Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui
1948, Madame Curie daughter Irene and her husband Mr. Joliot attended the wedding of a Chinese couple.
They delivered speeches at the ceremony: "Dear Mr. Qian , Dear Miss He, we wish you a happy family together, and wish your close cooperation to bear fruitful results in the scientific career."
These remarks While praising love, they also expressed high expectations for the newlyweds' future scientific achievements.
But Irena and Joliot have accomplished a lot, and what kind of characters can make two scientists of high status give such a beautiful blessing?
The new couple at that time were Mr. Qian Sanqiang, the father of ", two bombs, , one star", the father of China's atomic bomb, and Mrs. He Zehui, known as "China's Madame Curie".
Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui
They have made countless achievements in the field of scientific research together, and the love story between the two is quite touching. The marriage of
can be traced back to the lush era of and of Tsinghua University.
Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui are talented and intelligent, and both love to learn. After the college entrance examination was completed, both of them became students of Tsinghua University, studying in the Department of Physics, and they were fortunate enough to be classmates.
In 1932, Chinese colleges and universities implemented the national unified examination for the first time, and the Department of Physics of Tsinghua University enrolled more than 50 students, but only three girls were admitted, including He Zehui.
Therefore, Qian Sanqiang could not avoid paying more attention to the few flowers in the class.
He Zehui
He Zehui is the youngest in the class, and her sweet appearance, two shiny black braids, and a pair of big talking eyes perfectly fit Qian Sanqiang's heart for a "" from Suzhou, Jiangsu Gangnam girls" all the ideas.
Because of her fairy-like appearance, He Zehui was also dubbed the "engineering beauty" by her classmates.
Qian Sanqiang believes that this title is worthy of the name, but what is more attractive to him is He Zehui's achievements.
She always ranks first in her class.
As a result, the laurels of "beauty" and "talented woman" fell on her head one after another, which made this girl with a gentle temperament full of charm, and also caught Qian Sanqiang's eyes tightly.
He Zehui University Graduation Photo
However, the experience of this talented engineering goddess when she entered the school was full of twists and turns, and she almost missed her favorite physics department.
He Zehui's family is gentle and profound. His father, He Cheng, is a connoisseur of cultural relics and one of the earliest members of the Alliance.
Her grandmother Wang Xieda was a well-known feminist and educator in the late Qing Dynasty. The Suzhou Zhenhua Girls' school she founded had advanced concepts and excellent teaching quality, and was once regarded as the Jiangnan Tsinghua preparatory school.
In such an environment, she has received good teaching since she was a child and achieved excellent results. During the college entrance examination, she was admitted to Tsinghua University as " Shanghai female champion".
He Zehui
But in the face of such an excellent classmate, Professor Ye Qisun from the Department of Physics who received her said to her: "Study physics is very difficult, and it is difficult for girls to learn physics, and it is difficult to achieve anything."
He Zehui once recalled angrily with Qian Sanqiang, and said angrily: "The professor said that girls don't want any. As a result, we 'rebelled' and did not listen to him. I said that Tsinghua University's admissions brochure does not contain this provision! "
Professors have a deep-rooted stereotype of female students, and they persuaded them to change departments, but the female students did not back down and took a firm stand, saying that they must stay in the Department of Physics.
Seeing a few people are stubborn, the professors have no choice, this time." "Rebel" finally won the victory.
recruited ten girls that year. Under the persuasion of professors and classmates, many of them gave up their persistence, but He Zehui persevered.
He Zehui
This stubborn The talented girl pouted and walked freely through the school with her textbooks in hand, and did not want to pay attention to these stereotyped remarks.
In the end, she became one of the three girls who stayed in the Department of Physics.
Thanks to her persistence and tenacity Character, otherwise, they would not be able to meet here. Qian Sanqiang listened and thought so happily. After more than
years, Qian Sanqiang wrote in a memoir: "This man is from the garden city in the south of the Yangtze River. The female classmates in Suzhou, who are simple, quiet, and beautiful, gave me a good impression. "
In Qian Sanqiang's eyes, his classmate He Zehui is a gentle, intelligent and beautiful Jiangnan talented girl, and in He Zehui's eyes, classmate Qian Sanqiang also has many highlights.
