The Husband I Snatched Is Not Right!-Chapter 333 - 330: I Don’t Gossip

Forget it.

Ning Suxuan didn’t want to reprimand her anymore.

Her gaze fell on the amber abacus in the young lady’s arms.

"Are you here for me to assess?"

Ning Suxuan said calmly, "Have you thought it through? You only have two opportunities in total. If you are slow or make a mistake, you must go back."

She didn’t look at Yu Tingwan, waiting for the ink on the Buddhist scriptures she was copying to dry. She placed them gently onto a thick pile of scriptures on the left side of the desk.

The paintings hanging on the wall, Yu Tingwan couldn’t critique them, but the words were recognizable, all from the same hand.

Except the one directly ahead, which had two types of script.

One was strong and flowing, the other delicate and graceful.

The graceful script was identical to what Ning Suxuan had just written.

Yu Tingwan thought, the words and paintings on the wall were probably all done by Wei Fengxing.

"I have thought it through."

Ning Suxuan tidied up the desk and upon hearing this, glanced at Nanny Ru nearby.

Nanny Ru understood immediately, instructing others to bring over a box of account books and a desk convenient for accounting for Yu Tingwan to use.

This setup... Yu Tingwan felt a twitch of her eyelid, an ominous premonition.

Nanny Ru took out that thick pile of account books and placed it in front of Yu Tingwan, then took the hourglass brought by the maid.

Ning Suxuan spun the ill-fitting thumb ring, leaning back into her chair.

"The hourglass measures time for one hour."

"These account books were sent from the pasture over in Dongde not long ago, where cattle and sheep are raised."

"Additionally, there is a farm estate, which produces cherries abundantly."

Cherries?

Those are indeed expensive.

Ning Suxuan: "I calculated these account books in advance. If you can finish them in the set time without errors, you’ll pass this test."

"Next, you’ll learn from me how to manage the household. I will gradually let you handle things on your own, but if even the abacus is wrong, don’t think about anything else."

Yu Tingwan took a deep breath.

"Understood."

Ning Suxuan closed her eyes and lightly raised her hand.

Nanny Ru began timing, as the sand in the hourglass slowly flowed down.

Pitter-patter.

Crisp and quick.

Yu Tingwan worked with both hands together, compensating for her weaknesses.

When a page was done, she didn’t need to move her hand, Tan Jiang turned to the next page for her.

Ning Suxuan, aside from glancing at the focused Yu Tingwan once, became lost in the calligraphy and paintings on the opposite wall.

The main courtyard was large, having two studies; this one was specially set when she first got married.

Ning Suxuan brought many dowries, half of which were paintings and calligraphy. The ones hanging on the walls back then were her dowries, treasures she collected over the years, all works of master artists of the past.

Not sure since when.

One by one, they were taken down, replaced by those of Wei Fengxing.

Maybe it was when he smiled and said gently, "My paintings and writings aren’t bad either, I wonder if you could spare a spot for them, allowing them to have some presence here."

Not sure if he was talking about the artwork or her heart.

She didn’t resist much, they were husband and wife, and intimate things were done. Though slightly uncomfortable, she accepted calmly.

Perhaps after succeeding in many attempts, he became gentle yet assertive: "Suxuan, I want you to see nothing but me whenever you look up, think of me."

People had gone, but the art remained. Ning Suxuan didn’t have them taken down.

He indeed achieved it.

Time ticked by bit by bit.

Yu Tingwan’s eyes stayed on the account books, her hands never stopping.

She wasn’t in a hurry.

If you rush things, mistakes are bound to happen.

Her expression was calm. When concentrating on something, nothing could disturb her.

As Tan Jiang finished flipping through the account books, ending on the last page, the crisp sound stopped abruptly, while there was still plenty of sand in the hourglass.

The atmosphere in the room turned tense at this moment, as the dust settled, the outcome was crucial but these days she had worked hard, besides Wei Zhao had also assessed her, and Yu Tingwan’s heart became calm.

