Chapter 428 - Education Foundation

Wang Ci was well satisfied with the various sponsorships and systems Xiong Buyou proposed. He made one point clear, however: the academy's curriculum must remain under the Academy Head's authority, and the Crossing Group could not insert their own books into the teaching program. Xiong Buyou readily agreed. In his view, Moli Xuan Academy had no connection whatsoever to the Crossing Group's future educational ventures—they could teach whatever they pleased. For the Crossing Group, the reopening of Moli Xuan Academy was itself a victory. At minimum, they had achieved a formal collaboration with Lingao's local intellectual class.

From the perspective of ordinary folk, the reasoning was simple: if scholars who were always prattling about benevolence and righteousness could accept sponsorship from the Australians, why couldn't simple commoners do the same? China's scholars had long been regarded as society's moral exemplars. Their allegiance often swayed the sentiments of many classes.

Before the opening ceremony had even concluded, a group of raggedly dressed tongsheng pushed their way before Liu Dalin and Wang Ci, earnestly expressing their fervent desire to study and advance. Both men were moved to tears. Xiong Buyou, however, offered a rather more cynical assessment of the scene:

"Hmph, they're here for free meals, nothing more."

But that was fine as well. Those seeking free meals were generally easy to handle. Xiong Buyou declined to involve himself in the particulars of enrollment. He had already agreed with Wang Ci that three slots in the academy would be reserved for the Crossing Group—one of which was earmarked for Zhang Xingjiao.

As for the remaining two, the Crossing Group had not yet identified suitable candidates. Personnel from the Social Work Department responsible for such matters believed that sending young people back to an academy steeped in traditional values before completing their thorough indoctrination was risky—a counter-brainwashing, as it were.

Zhang Xingjiao's case was different. His hatred had already bound him irrevocably to the Crossing Group's fate. During the attack on Gou Family Manor, his hands had been stained with Gou family blood—there was no going back now. His only path forward lay in wholehearted service to the Crossing Group.

Wang Ci harbored some misgivings about allowing Zhang Xingjiao to study, but considering that all of this was provided by the Australians, objection seemed inappropriate. So he consented.

After the ceremony concluded, every attendee received a commemorative gift. The gentry, including the provincial graduates and county officials, each received a rattan-covered thermos bottle—a novelty they treasured enormously. The ordinary scholars received fifty Yuan in Circulation Vouchers; everyone was by now well acquainted with this paper currency's uses. As for Liu Dalin, he had originally resolved to accept no gifts whatsoever. But what was presented made refusal impossible.

It was a wheelchair. Meticulously crafted by the Manufacturing Committee's machine factory, it was structurally identical to modern wheelchairs in every respect save that it could not fold. Family members could push it, or he could roll the wheel rims himself to move forward. To reduce weight, it employed steel wheel rims and hubs, with locally produced ball bearings installed on the axle. The quality was unexceptional, but it worked. The bearings greatly reduced axial friction, making the wheels far easier to turn.

The sole drawback was the lack of rubber, which made the ride somewhat "hard."

This gift struck precisely at Liu Dalin's heart. Though servants were plentiful at home, moving about had always required two men to carry his chair—a considerable inconvenience. Now, with this wheeled chair that could move freely in any direction, his daily life would become immeasurably easier.

Liu Dalin tried sitting in it. Whether advancing or retreating, turning left or right, everything proved impressively convenient. The onlookers marveled audibly. Liu Dalin silently acknowledged: No wonder they say the Australians "possess marvelous skills and excel in every craft." The reputation is well-deserved.

He might have refused trinkets like thermos bottles, but this was simply too useful. So he accepted. Xiong Buyou nodded to himself. Wu Nanhai truly had some clever tricks up his sleeve. His suggestion of presenting a specially made wheelchair had indeed worked.

Once you use our wheelchair, you become dependent on our door-to-door service. The wheelchair requires oiling, the bearings need replacement. In this space-time, no one but us can provide such maintenance.

Unexpectedly, the wheelchair's appearance also created a business opportunity. A gentleman pushed through the crowd and executed a deep bow before the grinning Xiong Buyou, startling him.

It was Liu Youren of Liu Family Village in Jialai. Liu Family Village was the only local major landlord to have joined the Tiandihui. He had purchased the title of jiansheng and was therefore counted among the scholars, which earned him an invitation to the opening ceremony. For the occasion, Liu Youren had even donned a Confucian robe—though this attire did not quite suit his rustic country squire appearance.

His purpose, it emerged, was to purchase two more wheelchairs.

"My elderly parents are advanced in years. Their legs have grown weak, and they have great difficulty moving about. If you would kindly sell me two such wheelchairs, I, Liu, would be eternally grateful."