Qian Sanqiang
The school cafeteria at that time When arranging seats, attention should be paid to the combination of men and women. Qian Sanqiang, He Zehui and six other people were assigned together and gathered at the same table for dinner.
Qian Sanqiang is a year older than the boys in the same class, and he always seems to be accompanied by others. With a graceful demeanor, he is a well-mannered young man.
He Zehui later learned that Qian Sanqiang was also born in a scholarly family.
His father Qian Xuantong studied in Japan in his youth, and after returning to China he worked as a professor at Beijing Higher Normal School and Peking University .
participated in the new culture movement together with Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu and others, and is a famous linguist in modern my country.
Qian Sanqiang
The words and deeds of his father's words and deeds, as well as the strict requirements for him, made Qian Sanqiang read a lot of books since he was a child, cultivated a very wide range of interests, and he was also relaxed in dealing with people when he came and went.
The excellent family style is reflected in Qian Sanqiang, who has also created an outstanding young man who stands out among his peers.
He has strong professional ability, excellent academic performance, humorous and graceful, which makes He Zehui involuntarily attracted. The woman, Qian Sanqiang, is shy and reserved.
So they have been classmates for a few years, and the two still maintain a classmate relationship.
Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui
At that time, their mutual friend Yu Guangyuan was also a student at the same time. He once joked that Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui were talented and beautiful, and they were "a talented and beautiful woman, a natural pair". The joke
was spread, and whenever the classmates made fun of them, the two would blush when they heard it.
But neither of them expressed their intentions at that time, so hearing the words was just a joke among friends.
They did not get carried away by the heartbeat of their youth, but pressed their love into their hearts, focused on their studies, quickly absorbed the knowledge taught by their tutors, put it into practice, and spent a fulfilling and meaningful time. University time.
Four years have gone by in a flash. As graduation is approaching, all the students have to go their separate ways, and I don't know how many opportunities to meet in the future.
He Zehui
The tender feelings of admiration were churning in her heart. He Zehui thought that she might not see this fellow Qian in the future, so she sat opposite Qian Sanqiang and asked softly, "Qian Sanqiang, what are you going to do after graduation? What?"
Qian Sanqiang replied seriously: "Let's take a look, I hope to continue my studies." After
finished a sentence, there was no more text. Without impulsive confession and bold retention, this two-way love had to be put away by the master.
Now might not be a good time, wait. They all have things to do, and there's so much uncertainty right now.
The two involuntarily said this to themselves in their hearts as they headed for the last period of their university life. When
graduated, He Zehui's graduation thesis was the highest score in the class, followed by Qian Sanqiang.
students with excellent grades stepped out of the gate of Tsinghua University, step by step towards their own future.
There is no fruit of love, but there is still a dream in my heart. For the sake of morality in their hearts, the two made their own life choices and went their separate ways since then.
In 1936, after graduation, Qian Sanqiang went to the Institute of Physics, Peking Research Institute, and served as the assistant of Director Yan Keats.
Qian Sanqiang has deep respect for such scholars, no matter how trivial the things he explained, he completed them meticulously and conscientiously.
He Zehui, the second from the right in the front row, and Qian Sanqiang in the back row.
Yan Keci applauded and told Qian Sanqiang that there would be an examination for studying in France held by the Sino-French Education and Culture Foundation.
Qian Sanqiang was grateful, picked up French that he hadn't touched for a long time, and prepared to take the exam seriously. The results of the
exam came out soon. As expected, Qian Sanqiang successfully passed the exam and got the opportunity to study in France.
At this time, his father was seriously ill, and it coincided with the outbreak of the Lugouqiao Incident. The national disaster was at the forefront, and his thoughts were inevitably heavy. When
hesitated, his father saw his concerns and patiently persuaded him: "This is a rare learning opportunity. The knowledge you have worked hard to learn will be useful to the motherland in the future. A man who is determined can't just worry about the near future!"
Qian Sanqiang and Irene Curie
"useful for the motherland" seems to have hit something in his heart, and he said goodbye to his family, teacher , and friends in earnest.
When the cannons of Lugou Bridge sounded, in that turbulent era, with full of blood and ambition to serve the country as the star in the dark night, he guided himself forward.
