Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 204 Miss, It’s Him

The next morning, there was a master and servant in Huaihua Hutong.

Ning Zhijun brought Xiao Man towards Chen Ce's house. Chen Ce happened to be carrying a basket out to buy vegetables and ran into Ning Zhijun and his servants.

Chen Ce was wearing a light blue long gown and thin jacket. He had a handsome face, but lacked a bit of vitality.

Naturally, he didn't know Ning Zhijun and his servant. He did have a chance to meet Xiao Man, but it had been a month since the Mid-Autumn Festival. How could Chen Ce still remember a little girl?

Seeing that the two people were dressed like rich or noble, but had no idea why they came to a place like Huaihua Hutong, Chen Ce did not pay much attention to them. He made way for them and left with the basket.

Ning Zhijun was a little surprised and didn't know why Xiaoman stopped, but she soon figured it out. Wasn't the person who just passed by the Chen Ce she was looking for?
Last night, Ning Zhijun only told Ning Cheng that she wanted to meet Chen Ce, but when she arrived at Huaihua Hutong, she hesitated again and didn't know what to say even if they met.

Xiao Man's expression was a little tangled. After a long while, her eyes suddenly lit up and she said, "Miss! It's him!"

Ning Zhijun looked at Xiao Man suspiciously and asked, "What is he?"

Xiao Man said, "The couplet we made on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival was something he came up with casually."

Ning Zhijun frowned slightly and asked Xiao Man, "But didn't you say before that it was the eldest son of the Chen family?"

Xiao Man scratched her head: "But they look a bit alike. I just saw that young man and I was sure of it. Miss, I am sure that he was the one who figured it out, really!"

Then why did Chen Zhengye say it was him?
Ning Zhijun seemed to be thinking about something, and then said to Xiao Man, "Follow him and see."

Along the way, Chen Ce was bending over to buy vegetables, bargaining, chatting and laughing with stall owners and vendors, and occasionally chatting about family matters. He was no different from an ordinary citizen.

After the dishes were bought, Chen Ce came to Ning Zhijun and his servant and asked, "You two have been with me for a long time. Is there anything?"

Ning Zhijun hurriedly asked: "How do you know we are following you?"

Chen Ce said: "You two girls are extraordinary in appearance and stand out in the crowd. I am not blind. I have seen you again and again. It would be unreasonable to say it is a coincidence, right?"

Ning Zhijun covered his mouth and laughed: "You are a good talker."

"so what?"

Chen Ce did not let down his guard, nor did he think that the other party favored him just because they smiled at him. His first feeling was that the other party had an ulterior motive.

Ning Zhijun was choked when he heard Chen Ce's unkind words.

Xiao Man hurriedly asked, "Master, have you forgotten? You made a couplet for me on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Chen Ce tried hard to recall, and then asked tentatively: "The wind sways the sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance in the courtyard?"

The little girl nodded like a little chicken pecking at rice, and then looked at her young lady as if showing off, as if saying, Miss, look, if I remember correctly, it's him!
Ning Zhijun nodded and said to Chen Ce, "You helped me out that night, so I came to thank you."

Chen Ce said, "Oh," and shook his head, "I was just in a good mood and didn't mean to help anyone out. You don't have to thank me."

"Farewell."

Chen Ce actually just left like that without saying a single extra word.

Xiao Man was shocked. In the past, when those gentlemen saw young ladies, they would always try their best to get close to them, which was very annoying.

But she had never seen anyone as heartless as Chen Ce.

Even Ning Zhijun narcissistically thought that Chen Ce would exchange a few more words with him, but the result was indeed a bit unexpected.

Is this the marriage my father arranged for me?
Like a hedgehog.

Ning Zhijun was asking for trouble, so he naturally wouldn't force himself on her. He said to Xiao Man, "He helped me out that night. I see that he comes from a poor family. Go give him a tael of silver as a token of your gratitude."

Xiao Man asked, "What about you, young lady?"

Ning Zhijun said: "I won't go."

Xiao Man said, "Isn't one tael of silver too little?"

Ning Zhijun tapped Xiao Man's head and said, "You don't know how expensive firewood and rice are because you don't manage the household. You think one tael of silver is not enough. How much is your monthly salary?" "Half a tael."

Ning Zhijun said speechlessly: "Xiao Man, sometimes I really admire you. You only get such a small salary. People who don't know you would think you can get ten taels a month!"

Xiao Man: “…”

……

Wang Defa delivered the newspaper's profit today. According to Chen Ce's request, Wang Defa will only deliver the salary profit once every three months.

The total net income was more than three hundred taels of silver, which was what Chen Ce and Zhu Houzhao deserved after deducting all costs.

In addition, Wang Defa placed an account book on the stone bench in the courtyard.

Chen Ce was watching carefully. The account book still used the traditional balance method. In fact, according to the principles of accounting, the accrual basis of accounting is the best.

But we can't ask for too much now, because even if Chen Ce explained the accrual basis, Wang Defa might not be able to understand it.

The break-even method is suitable for small businesses and small-scale businesses, but with the development of the newspaper industry, the revenue basis will eventually fail to meet the huge bookkeeping needs.

I'll teach you when I have time, but it's too tiring.

There is no problem with the account books. Wang Defa is conscientious and will not do anything fishy with the account books. Since following Chen Ce, he now earns much more money than simply running a bookstore.

The bookstore was still in operation of course, but it was managed by his wife, and it was half-lived and not making much money.

Wang Defa carefully counted the silver for Chen Ce. The more than three hundred taels had to be weighed before the transaction. Wang Defa was conscientious in his work, which Chen Ce admired very much.

The door was not closed tightly. Xiao Man wanted to go in to give him some money, but when she heard the other party counting out hundreds of taels, she felt that he was bragging.

But the half-open door allowed Xiaoman to clearly see the white silver piled on the stone table.

Xiao Man was struggling with the tael of silver in her hand. Suddenly, she felt too embarrassed to give it in, so she quickly ran away panting with the silver.

"Shame on you, miss. Shame on you!"

Ning Zhijun asked in confusion: "What's embarrassing?"

Xiao Man said, "It would be embarrassing to give him one or two ounces of silver."

"Miss, you didn't see that the silver piled on his stone table is worth hundreds of taels. It's better for us not to give him one tael of silver to thank him."

"People don't like this either."

Ning Zhijun: “?”

"Isn't he poor?"

How come there is so much money?

Xiao Man asked doubtfully, "But Miss, who said he was poor?"

Who said that? Yeah, who said that?

But he personally came out to buy groceries, had no servants around him, and lived in such a small courtyard. Doesn't this mean something?

"No, are you sure? Where did he get so much money?"

Xiao Man shook her head and said, "I don't know either. Will the silver still be given to you?"

Ning Zhijun: “…”

You said it was embarrassing, why did you send it over? Is it embarrassing?

"Forget it, let's go back home first. I'll go ask my father what's going on."