Chapter 356: When in doubt, quantum mechanics

August 12th, the heat in Rongcheng was intense. Rongcheng Tianfu Airport.

A young couple walked out of the arrival hall; the girl carried a cat bag in her arms with a light step, while the boy pushed two large suitcases.

"Xu Qingzhou, walk faster. Can you even keep up?"

"."

Xu Qingzhou's face darkened. He really wanted to say that he didn't know who was whimpering and begging for mercy last night.

Song Yao let out a soft huff. She suddenly understood why Xu Qingzhou was usually so cheeky—he just loved the feeling of her being unable to stand him yet having no way to deal with him.

"That familiar heatwave."

As Xu Qingzhou walked out of the airport lobby, he could feel the heat rushing toward him.

Song Yao, holding Er Miao in her arms, checked her phone and turned to say, "My dad said he'll be here in 10 minutes."

The old routine: on the first day they returned home, the two families would gather for a casual meal. Due to the nature of his work, Old Song was relatively free with his time; if asked, he was just "out in the field."

Xu Qingzhou nodded, squinting at the distant specks of greenery. When they left, the cold wind had been biting; now that they were back, the summer sun was blazing.

Their birthdays had passed in early July and early August, respectively, and both were now 20 years old.

Unlike the summer in the north, the heat in Rongcheng was like being locked inside a giant steamer—stifling and sweltering.

Song Yao took out her phone, first pulling Xu Qingzhou in to snap two photos together, then continuing to take beautiful pictures of herself alone.

Xu Qingzhou sat on a suitcase, watching the self-photographing School Beauty Song, feeling a moment of trance. That summer of their senior year... back then, she was still a cold and arrogant goddess; now, she was becoming increasingly down-to-earth.

Arrogant, cold, violent, a "ying-ying" crybaby...

Song Yao seemed to have collected them all.

After Song Yao posted to her Moments, she turned to see Xu Qingzhou staring at her like a fool. She walked over and ruffled his hair. "Teacher Xu, were you stunned by my beauty?"

Entering summer, Xu Qingzhou had cut his hair shorter, which resulted in Song Yao ruffling it whenever she had nothing to do.

Song Yao was as good-looking as ever, wearing a white T-shirt paired with a denim skirt. Even though the two were together often, he still felt a sense of awe.

She was indeed beautiful, but Xu Qingzhou had always liked to court death. He commented, "When you fake a smile, your eyes, nose, and mouth—how should I put it—your facial features have their own ideas."

*Pia~*

The person with the loose mouth received a "Palm of Buddha."

Just then, a black seven-seater car appeared in their line of sight.

A middle-aged man stepped out of the car.

"Dad~"

"Uncle Song~"

Song Shisong nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two young people. The sternness between his brows softened with a hint of a smile. "You didn't wait too long, did you? Traffic was jammed for a few minutes."

Song Shisong felt a wave of emotion; the more he looked at these two young people, the more suitable they seemed for each other.

When he drove up just now, he had seen from afar that his daughter was beating up Xu Qingzhou.

As a father, watching his family's cabbage being carried off by someone else, it would be a lie to say he had no resentment. Even if the pig carrying off the cabbage was excellent, he still felt a bit annoyed.

Seeing how the two interacted, he felt inexplicably relieved in his heart.

Both he and Zhang Junli were busy, and due to their work, they inevitably brought a serious atmosphere home, which had caused Song Yao's personality to be slightly cold.

Look at this; this was the personality a 20-year-old girl should have—lively, active...

Though, she did seem a bit too violent.

He nodded in appreciation. *Hmm, this kid is not bad; he knows how to tolerate a girl's little temper. *

"No, we just came out a moment ago," Xu Qingzhou said, already helping Song Shisong stuff the suitcases into the trunk.

The three of them got into the car.

Song Shisong started the car and smiled. "Little Xu, I heard from Song Yao that you've been working on physics experiments lately?"

"Yes, I hit some obstacles in math, so I decided to change direction." Xu Qingzhou sat in the passenger seat, while Song Yao sat in the second row. Er Miao had also been let out of the bag by Song Yao and was lying listlessly in her arms.

"Math, physics, and the like—we don't understand those. I think your research must be like us solving cases; sometimes the clues are broken, sometimes the evidence is insufficient... but these are all normal."

"Right, I'll put it aside for now to avoid getting stuck in a rut."

During this time, Xu Qingzhou spent most of his time collecting data and building models, occasionally researching the local smoothness problem that had him stuck.

The data for quantum entanglement had also been obtained smoothly.

On the second day after they met, he received a call from Professor Chang, asking him to go to the Quantum Institute to pick up the data.

By introducing parameters such as electromagnetic potential and wave function phase, and considering their interactions, he had now finalized the wave function phase change model.

The mathematical model for coherence in quantum entanglement was nearing completion.

Once both models were established, there was one very important step left: exploring the mechanism of how wave function coherence in the AB effect transfers into quantum entanglement.

