Chapter 124 - Zheng Zhenchuan's Springtime
Zheng Zhenchuan returned home.
He had lived in this old two-bedroom apartment for more than ten years.
It wasn't until his son entered high school that he finally carved out a proper study for himself.
And now, with housing allocation policies gradually being phased out, it seemed likely that this cramped apartment would be his home for the rest of his life.
His wife worked at the same institute.
Technically, the two of them qualified for a larger apartment.
But due to the tight housing situation, and because their son rarely came home, they had chosen not to compete for a new three-bedroom unit.
Instead, Zheng Zhenchuan had taken the high road, earning recognition from the institute, being placed in charge of the lithography project, and receiving his researcher title.
At this moment, Su Yuanshan's words kept echoing in his ears:
—"Accepting poverty doesn't mean seeking poverty.
Scientists shouldn't pursue luxury, but neither should they be trapped in hardship."
His wife was cooking dinner in the kitchen.
Lighting a cigarette, Zheng Zhenchuan turned on the color TV.
The news was airing.
"Up next, a piece of good news:
China's first step-and-repeat projection lithography machine has recently been successfully developed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Optical Instrument Research Institute and has passed expert evaluation."
As the smiling anchor delivered the news, images appeared showing Zheng Zhenchuan himself explaining the machine to Zhou Boguang and others.
In the footage, everyone looked spirited and full of smiles.
"It is reported that this lithography machine has reached international standards for its type and is expected to make a significant contribution to China's semiconductor industry in the near future."
The screen showed lasers being refracted several times before falling precisely onto a silicon wafer.
The programmed system initiated the exposure process.
"We look forward to the Optical Instrument Research Institute achieving even greater successes."
As the anchor's polished closing remarks ended, the next news story began.
At that moment, his wife called out from the kitchen,
"Impressive, Old Zheng!
Which story number was it?"
"Second," Zheng Zhenchuan answered, extinguishing his cigarette and turning down the TV volume.
He turned and saw his wife leaning casually against the kitchen doorway, carrying a bowl of noodles.
He smiled faintly,
"I heard it'll even be included in this year's government work report."
"That's really impressive," his wife said, who, being involved in optical instruments herself, understood the technical value of the achievement.
"Hehe, impressive?
It's just filling a gap," Zheng Zhenchuan said modestly, taking the bowl of noodles from her hands.
Both husband and wife were scientists.
Normally, they ate at the institute's cafeteria.
Neither of them was a skilled cook; at home, it was usually just a simple bowl of noodles.
As they slurped their noodles, the cordless phone rang.
Zheng Zhenchuan reached out to pick it up —
it was a cordless handset, a personal gift from Su Yuanshan, brought over from Xinghai.
On the other end came the excited voice of his son,
"Dad, I saw you on TV!"
"Heh, it's not the first time," Zheng Zhenchuan said, pressing the speaker button so the cordless handset became a small loudspeaker.
"Have you eaten?"
"Already.
Uh... you're eating noodles again?"
"Yup."
"You should tell Mom to learn more dishes.
She's a senior engineer, and all she can make is noodles? Shameful."
"Hey! Getting cheeky, aren't you?"
His wife, Wang Juan, playfully knocked the table with her chopsticks and shouted toward the phone,
"Coming home for New Year's break?"
"Nope.
I'll be going on a field trip with my professor.
Just calling today to congratulate Dad."
The laughter coming through the phone was full of youthful cheer.
Zheng Zhenchuan smiled and shook his head.
His son was great in every way — except he hadn't followed in his parents' footsteps.
Instead, he had chosen to study at the China University of Geosciences, majoring in geology.
He dreamed of revitalizing China's oil industry, and even as a senior, he was already running around all over the country.
"One last congratulations, Dad.
I'll hang up now."
"Wait," Zheng Zhenchuan said, putting down his chopsticks.
He glanced at his wife, hesitated for two seconds, then asked in a low voice,
"Xiaochuan, if I resign, would you support me?"
"Resign? Dad, you're not..." Zheng Xiaochuan was so shocked he nearly blurted out, "Are you crazy?"
"Wait — Dad, you're a senior researcher! At a university, you'd be a full professor!
At a company, you'd be a senior engineer! Why would you resign? To go sell watches in Fujian?"
Hearing his son's anxious voice, Zheng Zhenchuan looked again at his wife.
She too looked confused — and faintly angry.
"You know about Yuanchip, right?
Yuanchip is serious about lithography.
If the institute doesn't support collaboration with them, I'll just resign and go build a team myself."
Even though he was speaking to his son, Zheng Zhenchuan kept his gaze fixed on his wife.
"The benefits there are excellent — housing included.
Three-bedroom apartments.
There's even a retirement plan."
The phone went silent for a moment.
After a few seconds, his son replied,
"If it's purely about the benefits,
then joining Yuanchip is fine.
But...
you always told me: a scholar must have integrity."
"I did," Zheng Zhenchuan said.
"But I overlooked something:
besides integrity, a scholar must also have a sense of mission.
And I don't believe that joining Yuanchip would betray my integrity.
I never took bribes.
Never gave bribes.
Never formed cliques to oppress others.
Aside from being a bit stubborn,
I think my integrity is rock-solid."
After hearing that, his son stopped trying to persuade him.
He simply said,
"You're the Dad.
You decide,"
and hung up.
Zheng Zhenchuan looked at his wife with a wry smile,
"Our boy has grown up."
"He's grown wings, too.
And your backbone's gotten stiffer," Wang Juan said, glaring at him.
"You're planning something this big, and you didn't even mention it?"
"I only just started thinking about it...
It's not like I truly want to resign," Zheng Zhenchuan sighed.
"Juan'er, you don't know —
how hard it is to actually accomplish something."
Wang Juan asked seriously,
"And the benefits?
Are they really offering all that?"
"They are.
In fact, Yuanchip's official stance is that they don't encourage resignation.
They still want to maintain a good relationship with CAS.
That's why I'm the one who has to slam the table."
Zheng Zhenchuan lowered his head and resumed eating noodles.
Wang Juan raised an eyebrow.
"And did you slam it?"
With a mouthful of noodles, Zheng Zhenchuan nodded sheepishly.
Wang Juan stared at him for a long moment.
Finally, she sighed deeply.
"Old Zheng, have you thought this through?
By doing this, you're offending all the leadership.
Even if you get to lead this collaboration project,
what about afterward?
How will you survive in the Academy?"
Facing his wife's tough questions, Zheng Zhenchuan quickly finished his noodles, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his mouth.
His expression was full of carefree determination.
"As the leader of China's first lithography project —
if I don't stand tall, who will?"
Wang Juan stared at him fixedly.
At that moment, it felt like the twenty-year-old young man she had fallen in love with had suddenly reappeared — full of vigor and ambition.
"Good!
No matter what, I'll support you!"
She slapped the table hard, just like in their youth, back when both were idealistic scholars determined to serve their country.
After decades of struggle, they had earned some hollow reputation as "senior intellectuals," but still lived modest lives within small circles.
Now, seeing her husband entering a second springtime,
how could she not support him?
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