Chapter 125: Difficulties in Starting a Business (Second update, please subscribe)

Opportunities are for those who are prepared.

For Li Weimin, who was unwilling to be a worker, when he saw the announcement for recruiting teachers, he took the initiative to step forward. He did not have the title of juren like Tang Ming, nor had he passed the imperial examination like the others.

But he knows English!

As a Ningbo native, after Ningbo was opened as a port, he took the initiative to learn English from an interpreter from Guangdong. Later, he learned English from missionaries. English became his means of livelihood.

This was the case in Ningbo, but in Nanhua... he saw it as an opportunity for advancement!

Just as he had guessed, after learning that he could speak English, he was immediately asked to teach English to the advanced class.

In the past few months, he has been teaching students English while writing teaching materials based on his memory. Even though it is just simple English conversations, the others... they don't know any of it!

With this advantage, he does have the opportunity to show up in front of his club, like now.

"Have you ever studied English?"

Zhu Xianhai speaks English.

"Yes, I used to be an interpreter for a foreign company in Ningbo."

That means he has been a translator...what a talent!

It doesn’t matter whether he understands engineering and mechanics or not. What’s important is that he can train a group of students who are proficient in foreign languages. This is the most important thing.

Zhu Xianhai asked after having a brief conversation with him in English.

"I worked as a translator... Yeah, not bad."

Looking through the glass window at the children in the classroom ranging in age from six or seven to eleven or twelve, Zhu Xianhai asked.

"I plan to send a group of people to study abroad. They are probably a little older and have basically studied at home, or at least in private schools. In your opinion, how long do they need to learn a foreign language before they can adapt to life in a foreign country?"

Li Weimin was a little confused. Although he didn't know what studying abroad was, he still vaguely guessed what his employer meant.

"Are we going to send the students to study in the West?"

Study abroad? That's probably what it means.

"Yes, that is, to study abroad in schools in the UK or the US."

Zhu Xianhai nodded.

"Let them learn modern Western science there."

Is it realistic to send teenagers who have received traditional education to study abroad without going through primary and secondary education?

Chinese children studying in the United States are the answer!

It took Zhan Tianyou and others eight years to graduate from Yale, and many of them didn't even know English.

Eight years...

This is the shortest time to train talents!

Is there a faster way?

Zhu Xianhai didn’t know.

But now in Nanhua, there is not a single Chinese engineer or expert.

Among the 60,000 people, apart from a few scholars who did not understand science and had only read the Four Books and Five Classics, half of them only received some literacy education in the education camp - they could write a few hundred words and do simple addition and subtraction. What about the other half? Illiterate!

Can Zhu Xianhai realize his ambition relying solely on them?

Of course not!

These people may be able to become factory workers through training, but Nanhua needs not only such workers, it needs engineers, mechanical experts, modern education experts, and experts and scholars from all walks of life. Only in this way can Nanhua embark on the road to rise.

Therefore, even if it means forcing things to happen, there are some things he has to do!

"this……"

After thinking about it, Li Weimin said.

"To answer your question, I have never been to England, so I cannot explain it clearly. However, if you teach me this, they will be able to have a conversation with foreigners in just half a year, and they should have no problem living there!"

Zhu Xianhai nodded. That was about right. He would spend another half a year strengthening his math studies until he was at the elementary school level. When he arrived abroad, he could start from the upper grades of elementary school.

In fact, Zhu Xianhai's requirements are not high. He would be satisfied if the first batch of international students could produce a group of talents like the Chinese students studying in the United States.

Talent cultivation is a continuous and gradual process. All things are difficult at the beginning. Only after making this start can we plan for the future.

"Well, I'll have someone find a suitable place next to the school and set up a preparatory school there, but you have to take care of this side as well, and also see if you can train some teachers!"

After saying that, Zhu Xianhai looked at Li Weimin and smiled.

"Weizhi, as long as you do this well, my door will always be open to you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Weimin bowed hurriedly.

"I will definitely live up to the expectations of my boss!"

After discussing English learning techniques with Li Weimin for half a day, Zhu Xianhai left the school. When he left the school, there was still a hint of relief on his face.

This seemingly makeshift school has more than 4,000 students! They are of different ages, but they are the first generation of primary school students in Nanhua. Maybe the textbooks they use are not scientific, and even the teachers are not professional - mathematics is okay. But the teachers of geography and natural history basically read from the textbook.

But at least it's a good start!

It is always education that determines the future of a nation!

If we want to develop modern education right now... we can only ask for help from others!

Running an education requires help from others, and running a factory requires help from others even more. Like all Nanhua factories, the arsenal, as a key project, has more than 20 skilled workers hired from New York and other places, in addition to 12 American engineers who assist in installing equipment, training workers and guiding production. It is precisely because of them that the arsenal was able to produce a variety of weapons, including the P1853 Enfield rifle, in a short period of time, realizing Nanhua's self-production of weapons.

However, it was Chinese craftsmen who eventually produced these weapons. Li Qingen was also a worker in the arsenal. Compared with most immigrants, he was undoubtedly lucky. He and his wife and children survived the knife of the Taiping rebels, although they were "sold" overseas. But at least they could live a peaceful life here.

It was not like in my hometown of Jinhua, where there was chaos and war, and I was always worried about being killed by the Taiping rebels or being taken advantage of by the government soldiers.

However, although the peaceful days were good, Li Qingen, as a scholar, was not content to be an ordinary craftsman. Unlike many scholars, more than ten years ago, he had gained some understanding of the West by borrowing books such as "Haiguo Tuzhi" from his friends.

In the third year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, when he heard that there was a Western concession in Shanghai, Li Qingen also went to the Shanghai Concession, where he saw large Western sailing ships and steam engines. He even spent money to buy a few Western books. Although he did not understand them, he was curious about machinery.

Half a year ago, when he entered the arsenal to learn how to operate machine tools, he was amazed at the magic of the machine tools that could "cut iron like mud". He was already curious about Western machines and immediately immersed himself in these amazing machines. In addition to normal machine tool operation training, Li Qingen also learned about the machines through various channels. He even took the initiative to learn English from Western engineers and technicians, and learned the principles and structures of various cutting machine tools to steam engines by studying wall charts.

It seems that for Li Qingen, nothing is more important than studying. He works in a factory during the day. At night, he would use the oil lamp and guess the mechanical principles in the book with the help of the English he had just learned. Sometimes he would even draw some drawings.

At night, once again, as usual, Li Liu woke up from her dream and opened her eyes to see her husband lying on the table, drawing something with a pencil under the oil lamp.

"It's so late, why haven't you slept yet? You have to go to work tomorrow!"

Li Liu worked in a garment factory. After a busy day, she was extremely tired.

"Just sleep, just sleep..."

Li Qingen stretched and said.

"If this works, not only can we live in a big house, but I can also become a technician and earn thirty dollars a month!"

The man's words made the woman laugh.

"Just dream your dreams and go to sleep quickly. You have to go to work tomorrow."

The woman's laughter made Li Qingen smile.

"What does a woman know? You'll know when you get back."

Today I will update four more chapters. Please vote for me and subscribe! I have created a book club: 335260551. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.

(End of this chapter)