Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 799 Arrogant, too arrogant!
Although Douya and Xia Lin have been bickering for half their lives, and have always been at odds with each other from the beginning, their relationship is more like that of partners with a special connection than partners.

The bean sprout that grew out of her stunning beauty is actually a man at its core, even more manly than most men. Her relationship with Xia Lin is essentially a partnership; any other relationship is just a result of hormonal fluctuations.

Therefore, Xia Lin's request for her help, just like her request for Xia Lin's help, both come at a price. For example, when Xia Lin asked for her help this time, the price he paid was the right to collaborate on research and development for the next twenty-five years.

What is the right to conduct collaborative research and development? This is a complex matter, because Fuliang currently has three major bureaus: the Bureau of Crafts, which is under the jurisdiction of the imperial court; the Bureau of Science and Technology, which is under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Province; and the Bureau of Weapons, which is under the jurisdiction of Fuliang. The three bureaus have similar functions, use the same staff and system, and are even directly managed by Xia Lin.

However, their responsibilities also differ. For example, the Crafts Bureau tends to focus on the research and development of various industrial products, such as porcelain, pottery, and cement, which are major consumer goods. The Science and Technology Bureau, on the other hand, focuses on agriculture and advanced civilian technology, such as the upcoming research and development of water supply projects, fourth-generation low-toxicity pesticides, improved seed breeding, and the formulation of advanced fertilizers. These fall within the scope of the Science and Technology Bureau.

The last one, the Weapons Bureau, needs little introduction. Currently, the bureau is headed by Bai Tang Tianzun, and you can tell what it does just from his name. In recent years, the Weapons Bureau's main focus has been on bombs, striving for larger calibers, longer ranges, greater power, and lighter weights.

The three bureaus each have their own affiliations, but apart from the weapons bureau, the other two bureaus only receive financial subsidies for specific projects, and most commercial projects require them to be self-reliant.

So, Douyazi's condition was that she would participate in these research and development projects in her own name, and she would enjoy 20% of the profits from all subsequent products.

This is actually a huge investment, because the research and development of a project requires a huge investment in both time and money, but she wants to use 50% of the original investment to exchange for a total of 20% of the future returns.

Anyone else would think the Dugu family head was a bit out of his mind, but Xia Lin knew perfectly well that this brat was absolutely delusional, making outrageous demands...

Then it was time to talk. Everything else was easy to discuss, but the main problem was that the three projects—electricity, water, and trains—had reached a stalemate. This was because Douyazi had his eye on these three projects, but Xia Lin was stubbornly clinging to them and refusing to let go.

The more Douyazi realized that he wouldn't let go, the more determined he became, which clearly led to a standoff.

"Let me tell you, when it comes to matters of national importance and people's livelihood, don't even mention my wife, even if it were my mother, I would never allow it. Once this stuff ends up in someone's pocket, being scolded in the future will be the least of your worries. You'll be beheaded and hung on a street lamp. Don't you understand?"

"So what I want now is revenue, not control. I can give up control, but you have to give me the revenue!"

"No profit, no profit... Oh dear, this is a losing proposition."

"You're talking nonsense! Would you do a losing business?"

"It's really a loss! It's bound to be a loss. We'd be lucky if public welfare projects could break even."

Xia Lin slammed her hand on the table, making a loud thud. This startled Li Zhi, who was outside about to deliver sweet soup to his nominal father and biological father, so he shrank back and went back inside.

"They won't fight, will they?"

Kasyapa squatted by the wall outside and whispered to his brother, "Brother, why don't you go and try to persuade him?"

"Me?" Li Zhi pointed at his own nose and retorted, "Are you complaining that your brother doesn't get beaten enough?"

Just then, the sound of things being smashed came from inside. It was clear that the Dugu family head was throwing a tantrum. Since Xia Lin was nowhere to be seen, the reason for the Dugu family head's rage was the cold violence from Magistrate Xia of Fuliang County.

Just then, Chun Tao came back from outside carrying the young lady of the house. Upon hearing the noise inside, she turned around and went out again. The courtyard was empty, with only the eldest young master and the second young lady squatting there eavesdropping.

“Ah Yun! Calm down. This is something I really can’t give you. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I don’t trust money. We’ll all grow old someday. If the next generation and the generation after that don’t have your abilities and control, this will definitely turn into something terrible. So rules are rules, and let them be inviolable ancestral precepts.”

"Ancestral teachings must be correct?"

“Ancestral teachings are not necessarily correct, but if they are teachings that have been tested and proven through countless trials and errors, I think it is best to follow them.”

Bean Sprout took a deep breath, sat there without saying a word, and sulked to herself.

But Xia Lin spoke up at this moment: "However, there are some things I can issue you with licenses for."

"What license?"

"Basic building materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and some secondary processing of agricultural products. Of course, you can also reclaim land yourself, and I will give you a land reclamation permit, including aquaculture, a full range of aquaculture permits."

