Chapter 7: The Power of a Rich Woman

The atmosphere suddenly became a little strange.

Yang Shifei, standing off to the side, gradually frowned. But before he could think carefully, the shopkeeper stroked his beard and said,

“Miss Tanxiang, why have you suddenly come to ask for the account books today? Could something have happened?”

“Nothing has happened.”

Tanxiang’s eyes were quiet and deep, her tone without the slightest fluctuation. “It’s just that the person beside me has just arrived in Eastern City and possesses some skill in accounting. I thought I would find him a livelihood.”

“Then the account books…”

“I must test him first.”

Tanxiang glanced sideways at Yang Shifei. “Using the previous account books to examine him will reveal whether he has genuine ability.”

The shopkeeper turned his gaze over, his face full of surprise. “This young master looks quite talented and handsome. Is he a promising young man from the Luo family?”

“He is not from the Luo main family. He is merely acquainted with the Eldest Miss.”

Tanxiang softly urged, “We will not disturb your business for long. We will leave once we obtain the account books.”

“All right, all right. Miss Tanxiang, please wait a moment. I’ll go back and fetch them immediately.”

The shopkeeper gave two simple, honest laughs, then quickly turned and headed toward the restaurant’s rear courtyard.

“…”

Yang Shifei was silent for a moment, then said quietly, “Does this count as opening a back door for me?”

“No matter how one puts it, you risked your life last night to subdue an assassin. You have shown kindness to the Luo Residence.”

Tanxiang looked toward the rear courtyard and said calmly, “Besides, your relationship with the Luo Residence is now quite close. Rather than searching outside for a livelihood, it would be better to work at a restaurant under the Luo Residence. It would save much trouble.”

“…Thank you.”

Yang Shifei showed a complicated smile. “It’s just that I’ve received too much help from the Luo Residence. I feel a little embarrassed.”

Tanxiang glanced at him again from the corner of her eye. “It is only an opportunity. Whether you pass the test depends on you. Also, the accounts of Qingyue Tower have always been handled by the shopkeeper. Business has grown increasingly prosperous this year, and he can no longer manage everything alone.”

Yang Shifei had only sighed emotionally just now. Hearing the little maid even specially find a reason to “comfort” him, he could not help smiling warmly.

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

If it was only accounting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division should be more than enough.

Surely they wouldn’t make him calculate calculus, right?

“Here they are!”

The shopkeeper soon came out from the rear courtyard, smiling as he handed over several thick booklets.

“Miss Tanxiang, the account books from the past few months are all here. If you need more, I’ll go fetch last year’s as well.”

“No need.”

Tanxiang accepted the account books and said calmly, “We will not disturb you further. Farewell.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned gracefully and left, without the slightest intention of exchanging pleasantries.

Yang Shifei cupped his hands and smiled at the shopkeeper, then left Qingyue Tower together with her.

Not long after, the two returned to the Luo Residence’s study.

Yang Shifei opened the account books and looked them over. After a little thought, he soon secretly let out a breath of relief.

Good. He could understand them.

He had previously worried that the bookkeeping methods of this era might be very different from what he remembered. Now, those concerns could be put to rest.

Although the counting method was slightly different and there were many special symbols, at the root of it, it could not escape addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

“It seems you are confident.”

Tanxiang brought over a set of paper and brush and placed them on the desk. “But your hand injury has not healed. Will it be a problem?”

“I’ll write more lightly.”

Yang Shifei rolled up his sleeve and smiled confidently. “Just watch, Miss.”

He sat down, dipped the brush in ink, and soon bent over the desk to write.

Tanxiang quietly stood to the side, silently watching him write crooked and clumsy characters. She could not help frowning slightly.

It seemed he had not properly practiced calligraphy. His writing was quite unfamiliar and awkward.

But when it came to bookkeeping, he did not look like an outsider. He calculated very quickly.

Tanxiang’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and she casually ground ink for him.

But after a while, it was Yang Shifei’s expression that became more and more doubtful.

“Strange.”

He muttered to himself, then flipped through the account books several times in succession to carefully check them, scanning the “answers” on both sides.

Tanxiang said softly, “What is wrong?”

“The difference is a bit large.”

Yang Shifei’s tone was slightly strange. “There are also quite a few vague personal-credit debts recorded here, scattered all over the place. And when the final accounts were recorded, many were erased. There are even many symbols I don’t quite understand. It looks deliberate.”

Although he was not an accounting major, as long as one carefully calculated accounts like this, one could roughly see that something was wrong.

“And the costs are increasing month by month. Did you change suppliers these past few months?”

“…”

Tanxiang looked at the mistakes and omissions he pointed out in the account books. Her eyes shifted slightly, but she did not speak.

Seeing her reaction, Yang Shifei could not help asking curiously, “Qingyue Tower is a business of your Luo Residence. Do you normally not look into it?”

“…Including Miss, there are only three people in the Luo Residence. We do not have the energy to handle every detail.”

Tanxiang pressed her lips together and said quietly, “Miss places more importance on the fabric shop business. As for Qingyue Tower, it has basically been handed to the shopkeeper from earlier to manage. Every three months, the shopkeeper sends the account books to our door for us to check.”

Yang Shifei smiled helplessly. “It has always been like this?”

“Yes.”

“That shopkeeper looks honest and simple, but he really is quite bold.”

Yang Shifei smiled. “You are also a little careless, Miss.”

He did not say it outright. This was far more than carelessness. This was basically throwing money outside for fun.

Tanxiang glanced at him. “I will explain the omissions clearly to Miss afterward.”

As she spoke, she gathered up all the account books on the desk.

