Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 58
In 504 BC, Qufu, where I live, was rated as the worst area in China.

why?Violent crimes are emerging one after another, and the number of people below the poverty line is the first in the whole week.

It's a fact that cannot be denied...

But people still flock here, and Qufu will always give you a glimmer of hope.

Whether it's a lie or an illusion.

But it's so close, it seems to be within reach, making people desperate...

This place is full of delusions.And I, Zaiyu, am the dreamer!

Zai Yu suddenly woke up from his sleep. He was lying on the stone pillow, looking straight at the roof.

Drops of water condensed and dripped from the cracks in the damaged roof.

tick, tick...

These drops of water were so persistent that none of them fell, and all of them fell on the center of Zaiyu's eyebrows, which seemed to be sincere and pierced by water droplets.

"No wonder the dream last night was so strange."

Jae Yu recalled the dream last night. He first watched a cyberpunk movie called "Blade Runner" on the campus network of the library.

The so-called cyberpunk style can be roughly summarized as high technology and low life.

Although the technology is highly developed, the social order is highly controlled by certain high-tech organizations, companies, and consortiums. Therefore, instead of living well, the people there are living worse.

Thinking of this, Zai Yu looked at the "University Physics A" piled up beside him, which took a day to complete and fell into deep thought.

"Is it too early to hand over this thing now?"

Although cyberpunk is just an artistic concept, Zaiyu dare not bet even if there is a one-ten-thousandth possibility of realizing it.

The formation of cyberpunk society is inseparable from the explosive development of science and technology.

The cultural system of modern society cannot support such technological development, so the freak of cyberpunk society was born.

Modern society is like this, if it is replaced by the sudden explosion of technology in the Spring and Autumn Period...

In a slavery society, it took one or two hundred years to suddenly unlock all modern technology...

Zaiyu was thinking, if future generations would erect sculptures to commemorate him, would they erect standing statues or kneeling statues?

After thinking about it, Zai Yu decided to pick up "University Physics A" and put it in a small box for temporary storage.

After all, you can't expect a reckless slave owner to have any more conscience than a mercenary capitalist.

"My son, what are you doing?"

Wearing a complete set of rain gear, including coir raincoat and bamboo hat, Zigong opened the door and walked in carelessly.

Jae Yu was taken aback, he didn't turn around, but covered himself with his body, and quickly closed the lid of the box.

"Who let you in?"

Seeing his panic-stricken look, Zigong was startled for a moment, and then he noticed from the corner of his eye that the pile of papers beside Zaiyu's bed was missing a lot.

A trace of arc smoothed through Zigong's mind, and for a moment, all the doubts seemed to clear up like clouds and mist, and he nodded as if he had realized something.

"Then...how about I get out first?"

"go out!"

This time, Zi Gong rarely accused Jai Yu of his tone, but walked out of the door quite obediently, and even helped him close the door very thoughtfully.

Zai Yu hurriedly took advantage of this time, took out his homemade small wooden shovel, and began to dig a small pit in the house, preparing to put the box containing "University Physics A" in it.

Boom, boom, boom!

Zigong knocked on the door.

"Not yet?"

Zaiyu waved the small shovel vigorously, digging out the soil one by one: "If you can't wait, go to the academy by yourself."

"That's no good, I have to talk to you about selling paper. Didn't we make an agreement before?

During the seven days when my wife was not in class, I was in charge of trying to sell paper.You are responsible for getting close to Gongshu Bantao and trying to reconcile with Mr. Zhang.

Now that seven days have passed, why don't we each take a breather and report on the progress? "

While working, Zaiyu prevaricated: "My side is going well. How about you?"

Zaiyu's words opened up Zigong's chatterbox, and he began to pour bitterness on Zaiyu.

Their paper business does not seem to be as popular as expected.

Although paper is lighter than bamboo slips, it is still not as good as cloth.

And their initial products are not very attractive in terms of appearance. Although the paper they sell is already carefully selected and good, the surface is still rough and the color is yellow.

For this, Zai Yu had long been mentally prepared.

He replied: "Don't worry. Didn't I give you an improved papermaking process a few days ago? Using that method to make paper, the paper produced is not only stronger, but also whiter."

Zigong complained: "Improving the craft is good, but the cost will increase! Rags and fishing nets are added to the raw materials. These things are not cheap things like tree bark! And the production The process is also much more complicated.

