Union

Chapter 63 Do you want me to grind ink for you?
Besides the tall stacks of account books, Yunying also had several small wolf-hair brushes and an inkstone, as well as a shiny abacus.

This abacus must be an old artifact; I wonder how many accounts it has been used by the previous accountants.

Yunying picked it up and gently started moving the abacus beads. They were surprisingly smooth. As she moved them, the beads clattered and clicked, a rather pleasant sound.

But no matter how useful the abacus was, Yunying had no intention of using it.

Students from the great nation of China, who didn't learn some mental arithmetic when they were young?

Yunying is quite good at mental arithmetic; at least simple five-digit addition and subtraction are really just a matter of using her brain.

Yunying picked up the account book and got to work. For a moment, the room was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the only sounds were the turning of the pages and the ink being poured onto the paper.

Yunying was completely absorbed in taking stock of the accounts, so she didn't notice when the door was pushed open.

When she realized that someone had put down a teacup beside her, the crisp sound of it being placed there pulled Yunying back to her senses.

But she didn't even look up, assuming it was Sui'er who had come in. So she said, "Sui'er, please don't come in next time. Second Master doesn't like maids coming to his courtyard. If I'm thirsty, I'll go out and ask you for tea. If you're annoyed waiting, just go back to the back courtyard. Please don't come here again next time."

"You seem to know my preferences perfectly." The Second Master's voice suddenly rang in her ear, his deep, magnetic voice carrying a faint smile. While Yun Ying was still in a daze, the Second Master pushed the teacup towards her again. "You've been calculating all morning, are you tired? Have some tea and rest for a while, we'll continue later."

Yunying closed her eyes and then opened them again. It really was Second Master.

"Second Master, when did you return?" Yunying took the tea, took a sip, and immediately felt much better about her dry throat.

Looking at the Second Master standing beside her, she felt immense pressure and pointed to the seat opposite her, "Second Master, please sit down and talk. You must be exhausted after running around all day."

“I’m not as tired as you, I’m used to it.” The Second Master finally walked over and sat down in the armchair. “I just got back, I only had time to make a cup of tea. You’re quick on the uptake, you’ve finished calculating three ledgers in less than a morning.”

Yunying wanted to be modest: it's just addition and subtraction, it's really an easy task. Let alone an adult like her, even a primary school student could easily complete this amount of work.

But before she could speak, the Second Master said again, "I've noticed that you hardly ever use the abacus, yet your accounts are always correct. Where did you learn this skill of 'swallowing gold in your sleeve'?"

Yunying was stumped by the question.

What is "hiding gold in one's sleeve"?
Could you be referring to mental arithmetic?
From the Second Master's expression, Yunying's guess was confirmed. It turned out that mental arithmetic was indeed called "swallowing gold in one's sleeve" in ancient times.

So, how is she supposed to explain this?
She can't exactly say that she learned this skill in her past life, can she?
The past life was something she couldn't talk about, but Yunying didn't want to lie to the Second Master a second time. She lowered her head, secretly regretting her carelessness. If she had known the Second Master would suddenly come in, she should have occasionally fiddled with the abacus beads as if to make a show of it.

Now look what's happened; Second Master has caught us red-handed again.

Yunying pursed her lips in frustration and refused to drink any more tea.

Seeing her sullen appearance, the second master knew perfectly well that she had something difficult to say.

However, the Second Master didn't think much of it. After all, Yunying's background was simple and easy to trace. Besides, the girls in the manor all learned various skills from the matrons: music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, cooking, and even horseback riding and archery. It wasn't surprising that Yunying was learning abacus.

Although the skill of swallowing gold in one's sleeve is a closely guarded secret, it's possible that the old woman saw that Yunying had a knack for it and couldn't bear to waste her talent, so she passed it on to her.
Second Master didn't dwell on the matter, but for Yunying's safety, he couldn't help but remind her of a few things.

"This technique of hiding gold in one's sleeve is a secret art; you shouldn't use it in front of outsiders in the future."

Yunying recognized the meaning in the Second Master's voice and looked at him in surprise. She was relieved that the Second Master wouldn't pursue the matter, but because of his concern, she felt a little guilty for keeping it from him.

But since her life was at stake, she couldn't afford to be careless. Yunying could only nod reluctantly and say, "I'll just show it to you, not to anyone else. Besides, I doubt anyone else would be willing to let me calculate the accounts in this yamen, except for you, Second Master."

"That's because they don't know your abilities," the Second Master said confidently. "If they knew your abilities, they would probably hire you as a tutor in their household."

It would be an exaggeration for her to become a tutor, given her background. Even if she claimed to know mental arithmetic, no one would believe her, let alone expect her descendants to learn skills from her despite her terrible reputation.

Thinking about it this way, Second Master is still the best.

Second Master not only knows how to use people well, but also covered up the matter for her. Second Master is truly a great person.

Yunying remembered something and couldn't wait to say to the kind-hearted Second Master, "I forgot to tell you before, I only know how to keep accounts, well, I should say I only know how to calculate accounts, but I can't see the tricks in the account books. You have to take a look at them yourself, Second Master."

