Curiously, I opened it and read aloud.
It was a story about a fisherman who often returned empty-handed but eventually found treasure and helped others.
It was an interesting story, but before I could finish, she snatched the book back with a fierce look.
She handed me an ink stick, brush, inkstone, and paper, instructing me to write the fisherman's name and other details.
Once I did as she instructed, she took the paper back, examined what I had written, and returned it to me.
Finally, she brought out a huge book and asked, "How many copper coins are in 3 taels 6 qian of silver?"
"3,600 copper coins," I replied.
"Huh?! N-not bad… you didn't even use paper to solve this!"
I rolled my eyes at her.
Seriously?
That was such a childish question.
I was partially offended.
It was a well-known fact: 1 silver tael = 1,000 copper coins, and 1 qian of silver = 100 copper coins.
I had learned this well before I turned ten.
She continued with increasingly complex questions:
"You're lending 1 silver tael for one twentieth interest for seven months. How much should you receive from the debtor at the end of the seventh month?"
"1 silver tael and 350 copper coins."
"You bought 7 honey balls for 7 copper coins each for 7 days. How much did you spend in total?"
"343 copper coins."
"You've lent 50 silver taels for 4 harvests, with a monthly interest of one twenty-fifth, compounded interest. How much would you ask for at the end of the fourth harvest?"
"149 silver taels and 870 copper coins."
"You took a loan of 500 silver taels with a monthly interest rate of one-twentieth. The loan had a condition: if you failed to pay for six consecutive months, the total interest accumulated over those six months would be added to the principal, and from the next month onward, interest would be calculated on the new total. If you didn't pay anything for five years, how much would you owe at the end of the fifth year?"
"Six thousand eight hundred ninety-two silver taels and nine hundred thirty-two copper coins…"
As she asked more questions, the difficulty gradually increased, but I found myself becoming more and more interested.
Just as I was expecting the next question, she suddenly stopped.
When I looked at her, I noticed her biting her lips tightly while gripping the book in her hands.
Hic.
Soon, tears began to fall from her eyes as she pointed her finger at me and shouted, "You are cheating…!!"
"Huh?! Sister Yulan, why are you crying?!"
"Because you *sniff* cheated…"
"What? No, I didn't…"
"Yes… you did…"
"No, I am not…"
"Yes, you cheated…"
"How did I cheat?"
"I *sob* don't know…"
"…"
What is going on?
What did I do?
Why did she suddenly start crying?
Why would someone cheat to solve a simple calculation?
The one who should be crying is me.
My uncle and aunt were plotting to steal my lands.
I came here seeking help, yet now I was being accused for no reason and dragged into her whims.
If I started crying, I would cry until this whole house was filled with my tears.
I didn't know what to do anymore.
I looked at Uncle Chen, who was staring at me with wide eyes, and hurriedly said, "Uncle Chen, I swear I didn't do anything… Sister Yulan asked the questions, and I just answered them, that's all. I don't know why she's crying. Please help me calm Sister Yulan…"
Hearing my words, Uncle Chen came over.
However, instead of comforting his daughter, he took the book from her hands and looked through it for a moment before heading toward the inner room, saying, "Wait here for a moment…"
"Uncle Chen, where are you going?" I asked.
My question received no answer.
I felt incredibly awkward sitting beside a crying girl.
Just then, Yuer, who was only four years old, appeared out of nowhere.
She toddled over with unsteady steps and suddenly slapped my cheek with her tiny palm, shouting, "Bad guy…!"
"Bad guy? Me?"
I stared at her in shock.
Her hit didn't hurt me even a bit, but her words did.
Even a child was accusing me now?!
She glared at me fiercely, anger burning in her eyes.
"Yuer," Yulan sniffed, "you shouldn't hit others like that…"
Thankfully, Yulan calmed down a little.
She pulled her younger sister close and made her sit on her lap.
Still, the little girl continued glaring at me as if she wanted to slap me again.
Yulan gently grabbed Yuer's hands as she repeated her words, "You shouldn't hit others like that… even if they are cheaters…"
I wanted to retort, but I didn't open my mouth again.
I felt like anything I said would be held against me.
Uncle Chen returned with some notes and took a seat on the floor beside us, crossing his legs.
As if nothing had happened, he pulled both Yuer and Yulan onto his lap, making them sit quietly, before gesturing for me to look at the notebook.
A bad feeling arose in my heart.
"Little Tianyuan, this is my account book. Here, this person's name is Zhou Fusheng. He borrowed forty taels of silver at an interest rate of one twenty-fifth, thirty-eight lunar months ago. Try to calculate how much he owes me now."
I looked at Uncle Chen fearfully.
"Uncle Chen… are you going to call me a cheater too once I'm done calculating, and slap me after calling me a bad guy?"
I was truly scared right now.
This family is scary.
They give you work, and if you do it, they slap you.
Uncle Chen was baffled at my question.
He slowly looked at his two daughters, then back at me, before bursting out laughing and saying,
"No, I wouldn't do such a thing…"
I reluctantly took the notebook and went through the details.
From the records, the person seemed to be some kind of shop owner.
He had borrowed forty taels of silver with a monthly interest of five percent.
Sometimes he paid more than the interest, sometimes less.
Whenever he paid more, part of the principal was deducted accordingly.
Each year, during the winter season, the person didn't seem to pay anything at all.
On the other hand, in spring, the amount he paid was unusually large.