The news about building a paper mill soon spread back to Langyun.
The students who received the task took quick action.
Some people went to the site to investigate the current papermaking technology, some were studying how to improve the papermaking process, and others were conducting various experiments.
Their efficiency was very high, and with sufficient theoretical support in the library, the students, backed by Chinese civilization, quickly produced a finished product and went down the mountain to Fenghe County to implement it.
But these have little to do with Tang Xinyang.
As a student of the School of Computer Science, his tasks are all within the school.
There may be opportunities for overseas assignments in the future, but for now, the focus is still on on-campus development.
After all, there is no wifi outside of Langyun.
However, as the vice president of the student union of Langyun School, and the vice president who stays in the school for a long time, one of his responsibilities is to organize meetings.
Today I will spend half a day sorting out the affairs of the paper mill.
Tang Xinyang arrived at the conference room early in the morning, but when he entered, he did not see any students from the School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering or the School of Economics and Management. Instead, he saw two people he had not seen for a long time.
He was a little surprised: "Xia Ying, Brother Kun, when did you come back?"
Kun Jingming adjusted his glasses, looked at him and said, "Last night."
Tang Xinyang: "Are you here for a meeting too?"
Kun Jingming: “Yeah.”
Although he is from the School of Arts and Xia Ying is from the School of Medicine, they have nothing to do with this mission. However, as members of the Student Union, they still have to audit important tasks in the school.
Tang Xinyang walked over with a smile, put his computer bag aside, sat down next to Kun Jingming, and asked, "Is the matter over in Zhou State finished?"
Kun Jingming: "Almost. We've planted everything we need to plant. The experimental fields are now in use. The barbarians don't dare come anymore. Now we just have to wait and see the harvest."
Tang Xinyang: "Where are Teacher Chu and the others?"
Xia Ying: "The Agricultural College is currently enjoying itself and has no intention of returning. I guess they won't think of returning until their mission is completed."
As he spoke, he stood up and walked to the window to look out.
After looking at it for a while, he said, "The school has changed a lot."
Tang Xinyang spent every day at school, so he didn't have much experience. He casually asked, "What's changed? Isn't it still the same school?"
Xia Ying folded his arms, leaning against the window, his voice as unhurried as ever: "Although it looks similar to before at first glance, there are obvious changes."
The wall has become higher, and various instruments have been installed inside, the purpose of which is unknown.
There are more people in the security team. It seems that national defense students and sports students have joined them to take turns on duty.
Of course, the most eye-catching thing is the students' faces.
Compared with the previous state where we were still in the learning preparation stage, the purpose is now obviously clearer, and it is obvious that the increase in the amount of tasks has brought more opportunities.
The school's infrastructure has also become more complete, and at least now it's impossible to tell that you've traveled through time.
So, Xia Ying said softly, "It seems that learning really can make people progress."
Tang Xinyang said, "Speaking of which, the tasks for each major are increasing, and I don't know how we're going to complete them in the future."
With so many majors and so many students, the lower grades may still have to continue their studies, but those in the upper grades should also enter the internship period according to the time calculation.
But in ancient times, where could one go for internship?
At this time, Kun Jingming asked, "Have you seen the system map?"
Tang Xinyang was stunned for a moment, shook his head honestly, then quickly took out his mobile phone, opened the system APP, and opened the map.
Then I found that there was a mark on it.
Countries are distinguished by color, and the colors of these countries obviously have meaning.
For example, Qi and Zhou are both light green, with a simple and crude note written next to them:
friendly.
Tang Xinyang couldn't help but blink: "What does this mean?"
Xia Ying walked over, put one hand on his shoulder, and swiped the other hand across the screen of his phone, saying, "This means that these two countries have a high degree of favorability towards us, and it's a trust from top to bottom."
Tang Xinyang understood after thinking about it for a while.
From the very beginning, the ones who came into contact with Langyun were the King of Qi and the King of Zhou.
Of the two kings, one had his cognition refreshed by the photo, while the other had his face illuminated by the flashlight.
And they all expressed enough goodwill to Langyun afterwards.
Langyun relied on Qi's students, Prince Yun, anti-epidemic efforts, sweet potatoes, factory construction and other things to refresh its favorability time and time again. At least in general, the two countries are in a friendly stage towards Langyun.
Among them, Jiangyi County and Fenghe County of Qi State, and Dechang County of Zhou State were all dark green with "Faith" clearly written on them.
I guess it’s not far from maxing out my favorability.
