Chapter 12: Drunkenness from Now On (Part 1)

  Song Jiu couldn't bear it anymore, and Zhu San himself also couldn't bear it. Song Jiu endured no longer and said: "Brother Zhu, you're not used to it, practice first."

  Instead of teaching Zhu San's lesson, he first taught Arabic numerals and the 26 English letters, which had nothing to do with national culture, mainly for the convenience of arithmetic in the future. Moreover, a nation wants to be strong, it must also learn from others. Zhu San didn't need to study, he was standing aside pondering over this chalk character.

  The second issue is the abacus, which should have appeared, but Song Jiayou didn't see it. He saw many shopkeepers continuing to use counting rods for calculations. Making an abacus isn't difficult, and there are also carpenters in the river area, but having an abacus alone isn't enough; one must also prepare the oral arithmetic formulas.

  How much of the abacus mental calculation formulas can you still remember?

  The calculator killed people, Song Jiu could only repeatedly think silently, and no matter how much he thought about it, the principle was the same, so he had to write it himself.

  Old Hu sent people to deliver various measuring instruments. However, the troubles in Kaifeng County did not end there, and Old Hu took people to ask for various classics and books on Confucianism.

  This has nothing to do with Song Jiu. Song Jiu first wrote dozens of confidential rules, teaching through music, and the teaching philosophy is to let these students apply their knowledge in practice later on. Therefore, Song Jiu does not teach dead books, there are many students, and they can also be used as miscellaneous hands, otherwise, every month, five taels of silver will be paid to Zhu San's salary, and others will not be convinced for a long time. Teaching these students the principle of pulley groups, teaching them how to make pulleys, and manufacturing various standard measuring tools. This must be signed with a contract, otherwise, so many people, sooner or later, the technology will spread outside.

  After signing the contract, Song Jiuxiao spent four whole days under his command to make more standard measuring tools, especially the soft ruler. Many materials were tested, including hemp and ramie, but none of them worked due to their high elasticity, which would result in serious errors during measurement. In the end, Song Jiuxiao had no choice but to use iron, not stainless steel, which could only be forged repeatedly in a furnace, oxidized multiple times to become "ten-refined steel", and then hammered thin and flat, that is, the soft ruler. This barely solved the material problem of the soft ruler, but at a cost that Song Jiuxiao didn't even want to think about.

  And these days, Song Jiu welcomed his third trouble.

  A few days ago, it was agreed that only a few students would be selected to learn about account management, but Song Jiu suddenly accepted more than 60 students. This is unfair, Little Jiu! We are all neighbors who have watched you grow up, why didn't you accept my child?

  More than 60 students are struggling with Song Jiu's teaching, how dare you still collect fees?

  But unable to refuse, had no choice but to split the course, teaching the principles of pulley groups and practical applications in the morning, and the technique of assembling pulley groups, which was kept secret and not open to outsiders. In the afternoon, he taught three other courses, and people came to learn and observe at will, resulting in the room being overcrowded, with young men packed tightly around the windows and door.

  Liu Yue has come again.

  At that time, due to technical reasons, iron was expensive, with one catty of iron costing around 30 wen, which was equivalent to the price of a good quality rice, otherwise the cost of Song Jiu's pulley would not have reached 80 guan, even if it were mass-produced, the cost would still be over 60 guan.

  But the book is more expensive, a small booklet of over 100 pages can sell for several hundred coins, at this time are big characters, more than 100 pages of small booklets do not have many words, like the I Ching, if there is no annotation, in later generations simply can't be printed even as a small booklet, too few words, but at this time a copy of Zhou Yi sells for around 200 coins. Not to mention the more wordy Li Ji and Chun Qiu.

  Hu Lao Da asked Kaifeng County for books, still wanting the complete nine classics. Kaifeng County hesitated and finally decided to compromise, asking Hu Lao Da how many sets of the nine classics he wanted. The national finances were still somewhat difficult at the beginning of the Song Dynasty, as Song Ji said, not as prosperous as Southern Tang. Kaifeng County was prepared to make concessions.

