Duan Rong suddenly pointed at one of the two original ledgers and said, "Why is this ledger recorded so messily? I see some entries are placed incorrectly!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Honghua’s face flushed slightly, and her originally bright eyes began to flicker.
Duan Rong saw her expression and immediately understood the situation.
Xia Honghua hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "The accountant wasn’t here! I had to transcribe and register it myself... I’m not familiar with the accounting work, so mistakes are inevitable..."
Duan Rong asked, "How many months have you been transcribing and registering?"
Xia Honghua replied, "The old accountant fell ill at the beginning of March. So only March and April’s."
Duan Rong said, "The old accountant’s accounts should have little issue, I’ll just need to verify them. But these past two months without him, they might be complex, many places need adjustment, and you know how interconnected ledgers are, this workload is not small!"
As Duan Rong spoke, a troubled expression appeared on his face.
Xia Honghua’s heart skipped a beat, and she nervously asked, "What? Can’t it be done before the mid-year closing period?"
Duan Rong looked serious and said, "It’s only the beginning of May now. There’s still roughly two months, it should be possible."
Seeing Duan Rong say it could be done, Xia Honghua finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Duan Rong said, "Madam, with such a large workload and needing to rush. Do you think the daily points can be raised a bit more?"
Hearing this, Xia Honghua glared at Duan Rong.
This kid seemed to have put on that troubled look earlier just to negotiate with her.
"That’s not happening." Xia Honghua pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the sweat from her cheek, saying, "When the old accountant was here, it was just two contribution points per day."
"If I give you more without reason, others will gossip." Xia Honghua said, casting Duan Rong a meaningful glance.
Xia Honghua’s look made Duan Rong shiver involuntarily.
Since the old accountant’s rate was two points per day, he indeed couldn’t ask for more.
Duan Rong hesitated for a moment and said, "How about this? Madam, you know my situation, I’m also working as a medicine boy for my master. I can’t come daily to do the accounting for you. We’ll settle the contribution points monthly, sixty points per month. I promise to complete the work well every month. As for timing, I’ll handle it myself. When I come or don’t come, you won’t intervene. How’s that?"
Xia Honghua asked, "Before the mid-year accounting, can you sort out the accounts for the first half of the year?"
Duan Rong replied, "Certainly. Since I’ve taken on this job, I won’t let you be unable to deliver."
Xia Honghua’s eyes twinkled, and she laughed charmingly, "Your words have relieved me of a worry. To be honest, these days, I haven’t been able to enjoy my tea or meals, worrying every day about the mid-year accounts. I’ve even lost weight around my waist..."
As Xia Honghua spoke, she gently stroked her slender and graceful waist, her eyes becoming dreamy.
Seeing Xia Honghua’s alluring posture, Duan Rong’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.
He suddenly said, "Madam, I have another humble request."
Xia Honghua’s eyes brightened instantly, "Go ahead."
Duan Rong said, "I’d like to pre-pay half a month’s contribution points."
Upon hearing Duan Rong speak of pre-paying contribution points, Xia Honghua’s eyes dimmed, "I’ll write you a note later. You can exchange it at the Guanglu Institute yourself."
Duan Rong bowed and lowered his head, "Thank you, Madam."
Seeing Duan Rong’s cold demeanor and respectful manners, Xia Honghua felt somewhat disappointed and said, "Then you should stay here to do the accounting. I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, you can find me at the counter."
Having said this, Xia Honghua twisted her waist and left the room.
Duan Rong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, glanced toward the door, and chuckled softly, "Really not enough to excite! If Ximen Kankan were here, he might like it!"
As Duan Rong said this, he closed the door.
His expression turned serious, and he immediately began working on the accounting, preparing to first draft a work progress schedule...
Although Duan Rong only looked at a few ledgers, he already grasped the situation well; this work for him was like using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken.
He had devoured the artifact spirit of Li Jun’s copper abacus, and reached the Realm of Miao Account Weaving.
These mere two months’ worth of accounts, is that even considered work?
Duan Rong stayed in that room for just two hours before locking the door and leaving.
During his accounting breaks, Xia Honghua had already handed him the note for exchanging thirty contribution points and the key to the ledger storage room.
As Duan Rong walked past the counter, he greeted Xia Honghua, saying, "Madam, see you tomorrow."
