wavenovel Chapter 834: Yangtze River Scholar
Chapter 834: Yangtze River Scholar
Chen Zhe was in high spirits tonight. Holding his wine glass, he waved his hand and said, "It's alright. I'm happy today, and besides, I'm at home. If I drink too much, I can just sleep it off. At worst, I'll throw up a few times, and I'll be a perfectly healthy person again tomorrow."
When he was with his two classmates, Chen Zhe felt more comfortable speaking freely.
Seeing this, Huang Xiaochuan said to Zhang Gaolei with a mischievous look, "Old Chen is right. Since he wants to vomit, we must grant him that wish."
Zhang Gaolei nodded vigorously in agreement.
But Cheng Ling wouldn't have it. First, she felt sorry for the man, and second, he drank too much and vomited everywhere, so she would suffer along with him.
She gave Chen Zhe a sharp look: "Old Chen"
However, Chen Zhe didn't look at her and started drinking with the two of them. Yu Xiang, who was sitting next to her, gently tugged at her arm and said, "Auntie, it's okay. The three of them have known each other for more than ten years and it's always been like this. They won't let your Chen Zhe drink too much."
The simple phrase "his aunt" quickly brought Cheng Ling and Yu Xiang closer together. Indeed, Yu Xiang was Huang Ruidan's aunt, while Cheng Ling was Huang Ruidan's maternal aunt. The two families were indeed relatives.
There were only a few people in the restaurant, so everyone naturally heard what Yu Xiang said.
Taking the opportunity, Huang Xiaochuan teased Chen Zhe: "Hey, Uncle Dandan, we have to have a drink together. I'm Dandan's uncle, you know!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhe smiled, picked up his glass, and clinked it against Huang Xiaochuan's: "Here, for his uncle."
"Hahaha," they all laughed.
After a few drinks, the three women started talking about parenting. Cheng Ling was trying to conceive, while Yu Xiang and Han Nuo had both given birth and had experience in this area. Moreover, Yu Xiang had previously worked as a gynecologist.
Taking the opportunity, Zhang Gaolei said to Chen Zhe, "Old Chen, that's right. If you can have children, hurry up and do it while you're still young."
"Hey, hey, hey, how can you talk like that? What do you mean by 'while you're still young'? Where is Old Chen old?" Huang Xiaochuan immediately interrupted Zhang Gaolei.
Zhang Gaolei quickly pretended to slap his own face: "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue, Old Chen isn't old at all."
Chen Zhe, being a straightforward person, quickly said, "Old Zhang is right, I am indeed not young anymore." After saying that, he didn't forget to look at Cheng Ling, who was chatting enthusiastically with Yu Xiang and Han Nuo, and didn't pay attention to what the three of them were saying at all.
Huang Xiaochuan took the wine bottle, glanced at Chen Zhe's glass, and then poured wine for Zhang Gaolei and himself, asking as he poured, "Old Chen, did you get that Yangtze River Scholar award?"
When his friend asked about it, Chen Zhe smiled and nodded, indicating that he had already been selected.
The Yangtze River Scholars Program, more accurately called the "Yangtze River Scholars Award Program," is a national high-level talent program established by the Ministry of Education in 1998.
The main purpose is to provide qualified young scholars with generous salaries and comprehensive research support, attract and select top academic leaders from home and abroad to work in Chinese universities, drive the development of various disciplines in the country, and enhance the academic status and competitiveness of Chinese universities in the world.
Therefore, the Yangtze River Scholar title is quite prestigious. Even Huang Xiaochuan failed to be selected as a Yangtze River Scholar because he had already resigned from his teaching position at the University of Finance and Economics when he received the Clark Medal, thus missing out on the opportunity. Otherwise, given his influence in the domestic and international economics community, he would definitely have been a Yangtze River Scholar.
Chen Zhe has not only been selected as a Yangtze River Scholar, but he had also been selected as a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars before that. This award is highly prestigious and is considered a gold standard for measuring the academic level of young and middle-aged scholars in China. Once selected, one can receive funding from this science fund and become a member of the first tier of talents in China's academic community.
Huang Xiaochuan does have this title, but he did not accept the funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China after he was awarded it. He didn't need the money at the time and thought it would be better to leave it for those who needed it more. In recent years, he has been donating a considerable amount of money to several domestic science foundations through the foundations he controls, including the Yangtze River Scholars Program and the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars.
However, he absolutely did not pull strings with the relevant departments when Chen Zhe was selected as a Yangtze River Scholar; Chen Zhe was selected entirely based on his own merit.
It has to be said that with his substantial financial resources and academic abilities, Huang Xiaochuan has become a big name in the domestic academic community, though he himself may not be fully aware of it. However, many young scholars in the academic community want to get to know him, for a simple reason: they hope to gain his favor or recommendation in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort. After all, if there is a shortcut, why bother squeezing through a narrow bridge?
To give an example, if Huang Xiaochuan is willing to write a letter of recommendation for someone, he will basically receive preferential treatment in the selection of any scientific grant. This is real hard power, whether it is wealth or academic achievements.
On another note, both the "Outstanding Young Scientists" and the "Changjiang Scholars" have age requirements; they must be young or middle-aged scholars. The purpose is to vigorously support young and middle-aged scholars in my country. So, based on this point alone, Chen Zhe is not considered old. If he were over 38, he would not be eligible to participate in the selection.
Upon learning that Chen Zhe had been selected as a "Changjiang Scholar," Zhang Gaolei's eyes widened immediately: "Old Chen, this is wrong of you! If Xiao Chuan hadn't asked you, how long were you planning to keep it from us?"
Before Chen Zhe could reply, he picked up his wine glass again: "No matter what, this is a joyous occasion, we should raise a glass in celebration." With that, he tilted his head back and drank the entire glass of wine.
Huang Xiaochuan picked up his wine glass and laughed, "Damn it, you're making him drink so much. Just don't let your Han Nuo help you up later."
Zhang Gaolei was very confident in his alcohol tolerance: "How could that be!"
However, Huang Xiaochuan also drank a glass of wine, and Chen Zhe followed suit and finished his glass of wine as well.
When Huang Xiaochuan poured the wine again, he specifically asked him, "Old Chen, is it alright?"
It seemed that Chen Zhe was already feeling the effects of the alcohol. His face was flushed as he said, "How can a man say he can't? You were the one who told us that when we were in school." The implication was clear: fill the glass. Seeing that Chen Zhe seemed to be doing alright, Huang Xiaochuan filled the glass in front of him as well.
Before long, the three women finished eating and went to chat in another place. As the saying goes, three women are like a flock of ducks, and that's absolutely true. These three women may not see each other often, but once they get together, they can talk a lot!
Cheng Ling only truly entered this circle after marrying Chen Zhe. Later, through Chen Zhe's explanation, she realized what kind of amazing man she had found.
Look at the kind of people he associates with. Just look at what happened on his wedding day. The people who came were people you would only see in the news or in newspapers and magazines. But on that day, they all spoke kindly to her and Chen Zhe and said many words of blessing, which made her family feel proud.
It is precisely because of her identity as Chen Zhe's wife that her life has undergone a complete change. She is also called "teacher's wife" by Chen Zhe's students. Cheng Ling is still trying to adapt to her current role.