I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Sun Shan casually abandoned De Ge'er.

Dege'er was dumbfounded. He pointed to himself and asked incredulously, "Shanzi? What do you mean? You want me to stay in the workshop?"

Sun Shan nodded very seriously: "Yes, you stay and familiarize yourself with the process of producing bird droppings fertilizer."

He paused, then added, "Not only do you need to be familiar with it, but you also need to get hands-on experience."

Pointing to Wang Ganhua, he said, "The same goes for Manager Wang. Every step of the bird droppings fertilizer production process requires hands-on experience. Not only do you have to know how to do it, but you also have to be familiar with it."

He then pointed to Sun Dingnan, Sun Dalang, and Sun Erjie: "They are the same."

Dege'er was displeased: "Shanzi, I'm not selling bird droppings or fertilizer, I'm selling grain, why should I stay in the workshop?"

This is just too outrageous! While crops do need fertilizer, he's not selling seedlings, he's selling fruit. Why would he need to be familiar with bird droppings?

Dege'er strongly suspected that Sun Shan was setting him up, that he disliked him, and that he was forcibly keeping him in a workshop where only birds pooped to do hard labor.

Sun Shan spread his hands and said coldly, "Selling grain sounds simple, but it's difficult in practice. If you're not familiar with how grain is produced, how can you sell it?"

Dege'er retorted, "Shanzi, I'm already familiar with this place. It's not like I've never farmed before."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Shanzi, to be honest, I worked in the fields more often than you did when we were kids, and I know more about farming than you do."

Sun Shan pointed to the bird droppings fertilizer and said, "The millet in our Yuanlu County is very different from that outside. We use bird droppings to fertilize the fields. If you don't know how bird droppings are turned into fertilizer, how will you answer when others ask?"

Dege disagreed, saying, "Shanzi, whether you use bird droppings, cow dung, or human excrement, the millet is the same. I just ate the village chief's new rice a couple of days ago, and there was no difference."

Suddenly remembering something, he immediately changed his words, saying, "Shanzi, to be honest, the millet that has been mounded with bird droppings tastes even worse than the millet from our Sunjia Village. Oh dear, I don't even know if we'll be able to get a good price if we take it out to sell."

I don't know if it's because Grandpa Xiaoya's cooking is bad, or because the rice from Yuanlu is bad.

Anyway, Dege missed the rice in Huangyang County terribly, and of course he also missed the food at his father-in-law's house, which was much better than the food in Yuanlu County.

Sun Shan was too lazy to waste words with De Ge'er, because for every sentence he said, De Ge'er could retort with ten.

For someone in a position of power like him, sometimes there's no need to preach grand principles; he can simply issue orders.

He waved his hand and said coldly, "If I tell you to stay, then stay. Work hard and familiarize yourself with the procedures. Hmph, I will test you. If you fail, you and your father can go back to Sunjia Village. I will find someone else to do business with."

He pointed to the guards around him, a row of men, each one meticulously trained.

Sun Shan said shamelessly, "I have plenty of talented people around me. Having one more or one less of you makes no difference at all. If it weren't for our kinship, I wouldn't use you."

Dege clutched his chest tightly, staggered back several steps, stared at Sun Shan in shock, and stammered, "Shanzi...you...I..."

Sun Dingnan stood beside Sun Shan and said, "Ade, listen to your master. Don't forget that your master is the top scholar in Zhangzhou Prefecture. He's definitely more thoughtful than you. If he wants you to stay, then stay. Less talk, more work. Ade, work hard."

Sun Dali jumped out, looking at Dege with a "disappointed" expression: "Dege, the master is right. If it weren't for our kinship, the master wouldn't use you. This is the opportunity the master is giving you. Others would never have the chance. Sigh, be more ambitious."

Sun Heitan crept closer to Sun Shan and pleaded, "Master, if Ade doesn't stay, I will. Do you think I'll do it?"

To show his competence, he added, "Sir, I can now speak Yuanlu dialect, am quite fluent in Mandarin, and know many characters. As for writing, I will practice slowly. Sir, why don't you let me stay?"

Sun Caogen eagerly took a few steps forward and volunteered, "Sir, I can do it too. Why don't you let me stay?"

Barren land goes uncultivated, but once cultivated, it becomes a hot commodity.

If Dege'er doesn't plow, there are plenty of others who will. The Sun family guards are vying to stay and take Dege'er's place.

Dege'er:.......

In the end, Dege stayed, because if he didn't, Sun Shan would pack him up and take him back to Sunjia Village.

To get rich, endure, endure, endure!

Before leaving, the village chief and Grandpa Xiaoya carried a basket of mountain produce for Sun Shan.

There are dried shiitake mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, mountain tea leaves, dried fish roe, honey, and mountain fruits, etc.

Xiao Yazi also gave Sun Shan a sand goose.

Little Yazi said in a clear voice, "Sir, this time I'll give you a sand goose, next time I'll give you a mallard duck."

After a pause, she said innocently, "If there are any pheasants, I'll send you some too."

He then sighed and said, "It's a pity I'm not an adult, so I can't catch pheasants."

Sun Shan's lips twitched. Back in the day, he was a master at catching pheasants, easily getting his hands on one. Xiao Yazi was incredibly envious.

Sun Shan had no intention of accepting the villagers' gifts. He waved his hand and said, "You're too kind, but I can't accept these things. You can take them back and eat them or exchange them for copper coins."

The village chief shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "Sir, these things are worthless, there's plenty in the mountains. Please don't look down on them, sir. Although the mountain produce isn't delicacies, it tastes good. Sir, because of you, our village is able to eat and doesn't go hungry. Sir, it's a pity you have to go back so early, otherwise you could have picked up even more in the mountains."

Sun Shan was deeply moved by the warm hospitality of his fellow villagers.

He still refused: "Village chief, I appreciate your kindness. But there are principles to be followed as an official. I cannot take even a needle or thread or a copper coin from the people. I cannot accept these things. Please take them back."

Sun Shan wants to maintain a "clean and honest" image on the surface, and he must carefully preserve his image in public.

Today they take mountain goods, tomorrow they might confiscate your property.

To stay true to your original aspirations, you must be strict with yourself from beginning to end.

The villagers stared wide-eyed at Sun Shan, for they had never seen an official who wouldn't take anything from the people.

Why can't they understand what Lord Sun is saying?

Does Lord Sun really not want it, or does he think the item is too insignificant and refuse to deliver it to him?

Sun Shan had no idea what the villagers were thinking.

He coldly and ruthlessly refused: "Village chief, don't send me anything anymore. Your well-being is the greatest reward you can give me."

The village chief gestured with his lips, as if he wanted to say something.

Sun Shan gave him no chance, quickly got into the carriage, waved goodbye, and left without a trace.

It wasn't that Sun Shan didn't want the villagers' things, but rather that he wanted to cultivate the good habit of not taking anything from the people from the day he became an official.

Besides, how much are ordinary people's things worth?

It would be better to ask a wealthy family for it.

Hehe, robbing the rich to help the poor is the right way to be an official.