This required considering the influence of electromagnetic potential on the wave function of entangled particles, how this influence leads to changes in the state of entangled particles, and analyzing the process and laws of coherence transfer in quantum entanglement and how it affects the coherence of entangled particles.

At 6:30 PM, the two families met in a private room at the hotel. The atmosphere was naturally good; the two pairs of parents were as familiar as could be, to the point where it wouldn't matter if Xu Qingzhou and Song Yao were there or not.

"Old Xu, I have a friend who set up a fishing pond. Want to go together when you have time?"

"Hehe, perfect, I just bought a new rod..."

Xu Shouyun and Song Shisong chatted from the development of the nation and society to street management, and finally to fishing, effectively becoming "prospective fishing buddies" on the foundation of being "prospective in-laws."

The topics between Wang Xiaping and Zhang Junli were even broader, ranging from policy issues to the trivialities of daily life.

Xu Qingzhou clicked his tongue, realizing that with the foresight of Old Xu and the others, they must have been in contact with Song Yao's parents quite often.

It wasn't until 9:00 PM that the family returned to Wutong Residential Complex.

The layout of the house hadn't changed much, though the trend of the bedroom evolving into a storage room was more obvious. On the bed was still that gaudy peony duvet cover, which made Xu Qingzhou's head ache.

After Xu Qingzhou put away his luggage, the family sat in the living room watching TV, while also holding a small meeting.

Wang Xiaping voiced her worries: "You're going to study abroad after finishing your master's degree this year. The matter between the two of you..."

Long-distance relationships were difficult, let alone international ones.

Xu Qingzhou picked up an apple, saw it was washed, took a bite, and said with a smile, "Song Yao and I have already discussed this. I'm going to MIT, and she's going to Harvard. The two schools aren't far apart; it's the kind of distance where we can see each other within half an hour."

"It seems you've both planned it out." Xu Shouyun nodded, feeling a bit emotional. Without realizing it, this kid was already considering problems thoroughly and with foresight.

"As long as you have a plan in your hearts, that's fine." Wang Xiaping was most worried about this. When the two families ate together, they had deliberately avoided this topic, just wanting to ask about the two children's plans in private.

"Regarding emotional issues, your mother and I were only worried about this. Now we're at ease. The second thing is about you two going abroad—do you have any intention of staying abroad permanently?"

Wang Xiaping also looked at Xu Qingzhou.

"No," Xu Qingzhou answered decisively.

"Exactly. You're a good Xia Nation citizen; why run abroad to settle down in a place where you're unfamiliar with the people and the land?"

Wang Xiaping nodded in agreement. Having watched this kid grow up, she knew this brat wouldn't like living in a place full of foreigners.

She continued, "Our Xia Nation's development is good now, too. If you go back twenty-some years, who could have imagined Rongcheng would be as prosperous as it is today?"

"That's true. Xia Nation's development over these years has attracted worldwide attention, and the environment is also improving. Returning is a very good choice."

Xu Shouyun nodded slightly. As parents, they certainly didn't want their son to go abroad and never return. If Xu Qingzhou was determined to go, they wouldn't support it, but they wouldn't oppose it either.

Children, after all, had their own paths to walk.

Xu Qingzhou bit into his apple, smiled, and said, "A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one's own dog kennel. No matter how good it is outside, where can it be as comfortable as one's own hometown?"

"When you and Song Yao finish your studies and come back, get married, and then have a child... A few days ago, I saw that kid from the Zhang family..." Wang Nushi began to imagine.

"Mom, stop for a second." Xu Qingzhou hurriedly interrupted, reminding her, "Song Yao and I aren't even married yet; how did we get to the child part?"

"I'm just planning ahead."

"You're planning way too far ahead. We're only 20."

"Look, you're both 20. In the blink of an eye, two years will pass, and in another blink, won't you be married?"

Xu Qingzhou curled his lips and said, "Even if we get married, why have a child? They aren't fun to play with."

"Are children born to be played with?" Wang Xiaping glared.

"."

Xu Qingzhou sighed, threw the apple core into the trash can, and didn't dwell on this issue. "These things are still early."

Wang Xiaping thought about it carefully. Although that was what she said, she felt it was indeed a bit too early to consider children.

"A while ago, you were working on that quantum thing. Is there any danger in it?"

She had searched and looked it up; that quantum whatever-it-is sounded extremely mysterious.

(In the classroom)

"That thing doesn't have radiation."

"I'm not talking about radiation, I mean... like explosions or black holes or something. In short, it's very scary..."

"..."

Wang Nushi must have been reading some pseudo-science again.

The next day was Saturday.

After finishing lunch, Old Xu picked up his fishing rod and went out, planning to cast a few lines to add a fish to the dinner table tonight.

Xu Qingzhou went to buy a new set of bed sheets, washed them in the morning, and hung them out to dry. After being exposed to the sun for a day, they would be dry by the evening.

After washing the sheets, Xu Qingzhou just lazed around at home.

Wang Xiaping had an appointment to play mahjong with old friends.

