After Transmigrating as a Disabled Villain - Chapter 6

Qin Chu looked at the stool in her hand. Before she even sat down, her backside seemed to reflexively feel pain.

She gave Qiu Jinning an awkward smile. “It’s fine. I can just stand. Thank you.”

Qiu Jinning lowered her brows slightly and placed the stool directly behind Qin Chu without saying a word.

She was only being kind. It definitely was not because of anything else.

But her feelings were still somewhat complicated. She could not treat Qin Chu calmly.

That night, she had been schemed against. By a strange combination of circumstances, she had hidden on Qin Chu’s boat. Later, she had even lost her reason and taken the initiative to beg for pleasure…

In the end, this person had helped her.

If possible, she hoped she would never have to see Qin Chu again, and never have to face that night again.

Instead of always running into her like this. It was just like how she had been unable to understand her own thoughts and had gone to a pleasure house to find answers. It was vexing.

But whenever she remembered scene after scene from that night, Qiu Jinning could not help feeling flustered and unable to remain composed.

Seeing Qiu Jinning’s cold face and businesslike manner, Qin Chu did not act pretentious. After thinking for a moment, she directly knelt her left leg on the stool for support. It made her feel somewhat more comfortable.

Qiu Jinning glanced at her, bent down, and checked the numbers. “On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, two hundred bolts of cotton cloth were issued. One hundred and seventy bolts remain.”

Qin Chu looked at the numbers in the account book until her eyes blurred. After searching for a while, she answered, “The numbers are correct.”

After saying that, she glanced at the others. Was this how they were supposed to cooperate?

Seeing that she only replied without writing anything down, Qiu Jinning pursed her lips and pointed to the blank account book beside them. “Each entry must be recorded.”

If it were only checking the accounts, there would have been no need to call so many people over.

Qin Chu blinked. Record each entry? How much did she have to write?

She looked around but did not find anything like a ruler. Her gaze landed on Qiu Jinning’s waist, where a rectangular jade tablet hung. Judging from its length, it should be enough.

“Miss Qiu, may I borrow the jade tablet at your waist?”

Qin Chu raised a brow. As long as she drew a table, the rest would simply be recording and calculating with written numerals. For her, that would be easy.

Qiu Jinning looked at her without speaking. She directly untied the jade tablet and handed it over, only watching as Qin Chu used it to draw something in the account book.

One of them counted while the other recorded. Occasionally, Qin Chu would put down the account book and help count as well.

Qiu Jinning focused on checking the inventory and inexplicably felt that their group was moving faster than the others.

Near noon, they finished checking the inventory numbers assigned to them. Qin Chu picked up her brush, wrote a few more strokes, and was done.

Looking at the other three groups, they were still working with their heads down. One group was only halfway finished.

Qiu Jinning thought to herself that it had not been her imagination. They really were faster than the others.

It was because Qin Chu had helped count. In other words, while Qin Chu recorded very quickly, she also calculated the results faster than everyone else.

The other students’ abacuses clicked loudly, but on Qin Chu’s side, there was almost no sound.

Noticing this, Qiu Jinning raised her eyes to look at Qin Chu. Could it be that this person had not calculated the remaining numbers and had only made the records?

“Give me the account book. I need to check the totals.”

“They’re all checked. Can I leave now?” Qin Chu looked calm. It was only simple addition and subtraction, and the numbers were not that large. Mental math was enough. It was very easy, all right?

Qiu Jinning’s gaze fell on her leg for a moment before she slowly said two words. “You may.”

If Qin Chu had not calculated them properly, Qiu Jinning could just work a little longer and finish it herself.

Qin Chu left, swaying with every step. Qiu Jinning picked up the account book. What entered her eyes was row after row of numbers placed neatly inside straight-lined boxes.

Only a few simple words were written at the very top: date, issued, received, current remaining amount.

It was easy to understand and clear at a glance.

She silently touched the jade tablet at her waist, then picked up the untouched abacus beside her and gently moved the beads for a while. After staring silently at the numbers in the account book for a moment, she confirmed they were correct.

That person had not used an abacus. With mental calculation alone, she could reach this level. Her arithmetic ability was probably above Qiu Jinning’s.

Looking at the neat rows of boxes drawn in the account book, Qiu Jinning unconsciously curved her lips. Then she took the account book to the front hall.

“Jinning, why are you here? You finished checking everything so quickly?” The moment County Magistrate Qiu saw his daughter, he smiled, his eyes full of affection.

“Not yet. My group was just faster. Father, take a look at this first.”

“This is…”

County Magistrate Qiu took the account book. At first, his brows furrowed slightly. But the more he looked, the more satisfied he became, and a trace of pleasant surprise flashed through his eyes.

“Did you come up with this method of bookkeeping?” After understanding the table, he hurriedly looked up at his daughter, the smile on his face growing deeper.

