First Concubine

Chapter 206: Gaining a Genius (4)

"Lingxi, you are the hope of our Shui family. The future glory of the Shui family will all depend on you. You must win over the prince's heart! Of course, as a father, I believe that no normal man in the world can resist you. The beauty.”

Those scenes are still vivid in my mind, as if they happened yesterday, but just now, the father who loved her dearly beat her! How ironic...

In the Fushou Hospital, the old lady was sitting on the bed eating bird's nest. Dr. Hu's medical skills were very good. After a few times of acupuncture, the old lady's health improved greatly. Now she can walk around and speak more fluently.

Mother Wang took the bowl from the old lady's hand and saw that she had not even a mouthful of soup left. She couldn't help but wonder in her heart, the old lady hadn't had such a good appetite for a long time: "I heard that the third aunt and grandma sent me the news. Many words!”

 The old lady nodded, not happy. Mother Wang added: "My aunt gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a boy. I heard that they were born prematurely and were weak, but now they are doing well. They can eat and sleep, and they are just like ordinary babies!"

The old lady said "hmm" lightly, not too happy. Mother Wang was puzzled. There were only a few good things related to Shangshu Mansion. It was neither this nor that. What on earth was the old lady so happy about?

Mother Wang was holding the bowl and was about to exit, but she caught a glimpse of a big red wedding invitation on the coffee table, and her heart moved. Could it be that... the old lady is happy about the second young lady's marriage? , what’s so gratifying about marrying a businessman?

While thinking about it, a report from the maid came from outside the door: "Old madam, the second young lady wants to see you! She is crying so hard!"

Mother Wang moved her eyelids thoughtfully and said with a smile: "My servant went to welcome the second young lady in!"

The old lady waved her hand: "No, let her go back and say I have a rest." She sang a little tune in her mouth.

Mama Wang leaned forward and replied: "Yes, I understand." After walking for a few steps, she suddenly turned back and said, "Old madam, it's time for fresh fruits to be produced in the village this season. Do you want to give them to my aunt this year?"

The old lady's eyes turned cold, she thought for a while, and then said: "Well, send it to me. My brother and sister have something to do at home, so you can personally choose a batch of fresh fruits and send them to express my feelings. "

Mother Wang bowed and exited, telling the old lady’s original words truthfully. Shui Lingxi was so angry that she immediately turned around and rushed out of the yard, heading towards the gate!

In Qingyou Courtyard, Shui Linglong was settling summer accounts with Leng Youru. Leng Youru picked up a book and read: "One principal shopkeeper, with a monthly salary of ten taels; two deputy shopkeepers, with a monthly salary of sixty taels; front clerk Six are paid twenty taels a month; ten rough servants are paid one tael a month; four servants are paid one tael a month. Among them, a deputy shopkeeper paid 20,750 taels in advance last quarter. How much should be sent in total?”

Shui Linglong quickly typed her abacus, Leng Youru finished her words, and she replied: "Forty-five taels and two hundred and fifty yuan."

Leng Youru picked up the pen to make notes, flipped through the column of benefits, and murmured: "It seems that you don't make much money. It's only five hundred taels in spring. Why is there no increase in summer?"

Shui Linglong asked, "Would you like to send someone to the shop to have a look?"

Leng Youru frowned slightly: "Do you want a higher salary? Can you live on such a small amount of money?"

Shui Linglong said warmly: "Mother, a pound of flour outside costs three cents, an egg costs one cent, and a pound of pork costs fifteen cents. This is the market price. The price at night will be halved. They only need to buy it later for the next day. Although the ingredients are not very fresh, they are much cheaper, and this is how poor people live.”

Shui Linglong has no bodhisattva heart and does not do any charity. This is the status quo of the exploiting class and the exploited class. She is powerless to change it. Unless the entire society is changed, everything will be destroyed by the wind. The Zhuge family has gone too far in being special. Obviously, it will definitely become the enemy of all merchants. As for Leng Youru, a bowl of blood swallows costs fifty taels of silver, a hairpin costs one hundred taels of silver, and a set of clothes costs one ingot of gold. Of course, she doesn't understand how these poor people live.

