Chapter 20: What is the meaning of "Like a Dream"?

Zhou turned to the old lady and said, “Since Mother is not feeling well, why don’t we have Mr. Chen take the exam on her behalf? He is a tutor and knows the children’s lessons very well. We can all watch from the sidelines, which will be proper and will not be a waste of the girls’ hard work these past few days.”

The old lady felt the throbbing pain in her forehead intensify, and knew that she could hardly hold on in her current state. The eldest son and his wife had taken advantage of the holiday to visit and contact prominent families, and since they had no better candidates at the moment, they agreed, "Very well, let's do as the second son's wife says, thank you Mr. Chen."

The examination was held in Tuisizhai, with Ye Qing and Ye Mu sitting at opposite ends of a long table.

Mr. Chen took out a roll of account books and spread them on the table between the two of them. “Today’s test will be based on the harvest of the estates in your manor last year. Please have the two young ladies calculate the income and expenditure of each item, list the surplus, and point out any omissions or improprieties in the accounts. The time limit is one incense stick’s time.”

After saying this, Mr. Chen lit the incense sticks on the corner of the table.

Ye Qing stared intently and saw that the account format, entries, and even a few easily overlooked details were exactly the same as the example questions in the blue booklet.

She felt guilty and ashamed, but thinking of the hardships her mother had endured during her confinement, she calmed herself down and, following the verification method recorded in the booklet from her memory, wrote swiftly. In less than a quarter of an hour, she had meticulously analyzed the situation and clearly marked all the errors and omissions.

On the other hand, Ye Mu also felt that the accounts looked somewhat familiar when she first looked at them, but upon closer inspection, she found that several numbers had been subtly altered and the income and expenditure were more obscure. She had to repeatedly check them to clarify them. She dared not be negligent, so she focused her mind and her fingertips moved quickly across the abacus. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her progress was naturally much slower than Ye Qing's.

The incense sticks had burned down to almost nothing, leaving only ashes. Ye Qing had put down her pen and was waiting quietly. Ye Mu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and the sound of the abacus beads grew more urgent as she struggled with several complex calculations.

Mr. Chen paced before the desk, first examining Ye Qing's answer sheet. Seeing that her conclusions were correct and her points about oversights were all to the point, he nodded, "Third Miss's observations are accurate."

Turning to look at Ye Mu again, he noticed that although she had calculated the remaining amount, she had not marked several errors or omissions in the account. He then said gently, "Fourth Miss, the time is approaching. Is there anything else that has not been completed?"

The sound of the abacus beads has ceased.

“Sir,” Ye Mu raised his eyes, “it’s not that I don’t know how, but I find this account somewhat strange.”

"Oh, tell me about it."

"The total harvest reported by the farm may be inaccurate."

As soon as he said that, everyone present changed their expressions.

"Fourth girl, stop talking nonsense!" Madam Zhou scolded. "The accounts of the estates in the manor have always been reviewed by Mr. Chen and several senior accountants. How can you, a novice, spout such nonsense?"

Ye Mu remained calm and pointed to a section of the account book, saying, "Fourth Sister's conclusion is not based on mere conjecture. Please look at last year's autumn harvest; the rice yield per mu reported by the village in Xishanyu was exactly the same as in previous years when the weather was favorable."

She looked up and said, “But last summer, Father and his friends went to Xishanyu to look for the broken steles of the previous dynasty. When they returned, Father told Mother that the area had not seen any rain for nearly two months. Under such drought conditions, the crops were parched and the yield per mu would be lucky if it could be maintained at seven-tenths. It was impossible for it to be completely unaffected and to be on par with a bumper year.”

The head of the village distributes profits according to the crop yield; the higher the harvest, the more profits one receives.

Mr. Chen's expression changed slightly. He had indeed glanced at the disaster report from Tianzhuang earlier, and had also felt something was amiss when he did the accounting last year. However, he was too busy with other matters to investigate further before signing the document as usual.

Now that Ye Mu had exposed him in public, he felt ashamed. "Fourth Miss is so meticulous that she was able to verify the truth from what happened outside the accounts. I was mistaken."

"Mu girl, today's test is on your basic skills in checking and verifying accounts, not on your ability to make unwarranted comments about the affairs of the estates in the manor. Even if there are any omissions in the estate figures, the accountant will review and make a decision. What does this have to do with the test?"

Zhou glanced at Ye Mu and said, "It's obvious that he's just making excuses to confuse the public and cover up his shortcomings because his foundation is not solid."

