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For most people, a bank accountant quitting her job and getting married, or a group of female workers learning to read and write, were trivial matters not worth mentioning. What really attracted attention was the opening of the school, which had been planned for a long time.

The entire courtyard was divided into three lecture halls, five dormitories, and a dining hall, a training ground, and a study area, resembling a small academy. All students, except for the children of martyrs who were exempt from tuition, had to pay a certain amount of silver. It wasn't much, of course, and most people under the Red Flag Gang could afford it, not to mention that the academy provided meals.

Standing in the lecture hall, Wang Xiucai looked at the neatly packed children below, feeling a mixture of emotions. He had indeed given his all during the exam and successfully secured a lecturer position, but the final result was not as good as he had imagined. Only six people remained, four of whom could only teach elementary school, while two could teach the "fast-track class."

This was a separate class within the Red Banner School. If a child was exceptionally bright and learned faster than others, they would be admitted to the fast-track class, where they would be taught by these two. Their salaries, allowances, and benefits were all different from those of ordinary lecturers—truly enviable!

This discriminatory treatment left some people feeling resentful, but after seeing the two men's essays, everyone shut up. They had all taken the imperial examinations, so everyone could tell the difference between good and bad essays. To be able to write with such coherent and logical clarity under the rigors of a sudden and demanding exam was truly rare. If you're not as skilled as others, you can only be outshined.

Fortunately, the positions in this school are not static. If you are a good teacher and have talent, you can be transferred to the fast class later. Thinking of this, Wang Xiucai couldn't help but straighten his chest and said loudly: "In the next two years, you must learn to read and write, and be able to recognize words and punctuate sentences. You must study hard and don't slack off!"

As he spoke, his eyes couldn't help but glance at the five or six girls sitting on his left. The oldest was already twelve years old, and the youngest was just entering school. Sigh, why were there so many girls in his class? Wouldn't that hinder his academic performance?

However, he really didn't dare complain to the headmaster. After all, the Red Flag Gang was led by women, and who knew what Mr. Tian's relationship was with the gang leader? If someone played tricks on him and made a note of it, that would be unacceptable.

Throwing all distracting thoughts out of his mind, Mr. Wang said loudly, "Let's learn the Three Character Classic first today. Recite it with me!"

Lesson had barely been underway for half an hour when the bell rang outside, signaling the end of class. Mr. Wang, somewhat displeased, twirled his sleeves and announced the end of class. A flock of children scattered like birds, some to the toilet, some to the cafeteria for water, and some even to the playground to play.

Wang Xiucai was of course unhappy with the children's noise, but they were all from fishing families, so what could he expect? Fortunately, the break was short, only half a quarter of an hour, and then the bell rang again for class.

As a result, he taught two classes in the morning, one reading and one writing, and then the accounting class was switched to teach mathematics. After lunch, he rested for half an hour, and then another mathematics class, and then another lecturer changed his job to talk about history.

This was something Mr. Wang couldn't teach. He was studying the Four Books and Five Classics for the imperial examinations, so how could he have time to memorize history? However, the history lecturer was originally a teacher in the advanced class, so he didn't dare to say anything. After five classes a day, they still had to run around and play in the schoolyard to complete the day's curriculum.

This arrangement was a bit strange, but thankfully there were enough lecturers that it wasn't too tiring for everyone. Plus, there was a day off every ten days, so once my wife and kids arrived, I could really enjoy my time.

Within two days, Mr. Wang had grown accustomed to the orderly life of teaching. His only concern was the children's learning progress. He had to select the brightest ones, so that they could be enrolled and placed in the fast-track class if they passed the exam. He couldn't afford to choose the wrong ones; wouldn't it be embarrassing if they failed the exam?

When the accounting office started to work on the numbers, Mr. Wang would go to the study to sit down. There were so many books in the study, and there were also pens and ink. Even copying a few more books would be a good deal.

While everyone else was copying scriptures, one colleague was different. He never copied anything, but simply read it one book at a time. He read whatever was on the shelf, and he did so at a furious pace, as if devouring the books.

One day, Wang Xiucai couldn't help himself and walked over to him and said hello: "Brother Chen, are you preparing for your lessons?"

Chen Su was startled, then laughed: "Brother Wang, you misunderstood. I just want to read more books. This is a rare opportunity."

He understood that opportunities were rare, but shouldn't such a rare opportunity be used to consolidate knowledge? Wang Zhi coughed dryly: "I see that you've been reading local chronicles and unofficial histories recently, and I thought it was to teach those children. Well, it's not easy to talk about history, right? I heard that there are also lesson plans assigned by the headmaster."

Everyone had textbooks; even the "Three Character Classic" had a few lines cut; the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues couldn't appear. Teaching history was even more complicated. Not only did the teacher have to prepare a lesson plan, but they also had to submit their upcoming plans. If they weren't appropriate, they might have to change them. Chen Su was the best writer of contemporary prose back then, and a lecturer in the "Fast Class," so it's no surprise he'd be concerned.

Chen Su smiled and shook her head. "It's not that complicated, actually. Just tell some stories that echo the principles of 'benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness,' and progress step by step. But you're not wrong, this is indeed for future preparation."

Preparing for the future? Could these miscellaneous books really help someone pass the imperial examination? Wang Zhi couldn't help but say, "If you're serious about the imperial examination, Brother Chen, you should read the classics."

"These days, taking the imperial examination is pointless," Chen Su said calmly. He was a good student, and his mentor had said that with two years of dedicated study, he had a good chance of passing. Yet, Chen Su had no desire to continue his studies. The world was too chaotic, and the future was unclear. He felt it was better to stay home and live a peaceful life. He'd heard the Red Flag Gang's academy offered good wages, so he came to try to earn a living. Unexpectedly, a single word from the headmaster opened his eyes. While the imperial examinations could certainly lead to success and fame, in a world of intense competition, other paths remained.

