In the field of sociology, there is a well-known term, and that is "middle class". The middle class is known as the product of the development of modern civilization, and it is also an active promoter of modern social economy and political civilization.

The birth of the middle class is essentially a process of "pan-citizenization" of higher education, social wealth, and elite consciousness. After the traditional feudal aristocratic class suffered the impact of modern capitalism, the traditional aristocratic spirit began to be popularized under the influence of modern commercial civilization and education.

This process of generalizing the elite into a citizen gave birth to the "gentleman", a new backbone of society. They may have been unknown commoners for generations, but their affluent life and superior education began to allow them to inherit the traditional aristocratic spirit and culture that were once closed off from the common class.

The gentleman is the model of social success and the leader of order, and unlike the natural fighting and blind obedience of the grassroots, they are wealthy, self-confident and stable, and they are responsible for transmitting the laws that were once difficult to understand, maintaining social morality and order, and promoting the ideas of the ruling culture.

The growth of the gentry class is the inevitable product of national political stability, economic prosperity and universal education, and when the gentry class is formed and also moves towards pan-citizenization, the middle class is born.

In the precocious civilization of the East, the classical aristocratic class actually gradually declined as early as Qin Shi Huang when he unified the six countries, and was replaced by the elite of the powerful gate lords represented by the feudal landlords, and shuffled again and again with the change of dynasties. When the Sui Dynasty set off a new chapter in the oriental political civilization with the imperial examination system, the political elite consciousness also began to enter the process of pan-citizenization, and the scholar class was born, and the classical aristocracy completely disappeared.

The scholars became the gentlemen of the East, and although the cultural philosophy of this class far surpassed the other elements of the bureaucratic ideology, in peacetime they did play the important role of organizing production, educating the common people, and maintaining morality and ruling order at the grassroots level of society. In times of crisis of foreign invasions, they also stepped forward. Lead the people to form associations to protect themselves and resist foreign aggression.

Although there are many filthy scholars, in the values of fundamental Eastern social civilization, derogatory terms such as "stubbornness, inhumanity for the rich, and betrayal of the country" can be coined by the literati, which shows that these behaviors themselves are the objects of resolute resistance of the scholar class, rather than the natural social fixed label of the scholar class.

It's just a pity that with the impact of foreign culture in modern times, the head of the noble oriental civilization has been crushed, and the scholar class has also been relegated to the sinner of history, and in the end, it is not to remove the chaff in the transformation of modern civilization. Rather, it was artificially eradicated, ending such a process of pan-citizenization that inherited the values of traditional civilization. After the social and economic prosperity, the middle class in the East only has its form, but no connotation, rich but not expensive, and has nothing to show for it, but only the idea of the official standard continues to be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

……

Monday, October 6, 1642.

Although there is still one day to end the National Day holiday, it is for the Capital National University. Classes have resumed early. According to national regulations, the National Day holiday of Chinese and American colleges and universities is two days less than that of ordinary enterprise employees, and in this regard, it does not matter if it is fair.

The death of the old man Zhong Jinshan. The Capitol has implemented the move of lowering the flag at half-mast for January, and the atmosphere of this year's National Day has been much less cheerful and laughing. Many National Day folk activities, including the 15th "Manchester City Food Competition", have come to an abrupt end. The only thing that is lively is the annual recruitment work. This is because since this year, two major adjustments have been made to the recruitment and service regulations of the National Defense Forces.

The first adjustment is recruitment. In addition to the name of the "directly recruited" National Guard Volunteers. For the recruitment of volunteers from the society, the threshold for naturalization has been raised from three years to four years, but the volunteer service contract has been adjusted from a fixed five-year period to two years, three years and five years. Among them, volunteers with two-year service contracts will not be included in the selection of non-commissioned officers and officers.

As a result of the adjustment, more officers and soldiers on active duty will be allowed to retire in the future. This model of speeding up the "metabolism" of officers and men on active duty will enable more Chinese young volunteers to have the opportunity to join the army and increase the civilian "reserve" of the reserves, and the benefits are obvious. This year's recruitment has also increased by 50 per cent compared to previous years, with most of the new places going to the three overseas territories east of South Africa to recruit the troops needed to form the Eastern Brigade of the Defence Army.

The second adjustment is that the Army's West Point Military Academy will conduct a limited number of special enrollment for major colleges and universities, increase the training of grassroots officers, and raise the overall quality of the future officer corps.

