The matter of the two pearls was just a small matter. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan wouldn't spend their energy on such luxurious things. It didn't have much meaning to their philosophy of life.
They believed that Old Man Pi and the other three wouldn't care about how much the pearls were worth. The quality of the large pearl was good, and Xiaobei hadn't broken it yet.
After a few words, the younger one decided to send it to Li Longji. It would probably be used as medicine in the capital. It was said that old pearls had sufficient medicinal power.
They picked up the pearl that Xiaobei had thrown and spun it on the marble floor. The brilliance of the two reflected each other for a long time.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan saw that the children were having a good time, so they looked for the four old men to discuss the Yangtze River Bridge.
"Grandpa Bi, do you think we can collect tolls from people at the bridge? Usually, it costs money to take the ferry. Since it's convenient to take the bridge, it's not too much to pay less. "
The first thing that Zhang Xiaobao raised was money. The bridge needed to be repaired, and the account that was going through now was Wangjiang Building. It was part of the local government's functions and was incorporated into the finances of Wangjiang County.
Old Man Pi and the other three were no longer people who didn't know much about economics like when they first met Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. When they heard Zhang Xiaobao mention money, they hesitated and said, "Xiao Bao, there are so many people coming and going on the bridge. It will definitely promote the local economic development and increase the tax revenue. It seems reasonable to take a portion of it for maintenance. Why should we collect more money?"
"In that case, we won't collect it. I hope that the officials of Wangjiang County won't embezzle this money in the future. They will pay for it every year. The second thing is the people who ferry the Yangtze River. With the bridge, the people in the distance will still take the ferry, while the people nearby will cross the bridge. It won't be easy for the people who ferry."
Zhang Xiaobao raised another matter. When a new industry developed, it would definitely have an impact on the related old models. People who had been ferrying for many years should find other things to do. This was not something that the people in power should do to the people.
An official who sacrificed the interests of a portion of the people to obtain a certain economic development was an incompetent official. Don't treat the people as data on paper. They are living people.
The four old men frowned at the same time. If the bridge could be repaired, then it must be repaired. A bridge was much more convenient than ferrying goods and people back and forth. They couldn't tear down the bridge just because of the ferrymen. Directly giving money to the ferrymen didn't seem right, so what should they arrange for them to do?
Zhang Xiaobao didn't need the four old men to figure it out themselves. He naturally had a solution for the problem that he proposed.
"Grandpa Bi, my family's idea is to divide this group of people into three parts to solve the problem. On the one hand, we'll pull iron chains along the bridge piers. Two iron chains will allow the ferry to hang on them, eliminating the danger of the ferry being washed over. On the bridge piers in the middle of the river, we'll use wood to build a view of the river. If there are people who like to enjoy the scenery there, they'll pay people to ferry them there.
The second part is to make pleasure boats on the distributary river. We'll let the ferrymen work together and buy or rent large boats to them first. The distributary river isn't so turbulent, and we can solve a group of people.
The third part is to cooperate with Wang Jiang Restaurant. Every day, we'll catch fish in the river and sell them to Wang Jiang Restaurant. Or, we'll directly take orders from Wang Jiang Restaurant. With the three-pronged approach, the people who originally lived on this section of the Yangtze River will have a new way to survive. "
Zhang Xiaobao explained the arrangement for the people who had lost their jobs and waited for the four old men to figure it out.
Old Man Liu and the others weren't stupid. When they heard Zhang Xiaobao's words, they understood that there was no need to tell them this kind of thing. The Zhang family could do it themselves. Since it was solemnly proposed, it could only mean one thing. They had to remember this kind of method. In the future, if they wanted to develop elsewhere, they couldn't forget the people who lived on the original way.
Old Man Yao nodded and said, "We already know what Xiao Bao said. This year's spring plowing is early. There are a few bad places in the area that don't seem to have White Fold Seed. Could it be that it can't be planted here?"
Last winter's cotton-padded clothes and quilts played a big role. This year, it was said that many places that originally planted hemp had changed to White Fold Seed. Compared to the delicate food crops, White Fold Seed was very adaptable to the soil. The oil extracted from it could also be used to light lamps. It was a very good 'economic crop.'
Other than Old Man Liu, the other three old men were already used to the way the Zhang family did things. At the beginning of every year, Zhang Zhong would make a plan. There were detailed descriptions and clear diagrams. They had seen the plan for Shuzhou this year. Every place was specifically divided into what should be done.
There was no White Fold Seed in the plan. This was what they couldn't understand, so they asked.
Zhang Xiaobao's planning was the clearest. His planning was not done blindly. It was done by the local officials who first sent over a plan based on the specific form of the place. They also sent over detailed data at the same time. Through modification, approval, and denial, it was perfected.
After hearing the question, Zhang Xiaobao replied, "Grandpa Yao, my family also knows that White Fold Seed is more profitable and can increase the income of the people. However, Shuzhou definitely can't be planted now. Shuzhou is a food production area, and it has the water transportation from the Yangtze River and the canal. The food in the capital is estimated to still not be enough this year, so we need to transfer it from this route.
