Training the Heavens

Chapter 357 Penicillin

Zhang Xingjiu immediately put Lang Zhiwan's speech aside and asked in surprise, "I've introduced you to many people over the years, but you never liked them. Have you finally found the right one this time? Is it the same Ms. Xu I met in Guangzhou before?"

Ah Zhang's face rarely showed a shy look. "Well, originally I didn't want to have a wedding. I thought as long as two people like each other, there was no need to torture ourselves with all those tedious procedures. But ever since we arrived in Shanghai, my sister-in-law has been telling me that we still have to have a wedding, and at worst we can just keep it simple. I saw that Guangping was also a little interested, so I realized that I had been a little selfish before. She probably wanted a wedding too, so I agreed."

"Haha, then let's keep it simple. No need to invite too many guests, just the relatives of your two families, plus some close friends, and everyone can get together privately. Leave these trivial matters to me, I'll find someone to arrange them, and you just wait patiently." Zhang Xingjiu finally put his mind to it.

In the original history, A Zhang did not hold a wedding because he had another wife in his hometown of Shaoxing. Now, after Zhang Xingjiu's persuasion, this wedding that made several people uncomfortable did not happen. In this way, there is no obstacle for A Zhang to hold the wedding.

After the speech, Zhang Xingjiu discussed with the couple and decided to set the wedding date for this weekend. They found an elegant Shaoxing hotel and held a simple wedding.

Li Suzhi and Qian Junfu, two old friends whom I hadn't seen for some time, also came. Li Suzhi served as the director of Zhejiang Army Hospital for many years. During this period, he also served as the director of Zhejiang Medical College and trained many medical talents for Zhejiang.

After returning to China, Qian Junfu has been working in the education department. He first served as the principal of ZJ Provincial No. 1 Middle School (now Hangzhou Senior High School), and later went to the Ministry of Education in Beijing to work for many years. Now he serves as the Director of the ZJ Provincial Department of Education. It is worth mentioning that he brought his son with him.

His son is about to turn eighteen and is facing the decision of taking the college entrance examination. In the original history, he would be admitted to the School of Mechanical Engineering of Shanghai National Jiaotong University to study railway mechanical engineering. Now, because his father often mentions Zhang Xingjiu in front of him, and Zhang Xingjiu also meets him when he goes to Beijing and Hangzhou, he naturally prepares to apply for the Department of Physics of Aurora University.

"Fu Kang has a solid foundation and outstanding talent. With his academic ability, as long as he does not have any problems in the exams, it will be no problem for him to be admitted to Aurora University. At that time, I will help him choose the direction of future research based on his talent and recommend him to study abroad!" Zhang Xingjiu will not let this student go.

Fu Kang is his pen name. When he was young, he was seriously ill and it was Li Suzhi who helped him recover. The two words Fu Kang also convey Qian Junfu's good wishes for him, hoping that he would be safe and sound in the future.

As for the school where he would study abroad in the future, Zhang Xingjiu had already decided on it. It would definitely be the Department of Aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology. In two years, Theodore von Karman would come to teach at this school, and it would be just right for him to go there when he graduated from his undergraduate degree in rehabilitation.

As for the teacher at Aurora University, Zhang Xingjiu has already arranged a suitable candidate, that is Wang Shizhuo, who graduated from the Department of Aeronautics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is now teaching at Aurora University, mainly teaching aerodynamics. Let him help Fu Kang lay a solid foundation first, and then it will be much easier for him to study with von Karman.

Also attending the wedding was an old acquaintance of the two from their time in Shaoxing, that was Shou Pengfei, the son of Mr. Shou Jingwu. Because he had been A Zhang's teacher, he was invited to sit at the head of the table.

In the late Qing Dynasty, Shou Pengfei went to Beijing to take the exam and become an official despite the dissuasion of Mr. Shou Jingwu. After that, he served in Northeast China, Shandong, Beijing and other places. During the Republic of China, he served as the chief secretary of the Beijing Pingzhengyuan for a long time. Zhang Xingjiu and A Zhang met him many times when they went to Beijing.

Not long ago, Shou Pengfei resigned from his position in the Pingzhengyuan and prepared to concentrate on writing books. This time he was lucky as he was preparing to return to his hometown in Shaoxing for the New Year. When he passed by Shanghai, he heard that A Zhang was going to get married, so he stayed for a few more days.

During the dinner, Shou Pengfei recounted an amusing anecdote. "Back in Beijing, I read A Zhang's A Brief History of Chinese Fiction and was deeply impressed. Using the pseudonym 'Dun Zhuo', I pointed out an error in a place name in the book. A Zhang immediately corrected it. His upright academic attitude is truly admirable." Upon hearing this, A Zhang slapped his forehead and said, "So 'Dun Zhuo' is actually you, sir! I was even writing in the newspaper to express my gratitude. 'Dun Zhuo has never met you, yet you sent me a letter to correct it. I am deeply grateful.'"

Then he sighed again, "I have to correct it. When I was studying at Sanwei Book House, if I recited the wrong book or wrote the wrong word, the teacher would spank my palm!"

"Fortunately, you changed it in time, otherwise Mr. Pengfei would have slapped you on the palm!" Zhang Xingjiu joked. After that, the three of them laughed out loud at the same time, recalling the years at Sanwei Bookstore. The memory was still clear, as if it happened just yesterday.

The wedding ceremony was simple and ended quickly. Ms. Xu came over to toast them. Zhang Xingjiu took the opportunity to say, "Since Zhang is planning to live in Shanghai permanently, our two families should visit each other more often. If you have free time, you can also come to Aurora University to give more lectures."

Ah Zhang had a strong temper and would not tolerate any injustice. He suffered a lot of harassment in the next few years. After all, Zhang Xingjiu had sponsored Mr. Yixian and held a position in the military academy. Zheng Sanfazi had to give him some face and was able to protect Ah Zhang.

As for Ms. Xu, she suffered a lot after A Zhang passed away. Now that Zhang Xingjiu is here, she doesn't have to suffer much anymore.

After the wedding, A Zhang was not polite and often came to chat with Zhang Xingjiu. He also often gave lectures in schools in Shanghai. The two of them resumed their friendship as they did in Shaoxing.

Zhang Xingjiu stayed in Shanghai for a few days and then left. He continued to accompany Lang Zhiwan and others to other cities for academic exchanges, all the way from Shanghai to Qingdao, then from Qingdao to Tianjin, and finally arrived in Beijing.

After the exchange in Beijing ended, Zhang Xingjiu accompanied them on board the ship and got off first in Shanghai. He was planning to start an important research project at Aurora University, and it was time for Lang Zhiwan and others to return home.

After returning to Aurora University, a few days later, Zhang Xingjiu came to the biology laboratory. At this time, a young man in his early thirties with an elegant temperament was leaning in front of a microscope, observing something carefully.

Zhang Xingjiu didn't interrupt him, but watched quietly from the side. After he finished observing, he asked, "Feifan, I suddenly had an idea recently, and I would like to ask you to lead the research."

Tang Feifan, who graduated from Aurora University Medical School and went on to Harvard Medical School, and recently returned to Aurora University to take up a position, asked curiously, "What project is it?"

"Just now, something special happened in a laboratory."

(End of this chapter)