Early in the morning, Gu Jiu went to Furongyuan to pay his respects.
She arrived early, and when she was about to reach Furong Courtyard, she saw Xie and her people going out from afar.
Gu Jiu stopped and was stunned for a moment, "Madam, where are you going so early in the morning?"
Qingmei asked, "Girl, do you want to follow and take a look?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "Since we are here, let's go and take a look."
Gu Jiu was really curious. It was so early in the morning, and Xie looked so aggressive and wanted to find trouble with someone.
At first, she even wondered whether Xie was going to cause trouble for Gu Zhen.
However, when he saw that Xie was heading towards the meeting hall, Gu Jiu suddenly understood.
It was obvious that Xie was going to see the first wife, Zhang, and it was obvious that she wanted to find fault with Zhang.
In the meeting hall, the housekeepers lined up neatly, waiting for the lecture from the eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang.
But at this moment, a little maid rushed in, looking panicked, "Madam, the second madam is here."
The eldest wife, Zhang, raised her eyebrows. "You're here now, why are you so anxious? All of you, stand aside."
The housekeepers quickly stepped aside and made way for the hall.
Soon, Xie brought people to the meeting hall.
Zhang smiled and said, "Oh, it's really rare. Why is my sister-in-law here today?"
Xie looked at Zhang with a half-smile, "Of course, it's because I have something to tell my sister-in-law."
"Sister-in-law, please take a seat."
Zhang pointed to a chair sitting side by side.
Xie took the seat without hesitation.
The maid Shaoyao brought a bowl of nourishing soup and said, "Madam, drink something to warm your stomach first."
Zhang took the bowl of soup with a smile and drank the health-preserving soup slowly without asking what Xie wanted to talk about.
After drinking half of the drink, Zhang suddenly looked up at Xie and said with a smile, "Look at my memory. I almost forgot that my sister-in-law is here. Shaoyao, how do you do things? Go and prepare a bowl of health-preserving soup for the second wife."
"No thanks." Xie refused. "Thank you for your kindness, sister-in-law. I didn't come here to drink a bowl of health-preserving soup."
Zhang handed the soup bowl to Shaoyao and wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. "My sister-in-law just said she had something to tell me. I'm free now, so just tell me what you want to say. I'm all ears."
Mrs. Xie smiled and stretched out her hand, and Chunhe put the account book in her hand.
Xie slammed the account book on the table and said, "Sister-in-law, please explain this account book to me."
The eldest wife, Zhang, raised her eyebrows. "An account book is just an account book. What's there to explain?"
Mrs. Xie was furious. "A mere banquet cost 1,800 taels, and our second branch alone paid 1,500 taels. Sister-in-law, don't joke with me."
Madam Zhang restrained her expression and looked at Madam Xie seriously. "I never joke about money matters. Sister-in-law, are you saying there's something wrong with this account book?"
"That's right!" Xie gritted her teeth.
Zhang sneered to herself, "Excuse me, what's the problem?"
Xie was speechless. "Your account book is so weird. Who knows where the problem lies?"
Zhang scoffed, "Sister-in-law, are you kidding me? You don't even know what's wrong with the account book, and yet you come here to accuse me. I ordered the accountant to make the account book, but he made a mistake. If I had known, I would have just given you a simple number. It would be clear and simple, so you wouldn't have to worry about not being able to understand the account book."
"You!" Xie was so angry that she was shaking all over. She roared, "There's something wrong with this account book. How could a mere banquet cost so much money?"
Zhang snorted. "Since my sister-in-law says there's something wrong with the account book, then find it. Let me be frank: if you can't find the problem with the account book, you must apologize to me."
My sister-in-law is so self-righteous that she accuses me of falsifying the accounts as soon as we talk.
What do you mean by just a banquet? Do you know that spending 1,800 taels to host a banquet is already extremely frugal in the capital for a family like ours?