"really?"

"It's true, it's definitely true. But you also need to understand the risks involved, and it's impossible for it to be completely unregulated."

"Draw up a written agreement!"

Clearly, Douyazi had been coaxed into submission by him, and now he needed written agreements for everything he did. Helpless, Xia Lin had to draft a contract on the spot, but he didn't sign it immediately. Instead, he sighed and called out, "Son, come in for a moment." Li Zhi immediately got up and ran into the house, saying, "Father, Mother."

He referred to Douyazi (Bean Sprout) as his mother, because in those times when there were two fathers, the gender-based address automatically changed according to family status. After all, Douyazi was Li Zhi's father, recorded in historical records; though absurd, that was the reality…

"Go and give this contract to the treasury clerk so he can revise it. Wait for him to finish revising it before returning it together."

"Son, I'll go now."

After saying that, Xia Lin rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a ten-tael silver note: "If you get hungry along the way, take your sister to get something to eat."

Despite being a prince, Li Zhi was strictly controlled by his family. His daily allowance never exceeded twenty coins, and he often had to work part-time with Zhang Jianzhi to earn some delicious junk snacks.

Ten taels of silver was a huge sum of money, and Li Zhi was overjoyed. He took the documents, led his sister to Xiao Wu who was reading next door, and Zhang Jianzhi who was copying his homework in the corner as punishment. Ten taels of silver was enough for them to be children for once and eat whatever they wanted.

"You sent all the children away?"

Bean Sprout suddenly raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain on her face, but she got up and pulled down all the curtains in the room.

Well, despite the arguments, some things still need to be done. After all, their physical compatibility is undeniable. Plus, Douyazi has been off medication for many years and has had two more children. These days, a woman with a youthful charm is truly amazing.

"elder brother."

Li Zhi suddenly looked up and asked Li Chengqian, who was standing by the wall with him waiting for the contract document to be reviewed, "You say Father has such great power, why does a contract document need to be reviewed three times?"

Li Chengqian paused for a moment while eating the cold noodles, then smiled and said, "Because this is the boundary marker that Uncle An erected for the world with his life."

“Uncle An? Oh! I know, he’s Uncle An from the law school! I’ve read about him in books. Is he close to my father? I’ve never heard my father mention him.”

Li Chengqian remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Uncle couldn't bear to speak; he's a scar on his heart. I was about your age back then, and I've heard some of the details. He forged a sword for you with his blood and soul, and it's only because you hold this sword that we have the situation we have today. The book says he inherited the great lineage of Legalism, but there's a second half to that. The full text is 'He inherited the great lineage of Legalism, severing the dragon vein of the aristocratic families.' Have you read those fantasy novels?"

“I have seen it.”

"He single-handedly sealed off the eternal foundation of the demon race."

This statement had a far greater impact on Li Zhi than the biographical information in the book. He had always thought it was his father's achievement, but now it seemed that there was someone who played a much greater role than his father, and even someone like his father had to follow the rules set by that person.

Although Xia Lin personally delivered the documents, it took until evening after three rounds of review. There were many additions, deletions, and adjustments made. By the time they returned to the courtyard, the battle had been over for who knows how long. Douya had already taken her youngest daughter back home, and Xia Lin was sitting in the room writing a letter.

Hearing the noise, he looked up at the children whose mouths were glistening with oil and laughed, "Young masters and ladies, you've had a good meal."

"It'll do alright, I suppose." Kasyapa handed over the box of documents he was holding: "Father, here are the documents you wanted."

Xia Lin opened the box and began reading the revised document. It indeed contained far fewer ambiguities than his own version, and the descriptions of some items were clearly marked. Legal provisions were also added to some of the regulations, making it a very rigorous document.

"Very good." Xia Lin nodded and said, "You all go and rest, Chengqian stay."

Xia Lin kept Chengqian behind, then unfolded the document and began to explain to him point by point the legal provisions and why they were done this way.

As for why Li Chengqian was given special instruction, it was because the work of restoring order and correcting the chaos in Shu was about to begin. However, the problem was that Li Shimin had already gone too far outside. San Niang said that twelve imperial edicts had been issued, but Li Shimin had not given any response at all. Therefore, it would probably not be long before Li Chengqian returned to Shu to take charge of the overall situation.

Upon his return, he would theoretically become the local tyrant of Sichuan, so he needed to quickly acquire a large amount of knowledge to cope with the various problems he would face.

"Uncle, are you leaving soon?"

"Haha." Xia Lin nodded and said, "Chengqian is indeed smart. At the earliest, you will be going to Shu to take charge of the overall situation by the end of this year. Do you have confidence?"

"No……"

"It's alright, we still have time." Xia Lin tapped the table: "When you go to Shu alone in the future, don't embarrass me."

(End of this chapter)