……

On the commercial street leading to the National University of the Metropolitan Government, the latest large-scale recruitment posters have been plastered all over the conspicuous positions, attracting many young people to stop and watch, and there are also young men who have already received the medical examination notices of recruits who are proudly showing off to their companions.

The latest album of the new generation of singer Alice is in the warm-up, in front of a newsstand, tickets for the album's premiere concert have been on sale, and the queue of citizens is more than ten meters, and it seems that the fierce rush for tickets is no less than the new stock sale on the stock exchange.

Under the friendly gaze of many old citizens, a group of about 30 new immigrants is touring the city along the street under the guidance of an immigration missionary.

These immigrants are all Ming refugees who arrived in the capital Manchester City before the National Day, and they officially set foot in the main city of Manchester after adapting to the temporary living area of immigrants in the outer islands for about half a month. These new Chinese immigrants, who had changed into new clothes but still had a little sallow face, looked at the missionaries' arms with surprise, and subconsciously shrank their heads every time they met the eyes of the old citizens.

“…… Ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that you are indeed the luckiest people in the world, and there is no one! At the front of the line, the missionary of the Ministry of Immigration stopped, looked at the majestic and gorgeous headquarters building of the state-owned import and export group in front of him, and then turned back to the new immigrants behind him with a smug smile, and said something a little logically confused, "Do you know what the number of new immigrants placed in the capital by the Ministry of Immigration is every year?" It's only 300 people! ”

Until now, the pressure on Manchester City's urban population has not been effectively addressed. A few years ago, when the capital's population exceeded 100,000, the immigration department drastically lowered the quota for new immigrants to Manchester City, and even encouraged old families in the capital to move to new towns.

Hearing the missionary's words, dozens of new Chinese immigrants looked at each other, and several men and women, who were obviously husband and wife, shook hands with each other. Looks nervous.

“…… This is God's favor because only the best people in the world are qualified to start their new lives in this city. You have reason to confidently face the qiē here, and they are for you. In the future, your children will also be proud of your choice today! Therefore, everyone must abide by the law, be more diligent and work hard, and make this country and this city more prosperous! ”

The sermons, which had been repeated countless times, gushed out of the mouths of the missionaries. Gradually, the restrained Chinese newcomers softened their expressions. The mood of visiting the city has gradually relaxed, and many people have begun to remember the lottery for new immigrants to settle and settle down tomorrow, and they are still communicating softly with each other.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove down the street, and the man in the carriage was quietly watching the scene on the street through the half-open curtains.

“…… On Monday, that is, at 16 o'clock this afternoon, I will attend the work report meeting of the Songzhou Local Council; Tuesday at 10 a.m. is the last meeting of the national 1643 annual budget review, and I will send you a preview of the relevant text before 18 o'clock today; Wednesdays from 11 p.m. to 1 p.m. It is a luncheon hosted by the Spanish Minister Baron Diego, and the invitation has been delivered, and whether to participate or not needs to be answered before 18 o'clock today......"

A female secretary of European descent sitting diagonally opposite. flipped through this week's work schedule, and read it to Su Zining one by one in a soft voice. As a senator, Su Zining, no matter how confident he is in his memory, it is time for someone to take care of his working hours.

"Wednesday? No way. Wednesday is the time to give lectures at Metropolitan National University. Su Zining came back to his senses and shook his head decisively at the female secretary, "Please adjust the itinerary." Or let the Office of Congress arrange it and ask someone else to go. ”

After Su Zining left the cabinet and entered the Senate, except for overtime meetings from time to time, the actual work intensity was no longer as heavy as when he was the foreign minister before. But since this year, another burden that is no less important than the country's management has been added, that is, university teaching. Now Su Zining has to go to the Capital National University to teach and give lectures every Monday afternoon, all day on Wednesday, and Friday afternoon.

Law and mathematics are the subjects that Su Zining will teach according to the textbook. Although everything is put in the future generations, Su Zining is only a third-rate level, but with the death of the old man Liu Mingjun a few years ago and the old man Zhong Jinshan not long ago, an invisible sense of urging seems to be intensifying, and people like Su Zining have become more frequent in taking on the work of lecturers in major universities in Manchester City. In the entire first-generation group, about 100 people served as full-time or part-time college lecturers.

For example, today is the day when Su Zining first arrives at the university to take up the post of Distinguished Professor and Executive Vice President, and will give a speech on behalf of the National Assembly for this year's new college freshmen.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, Mr. Su, I'll explain it to His Excellency the Speaker for you."