Do you know that for a banquet of the same size, it would cost at least three or four thousand taels for the Marquis' Mansion to host one.
Sister-in-law, you haven't stayed in the Northwest for too long and think that Beijing is the same as the Northwest, where everything is as cheap as if it were free.
Xie was furious and asked Chunhe, "Has anyone arrived?"
Chunhe was also anxious and looked outside the door.
"Madam, the senior management is here."
Gao Sanfu ran to the meeting hall panting. Before he could catch his breath, he heard Xie ask him, "Where is Master Ma?"
"Madam, the yamen is very busy with official business, and Mr. Ma went there early this morning."
Xie's face was stiff and she stared at Gao Sanfu, saying, "You're ruining my good deeds."
Gao Sanfu lowered his head, feeling uneasy.
Zhang laughed sarcastically and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you want me to arrange for the accountant to check your accounts?"
Xie gritted her teeth and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. Gao Sanfu, you come and settle the accounts."
Gao Sanfu was speechless.
Zhang smiled and said immediately, "Prepare chairs and benches, writing brushes and abacus to facilitate the management and accounting."
"yes!"
The old woman responded and prepared everything in a blink of an eye.
Just at this moment, Gu Jiu walked in and said, "I heard that Madam needs someone who can do the accounting. Why not let me do it?"
"you?"
Xie frowned, wondering why that damned girl Gu Jiu was here. Could she settle accounts?
The eldest wife, Zhang, looked at Gu Jiu curiously, "Does Xiao Jiu know how to settle accounts?"
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "A little bit."
When in the yard, Gu Jiu had already understood the whole story.
Gu Jiu didn’t know whether there was any problem with the account book.
Maybe, maybe not.
However, Gu Jiu believed that Zhang would not take the initiative to hand over a problematic account book to Xie, nor would she embezzle the money. He was just worried that the people below would fool around.
Seeing how Xie was going to demand an explanation, if things continued like this, the second and first houses would probably become enemies.
Living under the same roof, we don’t have to live in harmony, but at least we shouldn’t make enemies.
So Gu Jiu simply took the initiative to step forward, settle the accounts for the Xie family, and end the matter as soon as possible.
The eldest wife, Zhang, was very straightforward. "Prepare tables, chairs, benches, writing brushes, ink, and an abacus for the second young lady."
The old women took orders and prepared another set.
Xie stared at Gu Jiu and said, "There's nothing for you to do here, kid. Why are you trying to get involved?"
Zhang said, "Sister-in-law, you can't say that. Gu Jiu is your second wife's daughter. I'm not worried about her settling accounts, so why should you be worried? You don't think that the second girl is on the side of our first wife, do you?"
Xie's face was stern. "Sister-in-law, this is our second house's family affair."
Zhang smiled and said, "Okay, I won't say anything."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Madam needs someone who can do the accounting, but Master Ma is not at home, and it's hard to find anyone at this moment. It just so happens that I can do the accounting, and I'm a girl from the second house, so Madam doesn't have to worry. Or, Madam, do you trust the senior manager to sort out the account book?"
Gu Jiu simply picked up the account book on the table and flipped through it casually.
"Director, do you understand this account book?"
Gao Sanfu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "I can understand a little bit."
Gu Jiu laughed, "It's not enough to be able to understand a little bit of the management."
Gao Sanfu didn't say anything and looked at Xie guiltily.
Gu Jiu also looked at Mrs. Xie, "What do you think, Madam? Or do you have a better candidate?"
Xie frowned and said nothing.
Chun He leaned close to Xie's ear and whispered, "Madam, why don't we let the second young lady give it a try? Judging from her appearance, she seems to be really good at settling accounts."
Xie nodded secretly, "Second girl, are you really good at settling accounts?"
Gu Jiu nodded: "I learned a little when I had nothing to do."
She looked at the account book and found that it was neither a running account nor a double-entry account. It was a more complicated accounting method than double-entry account.