  Hú Lǎodà heard that many disciples came to the Sòng family to seek guidance, so he asked the Kaifeng County Magistrate for 200 sets of the Nine Classics in one breath. The market price of a set of Nine Classics was at least seven or eight yuan, including the profit made by merchants. Even if the government bought it at a lower price, it would not be less than five yuan. One thousand yuan, how could the Kaifeng County Magistrate dare to make such a decision? He did not agree.

  Hú Lǎodà is a rough man but also knows how to observe people's expressions and behavior.

  Kaifeng County Magistrate did not respond, nor dared to get angry because of this, thought about Song Jiu's words again, understood, and made a scene at Kaifeng Prefecture.

  The warlords were divided, the Five Dynasties succeeded one another, and the long-term war made all cultural and educational facilities destroyed, becoming the biggest obstacle to the restoration of feudal rule. Therefore, as soon as Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, he issued an edict to repair the Wenxuanwang Temple in Kaifeng, personally wrote a preface, praised Confucius and Yanzi, put Yanzi's status above Mencius, collected and stored books, and successively repaired Confucian temples all over the country.

  Song Jiuzhong's large-scale teaching was also a good thing for the imperial court. After hearing Hu Lao Da's report, Kaifeng Prefecture sent Judge Liu Yue to investigate and handle the matter.

  Liu Yue arrived at the Song family and first saw that there were many people. As a Confucian scholar, he was delighted to see this scene. Then he saw the fifteen rules of the teacher posted on the gate, which were also good. As for patriotism, it had been replaced several times in just over a decade during the Five Dynasties period, and even scholars couldn't achieve what they called patriotism. He didn't think about it at all. However, thinking about some of Song Jiu's bad habits, he was very suspicious of this rule, and probably not even Song Jiu himself could achieve it.

  It is actually the gap between two eras a thousand years apart, and even for Song Jiuyue, big shots don't know how to evaluate it. There's a good side, a bad side, and more of a ridiculous side that makes people laugh.

  Liu Yue also felt amused.

  He walked in and saw an official wearing a crimson robe coming, the students who were listening automatically made way for him to walk into the classroom, where Song Jiu was teaching abacus. Seeing Liu Yue come, Song Jiu gave a slight bow, which was considered as showing respect. Liu Yue didn't blame him either. This kid had big guts and a thick skin, and it had started circulating among some upper-class people that he would dare to ask for money even from Zhao Kuangyi, let alone others. He waved his hand and said: "You continue, I'll listen too."

  "That's impolite of Song Sheng."

  From "minion" to "Song Sheng", it can be heard from Song Jiuyi's mouth, no matter how you listen, it doesn't sound right. Liu Yue is also neither sad nor happy, almost amused.

  What a treasure!

  However, he had to admit that this clever person was talented and worthy of being secretly noticed by the second prince using people from Kaifeng Prefecture.

  Just listened for a while and immediately realized the benefits of this abacus.

  He has seen many abacuses and knows that the typical ones have one bead on the upper deck and four beads on the lower deck, unlike this one which has two beads on the upper deck and five beads on the lower deck. Moreover, there is no matured bead arithmetic oral decision, so it has not been popularized, and most of the government's accounting officials are still using counting rods to calculate accounts.

  Song Jiuyi improved the abacus and matured the bead calculation incantation, making accounting simple and fast. Then he thought of another term in his mind: efficiency!

  The class is over, and students have free activities.

  Song Jiuxiang asked Liu Lian: "What business did Judge Liu have when he came here?"

  Liu Yue told about Hu Lao Da asking for the nine classics.

  "I, Liu Panzhong, have come out of the river region and often hear people from other neighborhoods talking about how the people of the river region are violent and barbaric. They say that those who know books and understand etiquette are wealthy and full, but what about those in the river region who are poor and struggling? How can they know etiquette when their granaries are empty? How can they know honor and shame when they don't have enough food and clothing?

  If one day the poverty problem in the river region is solved, and there are more people who can read and write, will they still be violent and barbaric? I originally only planned to take 63 students, but look at how many auditors have come. If it weren't for the limited space, there would be even more.

