CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 255 PRESTIGE (SUPPLEMENT 3)

Hu Jin, who had just been promoted from apprentice to craftsman a few days ago, blushed and was eager to tell Zhao Hanzhang that he was not yet qualified to take on apprentices, but facing Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze, he didn’t dare to speak.

This hesitation kept him silent because Zhao Hanzhang said, "As long as you can teach one craftsman to have your current skills, I’ll give you a small share of the bookstore. If you can teach a hundred craftsmen like yourself, I will give you the bookstore as a family heirloom."

Hu Jin opened his mouth wide, looking at Zhao Hanzhang in disbelief, "Really?"

"Truer than gold," she smiled and said, "If you really earn this bookstore, including all assets such as the engraved blocks, I won’t touch anything. I will only take away those hundred craftsmen. As for the rest, they can choose for themselves. If they are willing to follow me, then they can; if they want to follow you, I won’t stop them."

Ambition burned brightly in Hu Jin’s eyes. A young person, who wouldn’t have the desire to accomplish something in life?

As a craftsman, Hu Jin’s biggest dream was to become a master craftsman and have a bookstore, a dream even his master dared not have. Now, Zhao Hanzhang had turned this dream into hope.

Hu Jin immediately said, "No need to wait till after the New Year; those helpers you sent over can start learning from me now."

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow, nodded, and smiled, "Good, then start teaching them."

Fu Tinghan suddenly said, "Besides carving, they should also find time to learn to read every day, if not during the day, then at night."

He said to Zhao Hanzhang, "Go to Yushan Hall and find the children who are good at studying and let them teach the others to read, starting with the simplest. Whatever they learn, they teach them."

Zhao Hanzhang, "Are you preparing for movable type printing?"

Fu Tinghan nodded, "Since you’ve opened literacy classes, there will only be more literate people in the future, making movable type printing not so difficult."

Hu Jin was very perceptive and immediately asked, "What is movable type printing?"

Fu Tinghan generously explained in detail what movable type printing was.

Hu Jin was stunned, "Carve one character at a time? But how do the characters form a book? We can’t possibly pair them one by one, can we? It’s hard because we don’t recognize the characters."

"So the typesetters must be literate," Fu Tinghan said, "There’s no rush for this; let them first learn engraving and literacy concurrently."

Seeing Hu Jin still in a daze, Fu Tinghan said, "You can also attend literacy classes with them. Movable type printing currently only exists in theory; to make it a reality, it still requires the diligence of you craftsmen."

Hu Jin asked, "Mr. Fu, you just shared this critical point with me so readily?"

Fu Tinghan smiled, "This is one of the few pieces of knowledge that can be shared without the need for secrecy."

As for the rest, he and Zhao Hanzhang were not so generous.

For example, the glass formula and the increasingly successful progress in steel production, which were always under protection.

Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang walked outside together. "I need to visit Wushan to check on the situation with the blast furnaces and steelmaking there."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "The minor New Year is approaching, and the county is quite lively. Aren’t you going to participate?"

She added, "I was hoping to tour the county with you. You have half of the credit for the development of Xiping County."

Fu Tinghan had always stayed behind the scenes, and besides a few people in Chang Ning, even the other officials in the county government were unaware of his contributions. Zhao Hanzhang wanted to make his achievements known.

Fu Tinghan smiled and replied, "I can come back to see the event, but I don’t want to be surrounded by people. You know I’m not good at social interactions."

"Alright then, you come back, and when the day comes, we can quietly go out and join the excitement."

Fu Tinghan nodded and went to Wushan the next day.

He arrived just in time to see the teams at Wushan evaluating this year’s award recipients.

With many people involved in Wushan’s farming and nearly five hundred people doing hard labor as punishment, it was quite bustling.

So Ji Ping, Wushan’s chief officer, with the county government’s consent, took out some rice, flour, grains, and oil as prizes, planning to hold an event before the minor New Year.

Because they needed to guard Wushan and were part of a military unit, they couldn’t leave the farming area without orders.

They couldn’t participate in the county’s events.

Ji Ping felt a bit regretful as he liked these activities and assumed Fu Tinghan might too. After Fu Tinghan inspected Wushan and solved a few small issues for the craftsmen, Ji Ping urged him to return to the county.

"It’s the minor New Year, after all. Mr. Fu should spend it with the Lady."

No one knew when it started, but everyone around Zhao Hanzhang began calling Fu Tinghan ’Master’ along with Fu An. To distinguish him from Zhao Erlang, they all called him Master or the eldest son.

Those outside, unaware, might even think Fu Tinghan was the head of their household.

Fu Tinghan responded and took Fu An back to the county.

At the time, Xiping County was bustling with activity, even more so than during the Zhao Family’s Winter Solstice banquet.

As the New Year approached, all construction sites, except for the iron mines at Wushan, went on holiday.

Workers recruited from neighboring counties received their final wages and, upon hearing about the various activities in Xiping County this year, cheaper rice, flour, grains, and oil, and contests at the county government with prizes of free rice and flour, set off to prepare New Year’s goods, bringing their families to Xiping County.

People from neighboring counties all rushed to buy New Year’s goods, and naturally, the people of Xiping County were not left behind.

Having survived the war, people who were once aided through relief or work-for-relief programs, although still emotionally scarred, were materially better off than those in the neighboring counties.

Their wages weren’t low, and after some family discussion, they felt the need to dispel the gloom with festivities, so they too rushed to Xiping County for New Year’s shopping.

Both city gates of Xiping County were fully open, and the lines of people entering the city stretched far in the distance, everyone carrying baskets or backsacks, and the wealthy even pushing carts, creating a bustling scene.

Mr. Song’s carriage smoothly exited the city, and only when they were far out did he lower the curtains and sit properly.

"Did you see, my Lord?"

Mr. Song nodded, sighing, "Zhao Hanzhang indeed has impressive methods, using work-for-relief to gather the scattered people and refugees from the countryside. Former farmhands and tenants at our manor have all either been given land or have entered her fold, working the official fields for her."

"This shows her prestige in Xiping County, and going forward, no one in the county will dare oppose her."

The advisor felt the same way and sighed, "I just wonder what Zhao Ming will think about it."

Zhao Ming was eagerly observing the items placed in front of the county government. He picked up an arrow and asked, "How many hits for a prize?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Three arrows and above, with the prize varying based on the number."

Zhao Ming aimed at the opening and then threw, the arrow making a sound as it landed inside the pot.