At the beginning of the famine, I became famous all over the world with my useless system

"Oh?" Lin Qing looked at him with interest: "Ermiao, why don't you tell me in detail!"

Gu Ermiao met the gazes of his two brothers and was a little nervous at first. Although he had already prepared a draft in his mind, he still stuttered when he spoke it out.

"Just as my mother said, not only will the top three be listed, but their articles will also be available for purchase, with different prices."

Seeing Lin Qing looking at him expectantly, the appreciation and surprise in her eyes made him feel encouraged, and he became more and more confident as he spoke.

“I remember my elder brother once taught me that things are more valuable because they are rare, so the ones with higher rankings are more expensive, and the ones with lower rankings are slightly cheaper.

"By the way, if anyone wants to buy all the top three articles, they can be quite cheap."

Lin Qing hadn't expected Gu Ermiao to have such a business acumen, and praised him sincerely, "That's right, Ermiao, this idea is brilliant! Bundling sales and discount marketing, you're really a good seedling for unscrupulous businessmen, let's do that when the time comes!"

Gu Ermiao listened to his mother's praise. Although he felt that the words were a bit strange and he didn't quite understand the meaning, he still enjoyed it very much.

The more Gu Damao thought about it, the more he felt that this method was feasible, but they could not be excited about castles in the air. There were still practical problems before them that could not be ignored.

"Aunt, your and Er Miao's ideas are certainly good, but the problem is, where can we find the famous teacher you mentioned? Regardless of how many famous Confucian scholars there are in Songyang County, the cost of hiring just one is enough to make us discouraged.

"I once heard from a friend at the academy that just explaining the rules of the imperial examinations costs ten wen. If you also teach writing, it really depends entirely on one's conscience. The highest price in town is one hundred wen a day."

Gu Damao had never heard of these things and was stunned by the sky-high prices, as if what Gu Changqing said was some fairy tale.

You have to know that the total amount of debt their family owes is only over a hundred coins!

Gu Changqing continued, "More importantly, writing is considered the foundation of one's career. Asking someone to review it is no different from teaching someone a lesson. I'm afraid the price will be even higher. That... will definitely be a considerable expense."

Gu Damao initially thought that it would cost a lot of money, but after listening to Gu Changqing's words, he realized that the cost was not just a lot, but an enormous amount.

Seeing that his two honest brothers looked troubled and had obviously fallen into a misunderstanding, Gu Ermiao couldn't help but sigh.

"My dear brothers, I'm not saying you two have become stupid from studying! Didn't mother just tell you that you two can review each other's work and become the best teachers?"

These words surprised Gu Damao and Gu Changqing. Looking at Lin Qing, they nodded slightly and said hurriedly:

"I can't do it! I can't do it!"

"Absolutely not!"

Gu Ermiao was very surprised.

"Why not?"

Seeing that his younger brother had no idea how audacious his words were and was actually rebelling against Tian Gang, Gu Damao was afraid that he would take risks and cause even greater trouble in the future, so he patiently tried to enlighten him.

"Ermiao, have you forgotten what I taught you? The most important thing for a person is to put himself in the right place. Don't underestimate yourself, and don't overestimate yourself."

Gu Ermiao listened to his elder brother's teachings and summarized them very accurately: "I know that people have their own paths, and dogs have their own paths."

Gu Damao was choked by his second brother's vulgar words for a moment, and coughed twice before saying, "Changqing and I are just ephemera in the ocean of knowledge. It's already a great honor for us to review each other's work, so how dare we criticize other people's work!"

Gu Changqing also blushed a little.

"Ahem, what Big Mao said is correct. Just selling the questions is already outrageous, but I can still use the excuse of privately learning and exchanging experiences as an excuse. But if you pretend to be a teacher, then, that is truly treasonous. I'm sorry, I can't comply."

Seeing the two of them resisting so much, Lin Qing grabbed Gu Ermiao, who was still trying to persuade him, and said with a smile, "That's easy. I'll pretend to be someone else, and if someone else submits an article, you can give it to me. If I'm unsure, the three of us can discuss it together, how about that?"

"Very good!"

The excited Gu Changqing didn't notice a strange thing at all:

When did my aunt learn to read?

Why does he trust his aunt's words so much?

Gu Ermiao looked at his two brothers who looked so happy and felt helpless.

It's obvious that what Mom said is a trap. Can't either of them see it?

How come I just said that you two were so scared that you couldn't even breathe, and you were so cunning that you refused to agree, but as soon as I showed you the pretext, you couldn't wait to jump into the trap?

Tsk tsk, what’s the difference between this and Gu Sihe being coaxed into working.

Gu Ermiao looked at his mother, whose eyes were narrowed with a smile, and an inexplicable chill crept up his heels.

A certain idea became clear in my mind:

You must, no matter what, no matter what, don't mess with your mother.

Gu Ermiao regained his composure and said, "Now that this troublesome issue has been resolved, the only thing left is how to sell the question?"

Gu Damao was obviously also worried about this. He frowned and said bitterly, "That's right, mother. Changqing and I have neither achievements nor reputation. Why would students buy our papers?"

"That's right. To be honest, aunt, a student interested in a career in government would certainly be willing to spend money on the imperial examinations, study with renowned teachers, and visit valuable friends. However, this kind of 'simulated policy essay' is truly unheard of and might raise concerns."

Lin Qing, the cunning old man, had anticipated their question and did not answer directly. Instead, he said indirectly:

"Have you ever noticed the peddlers walking the streets?"

She originally wanted to talk about supermarket promotions, such as giving away a bowl when buying instant noodles, but then she thought that when giving examples, she should adapt to local customs, so she talked about the peddlers she had seen in movies and TV dramas.

Lin Qing asked them to describe the peddler they had seen in detail, and he was exactly the same as they remembered.

"Then tell me, the peddler's shoulder pole is so small, why did he bother to make a shelf to display all his goods?"

Seeing the children's confusion, Lin Qing said, "The reason is simple. He just wants to tell everyone that what you see is what you get. This clear view not only makes it easier for customers to choose, but also gives him the opportunity to make money."

Gu Damao and Gu Changqing still seemed to understand.

So, what does this have to do with what they were just discussing?

Gu Ermiao was fascinated by what he heard and asked, "Why do you say the peddler has won the opportunity to make money? Isn't it his own hard work and hawking that makes him money?"

"Of course, this is a very important aspect. A peddler's business is small, and he makes every penny he can. For example, if you only want to buy something worth eight cents, but he happens to have a small item worth three cents as an extra, and finally only charges you ten cents, what would you think?"

Gu Ermiao said without hesitation: "Then I naturally feel that I have made a profit."

"Have you ever thought about the peddler's cost? If he's willing to add a little extra, it means he's definitely not losing money. And for the customer, even though he only spent ten cents and got something for eleven, he must feel like he's getting a bargain.

"Since this simulated policy essay is unprecedented, we must make it a smash hit. For the first time, why don't we learn from the peddler and show off the top three essays directly."