorate the room. Zhang Xingjiu originally wanted to buy some Chinese kitchen utensils and seasonings to show Pierre his cooking skills, but unfortunately, the Chinatown in Paris would not be formed until after World War I, and these things were not available for a while. He could only simply cook a few dishes to entertain the Curies.

Before school started, Zhang Xingjiu lived a very regular life. Every morning after getting up and having breakfast, he would go to the stadium of Sorbonne University to exercise, wait for the library to open and go in to read. At noon, he would take the borrowed books back to the apartment to have lunch and take a nap.

I would read at home when I woke up, and occasionally go for coffee with the Curies. I also met many classmates and teachers from the physics department in the cafe. If the conversation was enjoyable, I would invite them to my home, we would have dinner together, and then continue chatting while drinking.

Before the school started, many people in the Physics Department of Sorbonne University knew that a new genius young man from the East had come to the school. He had an extremely deep understanding of mathematics and physics, and was very talkative and hospitable. In the future, if anyone wanted to find a place to chat quietly, they could go to him.

Soon, the time for school to start arrived, and new students from all over France flocked to the campus. Some students from other countries also came to report. These students were either from neighboring European countries or from France's colonies. There were really few people like Zhang Xingjiu.

Zhang Xingjiu officially started his college career. Today's universities are roughly similar to those in later generations. There are many courses to take every day, and the teachers' requirements are very strict. Many freshmen are overwhelmed.

As a guy who had attended college several times and obtained several doctoral degrees, he was able to handle it easily and achieved good results in both professional courses and sports activities.

If he were white, girls would have confessed their love to him. Unfortunately, in this day and age, racial discrimination is quite obvious. Many girls are obviously interested in him, but no one dares to show any affection to them.

On the weekend of the first week of school, Professor Lippmann gave a welcome lecture to the new students, introducing the current state of physics. His first sentence stunned Zhang Xingjiu: "The edifice of physics has been built."

(End of this chapter)