Seeing Wang Zhi still looking confused, Chen Su couldn't help but smile and said, "Brother Wang, don't you think we have too many lecturers?"

It was a bit much, nine people teaching three classes, not counting the disabled veterans who were specially assigned to train the students. The expense alone was a hefty sum. But since these were all the chief's nephews and nieces, Wang Zhi didn't find it strange.

Chen Su's smile deepened. "There are too many lecturers because there are too few students. This year there are only 120 students. What about next year? And the year after? I heard that the Red Flag Gang is planning to open a bank in Panyu. Who knows how many students this school will have, and where it will be located?"

Wang Zhi was stunned. What did this mean? Could it be that the Red Flag Gang was going to open several more schools? Were they planning to establish a county school? Even the largest academies were only passed down from generation to generation, with no talk of expanding enrollment. Wasn't selecting the best the right approach?

"To be honest, Brother Wang, I plan to read more and broaden my horizons. If I really have the opportunity in the future, it would be nice to lead a school on my own." Chen Su did not hide a word. "Also, I see that the Red Flag Gang values ​​​​not the classics, and they don't want to train officials, but clerks. In this case, I should read more miscellaneous books."

Such frank words left Wang Zhi speechless. Was he completely giving up on the imperial examination and joining the Red Flag Gang? The Red Flag Gang was a major gang! If the world was at peace, how would he cope?

However, the thought was only a flash, and Wang Zhi quickly sat down and said sincerely, "I haven't read many history books yet. I hope Brother Chen can give me some pointers to broaden my horizons."

Regardless of whether Chen Su's guess was right or not, Wang Xiucai knew one thing: if he wanted a promotion and a raise, he had to learn more about the Red Flag Gang's rules. Otherwise, if the gang really expanded its enrollment, he wouldn't be able to teach the "fast class," which would be even more difficult. The future was for later; the present was more important.

Seeing him like this, Chen Su smiled and introduced two books. Wang Xiucai took the books and sat down opposite him to read. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard a long sigh from the other side: "The children in this school are really lucky."

Mr. Wang was startled, then sighed bitterly, "That's right. Alas, we didn't have such good luck when we were studying."

We were all poor scholars, and it was a blessing to have collected the Four Books and Five Classics and learn the meaning of the classics from our teachers. How could we be like those children, who had enough food and clothes every day, a room full of books to read, and a yard to play in? As expected, we were all the descendants of gang leaders, and we were probably not much worse off than those wealthy people.

This kind of innate luck is really enviable.

…

"Ahhh! I can't do it! Anyone who wants to learn can learn! I don't want this good luck!"

"You idiot!" Li Fu was so angry that he kicked the yelling team leader out. "I begged for this position! Do you know how many people came to Yan Yuan's class? If you don't learn math, you won't be able to steer the ship in the future, let alone fire a cannon!"

The squad leader burst into tears: "Boss, who said you have to learn to count before firing? Did those gunners learn it before? Isn't this just practice?"

Li Fu's forehead was black, thinking, "How could I not know this? But the gang leader asked me to learn and even came to teach me personally. Could I really cry and say I don't want to learn?"

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are difficult enough, but he still has to learn Pythagorean theorem and equations. He is very unwilling to do this!

But as the leader, he couldn't afford to back down first. Li Fu gritted his teeth and said, "Don't play dead! We can't lose to Yan. Everyone, cheer up and pay attention to the class!"

This remark immediately set off another wave of howling. This small group wasn't the only one suffering from the pain of counting. Since the school opened, Bang Li had also sent people to teach the generals how to count. The reason was simple: if they couldn't even count, how could they manage their soldiers, ships, and fodder? Relying solely on the accountant wasn't enough; the commander had to know the numbers himself.

This reason is acceptable, but the gunner and helmsman also have to make up for the math, and it's particularly difficult math, which is really a pain in the ass.

Having captured so many ships and cannons in one go, countless people were eager for promotion, only to encounter such a roadblock. Some admitted defeat, while others gritted their teeth and pressed on. Regardless of whether it made sense or not, they always listened to the leader's words. Perhaps this was the Qiu family's ancestral magic weapon?

Yan Yuan scoffed at the rumor. The military tactics taught by the military commanders back then didn't have so many twists and turns. However, Cheng Xi didn't intend to give in to his question.

"Although we have more guns, the absolute number isn't enough. They're all board-mounted, so we definitely need to learn some firing techniques." The navy, forgetting to mention other military forces, relies most heavily on naval guns. Battleships with three or four rows of massive cannons haven't yet been developed, so close-range, level fire isn't an option. Mastering the Pythagorean theorem and basic ballistics is always a good idea.

As for steering, the requirements are even higher. The development of sextants and the drawing of nautical charts will guarantee the opening of long-distance voyages. It is never too early to cultivate talents.

Yan Yuan also knew that she was eager to recruit talented people. He just sighed and didn't try to persuade her. Instead, he said, "I heard that the bank in Panyu is about to be completed. Do you really want to go there to preside over the opening? You are a well-known figure in Panyu City now. Who knows how many people want to kill you."

No matter how much the imperial court gave in, it would not allow a tycoon from the sea to wander around the capital city freely, not to mention that they had many enemies. If they were targeted, wouldn't it be a waste of trouble?

Hearing him say this, Cheng Xi smiled: "We have to go there to stabilize the situation in Panyu. If we weren't so close, could we still call them a threat?"

After using both the stick and the carrot, it’s time to let the wealthy businessmen in Panyu City see the world.