The next day, Xiaobei and the other nine kids went to the government's school together. It was an ancient school that had been around for more than a hundred years. Many talents had been produced and recorded. Now, portraits were hung up for future generations to admire.
Were there any villains? Yes, but villains weren't qualified to be painted, let alone be hung there.
The government's school used to be located in the center of the city. Now, because of the expansion of the city, the location of the state capital was shifted, and the school was shifted as well. It was similar to the state capital, but it was slightly renovated.
It wasn't an unspoken rule that officials didn't renovate the yamen. In the past, the government didn't renovate the yamen. The officials would rather be greedy than renovate the yamen. They would be scolded by the people, criticized by their colleagues, and impeached by the imperial censor.
Now, the yamen was renovated as much as possible. The officials had to work in a comfortable environment, and the rooms for receiving the people also had to make them feel no pressure when they came in, as if they were at home.
The reason why the yamen and school weren't renovated immediately was because they were going to move. Yizhou planned to further expand the city without the city wall. The city wall was no longer useful, and there was no need to leave it as a cultural relic for future generations to see. If future generations wanted to travel, they wouldn't come just to see what the wall was, right?
What needed to be left for future generations was a kind of spirit, a series of knowledge, and a rich and beautiful land.
The yamen and school were going to be moved out of the city. They would be renovated in the city. Now, there were more and more people, and it was too crowded. Outside the city, they were building a base, designing the water and sewer systems, spacious streets, and towering buildings. There were four stories tall, and each household was very large. There was quite a lot of space between the buildings.
Then there was the library, the garden, and the open-air market.
After Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came over, they felt that life was too leisurely, so they suggested to do it locally. They also helped to design it. Because there was no electricity, gas, or natural gas, they still had to burn coal. The buildings were designed with special flue pipes.
The reason why the distance between the buildings was enlarged was that it was convenient for the people to communicate with each other. They didn't want to lose the warmth of neighbors because they lived in the buildings. The library wasn't for everyone to study. There would be all kinds of newspapers, chess, and cards in there for a period of time.
At that time, the people living in the building would come out to bask in the sun, go to the library to chat, discuss national politics, and scold uncivilized behavior. When the sun was about to set, they would go to the market to buy some food to cook.
In order for people to be willing to move in, they would have to relocate the government office and school. Next, they would have to relocate the manpower market and small commodity wholesale market. If there were still not enough people, they would have to build a new stadium nearby. Of course, there would also be a movie theater that would play Li Longji's image first.
It was a very conventional method. Not to mention Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, anyone from their generation would have done this. This kind of urban management and relocation knowledge was no longer knowledge, but common sense. Unless the person who came did not care about the common sense of society at all, then there was no other way. He believed that such a person would not be able to survive in this era.
When Xiao Bei and the others arrived, they saw the dilapidated courtyard and buildings in front of them.
"Why isn't anyone paying to fix it? What were the authorities thinking? It's fine if it's broken, but it actually caused the prefectural school to break as well. Also, why didn't the merchants give some money when they saw that it was a prefectural school? The children in the school don't have it easy either, right? "
Li Yilong put her hands on her waist and shouted in front of the school.
The faces of the officials in the school and the government office immediately turned ugly. Xiao Bei and the other nine people moved a few steps to the side, meaning to tell everyone that they were not in cahoots with him.
"No matter how poor we are, we can't be poor in education. No matter how hard it is, we can't let the children suffer. The children are our rising sun. Everyone is responsible for the children's education. It needs all of us to protect and contribute. Isn't that right, Xiao Bei?"
Xiao Bei and the others hid, but Li Yilong did not plan to let them go. After she finished speaking, she asked Xiao Bei.
Everyone's eyes turned to Xiao Bei. Xiao Bei turned his head to the other side, as if he was very interested in the ants that were moving insects on a bluestone at the school entrance.
"Is it going to rain? The ants are moving. "After everyone waited for a while, Xiao Bei finally spoke.
Xiao Yuan cooperated and walked closer, squatting down to look. He turned back and said to Xiao Bei, "It doesn't look like it. It's a group hunting operation. The ants are very united. I don't know if they will follow when the school moves to a better place in a while."
Li Yilong was more embarrassed and said, "Xiao Yuan, you didn't hear what I said just now, right? The school is too dilapidated. "
"Didn't you hear what I said? The school is about to move. The new prefectural school is much better than what we see now. "Xiao Yuan felt that there was a problem with Li Yilong's IQ.
