Shao Zhu's purpose of coming here was not only to see the progress of the red brick kiln, but more importantly, he wanted to see the condition of the newly paved road in Fenghe County.
If you want to be rich, build roads first.
This statement is both simple and reasonable.
If a place wants to be developed, it is not enough to just build houses. It needs trade, transportation, and the ability to go out and come back.
It is always helpful to improve the road.
The better the road is built, the richer the mission rewards will be, and Shao Zhu will be willing to pay more attention to it.
So after riding his bicycle to the newly paved road, Shao Zhu stopped, parked the bicycle aside, and trotted to the road to check.
Chai Zixin did not go with him, but went to a small house with his bag on his back.
Compared to the newly built ordinary houses in the city, this one is much smaller, and there is nothing inside, only simple tables and chairs, which looks very ordinary.
However, there were several guards watching nearby, and their expressions were extremely cautious.
When they saw Chai Zixin coming, they immediately saluted and made way for him.
Chai Zixin nodded slightly and walked in.
He first put down the bag he was carrying, and then took out a cylindrical instrument from it.
Then, she neatly placed the instrument on the ground, pulled out the wires, connected it to her laptop, and soon various curve data appeared on the screen.
She pushed up her glasses, observing and taking notes, looking extremely serious.
When Shao Zhu came in after finishing the road inspection, Chai Zixin was still staring at the screen.
This made Shao Zhu particularly curious: "I've always wanted to ask, why do you come here every few days?"
Without even turning his head, Chai Zixin said directly, "To monitor seismic waves."
"How do you test it?"
"When the road was being built, I had them bury the testing equipment deep down here," Chai Zixin pointed toward the ground. "If an earthquake wave occurs again, it can be immediately stored and fed back up so I can receive it here."
Shao Zhu couldn't help but tense up after hearing this: "Are you saying that future aftershocks will be even more severe than before?"
Chai Zixin pushed his glasses again and said, "No, don't worry. With the strength of the houses built in Fenghe County now, ordinary aftershocks can't do anything to them."
Shao Zhu was a little confused: "Then why do you come here every day?"
Chai Zixin remained calm and said, "Collecting data and writing a paper might help me in a future assignment. Opportunities always come to those who are prepared."
Shao Zhu: ...Sure enough, every student of Langyun is essentially a workaholic.
At this point, the data analysis comes to an end.
Chai Zixin closed the computer, looked at Shao Zhu and asked, "How is the quality of the road?"
Shao Zhu smiled and said, "Very good! It seems that these factories are making good progress, and the results are better than expected. The wisdom of the working people is indeed infinite."
"Then your mission is almost complete."
Shao Zhu took out his phone and flipped through it. "We're almost halfway through the road construction, but there's still quite a bit left to do with the houses. But from the looks of it, it's only a matter of time before everything is finished."
Chai Zixin glanced at the factories from a distance through the window and asked, "Are these all professionally made by you?"
"Not only that, but also thermal power, materials, design, foreign languages, and literature. In short, many majors are involved." Shao Zhu pointed in the direction of Langyun University. "There are many people in the school who are eager to do internships. The reconstruction of Fenghe County is a big deal, and they certainly won't miss this opportunity."
For the people of Fenghe County, this is a time to rebuild the city, and opportunities are everywhere.
For the teachers and students of Langyun, their eyes are filled with tasks and points are everywhere.
Therefore, they never thought of asking the people here to follow the routine, but directly built the factory and made plans, so that the people in the county town could also experience what it means to "concentrate resources to accomplish great things."
Chai Zixin was a little curious: "I understand that foreign language majors can use minority languages as passwords, but what can people from the Faculty of Arts do now?"
Shao Zhu: "They worked with the safety engineering department to come up with a safety code for employees."
Chai Zixin: "...What's the use of this?"
Shao Zhu: "There are quite a few people working in the factory. Although there are experienced craftsmen, most are new. In addition, our people have modified and optimized the production process, so the things that need to be paid attention to will also change accordingly. Therefore, we have decided that no matter who you are, you must memorize the employee code before you can be hired."
Because Chai Zixin's mission is to monitor and analyze earthquakes, she has been staying in Fenghe County for some time and has some understanding of the situation there.