Leng Youru's index finger curled up, and she said "oh" speciously, and picked up another account book: "It belongs to the antique shop." The two began to count, and the more they counted, the more Leng Youru's brows frowned. "I actually lost it." After a while, she felt relieved again, "Forget it, it's just an antique shop. At the worst, I can use some of my private money."

Shui Linglong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Leng Youru’s private money was comparable to a small national treasury, and the exact amount was hard to estimate. But looking at Leng Youru's habitual and ordinary language, it can be seen that she has been using her own money to supplement the losses of some shops for so many years. She has good intentions, but it is actually avoidable.

Leng Youru picked up the tea and took a sip. She glanced at another pile of account books from the corner of her eye and said, "There are also those from Zhuangzi."

At this time, Cen'er opened the curtain and came in: "My uncle has sent my cousin back home. Today, my cousin is back from school, so I went to pick him up."

Leng Youru rubbed her temples and said, "Please come in and have a cup of tea."

After a while, Mu Hua took Brother Hao's hand and walked into the bright hall. It seemed that they got along well. The two of them saluted Leng Youru, and Brother Hao turned to salute Shui Linglong. Shui Linglong smiled and said hello to Mu Hua.

"Cen'er, take your cousin to wash your hands and face. After washing, eat some fruit, and then go to the study to paint red." Leng Youru gave the order, and Cen'er reached out to pull Brother Hao. Unexpectedly, Brother Hao walked over very cooperatively. Cleaning the room, this made everyone slightly surprised.

A maid came forward and offered tea to Mu Hua. Mu Hua took it, glanced at the pile of account books, and asked humbly and politely: "Am I here at the wrong time?"

Leng Youru smiled lightly and said: "No, just sit down for a while, it will be over soon."

 “Okay.” Mu Hua agreed and started drinking tea.

Leng Youru opened the first account book of Zhuangzi and read: "One chief steward, eight taels a month; eight deputy stewards, five taels a month; ten mothers, two taels a month; servants and maids, ten taels each. Name, eight hundred cash per month, eight rough servants, five hundred cash per month; three gatekeepers, five hundred cash per month, how much is the salary in August?”

 “Eighty-nine taels and five hundred Wen.”

Shui Linglong was startled and looked at Mu Hua, is this guy so evil? Faster than her abacus?

Leng Youru was also slightly startled, but it was not the same as Shui Linglong's surprise. Her eyelids moved and she turned a page: "The rent for tenants is fifty taels, and the oranges are sold for forty taels and seven hundred and twenty two." Wen, sugarcane sells for thirty taels and four hundred and thirteen Wen, and it costs nine taels and six hundred and eighty-nine Wen to purchase farming tools. How much is your income this month?”

 “There was no income and a loss of twenty-three taels and fifty-four cents.”

Shui Linglong also came up with this answer after knocking the last bead. Shui Linglong and Leng Youru looked at Mu Hua at the same time again. Mu Hua felt embarrassed and scratched his head in embarrassment: "I'm sorry, I...I couldn't hold it back."

Leng Youru said nothing, and neither did Shui Linglong. Next, Leng Youru reported a few more pages of Zhuangzi's accounts. Shui Linglong noticed that Mu Hua's lips moved slightly as Leng Youru reported the numbers. His expression was extremely serious during the whole process, and when Leng Youru reported After Ru finished reporting, his mouth did not move, which showed that he had finished the calculation in his heart. Businessmen are used to dealing with numbers, but those are just for the sake of doing business wisely. Mu Hua is different. He seems to be born with an uncontrollable enthusiasm for numbers. Look, he is now looking at Leng Youru’s unfinished account book, his eyes wide. In the light of greed, I don't want to be greedy for the money inside, but simply want to figure out the accounts inside. Leng Youru also noticed Mu Hua's strange behavior and pushed the account book forward: "Help me do the math."