Li Yilong was scolded and her face turned slightly red. She defended herself, "When did this happen? I don't know. "
"Look at the local newspaper. Are you Principal Zhou? Hello, hello. It's not the first time I've heard of you. You value the health of the children very much. You often let them participate in exercise. It has a great promoting effect on strengthening the physique of the children in our country. You have worked hard. "
Xiao Bei said to Li Yilong, turned around and smiled. He went forward and shook hands with the principal. In his heart, he complained. The school was not repaired, but the road at the entrance was repaired. It was full of potholes. What if the children fell? It was better to lay a layer of fine sand.
Principal Zhou didn't know that the little guy opposite him was giving him face. He really thought that he did a good job. He raised his hand to touch Xiao Bei's head. After Xiao Bei dodged, he said with a smile, "I haven't done enough. According to the yamen's instructions, we have to further improve the physical fitness of the children in the school in the future."
"With Principal Zhou's words, I believe that the future of the school will be beautiful. The learning life of the students will be happy. When will the table tennis competition start?" Xiao Bei was really unwilling to talk nonsense with him.
"Immediately, please. When the children are ready, it will start immediately." Principal Zhou realized that the expression in Xiao Bei's eyes was not very good. He quickly got to the point.
Xiao Bei and the others were about to step in when someone suddenly appeared nearby and shouted to Xiao Bei, "Xiao Bei, can I ask you a few questions?"
Everyone looked sideways. The person who shouted quickly introduced himself, "I'm the information collector of Yizhou Newspaper. I want to ask you a few small questions."
Xiao Bei thought of the reporter in the story and waved him to come closer. He looked back at the other eight brothers and sisters, took a deep breath, and the corners of his mouth curved up. He showed a professional smile and said, "Go ahead."
The reporter was very happy and said, "My surname is Wang. You can call me Collector Wang. First, I want to ask you a question. Everyone knows that you came here with Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to attack the Arabs. Do you think we can win?"
The 'reporter' surnamed Wang asked this question with good intentions. He wanted to let the readers of the newspaper know that the Tang Empire could win through the interview.
Xiao Yuan and the others felt sorry for Xiao Bei. They hated it when people asked such questions. It was hard to answer. Xiao Bei was in charge of foreign affairs, so he was troubled.
At this moment, Xiao Bei showed his professionalism. The expression on his face did not change at all. He was still smiling and said, "The soldiers and soldiers of the Tang Empire are united like a family. No matter what difficulties we face, we will overcome them together. As the country develops, I believe that the future will be better."
Reporter Wang was dumbfounded. He looked up and scratched his head. He thought about it as fast as he could and asked, "Xiao Bei, can I ask you a second question? We all know that the Japanese are coming to the Tang Empire, and there will be a lot of them, including their leader. Some people say that we invited them here as a form of deterrence and warning. What do you think of this? "
"The world is the world of the people. Regardless of whether it is an individual or a country, there is a need for communication and cooperation. I look forward to the Tang Empire having a deeper understanding and communication with more countries. In terms of culture and economy, we can exchange what we lack and improve together and develop together."
Xiao Bei replied and looked at Reporter Wang, indicating that he had finished speaking.
"Uh!" Reporter Wang choked. Was this what I asked? If he thought about it carefully, there was indeed a connection, but why did the answer make him feel so uncomfortable?
"Xiao Bei, thank you for your answers to the previous two questions. Let me ask you a third question. It is said that the cannons of the Tang Empire are very lethal, and the Ministry of Works is still researching even more powerful offensive weapons. Can you introduce these cannons and future weapons to us? What effect will their existence have on the surrounding countries? "
Reporter Wang continued to ask. He didn't believe that he couldn't get something practical out of Xiao Bei.
Xiao Bei's eyes moved, and he nodded. "Just like what I said before, the Tang Empire is willing to have many exchanges with other countries. We place emphasis on peace. As everyone knows, the research institute of the Ministry of Works has developed many technologies that are beneficial to the country and the people. These technologies have made our lives more prosperous, and at the same time, they have the effect of maintaining peace.