Ye Mucai was not afraid of her. "Second Aunt, although I am young, I am not stupid. The teacher has always taught us that if we learn accounting, we must be able to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and know not only what is, but also why it is. If we only know how to check the numbers according to the books, without looking at the underlying reasons, even if we are good at using the abacus, it is just empty talk and will not be of much benefit to managing the household and building a business."

“What a silver tongue,” Zhou sneered. “Now you have a whole set of grand principles to preach to your elders.”

Seeing that Zhou was truly angry, Liu gently pulled Ye Mu behind her, saying, "Second sister-in-law, why get angry with the child? Fourth girl is young and doesn't know the meaning of her words, but she means well. She just wants to help the family and is afraid that the accounts will be unclear and the foundation will be lost."

"Mother, Third Aunt, perhaps we should ask Grandmother to make the decision?" Ye Qing said timidly, seeing the tense atmosphere.

Zhou glared at her fiercely, about to scold her for being useless, when just then, Granny Lin, on the orders of the old lady, came to inquire about the examination. So everyone moved to Ronghe Hall and told her everything that had just happened.

The old lady leaned back on the warm couch, listening with her eyes half-closed. After a moment of contemplation, her gaze slowly shifted to Ye Qing. "Qing'er, did you notice the abnormal yield your fourth sister pointed out when you were checking the accounts just now?"

Ye Qing relied entirely on that blue booklet to follow the clues, never imagining that the accounts themselves would have such a big problem. Now, when asked by the old lady, she stammered and hesitated for a long time, unable to answer.

The old lady immediately understood; the difference in their abilities was clear. She gave Ye Mu a deep look; this granddaughter's insight and courage far exceeded her expectations.

She did not praise her directly, but said calmly, "In today's test, Fourth Sister was good because of her meticulousness and ability to see the big picture from small details. She is not bound by numbers on paper. The promise made before will stand. Starting tomorrow, your needlework lessons will be waived. You can use the extra time to learn accounting from your mother."

The old lady then turned to Ye Qing, "Qing'er answered quite well today, and her basic knowledge is up to par. Since you are so willing, your mother will take you under her wing to manage the daily accounts of those shops in the south, as a form of training."

Upon hearing this, Zhou's tense expression relaxed slightly. Although the old lady's handling of the matter elevated the third branch of the family, it did not completely disrespect the second branch. In the end, it gave her tangible benefits and left her with room for maneuver.

The old lady immediately dispatched her capable people to thoroughly investigate the discrepancies in the accounts of Xishanyu Farm, and that's how the Dragon Boat Festival passed in such a grand manner.

Ye Mu had been thinking about telling Wen Kong the results of the exam, but since the Dragon Boat Festival, she had been looking forward to practicing calligraphy every ten days, only to be disappointed each time.

She wanted to visit her mother, but she found her mother busy running between Ronghe Hall and the accounting room every day. The old lady had been suffering from headaches since the holiday and was often listless and lacking energy. Her mother had to take care of her and manage the accounts, so she was very busy.

Ye Mu couldn't bear to bother him any longer, and he was getting tired of waiting at home, so he went to the Imperial College to see his older brother.

It was midsummer, and the Dragon Boat Festival had just passed.

The mugwort hanging on the vermilion pillars had not yet been removed. Because the Emperor himself came to inspect the school, the students responded appropriately, which pleased the Emperor greatly. He bestowed palace cakes and fruits upon them, and the atmosphere inside the school was much more relaxed. The lectures by the professors were not as strict as before, and there were more laughter and merriment in the dormitories.

Accompanied by Zijing, Ye Mu brought a food box to visit her brother. Today, she wore a thin, light green gauze shirt, and her hair was styled in two buns, each tied with a string of five-colored silk ribbons, which made her look even more lovely and her eyes and brows clear and bright.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he heard a burst of noise and laughter. Several students were surrounding Ye Xingwen, crowding around him in the center, each with a fawning expression on their face.

“Brother Xingwen, you really made a name for yourself this time,” a tall, thin student said with envy. “The other day, when His Majesty visited, he reviewed the students’ daily assignments and singled out your essay, ‘On the Grand Canal,’ praising it as ‘hitting the nail on the head and quite insightful.’ You are truly remarkable.”

A slightly chubby man next to him quickly chimed in, "That's right. I heard that after the Director of Studies came down, he specially kept the essays, saying he would send them to the Office of Transmission so that the officials could see the talents of our Imperial Academy."

"This morning, when the Director of Studies summoned Brother Xingwen, he personally promised that since there was an imperial edict of commendation, after the Examination and Evaluation Department reviews the case next month, he could be promoted directly to the Shuaixing Hall without taking the annual examination. Such an honor is unprecedented in the Imperial Academy."

