The taste of it

"The world of adults is strange. Even though I was very happy, I started to cry. Unlike me, I only cried when I was beaten with my butt."

"But when you grow up, what does it feel like?"

With little thoughts in mind, the child retreated from his mother's legs and secretly came to his father's back with small steps.

The little hand poked his father and bit his finger: "Dad, when will I grow up?"

When the father turned his head and saw his son running over, he quickly blinked, not wanting his son to see him embarrassedly, so he carried him over.

"Son, how did you come here, what about mom?"

"Mom is still sitting there, I ran over secretly. I want to ask you when I will grow up."

"That's so simple. You'll grow up when you become a man."

"But how can I become a man? Can I eat less candied haws?"

"Haha, son, that's not OK." The father laughed and stabbed his son with his chin, causing the little guy to quickly support his hands and refuse to let his father get close.

When I saw the warm fruit wine on the table, my father came up with a plan and poured a few drops of the smallest wine cup.

"Good son, don't you want to be a man? Just drink like uncles and uncles."

The child held the wine cup in both hands, with a childlike innocence on his face: "Can you cry as happy as you drink it? Will you become a man?"

The father's face turned red and he didn't dare to look directly at his son's eyes: "No way, it's not that you can recite the ancient poem 'Men's tears will not be easily touched'. A man can't cry as soon as he says he can cry. You must have read it wrong, son."

The child's eyes were full of confusion, but out of trust in his father, he still drank the little bit of wine.

“Wow, so spicy!”

"Don't keep holding it in your mouth, just swallow it."

The child swallowed it obediently, but felt that his stomach was getting hotter.

"Dad, is my stomach on fire? It's so hot."

The unscrupulous father laughed: "Son, this is how it feels like to grow up. It's not easy to be a man."

The boy seemed to understand, tears from the wine-spicy eyes appeared in his eyes, and he nodded silently: "So, this is how he felt when he was smiling and crying."

The mother there saw this scene and hurriedly ran over, picked up her son, and while everyone was not paying attention, she glared at her husband and twisted her waist secretly.

The father didn't care at all, but instead made faces at his son.

"Son, you have been a man since today. I won't be at home often anymore. You are the only man in the family. Take good care of your mother."

It was already dark, and Cheng Nuo and Cai Yuanpei stood in the dark outside the door. Looking at the bright lights inside and listening to their laughter, both of them couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Cai Yuan Pei waved outside the door: "Zhiyuan, are you interested in accompanying me, the old guy, to walk outside?"

"I don't have any reason to refuse the invitation from Mr. Cai." Cheng Nuo walked to the gate first and opened it: "Mr. Cai, please ask first."

Cai Yuanpei nodded, crossed the threshold and walked out: "Zhiyuan, listen to your speech just now, I think your Academy of Sciences has completely set a framework. I have never touched such professional matters. There is no need to say any extra opinions, so I will not backfire. But I still have something unknown. Where are you going to set up for this Academy of Sciences?"

Although Cheng Nuo had preliminary goals, he was still hesitating now. After all, there were Civil War, Northern Expedition, Central Plains War, etc. before the War of Resistance Against Japan. It was not easy to find a peaceful place, not to mention the War of Resistance Against Japan in the future, most of the rivers were lost, and a peaceful place was even more difficult to find.

When the Academy of Sciences truly becomes formal, various instruments are bought, and even have to build their own power plants, family buildings and other infrastructure. The cost of moving home is too high and it takes too much time, which affects the scientific research process.

After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Nuo shook his head: "The tentative thing is to be held in Peiping. It is not completely determined where to develop in the future. Please give me some advice."

Cai Yuanpei smiled and did not rush to give his own opinions: "Pei Ping is also a place of right and wrong. The two parties in the court will inevitably escalate sooner or later, and it will inevitably lead to wars. Moreover, under the noses of those big figures, there is no academic freedom at all and development constraints."

"Northeast? The industrial foundation is better." But as soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Nuo laughed himself. Both the Russians and the Japanese were eyeing him. After the September 18th Incident, they became even more devastated. Many planes bought at high prices were cheaper than the Japanese when they took off.

Zhang Zuolin was also a bandit, and was moody and could not tolerate others' opinions. Mr. Li was killed by him. As a person who had received many years of ideological and political education, Cheng Nuo really didn't want to worry about this all day long.

Moreover, with the planning of Japan, the Northeast is probably now infiltrated into a sieve.

"The northeast cannot do it." Cheng Nuo asked and answered, and then continued: "How about the Chuan Province? The country of Tianfu is rich in resources."

At this time, the mountain city had not yet been established, and it was still a simple trading port. It was not truly established until 1929, so Chengnuo was covered by Sichuan Province.

Cai Yuanpei thought for a moment and smiled: "Sichuan Province is also fine, but the public will soon reorganize the local troops of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou to reduce their military strength. With the old-style warlords' ideas, they will have to fight for military power and have to be wary of it."

Next, Cheng Nuo proposed several locations one after another, and Cai Yuanpei gave his suggestions to the point, and in the end, Cheng Nuo fell into deep thought.

Stopped, Cai Yuanpei held the railings of the moat with both hands: "Zhiyuan, judging from the current domestic situation and future development, it is difficult to find a perfect location that meets the conditions. Whether it is education or scientific research, it is a process of survival in a crack. But because of this, I have seen your persistence and the shadow of our generation in the past."

"No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, you can come to me. If I can't solve them, I will bring up this old face and find some old friends to accompany you to talk to you."

After sniffing, Cheng Nuo and Cai Yuanpei held the railing side by side: "Thank you Mr. Cai, I will definitely not disappoint you."

Cai Yuanpei smiled and waved his hand, took out a letter from his bag and handed it over: "Jiang Menglin wants to invite someone to set up a Chinese Vocational Education Society. I recommend you to him. After learning about your experience, I attach great importance to you. I specially hired you as a director of the education society. Of course, there is no salary."

"This" Cheng Nuo was not in a hurry to accept it. Although Jiang Menglin was also a famous educator, the first Minister of Education of the National Government in the future, and the longest-serving president in the history of Peking University, he has a lot of work at the moment and has not yet found time to sort it out. Too much stuff may lead to indigestion.

Cai Yuanpei did not ask him to say the reason for rejection, and said earnestly: "I hope you will take it and take advantage of the opportunity to walk around with the outside world. Although Peking is not small, it still can't hold on to you, a talented person."

After saying that, he directly sent the letter to Cheng Nuo and turned around and left.

"Zhiyuan, you go back and think carefully. It's not too late to reply to me another day."

Cheng Nuo had no choice but to put away the letter and shouted to Li Laosan behind him: "Old Li, you ride a tricycle and send Mr. Cai back first. Here is close to home. I will walk back by myself later."

At this time, Cai Yuanpei in front suddenly turned half of his body and patted his head lightly.

"I'm really getting more forgetful as I get older. Zhiyuan almost forgot to tell you that the higher education department of Tsinghua University invited me to give a speech tomorrow. If you have nothing to do, would you please accompany me?"

Cheng Nuo nodded heavily and waved his hand: "Thank you Mr. Cai, I will definitely arrive early tomorrow."

Cai Yuanpei nodded and got on the tricycle and walked away slowly.

Cheng Nuo was still standing there, silently staring at their backs. The shadows grew longer and longer under the moonlight until they could no longer be seen.

(End of this chapter)
Chapter completed!