Chapter 5: The Original Wealth

Later in the afternoon, Qian Bo Cong came to bid farewell, displaying great politeness, which made Yang Rui quite anxious. However, he couldn't help but marvel at how polite people are nowadays. Copying books is much faster than writing drafts; by the next morning, the manuscript was already completed, thickly stacked and packed in an envelope. It truly felt like exchanging paper for money. Since he had to wait for the electric company personnel, he couldn't go out to send it. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the electric company personnel arrived. Because the power source was somewhat distant, the two of them struggled for quite a while before pulling the wires into the house. They installed the light bulb at the desk as per Yang Rui's request. The shape of the bulb was relatively elongated, and the filament inside resembled a jellyfish. Yang Rui speculated it was a carbon filament or bamboo filament bulb, invented by Edison. Once the bulb was installed, Yang Rui asked the two workers to make a simple wooden junction box with the leftover materials, which, of course, cost him two packs of cigarettes. After they left, Yang Rui carefully connected his notebook's power cable. He saw the yellow-green indicator light on the transformer illuminate. At that moment, Yang Rui felt the entire room brighten up. He excitedly slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Damn it, we finally have electricity!"

Yang Rui felt very ashamed because of the two of them. He was just an undergraduate student and a fruit vendor, and now with bowing and talking about overseas students, it was truly not easy to bear. He pretended to act casually and sat down, placing the things he bought aside, and started a conversation by asking, "What book were you just reading? Oh, please sit down, may I ask your surname?"

As soon as Yang Rui entered the room, he began to prepare for another task—writing a book. Upon seeing the book "The Wealth of Nations," he was reminded of the university textbooks in his suitcase, each of which represented money. How unaware he was of the treasure he possessed! Among the more than ten textbooks in the suitcase, aside from the one on the moral character of college students, the rest could simply be copied and submitted for publication at a library. He thought of taking them to the Commercial Press, as they had specifically translated "The Wealth of Nations" for publication, so it was likely they would publish other economic books as well. As for classical Chinese and the differences between simplified and traditional characters, that would be more challenging. Should he find an old bookbinder to help him with the illustrations? That seemed too extravagant. In the end, Yang Rui decided to first draft an outline for each book, then write the introductory sections, to see which one the publisher might be interested in. This way, he could avoid unnecessary work by having the publisher request submissions. He immediately chose to start with "Microeconomics," "Introduction to Management," and "Introduction to Accounting."

The next day, Yang Rui went out to buy a quilt and daily necessities. It was getting colder in the evening, and a single bed quilt was not warm enough. Last time, in order to save money, he had not bought many things. In the morning, he went on a shopping spree and, on his way back, bought some spiced beans and fruits to prepare for the landlord. After all, they had helped him. When he returned with the items, Mrs. Huang was preparing to cook, but there was a young man in the living room. He was wearing a dark cotton coat and had the distinctive braid of the Qing Dynasty. He was sitting upright in the living room reading a book, and as Yang Rui approached, he realized that the young man was actually reciting silently. When the young man saw Yang Rui coming closer, he looked up at him, and Yang Rui smiled. Just as he was about to speak to Mrs. Huang, she turned around and, upon seeing Yang Rui, said, "Mr. Yang, you went out."

Mrs. Huang, seeing Yang Rui's insistence, accepted it and said: "I truly feel embarrassed, I am currently cooking, let's eat together later, Mr. Huang will not be back for lunch." After a pause, she added: "This is my nephew, named Bo Cong, studying in Shanghai!"

Mrs. Huang did not pursue the matter further as he was still preoccupied with academic concerns. However, Qian Bozong was silently reciting that phrase "an invisible hand ... ..."

Mrs. Huang adjusted her apron and said, "Mr. Yang, I will go cook, you all continue your conversation." Then she turned to the young man and said, "Bocong, Mr. Yang is an educated person, just returned from abroad, very knowledgeable, you should often seek his advice." After saying this, she went to the hallway to busy herself, it seemed that Yang Rui's appearance was still quite captivating, now he had become a sea turtle.

Qian Bozong did not expect Yang Rui to ask this and replied: "There was a business class before, but it has since been discontinued. We are just in the middle school and have not yet divided into any specific majors; I estimate that the division will occur when we advance to the higher school."

A young person stood by a library and slightly bowed, saying: "Hello, Mr. Yang"

"There is nothing inappropriate about it, they are just some food, and they are not worth much," Yang Rui insisted while pushing forward.

Qian Bozong was feeling a headache, as the teacher of this course was not very familiar with the book either. This was the first time in China that a classic work of economics was being translated, and at that time, the term 'economics' had not even been established, leading to a general lack of understanding among people. Seeing that Yang Rui seemed quite familiar with the book, he was filled with hope and sought to ask for guidance, inquiring: 'Sir, have you read this book?'