"You’re leaving already?" Xia Honghua noticed it was only noon; she thought Duan Rong would work until evening.
"Yes. I have some other things to do, I’ll come again tomorrow." Duan Rong said, then walked straight away.
Xia Honghua watched Duan Rong’s back, with a suspicious look, said: "This kid, who knows if he is a reliable worker?"
Duan Rong first went to the Guanglu Institute, holding a slip signed and stamped by Xia Honghua, which he handed over to the people there.
The people at the Guanglu Institute saw the slip, took out a specially numbered key, matched it to the hole in the center behind Duan Rong’s Star Disc, twisted it a few times, and then handed the Star Disc back to Duan Rong.
Upon receiving it, Duan Rong saw that the points on the surface of the Star Disc had changed from seventy-five to one hundred and five.
Duan Rong tucked the Star Disc into his sleeve and left the Guanglu Institute.
Duan Rong returned from the Guanglu Institute to the mountain where he worked as a medicine boy, first going into the dense forest to catch some wild game for a bite.
Then he went to the herb garden he managed, glanced at it, parted the lush leaves of Frosty Wormwood, checked the moisture of the soil around the roots, and decided there was no need to water for now, so he went into the dense forest to practice martial arts.
Duan Rong practiced all four martial arts before going into his cave, taking two burlap sacks, and heading back into the dense forest.
Duan Rong went deeper into the forest and spread the burlap sacks there.
He realized catching poisonous insects couldn’t always be done in one place. Going three times, the sacks couldn’t be filled, so he had to change places.
After catching poisonous insects and feeding the Black Blood Vine, Duan Rong clenched the rolled-up two empty burlap sacks and headed back to his cave.
Not far from the entrance of his cave, he suddenly saw Yin Cong lingering at the cave entrance in the dusk.
Yin Cong saw Duan Rong and said: "I came by once in the morning, and you weren’t here. I figured you’d be back around this time."
Duan Rong raised his eyelids. "I went out in the morning."
Yin Cong glanced at the empty burlap sacks in Duan Rong’s hands. "You went to feed the Black Blood Vine."
"Mm."
Duan Rong walked into the cave, and Yin Cong followed him inside.
Seeing Yin Cong come in, Duan Rong took out a flint and lit the candle lamp on the stone table.
Duan Rong sat on the edge of the stone bed, while Yin Cong sat on a stone stool by the wall.
As soon as Yin Cong sat down, he looked at Duan Rong, and said softly: "Did Old Qin from the Lower Courtyard come today?"
Duan Rong’s expression shifted. "What did he come for?"
Yin Cong replied: "It’s still about Tang Zhu. Said it was an accidental explosion death. Old Qin came and reported it to the sect."
Duan Rong remained silent, as his gaze flickered continually.
Yin Cong continued: "Not long after Old Qin left, they buried Tang Zhu. Do you know what Old Qin said when he came?"
"What did he say?"
"He said, another one dead."
Duan Rong’s eyelid couldn’t help but twitch.
Yin Cong lowered his head and said: "From the way Old Qin spoke, before I came, there was already a registered disciple who died here. When that person died, I came. I’ve been here for over a year."
Yin Cong suddenly raised his head, staring hard at Duan Rong, and said: "Duan Rong, do you know why you came here?"
"Why?" Duan Rong detected the pervasive fear in Yin Cong’s gaze.
Yin Cong said: "There used to be a registered disciple named Wei Luan here. Two months before you arrived, he suddenly disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"I was quite puzzled at the time. The kid was about to endure three years, nearing the time to join the registered disciple assessment. How could he suddenly disappear? But I know now, Duan Rong, he didn’t disappear, he died."
Yin Cong said, his deep voice starting to tremble, his hands tightly tearing at his pants in fear. "The cave you’re living in now was his."
Muscles on Duan Rong’s face twitched, and unease surged in his heart.
Many things inside the cave he used, including the bedding on the stone bed. Initially, he didn’t care much about these things, but didn’t expect they were all dead people’s belongings.
This cave was where Pan Yong led him to live at the time.
Pan Yong must have known Wei Luan was already dead, perhaps even killed him.\p>
Knowing full well they were dead people’s belongings, he intentionally let him use them...
His heart is condemnable.