Giant Ship Across the Song Dynasty: My Supplies Come from My Motherland

Chapter 92 What hasn't this old man seen before...? Hmm? What is this?

Chapter 92 What hasn't this old man seen before...? Hmm? What is this?

According to custom, the academy gate must be swept and cleaned on the third day of the lunar new year, so many servants are busy here.

When Lin Zhou entered, many people didn't even recognize him, since he had only attended a class for a day in the strictest sense. However, he still took out a stack of red envelopes wrapped in red paper from the bag that Hong Liu was carrying and handed one to each person he met. Although it was only a string of cash, these menial workers only earned two strings of cash a month.

"We have everything!"

Lin Zhou was handing out red envelopes, looking quite pleased with himself, when suddenly a voice rang out behind him: "You're certainly rich and powerful."

Looking back, Lin Zhou immediately cupped his hands and smiled, "Happy New Year, Headmaster!"

"Alright." Headmaster Chen walked forward with his hands behind his back, but instead of looking at Lin Zhou, he looked Hong Liu up and down: "What's this?"

"Wanyan Hongliu." Lin Zhou pulled her to his side: "Hehe, my fiancée."

Hongliu couldn't muster her fierceness anymore; she just blushed and chuckled, "Hello, Headmaster, he's talking nonsense—"

The headmaster, a man with a large family, could easily tell whether someone was talking nonsense or not, but he didn't call him out on it. He just chuckled and asked, "Why are you at the academy during the New Year?"

"It's for New Year's greetings."

Lin Zhou picked up a large bag from the ground with one hand: "One for you, and one for Teacher Li."

"hehe----"

Headmaster Chen stroked his beard, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's go inside."

The three of them went into the house. Before Lin Zhou could even sit down, he started rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out a whole ham wrapped in oil paper, a roast goose, and some candied fruit and dried fruit from the huge bag.

This looked several levels below what was intended for the prince and princess, but the old man nodded with considerable satisfaction, his eyes narrowed as he smiled broadly.

"You even know about the custom of giving a gift of money as a form of respect," Headmaster Chen laughed heartily. "But without the celery, it's incomplete. Are you implying I'm not diligent?"

"Oh, Headmaster, don't you have geese? You're getting old, so you should eat more meat."

Lin Zhou chuckled as he laid out the items on the table, and then came the main event: he took out the six packets of seeds from the small box one by one.

"What is this?!"

"Seeds! Didn't I say I'd bring seeds with me last time?" Lin Zhou placed the neatly packaged seeds in front of the headmaster. "And the planting manual too."

Then he took out his corresponding planting manual. It has to be said that the external brain was indeed very thoughtful. These manuals were all handwritten, and the small characters were clearly Professor Wang's handwriting, with a touch of the delicate beauty unique to scholars.

It details the characteristics of these plants, how to fertilize them, how to care for them, and how to rotate crops, making it feel like a grand agricultural science popularization feast.

The headmaster thought he had seen everything he should and shouldn't have seen in his life, but after plunging into this place, he realized how shallow his past knowledge was.

He didn't ask whether these things were true or not, because the seeds were right in front of him. Only by planting them himself could he know if they were true. And if they were true, he would do everything in his power to make them spread.

"Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peppers, sunflower seeds, and peanuts—are these the six? So the first three can be eaten as a meal, while the last two are for fat production?"

"Yes," Lin Zhou nodded. "Chili peppers can be used for seasoning and to ward off the cold. Anyway, we'll set up a test field to grow them after the New Year."

"Um--

The headmaster pondered for a moment, then got up and placed the seeds and planting manual from the table into an iron box on the cabinet, and then added three padlocks to the box.

Although he didn't say anything, the importance he attached to it was evident. You should know that before releasing the seeds, he took out the imperial gift belt from the iron box and put it aside.

"Headmaster, this has to be kept a secret. If people find out, someone will come and shovel it up for you overnight."

"dare!"

The headmaster's eyes widened, and a murderous aura emanated from the old man: "I'll build a shed and sleep in it!"

"There's really no need for that—that's just how things are." Lin Zhou rubbed his hands on his pants. "That's all I can do. The rest is up to the headmaster. You know my abilities are limited."

"That little bit?" Headmaster Chen looked up. "If it can really be accomplished, then the world will be at peace."

However, he quickly recovered his composure and stood up, saying, "But we must wait until the talent matures. You don't need to worry about this; I will handle it. Alright, I'll send someone to fetch Yizhi right now. I want to see what kind of gift you brought to that old bastard. If it's better than what you gave me, I won't stand for it."

"hey-hey----"

Lin Zhou hadn't expected the old man to joke, so he could only sit there with a forced smile. After all, as a poor student, the teachers and principal were like blood relatives to him.

While calling a servant to fetch Teacher Li, Headmaster Chen's mood calmed down. He had only been joking earlier. After all, there was probably nothing in the world more precious than the gift he had received. It represented the fate of all living beings, the future of China, and the sustenance for future generations. If the old man wasn't worried about Lin Zhou shortening his lifespan, he would have knelt down and kowtowed to this student right now.

"Your surname is Wanyan, and you are the daughter of the Prince of Rui?"

"Um--

While waiting for Teacher Li, Headmaster Chen chatted with Hongliu. When he heard that she was the daughter of Prince Rui, he was not too surprised, but nodded slightly: "Wanyan Heng, I have met him a few times. If it weren't for our different stances, he would be a very forthright person."

After saying that, he got up and went to his shelf to rummage through it. He found a brocade box on the top shelf, inside which was a jade pendant.

