sbdcsierra Chapter 416 Da Niu is back!
Chapter 416 Da Niu is back!
After Gao Mengli and Lin Xi arranged for the group to go upstairs, they suddenly discovered a problem.
They've been in the city for so long, yet they haven't bought a courtyard house!
Gao Mengli rubbed her temples. "I used to stay in restaurants, and when I had some money, I bought a manor. I never thought of buying a courtyard house."
Upon hearing her mention it, Lin Xi suddenly remembered this as well, "Oh right!"
After all, they still owed Qian Yun hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, and they usually tried to save as much as possible.
However, with Da Niu and the others returning, staying at the inn would be detrimental to their studies.
"I didn't think things through before."
Gao Mengli sighed, her fingertips still pressed against her temples. "The restaurant is bustling with people, it's very noisy."
The clatter of abacuses at night, the shouts of the shop assistants—how could they possibly concentrate on their studies?
At this moment, Da Niu, having warmed up, ran downstairs again, pulled out his palm-sized silver abacus from his person, and shook it up and down. "Father, Mother, let me help you check the accounts at the counter!"
Gao Mengli looked at the palm-sized silver abacus in his hand and couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and ruffled his hair: "You little rascal, where did you get a silver abacus!"
"Grandpa called me!"
Da Niu puffed out his little chest and carefully stroked the abacus beads. "Before I came to the prefectural city, my grandfather gave me this abacus when I left, telling me to help my parents with chores during my days off or holidays, so that you could have an easier time!"
Even if his grandfather hadn't said it, he would have done it!
It's his own family matter, why should he help or not? Taking on mundane tasks is Da Niu's duty!
"Yes, and us!"
At this moment, Zhou Miao and Jiang Bei also came downstairs.
Jiang Bei stepped forward with a smile, patted Da Niu on the shoulder, and said, "You, the little accountant, can't take all the credit. From now on, your uncle and I will help you with the accounting and auditing. We'll make sure the restaurant's accounts are clear and accurate."
Zhou Miao nodded in agreement, a gentle smile in his eyes: "I think it's time to settle the accounts at the estate, my elder brother and sister-in-law. We can take advantage of this free time to sort them out."
Gao Mengli smiled and shook her head: "You've just come back, you should be resting properly, how can I let you work hard with me?"
Moreover, studying is of utmost importance; don't neglect it!
Due to the war this year, the autumn imperial examinations were cancelled.
However, we cannot slack off. Opportunities are reserved for those who constantly sharpen their skills. Only by sharpening our skills every day can we be invincible when the time comes!
"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; what you learn from books is never enough."
Treating the account books like books and the interpersonal relationships within the restaurant as a subject of study is the true way to apply what you've learned.
Zhou Miao smiled and spoke, not at all aware that this was delaying his studies.
Jiang Bei nodded in agreement and added, "The dean once said that in times of chaos, practical knowledge is far more important than rigid memorization of classical texts."
Helping with the accounts is a way for us to develop our skills; it doesn't interfere with our studies.
Da Niu, holding the silver abacus, nodded vigorously in agreement: "Father, Mother, I think so too!"
The teacher said that doing accounting can improve mental arithmetic and memory, and it complements reading!
Gao Mengli couldn't help but chuckle as she watched them chatter away. She tapped Da Niu's forehead with her fingertip and said, "Alright, we can't refuse your hospitality. You two can help manage the accounts from now on!"
Upon hearing this, Da Niu's eyes lit up instantly.
He grabbed the silver abacus, turned around and ran to the counter, eagerly flipping through the account books.
Jiang Bei and Zhou Miao exchanged a smile and followed over. One of them helped organize the ledgers, while the other taught Da Niu how to decipher the illegible signatures of the merchants.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and war is raging outside.
However, Ling'an Prefecture was completely unaffected and enjoyed a rare period of peace and tranquility.
Gao Mengli looked up at the sky, which was gloomy.
Just as I was about to look away, I saw a white figure flutter down and land on the threshold of the inn.
"what?"
