Since obtaining the actual management rights, Shen Ruoxin has almost made the Jinxiu Pavilion her home. During the day, I handle external affairs, and at night, I sort out those old and chaotic accounts together with Liu, the accountant, under the lamp. The more she combed, the tighter her brows knitted.
The Shen family still uses the traditional single-entry bookkeeping method, which is like a running account, only recording income and expenditure, making it difficult to clearly reflect assets, liabilities and the true profit and loss situation. Worse still, during the period when Liu Shi and Shen Zhongkang were in charge, the account records were made casually, many items were ambiguous, and there were even obvious traces of human alterations and confusion. It is simply like looking for a needle in a haystack to figure out the real flow of funds and the source of the deficit from it.
"Accountant Liu, why was the expenditure on purchasing Suzhou embroidery silk thread last month 20% higher than the market price?" Who was the person in charge? Shen Ruoxin pointed at a line of words in the account book, her voice revealing exhaustion.
Liu, the accountant, moved closer to take a look. His dim old eyes narrowed for a long time before he said uncertainly, "Miss Hui Er, this..." It seems that the eldest young master ordered the purchase at that time, saying that it was to be given as a gift to some noble person, and he specially picked the best materials...
"Giving gifts?" To whom? Is there any record?
This... The young master didn't say anything, and the little one didn't dare to ask any more questions... Liu, the accountant, lowered his head and his voice grew fainter and fainter.
Shen Ruoxin sighed helplessly. Similar situations abound. Unclear accounts not only prevent her from accurately assessing the asset status and formulating effective business strategies, but also make her worry whether there are deeper tricks hidden, such as embezzlement of public funds or personal gain.
"Accountant Liu, you have been the accountant in the Shen family for decades and are highly experienced." However, this single-entry bookkeeping method has too many drawbacks and is difficult to supervise. Shen Ruoxin said in a deep voice, "If this continues, even if business improves, it's hard to guarantee that we won't be taken advantage of and repeat the same mistakes."
Liu, the accountant, wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "The second young lady is right." Just... This method of keeping accounts has been passed down from generation to generation, the small ones... That's all I can do. He looked troubled, both acknowledging the drawbacks of the old law and being powerless to change it.
Shen Ruoxin knew that it was unrealistic to expect Liu's accountant to carry out a thorough financial reform. He is old, has a rigid mind and a weak character, and is easily influenced by others. She urgently needs an accountant who is truly proficient in mathematics, has a clear mind and, most importantly, is absolutely reliable to help her establish a brand-new, more scientific and more rigorous financial management system.
This person must be extremely sensitive to numbers and be able to find clues from the complex accounts. One must have sufficient courage and principles, not be afraid of pressure, and dare to expose problems. One must also be loyal to her and be able to become her trusted confidant in controlling the financial lifeline of the Jinxiu Pavilion.
Such talents are hard to come by.
The days passed one by one in the midst of intense busyness. On this day, Shen Ruoxin personally went to the "Deshengxiang" cloth store in the west of the city to recover a sum of money that had been in arrears for nearly a year. This fabric store is not large in scale, but the owner is well-known for his sharpness. The previous few times he sent the staff there, they were all repected by a few words from him.
When Shen Ruoxin arrived, it was the afternoon and Buzhuangli was deserted. No sooner had she stepped through the threshold than she heard a fierce quarrel coming from the inner room.
"... The surname Wang! I'll give you one last chance! Will you accept this account or not? It was clearly your own mistake in calculating back then and you overpaid. Now you want to blame me?" A hoarse male voice roared. It was none other than Mr. Zhou, the boss of Deshengxiang.
Boss Zhou! The accounts are crystal clear, written in black and white! It was you who misjudged and took in the third-grade cloth at the price of first-grade cloth! On the inspection form, you signed it yourself! A slightly aged but vigorous voice retorted, its tone brimming with anger and grievance.
Bullshit! I was too drunk at that time. Who knows if you did anything to tamper with it? I think you are just an old liar! Can't settle the accounts and still want to blackmail the employer? Let me tell you, there's no door at all! Hurry up and pack up for me! Get out! Wages? Not a penny! Just consider it as compensating for the loss of this batch of goods for me! Boss Zhou's voice is rude and unreasonable.