At this, several other gentlemen pressed forward as well, hoping to purchase wheelchairs for their own elders. Xiong Buyou had not anticipated that this specialty product would possess such commercial potential. He hastily announced there was temporarily no stock available, but everyone should wait a few days—the East Gate Market would have supplies soon. The crowd, however, was insistent, wishing to place orders with silver on the spot. Xiong Buyou concluded that manufacturing a few wheelchairs would likely pose no threat to Lingao's industrial system, so he accepted the orders—but declined the silver. Pricing would need to be discussed.

This unexpected interlude brought the Moli Xuan Academy opening ceremony to a perfect close. Everyone departed delighted. Liu Dalin's family members carried the wheelchair solemnly behind his sedan chair as they processed majestically back to the city. The gentlemen had their family members hold the thermos bottles with utmost care while they themselves sat in sedan chairs heading home. The tongsheng and xiucai clutched their Circulation Vouchers and hurried off to the East Gate Market—their wives and children had been speaking for ages about all the fine goods there. Those from the Nanbao area had no need to rush; these vouchers could also be spent at the local Nanbao Mining Bureau's service store.

Wang Ci was elated, so stirred he could not calm himself, pacing circles in the courtyard of Moli Xuan. He very much wished to compose a few poems and was racking his brain for the right words. But Xiong Buyou interrupted his poetic reverie—there were still details to discuss.

After some negotiation, both parties agreed to use Lingao's school lands as the capital of the "Lingao Education Foundation," with operations handled by the "Tiandihui" under the Crossing Group. Lingao County School would not collect any form of rent from the Tiandihui, nor would it interfere in any manner with the Tiandihui's development or utilization of the school lands.

In return, the Tiandihui would bear all daily operational and maintenance expenses for Lingao County School, the Confucian Temple, and Moli Xuan Academy—including the various living allowances paid to xiucai and tongsheng. The grain taxes owed on the school lands would likewise be covered by the Tiandihui.

In essence, Wang Ci had exchanged the "perpetual tenancy rights" and rent collection rights of the school lands for the Tiandihui's complete financial support of the county school.

All these funds would be settled in Circulation Vouchers, deposited under the "Lingao Education Foundation" account at Delong Grain Shop. The foundation would be co-chaired by Tiandihui Chairman Ye Yuming and Wang Ci. Apart from routine daily expenses, any extraordinary expenditures would require agreement from both parties before withdrawal.

With this arrangement finalized, Wang Ci felt as though the funding problem that had plagued him for so long had finally been resolved. He would never again worry about money. As for the school lands, they remained under the county school's name—merely "perpetually leased" to the Tiandihui.

For the Crossing Group, the Agricultural Committee felt confident: income from the school lands after implementing scientific farming methods would be sufficient to cover the regular expenses of both the county school and academy. There might even be considerable surplus—and even without it, the Executive Committee considered the investment worthwhile. It was, at the very least, enormously helpful in winning over the hearts of local intellectuals.

Besides Moli Xuan Academy, repairs to the county school and Confucian Temple also proceeded apace. Before long, these restoration projects reached completion. And the allowances provided by the foundation caused the long-abandoned county school to once again resound with students' recitations. The stipend students returned one by one. The foundation not only paid the stipend students their prescribed six dou of rice monthly, but Wang Ci also listed the attached and increased students from families facing financial hardship, granting them places at the county school with the same six dou rice subsidy. The Kun, whose reputation among scholars had never been particularly favorable, suddenly became "Australians."

Having accomplished all this, Xiong Buyou was in excellent spirits. He led his people out of the city and boarded the public ox-cart departing from the county's west gate for Bairen Castle. Following the trial run of the ox-cart freight system, Shan Daoqian had also established a simple public transit network. Transfer stations were set up at Bopu and East Gate Market, equipped with temporary ox pens and vehicle repair facilities. From five in the morning until four in the afternoon, departures ran every hour. Several boarding and alighting points dotted the route. They used large four-wheeled carts pulled by two oxen, fitted with seats and step boards for embarkation, as well as folding canopies for rainy days. To accommodate local farmers who habitually carried large loads, luggage racks for hanging rattan baskets and loose cargo were installed on the carriage exterior.

These ox-carts served not only Transmigrators but natives as well. The fare was remarkably cheap—a single fen in Circulation Vouchers would carry you from Bopu to East Gate Market. As construction proceeded on the School Land Manor outside the west gate, the transit route extended there as well. The fare increased by one fen—two fen total would take you to the county town. This greatly facilitated travel for residents along the route.

The roads and ox-cart transit system gradually awakened the people of Lingao to the concept of public services—this kind of provision by the authorities for the benefit of all was virtually nonexistent in traditional Chinese society. Which was superior, the public services offered by the Crossing Group or the efforts of the Lingao County Yamen, became immediately apparent. The punctuality of the public ox-carts also slowly instilled modern concepts of precise time into the people's minds.

Unfortunately, the Crossing Group had not yet managed to manufacture clocks and watches, and thus could not further advance modern time awareness among the natives. Dr. Zhong Lishi's entire energy was devoted to developing wireless radios—that was more urgent than clocks.

(End of Chapter)