mtl008 Chapter 500 made me think of something.
Chapter 500 made me think of something.
After Li Xiaoyun finished speaking, she got up and took a clean quilt from the wardrobe.
"I'll go check it out now. A young lady like me needs a decent place to stay in a new environment."
Seeing his wife's intention, Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Why don't I go with you?"
“You don’t need to come,” Li Xiaoyun waved her hand. “I wanted to talk to that girl anyway. What are you, a grown man, doing standing there while women chat?”
Li Xiangyang scratched his head and gave up.
"Alright, go ahead, but don't put too much pressure on them," Li Xiangyang instructed.
Li Xiaoyun rolled her eyes at him: "What are you saying! I'm not a wicked mother-in-law, would I make things difficult for a young girl?"
After saying that, Li Xiaoyun took the bedding and went out the door.
Li Xiangyang shook his head, smiled, and sat back down in his chair, thinking about the purchasing station's business.
Now, mountain products from various villages are being transported here, and with Zhao Xiuying as the accountant, the accounts are finally settled.
At this moment, Li Xiaoyun had already arrived at the purchasing station.
"Ergou, where is he?" Li Xiaoyun asked Wang Ergou, who was tidying up the fur in the yard.
Wang Ergou looked up and saw it was Li Xiaoyun. He quickly put down his work and said, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here? Xiuying is in the room on the west side."
Li Xiaoyun nodded and walked straight towards the small house on the west side.
This small room was originally used for storing odds and ends; it wasn't very big, barely big enough to fit a bed and a cabinet. Li Xiaoyun walked to the door and gently knocked.
"Who is it?" came Zhao Xiuying's timid voice from inside.
“I am Li Xiangyang’s lover, Li Xiaoyun,” Li Xiaoyun said gently.
The door opened quickly, and Zhao Xiuying stood in the doorway, a little reserved on her face: "Hello, Sister-in-law Li..."
Li Xiaoyun smiled and went inside. The room was very simple, with a worn-out wooden bed, a small cabinet with a chipped corner, and some dust on the floor.
"How can anyone live here!" Li Xiaoyun frowned. "Ergou is really something, how could he let a young lady live in a place like this?"
Zhao Xiuying quickly explained, "Brother Er Gou has already taken good care of me; he even helped me move my bed in. I... I'm already very grateful."
Looking at this sensible girl, Li Xiaoyun felt even more pity for her.
She put down what she was holding and smiled, "Good child, from now on, treat this place as your own home. I'll help you tidy up the room today; you're starting work tomorrow, right? You need a good place to rest."
Zhao Xiuying looked at Li Xiaoyun gratefully: "Thank you so much, sister-in-law. You've gone to so much trouble."
"No trouble at all, it's nothing," Li Xiaoyun said, and began to clean the house.
She first swept the dust off the floor with a broom, then wiped the bed and cabinets with a damp cloth. Zhao Xiuying also joined in the work, helping Li Xiaoyun.
The two women tidied up together, and soon the small house was sparkling clean. Li Xiaoyun then spread the bedding she had brought on the bed, and the house instantly felt like home.
"Xiuying, you're not very old, are you?" Li Xiaoyun asked.
“I’m twenty-one,” Zhao Xiuying replied.
"Why don't you consider finding a partner?" Li Xiaoyun asked casually.
Zhao Xiuying's eyes dimmed: "My mother is sick, I need to get her treated first. Besides, after my father passed away, the family is drowning in debt, who would want to marry someone like me?"
Hearing this, Li Xiaoyun felt even more pity for her. These days, it's not easy for girls, especially those from families that have lost their fathers.
"Xiuying, don't worry, Xiangyang won't treat you badly working here. As long as you work hard, you won't have to worry about not getting married in the future," Li Xiaoyun comforted her.
Zhao Xiuying nodded gratefully: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely do my best."
The two chatted about everyday things, and Li Xiaoyun learned that Zhao Xiuying not only knew how to keep accounts, but also had some knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine, which would be very helpful in purchasing Chinese medicinal materials.
As dusk approached, Li Xiaoyun, seeing that it was time to leave, stood up to say goodbye: "It's getting late, I have to go back. If you need anything, just tell Xiangyang or Ergou."
Zhao Xiuying quickly saw her to the door, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, please take care."
When Li Xiaoyun returned home, Li Xiangyang was playing with his son, Li Wangchen.
"Mom, you're back!" Li Wangchen ran over and hugged Li Xiaoyun's leg.
Li Xiaoyun patted her son's head and turned to Li Xiangyang: "I've tidied up the house. That girl is quite sensible, and her family is indeed struggling financially."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Then let her do a good job. By the way, do you think she's capable of handling the accounting work?"
“Yes, she’s quite smart,” Li Xiaoyun said. “However, we should enroll her in night school so she can have a formal education. That way, it will be a great help to you when our business grows.”
Li Xiangyang laughed: "You're thinking the same thing as me. That's what I was planning too."
Li Xiaoyun smiled and shook her head: "You think you can hide your little schemes from me?"
Li Xiangyang laughed heartily and put his arm around his wife's shoulder: "You understand me best."
The next morning, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou arrived at the purchasing station. Zhao Xiuying was already up and sweeping the yard.
"Xiuying, you're up so early?" Li Xiangyang asked.
Zhao Xiuying quickly put down the broom: "Good morning, Brother Li; good morning, Brother Ergou. I... I wanted to tidy up the yard a bit to make it look neater."
Li Xiangyang nodded, feeling even more satisfied with the young girl.
"Come on, let me show you around the work today," Li Xiangyang said.
He first showed Zhao Xiuying around the entire purchasing station, explaining the storage locations and processing methods for various mountain products. Then, Li Xiangyang took out a thick ledger and handed it to Zhao Xiuying.
"This is our ledger, which records all the acquisitions and sales. Take a look and familiarize yourself with it."
Zhao Xiuying took the ledger and carefully looked through it. A moment later, she frowned.
“Brother Li, this account… isn’t recorded very accurately,” she said cautiously.
Li Xiangyang laughed: "Tell me, where is it not up to standard?"
Zhao Xiuying pointed to a page in the ledger: "For example, here, it should be divided into two main categories: acquisitions and sales, and then further subdivided into varieties, quantities, and amounts. This way it's clear at a glance and easy to check the accounts."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's right, that's exactly what I mean. From today onwards, the accounts are yours. You can revise them as you see fit, to the way you think is most appropriate."
Zhao Xiuying's eyes lit up: "Really? Can I redesign the ledger?"
“Of course,” Li Xiangyang readily agreed. “We’re exactly missing someone as knowledgeable as you.”
Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard. Li Xiangyang went out to see what was happening and found a dozen villagers carrying various mountain products, lining up to sell their goods.
"You're here so early!" Li Xiangyang greeted them with a smile. "Don't rush, one at a time."
Zhao Xiuying also came out, and seeing so many people, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"Xiuying, you stay here and observe the acquisition process. Once you're familiar with it, you can operate independently," Li Xiangyang instructed.
Zhao Xiuying nodded and stood behind Li Xiangyang, carefully observing how he communicated with the villagers, how he appraised prices, and how he recorded information.