Chapter 29: Concealing One's Talents

Yang Can’s small courtyard was separated from Steward Li’s by only a single wall, and the architectural layout of the two residences was identical. When Yang Can returned to his quarters, Wangcai was dozing off at the table. Seeing Yang Can enter, Wangcai hurriedly rubbed his eyes and stood up. "Master Yang, Master Li said that from now on, I am to be at your service."

Yang Can nodded; he knew that Wangcai was a bondservant by birth. In this era, those with a status lower than commoners were divided into two categories: subordinates and household slaves. Subordinates held a slightly higher status than slaves, typically consisting of those with specialized skills such as musicians or craftsmen. As for household slaves, they were considered inferior, treated as private property that could be bought, sold, or gifted at their master’s whim. Thus, Li Youcai gifting Wangcai to Yang Can was merely a matter of a single sentence.

"Understood," Yang Can said. "Wangcai, it is late. There is no need to serve me; go get some sleep."

Wangcai acknowledged the order and retreated from the main room. Since the layout was the same as Steward Li’s, and he had helped Pan Xiaowan tidy the place earlier that afternoon, he knew exactly where to go and headed straight for the side chamber. His bedding had already been moved over in the evening. Feeling a bit tipsy and weary, Yang Can returned to his bedroom, found the new bedding neatly arranged, and lay down to sleep.

The next morning, Wangcai swept the courtyard and drew well water for his master to wash up. Afterward, he waited eagerly under the corridor for Yang Can to take him to breakfast. Meals were provided centrally. Of course, once one reached the rank of steward, if they had a family and preferred to manage their own cooking, that was permitted as well. The central dining areas were called the "Women’s Kitchen" for the inner quarters and the "Outer Kitchen" for the outer quarters. Naturally, Yang Can dined in the small dining hall of the Outer Kitchen.

Most of the stewards he had met at the previous night’s welcoming banquet were already eating. Thanks to the drinking the night before, the distance between them had lessened. When they saw Yang Can enter, they greeted him warmly, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Yang Can scanned the room and, not seeing Li Youcai, asked, "Does the Chief Steward not usually come to the Outer Kitchen for meals?"

Accountant Li replied with a smile, "The Chief Steward has taken a young bride, so he naturally hates to see her rise early to cook. He usually eats here as well. However, our Chief Steward is a man who cannot enjoy himself without wine, and he invariably gets drunk. The morning after a night of drinking, he generally cannot make it in time for the meal."

"I see," Yang Can remarked. When he had worked as an advisor, he had often eaten here, but he had never paid much attention to Li Youcai’s habits and was unaware of this.

As Yang Can arrived, the kitchen staff brought out his meal: two types of dim sum, two side dishes, and a bowl of wontons. The dim sum consisted of yam cakes with golden date paste, cut into thumb-sized cubes and topped with candied golden dates. Each bite was dense and delicate, the yam paste sweet but not cloying, with a subtle hint of osmanthus. There were also two lotus leaf steamed buns made from fine flour. As for the side dishes, one was five-spice smoked fish chunks made from the meaty Long River catfish—marinated, fried, and then braised until a glossy, reddish-brown color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the five-spice flavor deep within. The other side dish was pickled celtuce, sliced into thin strips and tossed with a little toasted sesame oil. Finally, there was a bowl of shepherd’s purse and pork wontons, made with fresh spring greens and leg meat from free-range mountain pigs, topped with dried shrimp in a broth brewed from an old hen, mushrooms, and bamboo shoot tips.

In the outer quarters, only Li Youcai shared this standard of meals with Yang Can, a tier far higher than that of the other stewards. As stewards, they ate the same food as the master’s household, albeit with a slightly lower specification.

Yang Can chatted with Accountant Li and the others while he ate. Once they had finished, laughing and talking, Yang Can returned to his residence. After familiarizing himself with the courtyard, he saw Li Youcai walking toward him with a shaky gait as the sun rose higher. His forehead was bruised, and he was followed by Laixi, who carried two chests on a shoulder pole.

Seeing Yang Can, Li Youcai laughed. "The Clan Leader did indeed summon me and gave me some instructions. Inside these chests are the ledgers for the six major manors and three pastures. Take them, look them over carefully, and if there is anything you don't understand, you can ask Accountant Li for help."

