A Misty Night, With A Crystal-Clear Moon - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Account Books and the Promotion

Situ Nuo was constantly filled with questions about Yu Linglong. Shopkeeper Li knew very little, only telling him that this girl was extraordinary, possessing an arrogant face, a reserved demeanor, and a clever, sharp tongue. He also recounted the incident with the maids that night, his voice betraying a hint of fear towards Linglong.

Situ Nuo found this amusing. He didn’t know where Linglong came from or how she ended up at the Moon-Gazing Tower. He, too, was full of curiosity and a desire to investigate her. She was like a puzzle, and he was eager to find the solution.

Since meeting Situ Nuo, Yu Linglong was also filled with curiosity about him. She recalled the circumstances of their first meeting, his name, his title, and his background. He was from the Qingyun Gang (Azure Cloud Gang) and possessed excellent martial arts skills. Shopkeeper Li called him Young Master, suggesting a subtle but significant relationship with the gang leader, Liao Qingyun. It seemed he was not an ordinary thug. Linglong chuckled softly. Even if he’s not a thug, he’s still a petty gangster on the Shanghai Bund.

Though she looked down on the people here, she felt she could leverage Situ Nuo to gather information about Yu Tianqi. Since he was connected to Liao Qingyun, even if he didn’t know about Yu Tianqi’s affairs, he might be able to help her find out from Liao Qingyun.

That evening, Linglong deliberately refused Cui Xin’s offer to help mop the floor and did the cleaning herself. Shopkeeper Li was settled behind the counter, counting the day’s accounts. Linglong walked around and then intentionally stopped behind Shopkeeper Li, watching him work. After a while, Shopkeeper Li sighed softly, a look of pleasure on his face. Just as he was about to close the account book, he heard Linglong say, “Shopkeeper Li, you miscalculated.”

Shopkeeper Li was startled. He turned around to see Linglong looking right at him. He was a bit annoyed. “Nonsense! How dare you sneak a look at my bookkeeping?”

Linglong shrugged. “How was I sneaking a look? I’ve been standing here the whole time. You just didn’t see me.”

Shopkeeper Li saw that she was speaking with a righteous air, and her words made sense. He had to suppress the anger rising in his chest. He waved his hand. “Don’t ever sneak up behind me again.”

“But you really did miscalculate. You counted one fen and five li too much. Shouldn’t you check again?”

Shopkeeper Li initially ignored her, but fearing a potential mistake, he grudgingly opened the ledger and recounted from the beginning. Sure enough, he had overcalculated by one fen and five li. He didn’t believe it and calculated it again; the result was the same. He looked at Yu Linglong, who seemed completely unfazed, his heart filled with curiosity.

“How did you figure that out? Do you know how to calculate accounts?”

“What’s so difficult about it? It’s just a simple numbers game.”

Shopkeeper Li felt growing apprehension due to her confident tone.

“Shopkeeper Li, you calculate carefully and diligently. The error must be due to the dim lighting,” Linglong said.

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Li naturally knew she was saving his face. “You don’t seem like you come from an ordinary family.”

“What does that matter? The most important thing is that I am a servant here now. Since the Moon-Gazing Tower pays me, I should serve the Moon-Gazing Tower well, shouldn’t I?”

Shopkeeper Li nodded. He saw that her forehead was slick with sweat from the labor, and she was visibly thinner than when she arrived. He thought the punishment was sufficient. Moreover, she knew Situ Nuo. Although Situ Nuo hadn’t said anything, he couldn’t afford to be clumsy. He said, “Alright, you don’t need to do such heavy chores anymore. Starting tomorrow, you will clean the third-floor VIP rooms.”

“Um, my sister [Cui Xin] isn’t very well either…”

Shopkeeper Li glanced at her. “Fine, both of you can go.”

She was delighted. “Thank you, Shopkeeper Li.”

The work in the third-floor VIP rooms was not only much cleaner but also lighter and less demanding. Plus, it offered the opportunity to go out twice a week. She was so happy. She felt these last few days had not been wasted after all.