As if she felt that her work had been negligent, the female secretary hurriedly wrote a few strokes on the text with a pen, and then took out a piece of manuscript paper from the briefcase beside her, and respectfully handed it to Su Zining: "This is your speech today, it will take about 5 minutes." ”

After receiving this kind of speech, which had been completely "done for you" by the Secretariat of the General Office of the National Assembly, a smile appeared on the corner of Su Zining's mouth.

"Forget it, this is all a young person's occasion, and too many old-fashioned official articles may make students tired of it, so I'll just talk about some topics."

Looking through the car window, the campus of the National Capital University is almost there, and the modern main academic building is clearly visible in the shade. Su Zining only flipped through the speech prepared by the female secretary for herself, and then shook her head and put it aside.

……

The number of minors has been rising over the years, the shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools has become increasingly serious, and the lofty "communist-style" education for the whole people in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China has finally proved to be an unrealistic fantasy.

Primary and secondary schools have no choice but to optimize and redistribute resources for basic compulsory universal education, vocational education, and higher education. It is inevitable that there will be a distinction between ordinary primary and secondary schools and key primary and secondary schools.

Even so, for the large number of secondary school graduates, it is not possible to guarantee access to quality higher education for all. Although the rigid college entrance examination may seem unkind, it can at least ensure social fairness as much as possible under limited educational resources.

Concentrate teachers to ensure the cultivation of senior talents in all walks of life at this stage has become the core of Huamei's national education policy in the next 20 years. Such a result. That is, the rich class will continue to widen the gap with the ordinary class in education, and the spelling father and the pit father will also make a comeback in a certain period of time, which is also a typical feature of Europe from the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, and it is also the threshold that cannot be bypassed in the development of modern society.

If a wealthy family really wants to send their children who do not do well in their exams to higher education, it will have to pay a high monetary price. Raising funds for education from the enrollment of colleges and universities and subsidizing compulsory education in primary and secondary schools have also become policy remedies for certain "vulgar unspoken rules" that were once extremely disgusted by the public. For example, this year, the Ministry of Culture and Education has obtained more than $100,000 in "education construction funds" from this channel.

Capital National University is the only higher education institution in China and the United States that enjoys national financial subsidies, and it is also the university with the strongest faculty in China. With the investment of education and scientific research funds alone, the Ivy League universities exude a strong and luxurious private university cannot compete with it. After the merger of the Faculty of Medicine of the Metropolitan National Hospital in Manchester City. Capital National University has become the institution of higher learning with the most professional disciplines in China.

Natural sciences and social sciences are the strengths of Capital National University, and as early as the founding of the university, a number of high-level professionals, including Lin Youde, Jiang Zhaolong, Hong Changlin, Zhou Junting, Chen Changyuan, Huang Nian, etc., are all distinguished senior professor-level figures here.

In addition to the core educators, some outstanding European scholars have also participated in some basic teaching, and the first few batches of industry elites who graduated from major universities in China have also been hired as part-time lecturers of the university to undertake the strategic responsibility of the snowball promotion of national higher education.

At the National University of the Metropolitan University in October, the massively planted North American sugar maple has turned yellow. In addition, the North American pine trees, which are evergreen in all seasons, are intertwined with gold and green, and are gorgeous and colorful. And in the large hall of the school, nearly 3,000 college students of all grades are gathering.

On the rostrum. Qi Yu, a former minister of culture and education in the cabinet and now president of the National University of the Metropolitan Government, is speaking slowly. In the audience, from freshmen to graduate students, whether they knew Qi Yu or not, they all listened attentively. As one of the most well-known female intellectuals in the country. Qi Yu's influence in the world of education is almost unmatched.

"Brother Zhongqing, this Mrs. Qi is really gentle and erudite, and her talent and bearing are probably even better than those of the boys in the country." in the corner. After the military training, Wang Fuzhi was much stronger than before, and at this time, he was wearing the uniform of the National University of the Capital, and whispered to Gu Jikun beside him.

"The words of 'a hundred years of cultivating people' just now by the principal are quite thoughtful and reasonable, and they are good at persuasion and talent. We only know that there is Wenjie Li Qingzhao in the former Song Dynasty, but I never thought that after hundreds of years from generation to generation, Huamei Haibang also has such a figure as President Qi! ”

Although he is nearly thirty years old, after removing his short beard and putting on a brand-new school uniform, Gu Jikun is more handsome and elegant than the Ming scholar half a year ago, coupled with a more well-proportioned figure and calm temperament than Wang Fuzhi, which naturally attracted the secret attention of many college girls.

