1905: Beer Hall Speaker

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At the same time, there are also a large number of goods overseas that China needs, the most important of which are steel, oil, machinery and equipment, and grain.

The Republican government has now completely opened up coastal trade, without setting up any fixed open ports or trade zones. Wherever there is a seaside port, whether in the north or south, customs can be set up to conduct import and export trade.

Now, the curtain has been raised on China's unique "Age of Exploration," and Chinese merchants, freed from numerous constraints, are venturing overseas with immense courage to explore the vast world.

Chapter 173 The Motherland Awaits Your Return!

On March 19, at Jinshan Wharf in Shanghai, Yang Qingwen, Director of the Department of Overseas Study of the Ministry of Education, saw off hundreds of students who were about to embark on their journey to Europe.

The fact that a ministerial-level official from the central government could personally come is certainly no small matter; it is a major event concerning national strategy, namely the overseas study strategy.

The Republic began sending students abroad as early as the Northern Expedition. After deceiving diplomats from various countries, Zhao Yan not only lent money but also made some plans to send students abroad.

In 1906, when the government was still in the provisional stage, Zhao Yan sent 180 students to the United States and Germany, with the United States sending the most, 120 students.

In 1907, at the height of the war effort, the Ministry of Education still managed to allocate funds to support the overseas student program, sending two hundred students to France and Switzerland.

In 1908, due to the impact of the war, the Ministry of Education was really short of money and could only send 35 students to Germany.

After the war ended this year, the Ministry of Education expanded the overseas student program again, approving 850 government-funded overseas student places, all of whom will be sent to Germany in Europe for further studies.

The central leadership has reached an agreement with the German government. Germany is willing to accept a large number of Chinese students, with few restrictions on the number, but there are no preferential policies, and all students must pay the full tuition fees.

It wasn't just the basic tuition fee; the Germans even added a premium, ripping off the Republic handsomely. But the central government still agreed, after all, it was already quite difficult for Germany to open up the door.

Higher education is a scarce resource in any country. These days, it's not like the days when college graduates are everywhere and postgraduates are as good as dogs. Every overseas university is a formidable institution.

With limited resources available, even domestic students are scrambling to compete, let alone international students. Even the United States, which is most proactive in attracting international students, has not completely lifted the quota restrictions. Only Germany has reluctantly opened its doors.

The cost is that international students pay almost two to three times more tuition than domestic students, but the Ministry of Education still grits its teeth and agrees whenever the opportunity arises.

With 850 international students, the annual tuition alone is as high as 350,000 yuan, plus living expenses, etc., which together require at least 500,000 yuan in government funding to maintain the program.

This money was painstakingly squeezed out of the government's purse strings. The annual expenses of one international student are almost equivalent to the annual education budget of an entire town.

All the officially funded students sent abroad were in science and engineering, not a single one in the humanities. In particular, Zhao Yan personally issued an order prohibiting any student from studying art, especially those sent to Germany!

This year's international students are all elites selected from various middle schools and universities in China, and many of them are gifted students discovered by education departments in various provinces and cities. They are all young elites in the fields of mathematics, physics and chemistry.

They embody the nation's efforts and hopes to catch up with the world's trends. China now imports a large amount of advanced technology and equipment from overseas, which can be considered as the introduction of hard power. What these students can bring back in the future is soft power. The former is giving a man a fish, while the latter is teaching him how to fish.

China needs advanced technologies and equipment, but it needs even more people who can operate or even invent and improve these technologies and equipment. In fact, talent is more important than technology and equipment.

Standing on the high platform, Yang Qingwen looked at the spirited young faces in front of him and felt extremely emotional. He was very proud that he had been able to facilitate this large-scale dispatch of students to study abroad.

Yang Qingwen was an official in the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry) during the late Qing Dynasty who was in charge of handling affairs related to students studying abroad. He even personally went abroad to investigate on several occasions and was one of the very few officials at the time who opened their eyes to the world.

He was well aware of the significance of overseas students for China's future development. During the Qing Dynasty, he deeply resented the extravagance of high-ranking officials and nobles, and how the imperial family and royal relatives were treated like pigs and dogs, doing nothing but taking away huge sums of money out of thin air.

