Chapter 9: Returning to the Tang Dynasty for a Job Interview (Part 2)
This question was indeed abrupt. After a moment of surprise, Sister Lan replied, "Yes, we have chickens, ducks, and geese."
Casually flipping open the top ledger, upon seeing what was recorded within, a smile unexpectedly appeared on Tang Que's face. With this smile, a faint blush of shyness rose on Gao Li's face.
As Gao Lishi was introducing the background information he had heard from relatives to Tang Que, Lan Jie'er had already brought in the thick stack of account books that Gao Lishi had kept over the past few years, placing it beside Tang Que's writing desk.
Having endured the trials and tribulations of life, Gao Lishi suppressed the turmoil within and endeavored to maintain a calm expression on his face
Originally, matters like this, which occur every ten or twenty years, were not considered significant; local authorities would simply respond according to the old methods. However, the current atmosphere is indeed unusual, causing immense tension among local officials. Not to mention that the Ministry of Revenue has issued a strict order to conclude this matter within a year; it is known that such a large-scale project typically takes at least a year and a half, and in some cases, it can drag on for two to three years. Just observing the expressions of the officials sent down to supervise from the Ministry of Revenue sends chills down the spines of officials at all levels. Furthermore, the Ministry of Revenue has firmly set the deadline for this matter to be resolved within a year; it is known that such extensive projects usually require at least a year and a half, with some extending to two or three years. The demeanor of the officials sent down to oversee the situation is also disheartening for local officials. They refuse invitations to banquets and maintain a businesslike demeanor, even rejecting the various forms of tribute offered by local officials to these impoverished officials from the capital. What does this imply, if not obvious?
However astonishing it may be, one thing is undoubtedly certain: it does not matter what is used in the library, what is ultimately written down is words, and there will be no issues with accounting.
At this point, Gao Lishi no longer doubted Tang Que's accounting abilities, although she was still astonished at how this Tang Cheng had acquired such great skills
To say that Tang Que cannot write would be misleading, as the eighteen characters before them are clearly visible, and on the surface, they appear quite well-written. However, to assert that he can write—who... who has ever seen someone write with a goose feather? Not only has no one seen it, but they haven't even heard of it.
The "Shuowen Jiezi," abbreviated as "Shuowen," is a dictionary compiled by Xu Shen, a scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, over a period of twenty-one years. It is the first dictionary in the history of the Chinese language that analyzes character forms, explains character meanings, and distinguishes pronunciations. Of course, this groundbreaking work in the history of linguistics holds many significant meanings, but those are not of interest to Tang Que; what he values is the most fundamental function of this book—its role as a dictionary.
Madam ... ... Gao Lishi could not fathom Tang Que's intentions, so she simply waved her hand to let Lan Cao'er take care of it
Thus, Tang Que also understood the reason behind the Gao and Li families' sudden urgency to recruit accountants. It was because shortly after Emperor Zhongzong ascended the throne again, he issued an edict requiring all provinces and states to recheck the status of farmland, population, and livestock, as well as to verify the collection amounts of taxes and levies recorded in local archives. Although the Ministry of Revenue was aware that this edict had a clear background of court struggles, the more so, the less they dared to show any negligence. In addition to continuously urging local officials to expedite this matter, they also dispatched a large number of officials and clerks from the four departments of the Ministry to oversee the situation locally. Consequently, the first major policy set forth by the new emperor after his ascension was vigorously promoted throughout the Tang Empire.
The Ministry of Revenue has created such a tense atmosphere that local officials, concerned about their own positions, have become increasingly strict. They not only press their clerks and scribes to the brink, but also issue notices to the wealthy landowners in their jurisdictions, demanding their cooperation in the measurement of fields. Furthermore, they require the submission of financial records for the past four terms, covering a period of up to eight years. The purpose of this is, of course, to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. It is evident to everyone that the current political climate in the court is somewhat unsettling, and it is prudent to secure a safeguard for oneself. As for tracing back to the previous three terms, this is merely a precautionary measure in case any issues arise, despite the tradition in officialdom of not holding successors accountable for the actions of their predecessors. However, when faced with such stringent circumstances, especially if one's own position or even life is at stake, one cannot afford to be concerned about such traditions.
