Having just been promoted from apprentice to craftsman a few days ago, Hu Jin flushed red. He wanted to tell Zhao Hanzhang he didn’t yet have the qualifications to take apprentices. But meeting Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze, he was somewhat afraid to speak.

With this hesitation, he didn’t speak again, because Zhao Hanzhang said: “If you can teach even one craftsman with your current skills, I’ll give you one share of the book bureau. If you can teach one hundred craftsmen like yourself, I’ll give you this book bureau—it can be your family treasure.”

Hu Jin’s mouth fell open as he stared at Zhao Hanzhang in disbelief. “Really?”

“Truer than real gold,” she smiled. “If you truly earn this book bureau, I won’t touch any of the assets including the printing blocks. I’ll only take those hundred craftsmen. The rest, let them choose—if they want to follow me, they can follow me. If they want to follow you, I won’t stop them.”

Fierce ambition instantly blazed in Hu Jin’s eyes. Young people—who doesn’t harbor thoughts of making achievements?

As a craftsman, his greatest ambition was to become a master craftsman and own a book bureau—that was a wild dream even his master wouldn’t dare have. Yet now, Zhao Hanzhang had pulled aside the veil, letting him see hope.

Hu Jin immediately said: “No need to wait until after New Year. The helpers you send can start learning from me.”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her eyebrows, nodding with a smile. “Good then, let’s start teaching them.”

Fu Tinghan suddenly said: “Besides carving, they still need to set aside time daily to learn characters. If there’s no time during the day, then evenings.”

He said to Zhao Hanzhang: “Go find students from the Relief Hall who study well. Have them come teach these people characters, starting from the very basics. Whatever they’ve learned, teach that.”

Zhao Hanzhang: “You want to prepare for movable type printing?”

Fu Tinghan nodded. “Since you’ve opened literacy classes, there will only be more and more literate people in the future. Movable type printing won’t be so difficult then.”

Hu Jin was very perceptive. He immediately asked: “What is movable type printing?”

Fu Tinghan didn’t begrudge this knowledge, carefully explaining to him what movable type printing was.

Hu Jin stood stunned. “Carving character by character? But how do the characters form books? We can’t compare them one by one, right? We don’t really recognize characters, so it wouldn’t be easy to find them.”

“That’s why typesetters must be literate,” Fu Tinghan said. “This matter isn’t urgent. Have them learn woodblock printing first while learning characters.”

Looking at the dazed Hu Jin, Fu Tinghan said: “You can join them during character lessons. Movable type printing currently only exists in theory. To become reality, it still depends on craftsmen like you to research it.”

Hu Jin: “Gentleman Fu just told me the secret like that?”

Fu Tinghan smiled. “This is one of the few pieces of knowledge that need not be hidden.”

As for the rest, he and Zhao Hanzhang weren’t so generous.

For example, the constantly protected glass formula, and the increasingly smooth progress with steel.

Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang walked outside together. “I need to go to Wushan to check on the blast furnace and steel refining situation.”

Zhao Hanzhang: “It’s almost Little New Year. The county town is very lively. Won’t you participate?”

She continued: “I was hoping to tour the county town with you. This Xiping County construction—half the credit belongs to you.”

Fu Tinghan had always been behind the scenes. Aside from Changning and a few others, even other officials in the county office didn’t know of his contributions. Zhao Hanzhang wanted to make his achievements public.

Fu Tinghan smiled. “I can come back to see this activity, but I don’t want to be watched. You know I’m not good at interacting with people.”

“All right, then you come back. On that day we’ll quietly go out and join the fun together.”

Fu Tinghan nodded and left for Wushan the next day.

When he arrived, he happened upon the various teams at Wushan evaluating this year’s award recipients.

Many people worked the fields at Wushan. Adding those punished to hard labor here, there were nearly five hundred people.

With so many people gathered together, it was very lively.

So after obtaining county office approval, the chief officer here, Ji Ping, took out another portion of rice, flour, grain, and oil as prizes, planning to hold their own activity before Little New Year.

Because they needed to guard Wushan and were military retainers, they couldn’t leave the farmland area without orders.

They couldn’t participate in the county town activities.

Ji Ping felt quite regretful. He rather liked this kind of activity and assumed Fu Tinghan would like it too. So after he finished inspecting Wushan and solved several small problems for the craftsmen, Ji Ping urged Fu Tinghan to return to the county town.

“It’s Little New Year. The gentleman should spend it with the Lady.”

At some point, the people around Zhao Hanzhang had all started following Fu’an in calling Fu Tinghan “gentleman.” To distinguish him from Zhao Erlang, they all called him “the great gentleman” or “the eldest young master”…

Those outside who didn’t know the details, upon hearing this, would think Fu Tinghan was their master.

Fu Tinghan acknowledged and returned to the county town with Fu’an.

At this time, Xiping County was bustling with activity—even livelier than during the winter solstice celebration at the Zhao estate.

As New Year approached, aside from the Wushan iron mine, all other work sites had given everyone time off to rest.

Workers recruited from neighboring counties to do labor received their final wages. Hearing that Xiping County was holding various activities this year, with rice, flour, grain, and oil being cheaper, and the county office even holding competitions where winners would receive free rice, flour, grain, and oil—

So the villagers, holding their money, thought it over, then ran home, brought their families, and came rushing to Xiping County town to purchase New Year goods.

Even people from other counties came running to purchase New Year goods—naturally the people of Xiping County weren’t willing to be outdone.

Those who survived the warfare, after being rescued, had either been receiving relief or participating in work-for-relief programs. Though the pain in their hearts remained, materially they were indeed better off than people in the neighboring counties.

They also had quite a bit in wages saved. So after family discussions, they also felt they needed joyous events to dispel misfortune. Therefore, they too came running to Xiping County town to purchase New Year goods.

Both gates of Xiping County opened fully. Common people entering the city formed a long line. Everyone either carried baskets, wore back baskets, or the wealthy ones pushed handcarts—bustling about in great excitement.

Old Master Song’s carriage exited the city very smoothly. Only after traveling far away did he lower the window curtain and sit properly.

“Did you see, Master?”

Old Master Song nodded and sighed. “Zhao Hanzhang indeed has formidable methods. Through work-for-relief, she gathered all the scattered vagrants and refugees from the countryside. The hired laborers and tenant farmers who previously worked at our estates—in the blink of an eye they’ve all been allotted fields, or else entered her pocket to cultivate official fields for her.”

“This display lets people see her prestige in Xiping County. From now on, no one in the county will dare defy her.”

The advisor thought the same. Sighing, he said: “I just wonder what Zhao Ming will think?”

Zhao Ming was currently watching with great interest the items set up in the square before the county office gate. He picked up an arrow and asked: “How many do I need to hit to win a prize?”

Zhao Hanzhang: “Three arrows or more. Different quantities, different rewards.”

Zhao Ming aimed at the jar opening, then tossed it. The arrow clinked as it fell into the jar.