Outside the window, cicadas chirped softly, and sunlight fell onto the windowsill.

Xu Qingzhou lay on the sofa with his eyes narrowed, planning to take a nap before getting up to look at some materials.

Perhaps because it was the first day Xu Qingzhou was home, Wang Xiaping didn't forget there was still a son at home. Just as it turned 4 o'clock, Wang Nushi came back carrying groceries.

She was beaming with joy; it looked like she had won a huge sum of over 5 yuan today.

Xu Qingzhou leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching his mother happily take out things like pork ribs and shrimp.

"Don't just stand there, come over and peel the garlic."

"Oh, okay."

After peeling the garlic, Xu Qingzhou was shooed out of the kitchen. It was the afternoon, and the sun wasn't as scorching, so he simply went to the balcony to bask in it.

After lying on the rattan chair on the balcony for about ten minutes, he vaguely heard the sound of knocking on the door.

It was obviously Old Xu returning.

Just as Xu Qingzhou got up, he saw Wang Xiaping chattering away as she went to open the door, "Old Xu is back, and you didn't bring your keys again."

Xu Shouyun walked in with his fishing rod on his back and a plastic bucket in one hand.

Whoa~ quite a good harvest. Xu Qingzhou was a bit surprised; judging by the weight in the plastic bucket, it was a big fish.

Immediately after, he saw his dad bend down and pull a plastic bag out of the bucket. Inside were sliced fish fillets, and the plastic bag even had "XX Fish Shop" written on it.

He had overestimated Old Xu.

"..."

Seeing Xu Qingzhou's strange expression, Old Xu coughed dryly, feeling it necessary to clear his name, and said: "I did catch a few, but they were small fish, so I let them go."

Xu Qingzhou nodded, indicating he believed him—the final stubbornness of a "skunked" fishing master.

After dinner, he sat with Old Xu and the others to watch a rerun of *Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan*. How should he put it? This show was just like the short dramas that would develop in the coming years; it gave people a feeling of "It's trash, but I love it."

Of course, overall, this show was countless times better than those short dramas.

After watching two episodes of the TV series, Xu Qingzhou slipped back to his room to chat with Song Yao, asking if she wanted to go to the night market tomorrow night.

Song Yao: "Yes."

Song Yao: "We have guests at home tomorrow, I don't know when I'll be able to get out."

Xu Qingzhou: "Who?"

Song Yao: "My uncle's family. They settled in Shanghai and are out traveling for the summer vacation."

10 o'clock at night.

Xu Qingzhou took out the manuscript from the past few days, preparing to continue his struggle.

Currently, he was still looking for a tool that could link the AB effect with quantum entanglement.

The phase change of a wave function can be viewed as a form of quantum information transmission. When two or more particles interact and form an entangled state, their wave functions superimpose and produce non-local correlations.

In experiments on the AB effect, although the particles do not directly pass through the magnetic field, the influence of the electromagnetic potential on the wave function can still be transmitted to the particle system interacting with it, thereby forming an entangled state.

Xu Qingzhou was constructing the connection between these two things in his mind.

Regarding the wave function phase change, one can consider the wave function of a multi-particle system; that is to say, for each particle, its wave function can be expressed in complex form.

Xu Qingzhou picked up his pen and began writing rapidly.

【【\psi_i(x_i，t)=|\a_i(x_i，t)\right)】】

As for the entangled state, it is similarly necessary to tinker with a function. This function not only contains the product of each particle's wave function but may also contain interaction terms and interference terms between multiple particles.

Xu Qingzhou's brows were tightly locked. A moment later, he picked up his pen and wrote the five words "Non-classical effects" on the side of the manuscript.

That's right. Generally speaking, besides classical electromagnetic interactions, one must also consider the influence of non-classical effects on the wave function phase. These effects may include quantum tunneling, quantum interference, quantum entanglement, etc., which will lead to additional changes in the wave function phase.

"Hoo~"

Xu Qingzhou leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. In this case, he would have to introduce new physical phenomena and mathematical structures again.

It was getting more and more complicated; without realizing it, he had increased the intensity for himself again.

Knock~ knock~

Wang Xiaping came in with the new bed sheets, muttering, "Such good sheets, why do you have to change them to this kind of thin cloth? And it's ridiculously expensive."

"The material is good." Xu Qingzhou got up and said, "I'll change them myself."

"You go do your work."

Wang Xiaping waved her hand, helped Xu Qingzhou change the sheets and duvet cover in a few movements, glanced at the things on the table that looked like ghost talismans, and shook her head with a sigh.

"I think sooner or later, you'll end up like Old Sun's son—at such a young age, you'll have even less hair than a sixty or seventy-year-old man."

"Mom, I go exercise often now, running."

Xu Qingzhou said, flexing the muscles on his arm, "Look, it's very obvious now, right?"

"If it weren't for Xiao Yao, would you, always muddled and dazed, be able to go running?"

"..."

Xu Qingzhou fell silent.

(End of chapter)