Yang Rui took the book, flipped through it, but realized he had flipped it incorrectly, feeling quite embarrassed inside. Fortunately, Qian Bozong did not see this. This was actually a thread-bound book, bound in the style of ancient texts. Yang Rui turned back to the front and saw a large black frame with several traditional Chinese characters inside: "斯密亚当原富". Luckily, these characters were easy to recognize; otherwise, he would have truly been embarrassed. He directly flipped to the table of contents and saw several familiar lines: Smith Adam, Adam Smith. Oh dear, Yang Rui couldn't help but exclaim: "Isn't this 'The Wealth of Nations'!"

Yang Rui was secretly astonished, after all, in later generations, it is rare to see people bowing except in funeral homes. He hurriedly said: "No need for formalities, no need for formalities, hello! Hello!"

Qian Bozong was currently consulting a few acquaintances who had different titles. After Yang Rui answered, he felt that the teacher of this course was rather incompetent. While the two were talking, Mrs. Huang came in with the dishes and, seeing the two engaged in lively conversation, smiled and said: "Bozong, why don't you let Mr. Yang finish his meal first before continuing the discussion"

Everything that can be thought of with certainty and maturity is here, sulfanilamide, penicillin, and the like are too advanced and not suitable at the moment, while the fruit business is too basic, with a low barrier to entry. However, even if it is basic, it still requires a considerable amount of capital. If only one could have around ten thousand dollars. Yang Rui stared blankly at a few oranges that were samples he had provided to Walmart, and thought that these oranges are also a good thing. If they could be cultivated... Sigh, he just didn't know if there were seeds inside. The probability of oranges having seeds is quite low, but he was uncertain about his luck. If there are seeds, then he could see if they could be planted on Chongming Island, where citrus fruits are grown. If this type of orange is cultivated well, in the future, this variety would be unbeatable solely based on its taste. Yang Rui's professional instincts kicked in, and he began to consider the idea of fruit cultivation.

Moreover, there is honeycomb coal, which is mentioned in a certain time-travel novel. In Shanghai, firewood is still used, and gas is entirely for lighting, unlike in later times when gas is used for cooking. Additionally, coal stoves have a significant market; in this winter without heating, they can also provide warmth. However, this project is aimed at the residents of the concessions, and without government backing, it is challenging to protect the results. The upper echelons, seeing the benefits of honeycomb coal, will take action to pressure individuals into selling at low prices. While the honeycomb coal project can be profitable, the process is fraught with difficulties. This project is specifically for the residents of the concessions, and without government support, it is hard to safeguard the outcomes. The upper class, recognizing the advantages of honeycomb coal, will exert pressure to acquire it at lower prices. The honeycomb coal project can indeed generate profit, but the process is quite challenging.

The Central Court, the Upper Court, Yang Rui suddenly recalled his visit to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. When he first went to Jiao Tong University, he was quite puzzled about how the teaching buildings were divided into upper, middle, and lower courts, as if it were the British Parliament. Nanyang Public School is the predecessor of Jiao Tong University, and considering the timeline, it is roughly the same. He did not delve deeply into this issue. Seeing that Qian Bozong seemed to have a question to ask, he said: "Currently, there are not many people studying economics or statistics in the country, right? Some concepts in it can be easily confused at the beginning."

Note: The protagonist's background is that of a graduate from Tongji University in modern times; otherwise, the origin of the German language cannot be explained

After Yang Rui glanced through the table of contents, he flipped through the book again. For someone accustomed to modern texts, reading a book written in classical Chinese is truly a headache. The characters are arranged vertically, the chapters are labeled with A, B, C, and the absence of punctuation makes it even more difficult to read fluently. The book was translated by Yan Fu, printed by Nanyang Public School, and it also bears the imprint of Commercial Press, indicating that it is likely their teaching material. However, the book only contains the content of the first part of the original work, and Yang Rui recalls that the original text seems to have four or five parts. He paused and said: "This book is a foundational work of economics; Adam Smith is the father of economics." Seeing that Qian Bozong did not understand, he explained: "The economics I am referring to is what is called 'calculative studies' in this book. Does your school... does Nanyang Public School offer a major in economics?"

The experience of that day was not significant for Yang Rui, but it was rather shocking for Qian Bozong. It was not because there was someone who understood knowledge better than him, but rather because he ultimately heard Yang Rui say that he studied classical economics. He still understood the meaning of classical; it simply meant outdated. When Mrs. Huang saw that he was silent, she asked, "What’s wrong? Did Mr. Yang not speak well?"

How could I possibly accept this? No, no.

The young man handed the book over with both hands, then carefully sat down and said, "My surname is Qian, you can just call me Bo Cong, Mr. Yang." His voice was soft, just like Mrs. Huang's.

... ...

