The sound of the wooden clapper came from afar at the third watch of the night, dull and long, shattering the brief tranquility in the deep residence of the Shen family. In Shen Ruoxin's small embroidery house, the candlelight flickered, reflecting her slightly pale yet exceptionally focused face.
The bowl of red date and lotus seed soup, which symbolized the birthday, had long gone cold and was discarded aside. At the so-called "birthday dinner party", she made an excuse that she was not feeling well and eventually avoided it. She dared not think about what humiliation and calculation she would face at this moment if she had gone. The conversation between Lady Liu and Shopkeeper Wang was like a cold needle, every word and sentence pricking her heart.
Time is pressing. She can't wait any longer.
The pear blossom wood box left by her mother was her last trump card. She would never show it to others easily unless it was absolutely necessary. Before that, she had to take as much initiative as possible, and the foundation on which the Shen family relied for survival - those mountains of account books - might be hiding the key to breaking the deadlock.
Not only did she have to preserve her mother's dowry, but she also had to figure out how much more her elder brother Shen Zhongkang and stepmother Liu had tampered with the Shen family's vast fortune, apart from coveting her private property. The father was seriously ill and the power was lost. During this period of time, it was enough for them to do many things.
However, it is far more difficult to consult the account books of the Shen family's main business than to "ask" out the accounts of the mother's dowry before. The main accounting room was guarded more strictly. Although Liu Accounting Room was somewhat wary, he ultimately obeyed the orders of his elder brother and wife who were actually in power now.
The night is like ink, which is the best cover for action.
Shen Ruoxin changed into a dark dress that was convenient for movement, simply coiled up her hair bun, and wrapped her mouth and nose with a piece of dark silk cloth, revealing only a pair of clear and vigilant eyes. She opened the door silently, like a shadow in the dark night, blending into the silent courtyard.
With her familiarity with the layout of the Shen family, she avoided the routes of several night watchmen and arrived at the outer edge of the courtyard where the main accounting room was located with ease. Sure enough, there were two strong and capable servants guarding the gate of the courtyard, who were exactly the confidants of Lady Liu.
It's absolutely impossible to go all out.
Shen Ruoxin did not approach but went around to the back wall of the accounting room courtyard. Here is an old locust tree with luxuriant branches. One of its thick branches is slanting against the courtyard wall. This is the "secret passage" she discovered while playing in her childhood. It has not been used for many years and it is unknown whether it can still be put to use.
After observing for a moment to make sure there was no one around, she took a deep breath and climbed up the tree trunk with both hands and feet. The movements were not proficient and even a bit clumsy. He didn't care if his sleeves were cut by the rough bark. When she climbed onto the branch resting on the top of the wall, she steaxed herself, held her breath, and slipped into the wall carefully like a gecko.
It landed silently.
A faint light was shining through the window of the accounting room. It seemed that there was still someone inside.
Shen Ruoxin's heart stirred. She quietly moved closer to the window and peeked in through the gap in the window lattice.
The one sitting at the desk under the lamp turned out to be Liu, the accountant. His brows were furrowed as he rapidly dialed the abacus and recorded something in the account book, his face full of exhaustion and anxiety.
Why is he still here so late? Could it be that the Liu family and the others have some new instructions?
Shen Ruoxin didn't act rashly. She just patiently hid in the shadow outside the window, observing quietly.
Inside the room, Liu, the accountant, seemed to have figured out something difficult. He impatiently put down his abacus, rubbed his brows, and muttered to himself, underestimating, "This..." Why is there so much inventory in this silk and satin store? Didn't we just say a few months ago that the market was good and we bought a large amount of new goods from Suzhou and Hangzhou? Why is the shipment so slow... This capital turnover is probably going to have problems...
Silk and satin Store? Overstocked inventory? Capital turnover?
Shen Ruoxin's heart gave a sudden jolt!
The Shen family's main business, apart from a few farmlands and pawnshops, was the largest silk and satin store in the city - "Jinxiu Pavilion". This accounts for more than 70% of the Shen family's income sources. My father, Shen Wanshan, started his business by running the Jinxiu Pavilion and gradually built the Shen family into a well-known wealthy merchant in the Jiangnan region.
The person Liu met today was Wang, the owner of "Jinxiu Cloth Shop". However, the Shen family's own "Jinxiu Pavilion" silk and satin store has encountered problems of overstocking and capital turnover? Could there be any connection between the two?
Shen Ruoxin suppressed her suspicion and continued to listen.
Liu, the accountant, seemed to have flipped through another account book, his brows furrowed even tighter: "Strange..." These several advance payments to "Yuanfengxing" are not small in amount. Logically, the goods should have been received long ago. Why is there no sign at all? And this sum... The freight charges paid to the "Hengtong" foot service in the west of the city have also increased by more than 30% compared to usual... How has the young master managed this account recently..."
