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A group of people were jubilant and praised this "miracle" to the sky, but the real mastermind behind the scenes had already known the details and began to arrange the next step.
"Boss, those cement tiles are indeed stronger than ceramic tiles, and the nail holes are also convenient. It's a pity that there are too few colors. If they could be brighter, I'm afraid all the rich people in the county would flock to them!" Lin Shi was also quite excited. Several generations of his family have been bricklayers, and he has worked in a cement workshop for more than half a year. He may be the person who knows the most about cement in the whole of Dongning.
However, even so, Lin Shi was always amazed by the gang leader's creative ideas, just like this cement tile, which was an idea that the gang leader came up with.
Compared to ordinary tiles, cement tiles are stronger, larger in size, and heavier, making them less likely to be blown away. Furthermore, the nail holes left during the heavy pressing process allow them to be nailed to the tile hanging frame.
This way, as long as the roof is not blown away, the tiles will basically remain intact. The roof is also covered with waterproof materials such as asphalt and felt, and finally mixed with mortar and cement. This is not too heavy, and it is waterproof and windproof, which can be said to be extremely stable.
It took him countless attempts before he dared to use cement tiles on the General Temple. Now that it was hit by a hurricane, it actually withstood the test. How could Lin Shi not be overjoyed?
Cheng Xi did not relax. "It is indeed a good thing that there is no damage. However, the wind this time was not too strong and has not yet reached the bearing limit. These cement tiles need to continue to be improved and tested. It is not just the color, but also the installation method and the quality of the tiles. There is room for improvement. We must not be complacent."
Lin Shi quickly stopped laughing at this and said seriously, "Don't worry, boss. Everyone is very motivated now and we won't slack off on the craftsmanship. It's just that we are a little short on manpower."
When the gang leader handed the cement workshop over to him, he said that as long as he could research a new paradigm, whether it was improving the process or increasing efficiency, he would be greatly rewarded. Not only would his salary be increased, but he would also receive a reward of up to 100 taels of silver!
One hundred taels! How many families couldn't save enough in their entire lives? In the workshop, anyone with a daring heart could earn it. Who would begrudge their skills? Thanks to this massive reward, the cement production method had been improved several times in the past six months, and production had increased significantly. But the more everyone worked hard, the faster the cement workshop grew, and the land they had previously acquired was no longer sufficient. New shareholder Tang had brought in a lot of business, and if they didn't hire more people, they might not be able to keep up with the shipments.
"Don't worry. A large number of people will be sent back to Dongning soon, and they can be arranged in cement workshops first." Cheng Xi had also made preparations in advance. Some of the surrendered soldiers who had stayed behind, as well as the deserters who had recently flocked in, would be diverted to various workshops.
After all, not all the people from the garrisons want to fight, it would be better for them to be strong laborers.
These people have received professional military training, and it is only a matter of time before they are converted into industrial workers.
As for the Tanka people, they're mostly employed in industries like housebuilding and shipbuilding. Unlike soldiers, they're far more mobile. By the time fishing season arrives, most of them will likely be gone. For additional labor, we still have to rely on the landless farmers. Dongning may have stabilized now, but the situation in the neighboring counties may not be the same. We need to take advantage of this great victory to expand our territory.
However, there was no need to elaborate on this with Lin Shi. She simply gave him some instructions on the construction progress of the General Temple. It was a standard brick and cement building, so it was going to be built quickly. However, the decoration of the temple and the creation of the statues required a lot of effort, and absolutely no carelessness was allowed.
Lin Shi also knew the importance of the General Temple and agreed very readily. However, before leaving, he couldn't help but whisper, "Boss, I heard the school is about to open. I have two boys and a girl at home, both of whom are of school age. Can we arrange for them to go in?"
As the manager of a cement workshop, he now has some wealth, so it is not a problem for him to send his children to a private school.
However, this school is different from the others. The teachers are recruited by the gang leader himself. I heard that what they teach is not the knowledge for the imperial examination, but the skills needed by the gang.
This sounds different from other places, and only the children of martyrs, leaders, and shopkeepers can go to school. Lin Shi is naturally a little worried, fearing that there will be too many people signing up this time and his children will not have a chance.
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Don't worry, we are all working for the Red Flag Gang, so how can we not let our children go to school? You can still recommend ten places. If you have any capable subordinates, you can also let your children study with you."
This was a pleasant surprise. Lin Shi said repeatedly, "Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss! I'll go ask someone right away!"
This is a great opportunity to win people's hearts. The children are all staying in the Red Flag Gang's school. Can the fathers still run away?
After getting the confirmation, Lin Shi left with satisfaction, but Cheng Xi still had a lot of things to deal with, and the school was a particularly troublesome one.
In fact, the Red Flag Gang had already opened a nursery and elementary school, which basically helped to take care of children and provide enlightenment education. Although the number of people recruited was not small, it only allowed some soldiers and women to master basic literacy and arithmetic.
If you really want to run a school, it is not that easy. The most critical thing is not the teacher, but the teaching materials.
You can find a few accountants to teach you math, and there are also ready-made math textbooks. Although they are a bit difficult and the content has not been updated for many years, it is not impossible to learn.