Mu Hua's twinkling eyes overflowed with a strong light. He stood up and walked to the table. He carefully picked up the account book and flipped through it page by page. It was a thick account book with at least hundreds of entries. , but he finished it in one breath, closed the account book and picked up another one. This time he paused for about three seconds. Shui Linglong guessed that he was digesting the contents of the previous one. After that, he read one book after another, and after only two quarters of an hour, he read ten account books, and then told the monthly money, profit and loss of the ten Zhuangzi one by one.

Shui Linglong and Leng Youru were dumbfounded. This could no longer be described as photographic memory. He seemed to have divided his head into ten parts. Each part contained the details of a village, down to how many maids there were and how many pounds were sold. Millet... But Leng Youru was so surprised that she didn't write down it.

Mu Hua glanced at the two of them and said, "How about I write it down?"

 “It’s necessary!” Shui Linglong and Leng Youru said in unison!

Mu Hua wrote down the accounts he had just calculated one by one at the end of the account book. As he wrote, he said: "Actually, this kind of planting without scale and plan will not produce much benefit. Zhuangzi can be divided into two types. One is to grow it yourself, in which case it is best for one farm to specialize in one type of crop; the other is to rent it to nearby farmers, so you don’t have to be too careful about what they grow, but it is best to send corresponding agricultural experts to provide regular guidance. When farmers farm, the income of farmers will be high, and the rent in the village will be high. "

Leng Youru handed him the account book of the silk and satin shop just now: "Where is this?"

Mu Hua read through it carefully and said: "It's hard to say. I have to go to the store to see whether the quality of the goods is not enough or everyone's attitude towards doing things is not enough. Of course, the surrounding geographical environment is also particularly important. I am new to Beijing. Very knowledgeable about the situation in the capital.”

Shui Linglong remembered that Mu Hua seemed to have come to visit today on business, so she smiled gently and said, "You came to see my mother and concubine for business?"

Mu Hua nodded slightly: "Well, I just want to tell my mother and concubine that I plan to go to Ling'er's shop to understand the situation."

Leng Youru looked as normal and said: "That's right. If you don't come, I'm going to send someone to give you the pair of cards. Each yard has its own pair of cards. Don't mix them. You have to take them."

Mu Hua stood up and said, "Thank you, concubine." He glanced at the small study room behind the gauze cabinet, and could vaguely see his son holding a pen and drawing red. The thought of moving out of the house was stuck in his throat.

 In the small study room, Brother Hao looked up at Cen'er and touched his belly. Cen'er glanced at the hourglass on the wall and said sternly: "It's almost dinner time. Pastries are not allowed. How about I get you two more pieces of honeydew melon?"

 Brother Hao nodded obediently! Cen'er patted his head with satisfaction, "You brat, you finally understand!" As soon as Cen'er left, Brother Hao stuck out his little head and looked around to make sure no one noticed him, then he covered his sleeves and quietly walked through the bright hall and ran towards Leng Youru's bedroom.

 When I opened the door, a scent of fragrance hit my nostrils. It was very light and smelled very good. Brother Hao sniffed, and habitually raised his sleeve to wipe it. As soon as he touched the tip of his nose, he remembered that he was pressed to take a bath in the morning, frowned, and relaxed. The exquisite furnishings in the room made him feel like he was in heaven. What he stepped on was not the cold hard floor, but soft clouds. Therefore, he was very careful every step he took. Was it because he was worried about being discovered or was he afraid of being discovered? The bricks and tiles of heaven that have been destroyed are unknown.

When he finally arrived at the magnificent bedside, he reached out his little hand and touched the silky bed surface. His eyes showed a hint of surprise, and then he sniffed it, and the surprise in his eyes turned into desire. I wanted to take off my shoes and roll around a bit, but when I saw that I was actually very cleanly dressed, a wave of inferiority slowly spread in my eyes, as if this was an extremely sacred place, and his presence could only make it... Full of dirt.

 Taking a step back, he planned to leave. As soon as I reached the screen, I suddenly remembered my purpose! He walked back to the bed, took out a small bamboo tube from his wide sleeve, lifted up a corner of the quilt, and poured the contents of the bamboo tube into it...

 (End of this chapter)