Suzhou, Moxiang Pavilion.

This is the largest bookstore in Suzhou.

Sheng Zhonghuai sat on a small table by the window, drinking tea leisurely while flipping through a collection of poems that had just been published. The preface was written by the chapters himself, which ensured that the overall quality of this collection would never be bad.

However, Sheng Zhonghuai's intention was not to appreciate the high-level poems here. He watched with interest the people who entered the bookstore to buy books.

There are many well-dressed scholars, many elegant businessmen, and the pretty and beautiful young lady appears from time to time. What surprised Sheng Zhonghuai the most was that in a short period of time, he actually saw at least five groups of farmers or urban proletarians coming in to buy books.

These people themselves don’t know much at first glance, but they are afraid that most of them are blind. This can be seen from the time they talk to the bookstore staff. They bought it for their children at home.

Reading has always been a particularly luxurious thing from ancient times to the present. This is not because the pen, ink, paper and inkstone are too expensive, nor because the books are borrowed in a rare manner, but because it takes too long to achieve success in reading. The biggest desire of the poor in life in the world is to solve the problem of survival. They cannot let a labor force at home give up labor and make money and devote themselves to reading. Moreover, such efforts may not be rewarded.

Even though there was a scientific research system in the past to open up a rising channel for ordinary scholars.

Even though Li Ze has opened so many academies to cultivate talents.

However, only a very small number of people who can pass the imperial examination and get admitted to the academy are still admitted.

But now, all this he saw can only prove one thing, that is, the Tang people, at least in Suzhou, where economic and economic areas are better, ordinary people have spared their energy to support a scholar.

Li Ze's victory is not unreasonable.

At least he has shown abilities that ordinary people cannot achieve in governing the country. This is something he has done now, even the Tang Dynasty in the past has never been able to do at its peak.

"Are these people willing to invest a lot of money to support one person in school? Maybe they will lose all the money in the future!" Sheng Zhonghuai asked the guy who came to restock his water with some curiosity.

Moxiang Pavilion provides services like reading books in the store. Of course, you have to order at least a pot of tea and a plate of snacks. The prices are very affordable and expensive. For example, Sheng Zhonghuai is sitting in such relatively independent small areas now, so it is naturally the kind of expensive service.

The guy is also very enthusiastic about him. He is not that anyone would give him a one-yuan tip after paying the fee he should pay. So every once in a while, he would come to add a cup of tea for Sheng Zhonghuai.

"Sir, don't you know?" The guy was a little surprised.

"I came from Yizhou." Sheng Zhonghuai said calmly.

The guy suddenly realized: "No wonder. The gentleman didn't know that nowadays, all the children have to study, and the enlightenment is free, and then they can be admitted to the county middle school. After studying in the middle school for a few years, those who have the ability will naturally be admitted to the prefectures and county schools. Even if they fail, they can easily find a job. Many of them eat official meals. Even if they can't eat official meals, there are still a lot of people who invite them to do things. In the past two years, many schools have opened specialized in teaching some unique skills. After entering these schools, they can go directly to the factory to work."

"Then are the tuition fees in these schools expensive?" Sheng Zhonghuai asked.

"It's not money." The guy shook his head and said, "Most of these schools are run by the owners of the factory. You are willing to go in and learn things and then sign a job contract with the owner. Not only does it cost money, but it also cares about your food and drink."

"These bosses are so calculating, they have hired some free long-term workers!" Sheng Zhonghuai said with a smile.

"How is that possible?" The guy shook his head repeatedly: "I don't know elsewhere, but in our Suzhou, there are minimum wages. If you take the money lower and sue the government, the boss will have to sue. Those who have learned well will also want to add money to keep people, otherwise some people will come to poach them."

"There is something like this?"

"Of course, let's talk about it, the governments also subsidize money for these schools. A student subsidizes a lot of money! I heard that our Emperor Majesty said that those who have studied books will learn things quickly and make things better." The guy said. "Now the opening of the school has become a business. If you run well, you will recruit more people. You can get a lot of money from the government and get another money from the factory owners!"

Listening to these things he had never touched before, Sheng Zhonghuai was silent.

In the past, in addition to the schools opened by the court themselves, they also allocated money to other academies, but they all cultivated serious scholars. After all, they were still cultivated future bureaucratic talents. They would not consider these technical talents at all.

People who have mastered certain techniques rely on their unique skills to maintain the future livelihood of the family. This is the reason why it is said that passing on to children but not daughters but not son-in-law.

Now, the Tang Dynasty has obviously broken this shackle and has actually opened various schools to spread various technologies on a large scale.

With more technical talents, many things will naturally be easier to do.

