Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 222: Caring for the Orphans and the Poor
Hearing this, Zhang Lu had already tasted some of the flavor. Seeing Zhang Shou suddenly stop, as if testing them, he said thoughtfully: "Let these people use the new spinning machine. These people should know whether the new spinning machine is easy to use. Once they are used to it, they will definitely realize that this thing is easy to use and they will definitely not be able to leave it!"
Zhang Shou smiled and approved of Zhang Lu's guess: "That's right. Then, as long as you leak out a little information, for example, where this new textile machine came from, someone will definitely get wind of it. Then, it will be no problem for the inventor of the new textile machine to sell a hundred or eighty units to those suckers at a high price."
Zhang Lu thought that this was all just as he had guessed, but he couldn't help asking, "If that's the case, what about the spinners who used the old spinning machines you mentioned earlier?" If he didn't consider these people, why did Zhang Shou say something like "one move affects the whole body"? According to his understanding of Zhang Shou, the other party has always been biased towards poor families.
"Don't worry, that's something we'll do later. I know you don't have much money, so don't ask your family for money first, I still have some." Seeing the two hurriedly trying to refuse, Zhang Shou smiled, beckoned Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu to come closer, and then whispered to them what the specific requirements of the weaving and dyeing workshop they wanted to buy were. Seeing them nodding repeatedly, he gently patted their shoulders.
"Let's do it this way. Spread the word after you go back! By the way, don't forget about what happened at Tingyu Cottage." Seeing Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, who had just been so happy, immediately showed hesitation, Zhang Shou said nonchalantly, "Don't worry. Yesterday, when I confessed to the emperor that I was boring, he laughed at me for singing to the sky while the beauty was dancing."
"Yingying also secretly read the Peach Blossom Fan Summary written by Twelve Rain, which she got from Tingyu Cottage." Zhang Shou would never say that the Queen Mother didn't know what the comic book in Zhu Ying's hand was. Seeing the two brothers look at each other and breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "If you are worried about gossip, I will ask Lu Sanlang and Weinan Bo to tell them to invite Twelve Rain to come out."
As he spoke, he added with a smile: "Of course, I will let Yingying tell Princess Deyang and Princess Xinyang about this matter, so that they won't think that you are going there for pleasure."
After hearing this, Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu finally felt relieved. When the three of them left the blacksmith shop, Zhang Shou saw Ah Liu sitting cross-legged with a piece of grass in his mouth, looking bored, just like an ordinary young servant. He couldn't tell that the emperor had paid a higher salary than him, a doctor of the Imperial College. He couldn't help but feel a little weird.
Even if the emperor said that the 100 strings of cash per month was compensation for him, he would rather believe that the emperor felt that Ah Liu deserved that high salary.
After being absent-minded for a moment, he asked, "Ah Liu, have the guards sent by Duke Zhao's Mansion arrived now? Are they at the Xiao family?"
Ah Liu nodded very simply and directly, and then asked, "Do you want to transfer two people over here?"
"Hmm." This time, it was Zhang Shou who hummed vaguely. Seeing Ah Liu jump off the cart without saying anything and quickly go to the next room, Zhang Shou waved to Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu. After entering the yard, he saw two guards who looked quite capable coming out to salute, and then went to the next room without saying anything . Xiao Cheng in the main room ran towards him, and he smiled and nodded at them.
"Brother Zhang!" Perhaps because of his good first impression of Zhang Shou, Xiao Cheng still felt that Zhang Shou was very kind even though he knew that Ah Liu, who he was afraid of at first sight, was actually Zhang Shou's close follower. At this time, he habitually continued to address Zhang Shou as Zhu Tingfang, and after rushing out of the house, he straightened his chest and said, "I have memorized all 300 Tang poems!"
"Oh?" Zhang Shou had hardly taken care of the little guy these days, so he smiled and said, "You can recognize so many words? Do you know what they mean?"
Xiao Cheng immediately hung his head and whispered, "It was all taught to me by those uncles in the Duke of Zhao's Mansion. They know how to read... but they can't really tell what it means, so I just memorized it by rote."
Zhang Shou suddenly asked, "Do you want to find a knowledgeable teacher to teach you?"
"I want to!" Xiao Cheng shouted without thinking, but then he said sullenly, "But I don't have any money... I don't want to spend Brother Zhu's family's money anymore!"
"But have you ever thought that even if you live here instead of in the Duke Zhao's mansion, your food, clothing and other expenses are all paid by the Zhu family? Even the money your elder brother Zhu left for you is from the Zhu family?" Zhang Shou asked with a half-smile. Seeing that Xiao Cheng was speechless, he continued, "You are already eight years old. If you are willing, I can find you a job. How about it?"
