Lin Shengyuan walked out of the room, looked at the rising sun in the sky, and stretched. I saw my daughter Lin Xi tidying up and feeding the cat she just raised the day before yesterday. Pinch a little egg yolk carefully.
After watching for a while, Lin Shengyuan said: "It's still early, you are dressed neatly, what are you going to do?"
Lin Xi said: "The yamen changed a few days ago, and they said that we, the magic officers, should be given a house to live in. Li Tang and Li Di, both of them were assigned houses. Because I am a woman, I don't have a house. Every day Two extra bucks per month."
Lin Shengyuan said: "It's a good thing to pay two more yuan! We can rent this yard and live in it ourselves, so as not to have any inconvenience when strangers come."
Lin Xi pouted: "How much money does it cost? You can't rent a place like this! I've seen the houses, they are all new houses. Each house has two floors, six rooms, and a yard! Like We have a small population and it feels empty even where we live!”
Seeing that his daughter was unhappy, Lin Shengyuan hurriedly said: "I will be a businessman in the future. How can I live in those places? When I make money, I will buy a house and live there happily! Let me tell you, now the cotton Expensive--"
"Is it rare?" Lin Xi didn't even look back. "No matter how expensive cotton is, how much money can you make! Besides, when you do business with Northland merchants, you still use Huang Yuan's capital. Wouldn't others gossip? In a few years, many families have been ruined, and everyone hates money. Where are the people!”
After hearing this, Lin Shengyuan was speechless for a while. He muttered: "I don't do business with the Jin people, the ones who do business are the Han people. The government has set up a shop in Xiangcheng, and we common people do business normally."
"Hmph!" Lin Xi was too lazy to say any more, stood up and walked out of the door, heading west of the city.
In the weather in June, not long after the sun rose, it was like a fireball, so hot that the earth almost cracked. There were only twos and threes of people on the street, some with their heads wrapped in handkerchiefs and walking in a hurry.
When we arrived in the west of the city, there was a big house not far from the Yamen. Many people were already standing outside the door. Lin Xi searched for a while and found Li Tang and Li Di. She hurried over and greeted them.
Li Di covered his head and said: "It's such a hot day! I know it's hot, but if I choose this time to observe, I'll still die from the sun!"
Li Tang said: "In the peaceful years, all the yamen had already gone on holiday at this time and everyone went to escape the summer heat. But this year is different. We still have to work in such weather. Alas, life is really hard!"
People around were chirping and complaining about the hot weather. Xiangyang is by the Han River. The sun is blazing above our heads and the steam is steaming under our feet. It is really uncomfortable. Many of the shops on the street are closed during the day.
After not long waiting, officials came to let everyone in. Following the officials, everyone entered the courtyard gate.
There is a large courtyard as you enter. To the east, a pergola was set up, and a large bench was placed under the pergola. There were several small tables next to them, with wooden barrels placed on them. I didn’t know what was in them.
Everyone entered the shed, and an official said loudly: "Everyone find a seat and sit down. There is a fan on the table next to you, and there is mung bean soup in the barrel. If you need it, go and get it. Don't be too hot. The same goes for observation. It's like this The weather does the talking.”
Everyone was laughing and joking, went to the side to get a fan, held it in their hands and fanned furiously. Some drank mung bean soup, and soon their foreheads were covered with sweat, and their bodies felt much cooler. There was no sunlight under the tent, and it wasn't as hot as it was just now.
After being busy for a while, everyone settled down in their seats. There were officials standing nearby to maintain order at the scene.
Lin Xi shook her head with a fan and asked Li Tang in a low voice: "Why are there so many people today?"
Li Tang said: "I heard that many people not only from Xiangyang City, but also from Xinye have moved here. Not only our calligraphers and painters, but also those in music, astronomy and calculations, and all kinds of people working in various fields."
Lin Xi couldn't help but frown after hearing this: "With so many people gathering together, what are they going to do? It's a mess, which makes it difficult to do things."
