Chapter 155 Wang Sanniang's Promotion
"That makes sense! Even learning a few more characters is good! The first batch of people who participated in the literacy experimental class said that pinyin and other things are not difficult, just like drawing. As long as you know what those dozens of pinyin characters look like, you can read all the characters. Even if you are stupid, won't you be able to learn them with more practice?"
"That's right. A few days ago, that Aunt Zhao from Xiaoshui Alley to the east, who's over 50 years old and couldn't read a single word in her life, was made an example and sent to a literacy program. Wow, now she can read the Thousand Character Classic without even stuttering!"
"Is it really that magical?"
"Really? If you don't believe me, go find Aunt Zhao at the entrance of the alley."
Wang Sanniang smiled and said, "No need to look for her. Aunt Zhao is now our Class 2 substitute teacher. She earns fifty cents a day. Maybe she will become your teacher!"
There was a gasp from the crowd.
Wang Sanniang saw that everyone had different expressions, and she couldn't help but admire the city lord's foresight.
There are cultural classes in the military camp. Wang Sanniang had already learned the basic course when she first entered the camp, and is now taking the intermediate course. Therefore, she knows how practical and easy to learn pinyin and four arithmetic operations are for ordinary people.
If everyone is forced to take the course from the beginning, it will inevitably cause disgust among the people. Therefore, the Xu family's administrative team discussed and decided to run an experimental class first.
The teacher for this experimental class was also chosen very carefully. The teacher was Xu Anping from the fourth branch of the Xu family. Other courses such as military thinking, war psychology, and reconnaissance elements were taught by the city lord himself!
The selection of students for the experimental class is even more jaw-dropping.
At first, Wang Sanniang didn't understand why the experimental class didn't directly recruit people with a certain foundation, at least those who could read and write, but chose people from the common people, such as the boatmen in the moat, the coolies on the docks, the aunties in the alleys, and the workers who sold night incense.
At this moment, Wang Sanniang understood everything.
As for the so-called universal education, why does she subconsciously think that only those who have studied can be considered citizens?
What are the other ordinary people?
Especially what about the common people at the bottom?
Aren't they considered human beings? They never express their needs. This world never listens to the voices of ordinary people. Their voices are drowned out, ignored, or even not allowed.
What is allowed is only oppression, exploitation, labor, and taxation, fully squeezing out every bit of value from them.
They don’t even know how to read, how can they make their own voices?
They are like isolated islands abandoned by the world.
When Xu Zhenying came to class and talked about these topics, although Wang Sanniang did not show it on the surface, she was extremely resistant in her heart.
She was born into a well-off family. Although she could not be said to have luxurious clothes and food, at least she had enough food and clothing. That was the wealth accumulated by her ancestors.
How can it be said that everything she has comes from exploiting others?
But now, looking at the pairs of eager eyes in front of her, Wang Sanniang couldn't help but have serious doubts about her own three views.
Xu Zhenying once asked them in class why the people of the Zhou Dynasty, who were obviously very hardworking, could only live a miserable life without dignity?
My father works hard all day and can earn at least a few dozen taels.
But they work in the fields from morning till night, their waists are bent and their backs can't be straightened, and in the end they can only barely make a living after all the hard work.
It’s the same work, but why are the rewards so different?
Is this world really a pyramid structure as the city lord claims? Does wealth also follow the 80/20 rule?
"Fifty cents a day? Did you really only study for a dozen days?"
Wang Sanniang put aside the complicated thoughts in her mind and came to her senses. "It's absolutely genuine. Not only that, anyone who has passed the literacy course must work for at least thirty wen a day. If the price is lower than that, you can report the employer, and our city lord will definitely punish them severely!"
The people cheered again, and they couldn't wait to tell each other the good news. Thirty coins a day means nine hundred coins a month. If a family of three spends frugally, it will be enough food for half a year!
"How can I attend the first literacy class if my child is sick these days?"
"Don't worry, this class will be held every day, with a session every fifteen days. You can decide which session to join based on your own schedule. Just complete your studies before the first day of March!"
