Surprisingly, however, life in Qian Yonggang is not so smooth. He dropped out of school twice, went to college at the age of 30 and finished his studies at the age of 40. Why?
On June 26th, 2008, 10, Qian Xuesen's granddaughter visited Qian Xuesen's house and asked Qian Yonggang, "If your father had not returned to China, then you and your sister Qian Yongzhen might have grown up smoothly and achieved as much as them."
Here, they refer to Qian Yonggang's cousin in the United States. One of them is a famous neurobiologist and the other is a famous Nobel Prize winner. They live a smooth life, study hard at the right age and make outstanding achievements.
Qian Yonggang's life, however, is not so smooth. He didn't go to college until he was 30 years old, which means that people's thinking and reaction ability have been delayed to a certain extent, and it also means that he may have lost the opportunity to get excellent grades.
Then why did he drop out of school twice and go to college at the age of 30? As a descendant of a generation of outstanding scientists, what has he experienced?
1955 September 17, Qian Xuesen took his wife and children on a cruise ship to return home. When the cruise ship started, Qian Yonggang was running around on the deck, very excited. Because he is still young, he knows nothing except when the cruise ship will leave. The ship has sailed for so long, why hasn't it left the coast?
He looked at the coast for a long time and finally got sleepy. I woke up to find that the ship had sailed into the sea, which made me very happy. In his impression, his family lived in third class at first. There are two beds in one room. He sleeps in the upper bunk with his sister, and his parents sleep in the lower bunk.
The room is so small that nothing can fit in the luggage. The flower baskets sent by others had to be placed outside the corridor. As a result, the crew came and told them not to put it like this, it would block others' way. Fortunately, a few days later, with the help of one person, they moved to the first class.
At that time, he was only seven years old and didn't understand the significance of returning to China. He only knows to follow in his father's footsteps. Where father goes, he follows. The place where his father took him must be beautiful. Father is like a big tree, sheltering him from the wind and rain and blocking the sorrow of the world for him.
After a long journey, he and his father came to Beijing Hotel to stay temporarily, and later settled in Zhongguancun Building 14. It was his first contact with China, and everything about China was novel. They live in the best house of Chinese Academy of Sciences, with five rooms, bathroom and kitchen.
But the kitchen uses neither gas nor electric stove, but stove. But their family is very happy, because this is their motherland and this is their home. The first time he drank milk, he made a joke. He was having breakfast at that time, and there was steaming milk on the table. The adults told him to drink, but he dared not.
Because milk in America is cold, milk here is hot. He felt that the hot milk here must not be real milk, so he never dared to drink it, and secretly discussed it with his sister next to him. Uncle Zhu, who was sitting next to him, heard this and caused people to laugh.
As he has finished primary school for one year in America, he is about to enter the second grade. However, when he was in the second grade, his parents told him not to go to school and to play at home. He just started school and is about to drop out. Why doesn't he understand? But seeing that my parents have been packing, I knew they were leaving here.
Sure enough, soon, their family boarded a cruise ship and set foot on the land of China. When he settled down, his parents arranged for him to attend the second grade in a primary school in China. But he just came to school and didn't adapt. At that time, he was not very familiar with China and could not speak Chinese.
Many times, he can only communicate with teachers and classmates in English. But at that time, the English level of primary school teachers and classmates was not high, and the communication between them was very difficult. Even in class, it is difficult for him to understand. Faced with these difficulties, it is time for him to need his father to take him and accompany him forward and overcome them.
But my father is very busy. He is busy establishing the Institute of Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Seeing his father's busyness, he had to cheer up and face the challenge of learning alone. Fortunately, his language talent is good. After a period of hard study, he basically mastered Chinese, was able to communicate with his classmates normally, and his study was on the right track.
While his studies were gradually improving, his father's career also developed rapidly. Mechanics, led by him, is developing rapidly in China at an extraordinary speed. He also participated in the formulation of 1967 Twelve-year Science and Technology Development Plan, telling scientists the principles of electronic computers, rockets and missiles.
In order to be busy with these jobs, my father not only forgets to eat and sleep, but also travels frequently. He doesn't know where to go on business, how long to go and how long to come back, not even his mother. They can only silently support him behind his back. Sometimes a few months later, he will suddenly appear in front of him wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket and boots.