Xiao Cheng was overjoyed: "Great! Brother Zhang, I can do anything!"
"The Imperial College Banshan Hall is short of an odd job. I need to wipe the tables and clean the house early in the morning. Can you do it?"
"Yes!" Xiao Cheng almost jumped three feet high, especially after he heard what Zhang Shou said next.
"Well, I'll go back and tell the Imperial College's chief engineer. As for your wages, I won't pay you. I'll find someone to explain the 300 Tang poems to you during spare time." Zhang Shou pointed at Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, and said with a smile, "These two are the future imperial consort and imperial concubine. Let them take turns to explain the 300 Tang poems to you!"
Xiao Cheng, who had heard the opera, of course understood what the prince consort meant, and he immediately stared at Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu with wide eyes. He didn't smile happily until the brothers' scalps were numb and their hearts were scared. He took a step back and bowed seriously: "Hello, gentlemen."
Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu were dumbfounded. This title, this generation... It's really not right! However, when they wanted to correct the little guy's title, they thought that Zhu Er was also Zhang Shou's student, and Zhu Ying still called him Grandpa Ge, so they gave up the plan in frustration. But compared to being a gentleman, the two of them were most guilty about another point.
Although the Three Hundred Tang Poems were compiled by Taizu himself and are suitable for children's enlightenment, they seem to have forgotten many of the poems. As for what these poems mean... Haha, they may have to go back and review them urgently!
Zhang Shou had already observed Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu's reactions, so he stepped forward to help Xiao Cheng up, and then said seriously: "There are many people in Banshan Hall who have similar backgrounds to your elder brother Zhu. Since your elder brother Zhu is away on the battlefield and cannot teach you, I will let them take turns to explain Tang poetry to you as a reward for helping them clean Banshan Hall and wipe the desks and chairs."
Hearing this, Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu were completely certain that their classmates in Banshan Hall, including Zhang Chen, were going to be in trouble! You must know that Xiao Cheng is not an ordinary poor boy. He is the child taken in by Zhu Tingjie, the eldest son of Zhao State. It is said that the wife of Zhao State almost wanted to keep him at home as a grandson!
Children of this age are most likely to ask all kinds of questions. If they make mistakes when reciting Tang poems, they will be embarrassed and embarrassed in front of the lady. She will not give them face! Well, go back and read the 300 Tang poems carefully!
Zhang Shou naturally had lunch at Xiao's house that day. In addition to Xiao Cheng, Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, there were also Lu Sanlang, Zhang Chen and Zhu Er who were familiar with the place and came to eat for free. When Zhang Shou repeated what he had just said to Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, asking everyone in Banshan Hall to take turns to explain the 300 Tang poems to Xiao Cheng, Lu Sanlang felt relieved, Zhang Chen was dumbfounded, and Zhu Er...
After finding an excuse to get Xiao Cheng out of the way, Zhu Er wailed, "Brother-in-law, can't you teach him as a doctor of the Imperial College? Why do you want us to teach? I have long forgotten all my Tang poems... Ugh!"
Seeing Zhang Shou looking at him unkindly, he thought about the consequences of his words being passed on to his grandmother and mother, and immediately said dejectedly: "Okay, okay, I will review , is that not enough?"
"Remember, children ask a lot of questions. You have to think carefully about everything you can think of and don't be stumped by their questions. Also, they may not only ask about the few songs you recite to them every day, they may ask about other things. Don't let them think that you are too far away from their Big Brother Zhu."
But we are not the same kind of people as Zhu Tingfang! We are so far from him!
Even Lu Sanlang couldn't help but grumble in his heart. But he was glad that he was from Jiuzhang Hall instead of Banshan Hall, so he was much luckier than others to escape this disaster. But then, his gloating thoughts disappeared completely.
"Lu Sanlang, I've told Teacher Ge that I'm going to write a series of books on nature recently, so I can't spare the time for now. You should teach Xiao Cheng the basic math parts. Just use the first volume of Ge's New Mathematics. Don't speak as fast as you did in Jiuzhang Hall. After all, he is only an eight-year-old child. Be patient and teach slowly."
At this point, even Lu Sanlang couldn't help but complain. "Brother Zhu, please come back safely soon. I can't take care of the child for you!"
