However, before Zhao Ping could speak, Xu Tianhua slapped his thigh and shouted.
"Sir, that's very good."
"Our Majesty is just too stingy. He is a seventh-grade county magistrate, but his salary is only a few dozen taels of silver."
“It’s not enough to go to Yipinxiang and have a meal.”
"Not to mention the food and clothing for the wives, concubines, servants and others at home."
"If I had not been greedy for money and plundered some money and food from the people, I would have starved to death long ago."
"This is just a small county magistrate, and the mansion is not big."
"Where is the county governor? Where is the state pastor?"
"In such a big mansion, the number of servants and servants alone is a very huge one. How can we maintain our lives if we are not greedy for money and money?"
"There are officials above waiting for your filial piety, and there are subordinates below waiting for your feedback."
"If you are not greedy for money, how can you maintain a relationship?"
"Master Zhou Mu also said that if salaries are increased, taxes will be increased. The people will definitely not be able to bear it. Sir, how should we solve this?"
Although Peng Yue said nothing, he nodded with deep understanding in his heart.
Indeed.
If I were not greedy for money and accepted some filial gifts, how could I support the large family in the Sheriff's Mansion?
How can one's own children be qualified to enter the academy?
They are all "forced" to be greedy for ink.
"Don't worry, follow me to Xiping Village first and feel the customs here."
Zhao Ping said with a smile.
In the past, Zhao Ping only wanted to use Xiping Village as a pilot project to develop a previous production and operation model.
Later he discovered that Xiping Village was too poor.
Even if he raises everyone's wages, even takes care of food and arranges housing, the time is too short and they still have little purchasing power.
If nothing else, let’s talk about soap.
For two cents a piece, I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible to sell it in Xiping Village.
Everyone managed to earn ten or eight cents, and they saved it for emergencies, and did not dare to buy wantonly.
And what about acacia wine?
After being brought to the capital by Xu Tianhua, it was sold for a high price of twenty-five thousand taels of silver.
It can only be said that the money in the Dawei Dynasty is too polarizing.
The rich are too rich to bleed oil, while the poor are too poor to lift the pot.
The only way to change this situation is to take money out of the pockets of the rich and spread the money evenly.
This requires new products like acacia wine, soap, and frosting sugar.
The other is to increase people's income.
Raise the wages.
Slowly reduce the gap between the two.
So we still have to earn money from the rich first.
Where are the most wealthy people?
Of course it’s the capital.
However, bandits are rampant in Yuzhou now, and it is a bit difficult to transport things to the capital.
Let’s start from Zhoucheng.
Although Qingzhou is a remote place, there are also some wealthy people.
Besides, the place is not small, so it is just suitable for a pilot project.
Moreover, Chen Xinghe, the state pastor, is a good official who loves the people like his own son. To deceive him, bah, is just persuasion.
There should be some certainty that Chen Xinghe will follow the route he set.
At this point, Zhao Ping had already begun to make plans when he received Xu Tianhua's message.
I finally got him here today.
Although you will punish yourself as soon as you meet.
But Chen Xinghe is also safeguarding the interests of other cloth villages, which is a manifestation of his love for the people.
It was a small episode that Zhao Ping didn't mind.
Taking him around Xiping Village now is the second step. I think Chen Xinghe will have his own insights.
"Lord Zhou Mu, I have a lot of confidential things here, and it's not convenient for me to reveal them to you."
When getting up, Zhao Ping looked at the guards who left with Chen Xinghe and said again: "So..."
The words were not finished, but the meaning was already very obvious.
"Just stay here and guard."
Chen Xinghe said.
"Lord Zhou Mu, it's not safe here..."
Before the guard could finish speaking, Chen Xinghe glared and said, "This is Xiping Village. With Mr. Zhao here, there won't be any safety issues."
"Everyone, please step aside. Don't delay our discussion."
The guards thought the same thing. The guards in Xiping Village were even stricter than the guards in their state capital.
Moreover, if Zhao Ping wanted to harm Mr. Zhou Mu and ignored several officials in Qingzhou when they rebelled, Mr. Zhou Mu would not end well.
They retreated, and Zhao Ping took Chen Xinghe, Peng Yue, and Xu Tianhua to the factory area.
Li Hu followed and was responsible for their safety.
Yun Man and Liu Muyun went to patrol around to prevent someone from breaking in and disturbing Mr. Zhou Mu.
Zhao Ping's home is at the east end of Xiping Village, and the factory is at the west end.
Along the way are villagers' houses.
Most of them are thatched houses, the kind with ventilation everywhere.
There are even some that are in disrepair and are dilapidated and may collapse at any time.
Chen Xinghe sighed when he saw it.
I couldn't help but ask: "Sir, you must have made a lot of money selling acacia wine, right?"