If that money were used to send students abroad, it could help the country cultivate so many talents every year.

Yang Qingwen was not very optimistic about the so-called Westernization Movement of the Qing Dynasty. How much of an effect could simply importing some machines and warships have? It would still fall behind. Development supported only by inanimate objects can never last long. Only people are the foundation!

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yang Qingwen voluntarily applied to transfer to the Ministry of Education, which was then a relatively insignificant department. He then gained the appreciation of the Prime Minister's Office for his support of the Central Compulsory Education Law and was promoted to Vice Minister of Education and Director of the Department of Overseas Study, becoming a high-ranking official at the ministerial level.

After taking office, he strongly advocated for the expansion of the study abroad program and repeatedly argued for financial allocations for the program.

Local education officials denounced Yang Qingwen as a traitor who worships foreign things and is obsequious to foreigners. They pointed out that even the popularization of compulsory education in Taiwan is still fraught with difficulties, yet Yang Qingwen has repeatedly proposed to launch a program for overseas students. This time, he has even taken away hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual education funding, which has greatly displeased his colleagues in the Ministry of Education.

However, Yang Qingwen persisted in his opinion and even received personal approval and praise from Zhao Yan. His view was that while grassroots education should be developed, cutting-edge trends from overseas should also be absorbed. Chinese education should not only be grounded in reality but also look up at the stars.

Recalling the hardships and setbacks along the way in the international student program over the years, and looking at the spirited and ambitious young students in front of him, Yang Qingwen couldn't help but tear up.

He opened his mouth, his voice trembling with emotion, and gave his final farewell speech to all the international students.

"Students, today marks the beginning of a new chapter in your lives. Today you will embark on a journey across vast oceans to study in the distant German Empire of Europe."

From this moment forward, you are no longer ordinary students, but the pillars of the younger generation serving the country!

Going abroad to study is not just about learning and further education, but about representing this country and this nation to absorb and digest the nutrients we urgently need.

Since the Opium War, China has been oppressed by the Manchu Qing dynasty internally and bullied by foreign powers externally. The Qing dynasty called for learning from the barbarians' superior techniques to control them, but in the end, it ended in a messy and hasty defeat.

Now, the Republic has begun a new chapter. The enormous price we paid has transformed us from kneeling on the ground to standing up again, but we still do not have the right to sit down.

Now the motherland needs you to put in the most sweat and perseverance to go to Europe to learn the most complex and cutting-edge knowledge, to come into contact with the highest technology, to digest the powerful technology that foreigners are most proud of, and then bring all of these things back!

This is the true meaning of "learning from the barbarians to subdue them"! We need a vast amount of technology and equipment, but we also need an even greater number of talented people.

"You must always remember the responsibility on your shoulders. The country has done everything in its power to send you abroad to study, squeezing out every last penny."

All that you take and use is the people's hard-earned money! There are still many Chinese people who can't even get enough to eat, but you still want to go to Europe to eat butter and bread.

Primary education is not even widespread in rural areas, and many families cannot afford to pay three to five yuan a year for tuition for young children. Local governments are fighting tooth and nail for a few hundred or a few thousand yuan in education funding.

Each of you students requires the country to spend thousands of yuan every year, which represents the country's expectations and attention to you.

Please do not let down this hard-earned money from 400 million compatriots, and do not let down the efforts the motherland has poured into you.

Finally, I want to say to everyone, the motherland is waiting for your return!

For Yang Qingwen, a high-ranking official at the ministerial level, to be able to say such a thing to this group of young students is already a great honor.

The international students didn't hesitate either. They took out a national flag, signed their names on it one by one, and then bit their fingers to leave bloody marks on their signatures.

After all 850 international students had signed and pressed their fingerprints, a representative was chosen to hand the national flag to Yang Qingwen.

"Director Yang, we students have nothing, but we have plenty of determination and courage. With this national flag as our witness, we are determined to study hard. If we do not achieve our goals, we will not return home! After we have completed our studies, who among us dares not return to our motherland? May heaven, earth, and gods forsake us!"

