Chapter 119: Recruiting Apprentices
Du Qingju dragged her tired body out of the Huang family's house and found a carriage parked across the street.
Looking closely, who else could it be but Du Qi sitting sideways on the shaft of the cart?
Du Qingju suddenly felt all the fatigue in her body disappear. She walked forward with a brisk pace and said in a cheerful tone, "Present the jade!"
Du Qi jumped off the carriage and bowed, "Eighth Miss."
"Get in." A clear female voice came from the carriage.
"Here I come."
Du Qingju agreed and got into the car swiftly.
Du Qingtang leaned against the carriage, holding a book in his hand. There was a basin of ice on the small table next to him. There was not much ice left in it, but it was still cool.
After spending several hours in the delivery room filled with the smell of blood, Du Qingju was sweating all over. She sat down next to the ice basin, squinting her eyes and sighing, "Comfortable!"
The carriage started moving and drove towards the government office.
Du Qingju paused for a moment, blinking her bloodshot eyes. "Xianyu, have you been waiting outside for a long time?"
Du Qingtang took a sip of herbal tea and said, "Yesterday, Du Jiu said that you were called away after the clinic closed. I was worried, so I came here to wait for you."
Du Qingju's pupils trembled, and she cried out in disbelief, "So you waited all night?!"
Du Qingtang stretched slowly: "I slept in the car for several hours."
A while ago, she made a lot of money from those wealthy families and businessmen. They didn't dare to do anything to her, but that doesn't mean they didn't dare to harm Zhu and Ju.
With her around, they dared not act rashly.
Du Qingju noticed the dark circles under the youngest's eyes and felt guilty: "I should have told you. I made you wait so long."
"Human lives are at stake. How can we afford to delay?" Du Qingtang yawned and changed the subject. "How is the mother doing?"
When talking about business, Du Qingju's expression became serious and he explained the situation in detail.
"...Zhang Lihua proposed a divorce, but Huang Li naturally didn't want to. He avoided the topic and simply told Zhang Lihua to take good care of herself after the baby's birth and not to overthink anything. Then he turned and left."
"But I think Zhang Lihua is determined to get a divorce, and Zhang Meihua plans to ask her brothers from her natal family to come over and help support her."
"Mrs. Liu was cursing and swearing outside, and I couldn't stand it any longer, so I told Zhang Meihua to take good care of her sister and left first."
Du Qingtang sneered: "This is what a man is like."
"I think Zhang Lihua is completely disappointed this time, so she resolutely proposed a divorce." Du Qingju sighed, feeling fortunate. "Fortunately, I was firm enough over the years and didn't fall for those who urged me to get married."
Let’s not talk about people far away, let’s just talk about Guo Qian.
Before marrying the fifth sister, he was gentle and polite, and knew when to act. After marrying, he and the fifth sister lived in harmony with each other.
As a result, Xianyu was framed by Wu Guangwu and sent to Runing Prefecture to serve as an official. He instantly changed his attitude, turned his back on his fifth sister, and ignored them.
If Xianyu had not been so capable and had not fought his way back to Xiajing from Runing Prefecture, his attitude would probably be even worse now.
Even a good woman like Fifth Sister has met Guo Qian, who is two-faced and changes his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book. How can she guarantee that her husband is a man who is consistent in his words and deeds?
It’s better not to get married at all and nip any possibility in the bud.
Du Qingtang didn't comment, but lifted the car curtain and looked out: "Seventh Sister probably hasn't woken up yet, why don't we have breakfast outside before going back?"
"Sure." Du Qingju licked her cracked lips. She had eaten yesterday's lunch, and her stomach was already empty. She kept clamoring, "How about some wonton noodles? And bring some for Seventh Sister."
Du Qingtang readily agreed.
The carriage stopped on the side of the street and the two sisters each ordered a bowl of wonton noodles.
There are thin slices of beef floating on the soup, as well as a few pieces of vegetable leaves. It is a combination of meat and vegetables. I sweated profusely while eating it, but I felt comfortable all over.
Du Qingtang asked the proprietress to make a separate portion and take it away.
When I returned to the government office, it was almost dawn.
Du Qingtang took a cold shower, put on his official robes and went straight to the lobby.
"Blessings, my lord."