Therefore, once the improved paper is introduced, the selling price must be increased, so that our paper will not even have much price advantage left. "

Jai Yu buried the box, opened the door, and snorted.

"What do you know, the improved paper is not for ordinary scholars, but for advertising!"

"Advertisement?" Zi Gong was taken aback, "What is an advertisement?"

"Advertising means spreading the word widely. For example, why do you think the Chinese people are willing to send their children to the Master to learn rites?"

Zigong pondered for a while, and suddenly realized: "So that's how it is! People in the country know that I am a rare gentleman who knows courtesy, and Master is my teacher, so everyone is willing to send their children to Master. Am I right?"

Zai Yu coughed: "Aside from the fact that you know how to be polite, there is no major mistake in other places."

"So, the role of the improved paper is like my role in recruiting students for the Master?"

As soon as Zigong finished speaking, he felt that something was wrong, and there was another question in his mind: "However, in order for Master to recruit students, in addition to having us as an advertisement, his old man's real talents and learning are also very important.

In addition, the bundle repair needed to find a master to study, the minimum is no more than ten pieces of jerky, which is already a low standard that cannot be lowered.

And our improved paper is not only expensive, but also not tougher and more beautiful than cloth, even if it is advertised, how can it be sold?
My son, in my opinion, we might as well lower the price of the improved paper, so that the profit can be reduced and at least it can be sold. The price you asked me to mark before is really unreasonable. "

Zaiyu immediately objected: "No! The price of improved paper must not be lowered! If it sells too well in the future, not only will I not lower the price, but I will increase the price and limit the sale!"

Zi Gong glared: "Are you crazy? Even if the price is lowered, no one will buy it, and you still raise the price? Are you still restricted?
And didn't you tell me that your original intention of making paper is to benefit scholars all over the world?You set the price so high, is this a benefit?You are killing a pig! "

"That's why you don't understand. Who will buy improved paper for real scholars? If there is a real demand, they will only choose to buy ordinary paper.

Our improved paper books are not intended to be sold to ordinary people, but to be... sold to those big families who are not short of money. "

Zi Gong frowned: "What kind of nonsense is this?"

Zai Yu explained to him: "In the past, when Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Huan of Qi wanted to raise taxes on the people because the treasury was empty, so he called Guan Zi to discuss it.

Duke Huan said: I want to collect house tax.

Guan Zhong replied: "No, this is equivalent to destroying the house."

Duke Huan said again: I want to levy a population tax.

Guan Zhong replied: No, this is tantamount to making people restrain their passions.

And he said: I want a livestock tax.

Guan Zhong replied: "No, this is equivalent to asking people to kill young animals."

He also said: I want to levy a tree tax.

Guan Zhong replied: "No, this is like asking people to cut down young trees."

Duke Huan got angry and said, "Well, what kind of tax should I collect?"

Guan Zhong replied: Please collect taxes from ghosts and gods.

Huan Gong was very unhappy and said: If people, houses, livestock, and trees cannot be taxed, can they still be taxed from ghosts and gods?

Guan Zhong replied: In the past, Yao had five heroes, but now there are no one to offer sacrifices to them. Your majesty, you set up a sacrifice system for the five dead, so that people can sacrifice to Yao's five heroes.Orchids are offered in spring and Xingu in autumn.Raw fish is used to make sacrificial offerings, and small fish is used to make dish offerings.

In this way, the country's fish tax revenue can be increased a hundred times than before, and there is no need to collect fines and collect population taxes.

This is called offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods, and promoting etiquette and righteousness.It not only meets the financial needs, but also does not need to continue to seek from the people. "

Zaiyu paused for a moment, then asked with a smile: "Only those big families have the need for sacrifices, and only those big families can afford improved paper.

Therefore, no matter how high our price is, it will not hurt ordinary Chinese people a single cent.

And those big families spend a lot of money to hold sacrifices and buy improved paper, not only will they not feel hurt, but they will also have a sense of superiority that is different from others.

In this way, isn't it the same as Guan Zhong, who not only promoted etiquette education, but also made a lot of money? "

　The author who has no obsession with recommendation votes is one of the luckiest authors in the world, because that author must have never experienced real despair.

　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　


(End of this chapter)