He took the jade pendant to the table and placed it in front of Hongliu: "It's rather hasty since we first met. This jade pendant was a gift from the late emperor, so I'll give it to you today as a small token of our meeting."

"Headmaster, this is too precious, you mustn't accept it—" Hongliu quickly declined, "I only accompanied him to deliver a Spring Festival gift to the two teachers, I didn't expect any kind of gift."

"Take it, it's an elder's duty." The headmaster insisted again and glared at Lin Zhou: "It's all that monkey's fault, he didn't even tell us beforehand."

"Take it, take it. The headmaster gave it to you, why are you being so polite? He's incredibly important, second only to the headmaster here."

"You're talking nonsense!" Headmaster Chen scolded Lin Zhou, both amused and annoyed. "Don't try to smear me! Words can be dangerous, so remember that."

As we were talking, Teacher Li walked over. He walked with a brisk pace, and although he was already in his late forties or early fifties, he still had the youthful spirit on his face.

He didn't seem to have been drinking today. Upon seeing Hongliu beside Lin Zhou, he frowned almost imperceptibly, but didn't say anything special. He simply sat down and asked, "Bringing your young lady here to show off today?"

"Teacher Li, you should have some."

Lin Zhou smiled as he placed the New Year's gift in front of him: "This is a gift for you!"

"Quickly open it and take a look." Before Teacher Li could speak, the headmaster said impatiently, "I want to see whether yours or mine is more valuable."

"Even at his age, his competitive spirit remains so strong."

Mr. Li didn't hesitate. Although it was quite impolite to open a gift in front of someone, since Headmaster Chen had asked, he naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony.

After opening it, there was a ham and a braised goose inside. This gift was no different from that of Headmaster Chen, but the special gift inside was different.

Chen Shanchang gave Mr. Li two books, one was "Currency Wars" and the other was "Das Kapital".

Both books are revised versions, which should have been prepared a long time ago. They don't have those strange covers, only tiny characters inside.

The first paragraph reads: "The Song dynasty moved south, establishing a precarious peace in the Jiangnan region. Following the Jingkang Incident, the land was torn apart, yet the people's livelihood remained unsettled. South of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, fields stretched endlessly, dikes dotted the landscape, workshops stood side by side, and the bustling markets echoed through the night."

The fields yielded glutinous rice, beans, and millet; the fields produced mulberry trees, hemp, tea, and sugarcane; the workshops produced ropes, silk, porcelain, and lacquerware; the markets offered salt, iron, money, silk, and exotic goods from overseas. These worldly goods, whether harvested by farmers from dawn till dusk in their fields, meticulously crafted by artisans in their workshops, or gathered by merchants traveling across the seas and continents, were all essential to the livelihood of the people of Jiangnan and carried the lifeblood of the nation in its partial peace. However, the circulation of these goods was not merely about their "usefulness"; behind it lay the divide between North and South, the discord between officials and the people, and the entanglements of profit, concealing danger within peace. This chapter discusses the "goods" of the Southern Song Dynasty, exploring their origins, their transience, and the human relationships involved, aiming to clarify their principles, identify their flaws, and discern their dangers for future generations.

Mr. Li glanced at it, then snapped the book shut: "I'm going to read a book."

After saying that, he stuffed the ham and braised goose back into the bag, picked it up and left without any hesitation.

Headmaster Chen chased after him, shouting, "Take a look at this!"

"No! I'll give it to you after I finish reading it."

"You have two books!"

"No way!" Teacher Li clutched the two books like a possessive child, saying, "I told you I'd give them to you after you finished reading them!"

"You!"

Headmaster Chen shook his head and sighed as he walked back, his gaze towards Lin Zhou becoming strange: "What books did you give him? How did it—how did it cause him to suddenly fall ill? This old bookworm, he's been like this his whole life."

"It's probably because I like it too much."

The external brain is awesome! When Lin Zhou saw the titles of those two books, his heart was in his throat. Good heavens—two gifts, one to save his body and one to save his heart. He just wanted to watch the show and make things worse. After being let loose, the expert group was indeed more ruthless than when he was working alone.

"Are you free tonight? If not, please come to my house for dinner," Headmaster Chen invited. "If you are, then please go ahead and do your thing."

"I'm going to my father-in-law's house for drinks tonight."

Headmaster Chen scoffed, "You really are something, daring to refuse your master's orders so bluntly?"

"It's not like I've got it yet," Lin Zhou said, placing his hand on Hong Liu's shoulder. "Once I get it, I'll definitely come to you."

Watching Hongliu get a good beating from Lin Zhou, Headmaster Chen laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "Go on, go on, you brat! Come here, I want to have a word with you alone."

Following the headmaster to the side, Headmaster Chen lowered his voice and said, "There are many people in the academy who dislike Jurchens. If you bring your wife again next time, don't say she's a Jurchen."

"Dare! I'm not afraid of anything." Lin Zhou curled his lip. "Ask any of them if they dare to bare their teeth in front of me. Which class hasn't had a few guys I've beaten up? Besides, if they're so capable, let them go to the battlefield and fight back. What kind of skill is it to bully little girls?"

Headmaster Chen was taken aback: "Hmm? What if Yi Zhi doesn't like it?"

"No way." Lin Zhou waved his hand. "He dislikes the Jin Kingdom, not Hong Liu. If he really doesn't like Hong Liu, then it means he doesn't like me. But who can dislike me? I'm so adorable."

"Hahahaha—you scoundrel!"