  The river region is also a part of the capital city, and the capital city shouldn't have a region that is violent and barbaric. The people of the river region want to learn and yearn for knowledge, but this isn't my responsibility, it's the responsibility of the imperial court."

  "The government isn't stingy, but that fool is bound to get too much."

  "I only need sixty-three sets, anyway these students will have to practice writing in the future, let them copy and distribute to more people, so that more people in the river can recognize some characters, and have cultural knowledge, in order to thoroughly change the face of poverty in the river." Song Jiu said with great righteousness, but actually had a small abacus in his heart, now is a start, at the same time blocking his sister's mouth, he was still thinking if there were other better ways to make money, but making money must have a group of qualified people for him to use. Now teaching students, maybe these students will be able to help themselves in the future.

  Liu Yue did not expect that he had such a "sneaky" idea in his heart, and said: "If it's the 63rd set of Jiuyi, this official will agree. That abacus and oral calculation..."

  "This is my wisdom and heart's blood."

  "Kid, you're here again."

  A gentleman loves wealth, but gets it in a proper way.

  "A gentleman is ashamed to speak of profit; this is the way!"

  "Magistrate Liu, don't talk about these empty moralities, I still have debts to pay. As long as it's a legitimate means of getting it, the more profit the better."

  Liu Yan let out a long sigh, the fifteen articles of the school rules, were they set by this kid? He shook his head for a long time and said: "Alright, I'll send over a batch of pens, paper, and inkstones for these students to study with. As for wanting more money, it's absolutely impossible!"

  "In witness whereof, I set my hand."

  "That incantation..."

  "The brush, ink, paper and inkstone are sent over, and the words flow out of his mouth."

  Liu Yingxiong came in a hurry, left in disappointment, walked to the door, almost speechless, and muttered: "The number one weirdo of the Great Song Dynasty."

  Song Jiuzai's "extortion" of Kaifeng Prefecture, although the amount was within the tolerable range of Kaifeng Prefecture, also made him fearful that he would finally come up with a lion-sized opening, hastily sending over writing materials worth 500-600 guan, in exchange for the abacus and oral arithmetic.

  Zhao Kuangyi held this oral decision, wanting to go to Kuijing Xiang to give Song Jiu a few punches and kicks. But it just made him feel very amused.

  Not only Song Jiu's greed, but also the Zhu family's affairs, the Zhu family had people singing loudly at their door day and night, bribery was useless, and it became a laughing stock for the people of the capital. Kaifeng County did not know how to handle it, so they reported to Zhao Kuangyi, who also sent officials to persuade them, but these rough men were not afraid of the authorities as long as they did not break the law, and still refused to listen. Zhao Kuangyi was also unable to deal with it.

  "Put down your butcher knife and don't try to be a hero! What kind of person are you, anyway?"

  ……

  Zhu's family was forced to find Song Jiu to apologize and promised to donate 100 guan of money to this humble school, which is considered as compensation for the Kaifeng government. Song Jiu did not agree, his face and self-respect were worth only 100 guan of money, what kind of money can be earned, what kind of money cannot be earned, must be distinguished.

  "I am a reader, don't use material wealth to humiliate me."

  Zhū jiā rén léi le, nǐ yě néng suàn shì dú shū rén ā.

  Translation:

  The Zhu family is enlightened, you can also be considered a scholar.

  Song Jiuxi arrived at the riverbank with his hands behind his back, where four ironwork shops were busy building dozens of pulley groups and iron chains. Li Tie was leading his apprentices to cast a high platform. After repeated experiments by Song Jiuxi and his students at home, the current platform and pulley group are more scientific and perfect than the first pulley group.

  But the first pulley was still working, new things, very curious, many people came to see, almost became a scenic line on the Bian Embankment. At this time, a fragrance car stopped, and two girls got out of the car. One girl looked up at the net bag and saw that many sacks full of wheat were hung up, and she couldn't help but sigh softly: "These rough men are quite clever."

  The voice was crisp and unparalleled, just right for Song Jiu to hear from behind. He only felt that this sweet voice was like a gentle breeze sweeping across his heart, making his heart beat wildly. He thought to himself, "There's actually such a beautiful sound in this world."