newbobooks Chapter 365 Planning 1
Chapter 365 Planning 1
Chen Sanlang had a vision for the future in his heart, and a hint of warmth naturally appeared in his expression.
Zhao Chunming saw this and mistakenly thought it was the gentle and elegant temperament unique to scholars. He had also studied in a private school for two years and had a natural affinity for scholars, so he was particularly respectful to Chen Sanlang and did not act like a boss at all.
After inviting Chen Sanlang in and serving him tea, Zhao Chunming smiled and said:
"Sir, may I ask you..."
He drawled out the last word, his eyes questioning.
Chen Sanlang put down his tea bowl, stood up and bowed, then tentatively asked, "May I ask what kind of people you are recruiting? I am a humble student who wants to work here, but I don't know..."
Zhao Chunming was a little surprised by Chen Sanlang's frank expression of his desire to apply for a job. He thought that scholars were noble and would not easily come to ask for a job, so he was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, of course. But I don't know what you are good at, sir? If you have never done it, that's fine. You can start by copying the accounts."
Seeing that Zhao Chunming was so gentle, Chen Sanlang looked at him carefully.
The young executive wore a long robe with azure blue piping and a wide belt of the same color tied around his waist. There were two things hanging from the belt:
One is the jade token given to him by Wang Jinyi when he was promoted to be the steward, and the other is the family emblem given by the Wang family to the steward.
Chen Sanlang understood that the color of ancient clothing often reflected a person's status.
The person in front of him was obviously the manager of the Wang family.
I finally had the chance to meet someone who was at the level of the Wang family's steward. However, the joy that had just risen was quickly suppressed by an unknown sadness.
Zhao Chunming's manners and manners were obviously extraordinary, and his clothing and accessories were far superior to his own. Thinking of the gap between himself and Wang Jinyi now, Chen Sanlang couldn't help but feel emotional.
His silence made Zhao Chunming a little confused. He thought he was waiting to hear about the treatment and wanted to get to know him first and build a good relationship before talking about the future.
Zhao Chunming asked, "Sir, you are a scholar, right?"
"Well, I just passed the autumn exam." Chen Sanlang replied.
"My two young masters also took the exam this year, so you are considered to be candidates of the same year!"
Zhao Chunming worked hard to build closer ties with scholars.
Chen Sanlang was quite interested in this and asked seriously, "Is the first case the young master of the Wang family?"
"That's the eldest son of our second branch. This year, the eldest son of the first branch also won three prizes." Zhao Chunming said proudly.
“No wonder I felt that the two names had some connection when I looked at the list.”
During this brief chat, Chen Sanlang confirmed the family tradition of the Wang family - a pure family of literati.
He also realized that he must achieve something in the scientific examinations, otherwise he would not be able to continue his relationship with Wang Jinyi.
Now, he must take the first step towards approaching Wang Jinyi.
"Butler, I am good at calculations, drawing, engineering, and making some ingenious objects. I want to give it a try!"
"Okay, what's your name, sir? I'll register it for you." Zhao Chunming responded.
After the two got to know each other, Zhao Chunming asked:
"Sir, what we need most now is an accountant. My knowledge can only assess this one aspect, and your other abilities will have to wait for the chief steward to examine them.
How about we start right now if it’s convenient for you?”
Chen Sanlang nodded in agreement and suggested a method of investigation. "Manager Zhao, you can ask someone to report the accounts. I will combine the accounts with your accountant at the same time and compare the accuracy and time spent in the end."
"Sir, do you use an abacus?" Zhao Chunming asked.
"No, do you have white linen paper and a pencil? They might be useful." Chen Sanlang replied.
"Sir, are you talking about Jin charcoal pencil?" Zhao Chunming corrected.
"It was a slip of the tongue. It's Jin Charcoal Pencil! Please prepare it." Chen Sanlang smiled.
Zhao Chunming sent someone to get paper and pen. Soon, two servants came into the office carrying an abacus half a person's height and placed it on the table opposite Chen Sanlang.
Then, two middle-aged men in robes came in.
Chen Sanlang recognized their identities at a glance - in this era, the uneducated people wore shorts, while those who had been to school wore outer robes.
Those wearing cloth robes and having serious expressions are mostly accountants.
After everyone was seated, the room fell silent.
Zhao Chunming opened a book of accounts in the head office and started to report the expenses, but was interrupted by Chen Sanlang:
"Manager Zhao, can you read the amount of approved expenses as the amount of deductions and the amount of funds credited as the amount of additions? This will be faster and easier to calculate."
Zhao Chunming hesitated for a moment, then he understood the whole story and nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's start over. I'll give you the answer when I say the final decision."
He looked at the accountants and asked, "Is this possible, gentlemen?" The two accountants did not object.
Zhao Chunming opened the account book again and quickly reported the account according to what Chen Sanlang said:
"Carryover of 1,253 taels, plus 86 taels, plus 77 taels, minus..." After reading a few pages of accounts, Zhao Chunming asked, "What is the balance?"
Chen Sanlang replied, "One thousand five hundred and seventy-six taels."
After the abacus stopped beating, the two accountants reported the same number. Zhao Chunming nodded, but before he could express his opinion, an older accountant said:
"It's not about speed but accuracy that counts."
Chen Sanlang smiled and responded:
"Sir, you are absolutely right, but wouldn't it be better if it could be fast and accurate?
Besides, this is the place where the Wang family audits their accounts. If the audit cannot be completed in a short period of time, then what is the point of the so-called monthly audit, quarterly audit, and semi-annual audit?
Isn’t it an annual inspection?
Auditing accounts is only one part of financial management. Timely auditing can help identify problems and deal with them as soon as possible.”
Zhao Chunming looked at Chen Sanlang approvingly, feeling admiration and envy in his heart.
He blurted out: "Great! I have learned a lot from your words. Can you still copy and do accounting?"
"Manager, I'm sorry that I know nothing about accounting. If necessary, I am willing to start by copying the accounts." Chen Sanlang answered humbly.
Zhao Chunming had a good impression of Chen Sanlang and said with a smile: "Sir, you have great talent and are still so humble. It is a blessing for Taisheng! Is there anything else you can do?"
After the others left, the two continued their long conversation, and both felt that they had met too late.
Zhao Chunming laughed and said, "I never thought that you, a scholar, would still condescend to me. I wonder what your salary requirements are?"
"After all, I'm new to this business and have no requirements, only one condition." Chen Sanlang said after a little thought.
"Sir, please speak."
"Manager Zhao, my main focus is still on scientific research. Can my working hours be concentrated after noon every day?" Chen Sanlang put forward his conditions.
Zhao Chunming hesitated for a moment and said:
"Sir, you are a scholar, so you should not neglect your studies. But I cannot make decisions arbitrarily in my position. I still need to report to the higher authorities and let the chief steward make the decision."
After a brief encounter, both of them thought they could work together and perhaps become good friends. However, they both ignored the attitude of Wen Bai, the general manager of Tai Sheng's affairs.