Chapter 88: Nurturing

Little Daiyu lifted her chin, meeting Qin Zhen’s gaze without a hint of fear, her eyes clear and resolute.

“Little girl, don’t cause trouble,” Li Han grumbled in his deep, booming voice. “We need someone who can handle accounts and keep the books, not a child playing house.”

“Well, since there’s no one else, why not let me try?” Daiyu persisted.

Despite her tender age, the hardships she’d endured had matured her far beyond her years. She understood all too well that in this world, no kindness came without reason. Qin Zhen might have intervened on a whim of compassion, but there was no guarantee he would help her a second time.

For a girl with no one to rely on, surviving in this ruthless world would not be easy. She must prove her worth to Qin Zhen; only then could she secure some safety for herself and her little sister.

Qin Zhen asked, “Let me give you a question. In a cage, there are chickens and rabbits. From above, you count thirty-five heads; from below, ninety-four feet. How many chickens and how many rabbits are there?”

Li Han was stumped, counting on his fingers, unable to make sense of the logic.

Daiyu, however, replied at once, “Twenty-three chickens and twelve rabbits.”

“You answered that fast?” Chen Shu was taken aback.

“My sister is amazing!” Qingwen piped up in her childish voice. “The schoolteacher always praises her for being clever, says she’s a genius at arithmetic!”

In the Grand Shang, the state was founded on literature. Scholarship was esteemed above all else, while practical skills like arithmetic and engineering—what scholars often disparaged as mere tricks—were looked down upon. The prevailing belief was that only learning the classics led to advancement.

Few would deliberately invite a teacher to their home to instruct their children in mathematics; usually, it was the Four Books and Five Classics, teaching them to read and write. The exception was children born into merchant families, who needed arithmetic for their future.

This made Qin Zhen all the more curious about this little girl. He asked another question, “I have nine hundred ninety-nine coins and bought a thousand units of cloth and silk thread in total. Eleven coins buy nine bolts of cloth, four coins buy seven skeins of silk thread. How many units of each did I purchase, and how much did each cost?”

This question was even more difficult than the previous one. The earlier problem was from The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, while this one hailed from The Jade Mirror of the Four Unknowns.

“Han, why is it I know every word you just said, but put together I can’t make sense of it?” Li Han scratched his head, feeling the disparity in the world. People in the village often called him slow-witted, but he’d never believed it—until now, when he felt, for the first time, that perhaps he really wasn’t so smart.

“Don’t interrupt,” Qin Zhen said, his full attention on Daiyu as she pondered deeply. Inwardly, he found himself hoping: “Can she really figure it out?”

“Six hundred fifty-seven bolts of cloth for eight hundred three coins; three hundred forty-three skeins of silk for one hundred ninety-six coins,” Daiyu replied confidently.

“Is that right?” Chen Shu looked to Qin Zhen. Fighting was his forte; arithmetic, not so much. In the Flying Fish Battalion, it was all about who was the bravest, who feared death the least, and who had the best martial skills.

Qin Zhen couldn’t help but applaud. He’d never expected to find such a treasure on a mere impulse of pity.

“You didn’t even use an abacus—solved it all in your head?” he exclaimed. In this world, after all, there was no multiplication table. For most people, even mastering addition and subtraction within a hundred was impressive! Many professional clerks couldn’t calculate as quickly and accurately as Daiyu. How did this little girl do it? Could she truly be a prodigy?

Meeting Qin Zhen’s gaze, Daiyu straightened her neck and asked, “Can I help now?”

“Of course,” he replied.

Were she not just an eight- or nine-year-old child, Qin Zhen would have entrusted her with the business of his shop in the port city without hesitation. Still, to find a mathematical genius was a blessing! Even if she couldn’t manage the shop herself, she could at least shoulder a significant part of the accounting burden for him.

“From now on, you’ll stay by my side.”

Qin Zhen envisioned his commercial ambitions growing ever larger, requiring a variety of trusted staff to manage different divisions. And who could be more trustworthy than someone he’d nurtured himself? What could be better than having a female manager raised under his own guidance?

Of course, that depended on whether Daiyu truly had the talent.

“After supper, everyone bathe, change into clean clothes, tidy up, and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning, assemble in the courtyard,” Qin Zhen instructed. It was late, and fatigue was setting in. He pointed to Daiyu and Qingwen, then told Li Han, “Give the sisters their own room, and have a few of the sharper women look after them. Don’t let the children be frightened.”

That night—

A sharp crash echoed through the Chen residence.

A fine piece of porcelain was shattered to pieces by Third Master Chen.

“Master, we’ve found out—the young man from today is named Qin Zhen, from a small fishing village. The people with him are local militia, which is why they carry knives,” the gaunt steward reported nervously. He had served Third Master Chen for years but had never seen him so furious.

“Qin Zhen of the fishing village?” Third Master Chen narrowed his eyes. “Just a villager, yet so arrogant?”

“He must be riding on Chen Kuai’s coattails,” the steward suggested.

At the mention of Chen Kuai, a shadow flickered across Third Master Chen’s face. Chen Kuai had originally been a little-known distant relative of the family, but somehow caught the eye of Zhang Miao and was promoted to constable. Recently, he had inexplicably slain sea bandits who had landed to plunder, and so rose rapidly to become a powerful city guard in the port city.

By rights, Third Master Chen should have been pleased—at last, an official from the family. But unfortunately, Chen Kuai was from a collateral branch, not the main line! If the collateral branch grew too powerful, they might take over entirely.

“Master, it’s just a couple of little slaves. Is it worth upsetting the family over this? After all, Master Chen is now favored by the city lord—many in the family rely on him…” The steward’s words trailed off as he met Third Master Chen’s cold glare, and he dared not continue.

Third Master Chen was seething. He had been rooted in this city for years—even Huang Dalang had to bow and call him Third Master. And yet Qin Zhen, a mere country boy, dared snatch away those he had his eye on? Even drew a blade on him?! If he let this pass, who would respect him in the future?

“There’s no place in this city for such arrogance!” Third Master Chen clearly intended to send a message to the upstart Chen Kuai—and to teach Qin Zhen, this insolent brat, a harsh lesson.

“But, Master, those men are armed…” the steward said anxiously.

“And I’m not?” Third Master Chen’s glare silenced him at once.

“He’ll be alone at some point, won’t he?” Third Master Chen paused, then said coldly, “Whatever it takes—I want that boy’s hand!”