Yang Qingwen solemnly accepted the national flag, nodding repeatedly: "Good, good!"

"When you all return after completing your studies, if I am still alive, I will surely be here again, just like today, to welcome you back!"

Today, we are sending out 850 students, but in the future, more than 800 will return as pillars of the nation. They will be the future engineers, scientists, professors, and even officials of the Republic, and a large number of outstanding individuals will emerge from among them.

After the farewell ceremony, the students turned and walked up the gangway to board the passenger ship. There were five passenger or merchant ships heading to Europe today. The Ministry of Education dared not put so many outstanding students on one ship, so they had to sit separately to feel at ease.

The ship not only had government-sponsored students, but also quite a few self-funded students, all of whom looked at the government-sponsored students who had just boarded with envy.

They didn't have the kind of scene where high-ranking officials from the central government personally saw them off; at most, it was their elders from their families who came to see them off.

Most self-funded students are young people from wealthy families, otherwise they would not be able to afford the huge cost of studying abroad. They need to apply to and contact overseas universities on their own. Their biggest advantage is that, unlike government-funded students, they are not limited to studying specific subjects at fixed schools. They can choose freely.

Furthermore, the tuition fees for self-funded students are much lower than those for government-funded students. The German government has shown some leniency by not further penalizing self-funded students, but instead cutting back on government-funded students.

It's best to stop while you're ahead, otherwise you might provoke Zhao Yan. The Germans are also afraid of being targeted by Zhao Yan. Even though the German high-ranking officials haven't met him in person, they've experienced his methods and insight from thousands of miles away.

Chapter 174 The Town Mayor Goes to the Countryside

In early spring, all things sprout and flourish, and everywhere is full of vitality.

At this moment, Lin Jishun, the mayor of Meihua Town, was walking unsteadily on the narrow dirt road in the countryside. The road was muddy and slippery after a spring rain. Lin Jishun hung his only pair of military boots, which he cherished, around his neck and wore only a pair of straw sandals on his feet as he walked.

These leather military boots were issued to officers when they served in the military. The uppers are now loose and worn, but Lin Jishun still can't bear to throw them away because this is the only pair of shoes he has that are presentable.

Lin Jishun was followed by police officers and agricultural workers from the town. They were to inspect and supervise the spring plowing progress in several villages today. However, it had just rained, and it was estimated that it would rain again in the afternoon. The roads were muddy and slippery, so they probably wouldn't be able to visit all the villages today.

"Mayor, why haven't you paid this month's salary yet? Did you embezzle it?" The policeman carrying a wooden stick muttered as he walked.

After hearing this, Lin Jishun cursed, "You son of a bitch, is your monthly salary of three yuan and fifty cents enough to warrant me working for you? As the town mayor, I make hundreds of yuan every month, while your little bit of money isn't even a fraction of what you earn. And you call that embezzlement?"

The officer laughed and said, "Since you're so wealthy, just give it to me quickly. My family is waiting for rice to cook. Or you could give me some more so I can redeem my gun too. You know, I'm a police officer who runs around all day carrying just a wooden stick. It's too embarrassing. At least give me a gun."

Lin Jishun resolutely refused: "I'll go to the county to urge them about the wages. The money in the account is for specific purposes only. Anyone who touches it will be sent to a reformatory. I don't dare to use the agricultural education funds to pay your wages."

"Let's wait a bit about the gun. I'll see if there are any cheap shotguns at the market next time and get you one to use for now."

The police officer said with a long face, "Mayor, I'm a ninth-rank town police officer who's paid by the government. What kind of impression do you think I'll have if I go out with that musket? You might as well just give me a machete!"

As Lin Jishun walked carefully, he parted the sharp weeds on both sides of the road with his hands: "You dare to be picky? I'll get you a heavy machine gun, can you carry it?"

You know you're a government police officer, so even if you're empty-handed, how many people would dare to mess with you? If you do run into someone who does, even if I gave you a machine gun, it wouldn't be enough!

"Always gossiping and criticizing, when I send you out to patrol the villages, it's either windy or rainy. If you were in the army, I'd hang you up and beat you to a pulp!"

