Chapter 98

With the agent, Li Yao's soap workshop needed to expand production. But achieving nationwide supply was easier said than done.

Expanding production required considering raw material purchases, transportation costs, etc. In short, it was a systematic undertaking.

Fortunately, there was no need to build factories elsewhere for now. Rebuilding a large workshop in the village should meet market demand for the next two years.

After spending two days designing a relatively advanced workshop, she left construction matters to the Village Head to oversee. The workers were naturally fellow villagers.

According to the Village Chief's estimate, it could be completed before the new year to start production.

Watching over two hundred people starting to dig the foundations, Li Yao considered how to groom managers.

The large workshop was different from the small one, requiring more advanced and efficient management models, otherwise it would become a mess.

To learn her management style required flexibility and at least basic literacy and math skills.

So Wang Xueshi was definitely unsuitable, but grooming others posed a big problem.

After thinking all night, she finally decided that for grooming talent, she had to start from the children.

So the next day, she halted all activities and had the Village Chief gather all villagers together.

"You must have heard that we're building a large workshop," Li Yao said to the villagers. "The large workshop means more workers and more money earned."

Hearing this, the villagers were overjoyed.

Just as they were eager to sign up, Li Yao added: "But the large workshop also means higher requirements."

"What kind of requirements just to be a worker, Li Sister-in-Law?"

"Workers can still be like before, just reliable," Li Yao said. "But to become a foreman or lead foreman, earning 30 or 50 taels a year, you must at least be a xiucai." 30, 50 taels a year?

The villagers were stunned. What kind of heavenly salary was this, more than even a county magistrate's?

But with the requirement of a xiucai, it looked like only others could benefit.

After all, there wasn't a single xiucai in He Wan village. The most educated was a fake xiucai.

"Isn't that too difficult, Li Yao?" Even the Village Chief said, "There are so few educated people in our village. Where can we find so many xiucai?"

"That's why I gathered everyone today," Li Yao said. "Without educated people, we'll groom them. Without xiucai, we'll go take the exams. I want to fund building a school and let all school-aged children in the village study for free. In a few years, our village will surely produce many xiucai, maybe even a juren."

All the village children receiving free education?

Everyone was a bit dumbfounded.

It seemed they had never heard of something like this before in their ancestors' time, right?

Why not? Because most people couldn't even afford books, let alone expensive private tutoring.

"I support Li Yao," Village Head Wang Jiafu loudly said. "The village still has some money from the land sale. I've decided to contribute half to building the school. We can't let her shoulder everything alone."

As another head of a major family, Fang Shian also stepped forward: "Our Fang family is also willing to contribute 300 taels."

"But I must emphasize," the Village Chief said, "after the school is built, your brats must all come study for me!"

"Haha, look at you saying that," Zhu Yougui suddenly laughed. "If they don't come, what can you do, tie them up and drag them there?"

The Village Chief was rendered speechless for a moment.

He was the Village Chief, but had no authority to order villagers to do anything. He could only persuade.

But if the school was built and few people attended, wouldn't it be a wasted effort, squandering Li Yao's good intentions?

"Village Chief, I think we should just forget it," someone took the chance to say. "Let the kids do some work. They can also earn money at the workshop. Studying just eats food from the family for nothing."

"That's right. How many families can afford to feed multiple non-working children?"

"I think sending one per family is still possible."

...

Hearing the lively discussion, Li Yao sighed inwardly.

These ancients still didn't grasp the importance of education, only seeing immediate benefits. Ignorant.

But she had already expected this reaction and prepared countermeasures.

"Since it's a school I'm funding, I will set some rules," Li Yao said. "In the future, for families with children aged 7-15 who don't attend school, I won't hire anyone from that family for any job, nor let them work in my workshops to earn money. The children I refer to includes not just boys, but girls as well."

Upon hearing this, the scene immediately exploded.

Since ancient times, what logic was there in girls receiving education too?

"Li Yao," the Village Chief said, "isn't it a bit..."

Before he finished speaking, Li Yao directly interrupted him. "Why can't girls study? Let me make this clear. Families whose daughters don't attend school, including their whole clan and relatives, I won't use any of them in the future. I might as well move my workshop and family to the town, and find people in other villages to hire."

If she really moved away, the villagers would lose the chance to benefit from her presence. They were very clear on this.

But letting girls study meant much less labor and income for families.

Many were suddenly conflicted, not knowing how to decide.

At this time, Wang Xueshi stood up and loudly proclaimed, "Girls should study! From now on, I'll send all the girls in my family to school!"

"Granny Wang, with your four sons all earning money, of course you can do that," someone said. "If we lose labor, I'm afraid we won't be able to put food on the table."

"Then you're useless!" Wang Xueshi retorted. "If you were educated and became a xiucai, couldn't you get a job in Li Yao's workshop and earn tens of taels a year?"

"I wish I could, but sadly I'm not..."

"Then you should let your child study even more," Wang Xueshi said. "Work harder now, and when your child becomes a xiucai, your family can enjoy prosperity."

Hearing this, everyone felt she made sense and started becoming convinced.

Seeing the change, Li Yao continued: "In the future, I'll open many more workshops and need many people. But I'll slowly only want educated workers and pay those higher wages, much more than the illiterate."

"Alright, I'll send my granddaughter to study too!"

"Our family as well!"

...

In a short time, most families voiced their stance on the spot. As for those few holdouts, Li Yao didn't try persuading further.

She had already presented the opportunity. If they didn't cherish it, they could only blame themselves.

But she believed that even those who disagreed now would send both boys and girls to school after seeing the benefits of education.