You... You are spitting at people! "Too much!" The old voice trembled, "I, Mr. Wang, have been an accountant for thirty years. I have handled countless amounts of money and never made a single mistake!" Even more disdainful of doing such sordid things! If you don't admit it, how dare you defame my innocence!
"Innocence?" Humph! Who knows? Get out of here quickly! Get out now! I'll have someone shoot you out!
With a furious shout, an old man in a semi-worn long gown, with grizzled hair and a thin build was roughly pushed out by a fellow. He staggered a few steps and nearly fell down. He held a dilapidated abacus and several account books tightly in his arms. His face was filled with humiliation and grief, and his eyes were red, but he held back his tears.
Shen Ruoxin stood at the door and saw this scene clearly. She recognized this old man, who was known as "Iron Abacus", Uncle Wang. It was said that he had worked as the general accountant in a large business in the capital for over a decade, but for some unknown reason, he ended up here. This person is highly skilled in mathematics and is notorious for his straightforwardness and meticulousness. However, he has offended many people because of this and has run several shops but failed to last long.
Looking at Wang Bo's down-and-out yet stubborn figure, Shen Ruoxin's heart stirred. Isn't this exactly the person she's looking for? Proficient in mathematics, with a strong sense of principle, yet encountering difficulties at the same time.
She didn't step forward immediately. Instead, she watched quietly as Uncle Wang straightened his clothes, straightened his somewhat hunched back, and walked out of Deshengxiang step by step, slowly but firmly. His back figure exuded the aloofness and unyielding spirit of a scholar.
Shen Ruoxin ignored Boss Zhou, who was still cursing in the inner room, and turned around to quickly follow him.
At a quiet tea stand on the street corner, Shen Ruoxin called out to Uncle Wang.
"Uncle Wang, please wait a moment."
Wang Bo turned his head upon hearing the sound and saw it was Shen Ruoxin. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then his eyes dimmed again. He bowed his hands and said, "So it's the second daughter of the Shen family." I don't know... What advice do you have? It was obvious that he had also heard about the recent turmoil in the Shen family and the matter of this second young lady taking over the Jin INDOW Pavilion.
"Not worthy of it." Shen Ruoxin motioned for him to sit down at the tea stand and personally poured him a cup of coarse tea. "Just now in front of Deshengxiang's door, I overheard some disputes by accident." Uncle Wang has been wronged.
Uncle Wang gave a wry smile and his hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Second Miss." When one gets old and becomes useless, they can't even keep a job to make a living. The tone was filled with loneliness and helplessness.
"Uncle Wang is well-versed in mathematics and has a good reputation. How could he not be useful?" " Shen Ruoxin looked at him and said, "To be frank, the incident just now was probably not due to Uncle Wang's miscalculation. It was because Boss Zhou of Deshengxiang himself received the wrong goods and wanted to shift the loss onto the accountant, right?"
Wang Bo suddenly raised his head and looked at Shen Ruoxin in surprise: "Second Miss..." How to know?
"Guessed." Shen Ruoxin smiled slightly, "I've heard a little about Boss Zhou's character." And your reputation as an "ironclad abacus" is even more well-known. It's not hard to tell who is right and who is wrong between a person who doesn't even recognize the inspection form signed by himself and someone who has been the accountant for thirty years without ever making a mistake.
A trace of gratitude flashed in Uncle Wang's eyes, but then it turned bitter: "So what if you can tell?" In today's world, those who are stubborn and inflexible can't make a living...
That's not necessarily the case. Shen Ruoxin changed the subject and said, "I'm just afraid that with all my skills, I won't encounter someone who truly recognizes your worth, dares to use them, and trusts you."
Wang Bo was taken aback and looked up at Shen Ruoxin. He saw that the young second lady's eyes shone with a sharpness and composure that did not match her age.
"To be honest," Shen Ruoxin came straight to the point, "Our Jinxiu Pavilion is now in need of a truly trustworthy and capable chief accountant." I wonder if Uncle Wang... Are you interested in making concessions?
