In ancient times when resources were scarce, most books were in the hands of aristocratic families, especially rare and unique ancient books.
The establishment of the Reading Pavilion is tantamount to sharing these precious resources. When ordinary people and children from poor families also have the opportunity to read widely, the road to the imperial examination for children from aristocratic families will become even more difficult.
This move made many children of aristocratic families wary, but with the Queen's participation, these people did not dare to say anything.
In the past half month, the enthusiastic wave of book donations has made the Reading Pavilion the first topic of discussion among the literati in the capital on the streets and after dinner.
After the first phase of decoration was completed, Cheng Wanwan took a carriage to the Reading Pavilion.
The courtyard of the Reading Pavilion was originally a small house for people to live in. The main door and the side door were renovated and merged, making it spacious and grand. When you walk in, you will find a quiet small courtyard with many desks and chairs placed in the open air. This is a place for scholars to talk about books. Walking further inside, there is a quiet place similar to a library. Each room is equipped with more than ten desks. Each desk can accommodate four people. Calculating this, this reading pavilion can accommodate hundreds of people at the same time. .
The reading pavilion in Dahe Village costs ten cents a month. They have adjusted the price according to the prices in the capital. They charge thirty cents a month and three cents a time to enter. A conservative estimate is that if the number of members can reach 300, plus the rental of books, The monthly income is about thirty or forty taels of silver. This amount of money is only enough for the daily maintenance of the reading pavilion and hiring people. I am afraid that I will not be able to make back the rent in my lifetime. If there are new books on the market, I will not be able to purchase.
Moreover, although they are doing charity, they cannot allow themselves to remain in a state of loss.
Cheng Wanwan walked around the reading pavilion. The decoration was almost done. He was currently sorting out the book lists and placing them in categories. Some ancient books were copied by readers with outstanding calligraphy, so that each book could have at least Ten copies.
"The preparations for the reading pavilion are so smooth, all because of the second aunt." Cheng Zhao said, "According to the current progress, we will be able to open the door to welcome guests in about ten days."
"I can rest assured that you will do the work, but have you considered one thing?" Cheng Wanwan said slowly, "It cost one thousand taels of silver to rent this yard for three years. If we renew the lease, where will the money come from? And, if it is a literati More and more, the Reading Pavilion needs to be expanded, and money is needed. Furthermore, if there are any new books published by the Academy, the Reading Pavilion will also have to buy them. Money is needed in all aspects, but the Reading Pavilion is currently unable to make a profit..."
Shen Zheng sat on the edge with his chin in his hands, frowning: "This is indeed a problem..."
"Second Aunt, I have an idea." Cheng Zhao understood immediately, "Scholars who come to the Reading Pavilion to read and write may not bring enough pens, inks, paper and inkstones. So if we open a room in the Reading Pavilion to sell these, we can How about providing convenience for readers and, secondly, earning part of the revenue for Reading Pavilion?"
A smile of approval appeared on Cheng Wanwan's face, and Zhao'er thought of going together with her.
She reminded: "Be careful that the price of pens, inks, paper and inkstones cannot be higher than the market price, otherwise it is easy for someone to catch you and scold you for using the Reading Pavilion to make money."
Shen Zheng thought for a while and then said: "Some people don't want to go back after reading all day. They may be thirsty and hungry. You can set up a tea room in the backyard room and sell some boiled water, tea, snacks, fruits, etc., of course, refer to the market price."
Cheng Wanwan nodded frequently: "You two have both ideas, but you must pay attention and pay attention during the implementation process. After all, the Reading Pavilion is now being watched by everyone in the capital. The slightest mistake will be magnified. ...Zhaoer has to go to court every day, and Xiaozheng will soon have his own affairs to be busy with. Where are you going to find the storekeeper of the Reading Pavilion?"
"Second aunt is here too!"
A girl's voice suddenly came from the door. It was Situ Man who walked in with a few people.
The little girl came over with a smile on her face: "I just heard the second aunt talking about the shopkeeper of the Reading Pavilion. No, I brought the shopkeeper, accountant and clerk. Originally, my husband wanted to find it by himself. I saw that my husband was very busy every day. Zhan Di, so he took over the matter by force. This is shopkeeper Yu. He has opened a bookstore in Jizhou for more than 20 years and is very experienced. This is accountant Ke, who has also been an accountant for many years. These four I found these guys from our De'an Lane, they are all smart and capable."
The four shopkeepers hurriedly stepped forward to salute their boss and once again introduced themselves in detail.
This shopkeeper was recommended by Situ Man's maternal grandfather's family and had some relationship with the Situ family. The accountant was recruited. The four guys were neighbors of the Cheng family, so they selected some outstanding ones to come and help.
Cheng Wanwan asked a few questions, and several people were able to answer them, and her eyes were very clear. This niece-in-law has a very good eye for people.
She smiled and said: "Then everything about the reading pavilion will be left to the shopkeeper Yu. You can go down and do your work first."
Shopkeeper Yu nodded, and Shen Zheng took them to the back to sort out the books.
When no one else was around, the smile on Situ Man's face disappeared, and he sighed and said: "Second aunt, my father... is my father-in-law. He has been thinking about it since he went out to the street and heard that the queen empress had intervened in the Reading Pavilion. Come and be the leader of the Reading Pavilion... This Reading Pavilion is the hard work of my husband, how can I hand it over to a person who knows nothing... Second aunt, don't get me wrong, I'm not looking down on my father-in-law, it's just that I think it's better for a man who farms. It’s really inappropriate to be involved in the affairs of scholars.”
She married the Cheng family for more than half a month, and it took her three days to figure out the relationship between the Cheng family. The two old people were in charge of the farm. After she handed over the farm to the two old people, the two old people were busy with farming every day. Trouble with those moths... But it was precisely because the old lady and the old man had no time to stay at home that her parents-in-law became more active.
After all, the mother-in-law is a woman. No matter how much she calculates, she only has one-third of an acre of land in the inner house.
Her father-in-law, on the other hand, went for walks in the alleys all day long after eating. Because he was Tanhua Lang's biological father and the biological brother of Sui'an people, he was flattered by people in the alleys and even had the idea of managing the Reading Pavilion. Come... There are so many aristocratic families watching the Reading Pavilion, and the Situ family dare not rashly place people in for fear of ruining her husband's affairs. Why doesn't her father-in-law think about it for her husband?
"Xiaoman, there is no need for Second Aunt to worry about this matter." Cheng Zhao said, "The Reading Pavilion is so important, I will not let my father get involved. I am planning to have a chat with him after I have been busy for a while. chat."
Cheng Wanwan's hand touched the table.
She thought that Sister-in-law Cheng would be the first to make her nephew-in-law collapse, but she did not expect that it would be Boss Cheng. From this point of view, this little girl is also open-minded and does not care about Sister-in-law Cheng at all. Now she has also touched the bottom line, so she Come and ask for her help.
"Zhao'er, you are too serious. Your father, that bastard, can't give up just because of your few words." She said softly, "You are the heart of the old lady. If you suffer any trauma, your father will not die." We have to peel off our skin... To deal with the gangsters, we should use some means. For your Cheng family, the only thing you can try is the bitter meat trick."
If this trick works, maybe Brother Cheng will be sent back to Chengjia Village.
Cheng Zhao was reluctant, but Situ Man's eyes shone and he finally had a smile on his face: "Thank you for the advice, I know what to do."