Upon hearing this, the crowd became even more excited and clasped their hands in greeting, saying, "Brother Xingwen is young and talented, and has been favored by the Emperor. He will surely become a pillar of the government in the future, and may even surpass your elder brother. When that time comes, do not forget the friendship we formed as classmates today."

Someone else whispered in agreement: "That guy only succeeds by exposing his superiors..."

"Don't criticize my elder brother." Although Ye Xingwen said this, his face was filled with joy. He was flattered by everyone and pretended to be humble, saying, "My fellow students are too kind. I am just lucky to have won the Emperor's favor. I am truly ashamed."

Ye Mu paused slightly, standing under the wisteria trellis by the moon gate, coldly observing the scene.

No wonder Zhou kept visiting the Imperial Academy before the Dragon Boat Festival. She is very good at currying favor, and she must have spent a lot of money to bribe people. I don't know what connections she used, but she managed to get Ye Xingwen's work seen by the Emperor when he inspected the school, which made this good-for-nothing stand out.

Ye Xingwen was still promoted to the Shuaixing Hall. It seems that even after being reborn, some fates are still hard to change and cannot be stopped by human power.

Ye Mu thought of Jiang Si. She pursed her lips tightly. No matter how difficult it was, she would never continue her ill-fated relationship with this person.

Her gaze shifted, and she caught sight of her older brother standing alone under an old locust tree not far away. His face was thin and pale, and his eyes were fixed on the lively scene, his expression complex.

Ye Mu's heart stirred slightly. The last time she saw her older brother looking unhappy, it turned out he had been ostracized at school. She gestured for Zijing to wait a moment, then took small steps over and looked up, calling out, "Brother."

Ye Xingjian looked down and saw it was his younger sister, slightly surprised. "Fourth Sister, what brings you here?"

“Lotus leaf and poria cocos cake,” Ye Mu lifted the food box in her hand slightly, “Doesn’t Big Brother like to eat it? It’s freshly steamed in the manor, still steaming hot.”

"It's kind of you to think of me, Fourth Sister." Ye Xingjian took the food box from her hands. "But such good stuff, why don't you send some to your Second Brother to try? He's riding high right now."

"I'm not going." Ye Mu pouted. "I don't like him."

"Why?" Ye Xingjian smiled bitterly. "He's so successful, so many people are eager to flatter him, why does Fourth Sister alone dislike him?"

"Has the eldest brother read the second brother's article? Is it as good as they say?"

"I've read it. It does have a broad perspective, detailed citations, and a very thorough analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the Grand Canal." Ye Xingjian's gaze narrowed slightly, and after some deliberation, he finally said in a low voice, "It's just not like his usual level."

"I guessed so," Ye Mu whispered. "And don't underestimate Fourth Sister just because she's young. I know everything about what happened that day. Second Uncle wanted to use Father's book to get in touch with Dr. Wu. Big Brother, you could have stayed out of it, but you chose to take the risk and secretly orchestrate things to expose that dirty business. Even though your classmates criticized you, you refused to let the family go astray and sow the seeds of future annihilation. On the other hand, Second Brother knew it was wrong, but he let Second Uncle do as he pleased. He relies on these underhanded methods; one day he'll suffer a major setback."

Ye Mu tilted her head back, her eyes burning, "I don't like him, I only like my older brother."

Ye Xingjian was startled and looked down at his younger sister. The little girl's cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement, but there was no childish confusion in her eyes, only a clear and firm determination. She had seen through the key to the matter so clearly.

“Brother was mistaken. Thank you, Fourth Sister,” Ye Xingjian said, gently stroking her head with a tender tone. “You are so precocious. If you were a boy, you would surely be remembered in history.”

“Brother, I don’t care about that.” Ye Mu smiled sweetly. “Whether you’re a man or a woman, living a carefree life is a win. That’s what my grandfather told me.”

“Your maternal grandfather is right.” Ye Xingjian took her hand and walked slowly towards the dormitory. A breeze rustled the mugwort leaves in the corridor. He suddenly asked softly, “Have you been practicing calligraphy with Master Wen Kong lately?”

“My master hasn’t come for a long time. I was just thinking of asking my mother to take me to the temple to visit him. I wonder if he is ill.”

"Fourth Sister, there's no need to search for him. Master Wen Kong will not be coming again."

"Why?" Ye Mu stopped in astonishment, grabbing his brother's sleeve. "How did you know, brother?"

A note from the author:

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