Chapter 534: Middle School Graduates of Gaojia Village
Chapter 529 of "The Great Ming in the Box" begins revealing surprises: The two men grew dizzy calculating yet still found no resolution, their nerves beginning to... Read on to find out!
The two men grew dizzy calculating yet still found no resolution, their nerves beginning to fray.How could they launch this endeavor if they couldnât even settle on a price?
Liang Shixian smiled. âAllow me to introduce a young talent.â
He called out, âChen Yuanbo, please come in.â
The curtain swept aside as a youth entered.
He appeared around seventeen or eighteenâclearly the type whose smooth chin hinted at unreliability. Dressed in a thickened long gown, he resembled a scholar. Yet his robe stood apart from othersâ due to a small embroidered Dao Xuan Deity Statue on its chest.
Embroidering deity figures like this had become quite fashionable in Gaojia Village, with many adopting the trend.
It was stylish and eye-catching!
The materials used depended on oneâs wealth.
The rich stitched theirs with gold or silver threads, even adding gems; ordinary folks used cotton threads.
This young man had chosen cottonâa âCotton-thread Deityâ.
Shi Kefa asked curiously, âWho might this young gentleman be?â
Liang Shixian beamed. âTop of his class among Gaojia Villageâs first graduatesâChen Yuanbo! Quite remarkable!â
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa looked utterly lost. âWhat is middle school?â
Liang Shixian explained, âA tier of knowledge, the highest known. Holding a middle school certificate proves immense learningâmastery over heaven, earth, writing, and calculation. Beyond the Deity himself, none can teach him further. He now studies entirely alone.â
On hearing this, Wu Shen and Shi Kefa both frowned oddly.
What did these officials take themselves for? They were imperial scholars!
Did anyone grasp what that meant?
Men whoâd triumphed over multitudes in the Ming Dynastyâs royal examsâthe brightest minds of the land. Could some village certificate holder even shine their boots?
Sharp, skeptical eyes fixed on Chen Yuanbo.
Smiling gently, Chen Yuanbo replied, âGood day, honorable ministers. Governor Liang flatters me undeservedly. My expertise is shallowâmerely glancing touches. Middle school matters little. Iâm still striving to self-learn high school coursesâthatâs true accomplishment.â
Wu Shen asked incredulously, âYour learning surpasses mine?â
Chen Yuanbo responded modestly, âNot at all, sir! Perhaps I hold slight edges only in mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, and biologyâbut in classical literature, I fall far short against masters like you.â
Wu Shen flushed violently with angerâboasting skill in nearly every science listed while tossing literature as a faint concession. Disgraceful arrogance!
Shi Kefa burned too, but being junior, his fury simmered lower. âThen Brother Chen holds royal scholarly rank?â
Chen Yuanbo shook his head. âIâve sat no examsânot even provincial ones.â
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa stared speechlessâŚ
So a rankless commoner, crowning himself âmiddle school graduate,â dared lecture like this? Unthinkable insolence.
Noticing their fury, Liang Shixian stepped between them diplomatically. âChen Yuanbo, enlighten usâwhat price brings fertilizer to Xiâan?â
The youth smiled serenely. âCalculation requires Xiâanâs present grain pricing. Dare I ask what grain trades for there?â
Wu Shen answered, â400 per pound.â
A steep priceâeven higher than Pingyang Prefecture in Shanxi, which received constant aid from Gaojia Village. Since Xiâan hadnât yet been granted such support, grain stayed costly.
Jotting down the number, Chen Yuanbo filled paper with formulae utterly foreign to the officials while muttering: âAssume Xiâan peasants lack fertilization mastery; yield increase might peak at 1.75 times⌠taxes deducted⌠bulk harvests may dip pricesâcould settle near 300 or 350âŚâ
âField requires X pounds of fertilizer. Price per pound must stay below Y to ensureâŚâ
After furious scribbling, he displayed the sheet with its final verdict. âSirsâthis is Xiâanâs price ceiling. Beyond it, using fertilizer loses value; farmers will abstain, slashing yields. Clearly against your aims. Thus, I suggest pricing fertilizer slightly below my figure.â
Wu Shen voiced doubt âHuh?â
Shi Kefa followed: âHuh?â
Their stunned gaze swept the pageâs chaotic equipment of algebraic symbolsâutter nonsense. How to judge its soundness?
Chen Yuanbo multiplied the value by 3/4 before advising Liang Shixian: âGovernor Liang, let this be Gaojia Villageâs wholesale rate⌠We must grant profits to motivate transporting it to Xiâan. Sustainability lies in all gainsâproducers, merchants, vendors, and farmers each prospering. Any broken link collapses the chain and jeopardizes food yield ascent.â
Liang Shixian agreed instantly. âSet as you propose!â
Then he turned to Wu Shen and Shi Kefa. âGentlemen?â
Wu Shen admitted, âWe track no part of that arithmeticâhow should we trust its prices?â
Liang Shixian proposed simply, âTest it! Once fertilizer docks in Xiâan market, observe whether peasants who tested it swarm to buy.â
Exchanging glances, both men nodded reluctantly.
Thus the matter closed.
As they rose to leave, Wu Shen paused, inspecting Chen Yuanbo fullyâup, down, all around. Finally, he spoke: âTruth unknownâbut your skill with numbers is clear. Provincial Governor Wang Shunxing recruits advisers. Might you serve the governor?â
What an opportunityâa direct ascent to powerâs heart!
Countless souls ached for that very post.
Yet Chen Yuanbo only smiled and declined. âMy thanks, Minister. I serve best remaining here. Surely the governor finds worthier aides than I.â
Wu Shen hissed through clenched teeth. âTss!â
The boy dared refuse.