Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 385 Time flies

When Cui Zhihao asked her out of curiosity, Shi said frankly that this was how it was where she came from, and that "equality for all" was commonplace, and there was no reason for the powerful to bully the common people.

He took it as a joke at the time, thinking, how could there be such a good place in the world?

Seeing Shuyun sitting down so calmly now, and recalling the gleam in Shi's eyes when she spoke those words, I'm starting to believe it—perhaps such a place really does exist.

However… Choi Ji-ho’s fingers, holding the teacup, tightened slightly.

Miss Shi is so straightforward and speaks her mind directly. She seems carefree. Perhaps she has been too well protected?

Only those who have never witnessed the darkness of this world can have such naive ideas.

She believed that people were inherently good, but little did she know how many sordid things existed in this world that her "equality" principles couldn't penetrate.

Just as he was pondering, Shuyun took out several account books from the cabinet next to her and handed them over with both hands: "Young Master Cui, these are the accounts for the past few days. The purchasing agent's purchases and the servants' monthly wages are all recorded in them. Please take a look."

Choi Ji-ho did not take it, but simply said, "No need."

Shuyun was taken aback, looked up at him, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.

"Since Miss Shi has entrusted you with managing the household affairs, she must trust your abilities."

Cui Zhihao looked at her and said sincerely, "Miss Shuyun is intelligent and capable. In my opinion, it is a waste of your talent to manage these trivial accounts here."

He wasn't lying.

Seeing how organized she was in arranging things, and recalling how meticulous she was in handling accounts, I knew she was no ordinary person.

With such talent, if he had been born into a prominent family, he would probably have become a capable assistant in managing the household affairs, instead of being confined to this mansion doing these "idle" jobs.

Shuyun's fingers tightened around the ledger, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and an indescribable warmth surged from the bottom of her heart, spreading through her limbs and making her feel a tingling, soothing sensation.

She lowered her eyelashes to hide the moisture in her eyes, her voice trembling with a barely perceptible sob: "Young Master Cui, you flatter me."

Since following Miss Shi, her life has been completely transformed.

The young master before me, born into the Cui family of Qinghe, was a descendant of five surnames and seven families, yet he was humble and polite.

That young master Lin, of illustrious status, never showed them the slightest disrespect.

The way they looked at her was one of equal respect, unlike the previous glances that were either dismissive, inquisitive, or filled with ulterior motives.

Since she could remember, because she was a woman and came from a poor family, she had heard too many arguments that "women are inferior to men".

When she was learning to read, her neighbors mocked her, saying, "What's the use of a woman learning to read?" When she was learning to use an abacus, the head maid scolded her for "not being obedient and staying put."

She thought she would live her whole life under the contempt of others until she met Miss Shi and these men who treated them like ordinary people. Only then did she realize that women could be respected in this way.

“These are all things that Shuyun should do.”

She composed herself, gently placed the ledger on the table, and looked up at Cui Zhihao. Her eyes had returned to calm, but deep within them, there was a warmth of being cherished.

"It is Shuyun's blessing to be able to share the burdens of young ladies and gentlemen."

Looking into the light in her eyes, Choi Ji-ho's resolve to protect them grew even stronger.

On a late spring afternoon, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone-paved front hall floor.

The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and tea. Cui Zhihao sat upright in a pear wood chair by the window, holding a volume of the Book of Songs in his hands, but his gaze would occasionally sweep over the figure busy at his desk not far away.

That was Shuyun, the most capable maidservant by Miss Shi's side.

At this moment, she was engrossed in a pile of account books, her slender fingers deftly manipulating the abacus, producing a crisp "clattering" sound that complemented the occasional birdsong coming from outside the window.

Choi Ji-ho didn't pay much attention at first.

The household accounts have always been complicated, and it is common for Miss Shi to entrust this matter to Shuyun because she is busy with official duties.

He was merely sitting here idly, keeping an eye on things so that Shuyun, being so young, wouldn't be unaware of any mistakes she might make.

But gradually, Choi Ji-ho's gaze lingered on her for a few more seconds.

On the ledger spread out in front of Shuyun, the handwriting was delicate and neat, each stroke revealing her seriousness.

Unlike ordinary accountants, she did not list the daily income and expenses item by item in a routine manner. Instead, she took a different approach and used different colored pens to distinguish the categories of various expenses—red for purchases, blue for salary, and black for miscellaneous items.

What's even more ingenious is that she drew a small bar chart in the lower right corner of each page of the accounts, using ink lines of different lengths to mark the total daily expenditure. At a glance, one can clearly see the changes in spending over the past few days.

"here,"

Choi Ji-ho finally put down his book and pointed to one of the spots.

"The price of the silk purchased yesterday was much higher than in the past few days. Although you recorded it under the red purchase item, it is clear at a glance, but you did not explain the reason. It may take some effort to find out later."

Upon hearing this, Shuyun looked up, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, and then curtsied, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Cui."

“It was my oversight. The silks from yesterday were new works by a famous Suzhou embroidery master. The shopkeeper said they were much finer than ordinary silks, hence the slightly higher price. I will add a note to that now.”

After saying that, she picked up a pen and quickly added a few lines of small characters next to the account. Her handwriting was still neat, but her speed was not slow at all.

Cui Zhihao watched her skillful movements and was secretly amazed.

It's already rare for an ordinary woman to know a few words, but Shuyun not only knows how to keep accounts, but she can also come up with such a simple and clear method. Even the old accountant in his mansion probably wouldn't have such a mind.

He then randomly pointed to a few more places, and Shuyun was able to answer fluently for each one. He could even draw inferences from one instance to another and suggest a simpler way of keeping accounts.

For example, she mentioned that various expenses can be summarized by ten-day period and compared with the same period of the previous month, which can help to detect anomalies more quickly;

For example, she thought of listing her frequently used suppliers separately, noting their reputation and price fluctuations, so that she could refer to them when making purchases in the future.

These ideas were clear, insightful, and not something a young girl could easily come up with.

Cui Zhihao picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and his gaze fell on Shuyun's focused profile.

She was only sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and a serious expression. Her slender fingers flew across the abacus, as if she were performing a silent symphony.

He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, Miss Shi had told him with a smile that Shuyun was a very clever girl who understood things very quickly. Even when he taught her some arithmetic and accounting methods, she learned them very fast.

At the time, he simply assumed that the girl favored him and didn't take it to heart.

In retrospect, what Miss Shi said was absolutely true.

Who says women are inferior to men?