At this moment, he said, "Although Qi attaches more importance to reading than other countries, not everyone can read. It might be difficult to ask them to memorize."
Shao Zhu shrugged. "It's not that long, and it's not difficult to memorize. Besides, this is a necessary step. We have to do this for their future safety. And they can remember it for the sake of eating and making money."
Chai Zixin expressed disbelief.
Shao Zhu: "I'll give you 1,000 points and ask you to write a paper. Will you do it?"
Chai Zixin figured it out instantly.
Then Shao Zhu said gravely, "This kind of thing is just like what Mr. Lu Xun said: dissatisfaction is the wheel that pushes you upward."
Then Chai Zixin raised his eyebrows at him: "You made this up again?"
Shao Zhu: "...It's really not this time."
It’s so hard to tell the truth these days.
On the other hand, just as Shao Zhu thought, those who wanted to work in the factory had similar purposes.
The people in the county town are already victims of the disaster, and this is the best way out for their livelihood.
Those who came from nearby villages during the busy farming season were basically here for food and drink, not to mention that they were working for the county, which was also working for the court, and it was decent to say so, so they were all very motivated.
Even Wang Er, who couldn't read a single word, could memorize it by heart in just two days.
When his big cake was eaten up, he was hired by a sand and gravel factory.
The first job he got was to dig stones.
Admittedly, this isn't a very fun job.
The sand and gravel plant uses limestone, which can be found on a mountain not far from the county town. The county also provides corresponding tools, but it is not easy to knock the stone down. You also have to find a way to carry it down the mountain, which requires a lot of strength.
Although he only had to work for half a day, Wang Er lay on the kang after returning to the dormitory and didn't want to get up.
Ding Jiu, who lived in the same room, found it funny. He put his bowl on the table and gave him a push. "Get up! Lie down right after you finish your work, or you'll be too sore to lift your arms tomorrow."
Wang Er didn't move. The usually lively man now spoke weakly: "Brother Jiu, let me rest for a while..."
Ding Jiu pushed him again: "Get up and eat."
Just one sentence made Wang Er open his eyes.
Then he sat up straight, looking at the bowl with shining eyes, without any trace of his previous dejection.
And when he saw the rice in the bowl, he couldn't stop laughing.
Although Fenghe County is a wealthy place, it does not mean that ordinary people can live a wealthy life.
Two meals a day is a common practice, and I usually don’t want to eat any meat.
But now there is meat in the bowl!
Although the cooking method used is still common today, the meat smells very fragrant, and the rice is topped with broth, making it look shiny and oily.
Wang Er felt that even if there were no dishes, he could finish the entire bowl just by eating the rice!
Ding Jiu wasn't surprised to see him suddenly revitalized. He simply handed over the chopsticks and said, "I was just like you when I first got here. You'll get used to it later."
Wang Er grabbed his chopsticks and stuffed a large mouthful into his mouth. Hearing this, he grumbled and asked, "How can I get used to this?"
Ding Jiu also crossed his legs and sat on the kang. While taking out his own bowl, he said, "There are skills to mining stones. It's useless to just rely on others to tell you. You'll learn it after you practice for a while."
Wang Er looked out the window and asked, "Where are the other factories?"
Ding Jiu: "To make bricks, you have to dig kilns and dig coal. To dig wells, you have to drill into the ground and dig up soil. Neither of them is easy. Otherwise, our county just suffered a disaster and is not rich to begin with. How can they still give us meat soup and rice?"
Wang Er thought about it and felt that this made sense.
When I think about it, working half a day now is not that hard. During the busy farming season, I have to work from morning to night just to harvest wheat, and I can't even straighten my back. In comparison, it is still comfortable now.
And the food and accommodation are good.
Thinking of this, Wang Er couldn't help but look around the place where he lived.
In fact, he was really shocked when he first arrived here.
The big white walls inside looked exceptionally clean, and Wang Er was too embarrassed to touch them with his hands.
Although the furnishings are simple, that is only compared to the houses in the county. At least for Wang Er, this place called "dormitory" is spacious enough.
Not to mention sleeping four people, even eight people are enough.
What's more, there is such delicious food to eat.