“Then my bookkeeping job…”

“I will decide after I see Miss.”

Tanxiang said calmly, “I will go back to Qingyue Tower first. You may stay here and rest.”

Yang Shifei’s brows jumped as he listened. This little maid truly acted decisively.

“Don’t be impulsive. It would be best to find another trustworthy accountant to help verify things. Also, if the shopkeeper says he accidentally gave you the wrong account books, you must distinguish carefully and not let them be swapped.”

“All right.”

Tanxiang nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Watching her somewhat petite back, Yang Shifei scratched his head, feeling both amused and helpless for a moment.

Should he say the Luo Residence had too much money? They were so careless with their businesses that they did not even know how much blood had been sucked from them.

However, there might still be trouble afterward.

Yang Shifei thought briefly. Remembering the shopkeeper’s kindly, smiling appearance from before, he felt somewhat uneasy.

If the matter of Qingyue Tower’s false accounts was completely exposed, and the evidence was conclusive, would that shopkeeper really obediently accept punishment?

Half an hour later.

Yang Shifei, who was reading in the study, suddenly raised his head.

Tanxiang had appeared at the door at some unknown time and walked in expressionlessly.

“It is settled.”

“Huh?” Yang Shifei froze. “Miss, you mean…”

“The shopkeeper prepared knockout drugs and poisoned needles, and he also worked with outsiders to set up an ambush. He was caught red-handed and sent to the authorities. Qingyue Tower will temporarily be managed by the restaurant’s old head chef, and the account books will be handled by me.”

Tanxiang cast him a calm, rippleless gaze. “As you said, he lied that he had given me the wrong account books and wanted to take me to get another set. I saw through him along the way. Thank you.”

“It’s good that you’re all right.” Yang Shifei’s mouth twitched slightly.

A lot had truly happened in just half an hour.

His thoughts stirred, and he said, “But since the Luo Residence lacks manpower and Miss Luo’s attention is on the fabric shop, why did she start the Qingyue Tower business?”

Was it because the fabric shop did not make money, so she needed Qingyue Tower to fill the gap in income and expenses?

“There was no particular reason. When Miss first arrived in Eastern City, she wanted to taste more local dishes, so she bought Qingyue Tower.”

“…”

The corner of Yang Shifei’s eye twitched. For a moment, he was speechless.

Sure enough, having money allowed one to be willful.

If she wanted to go boating in the future, would she buy all the boatyards along Eastern City’s river?

“The bookkeeping work will be handed to you from now on. This is the contract paper. Keep it well.”

Tanxiang handed over a yellow sheet of paper and said faintly, “From now on, every morning, I will send over the account books recorded from the previous day. You will then properly calculate and summarize them. Your monthly wages will be paid to you by me in person, and they also include three meals a day. How does that sound?”

Yang Shifei’s expression froze slightly. He clearly had not expected the job to come so easily and simply.

“No more… further testing?”

“Miss does not care much about Qingyue Tower’s business.”

Tanxiang forcefully stuffed the contract paper over. “But as long as you do your work properly, you will naturally receive your payment.”

Seeing her firm attitude, Yang Shifei no longer hesitated or declined. But as his gaze casually swept over the writing on the paper, his heart suddenly jumped.

These wages were twice as high as those offered for bookkeeping at Yellow Crane Tower.

“The old account books will be sent over tonight. For now, Young Master may do as you please.”

Tanxiang looked toward the bookshelf nearby. “If there are any books you wish to read, feel free to borrow them. Miss will not say anything.”

Yang Shifei laughed awkwardly and carefully put the book in his hand back. “That won’t be necessary. I don’t have much interest in poetry, books, calligraphy, or painting. But Miss Luo has many books. Does she usually especially enjoy poetry?”

“Every festival season, Eastern City holds temple fairs, and young people from each family in Eastern City go out to enjoy themselves.”

Tanxiang said softly, “Miss is not very interested in making friends, but she occasionally visits the temple fairs too.”

Yang Shifei understood.

As for what ancient temple fairs looked like, he could more or less imagine a little. Nothing more than riddles, couplets, poetry, lyrics, paintings, and such.

Although his impressions mostly came from various novels and television dramas set in ancient times.

It could be considered a prime holy land for showing off and flirting.

By copying ancient poems and prose, one could cause many sheltered young ladies to gasp in admiration and praise, or even win their favor and affection.

But him…

Yang Shifei’s face went blank.

After four years of university, who still remembered any ancient poetry?

You ask when I will return, but no date has been set. What came after that again?

Yang Shifei did not stay long in the Luo Residence and returned next door alone.

He had originally been a little worried about whether people from the Feilin Gang would sneak over and hide in ambush again tonight, but Tanxiang said the authorities had already sent men to suppress the bandits. The Feilin Gang might not even survive past tomorrow night.

That result left even Yang Shifei a little silent.

Was the little rich woman perhaps a bit too fierce?

By normal logic, shouldn’t he be the one traveling three hundred li at night, charging alone into the Feilin Gang and snuffing out all danger?

“Forget it. Better not think nonsense.”

Yang Shifei patted his forehead, feeling a little amused.

Now that his job had been settled, compared to that inexplicable Feilin Gang, he wanted more to calm down and properly study the changes in his own body.

“Hm?”

But just as Yang Shifei pushed open the door to his bedroom, his expression froze.

Inside the room, which should have been empty, there was now a slender, graceful figure.

The mysterious little girl he had not seen for two days was sitting sideways by the tea table, supporting her little face with one hand and smiling as she stretched out her tender hand.

“Come. Bite me~”

“…”

(End of Chapter)