He came to France and entered the room of the Curie experiment at the Paris University, where his tutors—Madame Curie’s daughter, Nobel laureate Irene Curie and her husband Joliot Curie— Under the guidance of , concentrate on learning and absorb all the knowledge that can be touched like a sponge.
On the other hand, after leaving Tsinghua University, He Zehui chose to study at the Department of Technical Physics at , Germany's Technical University of Berlin, for a Ph.D.
Later, the Anti-Japanese War broke out. Out of the patriotic enthusiasm for resisting Japan, this woman who was studying alone in a foreign country resolutely chose the professional direction of experimental ballistics .
He Zehui
She still remembers her father's powerful words: "The children of the He family study not for their own future, but to serve the motherland!"
Learn knowledge and then defeat the enemy.With such thoughts in mind, He Zehui's eyes reddened, and she threw herself into study with her teeth clenched.
In 1940, He Zehui, who received a Ph.D. in engineering, went to Berlin to participate in the research of magnetic material .
A few years later, she went to HeidelbergThe Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Royal William College, where she began her research in nuclear physics.
He Zehui's efforts were not in vain. Her hard work and diligence allowed her to first observe the collision of positive and negative electrons, which was called "scientific tidbits" by British " natural ".
The two have the same dream of serving the country and have made achievements in different countries, but during the period, due to the outbreak of World War II, communication between Germany and the outside world was banned, and they have been unable to get in touch.
In 1946, a group photo of Chinese colleagues at the International Conference on Elementary Particles
Until 1943, when there was no exchange ban between Germany and France, a letter was left from Berlin and sent to Paris, where Qian Sanqiang was located.
At that time, due to the sensitivity of the war letter, I could only write 25 French words at most. How to write this short letter ?
He Zehui thought for a long time before writing. The gist of the letter was to ask if Qian Sanqiang was still in Paris, and if it was convenient, please report her safety to her parents at home on her behalf.
The love between He Zehui and Qian Sanqiang in college was broken, but at this time, because of this letter, the seedlings of love broke out again and took root in the hearts of the two.
The letters became the bluebirds that shuttled between the two countries, conveying their sorrows, worries, full of heartfelt feelings of serving the country, and feelings of being attracted to each other unconsciously.
He Zehui and Qian Sanqiang
have quite a common language, and communication with is becoming more and more frequent."On the other side of the letter is a partner who shares the same interests with me." This thought soothed their restless and worried minds for many nights.
Qian Sanqiang also developed a relationship with He Zehui for several years, and this relationship was far stronger than when he was a student.
When the war was coming to an end in 1945 and the domestic war of resistance was in sight, he delivered a marriage proposal to Berlin.
The letter reads: "After long-term correspondence, I propose to you. If you agree, I will wait for you to return to China together. Please reply." : "Thank you for your love. I will always be loyal to you. We will return to China together after we meet." Together, so a letter can ignite the fire in the bottom of my heart.
In the first spring after the end of World War II, He Zehui left Germany and came to Qian Sanqiang's apartment in Paris alone.
They held their wedding on schedule in that romantic city.
He Zehui, wearing a red Chinese cheongsam, held hands with Qian Sanqiang in a suit and bowed to the guests. In front of , was invited to the wedding, with friends at work and respectable teachers.
Joliot said with emotion: "Mr. and Mrs. Curie once worked closely in a laboratory, and then I and Irena became partners. It seems that our combination has proved to be very beneficial to science. . And today, our family's ' infectious disease ' has been passed on to you again."
The two newcomers looked at each other and smiled. They gave their youthful youth to the laboratory and their sincere and complete love to each other, and they will go on together in the future.
In her married life, He Zehui did not give up her scientific research career.
He Zehui, who has two years of nuclear physics research, successfully became Qian Sanqiang's colleague by virtue of her strength, and worked with him to study nuclear fission .
1 At the beginning of 1947, they officially published a paper, and the existence of the three-split and four-split uranium nuclear phenomenon was confirmed, which caused a huge sensation in the international scientific community.
Irene Curie talked about them, her words full of admiration, calling them "China's Curie couple".
Later, China decided to officially develop the atomic energy nuclear force. Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui returned to the embrace of the motherland with full sincerity and the heart of serving the country.
