OBS Chapter 429: Too Good at Inciting People
Chapter 429: Too Good at Inciting People
As such a high-ranking official, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, he has too many things to do, but he still decided to meet Shen Zhiqiu in person, mainly because Fu Huaian portrayed Shen Zhiqiu so well at the morning court.
Even Shen Zhiqiu could see that he was busy. Since he summoned him, their conversation had been interrupted several times, and sometimes he couldn't even finish a complete sentence.
Some came to get the Shangshu's seal, some came to get approval signatures, and some asked about the actual things. There were so many people coming in and out.
This was the case even when he had four assistants, who were like modern secretaries and worked in a room outside his office.
The four people also had their own responsibilities, and one of them was responsible for the content of his conversation with Mao Junyi and sorting out documents and files.
When Shen Zhiqiu arrived, Mao Junyi had not yet left the court. He first waited to see Mao Junyi after the court, and then waited for Mao Junyi to deal with a few important documents before starting the conversation.
But the whole morning passed and there was no progress. We hadn't even said a few words when the person who delivered the food arrived.
Mao Junyi pointed at the steamed buns that had just been brought in and said, "You must be hungry. Have a bite first."
From morning till now, Shen Zhiqiu's stomach has been growling with hunger. He can only gulp down water while waiting, and has gone to the toilet several times.
Mao Junyi was almost done with his work at this moment: "Let's talk while we eat. You can be more casual. You don't have to stand up and answer. Just tell me what you would do if you were asked to supply the army with shoes made of new cloth."
To be honest, Shen Zhiqiu had a very good first impression of this Shangshu, he looked like a man who could get things done.
He didn't beat around the bush and directly took out the two drawings drawn by Shen Youyou from his arms.
One is a drawing of high-top sports boots, and the other is a drawing of low-top sports boots. The high-top ones are about the same height as the current official boots, while the low-top ones only reach slightly above the ankle.
"Sir, these two types of boots are designed by my daughter. They are called sports shoes. They perfectly fit the arch curve of our feet.
Wearing this kind of boots not only makes walking and running more comfortable, but also protects our bones. Our old Chinese doctor has seen it.
Basically, this kind of sports shoes can disperse the pressure by providing good support and cushioning, reduce the pressure on the spine and joints when walking or exercising, and thus reduce the burden on the bones.
Therefore, it can more effectively reduce the impact on bones and joints during exercise, thereby reducing the risk of fractures and joint injuries. "
When Mao Junyi heard that this kind of boots actually had such functions, he felt that these boots were truly designed for the military.
"Huh? Why two different boot designs?"
"General Fu once said that in the army, most ordinary soldiers basically wear straw sandals and hemp sandals. I guess, first of all, it may be because of the rank.
The second and more important reason is that boots are too expensive to make. Soldiers have to train even when there is no fighting, so boots wear out a lot. They all wear boots, so they can’t afford to supply them.”
Mao Junyi did not refute, but nodded, indicating that Shen Zhiqiu should continue.
Shen Zhiqiu put down the bun in his hand and bowed: "Sir, I made these two kinds of boots because I and others have selfish motives.
You know, our clan has been farmers for generations. I am lucky because I have the support of my family and the help of my clan members. That is why I was able to study and become a scholar.
Therefore, wearing straw sandals was a common phenomenon among our tribe in the past. Although the production process of this kind of plastic has been studied a long time ago, we have never thought of where to use it.
We were also on the road to escape famine. We couldn't find water or food. We walked in the mountains, wearing straw sandals. Our feet were so rotten that we didn't dare to stop to rest. It was like walking on the edge of a knife.
That’s why we thought of using plastic as soles. One reason is that it is strong enough, and the other is that we don’t have enough cloth to make shoes when we are fleeing from famine.”
At this moment, not only Mao Junyi, but also the other four ancient "secretaries" had heard it. One of the officials who came from a poor family also sighed:
"Yes, I still remember when I was young, my old father wore straw sandals to go to the fields, but the soles of the sandals couldn't even stop the thorns and brambles."
Shen Zhiqiu nodded and continued, "When I came here this time, my parents, as well as the clan leaders and elders, repeatedly told me to have a good talk with the official.
The cost of this kind of low-top shoe sole is lower than that of the high-top shoe sole. Even if we don’t make money, we will try our best to let the soldiers wear this kind of shoes. After all, their war is more difficult than ours, and they are really walking on the edge of a knife. "
As if he was afraid that his words were not convincing enough, Shen Zhiqiu calculated the cost again: "As far as I know, a pair of straw sandals costs four or five cents, and a pair of hemp sandals costs about seven or eight cents.
Even though the cost of this kind of low-top sneakers is still around a few dozen cents, not much cheaper than high-top ones, they are definitely more durable than straw sandals and hemp shoes.
If a pair of straw sandals can be worn for half a month, then a pair of sports boots can be worn for half a year. In other words, the price is actually more affordable.”
Shen Zhiqiu didn't know what he looked like when he said this, but in the eyes of Mao Junyi and his secretary, Shen Zhiqiu was very good at talking and very good at motivating people.
Because as Shen Zhiqiu spoke, they seemed to see many scenes.
A group of people in ragged clothes were walking with difficulty in the mountains and forests. They had chapped lips, pale faces, thin bodies, and empty eyes. What was even more shocking was that their feet were bleeding.
Everyone was numb from walking, seeing the old people and children suffering such suffering. The person in front of him remembered the plastic he had made accidentally before and decided to use it to make shoe soles.
I also saw that after they put on the soles of their shoes, their steps became much lighter, and it seemed as if they had regained the confidence to persevere in their eyes.
What's more, I saw a little girl, after hearing Fu Huai'an say that the lower-level soldiers all wore straw sandals and hemp shoes, she lay on the table and drew over and over again, just to design sports shoes that the soldiers could wear and protect their bones.
Also, before this man went out, a group of elderly men and women grabbed the hands of the person in front of them.
The hand was still shaking a little as he said, "When you go, you must explain to the adults that we can not make money, but we must let those soldiers at the bottom wear sports boots."
Because they are people who can empathize.
In fact, Shen Zhiqiu had intentionally downplayed his daughter's presence in his words. In his opinion, if he didn't mention his daughter at all, as his daughter wished, he would feel it was too unfair to her. If he mentioned her too much, he was afraid that people would miss his daughter.
So I can only say that the shoes were designed by my daughter. It is not surprising that a girl is so clever and skillful that she could make such shoes.
But Mao Junyi and several secretaries did not ignore this point. They were able to sit in this position, so of course they had seen a lot of twists and turns. Although Shen Zhiqiu simply said, "These two types of boots designed by my daughter."
But is it so easy to design such unprecedented boots?
Not to mention that the soles of the shoes were designed to fit the shape of the human foot, the soldiers also had to train and march for long periods of time. The shoes should not only be sturdy and comfortable to wear, but also protect the soldiers' bodies.
How could it be designed casually? This boot must have been designed by the kind-hearted girl who put a lot of effort into it, working on it day and night for several days.
In addition, Shen Zhiqiu and his people have escaped famine and suffered the pain of wearing straw sandals when traveling. They would rather not make money and spend all their efforts to design better and more affordable shoes.
Look at how honest his old man is. He would rather not make money than not want the soldiers to wear them.
As expected, Mao Junyi was moved. He patted Shen Zhiqiu on the shoulder and asked, "How many shoes can you provide to the army in a year?"