"Would Lady Meng be willing to teach me this method?" Wang Xian was quite eager at this moment, and even forgot to refer to himself as "this official".
Meng Zhao nodded. "If the magistrate wants to learn, of course he can."
After a pause, he continued, "However, although my method is simple and effective, it is not applicable to everything. For example, the records that the agricultural official sent you contain detailed information about the land conditions, fertilizer usage, and changes after fertilization, which are difficult to fully reflect in my form."
Wang Xian, who rose to power through the imperial examination, was certainly not a dull person. "I understand, but your form looks too simple. In the future, I will report the results to the Prefect, and the Prefect will also have to report them. If I only use simple language to describe them, it will inevitably be unconvincing. If I submit the complete book of agricultural records, I'm afraid few people will have the patience to read it. Your form is excellent. It can highlight the key points and make comparisons easy. It is really very practical."
Seeing that Wang Xian understood, Meng Zhao was relieved. In addition, reporting this matter to her superiors might also affect her reward, so she took it very seriously. Therefore, she took the initiative to suggest, "Sir, I not only have forms, but also many simplified diagrams. Why don't I explain them to you together?"
Wang Xian was naturally very willing, so Meng Zhao sent someone to her house to bring over a few account books. She picked out some that wouldn't reveal secrets and showed them to Wang Xian.
Among them are a line chart of the monthly sales of Lu Zhu Puzi in the previous year, a pie chart of the sales share of popular sets of Zhenbaoge, and a bar chart comparing the monthly purchase volume of different products by Lu Zhu Puzi franchisees.
There was even a radar chart that showed Meng Zhao sending people to conduct spot checks on franchisees, scoring them on aspects such as hygiene, service attitude, and store display.
Each chart also includes a source information label, which allows you to find a detailed record booklet to view the information.
Looking at these charts, Wang Xian's eyes were filled with surprise and admiration. He had never seen such a clear and intuitive way of recording. He felt as if a new world had opened up before him. After returning home, he studied them all night, trying to figure out how they were done.
Meng Zhao has been in an exceptionally cheerful mood these past few days, even humming a little tune while cooking: "Today, the common people are truly, truly happy..."
As she hummed a song, she picked up the dough from the cutting board and slammed it down with a thud. This repeated slapping and kneading of the dough was to enhance its elasticity and resilience, making the finished products more chewy.
Just as she was engrossed in kneading the dough, she suddenly heard a voice call out "Sister-in-law!" The voice wasn't loud, but it startled her. Meng Zhao instinctively took a step back, but her foot slipped, and she stepped on the fire poker behind her, instantly losing her balance and falling backward.
Upon seeing this, Shen Qinghe's heart tightened, and he hurriedly reached out to support her, but her body had already lost its balance and the inertia was too great, so he had to quickly extend one leg to try to support her.
Meng Zhao was startled by the sudden noise, her heart skipped a beat. When she came to her senses, she realized the awkward situation before her. Shen Qing was kneeling on one knee, and she was sitting on his lap.
Shen Qinghe's heart was pounding like a drum. He remembered that the last time they were on Skull Mountain, their clothes were still a bit thick, and their contact didn't seem so abrupt. But now it was the height of summer, and their clothes were thin. His palm could almost feel the warmth of her waist through the thin fabric. The warm touch made his heart tremble.
He almost subconsciously let go, but then he felt that his action was too obvious, as if he was trying to cover something up, so he put his hand back on it again, his fingertips trembling slightly.
He tried to suppress his panic and asked in a low, urgent voice, "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Looking at Shen Qinghe's anxious face, Meng Zhao, who should have stood up immediately, was stunned for a moment, and an ominous thought surged into his mind.
After regaining her senses, Meng Zhao quickly stood up, and Shen Qinghe also let go of her hand. As soon as she stood up, Meng Zhao immediately took two steps to the side, breaking the subtle atmosphere that filled the air.
"Why did you suddenly come back without even saying goodbye?"
Shen Qinghe sensed that his sister-in-law was a little unhappy, which made his heart tighten. "I called you several times just now, but you didn't seem to hear me, so I raised my voice a little." His tone was somewhat innocent.
Meng Zhao wasn't sure if she was overthinking things, but she was always sensitive, so she changed the subject, saying, "Didn't I ask you to go buy the things you need for the provincial examination? Why are you back so early?"
"I've bought almost everything I needed. Brother Zhou has some personal matters to attend to, so I came back first." Shen Qinghe straightened up, his gaze still fixed on her, trying to discern something from Meng Zhao's expression.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao nodded and was about to continue kneading the dough when she heard footsteps outside, and it sounded like Gu Shi was speaking. This made her suddenly flustered, and she subconsciously turned around to look at Shen Qinghe, only to find that he was still standing there.
At this moment, the several white handprints on his body were particularly glaring. He must have fallen and lost his balance, and grabbed them haphazardly, which made her feel a little guilty.
"Hurry up and change your clothes." Meng Zhao's tone was urgency.
Shen Qinghe looked completely bewildered, having no idea what she had done to offend her, and went back to her room to change her clothes, dejected.
That night, Meng Zhao tossed and turned in bed, unable to close her eyes. She was more alert than ever, with one question swirling in her mind.
Does Shen Qinghe like her?
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