"That's great!"
"Hey, that young lady!" someone called out, and his companion immediately reminded him, "What young lady? The king said to call them soldiers!"
"Oh, oh, oh, that young soldier lady, could you please read me the second notice? I only recognize a few words. It says something about a monthly salary of one tael. But the king is recruiting workers?"
The word "recruiting workers" instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Everyone in Lan County knew that the king was famous for his generosity. Anyone who worked for his government team would be paid a lot, the work would be easy, and they would even be provided with a meal!
"I'll read it!" A ten-year-old child volunteered to step forward, then squinted his eyes to look at the pinyin above.
Someone recognized him as a student from the first literacy experimental class. The kid read fluently without any stuttering, so everyone instantly became more excited about the literacy class.
Look at this kid, he has only studied for a few days, but he can actually understand what is on the notice!
Could it be that they are not as good as that Aunt Zhao and this little kid?
If they attend literacy classes, will they be able to read and recognize words?
Everyone present had their own plans. The child finished reading and concluded: "The king is hiring workers. Anyone with a skill should apply..."
Someone immediately grabbed him and said, "Good boy, tell me again, what kind of person does the king want?"
"It says here that carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths are all welcome. Anyone with a skill and who can endure hardship and perseverance can sign up now at the county government office. Two meals a day will be provided, and you'll receive one tael of silver per month! And if you can achieve results according to the king's wishes, you'll be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver!"
“Good fellow!”
"Oh my... Your Majesty is truly generous! I'm strong enough to lift something weighing three hundred kilograms. Can I go?"
Wang Sanniang said, "Brother, you can also try at the county government office. The city lord has always been unconventional in his approach to things. If you really have this ability, maybe the city lord will actually treat you differently!"
Everyone was talking about it.
Meanwhile, in a carriage not far away, Madam Wang lifted a corner of the curtain and watched Wang Sanniang chatting away in the crowd, feeling quite proud. Seeing that it was noon, Madam Wang had her maid prepare a lunch box, and she personally passed it to Wang Sanniang through the crowd.
Wang Sanniang was so frightened when she saw her that she almost drew her sword subconsciously. When she saw that it was her own mother, she complained, "Mom, what are you doing?!"
Madam Wang patted her chest with a handkerchief. "You silly girl! I finally got to see you once, and I was worried you hadn't eaten by noon, so I brought you something. And yet, you dared to draw your sword against your own mother?"
Although everyone was pointing and commenting on the notice, Wang Sanniang felt awkward for some reason. She quickly refused, "Mom, we have food in the barracks cafeteria! I'm still on a mission, don't mess with me. My colleagues will laugh at me if they see me!"
Mrs. Wang snorted and brushed her face with her handkerchief. "What's wrong with seeing you? You're my daughter. What's wrong with a mother bringing her a meal?"
"Mom, stop messing around. I'm on a mission. There are so many spies in this city. What if the superiors see me and think I'm spoiled and can't endure hardship? Put your things away quickly. I'll be on leave the day after tomorrow. On that day, I'll come and pay my respects to you!"
"Why are you in such a hurry? Just take a bite. This is the sweet-scented osmanthus cake that Mom prepared for you. Eat it quietly and no one will see you!"
As the mother and daughter were pulling each other, they heard the signalman in the camp shouting Wang Sanniang's name.
"Wang Sanniang, the city lord has ordered you to go to the county government office to attend a meeting immediately!"
Wang Sanniang was a little surprised. "You're looking for me, are you sure?"
"Yes, Wang Sanniang, the captain of the second battalion of the female soldiers training camp, is that you?"
"Yes, that's me."
"That's it, act quickly and don't keep the city lord waiting!"
Mrs. Wang still had the impression of Xu Zhenying when she first entered the city and killed the Chen family. So she nervously grabbed Xu Sanniang's hand and asked, "Son, have you gotten into trouble?"
Wang Sanniang smiled and said, "Mother, you just heard it too. The city lord asked me to attend a meeting."