It’s not like in the past, even a blacksmith can use his craftsmanship as a secret skill for his family heirloom!

In the past, fighting and plundering the other party's craftsmen was a very important thing, but now, the Tang Dynasty is turning craftsmen into something more ordinary.

He shook his head, then nodded again.

"Brother Shan!" A voice came, Sheng Zhonghuai was excited, raised his head, his mouth opened in an O-shaped shape, and almost a big goose egg could be stuffed in.

"You, you you..." He stuttered and could hardly speak.

Although the person who came was dressed in men's clothes, he could recognize it at a glance. The person standing in front of him now was Dai Shu who was about to meet on this trip.

Seeing this, the guy stepped back with the opportunity.

Dai Shu sat down with a smile.

"I haven't seen you for a few years, Brother Sheng, you have lost too much." Dai Shu looked at Sheng Zhonghuai up and down, and said with a smile: "I shave my beard, but I look much younger again."

Sheng Zhonghuai reached out, grabbed the opponent's palm, lowered his voice, and said hurriedly: "Why are you so brave that you actually came here?"

After being held by Sheng Zhonghuai, Dai Shu's face turned red, but she did not pull out her hand, but shook her head and said, "Brother Shan, it's not a problem."

"Why is it not in the way?" Sheng Zhonghuai was a little angry: "Do you know how powerful the inner guards of the Tang Dynasty are? If you fall into their hands, all our efforts will be wasted."

Dai Shu chuckled: "They are of course extremely powerful, but now, I don't worry about them anymore. They won't come to cause trouble for me."

Sheng Zhonghuai stared at the other party for a while and let out a sigh of relief: "How do you say this?"

It was not until this time that Sheng Zhonghuai realized that he was still holding the other person's hand and relaxed a little unnaturally.

"Actually, the second year we arrived on the island, an official from the Tang Dynasty's inner guard came to him." Dai Shu shook her head and said.

Sheng Zhonghuai looked at the other person in shock, and it took a long time to recover. Since Dai Shu appeared in front of him, it naturally means that they had nothing to do.

"What do they say?"

"They said that if people like me were in the Tang Dynasty, they would naturally be arrested. However, since they have been overseas, they are all Tang people. As long as we don't cause trouble and don't seek trouble, it's okay. Of course, people with special identities like me are actually Li Ze who spoke." Dai Shu said.

"Li Ze's mind is indeed arousing people." Sheng Zhonghuai sighed.

Dai Shu looked at Sheng Zhonghuai and whispered: "Brother Sheng, you actually came out of the Ba and moved all the way to Suzhou, and were under the control of the Tang Dynasty's inner guards."

"What did you say?" Sheng Zhonghuai asked in a trembling voice, unconsciously starting to look around the surrounding environment, but immediately reacted again. If it was as Dai Shu said, any of his actions would be meaningless.

"Do you remember the boss of the ship you took from the Bazhong? That person was a captain among the inner guards." Dai Shu said. "Along the way, many of the people you met, many of them were from the inner guards. Their task was to make sure you could come to Suzhou to meet me, rather than go anywhere else."

By this time, Sheng Zhonghuai was completely numb.

"Why is this? Am I not one of the people they want to catch the most?"

Dai Shu smiled and said, "Because I used 90% of the equity of that island to buy Brother Shan from them."

Sheng Zhonghuai was dumbfounded.

"Brother, I don't know that our island was indeed a bit remote in the past, but the island was large enough and had enough freshwater resources. Now the Tang Dynasty is moving overseas. Didn't Li Ze issue an overseas expansion order? More and more people buy ships and go into the sea, one of which goes to the Black Continent, and passes by where we are. Where did we build a dock, a warehouse and an inn, and become an indispensable node for these people to transfer. In just one year, we made millions of yuan. And I also expressed my surrender to the Tang Dynasty at the first time and was willing to become an overseas territory of the Tang Dynasty."

"I understand, so even if the Tang Dynasty court wants this place, it cannot force it to rob it, because it will have an extremely bad impact on the emperor's overseas expansion order and make others feel doubtful." Sheng Zhonghuai was a smart man after all, Dai Shu only opened one head, and he immediately understood the cause and consequences.

"Yes!" Dai Shu said: "It was at this time that Gao Xiangsheng sent someone to find me and told me, do you want to buy your life? If you want to buy it, just exchange this island for it. He is not greedy. As long as the shares of this island and the remaining 10% will be given to us for retirement. He said that the annual income of this island will definitely not be less than 5 million yuan, or 10% is enough for us to live a luxurious life."

Sheng Zhonghuai lowered his head for a while, "It turns out that I am worth 4.5 million yuan!"
Chapter completed!