So Wang Er muttered quietly: "If my wife wasn't so weak, I would have asked her to come over and do the work as well."
Then Ding Jiu said, "Come whenever you want. My wife is helping in the kitchen."
Wang Er was stunned: "Really?"
Ding Jiu casually replied, "Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you? Besides, my brother said that as long as you work hard, no matter if it's me or my wife, you may be able to make money in the future."
"Does Ninth Brother's elder brother also work in the factory?"
"No, he's got some kung fu experience and works for the government, so he's well-informed." Ding Jiu finished his last mouthful of rice and put down his bowl before saying, "I'll go to class later and tell you more when I get back."
Wang Er was puzzled: "Haven't you memorized the rules yet? Why are you still attending classes?"
Ding Jiu: "Memorizing the rules only ensures you can work and have three meals a day, but if you want to earn a monthly salary, you have to learn some skills. Shi Langjun comes every few days, and today is the perfect time."
Wang Er was stunned for a moment, then he remembered what the teacher surnamed Mo had said on the way here.
At that time, he just listened and didn't take it to heart.
Now that I think about it, it’s all true!
So Wang Er immediately said, "Brother Jiu, I'll go with you."
Ding Jiu didn't refuse, and they quickly packed up and headed towards the lecture place together.
But Shi Mo came a little late today.
Because he went to the city gate to welcome in a young man who was said to be specially sent by Master Yun.
And this man named Sun Bailang studied in Langyun!
This alone is enough to make Shi Mo extremely cautious.
So he arrived at the city gate early and waited there, and when the carriage arrived, he saluted politely.
But when the two met, they were both stunned.
Sun Bai was surprised that there was someone with such a well-proportioned black complexion.
Shi Mo was surprised. Scholars in Qi State usually considered slenderness and frailty to be beautiful, so why was the one in front of him so... strong?
The muscles on these arms can't be hidden even with a wide-sleeved shirt...
But soon, Shi Sanlang adjusted his attitude, and greeted him with a smile: "Lord Sun, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Sun Bai got off the carriage, returned the greeting, and said, "Mr. Shi, you are too polite. It's getting late. Why don't we go to the teaching place now?"
Shi Mo leaned over and led the way for him, saying as they walked, "I wonder how long you'll be staying here, sir?"
"It depends on the progress. At least one month, but it's hard to say how much longer."
"From the way he's dressed, I know he's a noblewoman. How could he agree to teach the common people in Fenghe County?"
After hearing this, Sun Bai did not answer immediately, but asked: "Why did Shi Langjun do that?"
Shi Mo blinked, then smiled and said, "Of course, it's for Fenghe County's consideration. We can't all stay in the factory to get raw materials. Someone has to build houses, pave roads, and construct various places. Only by letting them learn more words can they understand those blueprints, and the reconstruction progress can be faster."
After hearing this, Sun Bai felt quite ashamed of himself.
He admitted that he didn't really want to come, but it was more because of Gongzi Yun's order.
Fu Yun's main purpose was to let him see the reconstruction of Fenghe County, and teaching was secondary.
Now, after listening to Shi Mo's words, I feel that this is a true scholar who takes his family, country and the world as his own responsibility, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Sun Bai then said, "Mr. Shi is so righteous, I am ashamed to say I cannot compare to him." He then took something from the carriage and handed it to him, "Since we are meeting for the first time, I hope you will accept this small gift."
Shi Mo couldn't refuse, so he took it with both hands.
Then he saw that the person gave him a bottle. It was brightly colored, flat oval in shape, and had a white lid on it.
Whether it was the material or the words on it, Shi Mo had never seen anything like it before.
So he asked in surprise: "What is this?"
"Sunscreen."
"Why?"
"It will make you whiter after applying it."
"……!!!really?"
"nature."
Sun Bai said this with great certainty.
After all, he and other students from Qi State had undergone the "military training" test in Langyun Fairyland, and were tanned red, all thanks to this thing.
It’s a pity that sunscreen can save your skin tone but it can’t save your muscles.
Sun Bai, who hadn't worn flowers in his hair for quite some time, sighed softly.
The two of them quickly became closer because of a bottle of sunscreen.