Li Tang shook his head: "In this world, there are many things that I have never seen before, and I can't say for sure."
Everyone was chatting and waiting for Wang Xiaolie to arrive.
Not long after, Wang Xiaolie and Chen Yuyi came from behind. When he arrived in front of everyone, he wiped the sweat from his head and whispered to Chen Yuyi: "Such a hot weather is really not suitable for doing things. Let's just talk about it today. Do you have a few days off these days?"
Chen Yuyi said: "It's not very hot in their yamen. In these extraordinary times, there is still no holiday."
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "That's fine. It's really too hot in summer. Let's think of ways to cool it down in the yamen."
Take a seat behind the desk in front. Wang Xiaolie said loudly: "Everyone, be quiet! I invite you here today because a new research institute has been built in the city. What you do is different from before. This house is where you will work from now on. It is not far from here. , is a newly built residence, and most people have already moved in. During the war, everything was difficult, so please forgive me if you are dissatisfied."
The people below thanked him loudly. Whether it’s work or life, when did you have the conditions you have now? No one is dissatisfied.
Wang Xiaolie said: "In addition to the astronomy, calendar, calligraphy, painting, music, doctors, etc. that the imperial court had in the past, those who work and live here include those who work on machinery, those who study farming, and those who study various medicines. There are many categories. We are different from other places. The government funds research on anything that is related to the people and can help people. I don’t know what the appropriate name is for a place like this, so let’s call it a research institute.”
This is an unprecedented institution. Once the situation stabilized and he had money, Wang Xiaolie immediately built this place. Various researchers scattered in the city, as well as some research institutions in Xinye, all moved in. Each office has its own office, and its residence is not far away. As long as you work here, you will be provided with a house to live in for free. What bothered Lin Xi these two days was that because she was a woman, she didn't have her own place to live.
Wang Xiaolie said: "There are many people here, so I won't go into details about what you are doing. I will just say a few nonsense words."
Li Di listened and whispered: "It's interesting to observe. Where have you ever heard that what you said is nonsense?"
Li Tang said: "This is self-effacing. Do you really think that what Observation talks about is nonsense? Don't talk too much and just listen to what Observation says!"
Wang Xiaolie said: "Although you are all good at what you do, some of the general principles are similar. The weather is really too hot, so I won't waste your time. Let's keep it simple. The name here is the Research Institute, and you are People study knowledge here. Worldly knowledge includes not only Confucian classics and miscellany of hundreds of schools of thought, but also exists in every walk of life. In the past, the imperial court did not pay attention to these. It was all private masters who led their apprentices and were passed down from generation to generation. In the future, the yamen will come up with it Come with the money, let you live here to study and do your best!"
At this point, Wang Xiaolie felt his mouth was dry, so he picked up the cup and drank some water. Said: "To do knowledge, you must have the attitude of doing knowledge. First, you must be down-to-earth, what is what it is, and don't talk about it. Confucius said, knowing something is knowing it, and not knowing it is not knowing. People who do knowledge must take this into consideration Keep this sentence in mind, this is the basic work style. Also, there are thousands of things in the world and countless truths. Who can understand everything? So you must be modest and cautious. This is to do The basic attitude of knowledge. Since we are studying knowledge, we must use our brains and dare to think. There are no rules and regulations. This is not allowed, and that is not allowed. As long as it makes sense, we must dare to think and do. In learning , don’t look forward or backward, don’t be afraid of this or that.”
This was something that no one had heard of before, and there was a lot of discussion below.
Wang Xiaolie stopped, took a few sips of water, and let everyone discuss it for a while. Cai Dao: "In short, when you study knowledge here, you must have a down-to-earth work style, a humble and prudent work attitude, and the drive to dare to think and do. As long as there are results, the Yamen will not be stingy with rewards! Suggestion! This research institute will try its best to solve your life problems, which is what the yamen can do for you. Solving various problems in production is what you should do. I hope everyone will work hard and not let it down."