Wherever he passed, the minor officials all bowed and greeted him.
Du Qingtang arrived at the duty room and just sat down to handle official business when a clerk knocked on the door: "Sir, the garment factory has been cleaned up. Would you like to go over and take a look? Anything that is not done well can be improved in time."
Du Qingtang put the ink stick back, washed his hands and walked out, and the clerk hurriedly followed.
Passing by the notice wall outside the government office, Du Qingtang remembered that a few days ago, 500 shops were randomly selected and rented out to the people at low prices. He casually asked, "How many shops have been rented out?"
The clerk was stunned for a moment and shook his head: "No one is renting the shop at the moment."
Du Qingtang frowned slightly: "Not a single room has been rented out?"
The clerk nodded and said, "It is said that they are afraid of those people seeking revenge and malicious retaliation, so they dare not rent shops from the government."
Du Qingtang was speechless, and did not ask any more questions. He rode his horse to the garment factory.
The craftsmen built the factory according to the drawings provided by Du Qingtang. The production department occupied the largest area, followed by the quality inspection department, purchasing department, warehouse, finance department and other departments.
Next to the gate of each department stands a half-person-high stone tablet with the name of each department engraved on it in silver hooks and iron paintings, and there is a line of small characters below, making the specific responsibilities clear at a glance.
In addition to these departments, there are also kitchens and dormitories.
In order to increase the enthusiasm of workers, the garment factory will provide free lunch, and workers can get their meals by showing their work badges.
Some workers live far away and are inevitably tired from traveling back and forth. In order to avoid affecting work efficiency, the garment factory also provides free accommodation.
Du Qingtang measured the vast garment factory with his legs and found several minor problems. The clerk recorded them all and asked the craftsmen to come and fix them the next day.
When leaving, Du Qingtang reminded: "Remember to put a circle of wire around the top of the wall to prevent strangers from climbing over the wall and coming in."
The clerk looked at the wall that was already two people high, his mouth twitched, and he wrote this down as well.
Back at the government office, Du Qingtang summoned another clerk and said, "Post a notice and offer a large sum of money to recruit people who are good at growing fruits and vegetables."
The clerk agreed, but couldn't resist asking, "Sir, why are you calling the fruit farmers together?"
Du Qingtang said bluntly: "I plan to build an orchard."
Shaoqing Prefecture is a semi-arid area with a large temperature difference between day and night, which is conducive to the accumulation of sugar in fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables grown here are sweeter than those in other places.
However, when Du Qingtang sent people to visit, he found that there were very few people in Shaoqing Prefecture who made a living by growing fruits and vegetables.
Perhaps no one discovered the business opportunity, or perhaps the people were suffering from the local chaos and were too lazy to work hard or had no time to work hard. Whatever the reason, let’s not talk about the past for now. Du Qingtang now just wants to seize this business opportunity.
Anyway, there are plenty of wastelands in Shaoqing Prefecture. She hired people who are good at farming to improve the soil fertility, and estimated that fruits and vegetables could be planted in October.
In addition to transporting ripe fruits and vegetables to other places for sale, they can also be made into dried fruits.
High-sugar dried fruits can be stored for one to two years and can be sold to more distant places.
By then, the reputation of Shaoqing dried fruits will spread and it will be a considerable income.
The clerk had no doubts: "Yes, I will draft the notice right away."
Du Qingtang picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and began to deal with today's official business.
-
Du Qingju returned to the government office from Huang's house, took a shower, changed clothes, and fell asleep.
When I woke up again, it was already past noon.
The August sun is setting, but the heat is still oppressive.
The Food Fragrance Pavilion was about to open, and Du Qingzhu was currently researching new dishes in the kitchen. Du Qingju did not disturb her, but ate two pieces of pastries to satisfy her hunger, and then took a carriage to Xinglin Hall.
After Xiao Wang and Xiao Fang left, the Xinglin Hall was now under a heavy roof, and with the shops on both sides crowded with guests, the business seemed even worse.
Du Qingju jumped off the carriage and found a person sitting on the steps in front of Xinglin Hall.
With a round face and bright eyes, she looks full of energy.
It turned out to be the young girl who assisted Du Qingju in performing a caesarean section on Zhang Lihua last night.
