After tidying up the room for the mentally challenged man, Jiang Yuwei, still feeling uneasy, gave him further instructions:
"Fool, from now on you'll live in the inner room. Be alert at night and listen to any noises coming from inside and outside. Tomorrow I'll bring Little Black to keep you company, okay?"
The fool nodded as he ate, saying:
"Then don't forget to feed Little Black tonight."
Jiang Yuwei smiled and said:
"Don't worry, Xiao Hei won't go hungry. I've made up your bed, put your toiletries in the room, and left the cooking utensils under the porch outside the yard. Go find them yourself."
Jiang Yuwei pointed to the items placed in the corridor and continued:
“I bought you some things. If you can’t wait for me to bring you food, you can cook something for yourself first thing tomorrow morning. But one thing, make sure to put out all the fire in the stove after you’re done cooking. The well is right here, so you can fetch the water yourself.”
The fool waved his hand impatiently and said:
"I understand. It's getting dark, you should hurry up and go."
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei could only helplessly add:
"Then you must remember to lock the door tonight."
After saying that, Jiang Yuwei glanced at the fool again, then went out and locked the shop door from the outside. She then got on the oxcart and headed towards Ningjia Village. Since she was going back to the village alone this time, she couldn't wait until dark to leave. She had to get back before it got completely dark.
Jiang Yuwei thought that everything in the shop was settled and it was time to open for business. However, she hadn't hired an accountant yet. She thought it would be better to ask the village head if there was a suitable candidate in the village. It would be better to find someone she knew well to be the accountant.
Thinking this, Jiang Yuwei drove the oxcart directly to the village head's house. As soon as she got off the cart, she saw the village head feeding the pigs in the yard and hurriedly went up to greet him:
"Village head, are you busy?"
When the village head turned around and saw that it was Jiang Yuwei, he happily put down the pig feed, came out of the pigpen, and smiled at Jiang Yuwei:
"Yuwei, I heard from Ningqiu that your family has been busy rushing to finish the project these past few days. What brings you here today?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled and handed the pastries in her hand to the village head, saying:
"Well, I've come today to ask the village head for help. As you know, our shop is about to open, but we haven't found an accountant yet. I'm worried that I wouldn't trust anyone else to do this job, so I thought I'd ask the village head if there's anyone suitable in our village."
The village head took the snacks from Jiang Yuwei and smiled:
"Yuwei, you're not allowed to bring anything next time you come. Speaking of accountants, I have someone in mind."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuwei felt reassured and quickly asked:
"Village head, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly, who is this person?"
The village head laughed:
“Naturally, it’s Uncle Ning Wu. Don’t let his current job as an oxcart driver fool you; he used to be an accountant for wealthy families.”
Jiang Yuwei pondered for a moment before speaking:
"I really didn't expect that Uncle Ning Wu had actually worked as an accountant. But why did that family stop employing Uncle Ning Wu? Does the magistrate know the reason behind this?"
After thinking for a while, the village head spoke:
"It seems that the family fell on hard times and sent all the servants home. When Uncle Ning came back, he was already quite old, so he simply stayed in the village and didn't go out to work anymore. But he is a very good person. We live in the same village, so we feel more at ease using him."
Jiang Yuwei nodded and smiled:
"Yes, I have some connections with Uncle Ning Wu. I'll go to his house and ask him if he'd be willing to work as my accountant. Thank you for the suggestion, village head."
After saying that, Jiang Yuwei hurriedly went out, got on the oxcart, and rushed to Uncle Ning's house.
As soon as Jiang Yuwei entered, she saw Uncle Ning and Aunt Ning having dinner in the courtyard, and quickly smiled and said:
"Uncle Ning, I have something I'd like to discuss with you recently."
Seeing this, Aunt Ning Wu quickly got up, pulled Jiang Yuwei into the yard, got her a stool to sit on, and smiled:
"Yuwei, look at you, all in such a hurry. Have you eaten yet? If not, you can have something to eat at my place."
Jiang Yuwei quickly waved her hand with a smile and said:
"I've already eaten, Aunt Ning. Don't bother, you can eat yours. I'll just say a few words and then leave."
Uncle Ning nodded with a smile and said:
"Yuwei, just tell me what's wrong."
Jiang Yuwei looked at Uncle Ning and said:
"Uncle Ning, I just came back from the village head's place. I only found out that you used to be an accountant when he mentioned it."
Uncle Ning thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded:
"Oh, that's all in the past. I would have forgotten about it if you hadn't brought it up. It's only thanks to the village head that he still remembers."
Jiang Yuwei sat up straight and smiled:
"Uncle Ning, actually I came here today to ask you to be the accountant for our shop. Don't be in such a hurry to refuse. It won't interfere with your oxcart business. You can take people to town in the morning and bring them back to the village in the evening. Anyway, our shop has a backyard that can park the oxcart. Not only will it not interfere with your oxcart business, but I will also give you an extra fifty copper coins a month. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Ning nodded happily and said:
“Good, good, good. Why not? It’s good to have another way to earn money, and our family will be better off.”
Uncle Ning waved his hand hesitantly and said:
“I’ve abandoned this business for over ten years. I’m afraid I won’t do it well and will delay your business again.”
Jiang Yuwei smiled and said:
“Uncle Ning, you just need to go to the shop to collect money and keep accounts. What could that possibly delay? Are you trying to tell me that you can’t even tell the difference between copper coins and silver, or that you don’t know how to use abacus beads?”
Uncle Ning frowned upon hearing this and said:
"Yuwei, I know you have something good to offer and are thinking of me first, but I haven't done this accounting work for a long time, and I'm really afraid I won't do it well!"
Seeing this, Aunt Ning Wu hurriedly said:
"Old man, stop talking nonsense. Yuwei thought of you first when she had such a good opportunity. You can't refuse her. Besides, it's just accounting. Go back to your old profession, you'll definitely be able to do it. If you're not skilled enough, you'll get the hang of it in a few days. Don't you think so, Yuwei?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled and nodded, then said to Uncle Ning Wu:
"Uncle Ning, you can do it with peace of mind. I really wouldn't trust someone else to handle the accounting, but with you here, I'm completely at ease. Don't refuse. It's just that I've only been open for a few days and haven't had many customers yet. You can practice first. Besides, these things are etched in your mind, so you won't forget them."
Seeing the sincerity in Jiang Yuwei's words, Uncle Ning gritted his teeth and agreed:
“Okay, Yuwei, I agree to this. We’ll do it your way. Take people there in the morning and bring them back in the evening. The shop will definitely not be delayed for you. I can’t give up my oxcart business either, since the people in our village are counting on my oxcart to get to town.”
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