At that time, he only knew that his father was a scientist who studied airplanes, and his family didn't know what to do. Even a close mother doesn't know what her father is doing. Sometimes Deng Ying Chao doesn't know his father's work, and he will be confused with Qian Sanqiang's work, because he does a good job of keeping secrets.
At that time, because Qian Xuesen was too busy, he was studying alone. The only time they can communicate briefly is at breakfast or dinner. Because Qian Xuesen had a rule at that time, he didn't like staying in the office to work overtime, and he liked reading alone in the study. During this time, he will never be disturbed by others.
Even in order not to be disturbed, he specially agreed with the guard that all calls from the office would be answered by him. If there are no special circumstances, all will be dealt with at work tomorrow. If there is an emergency, ask him to call someone upstairs again. There are also some indiscreet interruptions, and Qian Xuesen will severely criticize them every time.
So every time Qian Xuesen walked into the study, Qian Yonggang never went in to discuss anything with his father. If you have anything to say, you can only have a short conversation with your father at dinner time.
But on such a day, in the dark, my father seems to be an invisible hand, guiding him forward. The first is the love of books. Qian Xuesen is a person who loves reading very much, and he has a wide range of reading.
As early as the first year of high school, Qian Xuesen read the book on relativity, and when he was in college, he read the book on early Russian Marxism. Therefore, parents have attached great importance to cultivating his reading hobby since childhood. When I returned to China, although I had a lot of luggage, my parents still brought back many kinds of good-looking books.
Under such influence, Qian Yonggang also formed the habit of reading. As long as there is a book he likes to read, whether it is useful or not, he will buy it back and read it, regardless of other purposes. Before long, he had his own small bookshelf, which was full of books he had read.
The second is the attitude towards grades. Qian Xuesen believes that achievement is not the only criterion. It is most important to cultivate a person's good hobbies and interests and have a high vision.
This is how Qian Xuesen himself came over. He studied science in middle school, and his studies were very heavy. However, during the holiday, grandpa didn't let him get in touch with his studies, but let him learn painting, musical instruments, calligraphy and so on. Cultivate his learning ability and hobbies. Therefore, even if Qian Xuesen thinks that grades are important, he will not think that grades are the only criterion.
On one occasion, Qian Yonggang got 4 points in the final exam, out of 5. He is very satisfied, but the teacher thinks that with his education and family environment, it is not a problem to get 5 points. I hope he can work hard. Qian Yonggang told his father something when he got home, but his father just smiled.
Wait until the next time, he scored 5 points and happily shared it with his father. His father only said a sentence, and 4 points is also quite good. Qian Yonggang is too young to understand his father.
On one occasion, Qian Xuesen was very concerned about Qian Yonggang's achievements. It was in the first grade of junior high school, and the teacher saw that he liked to play tricks in class and rushed to answer questions that others could not, so he helped him sign up for the pre-selection course of Beijing junior high school mathematics competition.
As a result, he only got 30 points in the exam. Qian Yonggang hasn't suffered such a blow since she went to school. She is very depressed. At the dinner table, Qian Xuesen saw that something was wrong with his son and asked him what was wrong. At that time, Qian Yonggang was not convinced, saying that he was not satisfied with the content of the exam.
Because the content includes the topic of senior two and senior three, he hasn't learned it yet. What is this achievement? Hearing this, Qian Xuesen smiled: "I wanted to tell you that it doesn't matter whether you take part in the competition or not, but if that's what you think, then I think it's good for you to get more than 30 points."
When he grew up, Qian Yonggang realized that what mattered was not grades, but challenges from life. Achievement is not the whole of life, just try your best.
As time goes by, Qian Yonggang has been studying hard in high school until he is about to go to college. If there is no accident, according to his grades, it is no problem to go to a famous university. But it didn't go well. At that time, high school students could learn nothing.
Qian Yonggang didn't want to waste time, just when the troops came to the school to recruit, he had the idea of dropping out of school to become a soldier. After learning about this, Qian Xuesen was silent for a while and said, "If this is your choice, then do it well and make a breakthrough." In this way, Qian Yonggang dropped out of school again and joined the army to become a soldier.