Seeing Du Qingju, the young girl quickly stood up, rubbing the corner of her clothes awkwardly, and said with dimples, "Doctor."
"Why are you here?" Du Qingju didn't know her name, so she simply ignored it and asked directly.
The young girl took a deep breath and said, "Doctor, are you accepting disciples?"
Du Qingju was stunned.
The young girl said very quickly: "I think you are very capable. I want to become your disciple."
Yesterday afternoon, Grandpa asked her to deliver medicine to a former patient.
On the way back, she saw a lot of people standing in front of the Huang family's door, and out of curiosity she went over to see what was going on.
After listening for a while, she learned that the woman in this family was having a difficult delivery and her life was in danger, but her husband and mother-in-law refused to call a doctor for her.
She was very angry and was about to argue with the Huang mother and son when Zhang Meihua came over with Du Qingju.
Afterwards, Du Qingju proposed to perform a caesarean section for Zhang Lihua and needed someone to help. She stepped forward without hesitation.
After entering the delivery room, she watched the entire process of the cesarean section. Both the cesarean section and the suturing were extraordinary medical skills that she had never heard of in the past fifteen years.
When she returned home the next day, she ignored the accusations of her parents and grandfather, slept for a while with excitement in her heart, and then went to the Huang family to ask Zhang Meihua about the news of the female doctor.
She admired the female doctor's courage and bravery very much, and had a hunch that if she could become her disciple, she would benefit a lot.
So, she stood here and asked Du Qingju to become her apprentice.
Du Qingju climbed the stairs, took out the key and opened the door: "Your grandfather is a doctor, why don't you just learn medicine from him?"
The young girl followed closely, her voice soft and melancholy, "Grandpa said that since I'm a girl, there's no need for me to study medicine. He only taught my older brother and younger brother, and he wouldn't even let me touch a medical book."
Du Qingju recalled last night. The girl was calm and composed, and had quick reactions. It was obvious that she had studied medicine.
Combined with what he said, he probably learned it secretly without telling his family.
Du Qingju looked at the girl with sad eyes and felt weak in her heart: "If your grandfather knew..."
The young girl quickly said, "I told my grandfather about it, and he scolded me, but he didn't stop me from taking you as his master."
Perhaps he didn't care about his granddaughter, or perhaps he wanted her to hit a wall and give up the idea of studying medicine. She didn't want to delve into it, but simply admired Du Qingju and wanted to become her apprentice.
Du Qingju raised her eyebrows: "My requirements are very high."
The young girl was stunned for a moment, her cheeks flushed. "I can do it! I can endure hardships, you can use me as you like!"
After saying that, he happily went to make tea.
Du Qingju sat behind the long desk and let her run around.
After a while, the young girl poured a cup of tea, knelt beside the long table, and said crisply, "Master, please have some tea."
Du Qingju took the teacup, tilted her head back slightly and drank it all in one gulp.
The young girl kowtowed: "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings!"
Du Qingju hummed and asked her, "What's your name?"
The young girl realized belatedly that she hadn't given her name yet, and blushed, "Master, my name is Liang Chuxia."
"Chuxia, that's a good name." Du Qingju smiled slightly. "My name is Du Qingju. From today on, you will be an apprentice of Xinglin Hall. I will teach you everything I know. I hope you will study hard and don't waste time or slack off."
Liang Chuxia nodded obediently. Just as she was about to say that she would not slack off, her eyes suddenly widened and she stammered, "What's your name?"
Du Qingju spoke clearly, "Du Qingju."
Liang Chuxia covered her mouth, her eyes filled with admiration: "You are... you are the Lord of Deyang Township who developed the Tianju Drink!"
Du Qingju nodded: "Yes."
Liang Chuxia suppressed the scream that was about to come out of her mouth. She felt dizzy and said in a dazed tone, "I didn't expect you to come to Shaoqing Prefecture to open a clinic. This is like a dream. If my elder brother and younger brother knew that I became your disciple, they would be jealous to death."
Du Qingju smiled and solemnly reminded: "I don't intend to reveal my identity."
Liang Chuxia nodded vigorously: "Master, don't worry, I will keep my mouth shut."
Du Qingtang raised his hand: "Get up, let me see what you have learned first."