Then Shi Mo asked, "I wonder what Master Sun is here to teach?"
Sun Bai took out a notebook.
Shi Mo could tell at a glance that this paper was different from ordinary rice paper, it was smoother and whiter.
The words on it are not clear, but they are rich in colors and can immediately attract everyone's attention.
Then I heard Sun Bai say, "Master Shi will take care of the literacy issue. I'm here to help the people here learn some basic math."
"math?"
"It's just arithmetic, but more sophisticated."
This was somewhat unfamiliar to Shi Mo.
Even though Qi had arithmetic books, few people read them because they were not included in the imperial examinations.
Their concept of arithmetic is still limited to counting one, two, three, and four, and they don’t have much understanding of it.
But when Shi Mo saw what was printed on the notebook, he was surprised.
Because those crooked words are exactly the same as those on the drawings I got from the immortal before!
So Shi Mo whispered, "What book is this?"
Sun Bai replied, "One lesson, one practice."
It comes from the Department of Mathematics and is a part of cultural exchange. Young Master Yue Yun said it was good after using it.
Although the name was a bit strange, Shi Mo immediately changed his attitude: "Okay, Mr. Sun, you are thoughtful. Why don't you go to the class now? I want to listen too."
Sun Bai was a little surprised by this man's attitude, but he didn't refuse and just followed him to the school.
Next, it is a mixed teaching of Chinese and mathematics.
For those who came to work, especially those who had never even attended a private school, not only could they not read, they also did not know Arabic numerals. Instead, they were like a blank sheet of paper and had to start from scratch.
Some people can't hold on any longer and decide to just dig stones and move bricks, which is also a good idea.
But there are also people who want to work hard for monthly income.
This is the case with Wang Er and Ding Jiu.
Compared to those who can feed the whole family with one person's food, they both have their own families, with elderly parents and young children to take care of, so naturally they have more motivation.
But sometimes, learning cannot be achieved simply by motivation.
So the two burly men started reading and even recited while eating.
That day in the cafeteria, they sat opposite each other, each with a bowl of rice in front of them, but they did not pick up their chopsticks immediately. Instead, they recited the multiplication formulas one by one.
I could only hear Wang Er muttering: "One seven equals seven, two sevens equals four, three sevens... three sevens..."
The sound was stuck, and Wang Er wanted to count on his fingers.
At this time, a voice was heard: "Twenty-one."
The two were stunned and looked up.
Then he saw Ding Jiu's wife wearing an apron.
This made Ding Jiu a little anxious: "Don't talk nonsense, woman. You're just causing trouble for no reason."
But Wang Er looked up and said, "Brother Jiu, it seems that what my sister-in-law said is right."
Ding Jiu: "...Ah?"
Ding Jiu's wife held the rice bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Would you like more rice? If not, I'll leave."
Ding Jiu hurriedly asked, "How do you know it's twenty-one?"
Ding Jiu's wife looked disgusted. "You keep repeating these few sentences every night. My ears are numb from hearing them. What is there that I can't remember? Forget about this. I can remember all the rest of it too. I can recite it to you up to twelve times twelve." As she spoke, she raised her spoon again and asked, "Do you want more rice?"
This time it was Sun Bai who happened to pass by and spoke: "Can you really recite twelve times twelve?"
Ding Jiu's wife casually replied, "Of course, how could I lie?" But when she turned around and saw it was Sun Bai, she was so scared that she dropped the spoon into the rice bowl, "Sun, Sun Langjun."
Sun Bai smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, sister-in-law. I think you have great talent. Why don't you come and listen to the class next time?"
When these words were spoken, not only Ding Jiu and his wife were stunned, but even Shi Mo beside Sun Bai widened his eyes in surprise.
He couldn't help but whisper, "Brother Sun, are you serious?"
Sun Bai nodded without hesitation: "Of course I take it seriously."
The first one to be confused was Ding Jiu's wife: "How can I, a woman, go to school?"
Sun Bai was very calm.
The separation between men and women in Qi was not that strict, and there were many women who opened shops and did business.
Ordinary people lacked money, and women could not take the imperial examinations to become officials, so they placed all their hopes on men.
