Chapter 341

Well, it seemed he had been overthinking things. After finalizing the schedule for his visit to the gunpowder workshop with his attendants, Wang Xiujin tidied up the items on his desk and had Manager Wang summoned. Wang Xiujin realized there were still several matters that required the manager's attention, such as preparing housing for the laborers—a task that would require persistent effort—as well as compiling statistics on the workers' ages and organizing disease prevention, specifically how well the monthly routine of spraying vinegar was being carried out. Individually, these tasks seemed minor, but when taken together, they added up to a significant workload.

Manager Wang arrived quickly. He had been very diligent in overseeing the cleaning with diluted vinegar, even conducting random spot checks. Both the workshops and shops within the capital were managing to comply. As for the locations outside the capital, he could not be certain; although the correspondence he received claimed that vinegar was being sprayed regularly each month, he was not on-site to verify whether the reality matched the reports.

"Regarding the age statistics, I had people start working on that as soon as you mentioned establishing a medical clinic, Master," Manager Wang said, explaining what he had already initiated. "The workers were curious and asked why the Master wanted this information; even the foremen were inquisitive and kept pestering me about it. Upon compiling the data, I discovered that many of the workers have very simple names, and there are countless instances of people sharing the same name, so I had to distinguish them by their place of residence. Some didn't even have proper names at all; names like 'Li the Big' or 'Chen the Second' were everywhere." Manager Wang sighed after finishing. "Moreover, very few of them are literate."

"Let us build a school!" Wang Xiujin declared, then reconsidered, deciding one was not enough. "Build two. One will be for the laborers working in the workshops and shops, and the other will be a school for their children. It will only admit the offspring of those working in our workshops and shops." Wang Xiujin emphasized the word "offspring." He did not hold patriarchal views, nor did he believe there was anything wrong with girls receiving an education. Of course, he was well aware that breaking societal norms would not be easy; even if he publicly opened enrollment to girls, he knew he might not see many sign up.

"The female workers in the workshops are to attend school as well?" Manager Wang frowned. He could already imagine that if his master gave the nod, the news would spread, inciting a group of pedantic critics to jump up and denounce him.

"Naturally. If we are to establish rules, they must be written in black and white. I do not expect the workers to be highly literate, but they must at least know how to write their own names and be able to read the regulations posted on the walls." Wang Xiujin thought for a moment. "This is not voluntary; it is mandatory. Anyone working in the workshops must attend school. Furthermore, men and women will study separately. They will rotate days, with one day of rest every six days. Each workshop and shop must organize their schedules accordingly. While I won't force the workshop laborers to learn a vast amount of characters, those working in the shops must study diligently. There will be an examination every six months, and those who fail will have their monthly wages docked."

"Is this appropriate?" Manager Wang asked, feeling troubled. He worried that his master’s actions might invite unnecessary controversy.

"It is fine. If it is tied to their own money, they will certainly study hard and won't have a wandering mind. Tell them that those who perform well will receive additional rewards; you just wait and see, that group will surely buckle down and study in earnest."

Manager Wang felt his master was being overly optimistic, but since the decision had been made, he could only comply. "Where should the school be built? Should the facilities be modeled after those in the New Building?"

"The children's school should follow the layout of the New Building's school, just slightly smaller, with the same curriculum. As for the teachers, let the instructors at the New Building decide. For the laborers' classes, just clear out a few larger rooms and set up desks. You don't need to be picky about the instructors; let the students from the New Building serve as the teachers. Group them into teams, have them prepare a unified syllabus, and rotate them so they can experience what it is like to impart knowledge." Wang Xiujin was quite skilled at planning; he wasted no resources at all.

"Is that appropriate?" Most of the students in the New Building were descendants of the imperial family. If their parents found out they had been assigned to teach, would they fly into a rage and storm over to berate the master?

"What is inappropriate about it? It’s not as if I’m asking them to do something shameful. Who would dare claim that being a teacher is a lowly profession?" Wang Xiujin shot a sidelong glance at Manager Wang. "Are you suggesting that those who teach common people are inferior?"

Manager Wang could not win against his master and had to retreat. He agreed for now, thinking that if he spoke to the teachers at the New Building and they disagreed, he would let them try to persuade the master themselves. Manager Wang did not realize just how blindly the teachers at the New Building worshipped Wang Xiujin; if Wang Xiujin were to claim that the sky was merely a small patch, they would nod in agreement. Seeking them out to dissuade Wang Xiujin was definitely the wrong strategy.

After finishing his talk with Manager Wang, the sky had begun to darken. Wang Xiujin stood up to leave. Having decided today to give a share of the braised food business to Sister Liu, he remembered he hadn't brought any home in a while, so he instructed his carriage driver to head to the nearest braised food shop. He wanted to bring back some delicacies. Upon reaching the shop, Wang Xiujin recalled that seafood could also be used to make various braised dishes, and he planned to include this in his letter to his eldest brother. Actually, this letter couldn't be sent directly to his brother; it had to be addressed to his brother-in-law.