Ah... you may do as you please
This display of skill left Gao Lishi in disbelief, while Sister Lan's eyes were filled with unabashed admiration. Feeling such a gaze, Tang Que was in high spirits but also somewhat embarrassed. Firstly, the characters used in the poem "Ode to the Goose" were identical to the simplified characters commonly used in later generations, as it was a poem written by Luo Bingwang at the age of seven, naturally containing no obscure terms. This spared him the embarrassment of having to consult a dictionary. As for the subsequent calculations, they were even simpler; the most difficult problem Sister Lan presented did not exceed two-digit multiplication, which he could manage even without mental calculation training.
Placing "Shuowen Jiezi" on the desk, when Tang Que held a goose feather and dipped it into the thick ink of the inkstone, he completed the poem "Ode to the Goose" by the renowned poet Luo Binwang of the Wu Zetian era in one breath. The expressions of astonishment on the faces of the two maids of the Gao family remained unchanged.
When it comes to counting during bookkeeping, there is naturally no issue; Tang Que has at least won the championship in the district mental arithmetic competition, and his daily applications are more than sufficient. As for writing, this is precisely why he needs a goose feather pen; after all, this is not a literary meeting or a scientific examination that would impose high standards for calligraphy. Among the three tasks, writing is indeed the most troublesome. However, as a graduate from a 211 university's Chinese department in a later era, although he does not recognize all traditional characters, he can manage some basics without much trouble. It can be assumed that in a rural village, the accounts would not involve too many obscure characters. Considering these three points, Tang Que, who is in dire need of money, decided to put up a notice. Yet, despite this reasoning, he still feels somewhat anxious. Now that he has this dictionary, at least he no longer has to worry about the current task of bookkeeping.
As the largest landowner within a hundred miles and a well-known wealthy household in Yunxi County, Gao Lishi could not escape this matter. It was precisely because she had relatives working in the county office that she understood the importance of this issue even more. However, there had always been no scholars willing to serve as accountants in her estate. This had not been a problem in the past, but now that the accounts needed to be submitted to the county office for record-keeping, she became anxious, which led to the notice outside the village school. It was precisely because she had relatives working in the county office that she understood the importance of this issue even more. However, there had always been no scholars willing to serve as accountants in her estate. This had not been a problem in the past, but now that the accounts needed to be submitted to the county office for record-keeping, she became anxious, which led to the notice outside the village school.
Subsequently, in the astonished gaze of the two servants, Tang Que displayed an astonishing level of mental calculation. Often, just as Lan Jie'er announced a number, Tang Que would casually provide the answer, while on the side, Gao Li was still struggling to arrange the abacus beads.
Once Tang Que successfully located the character "唐" using the radical lookup method after turning the pages of the book, the weight in his heart was completely lifted.
Watching Tang Que's eyes curiously scan the bookshelf, observing his arms crossed over his chest with one hand propping up his chin, and seeing him stroll leisurely beneath his feet... In short, in Gao Lishi's eyes, every action of this Tang Cheng was something he had never seen in anyone he was familiar with. It was somewhat peculiar, yet within this peculiarity, there was an indescribable demeanor that exuded focus and composure, mingled with a hint of the carefree elegance often attributed to legendary scholars.
After watching Lan Cao leave the study, Gao Lishi shifted his gaze to Tang Que, who was wandering in front of the bookshelf. However, this time his gaze lacked the initial curiosity; instead, it was filled with exploration, subtly mixed with a few strands of genuine gratitude.
"Is there a goose raised in Zhuangzi's place?" Tang Que casually asked as he took the tea cup handed to him by Lan Jie.
"Madam has become shy! How many years has it been since this happened?" thought Sister Lan, who was standing by.
Until he slowly walked to the far right side of the third horizontal rack, Tang Que, who had only been looking at the book titles, suddenly had a bright idea and reached out to pull out the book "Shuowen Jiezi".
Then I would trouble Sister Lan to make an effort to help me find a few goose feathers, specifically the hard ones from the tail. After Tang Que finished speaking, he glanced at the bookshelf and turned to Madam Gao Li, saying: I would like to take a look at the collection of books in the residence, if you do not mind
In the midst of their conversation, the three had already arrived at the study. It seems that the old country gentleman had a penchant for the refined, even in his lifetime. Although the room was arranged in a somewhat haphazard manner, there was indeed a considerable number of various books. Tang Que roughly estimated the three rows of bookshelves and concluded that the total number was likely no less than three hundred.
Tang Que naturally did not expect that the Gao Li family behind him was observing him so closely. At this moment, he resembled a student wandering through a library in later generations, surrounded by shelves filled with books primarily consisting of the Four Books and Five Classics, along with numerous collections or anthologies of poets from previous eras. Occasionally, he might come across a few reference books, but none of these piqued his interest.