Kun Jingming said, "Based on previous experience, the system won't lie. Since he wrote it, it means that the indigenous people in these places have a high trust in Langyun. So, in the future, will you still worry about not having a place to intern?"
Xia Ying nodded and said, "With such a large place like this, you have many more options than if you went to campus recruitment."
Tang Xinyang laughed after hearing this, then felt a little embarrassed: "I didn't notice any of this. I've been so busy lately that I rarely even open the system."
Xia Ying looked puzzled. "What are you busy with? Isn't the school's LAN already set up?"
Tang Xinyang sighed: "It's not that simple. When I chose computer science as my major, I embarked on a journey that will never stop."
Kun Jingming silently glanced at the top of the man's head, thinking, this is also a road to saying goodbye to hair...
However, considering the unity and friendship, he did not say it out loud. He just thought silently that after his mission was completed, he would exchange it for an anti-hair loss shampoo as a gift for this person.
Then Tang Xinyang said, "Even if the network is set up, the server will malfunction, the signal tower will be damaged, and the computer will crash. I have repaired several computers in the past few days."
Xia Ying: "I remember you said before that studying computer science doesn't mean you can repair computers."
Tang Xinyang stared at the sky silently. "People are always making progress. Previously, the Mechanical Engineering Institute claimed they weren't just repairing cars, but judging by their attitude, they simply don't have the equipment, otherwise they'd probably be thinking about assembling Transformers."
Xia Ying: ...That’s not necessary.
Kun Jingming consoled her, "There are so many tasks to complete every day, so it's normal for you to miss some of them. Our student union's goal is to contribute to the school's future to the best of our ability. We need to first explore these areas and create opportunities for students. We have a long way to go."
Xia Ying nodded. "Actually, some students have already gone to nearby counties to work this past year. Dechang County is planning to build water conservancy projects, Jiangyi County is preparing to grow chili peppers, and is also learning to make soy sauce."
Tang Xinyang was stunned: "When did this happen? I don't even know!"
Xia Ying: "The school is so big, how can you know everything?"
Tang Xinyang: "Forget about everything else, why do you want to grow chili peppers?"
Xia Ying said seriously, "Of course it is to improve people's living standards. You know, food is the most important thing for people."
Tang Xinyang: Oh.
But Kun Jingming looked up at Xia Ying and said slowly: "It's obviously because you have been thinking about eating spicy hot pot, but don't want to spend points and exchange it with the system, so you asked Dechang County to plant it."
Xia Ying coughed lightly and looked at the sky silently.
Tang Xinyang: ...Very good, this reason is much more credible than the previous one.
At this time, more people came in one after another, and the three vice-chairmen stopped talking and sat down in their seats. When everyone arrived, they started the meeting.
There are two speakers this time.
One is from the School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, and the other is Professor Gong Qiao from the School of Economics and Management.
This made Tang Xinyang a little confused: "Why is Teacher Gong involved in papermaking?"
Teacher Gong Qiao was pretty, with particularly gentle features. Her voice was as gentle as ever. "Because if you want to run a factory, it's never something that can be accomplished solely by one major. For example, this time, the light chemical industry is researching how to make paper, and the water conservancy research is about how to utilize water resources. We are just discussing how to better sell it, and we need the cooperation of other majors to complete it."
Tang Xinyang blinked. "Sales, is this difficult? I thought as long as the quality is good and the price is low, it should spread quickly, right?"
Gong Qiao said gently, "I used to think so too, but my classmates in Fenghe County told me that they've discussed this with the merchants there, and they all said that if something were to become popular simply by word of mouth, it would take at least half a year."
Xia Ying was surprised: "It takes so long?"
Kun Jingming was not surprised at all. He had been dealing with students from Qi State before and had stayed in Dechang County of Zhou State for a while. He could be said to be relatively familiar with the people here.
So he said, "Transportation today is far less convenient than we imagined. Plus, they're mainly based on small-scale farming and have clan-based values. If it weren't for some special circumstances, there's basically no population mobility. Communication isn't that convenient either, so it's hard to spread small advertisements."
Xia Ying: "Isn't there a caravan?"
Kun Jingming: "They have too many uncertainties. Not every caravan can sell their goods. Moreover, paper is made by the government, and ordinary caravans rarely come specifically to sell paper. Perhaps there will be business opportunities, but at the same time, we must also find some new ways to promote it."
Gong Qiao nodded in agreement.
Tang Xinyang calculated in his mind and said, "Actually, half a year isn't that long."
