Looking at Su Song and the others who were testing the machine in the field, Du Zhongxiao said: "Mai Lao cherries are ripe. At this time, the wheat is not old, but the Xiangzhou cherries are ripe. Merchants sold cherries from there, and took a train to Tangzhou to the Central Plains, and the surrounding area was full of cherries these days. ”

Ouyang Xiu said: "No, I also saw it, I bought two catties yesterday." I heard that there are people who take a car to Xiangcheng and want to sell to Kaifeng Mansion, but I don't know if it will be successful. Later, the train passed through Xiangzhou to Kaifeng Mansion, and the people of the Central Plains could also eat these Jiangnan treasures. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded. Trains can travel thousands of miles in a day, and many fruits and agricultural products that could not be trafficked before can be transported by train. Even if it is available everywhere, it can be sold out of season in the south. The Song people were very particular about food and clothing, and they were willing to spend money, and if they could sell cherries into the capital at this time, they could make a lot of money. Those fruits that are not conducive to preservation may be marketed all over the world in the future.

A few days ago, there were people selling bayberry, these days selling cherries, and in the next few days, more southern fruits will be sold to the north. Nowadays, almost everyone who takes the train carries a large amount of goods, even officials, and it is difficult to find a ticket.

Speaking of this, Du Zhongxiao couldn't help but think of the first time he took the train to Quang Nam when he was a child, and saw the conductors carrying a lot of fruits. In particular, pineapples, which are easy to transport and can be preserved, are almost everywhere. For those who work on trains, this is a perk.

It is impossible to overestimate the impact of transportation on the economic landscape. The Song Dynasty did not restrict the movement of people and did not disregard commerce, and this phenomenon was particularly obvious. As long as something profitable, someone will do it.

As the weather warms up, the price of meat and vegetables around Tiejian has dropped sharply recently, and it is someone who trafficked it from the Tangzhou area. Although it is only separated by more than 200 miles, there is a Fangcheng Mountain in the middle, and the ground atmosphere in Tangzhou is much warmer than here, and vegetable cultivation is more convenient.

Another advantage of selling goods by train is that there is no tax. As long as you buy a ticket, all kinds of money on the road are saved, and even if you are trafficking in large quantities of goods, the cost is much lower. However, now there are too few vehicles, and the trucks are only government-run, not open to the people, and the impact is not particularly great.

Looking at the crowd of people trying the machine, Du Zhongxiao thought that when this railway to Xiangzhou played a role, the world would see the benefits, but I was afraid that many places would compete to build it. The Song Dynasty liked to release important ministers as governors, and it would definitely be very lively at that time.

After looking at it for a while, Ouyang Xiu said: "Yun Juan, let them try it there, let's go to the city for a walk." ”

As the place developed, new place names were added here. On the north bank of the Li River, opposite the Iron Prison, there are many shops and are called the city. The south bank, where the iron supervisors live, is called the iron supervisor. To the east, there is also a mining area, and to the north is called the coal mountain, which is customary.

As soon as I entered the market, I saw a person walking towards me. His hair was gray, he wore a loose bun, a white beard, and a straight jacket. Holding a wine gourd in his hand, half-squinting, shaking three times, humming a little song in his hand.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Du Zhongxiao and Ouyang Xiu coming, and he was startled and hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

Du Zhongxiao didn't know him, and asked: I see that you have a good face, but I can't remember who it is. “

The old man said: "Xiao Mintong Jiucheng, this, this, be a chair in the iron prison." When I first came, because I was old, I was still willing to learn to read and write, and the officials praised me. ”

"Oh-" Du Zhongxiao nodded, and then remembered who it was. Tong Jiucheng is an uncle of Tong Anlu, and by chance he knew that he was very proud in the iron prison, so he traveled thousands of miles to find him. At such an age, the iron supervisor will not accept it. This child Jiucheng went to learn literacy and arithmetic at his own expense, because he had gone to a private school before, and he quickly learned it. The person who taught in the Iron Supervision Camp had a special school, some of which were like the teachers of later generations, and he went there to study for a few months, and he was qualified in everything. Du Zhongxiao heard about this, and in order to encourage progress, he once rewarded him.