Liang Chuxia pursed her lips and stood up to accept the test from her master. Her heart felt like a deer was beating, her face flushed, and her eyes were burning.
Thinking of her grandfather's evaluation of the female doctor of Xinglin Hall - she was too ambitious and had high aspirations, Liang Chuxia secretly complained. If he knew the identity of his master, he would definitely regret saying so.
But she wouldn't tell grandpa.
If grandpa knew the master's identity, he would definitely not let her continue studying medicine.
......
When Du Qingtang finished his shift in the evening and returned to the third hall, he was told that his eighth sister had accepted a young apprentice.
"Is it the little assistant from yesterday?"
"Little assistant..." Du Qingju felt that this description was very appropriate, "That's her."
In fact, accepting disciples was just a spur of the moment decision.
The stubbornness and thirst for medical skills in Liang Chuxia's eyes reminded her of herself many years ago.
At that time, she had no foundation and only had a tattered medical book bought from a peddler.
She read day and night, stumbling and learning on her own, and only she knew how difficult it was.
Liang Chuxia was born into a medical family, but because of her identity as a woman, she was not allowed by her elders to study medicine.
But she refused to give in and refused to admit defeat.
Du Qingju did not ask her how she taught herself medicine, but one thing was certain, Liang Chuxia was quite talented in medicine.
With just guidance, it is possible to achieve some results.
"Very good." Du Qingtang paused and added, "That girl has good intentions."
Du Qingzhu held up his chin and said, "I was thinking, when the Food Fragrance Pavilion opens, should I take in an apprentice for fun?"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingju: “…”
The next day, Du Qingju went to Xinglin Hall as usual.
After cleaning, Du Qingju ground herbs in front of the medicine cabinet, while Liang Chuxia held a medical book and read it intently.
At this time, two women appeared at the door of the clinic.
"Is this the place?"
"There are only two medical clinics on Yangliu Street, and this one has a newer sign."
"Go in and take a look first, not leave again."
The two looked at each other and walked in.
"Excuse me...Is Doctor Du here?"
Du Qingju looked in the direction of the voice, a smile on her beautiful face: "I am Doctor Du."
The woman recalled the rumors that the female doctors at Xinglin Hall were young and beautiful, which was exactly the right match for the person before her.
The woman in green breathed a sigh of relief, glanced outside the door, and whispered, "I heard you're very good at treating gynecological problems, especially persistent bleeding."
The woman in blue echoed, "We are from the same village as Meihua. We heard she was cured with just two doses of medicine, so we came to see you."
Du Qingju's smile deepened: "Of course, you two follow me."
The woman in blue left first, leaving the woman in green and Liang Chuxia in the lobby.
Seeing that Liang Chuxia was younger, the woman asked curiously, "Are you also a doctor at Xinglin Hall?"
Liang Chuxia shook her head: "I am an apprentice. Xinglin Hall only has my master and one doctor."
The woman was a little surprised: "Doctor Du actually accepted a disciple?"
Liang Chuxia held her head high, proud and proud: "Master is very capable. She performed a caesarian section to deliver a baby the day before yesterday. It was almost a double death, but now the mother and daughter are safe, and both the adult and the child are doing well."
Upon hearing this, the woman was completely relieved and opened up, "We've heard about this too, and it's spread all over the city. The female doctor at Xinglin Hall performed a caesarean section and saved two lives."
What she didn't say was that some people thought that Dr. Du was a skilled doctor who dared to snatch people from the King of Hell, while others thought that since one's body and hair are given by one's parents, Dr. Du was very cruel.
The woman didn't think it was a big deal.
There is no need to be so particular when it comes to life and death. As long as you survive, you can do anything.
When the woman thought of Huang Li, who would rather watch his daughter-in-law die in childbirth than hire a doctor for the sake of his so-called innocence, contempt flashed in her eyes.
It's really not worth it for Meihua's sister to risk her life to give birth to a child for him.
Fortunately, Meihua's brother is a good person. He brought people to the Huang family yesterday and took her sister and niece back.
During the conversation, Du Qingju and the woman in blue came out. "Your condition has been delayed for too long and is a bit serious. I'll prescribe five doses of medicine first. Let's see how effective it is after you take them."