Teacher Gong smiled and said, "It's not short. When it comes to investments, the sooner you see returns, the better. Besides, this isn't some kind of risky investment. Once you have output, you need to find a market. Only with sales can you stimulate production, creating a virtuous cycle. This allows products to generate more profits, boost the economy, and stimulate consumption, thus forming a healthy economic system."
Xia Ying didn't understand any of this. He simply said something very simple and plain: "Since we can find a way to sell it quickly, we naturally don't want to wait."
Kun Jingming concluded with a smile: "Why? Simply because I can."
Tang Xinyang quickly accepted the setting, then looked back at Teacher Gong with curiosity on his face: "What are you going to do?"
As Mr. Gong switched PowerPoint presentations, he said, "Whether a product sells well doesn't just depend on quality. It also depends on letting others know that your product is good. From the initial promotional efforts to the subsequent live broadcasts, they are all excellent testaments. This is the next step we need to take."
Kun Jingming suddenly looked up: "I can provide an idea."
Everyone immediately looked over. Most of them remembered how this man had managed to drag the Qi students into military training, so they all looked expectant. "What?"
Kun Jingming said softly, "Now is the time when students from all over Qi are preparing for the provincial examinations. Some of the students are also going down the mountain. If we can use them to spread the reputation of Fenghe County paper, we will naturally have no worries about sales in the future." He paused, "Not to mention, there is also Master Yun."
After hearing this, Mr. Gong immediately nodded and said, "That's a good idea."
Originally, the main group of paper consumers was scholars. If they could directly and accurately receive the "Amway" from Fenghe County, it would be equivalent to directly facing the target customer group.
Moreover, these students who were selected to study in Langyun were not ordinary people. Regardless of their family background, their talents alone were among the best in their respective places. Otherwise, they would not have been selected by the King of Qi and sent to Langyun.
In this case, it must have a place in the literary world.
As long as they promote it, there will inevitably be a chain reaction.
Xia Ying pondered for a moment and offered an analogy: "Isn't this the ancient version of celebrity endorsements?"
Tang Xinyang got it instantly, and then gave his brother Kun a thumbs up.
The paper mill in Fenghe County was relatively quiet at the beginning.
After all, papermaking does not require a big deal. With water and tools, and once the workers become familiar with the process, they can do it. It is not like a sand and gravel factory that requires going up the mountain to make noises every day, nor does it require the grandeur of making bricks or digging wells.
In addition, for most people, papermaking is no longer unfamiliar, but they think that paper is not used for writing, but for wrapping things, so they don’t really care too much about the quality.
On the contrary, the better the paper looks, the less likely they are to buy it.
If you just want to pack a bun, there's no need to use paper that's more expensive than the bun.
So when the paper mill was about to start operation, County Magistrate Zhuang asked Lang Yun's people to go and take a look. They also cut the ribbon and set off cannons like other factories did when they were completed. Ordinary people did not pay much attention to it except to watch the excitement.
The paper mill also seemed to be in no hurry at all, producing its own paper without making a big fuss.
The surrounding counties just knew, "Oh, they're starting to make paper again," and that was it.
However, the people in the paper mill are particularly confident.
This made Tang very puzzled.
Because her husband Wang had a close relationship with Ding Jiu, and Ding Jiu's wife Ma took good care of Tang, Tang would discuss things with Ma whenever she had any problems.
That day, she took advantage of the time to find Ma during dinner, and first talked about some family matters, and then whispered, "Sister-in-law, you are the one who is in charge of the paper mill's accounts, right?"
Ma nodded, a smile on her face: "It's not all me, there are others."
But she was the only woman among them.
Although the immortal said that working in the factory is equal to all kinds of work, but she used to be an accountant in the cafeteria and now she is an accountant in the paper mill, so at least her monthly salary has increased.
This is something to be happy about.
Tang also happily congratulated them first, and then raised a question: "Now I see that the paper mill has been working all the time, and all the paper has been put into the warehouse, but it has not been sold out. How are we going to balance the accounts?"
Ma patted her hands, a smile on her chubby face: "Don't worry, there's no problem selling it."
Tang blinked: "Why?"
Ma replied, "If you've ever seen that paper, you'll know it's bound to be a bestseller within a year at most. There's no need to worry about sales."
But obviously, one year is too long, and we must find a way to shorten it.
Therefore, the first customer of these papers was Sun Bai, who was sent by Gongzi Yun.
