Old scholar Huang said: The best thing for the government is not to do anything.

Because once the government wants to do something, the people will have to suffer a lot. For example, the Great Wall, such as the Grand Canal, such as all the amazing relics of civilization in later generations, are built on the hard labor and taxes of the common people.

This idea influenced for two millennia, until the concept of public facilities and infrastructure was proposed.

Whether it is building roads or dredging rivers, in fact, it is a matter for the benefit of the whole people. Even though he says he stays at home, the roads and rivers still have a direct impact on his life.

So the question is, who should do these things that affect everyone?

If you think about it, you will find out in the end: there is a mysterious man who takes money from everyone, and he is quite prestigious, and most people listen to him. He also raised a large number of dogs, and whoever dared to show his disobedience to him would dare to pull this person's skin.

But he still has to pretend to be kind on weekdays, so that everyone admires him and trusts him. If an opponent intends to surpass him in reputation, even if it is a good deed, he will try his best to suppress the opponent and discredit the opponent.

It seems that it is safest to leave the infrastructure to this person.

This man is the court.

There is also a difference between the imperial court and the imperial court. There are rich and poor, weak and strong, generous and stingy, wise and ignorant. The current court of the Ming Dynasty is still very simple in its starting point - I hope that the people will live a good life. Whether it is an emperor or a bureaucrat, don't go and cause trouble for the people.

Of course, this was the simple wish of the founders of the imperial court.

With the passage of time, this "principle of not causing trouble for the common people" has become "the principle of not causing trouble for officials of the imperial court". Infrastructure construction can be delayed - in order to save people's power and not disturb the people! I really couldn't drag it out, so I pressed it down like a task.

It is precisely because of this administrative thinking that the people of the Ming Dynasty also know that it is better to count on the imperial court than to do it themselves.

Farming is slack every year. When it was time to clean up the rivers, dig the canals, and build bridges and pave the roads, the squires from all over the country selected a highly respected figure to come out, and each family contributed money to recruit neighbors to carry out infrastructure construction.

Although it is the money that contributes and makes a strong contribution, it is often the person who pays the money who benefits the most, but these people are often a type of people who are not psychologically satisfied.

They have a higher level of need: fame.

Each donation was made to build a project. When it is completed, a monument will be erected. The inscription must make it clear what kind of good deed it is, what kind of benefits it has, and most importantly, how much money someone has donated for it.

When the fame reaches a certain level, this person will have the opportunity to be carried into the Xiangxian Temple to receive incense.

It is inevitable that a small biography will be established in the local chronicles to make it famous in history.

Of course, this kind of prestige is not limited to me, but also for my father and grandfather.

The board members of Renshoutang have donated money one after another, saying that it is charity. In fact, it is more about giving Xu Yuanzuo face. Although Xu Yuanzuo accepted all of them, he always had the taste of accepting people's names.

It didn't take long for the wind of donations to spread to ordinary shareholders. Many people have donated dozens of hundreds of taels to the Yunjian Public Welfare Association, all of them are famous from someone in Renshoutang.

Xu Fan never thought that he would sit at home with 15,000 taels of silver. Although it was not given to him, it was obviously similar to giving it to him. Because the account of the Guangji Association is also managed by Xu Yuanzuo, the "donation" received by the Guangji Association also comes from the land income donated by the Xu family.

These donations should first be paid a high salary to Xu Fan, Xu Yuanchun, Xu Yuanzuo, Xu Kun, Xu Ying, and various nominal household servants...... Anyway, it was put into the Xu family's public account. Secondly, the Cantonese Masons also had to hire people to repair the water conservancy facilities in the fields. This was originally the main expense of the Xu family. Since all the land was given to the Cantonese Masonic Society, the water conservancy facilities should of course also be borne by the Cantonese Masonic Society.

The Cantonese Diet will do advertising and public service publicity. Therefore, they have to throw money at bookstores and newspapers; To train Xiangzi scribes, it is necessary to sponsor and subsidize Shenghu Academy. All the scholars of the poor family who entered the Shenghu Academy, clothing, food, housing, transportation, pen, ink, paper and inkstone, were also sponsored by the Guangji Association; It is also necessary to promote the local cultural atmosphere, and the expenses for Xu Jie's lectures and compilation of the "Ancient Training Collection" are also paid by the Guangji Society.

It can be said that as long as there is a reasonable name. The Guangji Association can get rid of the money that the Xu family originally wanted to give. The surplus is put into the cloth shop and the weaving mill for production, or it is stored in the account.

The past few months have been a source of doubt, and there have been a lot of accounts, but they are clear.

Xu Fan took the time to ask Xu Yuanzuo to come back, mainly to talk about what to do with the money given by outsiders.

Xu Yuanzuo now lives in Tanghang. Coming back is like a business trip. He knew that Xu Fan was now busy contacting various scribes, and everyone was drinking and chanting poems, so he remembered to write an entry. If it goes on like this, when the "Ancient Training Collection" is compiled, it will probably be just in time for the Renchen War.

The two met in the study, and Xu Fan threw the question to Xu Yuanzuo.

Xu Yuanzuo said: "This is also easy to do. Our Cantonese Masonic Association is originally for charity, and the money can be used for real charity and public welfare. ”

"Really?" Xu Fan was a little speechless.

"For example, improving the living environment in nursing homes; For example, a scholarship is set up to reward outstanding but poor students; Another example is to build a road or something. Xu Yuanzuo said: "Well, if you don't have time to do all this, it is enough to engrave a book, write a few articles, and list the names of donors." ”

Xu Fan couldn't laugh when he heard it: "Why did you tell you that it seems that the Cantonese Masons are cheating money?" ”

Xu Yuanzuo said seriously: "Father, the Guangji Association was first done for two things. First, tax avoidance. lest the villain slander my family behind his back. Second, confirm property rights. lest Hai Jui find trouble. If it's for the benefit of the township, why bother to set up an organization to do it. ”

Xu Fan said: "It doesn't matter if you have your own money. You can't mess with other people's money. My family is not short of silver, and there is no need to embezzle others. ”

Xu Yuanzuo said: "My father's teachings, how dare my son not listen." This money was donated to the two academies of Shenghu and Economy, to expand the garden building, recruit talented people to enrich the period, and also make the countryside more cultural and educational. ”

"That's good, but you can't erect a monument." Xu Fan said.

On the one hand, he published an article in the "Quyuan Miscellaneous Tan" to praise it, and on the other hand, he created a "Cantonese Journal" to publish the good deeds of the Cantonese Masons for the benefit of the township. The donor directory is naturally written in it. If you donate a lot, you can also print a short biography for it. ”

Xu Fan groaned for a while and said, "Then you have to send it to someone's house." ”

"Whoever gives money will give it away." Xu Yuanzuo said with a smile.

- Anyway, the wool comes out of the sheep.

Xu Yuanzuo thought for a while, and then said, "There is still something to report to my father." ”

*

*(To be continued......)

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