sjar Chapter 139 Building a School
Chapter 139 Building a School
"Miss Lu, I wonder if you have heard that a paper and ink workshop has been built in the neighboring county?" After three rounds of drinks, Li Zhubu brought up another topic.
"I have heard about this matter. I wonder what you gentlemen think about it?" Lu Linlang saw that they all stopped and knew that they also took this matter seriously.
"In theory, we officials cannot control what the neighboring counties do, but we have heard that some of the methods used by the neighboring counties are not just simple ones that we can come up with on our own. Some people even revealed that they secretly bought these methods from Chongshui at a high price.
This business has made Chongshui famous in the surrounding counties and prefectures. We are worried that if others follow suit, it will threaten the livelihoods of the people of Chongshui. That’s why we invited Miss Lu here today to help us come up with a solution.”
If it were before, they would not have gone to find Lu Linlang, but Lord Xu knew that the county magistrate of the neighboring county was involved in this matter. It was heard that now everything was following Chongshui's example. Originally, the county magistrate of the neighboring county did not get along well with Lord Xu. As a result, Lord Xu was a little angry.
"Master Xu, I've heard about this as well. However, it's not easy for them to learn the complete production method. Moreover, not everyone can do it well. If they can really do it well, it will also benefit the common people. But don't worry, I have already thought of a countermeasure. The next plan is to sell books. They are all enlightenment books, and the prices are not expensive.
In this way, we don’t have to worry about the other party continuing to do what we do. Even if they do, their costs are there and they can’t compete with us.
The academy will start recruiting students next year. I have already found some craftsmen and will teach some skills in the academy. Even ordinary people who do not take the imperial examination can make a living by learning a skill.
Among them, we will also teach the method of making paper, which is equivalent to directly making the method of papermaking public. What they obtain through other means will become waste paper by then.
So in my opinion, Your Excellency has nothing to worry about. Chongshui has gradually laid a foundation. I would like to offer a suggestion here. Please consider it and see if it is feasible."
"Oh, Miss Lu, please tell me quickly."
"Sir, I suggest that as a next step, we in Chongshui should build a basic school so that more civilians can read and gain enlightenment, and gradually let all children learn to read."
"Build a school and learn to read?" No one reacted. How did it come to the stage of learning to read?
"Yes, building schools is the only way to make the people literate, so that government orders can be more effectively implemented. Chongshui already has the conditions to build schools in some large towns. The teaching in the schools can be divided into several stages according to the level of the teachers. If there are talented people, they can be recommended to enter the academies that specialize in the imperial examinations. These are the talents of Chongshui in the future.
We cannot stand still, nor can we be limited to our current achievements. Only by continuous improvement can we avoid the situation where others are just following our lead. Moreover, since ancient times, the academic atmosphere of a place has always been an important factor in the evaluation of officials.
That was all Lu Linlang had to say, and it all depended on their reactions.
"Miss Lu, you mentioned building a school. Nowadays, there are many private schools run by teachers in both the county and the town. If we build a school, won't all those private schools be closed? Besides, building a school costs a lot of money. The people of Chongshui have only a few dollars on hand, so I'm afraid they wouldn't dare to spend it, right?"
Li Zhubu looked at Lord Xu's expression and asked this question carefully.
"Master Xu, don't worry. In fact, the money needed to build a school is first of all the land, secondly the construction cost, thirdly the teacher's salary, and finally the biggest part is the books, pens, ink, paper and inkstone.
But we in Chongshui are the place where pens, ink, paper and inkstones are made, so this has become the simplest link. As for the land, I think you all should know it better than me. This is nothing to the government office.
As for the construction cost, I can recommend that you hire the construction team that built the academy. They already have experience in this area. Moreover, we don’t need very good conditions. We can build a house by building a house with wood and then adding adobe bricks on top.
As for the tutor's tuition, the county government can subsidize part of it, and the students' parents can give part. Our goal is not to let them take the imperial examinations, but just to teach them how to read so that they don't become blind."
Lu Linlang gave them a simple calculation, and after going through each item one by one, everyone present found that the money spent in many places was indeed not that much.
"Moreover, we can definitely recruit more students. A private school teacher can only teach a dozen or so students, but we can teach fifty or sixty students at a time. Teachers don't have the pressure of the imperial examinations. As long as they can learn to read, they don't have to have a degree. Anyone who has read books and can recognize words can be taught. This way, we can save a lot of money on tuition.
The original intention of building a school was to allow more people to study, so the tuition fee for admission can no longer be as complicated as before. It can be converted into money. According to the first and second half of the year, except for the spring plowing and autumn harvest periods, the rest of the time can be divided into two parts to convert into tuition fees.
"This is indeed a novel experience. After hearing what you said, I think it's worth a try. As long as you are one step ahead, others will not agree to catch up. Miss Lu, I will seriously consider your suggestion when I return."
After Lord Xu spoke, although everyone had many doubts in their hearts, no one continued to speak.
He Yue had been listening silently. He found that every time Miss Lu worked seriously, she looked different from her usual self, which made people fascinated.
When I left the restaurant, there were fewer people on the street. Even many sellers had exchanged their goods for silver and were happily closing their stalls.
"Girls, you are here to buy things. We are starting to pack up our stalls. Come and take a look. Is there anything you need?" Lu Linlang was walking on the street. A stall owner saw them coming and shouted enthusiastically.
"Boss, what are you selling?" Lu Linlang walked up and looked at the stall in front of him.
"The silk flowers I sell are all from Jiangnan. Look, the nobles in the capital all use silk flowers from Jiangnan."
"The workmanship is really good, and it doesn't look cheap. The boss only buys high-quality goods." Lu Linlang picked one and looked at it.
"If you like it, I'll buy it." He Yue walked over.
"Sir, I can tell you're this girl's fiancé. It's no wonder you're late for shopping. Give her more flowers to choose from so she can wear them in rotation. She can still think of your thoughts when she wears them."
The stall owner's accent doesn't mean he's from Chongshui, he must be from Hezhou.
"Haha, I would love to have this honor, but we are just acquaintances, the stall owner can't talk nonsense."
"You are a handsome man, and you and this girl are a perfect match. You will definitely succeed. Buy some more beautiful silk flowers. Are you still worried that you won't be able to win over the beauty?" said the stall owner with a smile.