After Sun Bai got the new paper, he developed a new hobby: calligraphy. When he was young, he was most afraid of practicing calligraphy, but now he seems to be addicted to it and can't stop at all.
Until someone reminded me that the provincial examination would be held next year.
Speaking of the provincial examination, it is a hurdle for many students.
Once you pass it, you will become an official. Even if you fail to pass the imperial examination, you can still wait for an opportunity to become a small official and benefit the people.
Among Langyun, some have passed the academy examination and can prepare for the provincial examination.
According to the current rules of Qi State, the provincial examination is held every three years.
If you miss it, you will have to wait another three years unless you pass the exam.
Therefore, even though they were reluctant to leave, these students who were eligible to take the exam decided to bid farewell to the immortal and go back to prepare.
Pei Zhongwen, who was in Jiangyi County, was preparing to host a banquet for them personally.
In fact, according to common sense, as a governor, he is already a third-rank official, and he doesn't need to spend so much time and effort on these students who have not yet entered the official career.
But Lord Pei knew very well that these students were extraordinary.
I've studied and lived in the fairyland, and even been featured in a fairy magazine!
Regardless of whether they can enter official careers in the future, at least their future is limitless.
Since this is the case, Pei Zhongwen will naturally not take it lightly.
And from a selfish point of view, these people can be regarded as classmates of his fourth brother Pei Jishang, and in today's Qi State, friendship between classmates is very important. He is also helping his younger brother to build a circle of friends.
So Pei Zhongwen set up a banquet and waited for everyone to arrive.
Soon students came to visit.
He brought a lot of things with him. When he saw Pei Zhongwen, he quickly stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, sir."
Pei Zhongwen recognized the person as Sun Bai at a glance.
He is not only a good friend of Pei Jishang, but also Master Sun who was sent to Fenghe County by Prince Yun.
Thinking of this, Pei Zhongwen asked, "Is your mission in Fenghe County over?"
Sun Bai straightened up and said with a smile, "Young Master is kind and magnanimous. Knowing that the provincial examination is approaching, he sent me a message, asking me to go first. Others will take over the Fenghe County errand. I came here today to report to you and also to give you some gifts."
Pei Zhongwen then looked at the carriage parked outside the door.
At a glance, I saw several large boxes loaded on the carriage.
Pei Zhongwen couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"
Sun Bai smiled and said, "It's paper."
Pei Erlang was stunned.
Just paper?
If it is just paper, why should it be packed in such a precious box?
Then Sun Bai said, "Your Excellency has probably heard that Fenghe County has started making paper. These are the papers I bought from there. I was afraid I couldn't buy them elsewhere, so I stockpiled some. I plan to give some to you, the young master, and also share them with my classmates."
Pei Zhongwen finally became interested.
I've only heard of hoarding food and gold, but when have you ever heard of hoarding paper?
And give paper as gifts...
Pei Zhongwen then said, "As far as I know, your family is quite wealthy, and your father is a fifth-rank official. If you need paper, just ask, and officials will make it and send it to you. Why would you bother transporting it all the way back?"
Sun Bai seemed to have anticipated his question, so he turned around and opened one of the boxes.
Pei Zhongwen followed and found that this box was slightly smaller than the others. After opening it, he could see a box of neatly stacked books inside. They were probably the books that Sun Bai used to use on a daily basis, as well as some that he had copied himself.
He took out a very new one from the top.
Then Sun Bai said, "This is written on paper made in Fenghe County. I copied some poems on it." He handed it to Pei Zhongwen and said, "If you like it, my lord, this is a token of my gratitude."
Pei Zhongwen was an official after all, and he was often given gifts by others.
It's just that Pei's father had very strict education, and Pei Erlang was a clear-headed person, so he refused to accept any gifts and was truly incorruptible.
But the other party just gave me a book, and I could tell at a glance that it was newly printed and not a rare copy of an ancient book, so there was no reason to refuse.
So Pei Zhongwen reached out to take it and opened it casually.
Then the eyes fixed.
In fact, he knew all the verses written above.
These were the "fairyland poems" that had previously been spread by Gongzi Yun.
Not only did Prince Yun feel fascinated by these poems, but the entire Qi State was also shocked by them. It is said that they even spread to the neighboring Zhou State, where scholars were proud to be able to recite the words of the immortals.
When drinking, there will always be someone holding up a wine cup and reciting a line "Today I will listen to your song, and rely on a glass of wine to refresh myself."
When appreciating the moon, you should also say to the falling flowers in the garden, "The pear blossoms in the courtyard are bathed in the bright moonlight, and the willow catkins in the pond are gently blown by the breeze."