The officer chuckled shamelessly, "This is the countryside, you can't treat me like I'm under military law."

Lin Jishun said, "Let's hurry on our way and not waste any time. Let's see if we can get a free breakfast in the village. Every little bit helps."

The three continued their journey and finally arrived at the nearest village, Daxichong, at eight o'clock in the morning. The village chief was sitting at his doorstep, drinking a bowl of thin porridge. When he looked up and saw that the group of starving ghosts from town had come again, he quickly took the bowl home, told his wife to turn off the stove fire, and move the rice pot to the backyard.

"Village chief, is there any breakfast? Hurry up and grab a bite. We left town before dawn and we're starving." Lin Jishun swaggered in with his men and went straight into the village chief's house.

The village chief quickly shook his head: "No, it's the lean season, who can afford breakfast?"

The agricultural worker immediately widened his eyes: "Village chief, you're just bluffing. It's the busy time for spring plowing. Who doesn't go out to work in the fields after breakfast?"

The police officer sniffed around, saying, "This smells exactly like porridge, and they even added perilla leaves. Bring it out quickly!"

The village chief retorted, "No, how can a small family like ours afford to be begged by you every few days? If you have something to say, say it; if not, leave!"

Lin Jishun was also embarrassed. He could only endure it because his village chief was so disrespectful.

Who can blame them for being unreasonable? The town government has a staff of twelve, including five teachers who live on campus. Each person receives two yuan a month for food, which is barely enough to make ends meet and certainly not enough for a decent meal.

But if the county dared to delay paying wages, then the issue of food expenses was even more out of the question, forcing Lin Jishun to resort to begging for help everywhere.

But they were too good at taking advantage of people's generosity, so the town and the villages below started to be wary of them. Every mealtime, they would hold their bowls and keep watch at their doorsteps. If they saw people from the town government coming, they would immediately put away their food and turn off the stove!

These days, no family can afford to have three or five big men come over for a meal every now and then. Every time they go to the countryside, it's like a cleansing operation, and everyone gets annoyed by it.

Seeing that he had failed, Lin Jishun could only resort to bureaucratic language: "Village Chief Yi, our town government has gone to great lengths to help farmers in the countryside, but the village won't even provide a single meal. This has really disappointed us."

"Fine, since Daxichong doesn't welcome us, we'll go to the next village. But let me warn you beforehand, when the county allocates fertilizer in a couple of days, don't blame me if you don't get any!"

Upon hearing this, the village chief's expression immediately changed: "Mayor Lin, what are you saying? Have you brought in fertilizer again?"

"It's just a meal, isn't it? Honey, hurry up and bring the pot back, and get the bowls and chopsticks!"

The village chief was happier than anyone else when he heard that fertilizer was coming. Last year, the county allocated some fertilizer, which was all imported bird droppings fertilizer, dug up by the Germans from the colonial island of Guinea and sold it.

Meihua Town received one and a half tons of rice. The fields that had been fertilized with bird droppings that autumn harvest yielded significantly more. In particular, the twenty mu of public land owned by the town government produced six hundred jin of rice per mu, which was nearly five hundred jin even after drying.

Others were afraid that the fertilizer would cause problems, so the town government could only use it on its own public land first. Last autumn, all twenty acres of land yielded a bumper harvest and increased production. Lin Jishun sold the grain and filled the town government's financial hole, and even had money left over to pay year-end bonuses. It was a very prosperous year.

After this year's spring plowing, the county issued another notice that the bird droppings fertilizer will be available soon, and Meihua Town is expected to receive about four tons.

Bird droppings fertilizer isn't available in every province; it depends on each province's financial situation. The central government issued an order to assist farmers, requiring local governments to allocate funds to purchase agricultural tools, fertilizers, and seeds for distribution to farmers, and to monitor the progress of rural farming.

Helping farmers isn't something you can just do by shouting at them; you have to offer them some real favors and benefits for them to listen.

Some poor provinces simply don't have enough money to help farmers, but they can't do nothing, otherwise they'll be disobeying the central government's orders, and Zhao Yan will definitely not let them off the hook.