The woman in blue also knew her own situation and readily agreed, "Then I'll have to trouble Doctor Du."
Du Qingju smiled and motioned the woman in green to follow her, not forgetting to instruct her: "Chuxia, go get the medicine."
Liang Chuxia responded promptly, holding a medicine dustpan in one hand and a scale in the other, and went straight to the medicine cabinet to get the medicine.
The woman in green had milder symptoms, so Du Qingju prescribed her some medicine and then gave them both acupuncture.
After half an hour, the acupuncture was over.
The two women sat up from the wooden bed and inexplicably felt that the abdominal discomfort that had been with them for months was much relieved.
The two looked at each other, and confirmed from each other's eyes that this was not an illusion. They were surprised and happy, and they paid the medical fee readily and left with the medicine bag.
Liang Chuxia tidied up the wooden bed and went to the front to tidy up the medicine cabinet. She smiled brightly and said, "Master, now everyone in the city knows you."
Du Qingju was slightly startled, then chuckled: "That's great, isn't it?"
Liang Chuxia nodded vigorously: "That's right!"
-
Over the next two days, more women came to see the doctor.
Some of them suffer from persistent bleeding, while others have other problems. For Du Qingju, an expert in gynecology, these are not big problems at all and can be easily solved.
After Zhang Meihua settled her elder sister, she finally found some time to come to the provincial capital to thank Du Qingju.
"Doctor Du, thank you so much! If it weren't for you that day, my elder sister would have..." Zhang Meihua felt a pang of fear every time she thought of how Zhang Lihua nearly passed away during childbirth. "I forgot to give you the consultation fee that day. Please be sure to accept it."
As she spoke, she stuffed a grain of silver into Du Qingju's hand, which weighed about two taels.
Du Qingju knew that Zhang Meihua's family was poor, so she naturally refused to accept it: "This is too much..."
However, Zhang Meihua held her hand tightly, not letting her let go: "Doctor Du, you saved my elder sister's life, this is what you deserve."
Du Qingju had no choice but to accept it.
Zhang Meihua felt relieved. She was worried that Doctor Du would not accept her. She couldn't bear the debt of gratitude for saving her life. "That bastard Huang Li refused to divorce at first, so my eldest brother brought some cousins to the house and took my eldest sister home."
"For the next few days, my eldest brother blocked the Huang family's door every day. Huang Li had no choice but to agree to a divorce yesterday. This morning, he put his fingerprints on the divorce papers. He just needs to wait for the government to approve it, and then they'll be done with each other completely."
Du Qingju always admired women who acted decisively, so her expression softened: "That's good. There's still a long way to go. There's nothing we can't overcome."
Zhang Meihua nodded repeatedly, spoke a few more words to Du Qingju, and before leaving, she said, "I'll introduce you to all the wives, young and old, from all over the village. I reckon they'll all be coming to see you soon."
Du Qingju thanked him softly, "Two sisters have already come here."
Zhang Meihua waved her hands repeatedly: "My sister was injured during childbirth. After she is out of confinement and the wound on her stomach has healed, I will bring her here again. Please take care of her body."
Du Qingju readily agreed.
Zhang Lihua had drunk a lot of bad things before, and her body was seriously depleted. She also suffered a difficult childbirth, so it was not easy for her to survive. She had to recuperate slowly, otherwise it would affect her lifespan.
However, there is no need to let Zhang Meihua know about this kind of thing, as knowing it would only add to her sadness.
After Zhang Meihua left, Xinglin Hall welcomed several more women.
Some were introduced by Zhang Meihua, and some were from the provincial capital who came simply because they had heard of Du Qingju's feat of conceiving a child through caesarean section and came because she was a rare female doctor.
When Du Qingju was seeing patients, Liang Chuxia listened in throughout the process, holding a booklet and making a few notes from time to time.
Before closing in the evening, Du Qingju examined Liang Chuxia on today's case and said at the end, "Not bad. First, study the medical book I gave you thoroughly, and then I will teach you the rest."
Liang Chuxia's eyes lit up: "Does it also include suturing?"
Du Qingju nodded.
Liang Chuxia cheered: "Master, you are so kind!"
Du Qingju laughed, and when she locked the door she suddenly remembered something: "You don't have to come tomorrow."