It can be said that they have carefully broken down and pondered all the words and sentences in the fairyland, and they are eager to analyze them word by word.
If you come across some allusions that you don’t know, you don’t even need to ask, you can find the explanation yourself.
Can ordinary people actually know about the things in the fairyland?
If the imagery or allusion is unclear, then it must be something that happened to immortals.
This reason works every time.
As the second son of the Pei family who once won the top three honors in the imperial examination, even though he did not indulge in poetry too much, he still copied a lot of poems and placed them on the bedside, so he didn't find them very new when he saw them now.
What really made Pei Zhongwen's pupils tremble were the words on it.
At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any difference.
But if you look at it more carefully, you will find that the handwriting is clear and the brushwork is exquisite. You will feel refreshed at first glance, and every stroke seems to be particularly moving.
Pei Zhongwen was stunned for a long moment before he murmured, "This calligraphy... beautiful calligraphy, beautiful calligraphy! I didn't expect Lord Sun to have such a wonderful handwriting!"
An ordinary scholar would probably be overjoyed to receive praise from Pei Zhongwen, a governor who was a top scholar.
But Sun Bai just cupped his hands, his face filled with shame: "Your Excellency, you are too kind. I do not deserve it. In terms of calligraphy attainments, I am only average among those who went to Langyun this time. I really do not deserve it."
Pei Zhongwen couldn't help but say, "Lord Sun, you are too modest."
Then Sun Bai said, "Sir, please take a closer look. It's not about the student's handwriting, but about the paper."
Pei Zhongwen was stunned for a moment, then he turned his attention back to the booklet in his hand.
After Sun Bai's reminder, the focus this time shifted from words to paper.
The difference was soon noticed.
Nowadays, the paper commonly used in Qi State, whether it is official papermaking or folk papermaking, is highly absorbent and easy for ink to penetrate.
This kind of paper is always good for painting, especially ink-splashed landscapes. Nowadays, many calligraphers and painters started out with landscape paintings, but if you want to draw something delicate, you have to be extra careful and use a lot of techniques and props to ensure that the ink will not spread and affect the effect when you write.
Just like Mr. Mo from Fenghe County, he became famous because he could draw detailed paintings on such paper.
When writing, paper has a greater impact.
Good official paper can still be used to write small characters, but the difficulty of making paper for civilian use is twice as great.
But now looking at the notebook in my hand, it is very different.
The surface is smooth, as white as snow, without any yellowness.
There is no sign of blurring on the words above, and every stroke is extremely clear.
You can even see the changes in the brushstrokes...
Clearer than those written on silk!
Pei Zhongwen immediately asked, "Can I have a try?"
Sun Bai immediately went to open another box.
This time, Pei Zhongwen looked very carefully and saw that there were words on the cloth strips used to tie the paper.
"Made in Fenghe County. Fenghe Paper, your only choice."
It's... catchy.
Sun Bai took out the paper and handed it to Pei Zhongwen.
Pei Zhongwen took it carefully, smelled it first, then stroked it with both hands. After a while, he turned to his attendant and said, "Bring me the pen and ink."
The attendant immediately ran to get the thing and presented it with both hands.
Pei Zhongwen picked up the pen and wrote the word "Pei" on the paper.
Then, he straightened up and finally understood why Sun Bai said that it was not his handwriting that was good, but the paper.
If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. The pen, ink, paper and inkstone are the "tools" in the hands of literati.
Now look at the word "Pei" that you wrote.
Why didn’t I realize before that my surname is so beautiful?
Pei Erlang didn't think there was anything wrong with using beautiful words to describe it. He had a smile on his face that every scholar would have.
But soon, as if he had thought of something, he raised his head and asked Sun Bai, "Do you know how much this thing can be produced?"
Sun Bai replied, "I didn't ask in detail, so I'm not sure, but judging from the efficiency of several other factories in Fenghe County, it must be higher than my workshop." He turned around and pointed, "They sent these to me all at once."
Pei Zhongwen looked at the large boxes intently, took a deep breath, and then put down his pen. He said solemnly, "Lord Sun, I will go with you to meet Master Yun."
Sun Bai was surprised: "Go now? Didn't the master say we should wait for the other students to arrive first?"
Pei Zhongwen smiled and said softly, "Everything has to be put on the back burner. No one can beat it."
Sun Bai: "What?"
Pei Zhongwen held the paper and said word by word: "The future of Qi State's literary world."
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