Yuanfengxing is one of the long-term cooperative raw silk suppliers of the Shen family. Hengtong Shipping Company is responsible for transporting most of the goods for the Shen family. Can't receive the advance payment? Has the freight rate abnormally increased?
These fragmented pieces of information, like scattered pearls, rapidly strung together in Shen Ruoxin's mind. Although she was not a top business genius in her previous life, she was exposed to the information explosion era and still had basic business logic and financial risk awareness. All these signs point to one possibility - someone is taking advantage of their position to embezzle their own pockets, or even... Empty one's savings!
Big Brother Shen Zhongkang, does he really have the ability to manage such a large family business well? Or is it that all of this was originally a meticulously planned scheme by him and the Liu family?
No. One must see the account books with their own eyes!
Shen Ruoxin no longer hesitated. She tapped the window lattice gently, giving out the secret signal three times, two times, three times. This was an agreement she made with the accountant Liu in her early years, just in case of any unexpected needs. Liu Zhanfang had received the kindness of her biological mother in the past, and he still held some old feelings and respect for her, the second young lady.
The sound of the abacus in the room came to an abrupt halt. Liu, the accountant, raised his head warily and asked, "Who?"
"Uncle Liu, it's me." Shen Ruoxin lowered her voice.
Liu, the accountant, was clearly taken aback. After a moment's hesitation, he got up and walked to the window, carefully opening a crack. Seeing that it was indeed Shen Ruoxin outside, his expression changed involuntarily: "Second Miss?" You... Why are you... at this time?
"Uncle Liu, I have an urgent matter. I must immediately check the account books of Jinxiu Pavilion for the past three months, especially the transaction records of inventory, purchasing and shipping." Shen Ruoxin's tone was beyond doubt and her eyes were sharp. "I heard everything you said just now." The current situation of the Shen family is well known to you and me. If there is really a major problem with the Splendid Pavilion, how could there be any intact eggs when the nest is broken?
Liu's expression changed, and fine beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Of course he knew that what Shen Ruoxin said was the truth. These days, after the eldest son took charge of the accounts, many of his operations were rather strange. Although he had doubts, he dared not say much. But if the foundation of the Shen family is truly shaken, what good outcome could this accountant of mine have?
"Second Miss..." This... This is against the rules... Liu, the accountant, was still hesitating. "The Young master has instructed that the account books must not..."
"Rules?" Shen Ruoxin sneered, "The biggest rule in the Shen family now is to survive!" Father is seriously ill. Elder brother... Not necessarily capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities. If someone takes the opportunity to deplete the family business, who among you, me, and the entire Shen family can remain unscathed? Uncle Liu, you've been with your father for twenty years. Are you just going to stand by and watch the Shen family fall apart in an instant?
Her voice was not high, but every word was heart-wrenching.
Liu's expression became even more gloomy. His lips quivered a few times. Finally, he let out a long sigh, as if he had made up his mind: "Second Miss, please wait a moment."
He turned and went back into the house, blew out most of the candles, leaving only a dim oil lamp. Then, he walked to the back door and gently pulled open the bolt.
Shen Ruoxin darted in.
"Thank you, Uncle Liu." She said in a low voice.
Liu Zhangfang waved his hand, his face full of bitterness: "Second Miss, you need to hurry up." There were many spies and ears on the side of the young master and his wife. If discovered, old man... I'm afraid I can't afford it.
"I understand." Shen Ruoxin nodded, her gaze quickly sweeping over the neatly arranged accounting cabinets. "Find out the general ledgers, inventory ledgers, purchasing ledgers, sales ledgers of Jinxiu Pavilion for the past three months, as well as the detailed ledgers of transactions with Yuanfengxing and Hengtong Footwork."
Liu, the accountant, did not dare to be negligent. Relying on his years of familiarity, he quickly pulled out several thick account books from the depths of the accounting cabinet.
Shen Ruoxin took the account books and, without disturbing the guards outside, sat down at an unremarkable small table in the corner of the accounting room. By the light as big as a bean, she quickly began to flip through them.
Her flipping through the pages was extremely fast, her fingers skimming over lines of numbers and entries, her brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed. Liu Zhanfang stood aside, looking at the girl's focused and calm profile under the lamp, and couldn't help feeling a bit dazed in his heart. This second young lady, who usually seemed gentle and quiet, now faintly exuded a sharpness and efficiency that was not in line with her age, just like... The master in his youth.
Shen Ruoxin's attention was completely focused on the account books. Her memories from her previous life are like a huge database. Although the specific business knowledge needs to be adjusted in combination with the background of this era, the core logic and analytical methods are the same.
