The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 16

Training children from related families is a result of multiple considerations; it's reliable, easy to manage, and relatively low-cost. No wonder Du's and Xi's pharmacies both employ their own family members' children.

The families of these children were willing to let them come out after careful consideration. In rural areas, a twelve or thirteen-year-old child is at most considered half a laborer, but this is the age when they are growing and eat a lot. As the saying goes, "A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home."

They don't have to worry about food and lodging after leaving home, and they can even earn some money each month, which is a good thing for their families, easing their burden considerably. Furthermore, since they are related, they won't be abused or beaten outside, putting their families at ease.

On the other hand, it's a good thing that my son has the opportunity to go to the city, broaden his horizons, and gain some experience. It's also a source of pride for us in the countryside.

The three boys all looked decent enough, none of them were ugly or deformed; Wang Anping had probably checked them out first. Although they were related, after discussing it, Xu Tian and Wang Anping didn't treat them differently; they were all to work.

Xu Tian called the group together. The young men didn't know him before, and their expressions were quite serious.

“You may not know me yet. I am Wang Anping’s sworn brother. We’re not blood brothers, but we’re closer than blood brothers. You can say that you are my nephews and nieces, and family. You can call me Uncle or Second Uncle.”

Hearing him say that, the boys relaxed a bit.

"Now that you're here, you must do your job well and not try to shirk your duties. Character is very important in life and work. I won't take special care of someone with bad character; I'll send them home, and no one can plead for them."

Upon hearing this, the group became tense again.

"Of course, those with good character and who are hardworking will also be rewarded. First of all, they will receive more monthly pay than others. Then, we will put in the effort to teach them how to do things and teach them skills so that they can get higher and more important positions and jobs in the future, and receive more money so that they can buy a house in the city."

"When the business grows bigger and we open other stores, we'll let him manage them again. After all, he's family, and we naturally trust him more."

Making grand promises still works; the children perked up again upon hearing this.

The boys were all quite young, and there wasn't a good plan for them. They weren't strong enough to chop wood, and it was dangerous. The country kids had just arrived and didn't speak very fluently, so they couldn't run errands or greet customers.

They could only start by doing simple chores like serving dishes, washing dishes, and wiping tables, learning how to do things and speak.

Business at the shop has been better overall since the Lunar New Year than before, partly due to the recent rise in Hua Zi Lou's reputation. Especially after the Lantern Festival, news naturally spread that the top scholar and many talented men from Xiangzhou had visited.

Furthermore, as the story has been passed down, various versions are still being upgraded. The earliest version was that everyone who was invited came and praised the food at Huazilou.

Later, it became known that top scholars and other talented individuals would come specifically to try the food, and after eating there, they would exclaim in admiration and compose poems in praise of it.

Later, it became that the top scholar was so moved by the food that he wept bitterly, regretting that he hadn't met the right person sooner, because he had never tasted such delicious food before.

As for how it will be circulated in the future, we don't know.

Aside from that, life was peaceful and uneventful, and Xu Tian sometimes even forgot that he was from a later era. He reflected on it and concluded that it was because he lacked the pressure and competition of life.

In later generations, there will be invisible yet perceptible pressure from all sides every day, from family, friends, and colleagues to the whole society, all urging you to hurry up, to run faster than others, and to be more successful than others.

Your family needs you, society needs you, the country needs you, keeping everyone in a state of constant anxiety, like a tightly wound spring.

In reality, anyone randomly picked from the streets of the future would live a much better life than most people in this era. So everything is relative; on the one hand, it can be seen as ambition and ideals; on the other hand, it can be seen as insatiable greed.

In the latter part of the month, the weather gradually warms up, and more people go out to work and prepare for the new year.

In early February, construction finally resumed at the factory. On the day construction started, Xu Tian made a special trip to the site to take a look, and Zhang Qi brought Zhang Laozhong to see him.

The man was probably in his late thirties or early forties, and he looked quite normal. However, his left arm was hanging down, indicating that it was this arm that was broken, not completely severed as Xu Tian had previously thought.

He guessed it was probably a severe fracture, which had no hope of being cured in this era, and would likely be difficult to cure in later generations as well.

"Yes, Mr. Zhang, right? Just stay here and do your job well. It's okay if you take it slow," Xu Tian said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Young Master Xu." The man bowed and said, his previously tense expression relaxing, probably because he was worried that Xu Tian would not hire him.

"Hey, why is there a child here?" Xu Tian noticed a child, about eight or nine years old, not far behind the man.

"This is Lao Zhong's son. He brought him to the construction site with him, hoping he can be of some help," Zhang Qi explained.

“The two of us combined are not much different from any other ordinary person,” Zhang Laozhong quickly said, showing that he really cared about this job.

Where is your wife?

“He left with someone long ago,” Zhang Laozhong said calmly, without any sign of resentment on his face.

“Yes, years ago, when Zhang Laozhong had an accident, his wife was forced to remarry by her brother-in-law,” Zhang Qi said.

"That's fine for now. Be careful with the child. Don't let him do heavy work. Just let him run errands and do odd jobs," Xu Tian instructed Zhang Qi.

He had originally planned to have Zhang Laozhong's wife help with cooking at the construction site so he could earn some wages and subsidies, but now that's not an option, so be it.

He didn't stop Zhang Laozhong from asking his son for help, which also involved the dignity of the poor. Poor people sometimes especially need the respect of others, and during the conversation, I felt that Zhang Laozhong was such a person.

This person did not wallow in self-pity, nor did he give up his faith in life.

He's just arrived and not yet familiar with the area. Treating him too differently might hurt his pride. We'll see if there are any other, easier jobs for him and his father later.

"Seventh Brother, let's proceed according to our plan, starting with the living area, and get the entire construction site ready in about a month. Otherwise, if we wait any longer and the rains come in, it will be a bit troublesome."

"Okay, don't worry. From your plan, the living area is a bit more complicated, with the houses mainly concentrated here, but they are all ordinary single-story houses, focusing on simplicity and practicality, so it's very easy."