There are many choices in life, and sometimes one choice changes life.
After joining the army, Qian Yonggang was very active and earnest, and was not afraid of hardship. He never thought of relying on his father's fame to seek anything or special care. He just trained wholeheartedly and steadily, and won the honor by his own skills.
However, life as a soldier was really hard, but it was Qian Xuesen's words that he worked hard and became the pillar of Qian Yonggang, which made him spend that restless time. For various reasons, Qian Yonggang failed to develop into a political party activist. But he also understood his father's difficulties, never said anything to his father, just silently endured and made the present.
Ten years later, the turning point of fate came again, and the college entrance examination resumed. It has been ten years since I came out of school that year, and many things that Qian Yonggang learned have been returned to the teacher. Especially foreign language ability, because I haven't studied and trained for a long time, I have long been unfamiliar. He dug out the Russian extracurricular books he bought at school and found that he could only read one title.
As a result, it is really uncertain whether he can take the college entrance examination and enter the university. But he also thought that his father had been studying all his life and drawing nutrition from knowledge, so he couldn't help but want to give it a try.
So even though he is 29 years old, he still upholds the spirit of refusing to accept the old, and by relying on the mathematical and physical foundation of doing technical work all the year round, he has accumulated a love for reading since childhood, and finally he was admitted to the National University of Defense Technology at the age of 30.
Although this is not as good as father 18 years old admitted to the university, Qian Xuesen is still very happy for him. Just as Qian Yonggang entered the university hopefully, he found himself older than all the students around him. What a bitter taste!
Fortunately, after long-term military training, Qian Yonggang has become a determined person, not easily infected by the external environment. He has always adhered to the habit of studying hard and finally got a college diploma four years later.
After graduating from college, he didn't rush to work, but wanted to continue his master's degree and enrich himself. 65438-0986, sent to California Institute of Technology for a master's degree at his own expense. This year, he is 38 years old, an older young man. Before he left, he kept thinking, will this school accept him? What kind of questions will they give him?
For these, Qian Yonggang's heart is really nervous. After all, compared with an outstanding figure like his father, he is just an ordinary intellectual at best. I didn't expect that when he came to school, the school wouldn't let him take the exam at all, so he was directly exempted from the exam.
After thinking about it, he had the answer in his heart, probably because of his father's sake, and he was accidentally sheltered by him. At that time, Qian Xuesen, a 38-year-old father, was the professor and director of the Jet Propulsion Center of California Institute of Technology, and he had a deep friendship with many people in this school.
It is said that more than 30 years ago, Qian Xuesen just came out of the American detention center, lost dozens of pounds, suffered severe mental trauma and was depressed. The dean of the college came to comfort him: "Stop being depressed and get to work. If not for the government, it is for the children. When the child goes to Caltech in the future, give him an exemption. "
When Qian Xuesen returned to China that year, the principal said, "What I said at that time still works now." After more than 30 years, this university really gave Qian Yonggang a free entrance examination. Is there any connection between the two? If not, probably not many people believe it. Maybe that's why Qian Yonggang was exempted from the test.
Qian Yonggang cherishes this opportunity. During his study, he spent most of his time in the laboratory, doing research and learning new knowledge. He is like a sponge, seizing every opportunity, trying to absorb knowledge and swimming in the ocean of knowledge. From 65438 to 0988, Qian Yonggang was 40 years old and graduated with a master's degree.
After graduation, Qian Yonggang returned to National University of Defense Technology and became a professor. I have been engaged in the development of computer application software system for a long time and participated in many important projects. Although not well-known in the world, he is also a leader in a certain field and has made considerable achievements.
After 2 1 century, Qian Yonggang was rated as a senior engineer, and successively served as part-time professor, visiting professor and distinguished professor in Shanghai Jiaotong University, Xi Jiaotong University, Tsinghua University and other schools. He not only contributed to national defense science and technology in the computer field, but also contributed to training the next generation of talents.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Qian Yonggang has made outstanding achievements and is a great figure. However, among several generations of Qian's senior intellectuals, his achievements are not conspicuous. After all, his father Qian Xuesen is a well-known great scientist, and his cousin is also a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. It is conceivable that Qian Yonggang is really inconspicuous under such a contrast.
