I learned arithmetic from my mother.

Although they weren't as skilled as their parents, they were willing to learn.

With bright, sparkling eyes, she said, "Mother, tell me!"

"I will definitely remember this!"

Shui Qing dislikes people who complain and make excuses, and likes people who are serious, hardworking and ambitious.

Seeing his two daughters working hard to improve themselves at such a young age, absorbing all the knowledge they could learn, he felt very gratified.

She took out her own ledger and began to instruct: "This is the ledger I made. Look at the top, it shows income, expenses, costs, profit..."

This is a modern accounting method, scientific and reasonable.

I also taught them how to identify fake accounts.

Finally, it was revealed that this was learned from the merchant Bai Manshan, and the two of them should not let his hard work go to waste.

"Uncle Bai is so kind!"

"I didn't hold anything back."

Until one day, one of them married into the Bai family, officially taking charge of the household affairs and handling the family's accounts. Looking at the clearly different accounts, which lacked the proper structure her mother had taught her, she fell into deep thought...

As the year draws to a close, the weather is getting colder and colder.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Jinniu delivered the first batch of charcoal for the winter.

The blackened charcoal embers, about a meter long, were neatly stacked in a bamboo basket.

Looking at the stacks of charcoal in the warehouse, the family felt that it wasn't just charcoal, but a strong sense of security!

"Golden Ox, how many coins?" Shui Qing asked happily.

Zhang Jinniu scratched his head sheepishly, and after a long pause, he asked hesitantly, "Two coins a pound, is that alright?"

Shui Qing thought she had misheard.

Chopping firewood, drying it, transporting it, burning it, and delivering it—it takes several pounds of dry firewood to produce one pound of charcoal, and it only costs two coins per pound.

How could that be?

"We've agreed that even if it's not the price in the prefectural city, it has to be the price in Niutou Town. We can give you more, but we can't lower the price any further!"

"No, in Niutou Town it's five copper coins for two catties, but if we go there to deliver it, it will take up time on the way back and forth, and we might not even be able to sell it."

Not to mention the weight we have to give away when selling in bulk, so two coins a pound is a good price for us, and we didn't lower the price," Zhang Jinniu said honestly.

Then, with tears in her eyes, she said, "Actually, it's not cheap. Two pounds of charcoal can buy one pound of dark flour. You can save the charcoal, but you can't go without food."

"With this money, most people would rather use it to buy dark flour. It's only because you, sister-in-law, are taking care of us that you ordered so much charcoal."

Shuiqing: ...No, her family definitely needs charcoal!

There was some care provided, but it wasn't the main reason.

“Sister Shuiqing, this is five hundred catties of charcoal. It costs one tael of silver per batch. We can make this much charcoal in five days. Are you sure you want more?” Zhang Jinniu asked anxiously.

What he really wanted to say was, "Don't you feel bad about spending one tael of silver to buy five hundred catties of charcoal?"

Wow, so much silver!

Shui Qing nodded affirmatively.

One tael of silver can buy five hundred catties of charcoal. If you were to burn it yourself, not to mention anything else, just chopping firewood would exhaust you several times over.

Upon hearing that five hundred catties of charcoal cost only one tael of silver, Bai Ziqian's gaze involuntarily shifted to the firewood he was chopping.

Is he worth only one or two taels?

No, not even an ounce!

With a bold wave of his hand, he declared, "I want it! As many as you have, I'll pay for it!"

"I'll cover all of you for the charcoal this year and next!"