Chapter 564 The Most Effective Self-Inflicted Injury Strategy
In ancient times when resources were scarce, the vast majority of books were in the hands of wealthy families, especially precious and rare copies of ancient books.
The establishment of the Reading Pavilion is equivalent to sharing these precious resources. When ordinary people and children from poor families also have the opportunity to read books widely, the road to imperial examinations for children from aristocratic families becomes more difficult.
This move made many scions of noble families wary, but with the Empress involved, they dared not say anything.
Over the past half month, the enthusiastic book donation trend has made the Reading Pavilion the top topic of discussion among Beijing's intellectuals on the streets and after dinner.
After the first phase of renovation was completed, Cheng Wanwan took a carriage to the Reading Pavilion.
The courtyard of the reading room was originally a small house for people to live in. After the main gate and side gate were renovated and merged, it became spacious and grand. Walking in, you will find a quiet little courtyard with many desks and chairs placed in the open air. This is a place for scholars to discuss books. Further in, there is a quiet place similar to a library. Each room has more than ten desks, and each desk can accommodate four people. So, the reading room can accommodate several hundred people at the same time.
The reading room in Dahe Village costs ten copper coins a month. They adjusted the price according to the prices in the capital, so it costs thirty copper coins a month, and three copper coins to enter each time. Conservatively estimating, if the number of members can reach three hundred, plus the cost of renting out books, the monthly income would be about thirty or forty taels of silver. This amount of money is only enough for the daily maintenance of the reading room and the cost of hiring staff. They probably won't be able to earn back the rent in a lifetime, and they also won't be able to afford to buy new books if they are published.
Moreover, although they are doing charity, they cannot allow themselves to be in a state of loss all the time.
Cheng Wanwan took a walk around the reading room. The renovation was almost complete. Currently, they were organizing the book list, classifying and arranging the books. Some rare ancient books were copied by scholars with outstanding calligraphy skills, and they were trying to make sure that each book had at least ten copies.
"The preparations for the Reading Pavilion have gone so smoothly thanks to Second Aunt," Cheng Zhao said. "At the current pace, it should be able to open to the public in about ten days."
"I trust you to do the job, but there's one thing you've considered." Cheng Wanwan said slowly, "We've rented this courtyard for three years, and it cost a thousand taels of silver. Where's the money going to come from if we renew the lease? Also, if more and more scholars come, the reading pavilion will have to be expanded, which also requires money. Furthermore, if the school publishes any new books, the reading pavilion will have to purchase them as well. Everything requires money, and the reading pavilion isn't profitable at the moment..."
Shen Zheng sat on the side, resting his chin on his hand, his brow furrowed: "This is indeed a problem..."
"Second Aunt, I have an idea." Cheng Zhao understood immediately. "Scholars who come to the Reading Pavilion to read and write may not have brought enough brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. What if we set up a room in the Reading Pavilion specifically to sell these? This would not only provide convenience for scholars, but also generate some revenue for the Reading Pavilion. What do you think?"
Cheng Wanwan showed an approving smile on her face, and Zhao'er thought the same thing as her.
She warned, "Be careful not to charge more than the market price for your pens, inkstones, and paper. Otherwise, you'll be easily caught and accused of using the Reading Pavilion to make money."
Shen Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Some people might read all day and not want to go back, and they might get thirsty and hungry. We can set up a tea room in the backyard wing and sell some boiled water, tea, snacks and fruits, etc., of course, based on market prices."
Cheng Wanwan nodded repeatedly: "Both of your ideas are good, but you must be extra careful during the execution process. After all, the Reading Pavilion is now being watched by everyone in the capital. If there is even the slightest mistake, it will be magnified... Zhao'er has to go to court every day, and Xiao Zheng will soon have his own things to do. Where do you plan to find a manager for the Reading Pavilion?"
"My second aunt is here too!"
The girl's voice suddenly came from the door, and it was Situ Man who walked in with a few people.
The little girl came over with a smile on her face. "I just heard Second Aunt talking about the owner of the Reading Pavilion. So, I brought the owner, the accountant, and the clerks here. My husband originally wanted to find one himself, but I saw that he was so busy every day, so I took this job over. This is the owner, Yu. He has run a bookstore in Jizhou for over 20 years and is very experienced. This is the accountant, Ke, who has also been an accountant for many years. These four clerks were found in De'an Lane. They are all very smart and capable."
The four shopkeepers quickly stepped forward to greet their boss and introduced themselves in detail once again.
The manager was recommended by Situ Man's maternal grandparents and had some connection with the Situ family. The accountant was hired, and the four assistants were neighbors of the Cheng family, selected from among the best to help.
Cheng Wanwan asked a few questions, and several people were able to answer with clear eyes. This niece-in-law had a good eye for people.
She smiled and said, "From now on, all matters concerning the Reading Pavilion will be handed over to Shopkeeper Yu. You can go down and get busy first."
Shopkeeper Yu nodded, and Shen Zheng took them to the back to sort the books.
Once there were no outsiders around, Situ Man's smile disappeared, and she sighed, "Second Aunt, my father... that is, my father-in-law, after he heard on the street that the Empress was involved in the Reading Pavilion, he has been thinking about becoming the head of the Reading Pavilion... This Reading Pavilion is my husband's hard work, how can it be handed over to someone who doesn't know anything... Second Aunt, don't misunderstand, I don't look down on my father-in-law, it's just that I think it's really inappropriate to let a farmer manage the affairs of scholars."
She had been married into the Cheng family for more than half a month, and it only took her three days to figure out the relationships within the Cheng family. The two elderly people were in charge. After she handed over the farm to the two elderly people, they were busy with farm work every day and stopped causing any trouble. But it was precisely because the old lady and the old man didn't have time to stay at home that her parents-in-law started to get restless.
My mother-in-law is a woman after all. No matter how much she calculates, she only has one acre and three mu of land in the inner house.
Her father-in-law, on the other hand, would stroll in the alleys after eating every day. Because he was the father of the top scholar in the imperial examination and the brother of the Sui'an man, he was flattered by the people in the alley and even had the idea of managing the reading pavilion... There were so many aristocratic families eyeing the reading pavilion that the Situ family didn't dare to rashly place anyone there for fear of ruining her husband's business. Why didn't her father-in-law think about her husband?
“Xiaoman, there’s no need for your second aunt to worry about this,” Cheng Zhao said. “The Reading Pavilion is so important, I will definitely not let my father get involved. I was just planning to talk to him after I’m done with this busy period.”
Cheng Wanwan tapped the table with her hand.
She had thought that the first person to make her niece-in-law collapse would be Mrs. Cheng, but unexpectedly it was Mr. Cheng. It seemed that this girl was also open-minded and did not care about Mrs. Cheng at all. Now that her bottom line had been touched, she came to ask for her help.
"Zhao'er, you're too serious. Your father, that scoundrel, won't give up just because of a few words." She said calmly, "You are the old lady's favorite. If you get hurt, your father will be seriously injured... To deal with a scoundrel, you have to use some tricks. For your Cheng family, the only way to deal with him is to use the self-torture trick."
If this tactic works, Brother Cheng might be sent back to Chengjia Village.
Cheng Zhao was reluctant, but Situ Man's eyes lit up and she finally smiled: "Thank you for your guidance, Aunt. I know what to do now."
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