In his later years, Qian Xuesen once said to Qian Yonggang, "When you were young, I was too busy to care about you. If we do a problem together for a week, we will stick to it no matter which subject. When you graduate from high school, I believe that universities all over the country will let you choose. "
It's a pity that time can't go back and can't be changed. In fact, Qian Yonggang's heart is very clear, no matter whether the time goes back or not, his father will not do so. He will still be busy with the cause of the country and won't have time to do problems with him. What he said just shows that he always cares about him.
Although times have changed, Qian Xuesen is old, his waist is bent and his hands are not so strong. But Qian Yonggang can always get infinite strength from his father. Many times, my father seems to use a pair of invisible hands to pull him forward forever, teaching him to face the difficulties of life bravely and always full of enthusiasm for learning.
This is reflected in Qian Xuesen who withdrew from the front line.
Although Qian Xuesen withdrew from the front line, he still faced life with full spirit, and even generate was more youthful. First of all, the books he reads are wider and deeper. He not only involves music, literature, painting, modern agriculture, life science, technical aesthetics and so on. And each major has its own ideas and experience.
He actively advocated China to learn information technology, which greatly promoted the information management of the army. His knowledge-intensive agriculture has become a reality in the western region. Those deserts, which have always been regarded as barren land, have become fertile soil rich in thorns, Elaeagnus angustifolia and other specialties.
He is like a sun. Even in his later years, he was still radiant. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, Qian Xuesen's body inevitably aged and had to stay in bed all the year round. His hearing is also severely impaired, and he can no longer listen to scientific knowledge and news broadcast programs every day.
But he can only say to his family, "Let's buy a TV." Even if he can't hear, he can see and learn a lot. Soon, Qian Yonggang installed a TV in his room for him to watch. Qian Xuesen asked, "How much is this?" Qian Yonggang said nothing but replied, "This is my filial piety as a son."
Qian Xuesen has always been a thrifty man. Everything he buys with public money must be strictly examined to see if it meets the regulations. If it doesn't meet the requirements or is too expensive, he will refuse to use it. That's why he asked about the price of TV. Knowing that he bought it himself and didn't know the specific price, he accepted it gladly.
Surprisingly, even though Qian Xuesen's body rested, his mind never rested. On the contrary, he has a lot of time and cares about state affairs. Especially in the aspect of education in China, he thinks that the schools in China have not yet formed a mechanism to cultivate creative talents, and puts forward the educational concept of cultivating creative talents.
Many years later, in order to cultivate innovative talents for the country, Xi Jiaotong University established Qian Xuesen's experimental class to cultivate innovative talents with Qian Xuesen's educational philosophy. Sometimes, Qian Yonggang will help if he has time. He very much hopes that his father's wish can come true.
Perhaps it is precisely because of Qian Xuesen's attitude of persisting in learning and facing life's difficulties that Qian Yonggang still has the courage to pursue knowledge in his thirties and forties, and constantly achieves higher achievements with perseverance beyond ordinary people.
On June 3, 2009, KLOC-0, Qian Xuesen passed away. He can no longer hold Qian Yonggang's hand and walk on, and can no longer teach him the truth of life in words. But he will always be a star and a tree in the Qian Yonggang world, giving him endless guidance.
At some point, Qian Yonggang couldn't help wondering if his life would be smoother if his father hadn't returned to China. But he knows very well that there is no if in life. These assumptions are just talk. He feels that his life is not so bad now, and he has a good life.
From the journey back to China, to learning Chinese, enlisting in the army, going to college at the age of 30, continuing to do research, and later building museums, publishing books, filming, holding exhibitions and so on. He has made many friends over the years. These friends gave him a lot of encouragement and help, which made him feel that he was making progress every year.
But from beginning to end, all the excellent qualities of Qian Xuesen are guiding Qian Yonggang to move forward and face the difficulties and setbacks in life. Although he became the son of Qian Xuesen and didn't get any special care, he was proud to have Qian Xuesen as his father.
Although Qian Xuesen passed away, Qian Yonggang missed him all his life.