Chapter Twenty-Five: The Ledger Problem

  Du Yan was delighted, her silvery laughter filled every corner of the courtyard. From the day she was known, she had always been a lively and cheerful girl, forever full of energy, forever optimistic, carefree and radiant youth, is without regret.

  Qin Kan stood quietly outside the archway, a faint smile spreading across his lips that even he himself hadn't noticed.

  Are you jealous?

  Thinking of my past life's youth, it passed in an instant, leaving only a mind full of confusion, a few sighs of "scholars grow old, opportunities just come" and two or three things that still feel painful to think about today, this is the youth of my past life.

  Staring blankly at Du Yan's joyful smile, he couldn't tell whether it was jealousy or nostalgia. Having lived two lifetimes, although his physical age was only nineteen, psychologically he was already a strange uncle in his thirties or forties.

  Qin Kan's dazed eyes stared straight at Du Yan on the swing, lost in his memories, he didn't notice that Du Yan slowed down her swinging and gradually came to a stop. The strange uncle's weird gaze made Du Yan's pretty face flush with heat, her every move was uncomfortable, in the quiet silence, a crimson blush spread from her white neck to the base of her ears.

  Qin Kan didn't know that a young man standing outside the gate of someone else's courtyard, staring blankly at the behavior of the woman in someone else's courtyard was so unseemly, even though he was her creditor...

  When he woke up from his memories of the previous life, he was shocked to find Du Yan standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, staring at him fiercely, her cheeks puffed out.

  "Hey, you're standing at the gate of my courtyard, sneaking around with a thief's heart, what are your intentions?" Du Yan tried to make her aura appear very domineering.

  Qin Kan could only explain: "Seeing you laugh so happily, I couldn't help but take another look..."

  "What does it have to do with you whether I'm laughing happily or not?"

  Qin Kan sighed: "A person who owes two hundred taels of silver and hasn't paid it back shouldn't be smiling so happily..."

  Du Yan hummed: "Why don't you go ask my dad?"

  "I'm afraid your dad will hit me with a board..."

  "Aren't you afraid I'll beat you up?"

  "I'm also afraid, so I've always been gentle when asking for debt repayment, and didn't dare to splash red paint on your family's front door."

  Du Yan's eyes darted around, and she quickly changed the subject: "Hey, what about that Sun Wukong who was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha? Did he die?"

  Qin Kan sighed, seeing the attitude of Miss Du's family in changing the subject, he understood that in the future years, the process of asking for debt would be filled with hardships and pains, perhaps accompanied by blood and white bones...

  Du Zhixian summoned Qin Kan alone because there was a very secret and important matter.

  "Qin Kan, can I really trust you?" Du Hong's eyes were deep and piercing, as if he wanted to see through the young man in front of him.

  Du Hong's question put Qin Kan in a difficult position.

  To be honest, he himself was a bit unbelievable, just now because of Du Yan's thick-skinned and shameless behavior, he secretly vowed to embezzle the official treasury of Guangshan County. Can such a person be trusted?

  Qin Kan really wanted to advise Du Zhixian not to be so reckless...

  "Your Honor, I have read the books of the sages. A gentleman values filial piety, benevolence, virtue, righteousness and integrity."

  Qin Kan's answer made Du Hong very satisfied. The three words "Shengren Shu" seemed like a pass that allowed anyone to go through unimpeded, so the writers of this era acted like madmen, just like the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, as long as they had quotes in hand, smashing and looting were all justified.

  Du Hong gazed at him for a moment before speaking slowly: "Do you know why I agreed to let Yan'er bring you into the county government as my advisor?"

  You owe me a huge favor, if I hadn't helped you cheat others, you would have been sent packing back to your hometown long ago...

  This can only be muttered in one's heart, and on the surface, one must still be extremely polite.

  "I was born late and am dull-witted, I beg the esteemed County Magistrate to enlighten me."

  "The case of Shi Lu is only one reason, there's another reason...". Du Hong stared at him and said slowly: "Because you're alone, with a clean background, no hometown, party, friends or officials, so the superior can use you with peace of mind. Do you know why the first thing I asked you to do was to clear up the accounts?"

  Qin Kan's heart tightened, this sentence means that even a fool can hear it, there is a cat in the account book!

  What a person! This is outrageous! I haven't even made a move yet, and someone else has already beaten me to it! This person should be dragged out and executed.

  As expected, Du Hong said slowly: "In the account of money and grain, some places are done quite elaborately, income and expenditure seem to be stable, but I always feel that there is a problem inside, and I can't say where the problem lies. Moreover, without evidence, it's not convenient for me to make a fuss, and I don't want to openly investigate, so as not to chill the hearts of my colleagues, and also let the supervising censors hear the news, grab my handle, Qin Kan, do you understand what I mean?"

  Qin Kan looked at Du Hong with some confusion.

  What's the meaning of not being able to see the problem with the account? This kind of detailed ledger, as long as you draw a borrowing and lending table to summarize and sort it out, and then compare it with the official treasury's income and expense account, whether there is a problem or not will be clear at a glance, why can't it be seen?

  Qin Kan suddenly woke up with a start, now in the great Ming dynasty, which was 500 years behind his previous life. The thinking of ancient people is limited, and some tricks are played in the flowery account, which ordinary people can't detect.

  Unfortunately, Qin Kan is a transmigrator.

  Those fancy tricks in his eyes are just a joke.

  In his previous life, he studied accounting books hard in order to reimburse a few expired bus tickets. Under the guise of reasonable and legitimate "needle threading", he unexpectedly helped the old accountant uncover a deputy manager who embezzled public funds. The company's old accountant had to take out his own wallet to invite him for a drink, sincerely asking him to please teach him if there were any accounts he didn't understand in the future... and also, when reimbursing bus tickets, don't be too stingy with snacks...

  Coming to the Ming Dynasty, can a small account book stump him?

  "The county magistrate's intention is clear to me now." Qin Kan bowed his head in respect.

  "I'll give you a month's time to sort out your accounts. Is that enough?" Du Hong gazed at him seriously.

  "Don't insult my intelligence... Cough cough, County Lord, I can investigate and get to the bottom of this within three days."

  "Three days?" Du Hong was shocked, furrowing his brow: "This is a serious matter, no joking around!"

  "If I don't find it in three days, you don't have to pay back the two hundred taels you owe me!" Qin Kan swore an oath with his life's most important thing.

  "What?" Du Hong's eyes widened in anger.

  "Ah... I was wrong, I misspoke. In any case, I guarantee that the accounts will be cleared up within three days."

  Staring at Qin Kan's slightly disheveled back, Du Hong stroked his beard and muttered to himself: "A matter of 200 taels of silver, I had completely forgotten about it, but he remembers it clearly... This child is by no means a person who is indifferent to fame and wealth..."

  P.S. There is another update tonight.....