Slowly, she withdrew her hands.

"Last year there were over five thousand heads of cattle in total, cows giving birth once a year at a minimum. The survival rate of calves is not low, but with improper care during pregnancy, fetal movement easily stops. Last year there were over eight hundred births."

"Two thousand sheep. Rams..."

Cattle aren’t easily consumed.

They are raised and sold for agriculture purposes, like plowing, cart-pulling, water-carrying...

Sheep are consumed.

Yu Tingwan summarized what she saw from the account books, explaining one by one before mentioning.

"Fifty buckets each of cow and goat milk are delivered daily to the taverns, and wool can be sold to fabric shops, that’s a minor part. Live cattle fluctuate around twenty taels, dead ones seven to ten, three thousand twenty heads sold, yielding fifty-six thousand taels, mutton sold at one hundred wen per jin. Two thousand five hundred heads sold, yielding twenty thousand taels."

"Deducting the costs of feeding and caretaking, managing pens and sheds, various expenses...Last year the total profit amounted to fifty thousand and eighteen taels."

At this point, she paused.

That’s not a small amount!

And it’s only one of Wei Family’s businesses.

"Cherries are sold to the royal nobility, not easy to store, difficult to transport, making them even rarer in value. Each year, aside from personal consumption and gifting, the rest are sold, earning a profit of ten thousand taels."

Ning Suxuan glanced up, speaking with a calm tone: "Is that so?"

She looked at Yu Tingwan, paused the spinning of her ring, showing no discernable emotion.

"Quite confident."

"But different from what I calculated before."

Ning Suxuan stood up: "You have one more chance."

Yu Tingwan bit her lip.

She lowered her head, prepared to check the account book again, such a big pile.

Could it be she made a mistake while calculating?

There’s a possibility.

But just when she was about to reconsider. Preparing to recount to see where the issue might be, Yu Tingwan frowned.

No!

She was definitely precise!

She had put so much thought into it! Even if the sky fell, she wouldn’t stop her abacus!

During Wei Zhao’s assessment, she hadn’t made a mistake either!

Unless...

She recalled something.

She reached a conclusion.

She was very capable!

Yu Tingwan hesitantly looked at Ning Suxuan.

"Mother-in-law, is it possible...that you made a mistake?"

As soon as these words dropped, the study’s atmosphere plummeted.

Even Tan Jiang widened his eyes.

Not because Yu Tingwan questioned Ning Suxuan, crossing a line.

But because Ning Suxuan had never once made a mistake in managing the household affairs large or small.

Anyone could be wrong about this account, but Ning Suxuan absolutely wouldn’t.

Ning Suxuan’s expression turned extremely cold; she looked hard to approach, wearing a strong intimidating aura, her tone was stern.

"Impudent! Say that again."

As soon as these words fell, all the servants in the room knelt down one after another.

"Please calm your temper, Mistress."

Ning Suxuan’s heavy gaze remained on Yu Tingwan.

If it were someone else, their legs would have gone weak by now.

But Yu Tingwan had courage.

She truly didn’t think Ning Suxuan would do anything to her.

Even if something did happen, there was still Wei Zhao.

Yu Tingwan: "Why don’t I accompany you in recalculating?"

She cajoled softly: "It’s not scary to make mistakes, I won’t go out and speak ill of you." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Time stood still, no knowing how much had passed.

Ning Suxuan withdrew her gaze, the sense of pressure dissipating: "Your will is firm, not easily swayed by others, not bad."

Yu Tingwan: ...

Oh, she was testing her again.

Ning Suxuan was about to say more when a servant entered from outside.

"Mistress."

"News from the palace, the Crown Princess Consort is about to give birth."

Ning Suxuan didn’t seem to care about these matters.

But Yu Tingwan suddenly stood up in surprise.

"What!"

"So soon?"

She paced back and forth.

"I am ready!"

Ning Suxuan: ...

It’s not you giving birth, why are you readying yourself?