But Chinese language is a problem. Nowadays, all teachers follow the imperial examination route, which means they teach the Four Books and Five Classics, the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues. These things are completely opposite to the basic values of the Red Flag Gang. If they really teach them, not to mention whether they can produce talents, they may even cause trouble.
And the things that Cheng Xi was familiar with were obviously not something that could be brought out openly. Not to mention that it would arouse the vigilance of all the ruling classes, the productivity and production relations alone were not coordinated. In this era when the industrial revolution had not yet been born, using the dragon-slaying skills would probably only turn him into a dragon in the end.
Neither approach worked, and since we couldn't continue to use storytelling and vernacular novels to replace education, we had to eliminate the dross and retain the essence from the existing ideas. Fortunately, she had a top student who had been educated through the imperial examination system, so after completing the preparations for the bank, Tian Yu was drafted into the army.
"The 'Three Bonds' are not good enough, and the 'Five Constant Virtues' are too many. How should this selection be compiled?" Faced with Cheng Xi's question, Tian Yu also felt helpless. He had no objection to not learning the "Three Bonds" and not talking about "loyalty and filial piety", but who would the "Five Constant Virtues" bother?
Cheng Xi personally poured him a cup of tea and said slowly, "A benevolent ruler loves his people, righteousness honors the virtuous, wisdom distinguishes right from wrong, and trustworthiness is the foundation. Only propriety directly points to the distinction between high and low. If one observes propriety, how can one not respect the Three Bonds?"
Tian Yu held the teacup in his hand, speechless for a long while. After all, he also knew that "the killing of relatives and the ranking of the virtuous are all born from etiquette." The etiquette in the world exists to distinguish between the noble and the humble, but they are a group of traitors, how can they possibly obey the etiquette?
Sighing, Tian Yu said, "What if we remove 'li' and replace it with 'yong'?"
Cheng Xi shook his head. "Actually, there's no need to go through so much trouble. Just keep 'benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness'. Wisdom and courage can be acquired through study and martial arts training. Why bother with all that?"
This may not be a bad idea. After all, the theory of the Five Constant Virtues was not the original words of the sage. Originally, there was only "benevolence, righteousness, and propriety". Now, if we remove "propriety" and replace it with "faithfulness", it actually has a more chivalrous feel.
However, Tian Yu pondered for a moment and said, "'Benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness' are enough to teach a gentleman, but if one does not understand 'propriety' and does not emphasize 'loyalty and filial piety', how can one control the soldiers and the people and make them obey orders?"
The "Three Bonds" came before the "Five Constant Virtues" because they could constrain the relationship between ruler and subject, husband and wife, and maintain order between superiors and subordinates. Now that these principles are no longer mentioned, not even "loyalty and filial piety," how will the Red Flag Clique, once it becomes powerful, govern the region?
"Understanding hierarchy can make people obey orders honestly, but the world does not belong to a few people after all. What I want is a world where even the common people can hold their heads high. Instead of telling them that 'there is order between the upper and lower levels', it is better to talk about 'the people are more important than the king'. As for governing the people, only when they know 'homeland' can they be 'loyal and brave'. Letting them live for themselves is far better than living for me." This is also the statement she can think of that is closest to her own philosophy.
These words were spoken calmly, yet they stirred a ripple within Tian Yu. These were not the thoughts of a king seeking to dominate the world, much less the words of someone who had already begun building temples and donning the mantle of deity. But after carefully considering her actions, Tian Yu had to admit that her words came from the heart. After all, "enlightenment" was fundamental; no one would lie about it, and no one would be so mad as to choose a method that would destroy their own foundation.
Unless the foundation she desired was different from others. Tian Yu suddenly realized that he had been misled. What Cheng Xi had always wanted was "peace and prosperity," "peace and prosperity for the country," and a place for the people under her rule to live and work in peace and contentment. All the wars and conspiracies were aimed at consolidating her territory and giving herself room to govern, rather than the usual struggle for power and dominance.
It was because her ability to lead troops in battle was too strong, and her imposing presence and ambitious impression were too deep, which concealed her lack of desire in this area, making it difficult for even his confidant to detect.
This was completely different from what he had hoped to achieve. With this in mind, when could he finally break into the capital, kill all those corrupt officials and treacherous rulers, and avenge his mother? However, Tian Yu was genuinely curious about what kind of person this kind of teaching method could produce. He wanted to see if this foundation could be built, and what it would look like.
The saying "the people are more important than the king" is a common saying in history, but no one has ever truly lived up to it. But Cheng Xi is a woman, a person who has broken through the shackles of the "Three Bonds" and escaped the shackles of "morality". How far can the gang she is in charge of go?
After a long silence, Tian Yu sighed and said, "I know. I can come up with a lesson plan for the school in the next two days."
The famous articles and quotes she wanted were not difficult to find in historical records, and she was just teaching some children. As long as she determined the direction, it would be easy for him.
Cheng Xi also relaxed and laughed: "Then I'll leave Chinese to you. I'll discuss the math textbook with a few accountants and will sort it out as soon as possible."
This is something that carries her beliefs, so naturally she has to take it seriously.
It only takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to educate a person. It is still unknown how long it will take to see the results.
Fortunately, she is not alone now.
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