White Fold Seed is good, but it's a waste to plant it in such a place. Shuzhou not only pursues economic development, but also needs to ensure the emergency supply of food in the capital. It's fine to plant it in the cold and saline land. If the land here isn't good, then plant soybeans.
Wang Juan also added, "The output of White Fold Seed is low. It can't be compared to hemp. Shuzhou doesn't need to use cotton-padded clothes and quilts. It's enough to make paper and weave fishing nets with hemp. If we unilaterally pursue the profit of a certain economic crop, there won't be any changes to the income and expenditure. If we don't have enough hemp, we still have to buy it from other places.
The four old men paid attention to the Zhang family. At the same time, the three old men were often with Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Otherwise, ordinary people really wouldn't understand what the two of them said.
Now the two of them were using a planned economy. When transportation and productivity couldn't increase, a market economy couldn't be used. Besides, Zhang Xiaobao didn't like the market economy model. The reason why a planned economy became a market economy wasn't that the planned economy wasn't good, but that with the increase of business activities, people couldn't perfect the plan.
Now, business activities were still relatively simple. If they used a market economy, it would be over.
Old Man Bi and Old Man Yao were actually learning non-stop. Those who were closely involved could not see clearly. They did not have the experience of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, so they were moving forward by themselves. No one knew if it was right or wrong.
Hearing Zhang Xiaobao and Old Man Pi's words, Old Man Pi thought and asked, "Should we learn this method in other places? There should be a model, right? How about this? You can summarize it and print it in a book and send it to the officials of the dynasty. "
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan shook their heads at the same time. There was a model, but the model was always changing. Not to mention now, even in their time, no one dared to say which model was the best. The so-called best was to adapt to the economic and political environment of the time.
"Grandpa Bi, if we really write a book, there are several models. Just like the art of war, soldiers are unpredictable, and water is unpredictable. Grandpa Bi, you know how to ride the two-wheeled carriage that we made. It's not a straight line, it's a wandering between left and right to seek stability. It's not left, right, and not in the middle. It's the same for economics."
It wasn't that Zhang Xiaobao couldn't write, as long as he turned his own experience and other people's experience into words. However, he was afraid that people would take what he wrote as a doctrine. If they did well, they should, but if they didn't, they would push all the blame to him.
"Then is there no other way?" Old Man Yao felt very regretful when he heard this. He felt that the Zhang family's development model was the same, which was to take out money to build the infrastructure. It was reasonable to match the local environment and crops. It wasn't too difficult.
Wang Juan saw Old Man Yao's expression and knew what he was thinking. He had thought too simply of the matter. She explained, "Grandpa Yao, when other people take out the things that they have done, it's actually the same. The general situation is about the same. It's just like marching to war. It's nothing more than gathering the superior forces to annihilate a small number of enemies. Think of a way to prevent the enemy from hitting you, and you can hit the enemy.
However, when it comes to the use of strategy and tactics in a real war, it's not the same at all. The grasp of the general situation, the understanding of the local area, the time difference, the environment, the terrain, and so on are all indispensable. The details determine success or failure. "
"Oh, I'm anxious. Isn't it because your family can make the place develop faster? I hope to find a good way to make the entire Tang Empire stronger. Is there no other way?"
Old Man Yao was a person who had been Prime Minister several times. He reacted very quickly and did a self-examination. He didn't want to give up.
Looking at the eyes of the four old men, Zhang Xiaobao sighed. "It's difficult. Since it's to rule people by people, it depends on the ability of the officials. But the most difficult thing to grasp is the human heart. I'll write it and let the officials learn. Come, bring me the plan of Shuzhou from my yard."
After saying this, Zhang Xiaobao began to wait. He took the opportunity to play with the little guys for a while. In fact, the little guys didn't care about what to play. What they cared about was who played with them. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were their biggest attachments. As long as there were big brothers and big sisters by their side, they would be happy.
After the big pearl was turned around again and again, the plan was finally brought over. Compared with the dozens of sheets of paper that the four old men saw before, this plan was much thicker. There were hundreds of sheets of paper. Since the New Year, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had been busy with this matter.
Spreading out the plan, Zhang Xiaobao took out a copy and said, "This is what the four grandpas saw."
He put down this copy and took out another one. Then he said, "This is the supplementary plan."
Then he took out another one. "This is the emergency plan. This is the side plan that can be used when something happens. It's not easy to make a development plan. All the risks must be taken into consideration and then improved and supplemented. When learning officials are making plans, they are not allowed to have only one plan, but a set. Otherwise, it will be a dereliction of duty."
This was the first time the four old men had seen a detailed plan. They finally understood why Zhang Zhong could handle local affairs so smoothly. It had nothing to do with luck. It was actually paved with painstaking effort.
It was no wonder that the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang families were not afraid of encountering difficulties. That was because they had written down all the possible difficulties that could arise. Furthermore, they had the corresponding methods.
"An expert. He's indeed an expert." Old Man Chang was the worst in this aspect compared to the other three. If he were to write such a plan, he felt that he would die of exhaustion.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not say anything. They only smiled in gratification. However, they sought merit, not publicity.
Old Man Pi touched the plans one by one. He looked up and said, "Xiao Bao, your father shouldn't go to Luoyang next time."
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