If someone who doesn’t understand looks at the account book, they will definitely be filled with lawsuits.
However, this account book did not pose any difficulty for Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu may be a little weaker in other aspects, but he has been good at mathematics since he was young.
Xie said, "Since you can do the math, then sit down. You and Gao Sanfu can do the math together, and then we can compare your results."
Gu Jiu nodded with a smile, "Don't worry, Madam."
She looked at Gao Sanfu again and said, "I'm in charge of the management. Do you have any objection?"
Gao Sanfu shook his head repeatedly, “With the second girl here, the little one will be fine.”
"That's great."
Gu Jiu sat down first, asked someone to put the account book in front of him, picked up the abacus and started fiddling with it.
No one spoke in the room, only the sound of abacus clacking could be heard.
What a fast speed!
Everyone in the room stared at Gu Jiu's hand with wide eyes.
That hand was so fast that it seemed to be able to accurately calculate the number in the account book without any thought.
In everyone's eyes, in the end, there was only a hand quickly turning the abacus and a hand flipping the pages of the account book.
Zhang raised her eyebrows and smiled. She had no idea that Xiaojiu had such a skill. She wondered where she learned it from.
Zhang looked at Xie.
Xie hadn't given Gu Jiu the chance to become a housekeeper, yet Gu Jiu had learned the art of accounting without any instruction. I wonder what Xie was thinking now. She must be feeling bad.
Xie was not only upset, she couldn't believe it at all.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at Gu Jiu's hand that was moving the abacus. Is this really Gu Jiu?
Her movements and appearance made even the old accountant look inferior to her.
How did she have such a skill? When did she learn it?
Not only was Mrs. Xie shocked, even Qingmei and several other maids were equally surprised.
They didn't know that Gu Jiu had this hidden ability.
But they were only surprised for a moment.
The girl has even learned medical skills, so what's the use of just calculating accounts?
Thinking of this, Qingmei and the other maids immediately calmed down and looked proud.
The sound of the abacus suddenly stopped, and everyone was shocked and came to their senses.
Gu Jiu closed the account book, picked up a pen and wrote down the data on a blank piece of paper, then summarized them and got a number.
She said to the two ladies, "The accounts have been settled."
"How much?" Xie asked hurriedly.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Let's wait until the senior executives have finished their work, and then I'll check the accounts with him."
Zhang nodded repeatedly, "Second girl, you are very thoughtful. As for the senior management, you should settle the accounts quickly."
Gu Jiu placed the account book in front of Gao Sanfu and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Gao Sanfu waved his hands repeatedly, "Second Miss, you're welcome."
Then he opened the account book and picked up the abacus to do the math.
Gao Sanfu's calculation had no aesthetic appeal. It took him a while to move the finger to calculate. Compared with Gu Jiu's quick and beautiful calculation, it was weak.
The maids and old women were whispering to each other, saying that only by comparison could one know who was better.
Comparing Gao Sanfu and Gu Jiu, one gets the impression that this person is no good.
Even Mrs. Xie frowned and was very dissatisfied with Gao Sanfu.
Why didn't she notice that Gao Sanfu was so slow in calculating accounts before? He was almost like a turtle.
Gao Sanfu, like a turtle, was calculating the accounts step by step.
The maids brought three cups of tea and placed them in front of Zhang, Xie, and Gu Jiu respectively.
Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip.
The eldest wife, Zhang, looked at her and asked, "Xiaojiu, do you want to recheck your accounts?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. It's not necessary."
Mrs. Zhang, the eldest wife, laughed and said, "It seems you are very confident."
"My calculations should not be wrong."
Gu Jiu is very confident. This confidence comes from her confidence in her own abilities.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, simply started chatting with Gu Jiu.
Xie remained silent.
After a long time, Gao Sanfu's place finally ended.
The eldest wife, Zhang, hurriedly asked, "Master, have you calculated the account books?"
Gao Sanfu nodded.
Xie asked directly, "How much?"