The last thing that comes to mind is monosodium glutamate. This product, invented by the Japanese, initially made a significant profit, but it has not been seen in the market recently, likely because it has not emerged. Wu Yunchu's Tianchu has also disappeared without a trace. Back in the day, he produced monosodium glutamate using the gluten hydrolysis method, driving out Japan's Ajinomoto from the Chinese market with his Buddha's Hand monosodium glutamate. Yang Rui had studied this case back then, so it left a deep impression on him. Although he is not familiar with the technical requirements, he understands the principles and steps involved in the production of monosodium glutamate. He used the gluten hydrolysis method to produce monosodium glutamate, driving out Japan's Ajinomoto from the Chinese market. Yang Rui had studied this case back then, so it left a deep impression on him. Although he is not familiar with the technical requirements, he understands the principles and steps involved in the production of monosodium glutamate. It would be sufficient to find someone knowledgeable in chemistry to simulate the process and write out the technical requirements.

Yang Rui comforted him, saying: "Economics is inherently quite difficult to understand. There is a saying that mathematics is hard to grasp, while economics can be utterly perplexing. After you finish reading the entire book, it will be easier to understand when you look back on it. Adam Smith is considered part of the classical school of economics, and his writings are relatively easier to comprehend." Seeing that he did not fully understand, Yang Rui further explained the principles of classical economics, particularly introducing him to the concept of the 'invisible hand.' As for whether Qian Bozong understood it, he was unsure.

Next, there are toothpaste boxes, soap, shampoo, and ham sausages. These products are all available in finished form, and the ingredients are clearly listed on them, thanks to the quality supervision bureau. With some research, one can achieve success in this area, which is also highly profitable. Just yesterday, he saw American imported toothpaste selling for over 5 dollars in the store

Mr. Qian Bozong frowned and said, "Mr. Yang spoke very well..."

"Yes, I went out to buy some things. By the way, Mrs. Huang, thank you for your help last time. Today, I casually bought some five-spice beans and oranges from https://www.hetushu.com to express my gratitude." Yang Rui spoke in a classical tone, handing the items to Mrs. Huang.

Yang Rui was watching and, seeing him ask, replied: "Yes, I studied it in university..." After saying this, he realized he had been too casual; if asked which university, how would he respond—Harvard or Tongji?

When thinking of cigarettes, one cannot help but mention lighters. This item, which emerged in the 1930s, gained worldwide popularity during World War II. In an era when everyone is using matches, it undoubtedly represents a high-tech product. Moreover, I possess a finished product; although it is a counterfeit ZIPPO, it is still a modern item. It is possible to replicate and quickly produce such products. Given the current level of technology, meeting the basic craftsmanship and raw material requirements is not an issue. The only uncertainty lies in how to resolve the flint, which is said to be a cadmium-iron alloy. Additionally, I have a finished product; although it is a counterfeit ZIPPO, it is still a modern item. It is possible to replicate and quickly produce such products. Given the current level of technology, meeting the basic craftsmanship and raw material requirements is not an issue. The only uncertainty lies in how to resolve the flint, which is said to be a cadmium-iron alloy.

At present, after tidying up and having a meal, Mrs. Huang also brewed a cup of tea, and then continued to chat with Qian Bozong. From the conversation, it was understood that the Nanyang Public School was established by Minister of Commerce Sheng Xuanhuai, providing accommodation and meals. The school is located in the Xuhui area, with around 600 to 700 students. Currently, there are no specific majors; only a special class is offered, teaching both Chinese and Western literature and science courses. "Yuan Fu" is a translation by the academy and is now being used as the school's teaching material. However, the teachers do not have a deep understanding of the book, resulting in poor instruction. The student body consists of about 600 to 700 individuals, and there are no specific majors; only a special class is offered, teaching both Chinese and Western literature and science courses. "Yuan Fu" is a translation by the academy and is now being used as the school's teaching material, but the teachers do not have a deep understanding of the book, leading to inadequate teaching.

Cigarettes are a new phenomenon. Yang Rui wrote and contemplated in his notebook. Although Nanyang tobacco has not yet emerged, the subsequent success of Nanyang tobacco indicates that the tobacco industry is worth entering. However, this project requires substantial startup capital and the hiring of skilled workers, and the tobacco leaves need to be re-dried and fermented. His advantages include knowing that this industry is accessible, understanding better market strategies, and being able to draw on the banana ripening process, which can shorten the aging time of tobacco leaves from one year to just a few days, allowing raw tobacco to quickly mature into finished tobacco, thereby reducing inventory capital pressure and minimizing raw material losses. The tobacco project is feasible, but it requires significant resources.

Qian Bozong did not actually think much about this; he was simply feeling dizzy from reading the book, as there were many difficult concepts to understand. Seeing someone who had read it, he just wanted to seek clarification. Noticing that Yang Rui was still flipping through the pages, he could only sit in silence and wait to ask questions later