Qian Sanqiang went to Tsinghua University as a professor of the Department of Physics, deputy director and director of the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (later the Institute of Atomic Energy), and integrated all his lifelong learning into the creation of atomic energy. .
Chairman Mao told him and Li Siguang in an enlarged meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which specialized in the study and development of atomic energy in China: "Today, we are all elementary school students, and on the issue of atomic energy, please come to class." This dedication, worked hard to , recruited talents everywhere, and recommended Deng Jiaxian and others to the team that developed nuclear weapons .
During the same period, He Zehui devoted himself to the establishment of the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The first row, second from right, He Zehui
The research team she leads has overcome difficulties and obstacles and has been working under very simple conditions for a long time.
Finally, the hard work paid off. After several years of hard work, in 1956, it successfully developed the nuclear latex with the performance up to the standard, catching up with the international advanced level.
She also actively led and participated in the experiments of neutron physics and fission physics, and opened up the field of neutron physics and fission physics experiments in China.
also made great achievements in fast neutron research, making China's fast neutron experiment work quickly catch up with the international level at that time. At the beginning of
, He Zehui's name, along with many scientists, was also on the development list of two bombs.
But Qian Sanqiang has personally experienced the hardships of this job, which is accompanied by the danger of sacrifice all the time. He felt sorry for his wife and asked hard to remove her name from the list.
Qian Sanqiang went to the Soviet Union to inspect
, but this did not stop the progress of the great wheel of history. He Zehui went around and eventually became the deputy director of the Institute of Atomic Energy. She did not hesitate to devote herself to the work of atomic energy experiments, and she flinched just because she was afraid of danger. What was the reason for her learned skills?
"Return from your studies and serve the motherland." This is her initial insistence, and it is also her current and future responsibility.
At that time, in the research and development process of the atomic ignition neutron source , Qian Xuesen , Qian Sanqiang, Deng Jiaxian and others all felt troubled and could not continue their research.
In the end, He Zehui, who had been dealing with Neutron for a long time, took over the problem, which made the research go smoothly.
China's First Atomic Bomb
In 1964, China's first atomic bomb, jointly developed by the two of them, was successfully detonated. The whole country celebrated, and many scientists burst into tears.
Their attitude towards scientific research is so dedicated and enthusiastic that it seems that no amount of hardship can separate them from science. Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui have such a close and fiery connection with scientific research.
It's not just about scientific research, the couple's views on money and power are surprisingly consistent.
Li Tibei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, once wrote: "In Mr. He, power and status, pomp and momentum, and gorgeous packaging are useless." The person who asked for the high-flying festival".
He said that it is precisely because of this that Mr. Qian Sanqiang is respected by the people of the country.
He Zehui, Qian Sanqiang and Qian Sijin
regard money as dung and power as smoke. This accomplished couple of scientists live a normal life like ordinary people. It seems that as long as there is a laboratory for research and each other to rely on, life can go on forever.
However, time is ruthless. On June 28, 1992, Qian Sanqiang unfortunately passed away due to a heart attack.
Today, He Zehui's house still maintains the same layout as it was ten years ago.
Those ornaments full of memories and vivid photos have been completely preserved by their owners.
Whether it is the bedroom or the study, He Zehui did not change much, but kept Qian Sanqiang as he was before his death as much as possible.
And the "Two Bombs and One Star Meritorious Medal" awarded by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the Central Military Commission to Qian Sanqiang was touched by her over and over again.
He Zehui and Qian Sanqiang
Their child Qian Sijin recalled: "My mother and Mr. Peng Huanwu took the medal and went to my father's tomb, and read him the award speech." When he spoke, the admiration and nostalgia on his face was the same as when he was young, and he could remember it for a lifetime.
Qian Sijin knew that his father never left, and he always lived in his mother's heart.
In 2011, Ms. He Zehui also followed her husband and left at the age of 97.
Party and state leaders sent condolences to her, paying high tribute to her and expressing deep condolences.
This scientific research couple who came out of Tsinghua University has a beautiful love that makes people feel emotional and has moving good quality.
What they have left to the world is precious knowledge and scientific research data, illuminating generations of young people who study science and pursue the truth. What they pass on to people is the silent love that moistens things.