Qiu Jinning smiled gently. “It was not me. It was drawn by a student from the county school. You know her too—Eldest Miss Qin of the Qin family, Qin Chu.”

County Magistrate Qiu’s brows moved slightly. If it were someone from another family, he might not know them.

But the Qin family? He was familiar with them. After all, they were the richest merchants in Jiuqu County. And there was also that Eldest Miss Qin, famous for being a good-for-nothing and domineering.

Almost everyone in Jiuqu County knew of the lame Eldest Miss Qin.

Because although that Eldest Miss Qin had never committed any major wrongs, she constantly caused minor trouble. But every time, it was just small quarrels and scuffles between young people, such as beating someone up. After giving the victim some silver, no one bothered to make a fuss.

After all, money could make even ghosts grind mills. If getting beaten once meant receiving a considerable sum of silver, some people were even willing to be disliked by Eldest Miss Qin and would rush forward to seek a beating.

Over time, the people who were beaten no longer went to the county yamen to file complaints. Instead, they all went to the Qin residence to demand an explanation, because Master Qin was willing to use silver to handle the small troubles his daughter caused.

County Magistrate Qiu pondered for a moment. “Go ask who exactly came up with this. This matter must be investigated clearly.”

If this bookkeeping method were reported upward and used in all trades and industries, it would benefit the country and the people. The higher authorities would definitely give a reward, and they could not reward the wrong person.

Qiu Jinning’s eyes flickered. She wanted to say that Father should send someone else to ask, but for some reason, she felt a trace of guilt and did not refuse.

They both studied at the county school. The academy was only so big. Even if she avoided Qin Chu this time, she could not avoid her next time. They would inevitably meet.

And she did not like avoiding things whenever they happened. Perhaps after seeing Qin Chu a few more times, she would be able to face her more calmly, and calmly face the night when their paths had once crossed.

“All right. I will go ask clearly.”

Qiu Jinning steadied her thoughts. After lunch, she returned to the county school, while County Magistrate Qiu kept the account book.

When she reached the door of Class C and looked inside, Qin Chu’s seat was empty. She was nowhere to be seen.

“Cousin Qin was beaten by my uncle yesterday. She hurt too much, so she asked for leave and went back home. If you go to the Qin residence, you’ll find her there.” When Chen Xia heard that Qiu Jinning had come to look for Qin Chu, she immediately felt surprised.

Why was this county magistrate’s daughter looking for Cousin Qin? Could it be that there was a problem with the accounts Cousin Qin had calculated? She heard that everyone else’s account books had been handed to the clerk, and only Cousin Qin’s had been taken to the county magistrate instead of being returned to the storeroom.

She was not the only one who guessed this. The other students thought the same.

That good-for-nothing from the Qin family must have made a mistake and been discovered by the county magistrate. She would probably receive a scolding.

But was this sort of thing worth making Qiu Jinning personally come to find her? Everyone started muttering inwardly.

After receiving definite information, Qiu Jinning’s heart was also unsettled.

Should she go to the Qin residence to find her?

She hesitated for a moment, then brought her maid, Luyao, to the Qin residence.

The carriage slowly stopped. Luyao first went to the gatehouse to explain their reason for visiting, but she was told that Qin Chu was not at home. She had gone to find the Eldest Young Master.

And where was Eldest Young Master Qin?

At the largest pleasure house by the Qin River.

After hearing Luyao’s words, Qiu Jinning’s eyes turned cold. “Return home.”

She would not go to a pleasure house again, because last time, not only had she failed to find an answer, her heart had only become even more chaotic.

Seeing her young lady’s expression turn cold, Luyao could not help grumbling inwardly. That big good-for-nothing had asked for leave to return home, so she should have returned home. Why had she run off to a pleasure house? She had made their young lady come here for nothing.

Their young lady was such a proper person. Of course she could not go to a pleasure house to find someone. Sigh, how troublesome.

Luyao was still pondering this inwardly when she heard her young lady order coldly, “Turn around. Go to the pleasure house.”

Eh?

Go to the pleasure house?

The carriage turned around and headed toward the Qin River. Luyao was still somewhat dazed. They really were going to the pleasure house to find someone?

When the carriage stopped, Qiu Jinning instructed Luyao to wait where she was, then walked in alone.

The madam was in the main hall attracting customers. When she saw a young lady with a noble bearing enter through the door, and noticed that her clothes were not cheap either, she was the first to greet her. “Aiyo, is this your first time here, Miss? Are you looking for ladies or gentlemen?”

However, why did this young lady look more and more familiar the longer she looked?

At this moment, someone nearby recognized Qiu Jinning.

“It’s Miss Qiu.”

“Which Miss Qiu could it be? Qiu Jinning, the county magistrate’s daughter.”

“You don’t even recognize Beauty Qiu, who is famous throughout Jiuqu County? How ignorant. Miss Qiu is not only extraordinarily talented, she also looks… just look at her. It would not be too much to say she could topple kingdoms and cities.”