Mrs. Wang's expression softened slightly. "Since it's the great king who invites you, you must go quickly."
Mrs. Wang returned to the carriage and saw her concubine lift the curtain and look at Wang Sanniang's retreating figure. She couldn't help but feel very proud, but she sighed, "Ah, this king is really something. He can't leave my Sanniang for a moment. He just entrusted her with an important task, and now he sent someone to call her back. At first, everyone said it was not good for a girl to join the army, and everyone wanted to see me laugh. Now my son is considered a big shot in Lan County. I'm afraid some people are jealous."
The concubine secretly rolled her eyes and sneered in her heart, thinking that no matter how important Wang Sanniang was, they were just a group of rookies, and they would not be able to jump for many days.
If the imperial court sends people to suppress the bandits, let’s see how Wang Sanniang will end up.
However, the concubine did not show it on her face. She followed Mrs. Wang's words and praised her sincerely: "That's right. Who says women are inferior to men? I think the Third Miss's demeanor now is so great that even the master would look at her differently."
Needless to say, Mrs. Wang felt even more cheerful after receiving such flattery.
Although Wang Sanniang was comforting her mother, she was also worried. Although the city lord often came to give them lessons at irregular intervals in the evening, it was just lessons and they had never had any private communication.
Besides, as a team leader, how could she be qualified to attend the government team meeting?
While Wang Sanniang was galloping towards the county government office, she went over the situation in her mind but could not figure it out no matter how hard she tried.
When they arrived at the county government office, the security guard registered them and let them in. When Wang Sanniang saw the people attending the meeting today, she knew that the matter was serious.
The Xu family's administrative team was basically all present. The room was silent at the moment. Xu Zhenying was sitting in the main seat with his head down, looking at some materials, and he didn't seem to notice her come in.
Wang Sanniang stood at the door, looking at the sea of people, not knowing where to sit for a moment. Fortunately, she met Zhou Bo, a familiar face from the male soldiers.
Zhou Bo sat in the corner and waved at her, "This way!"
Wang Sanniang was even more surprised, because there were also male soldiers attending the meeting.
Yes, the city lord has always been fair and impartial, and since it involves military affairs, no male or female soldiers will be left out.
However, just as Wang Sanniang sat down, she heard Xu Zhenying calling out, "Where are the male and female soldiers' representatives? Are they here?"
Wang Sanniang's scalp tightened, and she quickly stood up and gave a standard military salute: "City Lord, the female soldier represents Wang Sanniang!"
"Male soldier representative Zhou Bo has arrived!"
Xu Zhenying smiled admiringly at the two already somewhat mature recruits. She flipped open a stack of documents and said, "Wang Sanniang, Zhou Bo, you two achieved first place in both cultural and drill combined in this competition. Feng'er and Dazhuang have already gone south, so considering your outstanding performance, I'm promoting you one level higher. I'm the chief instructor for the female soldiers, and Wang Sanniang is the deputy instructor. The male soldiers outnumber the females five to one, so we've established a chief and three deputy officers. Zhou Bo, you'll take Dazhuang's place. The new personnel order will be arriving soon and posted at the barracks gate."
Wang Sanniang and Zhou Bo were both shocked.
How did he get promoted suddenly?
It seems that the grand competition held a few days ago was just to fill this vacancy?
Wang Sanniang felt like she had been hit hard by a pie, and she was so overjoyed that she could hardly control herself.
These two positions are really exquisite.
Although Wang Sanniang had only a few people under her, Xu Zhenying was busy with government affairs, which meant that Wang Sanniang was responsible for the female soldiers alone. On the other hand, Zhou Bo, although one of the three deputies, had much more power than Sanniang.
The two of them didn't have time to analyze the deeper meaning of Xu Zhenying's move, because Xu Zhenying immediately said, "You two will help as publicity officers for half a day today. Report on the situation."
When asked this question suddenly, Wang Sanniang quickly made a plan in her mind.
She had never spoken in front of so many people before, not to mention that the people sitting in this room were all the elite of the Xu family, all of whom were very smart. If she said something wrong, wouldn't she be laughed at?