When the surrounding countries communicate with our country, they have also benefited from our technologies. I firmly believe that in the future, the research results of the Ministry of Works will have a deeper impact on the cooperation between countries. "
"Gatherer Wang, the competition is about to start. Why don't we go in together to gather information about the competition?" Seeing that Xiao Bei had answered the three questions, Xiao Yuan immediately said to Reporter Wang.
Reporter Wang wanted to bang his head against the wall. Other than the people from the Zhang Family and Wang Family, everyone else was in a state of confusion. They were all trying hard to think. What was Xiao Bei talking about? He was asking about the outcome of the war, the threat to the Japanese, and the level of the country's weapons. But wasn't what he said too general? It was soft and powerless.
Xiao Bei looked at the expressions of the people around him and was also depressed. What do you want me to say? You want me to say that it's very easy to invade other countries. Other than killing them, I'll capture the rest and make them slaves? You want me to say that the invitations to the Japanese and Xinluo are not only threats, but you can also take advantage of them leaving your own country to use this opportunity to do as much damage as possible? You want me to say that it's easier to kill people with cannons than using knives to kill chickens? Not only are the cannons now very powerful, but the gasoline bombs that the Ministry of Works is going to develop will also cruelly kill the enemy during positional warfare?
Can I say this? I'm a diplomat. I have to protect the country's positive image. No matter how dirty the things I do are, I have to make it sound dignified. If you ask me in private, I might tell you the truth. Now, it's going to be in the newspapers. If I let you have your fill, how disappointed will my brothers and sisters be? I, Xiao Bei, am the most outstanding diplomat in my brothers and sisters' eyes.
The group of people walked into the school in a depressed atmosphere. Xiao Yuan held Xiao Bei's hand and praised him. "Your answers are too beautiful. You're really like an antelope hanging horns. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to answer such vague questions."
"It's okay. It's just so-so. Basic skills. Yes, basic skills." Xiao Bei smiled like a flower and said modestly.
When the team arrived at the competition venue, the contestants and the audience were ready. There were not only children in the audience, but also adults. They were probably not busy with work today, so they came to accompany the children to watch the fun.
Executive Zhou went up to speak first. He spoke for more than half an hour, from when the Academy was first established until now. At the same time, he thought about tomorrow and blessed the motherland.
"Now, let's welcome the Tang Empire's inspector to speak." Executive Zhou invited Xiao Bei and the others.
Xiao Bei glanced at the several officials who were waiting for him to continue speaking. He came to the podium and waved to everyone below, which was greeted with cheers. Then he said, "Today, we are very happy to watch the competition. At noon, my family will send food. There are eight dishes and one soup. Everyone can choose four dishes, two meat and two vegetables. We will eat with you. Now, I announce that the competition begins."
After Xiao Bei finished speaking, he went to find his seat. The children below cheered again, and the officials who were waiting to speak were stunned.
Men and women covered their mouths and laughed. Zhang Fang rolled her eyes at the officials and muttered, "Let you speak? After you finish speaking, you will have lunch directly. After the competition, you will have dinner. "
Executive Zhou didn't know what to do. He trotted to the officials of the Yamen and said, "Well … everyone, can you go up now … and say something …"
"Didn't you hear that the competition has started? Start. " One of the officials scolded, thinking that Executive Zhou was really unreasonable. Xiao Bei said that the competition had started, but he still dared to come and ask them. He didn't know what Xiao Bei would think if he saw his action. He would fire him later.
"Later, tell Xiao Bei that our Yamen is responsible for providing the fruit platter. Now ask someone to prepare it. Buy the good fruits and cut them." After scolding Executive Zhou, the official ordered the people around him.
He clearly saw that Xiao Bei glanced at this side, and then Executive Zhou just returned to the podium and said that the competition had started. Would Xiao Bei think that she had already said that the competition had started, but it was useless. She had to ask him. You are the local official. You are the boss. I can't suppress the local snake.
"It's over, it's over. I was tricked by that guy surnamed Zhou." The competition started, but the official was still worried. His eyes swept over Xiao Bei from time to time. No matter what Xiao Bei did, he felt that it was directed at him.
After thinking about it, he was still worried. He leaned over to Xiao Bei and said to him with a smile, "It's really hot. Just now, Executive Zhou asked me before the competition started whether I should prepare a few umbrellas for you. At that time, it was not hot, so I said no. I didn't expect it to be hot again. Do you want to hold up a few?"