"Both men and women can enter institutions of higher learning, regardless of old customs, respecting and emphasizing learning, and teaching students according to their aptitude. When I first met Miss An a few months ago, I realized that there is a sky outside the sky and there are people outside the world. Miss An's learning is a hundred times higher than that of her younger brother, and Principal Qi is even more different......"

On the other side, Luo Jian also nodded frequently, and because he was younger, he looked more similar to the other Huamei college students around him.

"Brother Xiping, you said that Miss An invited me to the mansion for a banquet recently, but is it serious?"

Seeing that Luo Jian was also expressing his opinion, Wang Fuzhi, who already had a family in Daming, hurriedly lowered his voice, with a hint of a smile on his face.

"During the sea, An Shibo cared for us, and Miss An was even more kind to me...... A few days later, it was Miss An's birthday banquet, which is not only a beautiful ceremony, but we should also be courteous and trustworthy, right? ”

Speaking of the invitation card he got from the school guard room last night, he named and invited "Mr. Luo Jian" to the banquet, Luo Jian blushed again. In order to avoid embarrassment for a person, Luo Jian could only pull Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhidu up.

“…… Next, I would like to invite Mr. Su Ziningsu, the new executive vice president and senator of the National Assembly, to give a speech to the students! ”

On the stage, Qi Yu's speech has ended, and with the heavyweight of the school's teacher and student conference on stage, the audience burst into warm applause. And Luo Jian and the other three also quickly shut their mouths and carefully stared at a middle-aged man who walked on stage.

Looking at the young faces in the audience, Su Zining suddenly felt as if he had returned to the 21st century, and from those faces full of enthusiasm and youth, he seemed to see his shadow again.

"On the way today, the honorable secretary prepared a speech for me, some polite words to celebrate the opening of the new semester. But after thinking about it, I always felt that this was an impolite behavior to my classmates. As one of the people who used to sit in the hall of the university, I think everyone should be like me, I want to hear and tell the truth. ”

Su Zining spread out his empty hands, smiled and gestured, and his kind smile and slightly humorous opening remarks immediately aroused the curiosity of college students. Some of the senior students who knew the former foreign minister's family couldn't help but applaud again.

“…… Thousands of years ago, our ancestors established a powerful and prosperous dynasty in the East, and even though hundreds of years ago, when disaster and barbaric civilization took advantage of the decline of the next time, there are still a group of people full of ideals and responsibilities who have stepped out of the shadow of history, and they have set sail and braved hardships and dangers......"

“…… Today, the flame of civilization has once again been inherited by us, and civilizations far more glorious than Plato's Great Western Continent or Marco Polo's Eastern Empire have taken root on the North American continent. Our homeland is so beautiful and rich that every citizen who is fortunate enough to be part of and live in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Far East will be proud of it......"

“…… All of them are outstanding young people who are receiving or about to receive higher education in the country. If you are sitting here, you will be able to take over the burden of history, your country and your family...... We may not be the same in color or appearance, but we all share the same essence of this country, like the five stars on our flag: science, bravery, unity, justice and freedom. This is the most essential difference between us and the barbaric and backward civilization in the world, and it is the great civilization spirit and national temperament that belongs to our Huamei and is difficult to imitate! ”

“…… Your parents toiled day in and day out, our merchant ships traveled day and night on the ocean routes, and our armies guarded and carved out their lands. All of them are paying for your growth. The only reward they need is for you to study diligently, be brave and honest, and do things realistically and steadfastly, so as to make our country better and stronger......"

“…… This is a country that integrates honor, ideals and sacred missions, and it will surely represent the human civilization of the whole world and become a benchmark and leader in sweeping away ignorance, influencing the world, and leading the world forward. Among the students here today may well be the future scientists, artists, engineers, professors, presidents, prime ministers, ministers and parliamentarians of this country, and your accumulated knowledge and conviction will be the driving force behind the country's unity and the best achievements of civilization in the new era......"

A few minutes later, when the last word fell, the audience fell silent. In a corner, Luo Jian, Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi were even more shocked by this kind of flamboyant and confident speech. They finally understood what was hidden behind the high-spirited and high-spirited American army on Hong Kong Island.

A few seconds later, the audience erupted in much higher-pitched applause, and many students' palms turned red.

"Su Zining, maybe the future Xinhuamei nation was born today."

The moment he stepped off the stage, Qi Yu whispered behind Su Zining.

Looking back, I saw Qi Yu smiling at him, Su Zining nodded lightly in return, and walked towards the female secretary who was already extremely excited. (To be continued......)