Zhang Shou certainly knew that most of the noble children in Banshan Hall were not very knowledgeable, but he believed that if he went back urgently to review the 300 Tang poems and explained them to a little kid like Xiao Cheng, he would be able to do it. As for Lu Sanlang, it would be a waste of his talent to teach mathematics enlightenment at the level of the little fat boy, so there was no need to worry about it.
Rather than saying that this arrangement was intended to teach Xiao Cheng's child, it would be more accurate to say that it was intended to spur on these students who came from wealthy families.
Compared to the complicated staff of Banshan Hall, the Jiuzhang Hall is still advancing the course step by step. In just over a month, the course has reached the quadratic equation, and is struggling with factorization. Therefore, Zhang Shou has plenty of time to assign a large number of classroom exercises after the lecture, and then when others are thinking hard, he can take time to write his own basic physics on the podium.
There is no doubt that he did not intend to put forward any planetary theory first, but to start from various physical phenomena and gradually go deeper into Newtonian mechanics. For most people these days, this should be the easiest thing to accept.
However, Zhou Jijiu and Luo Siye of the Imperial College have been in a state of panic these past two days. A royal consort and two groomsmen have emerged in Banshan Hall. This is actually not a big deal, but their colleagues in the court often make sarcastic remarks in front of them, and some even rub their hands and criticize Zhang Shou for being partial to them. They tolerate and ignore it, so how can these two real bigwigs in the Imperial College not have a headache?
But the emperor summoned them again after the morning court session and threw out a series of topics proposed by Zhang Shou, including the class division system. Naturally, they were overwhelmed. Even when they discussed privately, they had to admit that most of them were indeed feasible, but they still felt that Zhang Shou was meddling.
After all, at their age and with their experience, they seek stability and peace, and hate change the most. Even if the change is just a Banshan Hall that they were powerless and impatient to manage before, it is the same!
Therefore, when Zhang Shou came to the Doctor's Hall at noon that day and bluntly proposed to recruit a handyman in Banshan Hall, Zhou Jijiu and Luo Siye had not yet spoken, but Yang Yiming, the most senior doctor who was in charge of Ruxing Hall and had always been like a firecracker, could not help it.
"The number of servants in the Imperial College is fixed. Even if you want to place a private employee there, Dr. Zhang, you shouldn't be eyeing this small vacancy? The salary is only that little per month, and you still have to keep an eye on it?"
Zhang Shou said calmly, "Since you said it was just a small errand boy, then you should know that if I spread the word that I planted a private person in the Imperial College, who would believe it? I just felt sorry for a child whose parents had both passed away and who was abandoned by his relatives, so I planned to let him do some odd jobs in Banshan Hall, so that he could support himself and not ask for any wages."
Yang Yiming originally resented Zhang Shou for being favored by the emperor at such a young age, and now holding a higher official position than himself, even though he had been humiliated by Zhang Shou several times before, and even made a fool of himself in front of the emperor. But after a few days of silence, seeing that the emperor did not do anything to him, he returned to his old ways, and now he was unyielding: "If you don't want wages, why did you put people in the Imperial College!"
"An eight-year-old child, what do you mean by placement?" Zhang Shou raised his eyebrows unhappily and said sarcastically, "What's more, the Imperial College is a place for teaching and educating people, and there are no secrets. Could it be that Dr. Yang has something shameful that he is afraid of being spied on?"
"Dr. Zhang, please stop slandering me!" Yang Yiming was shocked and angry. "I just can't stand you doing whatever you want..."
"How can I be said to be doing what I want? An eight-year-old child whose parents have both passed away wants to be self-reliant and do some chores in Banshan Hall in exchange for the students teaching him to read. This is such a good thing to encourage learning, but why do you say that it is a ulterior motive?"
Zhang Shou was too lazy to pay attention to the stubborn old man and bowed to Zhou Jijiu and Luo Siye, saying, "Grand Sicheng, Junior Sicheng, this is not just sympathy for the poor and lonely. This child has lost both his parents..."
He briefly introduced Xiao Cheng's life story, and then said calmly: "If we talk about his relationship with the Zhu family, he can barely be considered a relative of the Duke's Mansion. It's okay for him to come to the Imperial College for a visit when he has nothing to do. However, I want this child to be self-reliant, and I also want to give some encouragement to the students in Banshan Hall. Being a teacher is not only about teaching others, but also about improving yourself."
Seeing Yang Yiming's face livid, Zhou Jijiu said with a dull look, "It's up to you!" Even if he refused such a small matter, Zhang Shou could find a way to make it happen. Why would he bear the reputation of being harsh? Alas, helping the orphans and the poor is a gentleman's behavior!
