The oil bottle of the Red Chamber

Because of checking the accounts, there were clues, Chen Gui painstakingly pulled the red line twice, seeing this, Feng Shi had to go up to meet him, and asked carefully.Only now did I learn that it was Chen's dowry shop that had a problem——

The matter started with Mrs. Chen thinking hard and begging Mr. Wu to teach the girls to read the account books.

Now that you have learned how to read accounts, you must first find out a few accounts to read, so that practice makes perfect and you can apply what you have learned.When Mr. Wu taught to read the accounts, he used the old account books that were discarded in the accountant of the Chen family.And ordered the girls to copy it in class and review it from time to time.

As for the matter of planning to settle accounts, Mr. Wu is not very familiar with it, not to mention that she is a clean-eyed person who prides herself on being aloof and doesn't care about ordinary affairs.It's not easy for Yang, who is in the way of the master's family, to ask the girls to read the accounts, and she really can't do the rest, such as housework and human relations.

Seeing this, Mrs. Chen had no choice but to order the housekeeper's daughter-in-law in the accountant's room to teach her sisters how to make money.Later, on a whim, he handed over his dowry account to the eldest sister and the second sister—this kind of behavior was not for auditing the accounts, but for the two sisters to apply what they had learned and practice more.But I didn't expect that after a complete calculation of the accounts, the second sister actually found out the tricky things in the accounts that were unclear.

If it is said that the second sister checked the accounts, she didn't expect to make any earth-shattering news.However, the dowry account that Mrs. Chen brought was really chaotic, just like the running accounts of later generations.Calling the second sister is quite a headache.

In order to save money, the second sister simply listed all the accounts in terms of expenditure and income when checking the accounts.I thought in my heart that as long as the income and expenditure are evened out in the end, the income and expenditure will be balanced.Who would ever want to keep accounts in a muddleheaded way, and after calculating the accounts in one book, the final two items of income and expenditure do not match the account at all-in this way, even a fool can see that something is wrong.

What's more, in addition to being illiterate, Chen's mind is dexterous and delicate, and he is a little more calculating than others.Where is the fool again?Seeing that the accounts were not correct, Mrs. Chen immediately ordered his servants to call back the shop stewards - without revealing any doubts in his heart, he only asked about the market situation through the window sash.

As far as the steward is concerned, he can be regarded as an old man in Chen's house - he was the escort who accompanied Mrs. Chen to the Chen family when she married.In the early years, he really helped Mrs. Chen with several difficult matters, and won the trust of the old lady.Later, Mrs. Chen got married, and Mrs. Chen chose a dowry for Mrs. Chen, and gave the house to her daughter.

Because of Mrs. Chen's relationship, Mrs. Chen respected the steward very much.Moreover, she is illiterate, and she is a female family member in a deep house, so she doesn't hear about foreign affairs in the sun.I saw that since the steward took over her dowry shop, regardless of good or bad years, the shop's income has increased every year.I am very satisfied.What's more, at the end of the new year, the steward would send the account book to her without hesitation, and never delay.Seeing this, Mrs. Chen became more and more convinced.

But now she learned from her daughter that this steward was not as loyal and useful as she thought, Chen's heart was full of hatred and anger, but her face became more and more cheerful, although she had a heart of questioning, her tone became more and more gentle , just chatting with ordinary people.The steward didn't expect that the second sister, who was young and a novice account reader, would be able to find out his bad debts.What's more, he didn't expect Chen, a person with a hot temper, to be able to suppress his anger and make false claims with him.Therefore, he didn't pay attention when he spoke, and in a few words, Chen Shi saw the clue.

But then again, if the manager is really slick and impeccable in his work, I'm afraid he won't be able to reach the Chen residence.

Gossip less, just say that Mrs. Chen found out about the account book and knew that she had received so little money every year.However, due to the face of Mrs. Chen, although she wished to tie up that lawless thing and ransack the house to see the official, she tried her best not to get angry.

It's just that even though she was married once, has undergone some training, and lives as a widow at home, her temperament has not changed after all, she is still the arrogant and indulgent temper of a young lady.After patiently sending the steward away, he still couldn't swallow his breath, and finally arrived at Chen Gui's house, and immediately rushed to his brother's room to ask for advice.

Chen Gui was originally an old jerk who had been in the officialdom for a long time, and he knew the truth that "the water is so clear that there are no fish, and people are always observant but there are no disciples".Hearing what the girl said, I didn't take it seriously.However, I am quite interested in the delicate skill of the second sister in the sister's mouth "to clearly list and compare the two items of income and expenditure".At that moment, You smiled and asked the second sister, "Although this method is simple, it is clear. How did you come up with it?"