On August 26, Shixiang Pavilion opened.
As a younger sister, she naturally had to go and show her support.
However, in order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, she did not greet the guests with Du Qingju, but went there as a guest.
Liang Chuxia guessed it must be something very important and didn't ask any more questions: "Okay, I'll come back the day after tomorrow."
The master and disciple parted ways and went their separate ways.
......
The next day, the restaurant on Changning Street opened.
The young owner, dressed in a purple dress, took off the red silk on the plaque, and the three elegant and refined words "Shixiang Pavilion" sparkled in the sun.
The accountant, waiter, cook, servant and others applauded.
Du Qingzhu lit firecrackers, accompanied by the lively crackling sound, and announced loudly: "On the opening day of Shixiang Pavilion, all dishes will be half price!"
"Any customer who consumes at Shixiang Pavilion today will receive a membership card and become a distinguished member of Shixiang Pavilion. This will allow them to enjoy a free dish when they consume here in the future."
Restaurants are known for their huge profits. Even if the prices are half or even if the dishes are waived, Shixiang Pavilion will still make a profit.
Compared to medical clinics, customers who come to restaurants only care about whether the food is to their liking and don’t care about the age of the owner or the chef at all.
With the temptation of half-price in front and free meal in the back, customers flocked into Shixiang Pavilion.
The interior layout of Shixiang Pavilion is the same as that of Qingyuan County. When guests walk in, they can smell the fragrance of ink on calligraphy and paintings and the aroma of dishes.
"The owner of this Food Fragrance Pavilion is also a refined person."
“The writing is good and the taste is good.”
The Shixiang Pavilion was overcrowded and the waiters were too busy to handle the meal. Even the accountant was temporarily requisitioned and was busy carrying plates.
In particular, Shixiang Pavilion also sells the snacks that they used to make their first fortune by setting up a stall. Diners find them novel and unique, so they are naturally willing to spend money to appease their stomachs.
Du Qingju sat in the lobby, surrounded by the hustle and bustle. She listened to the diners praising the dishes of Shixiang Pavilion and the crisp sound of copper coins falling into the money box. She ate stinky tofu and slowly smiled.
......
On the opening day of Shixiang Pavilion, after deducting the cost, the total profit was -
"One hundred and eight taels!"
Du Qingzhu sat cross-legged on the kang, kicked his legs excitedly, hugged the account book and gave it a big kiss, then hugged Du Qingju and gave her a kiss.
"Xiao Ba, we earned 108 taels today! If we split it up, each of us gets 54 taels!"
Food is the most important thing for people. Not all people in the city are poor.
The dishes in Shixiang Pavilion are delicious and there are many new things that diners have never tasted before. They eat until their stomachs are full and ask the waiters to pack them up and take them home for their families to try.
From the morning hour of Chen to the evening hour of Hai, a group of diners left and new ones came in, and the seats were always full all day long.
In this way, you will naturally earn more.
Du Qingju's cheeks flushed after being kissed by Du Qingzhu. She tried to push her away twice but failed, so she just let her go.
But after a moment, Du Qingju heard the sound of gentle breathing.
Turning around, I saw Du Qingzhu had fallen asleep holding the abacus, with a sweet smile on her lips.
Du Qingju helped Du Qingzhu lie down, pulled the quilt over her, and whispered, "Seventh Sister is very tired today."
Being busy from morning to night, I have to entertain guests and cook at the same time. Even the strongest person can't stand it.
Du Qingtang remained silent and pricked the wick with a hairpin: "You should also go to bed early. The school will start in a few days and you still have to teach."
Du Qingju nodded softly and left with the youngest one one after another.
-
On August 27, the government posted a notice.
Three schools located in the south, north and west of the city have been completed and will be opened to students on August 29th.
Each school will enroll 1,500 students and will close when the enrollment is full.
Students must be at least six years old and can still receive one penny of tuition money every month after entering school.
In fact, as early as mid-month, the people had heard rumors that the government planned to open three additional schools.
After waiting for a long time, I finally got the accurate news.
"On August 20th, the 30th school is recruiting students, and the 30th garment factory is hiring workers. The capital city is going to be bustling these next two days!"
"My child missed the registration last time, so this time he has to wait at the school gate before dawn."