Uncle Wang was stunned. He didn't expect Shen Ruoxin to directly extend an invitation to him. Who in the city is unaware of the mess in the Splendid Pavilion nowadays? The internal strife within the Shen family has been spreading like wildfire. This young lady, at such a young age, has taken over such a shop on the verge of bankruptcy. She can't even protect herself, so how can she still recruit staff? Not to mention, it was to recruit a down-and-out accountant like him who had just been kicked out?
He hesitated and said, "I appreciate the kindness of the second young lady." Just... The old man also knows a little about the situation of the Splendid Pavilion. Old and weak, I'm afraid... I can't be of much help. This was a tactful refusal of his, not wanting to jump into another fire pit.
"Uncle Wang is worried that the future of the Splendid Pavilion is uncertain, or that I, a woman, can't make the decisions in my family, or perhaps..." Worried about repeating the mistakes of Deshengxiang and being wrongly accused again? Shen Ruoxin pointed out his concerns incisively.
Uncle Wang fell silent, which could be regarded as his tacit consent.
Shen Ruoxin looked at him, her tone becoming solemn: "I don't deny the difficulties of the Splendid Pavilion." I am also well aware of the internal problems of the Shen family. But since I, Shen Ruoxin, have taken over, I have the determination to go all out! I not only want to bring the Splendid Pavilion back to life, but also establish a brand-new accounting system that no one can tamper with anymore!
She moved closer, her voice lowered, but it carried a strange allure: "Uncle Wang, do you know a way of keeping accounts called 'double-entry bookkeeping'?"
"Double-entry bookkeeping?" A trace of confusion flashed in Uncle Wang's eyes, but then it seemed as if he remembered something, revealing a puzzled look. "It seems..." In what ancient books have I seen sporadic records stating that "where there is borrowing, there must be borrowing; borrowing and borrowing must be equal"... But how to apply it specifically has long been lost. Could it be... Does the second young lady understand this method? An unbelievable light burst in his eyes. A true accountant, the longing for more sophisticated accounting methods was deeply rooted in his bones.
Have a rough idea. Shen Ruoxin did not fully admit it, retaining a certain sense of mystery. "This method is logically rigorous, with clear interrelationships. Assets, liabilities, equity, income, and expenses are all immediately understandable." For each transaction, there are two or more accounts that are interrelated and mutually restrictive. It's extremely difficult to tamper with the accounts!
She briefly described the core principle and advantages of the double-entry bookkeeping method, and every word struck a chord in Uncle Wang's heart. For an accountant who has spent his entire life pursuing clear, accurate and fair accounts, this is simply a "magic tool" that he has never heard of and longed for!
Uncle Wang was so excited that his hands were trembling and his breathing became rapid: "In this world..." Is there really such a sophisticated way of keeping accounts?
"Absolutely true." Shen Ruoxin replied with certainty, "I need someone to help me set up this method in the Jinxiu Pavilion, thoroughly sort out those old and bad accounts, and make the origin and destination of every penny clear and transparent!" This person must be proficient in mathematics, meticulous in thinking, and even more so, upright and unyielding, unafraid of pressure!
She stared at Uncle Wang with intense eyes and said, "Uncle Wang, looking at the entire prefectural city, apart from you, I can't think of any other person!" I not only grant you the position of the general accountant, but also allow you to be fully responsible for establishing and implementing this new accounting system! The salary is generous and there will be no shortage! You are only responsible for me! The clear, fair and strict accounts you pursue can all be achieved by me!
These words, like a bolt from the blue, dispelled the gloom in Uncle Wang's heart! He looked at the young yet extraordinary woman in front of him, at the unquestionable determination and trust in her eyes, and then thought of the miraculous "double-entry bookkeeping method"... His heart, which had long been silent, began to beat violently again!
The humiliation of being wronged, the loneliness of being talented but not being recognized, the confusion about the future... At this moment, it seems that there is an outlet for venting and a new direction!
He suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Shen Ruoxin, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Second Miss!" If you truly trust me, I am willing to entrust you with such an important task. I... I am willing to do my best! A man will die for his confidant! Just hope... I have no regrets in this life for being able to establish and apply that "double-entry bookkeeping method" with my own hands!
Shen Ruoxin quickly helped him up and said, "Uncle Wang is too harsh!" We achieve mutual success! With your help, why should the Splendid Pavilion not be revitalized?