Second Master nodded slightly. "I wasn't really counting on you for this. There's a lot to learn about accounting books. Some old accountants might make accounts that you know are wrong, but you could search high and low and still not find the problem."

Yunying agreed with this statement, but then asked, "Second Master, do you have any questions about the account books?"

Second Master lifted his thin eyelids to glance at Yun Ying. That glance said nothing, yet it seemed to say everything.

However, Yunying was still somewhat skeptical.

After all, the Second Master was a scion of a noble family, whose duty since birth was to serve in government and bring honor to his family. She might believe you if you said he had written a book, but she was skeptical that you knew how to read account books. The Second Master understood Yun Ying's thoughts and couldn't help but laugh again, "Have you forgotten who my mentor was?"

Second Master's mentor?
How did the topic turn to this again?
“But that makes sense. You’ve been living in the manor all this time. It’s a secluded place, so I doubt anyone would bother to tell you these things.” Second Master explained to Yunying, who was puzzled, “My mentor was the former Grand Secretary Tong.”

Grand Secretary Tong, originally named Tong Changnian, was the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination of the 23rd year of the Longtai era. Upon entering officialdom, he was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a position of the seventh rank. A year later, he was promoted to Imperial Attendant; three years later, he was transferred to Qianzhou Prefecture as its prefect; six years later, he was selected to return to the capital and began serving in one of the Six Ministries.

The second master said, "My master has served as one of the six ministers. I was the last disciple he accepted, and also the disciple who stayed by his side the longest."

Yunying nodded in a daze, and after a long while, she finally understood the deeper meaning of Second Master's words.

Putting aside what kind of person Grand Secretary Tong was, just the fact that the Second Master had such a teacher who had held an important position in the Six Ministries, and who had served by his mentor's side for the longest time, means that whatever skills he possessed was to be expected.

Just like in modern education, some children only start learning history in junior high or high school. But those stories are bedtime stories for other children.

They already knew this and had it memorized, giving them a significant head start over many others.

Returning to the story of the Second Master and Grand Secretary Tong, perhaps when the Second Master was by Grand Secretary Tong's side, Grand Secretary Tong only discussed the many matters of the Six Ministries with his disciples as amusement, but those things must have left a deep impression on the Second Master.

He was such a brilliant person that he achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations before he even reached adulthood. Even if he wasn't an expert in some things, he couldn't possibly hide the intricacies and loopholes from his eyes.

Yunying's eyes shone with longing.

She also longed for a teacher who was proficient in astronomy, geography, and the various schools of thought, and who was knowledgeable in everything.

But she wasn't so lucky.

Her eyes were moist, and her fair and bright face was translucent and white at this moment. She pursed her red lips slightly, staring at the Second Master without blinking, her eyes filled with envy and longing. The Second Master's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he couldn't help but turn his head away.

After finishing her tea, Yunying returned to checking the accounts.

Perhaps it was because she had been looking down for too long, or perhaps it was because the sky was overcast outside and the indoor light was dim, but Yunying found it more difficult to read the account book.

When the second master saw her rubbing her eyes several times, he couldn't help but ask her, "What's wrong? Are your eyes uncomfortable?"

Yunying shook her head. "It's just that the lighting is a bit dim."

"Should I light the candles?"

Yunying chuckled, "It's still broad daylight, lighting candles at this hour is just too much."

"Then what else can we do?" The Second Master's smile seemed to contain a hint of indulgence: "How about we switch seats? You come and sit here with me, and I'll go to your place to read the official gazette for a while."

Before Yunying could refute his words, the Second Master had already stood up and walked towards her.

Yunying realized that the Second Master wasn't joking, but serious. She couldn't possibly accept that, so she quickly waved her hand, saying "No need" several times.

But her refusal was obviously ineffective, and in the end, the Second Master still lifted her up. Well, the Second Master asked her, "Do you want me to carry you over, or do you want to walk over yourself?"

Yunying eventually went to sit down in the Second Master's seat on her own.

Although I felt very uncomfortable, I have to admit that the lighting on Second Master's side was indeed better.

There's a wide window here; it used to be covered with paper.

But it was obvious that the second master was not used to it, so he had someone buy glass at a high price.

So now this area has a large, clear glass window, and the view is much better whether you're reading or writing here.

She's comfortable now, but Second Master must be uncomfortable, right?
The spot where Yunying's desk used to be had a row of bookshelves, but now the bookshelves have been moved to the other side, and a desk has been added to make room for Yunying.

Although this place is very close to the window, it's not right under the window, so Second Master probably isn't used to it.

But when Yunying looked over, she saw that the Second Master seemed to be sitting there quite naturally.

He held the latest imperial gazette in his hand, carefully observing the court's movements.

Seemingly noticing Yunying's gaze, the Second Master raised his head, raised an eyebrow, and asked her, "What? Do you need me to grind ink for you?"

Yunying chuckled and said playfully, "I wouldn't dare trouble you, Second Master. You should read your official gazette; I need to continue reconciling the accounts."

(End of this chapter)