"There are only 4,500 students in the three schools. Some people are so shameless that they bring four or five children with them. Many children still can't go to school."
"It's already very good. I wanted to read it before but never had the chance."
"Don't worry, the prefect attaches great importance to children and will definitely build more schools in the future."
Having said that, everyone still made up their minds to go to the school early the next day and wait, rushing to the front to avoid being overtaken by others and their children missing the opportunity to study again.
......
"Sir, the Heyang County Magistrate requests an audience."
Du Qingtang put down his brush and walked out, and at a glance he saw County Magistrate Guan sitting in the corridor of the government office, drinking mung bean soup with a minor official.
When the crimson figure came into view, County Magistrate Guan gulped down the mung bean soup in two gulps, wiped his mouth hastily, and stood up to greet: "Your humble servant greets you, sir."
Du Qingtang discovered that County Magistrate Guan had changed his clothes. Although they were still made of coarse cloth, at least they were no longer patched up and looked much more decent.
Guan County Magistrate noticed the prefect's look and felt a little embarrassed. He carefully smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes and said, "I made some money selling wool, so I bought two feet of cloth and made me a new set of clothes."
County Magistrate Guan smiled a little foolishly, and a new piece of clothing made of coarse cloth made him look very satisfied.
Du Qingtang couldn't tell what he felt in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He just kept praising her: "Lingzheng's embroidery is excellent. Those green bamboos are really lifelike."
The petty officials also followed suit.
County Magistrate Guan laughed even more heartily, but he did not forget his business and quickly got back to the point: "I followed your instructions and asked everyone to save wool. Seeing that the garment factory was about to open, they just happened to have finished processing it, so I quickly sent it to you."
Du Qingtang asked: "Is he outside?"
County Magistrate Guan shook his head and said, "There are several carts of wool. I left them outside the north city gate."
Anyway, there are soldiers guarding the city watching over us, so nothing will happen.
Du Qingtang asked again: "How many kilograms in total?"
The county magistrate reported a figure, and immediately a clerk brought the balance.
Since the balance was to be distributed among countless households, Du Qingtang gave directly in copper coins.
The copper coins were placed in a box, which made a jingling sound when moved.
Du Qingtang pointed at the wooden box and asked, "Master Guan, would you like to take inventory?"
County Magistrate Guan shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, no."
The prefect trusted him and gave him the money without sending anyone to count the weight of the wool, so he also trusted the prefect.
Du Qingtang had the yamen runners move the wooden box onto County Magistrate Guan's oxcart and said slowly, "From now on, deliver it once a month, directly to the garment factory outside the north city gate."
County Magistrate Guan nodded in agreement, bowed to Du Qingtang, and left with a smile on his face.
Du Qingtang pointed to a clerk and said, "Go and receive the wool and put it directly into the warehouse of the garment factory."
The clerk took the order and left.
Du Qingtang called the captain over again and said, "The garment factory needs someone to make lunch. We'll select twenty from the families of the yamen runners. You'll be responsible for counting them and reporting back to me."
The captain of the police was overjoyed and left with a beaming smile on his face.
Du Qingtang stood there for a moment, then returned to the duty room to continue working.
These yamen runners have performed well, so they should be given some sweet treats occasionally.
......
On August 29th, Du Qingtang got up early and unveiled the plaques of three schools one after another.
There were huge crowds of people at the school gate, everyone was dragging their children with them, and the sound of young children's voices filled the air.
Du Qingtang was wearing a crimson official robe and took off the red silk on the plaque.
The silver-hooked and iron-painted "Shaoqing School" comes into view, and four small characters are written on the lower right corner of the plaque - Chengnan Branch.
"I hereby declare that the Chengnan branch of Shaoqing Academy is officially established."
"You may all enter the school in an orderly manner and register your children."
Du Qingtang stepped aside, and the people, who had been restless for a long time, rushed to the school gate with their children in their arms.
Afterwards, Du Qingtang went to the North City Branch and the West City Branch.
There were yamen runners maintaining order, and although the school was noisy, fortunately no trouble occurred.
Du Qingtang returned to the government office and began to handle official business.
The garment factory will be officially opened tomorrow, and the recruitment site will definitely be crowded with people, so she has to go and keep an eye on it.