First, there is the inventory account. She carefully checked the storage dates, quantities and types of various silks. Just as Liu Zhangfang was worried, in the past three months, Jinxiu Pavilion has indeed consumed a large amount of high-quality silk, especially the expensive Yun brocade and kesi, with the amount of silk stored far exceeding that of the same period in previous years. However, on the corresponding sales books, the shipment volume of these high-end silks is very small, resulting in a huge inventory backlog.
"No..." Shen Ruoxin muttered to herself. She remembers very clearly that in the basic business knowledge she learned in her previous life, high-value goods usually pursue a high turnover rate to reduce capital occupation and storage costs. Stockpiling such a large amount of expensive and potentially outdated silk is completely contrary to normal business logic. Unless...
She quickly dug through the mine to buy it, her eyes fixed on the transaction records with "Yuanfengxing". Sure enough, the purchase price of this batch of high-end silk was at least 10% higher than the market price! Moreover, the payment method is full advance payment!
"Pay the full amount in advance to purchase high-priced goods and then accumulate them in large quantities in the warehouse?" A glint of coldness flashed in Shen Ruoxin's eyes. "This is not doing business at all. This is transferring assets!"
She then went through the detailed accounts of her transactions with "Hengtong Foot Walk". There is indeed a problem with the freight. Not only is the single shipping cost inflated, but there are also many inexplicable short-distance transportation records. The destinations are all a few unremarkable warehouses on the outskirts of the city, but the shipping costs are outrageously high.
When these abnormal purchasing records, inventory data and transportation costs are strung together, a clear thread gradually emerges - someone is taking advantage of the purchasing and transportation links to transfer a large amount of the Shen family's funds under legal names!
And those high-end silks piled up in the warehouse are probably just a cover-up to conceal the true whereabouts of the funds. Even so, these accumulated "inventories" can be sold off at a low price in the future under reasons such as "poor management" or "market changes", further rationalizing the losses.
What a win-win plan!
So, where did these transferred funds go?
Shen Ruoxin's gaze returned to the shopping account once again. Besides Yuanfengxing, she noticed that in the past month, there had been a new supplier on her account - "Jinxiu Cloth Shop"!
What is purchased is not silk raw materials, but... A large amount of ordinary cotton cloth and linen are available, but their prices are 20% to 30% higher than the market price!
Jinxiu Pavilion is a silk and satin store. Why does it purchase a large amount of ordinary cotton and linen with inflated prices? This makes no sense at all!
Unless... This is not a real transaction at all!
This is just a channel for money laundering! Under the guise of false purchasing, they openly transferred the money of the Shen family to Shopkeeper Wang's Jinxiu Cloth Store!
And what benefits can Mrs. Liu and her elder brother gain from it?
Then it was linked to the conspiracy between the Liu family and the shopkeeper Wang regarding her marriage...
Shen Ruoxin understood instantly!
This is not merely about emptying one's savings; it's more of a deal! Liu Shi and her elder brother used the money from the Shen family to bribe Wang Shopkeeper, getting him to cooperate in this "marriage alliance" drama, with the aim of legally seizing her mother's dowry and completely removing this obstacle from her!
What a sinister and vicious plot! First, use the Shen family's money to bribe the accomplice, then use the accomplice to deal with her, and finally swallow up the Shen family's business as well!
Shen Ruoxin felt a chill spread from the bottom of her heart to every part of her body. She had always believed that Liu Shi and her elder brother were merely greedy and wanted to seize the family property. Little did they expect that their methods would be so despicable and their hearts so malicious. They were even willing to empty the foundation of the Shen family to put her to death!
Father... How heartbroken he would be if he knew that the family business he valued most, his eldest son whom he had placed high hopes on, was destroying the family's reputation in such a way?
The flickering lights illuminated the shock, anger and desolation on Shen Ruoxin's face with extraordinary clarity.
She slowly closed the account book, her fingertips turning slightly pale due to the force applied.
Second Miss, you... What did you find out? Liu Zhanfang looked at her expression and asked carefully.
Shen Ruoxin raised her head. The confusion and vulnerability in her eyes had faded away, replaced by a kind of calmness and determination beyond her age.
"Uncle Liu," her voice was calm but carried an unquestionable power, "From now on, I will personally review every account and every contract of the Splendid Pavilion." Also, help me prepare a detailed list of all the properties of the Shen family, including shops, farmlands, warehouses, and... A list of all the shopkeepers and key assistants.
Liu, the accountant, was stunned: "Second Miss, what are you doing...?"
I want to take back what belongs to me. Shen Ruoxin stood up and looked out of the window at the deep night with a determined gaze. "And..." Something belonging to the Shen family.