The second sister You said with a smile: "What's so difficult about this. On that day, Mr. Wu taught us to look at the account book, which recorded how much money was received on a certain day, and how much money was spent on a certain day. , How many things have been bought, and what is left in the warehouse, most of them are one out and one in, and the in and out are evened out. Then I thought, this so-called bookkeeping is what it is. No matter how big or small the accounts are, the accounts It's complicated, it's just "everything out there must be inward, and outbound must be equal". If it is not equal, there is something wrong. So my mother asked us to calculate the accounts on the shop. When I saw the discrepancies in the accounts, I knew that someone must have made a mistake. account."

What the second sister said is just the use of the bookkeeping rules of "where there is a loan, there must be a loan, and the loan must be equal" in the debit and credit bookkeeping method of later generations. It was just an old method that everyone is familiar with.But I didn't expect that people at this time did their calculations and kept accounts, but they didn't figure out these popular little formulas.

I saw that Chen Gui listened to it, and it was like enlightenment. He repeated it several times in his mouth, and couldn't help looking at his second sister with admiration, but he didn't know what to say.

Chen Gui was originally a clerk in the household department, and he was used to dealing with accounts and calculations all day long. For such a simple and clear matter, he had calculated the accounts for so many years, but he didn't even have a theory.Today, a five-year-old child said it easily, why don't you tell him that it is amazing, and he is more aware of the extraordinaryness of the second sister.

Then I thought of the second sister, who is so talented and transparent, she is actually a daughter.If you are a kid, I am afraid that in 20 years, you will always be able to establish a career.Immediately, he couldn't help sighing, hugging the second sister in his arms, and kept saying: "It's a pity, if you are a kid, if you study for a few more years, you may be able to glorify the lintel of our Chen family."

Immediately, he asked the second sister about the two sentences "where there is an exit, there must be an entry, and if there is an entry, the entry must be equal".

The second sister was concerned that she was still young - she had already accidentally revealed her whereabouts just now, so she absolutely refused to say anything more at this moment.After all, when she occasionally utters a sentence or two of wise words, people only think that she is smart and careful.If at such a young age, she was born knowing how to tell a long-winded account-keeping method, I am afraid that if others don't tell her, the family will think she is possessed by a demon.

Then Chen Gui was just chatting, and didn't expect the second sister to say any more golden rules.Although the second sister wanted to hide her clumsiness, she also liked her uncle's humorous words and humorous conversation.For a while, the uncle and nephew chatted quite speculatively.He actually left other people behind.

Sitting at the side, Mrs. Chen saw the two chatting endlessly, she couldn't help but interrupted in a hurry: "You are just ordinary, and you are not relatives you haven't seen in a few years, how can you come up with such endless words. Good brother, give me an idea quickly, if not, I will be annoyed—that’s a small 100 taels of silver. My annual land rent and shop income add up to only a little more than 200 taels .Where can he stay so guarded and self-stealing."

Hearing that his younger sister uttered such elegant words, Chen Gui couldn't help laughing and said, "My younger sister has spent a lot of time reading and learning with Mr. Wu these days. She can speak well when she sees it."

Before she finished speaking, she saw Chen's willow brows standing on end, with a sullen look on her face, she couldn't help but waved her hand to comfort her and said with a smile: "Come on, come on, it's not a big deal. There is no cat that doesn't steal, just leave it to me. Brother will definitely deal with it properly for you, and won't ask you to worry about it."

Mrs. Chen was overjoyed when she heard the words, and hurriedly flattered Chen Gui's carload of good words.With a look of hesitation on his face again, he hesitated and said to Chen Gui: "But my old lady..."

Chen Guiyin said with a smile: "It's such a trivial matter, there's no need to tell her the old man. It's over if you just mess around, why should everyone be angry."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen nodded her head in agreement.Because I thought of how I couldn't help drinking and cursing when I came here, I regretted it--I was wronged because I cared about my distressed Yinzi, and I forgot about it.Even though it happened in my elder brother's yard, it was inevitable that someone would gossip, and it would be bad if a word was reported to the old lady.

Chen Gui looked at the girl's expression and knew what she was thinking.Immediately smiled and comforted: "Sister, don't worry, the people in my yard are not talkative. Besides, the east yard is far away from the old lady's upper room. They must not hear it—even if they heard it." In short sentences, I'll tell your sister-in-law to find a way to fold her head, that's all."