Yang Can quickly thanked him, then glanced at the "Nike" swoosh-shaped bruise on his forehead and probed, "Did you rest well last night, Brother? Are you still suffering from the hangover?"

Li Youcai chuckled. "I did drink a bit too much last night. Look at this bump on my head; it’s quite embarrassing. Thankfully, your sister-in-law is virtuous. She tirelessly wiped me down and fed me hangover soup spoonful by spoonful; otherwise, I’d be feeling even worse." He stretched his neck and touched his forehead, explaining with a smile, "She was afraid I’d vomit in my sleep, so she propped my head up quite high. Look, I’ve got a stiff neck from it, hahaha..."

Yang Can was speechless. *Brother, did you even have a pillow? Unless you count the footstool under the bed frame...* Well, since the husband's authority was nonexistent, he could only "strengthen himself" in such ways. Men understood each other, and the greatest kindness was to see through it without saying a word.

While they talked, Laixi and Wangcai carried the chests into the study. After boasting about his young wife's attentiveness, Li Youcai triumphantly took his leave with Laixi. Yang Can had Wangcai bring a pot of tea to the study, then opened the chests and took out the ledgers. They were neatly organized by manor, category, and date. Yang Can had initially worried he wouldn't understand them, but upon opening the books, he found them remarkably simple.

Ledgers of this era were mostly single-entry, documenting income and expenses chronologically—what was commonly known as "running accounts." More complex ones used a "three-pillar" format: income minus expenses equals balance. Double-entry bookkeeping, even in its embryonic forms like the "Dragon Gate" or "Four-Foot" ledgers, had not yet been invented. With his modern knowledge, Yang Can only needed a moment to adapt to the units of calculation, terminology, and writing habits of this era to understand them perfectly.

It took him only a quarter of an hour to master the methods and terminology. He then pulled out a sheet of paper, used a ruler to draw a table, and began to fill in the statistics item by item. As an ordinary person with a modern education, he had dabbled in many things. Even if he weren't an accountant, his methods for organizing data were vastly superior to the ancients'.

The manors and pastures handed over by the Yu family were simple in their operations, making the ledgers clear at a glance. In just over two hours, Yang Can had organized several volumes, gaining a clear understanding of the assets under his control. He now knew exactly where he stood; these accounts were no challenge.

Yang Can tapped his desk in thought. Since he knew he could handle the books, there was no rush. For now, he didn't want to finalize the accounts too quickly, as his future path depended on one thing: whether Su Chanzhi was pregnant. Until that was certain, he preferred to keep a low profile. Moreover, he didn't intend to reveal his accounting methods. If he did, he would be nothing more than a talented clerk or money manager—but he was already starting from a higher position. Keeping his skills hidden would only make him appear more mysterious. Furthermore, in the mind of his "good brother" Li Youcai, it should take at least a month or two to sort these accounts out. Let the Chief Steward keep that misjudgment; it would give Yang Can more initiative.

A sly smile appeared on Yang Can’s face. He locked his modern "statistical table" in a cabinet, kept the key on his belt, left the other ledgers scattered on the desk, and walked out. He intended to find Accountant Li and ask him for help, cementing the facade that he was incapable of managing the accounts himself.

Accountant Li agreed readily to Yang Can's request. As the Second Steward, Yang Can was his superior, and he had no grounds to refuse. "Don't worry, Steward Yang, this is part of my duty," Li said. "However, the Young Mistress is currently reviewing the inner and outer accounts, so I dare not neglect that. Once I finish her tasks, I will immediately attend to yours."

Yang Can smiled. "With six manors and three pastures, there's no need to rush. Feng'an Manor is the closest to Tianshui City; please just start by organizing the accounts for that one."

Accountant Li agreed profusely and saw Yang Can out of the office. Returning to his desk, he pulled open a drawer. Inside were two gold cakes, each weighing about half a catty. He took one out, rubbed it with his thumb, and muttered to himself, "Second Steward Yang, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but he simply paid too much..." The "he" Accountant Li referred to was none other than Zhang Yunyi, the owner of Feng'an Manor, who had arrived to pay his respects just a step earlier than Yang Can.