The second day of the first lunar month in the ninth year of the Xuanli calendar.
It was sunny yesterday, but it is snowing again today.
Su Su and Su Rou were sitting in Taoranting. She was wearing a white dress today, and the two pigtails on her head were untied and tied into a ponytail behind her head.
But her little feet were still barefoot, and were swaying on the stool.
"Third Senior Sister, you've had more contact with that Fu Xiaoguan. Is he really...really powerful?"
Yesterday, Susu listened to the conversation between Dong Kangping and Fu Xiaoguan for a long time. Of course, there were too many things she didn't understand, so she thought they both seemed very profound.
Su Rou raised her head, and her thin eyes opened a little to look at Su Su, "Sixth Junior Sister, don't blame me for not warning you, this curiosity is not necessarily a good thing."
"You're not right. Didn't Master say that the path to martial arts begins with curiosity? People want to fly like birds, be as agile as monkeys, and be as strong as black bears. So, people began to imitate various things, and gradually developed martial arts skills, and gradually developed internal strength, and finally became as free as birds, right? So... curiosity makes people progress!"
Su Rou smiled, her eyes becoming narrower. "But if you're curious about someone, especially a sixteen-year-old boy, you'll definitely want to get to know him, like now. And as you get to know him more and more, you'll find that there's no one else in your heart. That's... curiosity, it makes a girl fall!"
Su Su widened her eyes, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into giggles.
"Senior Sister, you're so funny. Could he have such a powerful magic? Just because I get to know him better, I'll be attracted to him? Will I keep him in my heart? Will I marry him regardless of everything and willingly bear children for him? Forget it, I've never even thought about that."
This time Su Rou did not answer. She looked at Su Su twice again, lowered her head and continued to embroider her mandarin ducks.
Thinking back, wasn’t it because I was curious about why the senior brother liked that crown hat that I fell in love with him?
It seemed like she was back in the past, and Su Rou couldn't help but smile.
There seemed to be some secret hidden in the eldest brother's crown. She always liked to poke it with a bamboo pole. Then the eldest brother would say, "Don't be naughty," and then he would raise his hands to straighten the crown.
There was a time when Su Rou enjoyed this very much, because the second senior brother said that there was a little bird in the eldest senior brother's hat - Su Rou's face suddenly turned red, there was no little bird at all, it was clearly a big bird!
That time, the eldest brother finally got angry and scolded her for the first time ever. He also beat up the second brother, but the eldest brother still hasn't explained why he kept a bird in the hat.
This little girl is still young. Because she lives in the temple, she is more innocent than other girls of the same age in the outside world. She doesn't have the concept of finding a man to marry when she reaches the age of 15, so... she will definitely fall into that pit and naturally won't be able to climb out.
Su Rou merely gave a reminder about this matter. As for whether Su Su would fall into Fu Xiaoguan's trap in the future, she was also quite curious.
Su Su was still shaking her legs as she watched the snow on Xuanwu Lake getting heavier and heavier. After a while, she took out a book from her sleeve pocket and started reading. Su Rou looked up and saw that it was A Dream of Red Mansions. She was completely screwed.
…
At the end of the Si hour, Yan Xiwen arrived at the Fu residence, followed by Yan Xiaolou.
This was Yan Xiaolou's first time at the Fu Mansion, and she was nervous and curious. She kept wondering what Fu Xiaoguan was doing. Would he feel lonely being alone in the capital during the Lunar New Year?
However, her brother's words deeply hurt her heart - "Little sister, I admit that Fu Xiaoguan is indeed a rare young man, but you are not just one step late!"
Then she realized that her worries were unnecessary. Fu Xiaoguan actually spent the New Year at the Dong Mansion, and yesterday he went with Dong Shulan to visit Dong's relatives - that is to say, their relationship was already settled, and there were no more obstacles.
Although Yan Xiaolou was smiling, her disappointment was still evident. She lowered her head and wanted to get off the car, but she felt unwilling. What was the point of going to the Fu Mansion to meet Fu Xiaoguan?
It just adds to your troubles!
"Brother, what I mean is, can you put aside the word 'love'? Fu Xiaoguan is a friend worth making friends with. Just like Dong Shulan, I have put aside the word 'love' and my heart has let it go. I think Dong Shulan is a friend worth making friends with."
The carriage was still heading towards the Fu Mansion. Yan Xiaolou thought for a long time, but she still couldn't figure out what kind of mentality she should have when looking at Fu Xiaoguan, and how she should let go of the word "love"!
Did Lin Daiyu see through it? She didn't.
Did Xue Baochai see through it? She didn't either.
Lin Daiyu gained Jia Baoyu's love, but did not gain ultimate happiness, while Xue Baochai did not gain Jia Baoyu's love, but gained Jia Baoyu himself.
Although it was still a tragedy in the end, at least they had it.
As his curiosity about Fu Xiaoguan grew, Yan Xiaolou found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the pit. Now when he wanted to climb out of the pit, he found that there was nowhere to go.