After all, she had served in the military, albeit only for a little over two months. However, Wang Sanniang's mental fortitude was far superior to others. She pondered the matter and was about to speak when Zhou Bo spoke first, "City Lord, the people are very supportive of universal education. They mostly praise your righteous actions. I'm sure that once the literacy class starts in three days, the students will be in high demand."
Wang Sanniang was overtaken, but she was not in a hurry.
Xu Zhenying came to the military camp to teach many times, and Wang Sanniang naturally knew that Xu Zhenying was a person who did not like flattery.
After Zhou Bo said this, although Xu Zhenying's face did not show it, Wang Sanniang still keenly noticed that Xu Zhenying was not very satisfied with Zhou Bo's answer.
Wang Sanniang then slowly added, "The City Lord's act is indeed benevolent and righteous, but the common people are more concerned about whether they can keep up with the fifteen-day course, whether they can pass the final exam, and whether a delay in completing the course will affect their employment. From my observation, the people are mostly on the sidelines regarding universal education. The City Lord might as well hold a second experimental class this time to let more people see the benefits of completing the literacy class. This will surely motivate them to participate."
Xu Zhenying couldn't help but look at Wang Sanniang deeply.
Wang Sanniang felt a little uneasy when she was looked at by him. She suppressed her nervousness and continued, "Secondly, since the city lord wants to promote universal education, should he go beyond Lan County and go down to the villages? If so, should he ask the villagers to come to Lan County, or send teachers? If he sends teachers, the villagers may not listen to him. But if he asks the villagers to come up, it will inevitably delay production."
Wang Sanniang felt that she had never spoken so many words in her life, and her mouth was dry for a moment.
Zhou Bo on the side kept staring at her, as if he was thinking about something.
Xu Zhenying smiled, "You put it very well. Universal education was originally planned to be promoted in Lan County. Once the people of Lan County learn it, there will naturally be a steady supply of teachers. As for how to reach the grassroots level in the villages, this plan is currently under discussion. But the fact that you can see this proves that you have thought about it, which is very good!"
Wang Sanniang blushed slightly and imitated her father's official tone, "It's all thanks to the City Lord's good teaching."
"Don't bother with the polite words; it's a waste of time." Xu Zhenying slapped the table, and everyone looked up at her. "Now that you've accepted the position, you'll have to work harder than before. Spring has arrived, the weather is warming up, and the ice and snow on the roads have melted. We need to do something big! We have to start dividing the land!"
Xu Yinxi's voice sounded calmly, "This matter is indeed urgent. Otherwise, the refugees will have no land and will never feel at home, let alone a sense of belonging. I suggest that as soon as the first batch of students in the literacy class graduate, we should immediately send them out to survey the land. Since we are going to divide the land, we must first understand the situation of the land."
Ming Xiaoshuang said, "This time, the land distribution will be divided into two groups. One group will lead a small group of people to Ye County. Everything is ready there, so the land distribution will definitely be quick. One group will measure the land between Ye County and Lan County to see which land can be used for farming, where there are water sources, and where it is suitable for building houses. The second group will need a lot of manpower, and the people in the literacy class can fill in."
It was Wang Sanniang's first time attending such a high-level meeting, and she felt a little slow in thinking.
Didn’t they say that we should all go to Ye County to divide the land?
Why does it sound like they have to set aside a piece of land between Ye County and Lan County for reclaiming wasteland?
Although she was full of questions, Wang Sanniang had just arrived and naturally did not dare to ask too many questions.
But Wang Sanniang intuitively felt that the city lord's promotion of their positions at this moment must be related to the land distribution.
As expected, Xu Zhenying said, "In that case, Mo Jinchun, you lead the team. Wang Sanniang and Zhou Bo each select twenty people to go to Ye County to organize the land distribution. How to distribute and how much to distribute are the two major issues. You must ensure fairness and openness, and do your best to satisfy the majority. If you do encounter any tricky or unusual situations, you must explain the reasons to the people and don't let them think we are favoring or targeting anyone."
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