He returned home with a pile of goods and handed the food to the steward. Listening to the steward’s gossip about the storytelling competition, Wang Xiujin shook his head; he truly didn't know when the first round would begin. The steward didn't seem disappointed, only asking if it would truly be fair and impartial. Wang Xiujin laughed, "How could it ever be truly fair? Once money is involved, it inevitably means there are huge interests at stake."

Hearing this, the steward understood immediately and shook his head, sighing at the pity of it.

Wang Xiujin shook his head as well. "I can only say it will be relatively fair, because the accounting of the money will be public; any manipulation can only happen in the shadows." As he said this, he suddenly thought of something—like the match-fixing scandals behind football games. In the Great Liang, there were no teams yet, but that didn't mean one couldn't manipulate the storytelling competition. Moreover, the idea of ball games was something he could potentially promote.

In later ages, the highest-paid athletes were not the champions of various sports, but football players. Why? Because of the massive financial chains behind football leagues. However, since the Great Liang hadn't officially developed such activities, Wang Xiujin considered promoting it in the military camps first, giving the soldiers something else to do besides training to expend their energy.

He would have to discuss this with Li Linshan. Remembering how he had chased Li Linshan off to sleep in the study yesterday, Wang Xiujin chuckled. After paying his respects, he returned to his courtyard. A servant approached to report that young master Sun had returned and was reading in the room. Wang Xiujin was even more amused. He had the servant bring a basin of water and then strode into the room. Pushing the door open, he saw Li Linshan reclining on a daybed with a book. "Why are you back so early? Nothing to do today?"

"There was nothing going on at the military camp, so I came back." Li Linshan put down his book and looked at the cheerful Wang Xiujin. "Did something happen? You seem very happy."

"Let me tell you something and see what you think." Wang Xiujin sat on the daybed and explained his idea for a Cuju competition. Li Linshan nodded. "It could serve to drain their energy in the camps, but what benefit is there in it for you?"

"Nothing for now, but once it's promoted across the Great Liang, the benefits might appear." Wang Xiujin kept him in suspense; how to utilize it would depend on its success in promotion. For now, he could only imagine it. "To get this running, it will take at least a few years."

"Oh?" Li Linshan was puzzled. If there were no immediate results, then Wang Xiujin's good mood didn't seem related to this.

"I was thinking about the letter to my eldest brother. I must have him come back to celebrate the New Year this year. I mentioned to Father once before about having my brother come to the capital for an official post, and Father didn't refuse immediately. I suspect Father wouldn't object, but it's just difficult to arrange. With the storytelling competition, the imperial family should make a tidy profit, so I'm thinking of mentioning it to the Fourth and Fifth Princes to get my brother a sinecure in the capital."

"If your brother-in-law can return, that would indeed be a good thing." Li Linshan nodded.

"The only thing is, I just decided today to give the seaside breeding farm to my brother, and now I feel that if they move back, the farm will become redundant." Wang Xiujin sighed. Why did he feel like his brain was rusting and not working well enough?

"That's nothing to worry about. Your brother-in-law has been in Fengcheng for so many years; he surely has loyal subordinates who can help manage it." Li Linshan’s eyes held a smile. "Are you going to write him a letter?"

"Yes. Never mind whether Father agrees to his return to the capital; I'll first clarify the matter of giving him the farm. I'll write the letter to my brother-in-law, and when my brother is actually transferred to the capital, I'll let him deal with the headache!" Wang Xiujin gave a mischievous grin.

Li Linshan nodded and stood up to walk toward the desk. "I will grind the ink for you."

"Many thanks, my husband." Wang Xiujin bowed.

Li Linshan’s movements stiffened for a moment. When he moved again, Wang Xiujin felt as if he were walking with his left hand and left leg moving in sync.

The most discussed topic in the capital recently was the storytellers. Everyone had their favorite, and they would start arguing after just a few words. Of course, everyone remained quite rational and didn't resort to violence, so as not to affect the chances of their favorite storyteller being disqualified. The storytellers themselves had been appearing frequently in major teahouses, hoping to attract more listeners who would support them. The common people were the happiest about this, as they could hear more stories. Even old storytellers who hadn't performed in years had appeared, seemingly wanting to compete as well.

Wang Xiujin had enjoyed visiting teahouses lately. Compared to the storytelling of later ages, the craft in this era had more flavor. Ordering a pot of tea and a few plates of snacks, he could sit in a teahouse all day without feeling bored. Wang Xiujin quite liked this recent leisure, though he had carved it out from a busy schedule, and there was still a mountain of things to do—for instance, the day he had set for his visit to the gunpowder workshop had arrived in the blink of an eye.