Chapter 3996
Chapter 3996
Chapter 3996
Su Zhixing was a scholar who usually drank with others in a refined manner, sipping slowly and deliberately. He would never have encountered such a relentless barrage of drinks. However, these officers from the Special Forces Division were someone he was dealing with for the first time, and since they were taking the initiative to offer him a toast, he couldn't very well put on airs and refuse.
Qian Shaobao seemed to have no intention of restraining his subordinates' behavior. He, too, held a wine cup in one hand and a wine pot in the other, and toasted the newly arrived group of people in turn.
Those salt merchants' sons were obviously well-informed and quickly adapted to the atmosphere. Under the influence of alcohol, they soon became sworn brothers with the officers.
Although Su Ji came along, he was only a servant and naturally could not step forward to drink on Su Zhixing's behalf. He could only stand by and worry anxiously.
Although Su Zhixing had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, his mind wasn't clouded. Many people came to toast him, indicating that he had already gained a small reputation in Fubo Port. Whether it was Qian Shaobao or Li Yuande spreading the word about his identity and background, it would ultimately be more beneficial for what he wanted to do next.
But on this occasion, I can't get completely drunk and ruin the image of a refined scholar that I've just built up. I have to hold on no matter what.
Chen Pingliao noticed Su Zhixing's predicament and seized an opportunity to say to Qian Shaobao, "That Mr. Su seems to be a bit tipsy. Should we let him off the hook?"
Qian Shaobao replied calmly, “If Mr. Su wants to settle down in Fubo Port, it’s definitely not enough to just say nice things and write nice articles. Every day he stays here, he has to deal with these rough men. If he can’t adapt on the first day, then even if I beg him to stay on my knees, I won’t be able to keep him.”
After listening to Qian Shaobao's words, Chen Pingliao reflected on them in his mind and had to admit that there was some truth to them.
Su Zhixing had probably never lived in an environment like Fubo Port before. To stay here for a long time, he not only needed to overcome the hardships and inconveniences of life, but also had to learn how to deal with the soldiers of the special operations division.
In the special operations division, not to mention the officers, even the ordinary soldiers mostly had received basic education and were not illiterate. However, after spending a long time in the military, they naturally developed a rough and rugged temperament, which was completely different from the scholarly style of Su Zhixing.
If Su Zhixing can't even handle the welcoming banquet on the first day, then Qian Shaobao needs to carefully consider entrusting him with such an important task. Otherwise, when Su Zhixing takes charge of the school, he might find that all the people he has to deal with are officers from the special forces division, and many things might not go so smoothly.
Qian Shaobao was also eager to see how Su Zhixing would handle the current situation and appease these enthusiastic officers.
As Su Zhixing became increasingly drunk, he realized that he was about to reach his limit, and if he continued drinking like this, he would probably get drunk on the spot.
The reason he drank so quickly was because he was all alone and had no one to share the wine with. The hermit had a clever plan. Su Zhixing had just observed the behavior of the salt merchants' sons at the banquet and already had a solution in mind.
So he led several officers who came to toast him with wine glasses, and introduced them to the other teachers, and the wine was naturally passed on.
Although Su Zhixing wasn't particularly familiar with the other teachers, in this situation, a few flattering words were enough to win their favor. The other teachers all came from humble backgrounds, and their main reason for accepting the recruitment to work at Fubo Port was to secure a well-paying job. However, when Su Zhixing introduced them to the officers, he made it seem as if each of them was a renowned scholar with accomplished learning, and it was essential to get to know them to make the most of this rare opportunity.
Su Zhixing even said that with the talents of these gentlemen, they would be more than qualified to serve as lecturers at Wansong Academy in the future, and that it would be a blessing for local students to teach in Fubo Port.
To receive such praise from the talented scholar Su from Wansong Academy in Hangzhou was a great honor. The officers, unaware of the reason, naturally had to express their respect upon hearing that these men were also so learned.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Su Zhixing also pulled several craftsmen who were drinking alone at the next table into the drinking party.
During his previous stays in Phuket and Hambantota, Su Zhixing had several encounters with these artisans from China. This was because they knew that Su Zhixing was a teacher specially hired from Hangzhou by the Special Forces Division, and they took the initiative to strike up a conversation, hoping that their children could receive some preferential treatment when they enrolled in school.
This was only natural, and Su Zhixing treated him with courtesy, hoping to establish a good relationship in the future when he arrived at Fubo Port. However, Su Zhixing never expected that the place where he would need help would be at the welcoming banquet where someone would shield him from drinking.
Among the craftsmen were a blacksmith and a bricklayer, who, though not eloquent, were both quite heavy drinkers. Each of them brought several young and strong apprentices, which helped Su Zhixing stabilize the situation. Otherwise, relying solely on those fellow craftsmen to save the day, Su Zhixing probably wouldn't have been able to hold on for long.
When another officer went over to toast Su Zhixing, several people stepped forward to deflect the toast for him, and the pace naturally slowed down.
Qian Shaobao and Chen Pingliao both saw Su Zhixing's actions but did not interfere.
Qian Shaobao laughed and said, "See? This Mr. Su is agile and sociable. He's not the kind of bookish, pedantic scholar who only knows how to read books."
Chen Pingliao also laughed and said, "He seems to be a smart man, which is a good thing."
Whether Su Zhixing was a good drinker or a heavy drinker was not their main concern, but based on their current observations, this Mr. Su was indeed a quick-witted person. With him in charge of education and culture in Fubo Port, he would likely be able to cooperate with the government to vigorously promote the emerging education and civil service examination system in Haihan.
Regarding the development of education, Qian Tiandun and his son Qian Shaobao hoped to invite a highly respected expert with experience in running schools to oversee the educational affairs in the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction.
However, they were also worried that highly accomplished individuals with such backgrounds were often scholars who had achieved official rank or even held positions in the previous dynasty. These people tended to be conservative and only wanted to teach traditional Confucian classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics, rather than the new culture and education of the Han Dynasty. This was not uncommon in China.
Mr. Su from Hangzhou didn't seem to have such academic inclinations, which relieved Qian Shaobao of a great deal of worry.
What Qian Shaobao didn't know was that Su Zhixing's luggage also contained a large number of Confucian classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, which Su Zhixing intended to use as part of his teaching materials. Compared to those old-fashioned scholars who were unwilling to adapt to the times, Su Zhixing did have a flexible and adaptable side, but only to a certain extent; at heart, he was still a relatively traditional scholar.