In impoverished areas like Shanxi and Gansu, they would simply go to the grasslands to buy cow and horse manure and distribute it to the farmers as a token gesture.

In the wealthy provinces of the south, the money is used to import fertilizers from overseas or to purchase steel farm implements, which are then distributed to counties and towns to help farmers.

Zhao Yan kept a close eye on things every day in the Imperial Study. Every action taken by each province had to be written up and sent to Beijing. No one dared to deceive anyone; they could only do their best.

That's how Meihua Town gets its fertilizer. Four or five tons of bird droppings are far from enough to satisfy the needs of so much farmland in Meihua Town, but it's better than nothing.

The only fertilizer available in rural areas now is fermented human and animal excrement. Farmers have special manure jars or buckets to store human excrement, and there are also special composting areas for animal excrement. No matter how smelly it is, they dare not leave it outside their homes, otherwise someone will steal it.

In their daily lives, farmers would pick up even a puddle of dog poop on the road. Those who raised chickens and ducks would keep a close eye on them, and if a dog defecated, they would cover it with wood ash, shovel it away, and throw it into a manure pile to ferment.

Families with more people and livestock have more fertilizer, more fertile land, and higher yields. Families with fewer people, where only one or two people defecate, struggle to irrigate even one acre of land in a year.

Therefore, the bird droppings fertilizer distributed by the government is now a treasure in the eyes of farmers. Everyone saw the effect last year, and this year they are determined to get some to irrigate their own fields.

Lin Jishun and his group soon enjoyed the village chief's hospitality. A large pot of porridge was served, and the village chief even had his wife pick out two eggs to stir-fry with chili peppers. The three of them ate without any hesitation.

The three of them only put down their bowls and chopsticks, still not quite satisfied, and began wiping their mouths, after the village chief's face had turned dark.

Lin Jishun patted his chest and said, "This year's fertilizer allocation isn't much; each village will only receive about 500 jin. But considering how well you, Village Chief Yi, have treated us, I'll take the liberty of allocating 600 jin to your village!"

But I have one condition, and you must agree to it and do it, otherwise I'll make trouble for you again!

The village chief said, "Tell me, what are your conditions?"

Lin Jishun said, "As the village chief, you can't take too much. At most, you can take fifty catties. The rest must be divided equally among every household in the village. Everyone has to get some, and after taking it, they have to sign and put their fingerprints on it. If the higher-ups come to inspect, this matter has to pass must be approved, otherwise I'll be in trouble, and you'll be the first one to get away with it!"

The village chief immediately agreed, "No problem, I agree!"

The village chiefs do not receive a salary, but they have a lot of work to do. The only benefits the town can provide are those distributed from higher levels, and the village chiefs receive an extra portion of those benefits when they are allocated to the villages.

For example, when compulsory education was made available, the village chief's children were definitely selected, and the village chief would also receive more fertilizer when it was distributed; these were all benefits.

However, it can't be too outrageous. The relevant issuance process requires formal documents and the parties involved to sign and affix their fingerprints. These documents are kept on file for a long time and are subject to lifelong accountability.

Whether the town was doing it or not, the county was watching; whether the county and city were implementing it, the province was watching; and all of the province's actions were being monitored day and night by Zhao Yan in the Imperial Study.

Zhao Yan always says that he is extremely busy, even when he takes a dump, he has to keep track of time by looking at his watch. That's what he's so busy with!

If he doesn't keep an eye on things, his subordinates will absolutely not take it seriously, and might even embezzle all the money, leaving the farmers with nothing.

Now, Zhao Yan not only keeps an eye on things, but also randomly dispatches inspection teams without prior notice. These inspection teams are personally formed by Zhang Xinghua, the Minister of the Central Supervision Department, and sent to local areas to specifically inspect these trivial matters.

No matter how bold the locals were, they wouldn't dare to bribe Zhang Xinghua. Moreover, the members of the inspection team were all members of the Revival Party, and no one dared to try to curry favor with them, because doing so would be a disastrous move. Furthermore, the complex competition within the Revival Party made outsiders hesitant to get involved.