After all, I didn't know what came to mind, and I persuaded myself: "It's just that you have such a fiery temper, you have to change-I've seen you become more and more angry these days. Now you are a widow at home, we I feel sorry for your widow who is unemployed, and you must accommodate one or two. When you marry someone else in the future, and you are married again, they will not tolerate your petty temper."

Chen Shi was only thinking about the dowry money, but did not pay attention to the meaning of Chen Gui's words.Absently listening to his brother's advice, Wei Wei agreed in his mouth.

Seeing this with his own eyes, Chen Gui knew that the country is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change.If there is such a day, it is necessary to take painstaking training to get over this temper.But I didn't have the time at the moment, because I thought about the matter of my second sister, I couldn't help persuading: "The world's most important thing is women's chastity, and they only say that women's ignorance is virtue. It's okay to read and write, and it's okay to be a girl. In the boudoir, If you are too proficient in common affairs calculations, it will not be a good reputation. Today's matter should be well warned, and there is no need to spread it to the outside world."

This is serious.When Mrs. Chen heard the words, she was busy waiting.Feng Shi also hurriedly said: "I will give orders immediately, don't let them talk nonsense."

Chen Gui nodded.At the moment, I talked some gossip again, and when it was time to light the lamps, everyone gathered in the upper room to have dinner.

Mrs. Chen observed the words and expressions, and sure enough, neither Mrs. Chen nor Mrs. Chen knew about the commotion in the east courtyard in the afternoon, so she was relieved.

A few days later, when Chen Gui's family came, he went straight to the wing room where Mrs. Chen lived, took out five 100 taels of silver bills from the tucks of his boots, handed them to Mrs. Chen, reached out and tapped the silver bills, and said with a smile : "I have told He Cai that this is the silver he gave you. Although it is still less than half of the silver he has been greedy for so many years. But when the water is clear, there will be no fish. People like us, It's not good to be beaten and killed for a few taels of silver, which is not the meaning of accumulating good fortune. Besides, the old lady is also old, and she is also an old man who has made some contributions. She does not look at the face of the monk or the face of the Buddha. stop."

When Chen saw a few bank notes, he was overjoyed at first.Hearing Chen Gui's words again, he felt unwilling again.After thinking about it, he had no choice but to say embarrassingly: "It's really cheap for him."

Seeing this, Chen Gui smiled and said, "But I've done it too. I just said that I don't want to investigate the past, but from now on, I will personally calculate the accounts of his shop. If there is any problem at that time... Then he has lost all his old face in the past few lives. There is nothing to do again, since we are the masters who are benevolent and righteous, if he doesn't know how to restrain himself, he can't blame us for being disregarded. "

After hearing this, Mrs. Chen smiled happily.He still said in his mouth: "It should be like this. It's still my elder brother who is thorough in everything - if it weren't for the old lady's face, he would dare to covet my money, and the skin will not be exposed!"

Chen Gui didn't speak, just watched the girl's attack with a smile on her face.And wait until Chen rummaged through the box and found a small wooden box with black lacquer and gold inlaid with mother-of-pearl flower and bird patterns from the bottom of the box. After opening the box lid, he carefully put the 500 taels of silver bills into the box, and He hid the small wooden box at the bottom of the box again, covered it with clothes, and then said with a smile: "My sister's habit of hiding things has not changed over the years. More than half of the family members know about it. You are hiding it for me." Who will watch it?"

Chen said with a smile: "Of course it is to guard against outsiders. Since you are a family member, what do you do to guard against him?"

Chen Gui smiled, but said nothing more.Sliding eyes to look at Mrs. Chen for a while, she smiled casually and said: "In two days, I will invite my colleagues to have a drink... My sister's bad goose feet duck is the best. I also ask my sister to show your hand and help We eat wine."

When Mrs. Chen heard the words, she couldn't help but wondered: "It's not like the mother-in-law who doesn't cook, and my sister-in-law's cooking skills are better than mine. I don't know which colleague of my brother has such a tricky taste, so I have to cook it myself. ?”

Hearing this, Chen Gui smiled to himself: "Speaking of which...my sister has also met this person before. It was Mr. You who greeted my sister on the Lantern Festival - he used to be my brother's Shangfeng, but now he is dragging his feet. Well, although we are on equal footing, when it comes to the kindness of supporting and helping each other, I will never forget my roots."

When Mrs. Chen heard the words, she didn't know what she thought of.He glanced at Chen Gui with a smile, and said in a drawn out tone, "Oh, so it's him."

After finishing speaking, he walked over with his slender waist swinging like a willow, and said with a half-smile: "Since it's him, I can't blame my brother for making such careful plans."