CHAPTER 244: CHAPTER 239: LOVES SAVING FACE

Zhao Hanzhang went through the trustworthy people she currently had and found none suitable.

The main issue was that all the people she could use were already employed, and she had no one available.

So ultimately, there’s still a shortage of people.

"I’ve memorized the Thousand Character Classic and the Three Character Classic," Zhao Hanzhang said, "What about your math teachings..."

Fu Tinghan replied, "The first volume is almost complete. As you suggested, I wrote it to cover the basics, so let’s have them start by learning Arabic numerals."

Zhao Hanzhang felt a headache, "How should we explain Arabic numerals to them?"

"Why explain?" Fu Tinghan declared confidently, "Just teach them directly. This is just a substitution of terms. This is how ’one’ is written. Is an explanation really necessary?"

Zhao Hanzhang was taken aback, then realized and cupped her fist in admiration, "Professor Fu, you are amazing, I am truly impressed."

Fu Tinghan smiled warmly, reaching out to lower her fist, "No need to be so polite."

"Then write quickly, and once you’re done, we can teach them together."

Fu Tinghan raised an eyebrow, "You want to teach them too?"

Indeed, this was their old profession. Although the students were different, they were all teachers.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I must let them see me and make them realize they are the talents I nurtured."

That way, in the future, they can be used in various places.

"What about the teaching materials? Should we copy them or print them?"

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "I’ve already sent Ji Yuan to look for craftsmen who can do block printing around Luoyang, but there’s no certainty that we’ll find them yet, so for teaching, let’s just use the chalkboard."

As for the teaching materials, let’s discuss those later; the students can copy them by hand for now.

In the early days of the founding of the nation, not all students in literacy classes had personal copies of textbooks.

The two discussed for a while and realized that this was the only temporary solution they could manage for now.

The next day, after checking the operations at the paper mill and nodding in approval, Zhao Hanzhang took Fu Tinghan back to the city.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ming, who had left the guests to stay overnight in the garden, sat down for breakfast when the steward reported, "Several guests are very interested in the iron pot and various bean products they tasted yesterday, especially Mr. Zhu Chuan from Shu. He already learned the recipes and left early this morning; he seemed to head towards the county town."

Zhao Ming nodded and waved, "No need to report further. I’ve done my part; whether it succeeds depends on fate."

Having reached this point, if it still doesn’t work, it means Zhao Hanzhang’s luck isn’t good.

Zhao Ming leisurely finished his breakfast. The steward went out and returned after a round, "Sir, the guests in the garden are asking about today’s arrangements."

Zhao Ming responded with disdain, "No arrangements, let them entertain themselves."

These people really lack perception. Even Zhu Chuan from Shu knew to take his leave, so why are they still lingering?

Zhao Ming, not hosting further, didn’t offend the gentry invited over. They simply entertained themselves in the garden.

The Zhao Family servants provided them with good food and drink until noon. Once they had their fill of fun, they happily left together.

Zhu Chuan, who left earlier, was browsing the Treasure Pavilion in the county town. He picked up a bar of soap, smelled it, and said with a smile, "This is indeed more fragrant and softer than the soap we make ourselves. I’ll take ten pieces, and make sure each has a different scent."

The shop assistant, happy to oblige, picked up a basket and started packing them in.

Zhu Chuan wandered over to the iron pots, and seeing a pot that large, a strange look flickered in his eyes as he knocked on it, very solid iron indeed.

Using such a large piece of iron to make a pot, the Zhao Family is truly extravagant.

Zhu Chuan asked, "I’ll take all these iron pots; wrap them all up."

The shop assistant was stunned, "This..."

He hesitated, then quietly said, "Honored guest, one iron pot should be enough, buying so many would be a waste."

Zhu Chuan glanced at him sideways, "What, does the Treasure Pavilion refuse to sell if I buy too many?"

"No," the shop assistant carefully chose his words, "It’s just that these pots, being made of iron, are a bit expensive."

Zhu Chuan had yet to respond when his follower Da Li angrily asked, "What, do you think our lord can’t afford it?"

"Certainly not," the shop assistant dared not be too explicit for fear they’d think that, and struggled because he lacked the experience to warn them that each pot cost 500,000 coins.

In the end, after much inner conflict, he couldn’t say anything and nervously went to find boxes to pack them, subtly signaling another assistant to fetch the shopkeeper.

Before the shopkeeper arrived, Zhu Chuan learned the price of the pots.

Because Zhao Hanzhang’s carriage passed by the door, seeing a carriage parked in front of the Treasure Pavilion, Zhao Hanzhang pulled Fu Tinghan in to check on her store.

As soon as they entered, they saw the shop assistant packing the iron pots. She was surprised, "Who is so wealthy as to buy one, two, three, four pots?"

The shop assistant, seeing Zhao Hanzhang, brightened up and immediately stood up, "It’s nine pots in total, the honored guest carted away all the pots at once."

Zhao Hanzhang was even more shocked, "Which esteemed guest?"

Such a generous customer, she certainly had to meet.

Zhu Chuan stepped out from behind the shelf, smiling, "It’s me, what a fortunate chance to meet the two of you today."

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him, then looked down at the iron pots in the box, hesitated, but offered a friendly reminder, "Mr. Zhu, these iron pots are good, but there’s no need to buy so many, as ironware is rare and the price is a bit high."

Zhu Chuan felt he could afford them and probed, "Is it that Miss Zhao has only these nine pots and doesn’t want to sell me more?"

Although there were indeed only nine pots, could Zhao Hanzhang admit that?

Seeing Zhu Chuan’s confidence, she smiled at him and let him place his order.

At the checkout, Zhu Chuan and his follower Da Li were both a bit stunned, "How much did you say?"

The shop assistant glanced at Zhao Hanzhang, believing he hadn’t miscalculated, and quietly replied, "450,010 coins, with 1,000 coins accounted for the ten soap bars."

Zhu Chuan asked expressionlessly, "So how much is each iron pot?"

Shop Assistant: "500,000 coins each." He had wished they had been prudent enough to ask the price in the beginning.

But Zhu Chuan, accustomed to buying small items without caring about price, would never have bothered to ask specifically.

Zhu Chuan turned to look at Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang hadn’t left; she stood by with Fu Tinghan, watching, and when he looked over, she grinned at him.

Zhu Chuan smiled back at her, then turned to Da Li, "Go back and fetch the money."

His caravan had already returned to Shu with the glass products he’d stocked up on, and he naturally didn’t have enough copper coins to settle this time, so he had to use the gold he’d set aside for emergencies.

Now that copper coins were precious, the conversion rate with silver was roughly 1,000 to 1, sometimes even as high as 900 to 1, so 4,500,000 coins equaled 4,500 taels, which converted to gold was 450 taels.

Zhu Chuan closed his eyes, knowing this purchase nearly emptied his local assets, but...

He had boasted earlier and couldn’t face the embarrassment of backing out, so he had to accept this pitfall, "Miss Zhao, indeed your iron pots are precious."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, "Ironware is rare, after all, and it took a lot of molten iron to refine these pots."