Thinking of the past, Du Zhongxiao looked at Tong Jiucheng, where he looked like a teacher, is he an old farmer who is disrespectful to the old.

Ouyang Xiu heard that this person was a teacher, so he couldn't help but look up and down, and the more he looked at it, the more incredible he felt. After enduring it for a long time, he said unhappily: "If you are a member of any family who gives people enlightenment, whatever you like, no one cares about your behavior." But you take the money and food of the iron prison and are a teacher, how can you be like this? If you come here like this, won't you teach your children badly! ”

Tong Jiucheng sued again and again, which was very embarrassing.

Du Zhongxiao didn't care, smiled, and said to Tong Jiucheng: "When you teach students, don't you dare to be so nonsense, you have to follow the rules." When you get out of school, you can do whatever you want, don't go too far. ”

Tong Jiucheng said yes again and again, hurriedly said goodbye, and hurriedly left with a wine gourd.

Ouyang Xiu said: "Judgment of fortune, as a teacher, how can you be so profligate!" This person is like this, wouldn't he teach the children of the Iron Prison badly! ”

Du Zhongxiao waved his hand: "Long Tuyan is heavy." The school of the iron supervisor is only three years, and he can read and write, and he can write, write, and calculate. These people are not any teachers, they are just teaching some knowledge and eating together. What does the naughty boy know, he has studied for three years, and he has his own place to go. ”

Seeing that Ouyang Xiu was still indignant, Du Zhongxiao said: "Let's find a place to drink a few glasses of wine in front, why bother with these idleness." ”

In Du Zhongxiao's eyes, he never regarded the school teachers in the iron prison as exemplary people, they only needed to teach literacy and simple arithmetic. Correspondingly, their salaries are not high, basically the same as the iron supervision workers, Du Zhongxiao's statement is that the teaching staff.

With a big bag of money, but a doctor's request, where can such a person be found? According to Ouyang Xiu's point of view, Tiejian's school can't recruit teachers at all. These teachers are simple jobs that can't be asked of too much. As long as they are in school, they strictly follow the rules and regulations of the school, and they don't care about him in their spare time. Instead of being strict, and not being able to give money and status, and making a bunch of hypocrite-like teachers, it is better to do business. It's good to be strict at work, and it doesn't matter what they do in their spare time, as long as they don't commit adultery.

The investment is limited, and teachers are willing to spend money and are willing to hire famous teachers to be strict, which will inevitably reduce the scope of education. If we want to popularize education, we should not place too many demands on enlightenment teachers. When students are enlightened, there will naturally be special schools, and that is the place where they can really teach and educate people.

There is learning everywhere in the world, and it is not a great deal to teach people to enlighten and read. If a teacher who teaches literacy should do this, what about a teacher who teaches people to do things? Teaching and learning do not have to be so important to the relationship between the two sides. Don't compare it with the traditional teacher-student relationship, which is not just about teaching knowledge, but about teaching and solving doubts. As long as the enlightening teacher teaches the knowledge in the books, can he preach or solve doubts? Actually, it can't be done.

School is a place to teach knowledge, don't bring too many features, things should be simpler as well. There are too many incidental things, and the main business is often forgotten. After enlightenment, there are various schools, and you can learn whatever you want, as long as you can pass the exam, the school is willing to accept it.

Du Zhongxiao remembered the most important educational revolution in the history of the Song Dynasty, that is, the three-way method. Starting from the county school, the selection is carried out layer by layer, divided into three rounds, and all the way to Taixue. According to the performance and results, it directly replaces the Jinshi exam. This reform was not at all successful and did not expand the scope of education or raise the cultural level of society as a whole. On the contrary, there is a single way, which is conducive to control and intensifies party contention.

Teaching and learning in the traditional sense is the academy at this time, and both parties are voluntary, not only teaching knowledge, but also teaching ideas, and the school is not suitable.

Education is poked to the end, starting from enlightenment, if you go to a good school, you can go to a better school, and until the end, what are the benefits of obtaining a social status that far surpasses others. There is a precedence in hearing the Tao, and those who reach it are the first, not the first to go to school. The tighter the education system, the more likely it is to pass from father to son, from son to grandchild, and eventually the children and grandchildren become a pool of stagnant water. Society should be disciplined, but not too rigid, and it is better to be appropriately chaotic.