Xiao Bei's eyes were on the small table tennis table. He casually replied, "No, we are still young. Staying in the house all day long is good for our health."
"Yes, yes, I also think that not being in the sun is bad for our health." The official echoed and finally felt relieved.
The competition on the field continued. It was a best-of-three system. The children played very seriously. The four tables competed at the same time. From time to time, cheers could be heard from the audience outside the field.
When the sun rose a little higher, Xiao Bei arranged for someone to send out free soda. It was iced. She had heard from her brother and sister that children could not drink carbonated drinks for a long time. They were restricted at home. Therefore, when she came outside, she would drink two bottles if she had the chance. It was delicious. When she drank it, her tongue was numb.
Time passed in a trance. Noon came. The winner of the last table was decided. The top 16 were decided. After lunch, they would rest for a while before continuing.
As a public figure, even if she was eating with others, she could not stop. Xiao Bei first ate two taels of rice with the dishes to fill her stomach. Then, she picked up the plate and began to walk around. Xiao Yuan and the others were basically in charge of one direction. They ate with the other children, said a few words, showed concern about their learning and living situation, praised and encouraged them, and then walked to the next place.
"Your name is Mao Mao, right? It's a very nice name. It's as nice as my Xiao Bei. " Xiao Bei came to the side of a girl who had entered the top 16. The 11 children were eating around the folded round table. After Xiao Bei came over, she squeezed in and sat down.
The girl called Mao Mao by Xiao Bei changed her fierce style during the competition. She was very shy. When she heard Xiao Bei speak, she stopped eating and looked at Xiao Bei, waiting for him to continue.
"You played really well, especially smashes. When the ball flew high, you smashed it. When the ball flew low, you still smashed it. You actually smashed it quite a few times. I observed your serve. The opponent always missed it easily. You added spin, right?"
Xiao Bei continued speaking. At the same time, she lamented in her heart. It was not easy for her. She had to know a little of everything so that she could find common topics with others.
"Yes, I added spin. When I was at home, my father specially hired two people who were good at basketball to be my masters. Many of my classmates don't know how to spin, so it was easy to beat them." Mao Mao became cheerful with a topic to talk about.
"That's great. You've done us girls proud. There are two girls in the top 16. You have to continue to play steadily and strive to get first place. Your father is really good to you. Did your father come to watch your competition too? "
Xiao Bei could tell that Mao Mao's family had a good life. Otherwise, who would specially spend money to hire two people to be their daughter's teachers?
Xiao Bei asked very casually. Who knew that Mao Mao's eyes would turn red when she heard it.
"Your father didn't come? He … he doesn't care about you? "Xiao Bei asked softly.
Mao Mao shook her head. "There's a problem with the family's business. The stock is almost unable to support it. Father said that he went to the bank to get a loan. I'm not sure if he can get it."
"Stock?" Xiao Bei's eyes turned. He couldn't understand. What kind of goods could be suppressed in today's society? Recently, it was the peak period of consumption that her brother had mentioned. If they wanted to sell goods, they could sell them.
"Yes, stock. We have to pay a lot of money every day. If we don't use money to buy things, the goods will starve to death," Mao Mao said.
"Starve to death? What work? Your family sells slaves? If you can't sell them, you can let the slaves work or rent them out. "Xiao Bei helped to come up with an idea.
"It's dogs. They're like the dogs raised by people who live in the grasslands. They help with the herding and can fight with wolves. They eat a lot of things every day. In the past, my family raised sheep and cows. Later, my father learned how to raise dogs from others and started raising dogs. Now, the dogs are very big, but no one buys them."
After Mao Mao finished speaking, she held her chin and fretted.
"How, how many dogs? Can they herd sheep? "Xiao Bei wasn't worried. To her, as long as it was a problem with money, it wasn't a problem.
"Ten thousand, more than thirteen thousand," Mao Mao replied.
"How many?" Xiao Bei was shocked. Although he had more dogs at home, his family was rich. How much money did Maomao's family have to be able to raise 13,000 herding dogs back then? There had to be a place, right?
After Xiao Bei asked, she didn't need Mao Mao to repeat herself. She comforted, "Don't worry, it's fine. Isn't it just thirteen thousand dogs? I'll invest. Let's cooperate and keep raising them for a few more months. Then … I'll talk to your father after I see him."
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