Fang Er returned to the manor and began making arrangements before his departure.
Qi Sui, Wu Yong, Ma Tongyuan, and the foremen of the workshops all gathered in the small courtyard of Fang's residence.
Xiao Qing and Xiao Huan busied themselves with serving tea and snacks.
Fang Er sat in the main seat, while the others, without much ceremony, took their places at their leisure.
Defense was of utmost importance, so the first instructions were given to Qi Sui and Wu Yong.
"Qi Sui, Old Wu, the two of you must take good care of the home.
The electric fence will be energized at the last moment of the Xu hour each day. The sentries must conduct diligent checks, and at the same time, you cannot neglect training!
If anyone dares to cause trouble at the manor, they will be killed without mercy! Remember, not a single bit of damage must befall the craftsmen or machinery in the workshops.
If you guard the home well, you will have rendered a great service!"
Qi Sui grinned and stood up, saying, "Your Lordship, rest assured, I will handle matters properly!"
Wu Yong, though not having interacted with Fang Er much, had already grown fond of this place. He patted his chest and guaranteed, "Please rest assured, Your Lordship, the Fourth Battalion will not fail you!"
Fang Er nodded and gestured for them to sit.
Afterward, his gaze shifted to Zhao Gang.
"Earlier, I mentioned establishing another school, different from the current one. It will primarily teach the skills of craftsmen.
The new school will be called New Oriental Technical Institute, symbolizing the rising sun in the east, with a skill in hand to travel the world.
We will select instructors from each workshop, and you will be responsible for compiling the textbooks. Xue Zhiqian will lead the typesetting and printing.
The students will be mainly the young and strong within Fang Family Manor, aged fifteen to twenty."
Zhao Gang rose and said, "I have noted it down."
After speaking, he specifically took out a small notebook and recorded the name of the school and its motto, which would serve as the future school motto.
Fang Er looked at Sun Simiao and Yuan Tiangang, who appeared lost in thought.
"Venerable Master Sun, Venerable Master Yuan, if you two don't mind, I would like to have you both hold honorary positions at the institute.
Venerable Master Sun will be responsible for teaching medical skills, and Venerable Master Yuan, you will impart the knowledge you have gained from the books I gave you. How does that sound?"
Yuan Tiangang had no objections whatsoever. Otherwise, he would not have summoned so many of his Daoist juniors to study when he received the chemistry textbooks.
The old Daoist Sun nodded repeatedly. Being able to pass on his life's learning and save more people was exactly what he, a pure Daoist physician, desired.
Seeing their agreement, Fang Er then instructed Ma Tongyuan.
"Mr. Ma, if any students from the current school wish to transfer to New Oriental, do not obstruct them."
Although Ma Tongyuan was somewhat reluctant, he nodded in agreement.
During his nearly year-long stay at Fang Family Manor, he had interacted with these craftsmen frequently.
"Industrial development strengthens the nation," this was a phrase Fang Er had inadvertently mentioned before.
At first, he didn't quite understand it, but as time passed, he witnessed the contributions the craftsmen had made to Fang Family Manor.
The smoothly paved cement roads, the crystal-clear glass greenhouses, the cannons that killed at a thousand paces.
And the high-yield crops, all of which were inseparable from the craftsmen's skills.
Moreover, with the addition of Venerable Master Sun's medical skills and Yuan Tiangang's enlightenment techniques, he had slowly come to accept Fang Er's vision of the school as a place of enlightenment.
Fang Er then looked at Old Ma Tou and Liu Si.
"Old Ma, in a few more days, the cotton and sweet potatoes will be harvested. Be sure to properly store the cotton seeds and the sweet potatoes!
The cotton seeds must be dried and stored. After harvesting the sweet potatoes, they must be kept in the cellar. Absolutely no problems should occur."
Old Ma Tou cupped his hands.
"Your Lordship, rest assured. I have cultivated land my entire life. I know the importance of seeds."
Fang Er nodded and continued speaking.
"Old Si, how many chickens have we raised now?"
Liu Si had a bit of a sore mouth, with a canker sore that hurt when he spoke.
"Your Lordship, these chicks are growing too fast! They've reached over two catties within a month of hatching.
The batch of chicks you brought back are already starting to lay eggs.
Including the chicks hatched by the hens on the manor later, we now have nearly a thousand."
"Nearly a thousand chicks? Those three big roosters must be living quite a good life!
Liu Laosi, how many wives and concubines have you arranged for them?
Don't overdo it, be careful the roosters can't handle it." Fang Er said with some concern.
Zhao Neng chuckled from the side.
"Your Lordship might not know, but Old Si treats those three big roosters better than Liu Meng!
He even sleeps with them in his bed at night, for fear they'll be snatched by weasels.
He feeds them insects daily, and all three roosters are plump and vigorous."
"Hoh~!"
This was something Fang Er had never expected, nor had he ever heard of it.
Some people sleep with dogs or cats, but an old man like you sleeps with chickens, and roosters at that!
However, this also showed that he truly cherished this matter, which made Fang Er very pleased.
"Well done. Look for a girl you fancy, and I'll personally arrange a match for Mengzi."
Upon hearing this, Liu Si immediately perked up.
"Your Lordship, rest assured. When I get back, I'll look around the manor carefully, hahahaha!"
Liu Meng was a battalion commander in the Tianhuo Army. With Fang Er personally arranging his marriage now, it could be said that he could freely choose from not only the six thousand people in Fang Family Manor but also from the nearby villages and towns, without worrying about the bride's family disagreeing.
After giving instructions to these few individuals, the remaining matters were less critical.
These were merely requests for each workshop to maximize production and expand revenue.
The pre-departure arrangements thus concluded.
Everyone returned to their respective posts and began making preparations as per Fang Er's instructions.