Yan Xiwen sighed, thinking that guy was really a troublemaker!
My younger sister had only one contact with him, which was the first time they met at Lantingji. They had a drink together at Sifang Tower, and then... then Yan Xiwen knew that my younger sister's heart was with Fu Xiaoguan.
She only read A Dream of Red Mansions. The questions she asked most were about Fu Xiaoguan, and the topics she listened to most attentively were also about Fu Xiaoguan.
Curiosity...will indeed make this young girl who is just beginning to fall in love fall in love. In this huge city of Shangjing, there is definitely not only one girl like her own sister!
So, how can we help my little sister?
During the rest of the trip, Yan Xiwen was thinking about this question.
Fu Xiaoguan received Yan Xiwen and his sister in Li Chenxuan, and he brewed a pot of Lingnan rock tea.
Yan Xiwen had been keeping an eye on Fu Xiaoguan since she entered the Fu residence and saw him. Fu Xiaoguan simply glanced at her sister, his expression calm and as enthusiastic as ever, and his eyes were not impressed by her sister.
This guy... Yan Xiaolou is one of the three beauties in the capital. In terms of appearance, she is on par with Dong Shulan and Yu Wenjun. In terms of knowledge, his younger sister is even a little better than Dong Shulan and Yu Wenjun - but he just took a look!
"This tea tastes very good, especially suitable for drinking in this winter. Please try it."
Fu Xiaoguan poured tea and handed it to Yan Xiaolou and Yan Xiwen, then said, "I thought carefully last night. There are many barren lands in Yao County, and we could build more workshops in Xishan. I do have some thoughts from the bottom of my heart that I want to discuss with Brother Xiwen. If you don't like it, then just pretend I never said it."
Yan Xiwen picked up the cup and sniffed it. It was just Lingnan rock tea. He thought it was something special. There were plenty of this stuff in the Yan Mansion.
"Brother Fu, please speak."
"Personally, I believe commerce is more important than agriculture... I knew you'd be surprised, so hear me out." Fu Xiaoguan looked at the surprised eyes of the brother and sister and laughed. "Due to backward productivity—that is, farming technology—farms require a large number of farmers. Their efficiency is extremely low. My family is a landlord, so I know this very well. In a whole year, the grain grown by each able-bodied farmer, if converted into silver, is only a mere four or five taels of silver—you heard correctly, about the cost of a banquet at our Sifang Building."
"But in my workshop, even a laborer's daily wage is 20 wen, which is 600 wen a month, and 7,200 wen a year, which is at least 7 taels of silver, 3 taels more than farming. If you have a special skill, the money will be doubled."
"So, simply comparing them, their income has increased. But for you, the official in charge, the taxes collected from farming are far less than the taxes paid by my workshop."
"My idea is that once the workshop in Yao County is completed and operational, you, as a local official, should persuade some farmers to wash their feet and go to the fields and work in the workshop. This would set a precedent, and the revitalization and prosperity of Yao County is just around the corner. If this news reaches the imperial court, Brother Xiwen will be immensely credited for this achievement."
Yan Xiwen frowned and pondered for a moment, then asked, "What about the fields? We can't just leave them lying idle, right?"
"Almost all of your Yao County's land is mine. How could I possibly let it go to waste? To be honest, Brother Xiwen, the Xishan Research and Development Center is already developing new agricultural tools that will be ready for spring plowing and sowing next year. By then, Brother Xiwen, you'll know how much more efficient they are than human labor."
"Tell me more."
Fu Xiaoguan chuckled, "Let me put it this way. If one person could cultivate ten acres of land before, then after using those tools, one person can cultivate at least thirty acres, and it will be much easier."
Yan Xiwen's eyes widened immediately. If what Fu Xiaoguan said was true, it would mean a leap-forward development for farming, an earth-shaking change!
"really?"
"How could I lie to you? But I have to say this first. The production of those tools is not that fast. We have to satisfy the lower villages first, and then it will be your turn in Yao County."
"Brother Fu, that's not very fair. How about half and half? Or how about increasing the production of those tools? Just tell me what you need."
"I need blacksmiths, lots of them! I can even set up a farm tool workshop in Yao County to produce those tools."
Yan Xiwen pondered for a few breaths, then waved his hand, "The Yao County Foundry is yours. When I return to Yao County, send someone to contact me."
Fu Xiaoguan didn't expect Yan Xiwen to be so straightforward. This was certainly better. Almost all the blacksmiths he had were in Fenglin Mountain, and they had more important things to do.
In this way, the first reform pilot program of the Yu Dynasty was established.
Starting from agriculture, from Yao County, many farmers were freed from the farmland because of the tools produced in Yao County's agricultural tool workshops. They entered the workshops, became workers, began to create a lot of value, and became the most eye-catching scenery in the precarious Yu Dynasty.
This is a later story.
Under Yan Xiaolou's admiring gaze, Fu Xiaoguan took Susu and followed Yan Xiwen out of the Fu Mansion and headed towards Sifang Tower.
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