"Why not help the villagers in Xiping Village renovate their houses?"
"Let them live in this place. What if there is a strong wind and rain and the house collapses and people are trapped inside?"
"Are they all alive?"
"Help them?"
Zhao Ping said indifferently: "Why?"
"The money I earn is based on my own abilities, so what does it have to do with them? Why should I help them?"
This kind of white lotus thinking is definitely not advisable.
Even if there is a sign, it must be stamped out.
In this way, Zhao Ping dared to lead Chen Xinghe to do a great undertaking with peace of mind.
Otherwise, once Qingzhou becomes rich, the surrounding wolves, tigers and leopards will pretend to be pitiful and beg from Chen Xinghe.
Chen Xinghe's ears softened. It wouldn't be good if he gave away all his family wealth to others.
"Aren't they your fellow countrymen?"
Chen Xinghe asked.
"yes."
Zhao Ping nodded, "Do I have to support them because they are from the same hometown?"
"They have hands and feet, don't they know how to work?"
“As the saying goes, it’s better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish.”
"I renovated his house today. If there is a problem with the house tomorrow, do I still need to help him renovate it?"
"this……"
Chen Xinghe couldn't answer.
Peng Yue, on the other hand, couldn't help but ask: "Sir, who is the master who said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish?"
"aweason."
"It is better to teach others to fish than to give them fish. This is the long-term solution."
"forgotten."
Zhao Ping shook his head, "When my parents were doing business, they would always bring me some letters. I would simply read through them and not remember who wrote them."
"It's me, Meng Lang."
Chen Xinghe also came to his senses and revealed the matter with a wry smile.
But I kept those words in my heart.
Giving money and food to the people is not as safe as letting them earn their own money.
Just how to make money?
Workmanship?
But he is the emperor's uncle, how can he do business?
It seems that we still need to rely on Zhao Ping. He is a businessman. If he opens a factory near the state capital, he can solve the food and clothing problems of many people.
Let’s visit Xiping Village first, and we’ll talk about this in detail later.
Chen Xinghe stopped talking and continued shopping with Zhao Ping.
The first thing I saw was the school.
Only a row of houses has been built there, and now a yard is being built.
From a long distance, you can hear the sound of Lang Lang reading from inside.
The voice is childish, like a baby's.
As if they were worried about disturbing the scholars inside, the construction workers moved very lightly.
Even making eye contact with each other.
But everyone had a happy smile on their face.
Even though I was tired and sweating profusely.
"What is this built for?"
Chen Xinghe asked, "Is this your new home?"
"But it doesn't feel like it. There is the sound of reading coming from inside. It should be the academy."
"This is not an academy."
Zhao Ping explained: "It's Xiping Village School."
"Specially recruit children between the ages of six and sixteen to teach them how to read and write."
"oh?"
Chen Xinghe said unexpectedly: "Isn't that still an academy?"
"Are all the people in Xiping Village so rich? They have been reading and writing since they were children?"
"School is free."
Zhao Ping smiled bitterly, "And the content we teach is different from ordinary academies. Mr. Zhou Mu, why don't you go to the school first and have a look?"
"good."
Chen Xinghe's curiosity was also aroused.
Are the teachings different from those in the academy?
What to teach?
The key is not charging, how can anything be so cheap in the world?
Even Peng Yue thought it was impossible.
At that moment, the five people changed their route and went to school.
When the workers saw Zhao Ping, they nodded and continued their work.
There are five schools, each with about eighty people.
There were no benches, so everyone sat on the floor.
In front of him is a long board supported by two wooden piers, which serves as a desk.
Three people sit at a desk.
Everyone has a pen and paper in front of them, and ink next to them.
At the front is the podium.
Just a table where you can put paper, inkstones, pens and ink.
There is a raised area on the wall painted with black paint, which serves as a blackboard.
There are some words and symbols written on it that Chen Xinghe and others do not recognize, which are the Xiping Village numbers that Zhao Ping "plagiarized".
The students are indeed, as Zhao Ping said, most of them are children between the ages of five and sixteen.
After visiting two classrooms, I didn't see the teacher, but the students were studying seriously and were not affected by a few people.
It wasn't until the third classroom that I met Mr. Li Mubai.
He is writing some simple calculations on the blackboard.
The students watched, wrote, and memorized it carefully.
"What symbol is this? Why have I never seen it before?"
Chen Xinghe asked curiously.
"Xiping Village Numbers."
Zhao Ping explained: "A unique arithmetic symbol in our Xiping Village can quickly calculate results through addition, subtraction, multiplication and division."
"So magical?"
Chen Xinghe didn't quite believe it, "I will tell you a few numbers, and you ask them to calculate them."
"They're just learning, maybe not."
Zhao Ping said: "But I can."
"Master Zhou Mu, please give me a question."