Gao Sanfu hesitated for a moment before saying, "The total amount in the account book is 1,892 taels. The public office is responsible for 300 taels, and the second house needs to pay 1,500, which is 2 taels."
"You're farting!"
Xie was so angry that she almost smashed the teacup.
Gao Sanfu was confused.
The eldest wife, Zhang, lowered her head and laughed, "So, the accountant has understated the amount by ninety-two taels. According to the calculations made by the head of the household department, my sister-in-law, your second room will have to pay an additional ninety-two taels."
Xie was furious and said, "Gao Sanfu is not good at settling accounts. He must be wrong."
The eldest wife, Zhang, smiled and said, "Second girl, how much did you calculate?"
Gu Jiu handed the two sets of ledgers to Zhang and Xie respectively.
"The total I calculated is different from the one in the account book. It's 1,792 taels. That's 100 taels less than the one in the account book, and 8 taels less than the one in the account book. Excluding the 300 taels that the public office is responsible for, our second branch needs to pay 1,492 taels."
The classified accounts made by Gu Jiu are clear and easy to understand at a glance.
It’s much better than just reporting a number in Gao Sanfu’s exam.
Xie finally felt happy.
"Sister-in-law, I told you there was something wrong with your account book. Look, the accountant overstated it by eight taels."
The eldest wife, Zhang, couldn't stand Xie's smug look and directly stabbed her: "Sister-in-law, why don't you say it? According to Gao Sanfu's calculation, the accountant is two taels short."
Xie's face suddenly fell.
The eldest wife, Zhang, ignored her and instructed the maid, "Go and call the accountant, Wu, and tell him that there's a mistake in his accounts. Tell him to come over quickly with his men to settle the accounts."
The little maid took the order and left.
Xie would not let Zhang off easily. "Sister-in-law, there is something wrong with the account book you gave me. What do you think about this?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, sneered, "Whether there's a problem or not, we'll see after the accountant arrives. Don't worry, sister-in-law, if there's really a problem with the account book, the accountant will definitely refund or make up for the shortfall. They won't ask you for a penny more, nor a penny less."
Mrs. Xie was furious. "Sister-in-law, you haven't told me that a mere banquet would cost so much. Do you think I'm stupid?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, sneered. "How much did yesterday's banquet cost? The accountant will be here with the receipts soon. If you check the receipts yourself, you should know exactly where the money was spent."
After a pause, Zhang continued, "And the detailed list given by the second girl has already been clearly written. Can't you understand where the money was spent?"
"you……"
Just as Xie was about to fight back, there was a noise at the door and Manager Wu from the accounting office came over with his men.
The eldest wife, Zhang, ordered him to settle the accounts immediately.
Whether it is ninety-two taels or eight taels, it all indicates one problem: there is a problem with the account book.
Manager Wu did not expect such a loophole to occur.
Take people to reconcile and settle accounts.
Time passed by little by little, and no one spoke.
After half an hour, the accounts were checked.
The eldest wife, Zhang, asked, "How is it? Is there a problem with the accounts?"
"Madam, the accounts have been checked. Second Miss's calculations were correct. The total expenditure is 1,792 taels, which is 8 taels less than the original estimate."
Zhang couldn't help but look at Gu Jiu.
The accounting is quick and accurate, which is amazing.
Mrs. Xie suddenly became excited. "What did I say? I know there's something wrong with this account book. Sister-in-law, tell me what we should do about this."
Mrs. Zhang, the eldest wife, confronted Mrs. Xie directly, "Your sister-in-law is right. There is indeed a problem with this account book. The accountant overstated the amount by eight taels."
The amount of silver your second wife needs to pay is not 1,500 taels, but 1,492 taels.
I apologize for this mistake, which was due to my lax supervision."
Xie started laughing, but she couldn't continue laughing halfway through.
"One thousand four hundred and ninety-two taels, sister-in-law, give me the money."
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