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On August 30th, just as the sky was getting light, countless people set out from their homes and headed north.
On the way, I met someone I knew and hurriedly said hello: "Are you going to the garment factory too?"
The acquaintance nodded cheerfully, "Yes."
The two looked at each other in the dim light and quickened their pace without leaving any trace.
There must be a lot of people who want to work in a garment factory, but there are only a few thousand vacancies.
Just like the school enrollment, it’s definitely first come first served.
None of them wants to fall behind and miss out on a good job that pays on time every month.
Even so, when they walked and ran out of the north city gate to the garment factory, there was already a huge crowd of people outside, and all they could see were the backs of their heads that were pitch black.
"I miscalculated. I should have come earlier!"
"We can only hope that the garment factory will recruit a second batch of workers."
"As long as sales are good and there's a shortage of workers, the prefect will definitely arrange a second recruitment."
The people queuing behind all put aside their frustration and prayed silently in their hearts, hoping that the garment factory's business would prosper and become more and more prosperous.
"The prefect has arrived!"
Someone shouted, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Du Qingtang appeared in a crimson official robe, followed by a group of clerks from the government office and yamen runners with belts and swords.
"The prefect is really handsome."
"Good looks are secondary. The most important thing is outstanding ability and loving the people like one's own children."
"That's right! That's right!"
"Your humble servant pays homage to the prefect!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and then all the people knelt in unison, shouting in unison: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you!"
Everyone shouted three times in a row, the sound was deafening and reached the sky.
Du Qingtang's eyebrows relaxed, and ripples appeared in his eyes, like ice and snow melting: "No need to be so polite."
After saying that, he walked towards the gate of the garment factory and stood under the plaque, with a corner of the red silk fluttering in the wind.
But in a moment, the yamen runners shouted: "The auspicious time has arrived, unveil the plaque——"
Du Qingtang raised his hand and gently grasped the red silk. With force on his wrist, the red silk fell down, revealing a lacquered plaque.
In the sunlight, the five words "Shaoqing Garment Factory" are like a graceful dragon, and everyone who sees them is amazed.
Du Qingtang leaned slightly to the side, his voice clear and resonant, as if piercing through the clouds and splitting the rocks, shocking everyone: "Shaoqing Garment Factory is officially completed!"
"good!"
The people cheered in unison and applauded loudly.
The door of the garment factory swung open, and in the center stood a long table made up of several tables.
Ten minor clerks sat behind the long desk, all holding brushes, looking ready for action.
"Registrants must line up in ten long queues and are not allowed to make loud noises or jump in line."
"You need to provide your name, age, place of origin, and other information. The accuracy will be verified by the government afterwards. Those who pass the test will be notified by a special person."
As soon as the words fell, the people suppressed their anxiety and lined up obediently.
Some people came to register, while others came to watch the fun.
For example, now——
"Lord Zhizhi."
Du Qingtang was watching the people register when he suddenly felt a slight tugging at the corner of his robe, followed by a childish voice calling him.
Looking down, I met the eyes of a little baby with fair skin and big eyes.
The little girl held a flower in her hand, tugged at her wide sleeve, and tremblingly stood on tiptoe, trying to pass the flower to Du Qingtang: "Master Zhizhi, this is for you, give it to me."
Du Qingtang subconsciously took the flowers.
The flower is an unknown wild flower. Its petals are only the size of a fingernail, pink in color, and bloom exceptionally beautifully.
"Where are your parents?"
The little baby turned its head, and half of its chubby body turned around, pointing to the place not far away: "Mom."
Du Qingtang looked in the direction of his hand and found that it was an acquaintance.
Not long ago, a case occurred in which a son-in-law colluded with his mistress and attempted to poison his wife. The victim was the mother of this little baby.
The woman bowed, and though she was far away, her lips could clearly read: "Thank you, sir."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly, and felt the pulling sensation on his wide sleeves again.
The little baby lowered his head and clapped his dimpled hands on his mouth twice, with his five short, fat fingers spread out, looking very cute: "Ah - Ah -"
After clapping twice, he reached out to reach Du Qingtang again.
Du Qingtang didn't understand what was going on, but still bent down to cooperate.
The next moment, a soft palm touched her cheek twice.
"Bobo~"
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