But in the capital, the daughters of wealthy families all study from a young age, and they also have to manage accounts and the household, so they learn a lot.
So Sun Bai said directly, "My Great Qi has never restricted women from reading and writing, so why not? Besides, there are countless capable fairies in Langyun. Our top priority now is to speed up the construction of Fenghe County. If they have the ability, they naturally cannot be buried in vain."
And all of this was declared over when Sun Bai used Lang Yun as an example.
The matter of Ding Jiu's wife's studies was thus finalized.
Shi Mo followed Sun Bai out of the cafeteria and out of the factory in silence. It was not until they walked into the city that he finally spoke: "Thank you for your advice."
He used to think that he was teaching everyone, but now it seems that his views were still a bit shallow.
Sun Bai was stunned: "What?"
Shi Mo didn't explain much, but simply said, "I will propose to the county governor to set up a school for the women in the factory. Although I don't know what the result will be, it will definitely be beneficial."
Sun Bai smiled and nodded: "In an emergency, we should make decisions based on the circumstances. This is very good."
At this time, they had already reached the inner city.
Compared with its previous dilapidated state, Fenghe County is now showing some signs of improvement.
The ruins have been almost cleared, and the roads in the city are being paved in an orderly manner.
Trees were planted on both sides of the road and landscaping was done.
The open space not far away should be reserved for a market, or it may be used to build a temple for immortals.
It depends on future arrangements.
As for now, although night has fallen, busy people can still be seen everywhere. In addition to the "ding-dong-dong" sound of bricks being built on the wall, you can also hear the sound of loud laughter.
If it were in the past, Shi Mo would have found it noisy.
But now he only felt that it was extremely lively and all he saw was vitality.
On both sides of the road, people have started selling vegetables and tea with baskets on their shoulders.
The two of them went to a teahouse to rest.
Shi Sanlang kept his eyes fixed on the pedestrians on the street, his eyes narrowed with a smile: "Based on the current progress, Fenghe County will be self-sufficient without having to wait until next year... Achoo!"
Sun Bai looked at him hurriedly: "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"
Shi Mo waved his hand and said, "It's probably because it was night and the cold wind blew a bit, it's a bit chilly, but it's nothing serious."
Sun Bai thought for a moment and asked, "Can you drink?"
Shi Mo nodded.
Sun Bai: "How much can you drink?"
Shi Mo: "Not bad."
Then I saw Sun Bai hanging a gourd from his waist. When he opened the lid, he could smell the aroma of wine inside.
Different from the sweetness of rice wine, it has more of a spicy taste.
Shi Mo's eyes lit up: "Could this be the new immortal wine that has emerged in Zhou Kingdom?"
Sun Bai nodded: "Yes, that's it." After that, he poured some into the empty teacup.
Then, in front of Shi Mo, he added half a bowl of water into it.
Shi Mo: His face was full of question marks.
But Sun Bai was very persistent. After all, no one knew the aftereffects of this thing better than him.
The price of a hangover is too high.
Don’t ask, if you ask, it’s military training, running laps, practicing boxing, and being dark-skinned.
As for why he brought wine with him, it was simply because he was worried that the road would be difficult to walk on, so he brought some fuel to light a bonfire.
I absolutely dare not drink it.
Shi Mo took the teacup, smelled it first, and then took a sip.
Soon his eyes lit up: "Fine wine!"
Sun Bai nodded: "Of course, the immortal professor's methods are always good."
Shi Mo couldn't help but look at him: "Such a fine wine, Brother Sun, please have some too, you and I will drink together, in pursuit of Taibai's legacy..."
Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, Sun Bai was already shaking his head like a rattle: "No, no."
His face was full of rejection.
This made Shi Mo particularly puzzled: "Brother Sun doesn't like it?"
Sun Bai: "Not really. Others can drink as much as they want, but for me, although this wine is good, I must not drink too much."
Shi Mo: "Why?"
Sun Bai subconsciously looked at his wrist, which still had a distinct black and white mark even though military training had ended a long time ago. He pinched his strong and sturdy arms, and recalled that he had not been able to wear flowers in his hair for a long time. He couldn't help but sigh:
"If I drink, it will hurt my face."
Shi Mo: ???
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