She was startled, walked over and picked it up, her expression immediately changing.
"what happened?"
Seeing this, Lin Xi also came over, and when her gaze fell on what Gao Mengli was holding, her expression changed drastically, "Why is it paper money?"
The two looked up and saw that the paper money for the dead was fluttering and flying everywhere.
"The Sun Moon Sect is passing by and is performing here. Ladies and gentlemen, those with money, please support us financially; those without, please just show your presence!"
At the shout, the noise outside the restaurant suddenly fell silent for a moment, then was crushed by a series of uniform footsteps.
Lin Xi and Gao Mengli exchanged a glance and quickly ran out.
Upon hearing this, Da Niu tucked the abacus into his pocket and followed Jiang Bei and Zhou Miao out.
At that moment, a large group of women arrived on the street outside the restaurant.
There were older people, younger people, and little girls with their hair in double buns.
They were all dressed in coarse hemp cloth, wearing white mourning caps on their heads, and with hemp ropes tied around their waists.
They carried white banners or incense sticks in their hands, their steps treading on the bluestone slabs, and they came carrying a black coffin.
The leader was a woman with sharp eyes and eyebrows. Her white mourning clothes made her face look cold. She raised her hand and waved her hand, and a lot of ghost money floated into the air.
"Do not be afraid, everyone."
The woman's clear voice pierced through the surrounding silence, "Our Sun Moon Sect is passing through your esteemed place today, and in order to raise some travel expenses, we are making a fool of ourselves for you all!"
After she finished speaking, she gestured to the women around her.
The next moment, the women soldiers holding white banners quickly formed a square formation, surrounding the black coffin in the center.
The girls holding incense and candles stepped forward and inserted them into the ground.
Wisps of blue smoke rose from the cracks in the bluestone slabs, mingling with the ashes of the paper money scattered everywhere, adding a touch of eeriness.
"Boom-thump-thump-"
Someone struck the cowhide drum, and amidst the deep, resonant sound, the leading woman drew her sword. The blade sliced through the air, producing a clear, ringing sound.
She lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped onto the top of the coffin. She twirled her longsword in a beautiful arc and then began to sing.
That was the tune of the previous dynasty, mournful and desolate.
The song describes the clash of swords and the bloodshed on the battlefield.
They sing of beautiful women who have perished, of the old grievances of a broken country and a destroyed home.
They were originally the apple of their parents' eye, pampered young ladies, but because of the monsters' capture, they were "abandoned" by their families, leaving behind the men in the family who also died in the massacre.
"Those who are alive should not forget the hatred of the past; paper money is sent to express the feelings of the departed. Never forget..."
Several young girls climbed to the top of the white banner with their bare hands.
Her body swayed in the wind like a kite, her feet resting on a sharp flagpole, yet she showed no sign of panic.
Instead, they performed flipping and upside-down movements in rhythm with the song, making onlookers' hearts jump.
Lin Xi gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, overhearing people around her whispering that it was a tune from the previous dynasty.
But somehow, every word struck his heart.
Gao Mengli stared at the black coffin, her brows furrowing even more.
This isn't just a performance to raise money for travel expenses; it's clearly a way to use acrobatics to express the injustices of the world.
If it weren't for Dou Weiyi protecting them, the entire Wangyue Village might have ended up like the people of other cities, displaced and homeless.
Since its founding, the Qianyu Kingdom has been plagued by constant warfare, with neighboring countries launching attacks.
The imperial court's exorbitant taxes and levies have never ceased, and the people have never had a chance to live and thrive.
Listening to the whispers of those around them, they learned that the royal family not only amassed wealth by building palaces, but also recruited thousands of young women from various regions to enter the palace every six months.
People had no choice but to give birth to their "precious daughters," but they couldn't afford to raise them. Rather than sending them to that "man-eating" place when they grew up, they would rather abandon them or send them to be secretly raised in the deep mountains and forests.
This group of people...
She must have been a woman sent by her own parents to be raised in the deep mountains.
But how did they come into being? And what about that black coffin? Who's inside?