BDSMST -Chapter 44 The Scholar’s Repayment

Jiang Suisui watched Shen Qinghe bow solemnly, then glanced at the timid yet bright-eyed little girl behind him. Her expression remained calm. She reached out slightly and gestured, “There’s no need for such formality, Mister Shen. Yue’er’s recovery is due both to her own constitution and to the nourishing environment of the estate.”

She spoke lightly of the credit, neither fully accepting nor denying it.

Shen Qinghe, however, felt otherwise. Stubbornly, he maintained his bowed posture. “No. Without that lifesaving bowl of porridge from Madam, my sister and I might no longer be alive. I would never dare forget this kindness.”

He knew that it was far more than an ordinary bowl of chicken-and-vegetable porridge. Every meal since then, seemingly simple and everyday, carried a subtle vitality, quietly repairing his sister’s weakened body. He could not explain this miraculous effect; all he could do was attribute it to the unfathomable woman before him.

“Very well,” Jiang Suisui said, no longer arguing. “Then, Mister Shen, teach the children well. This is exactly the time when their characters need shaping.”

“Of course.” Shen Qinghe straightened, his expression solemn. “Teaching and guiding is my duty. Yet… there is one more request I have.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“These past few days, I have observed the operations of the estate and noticed that while records exist, they are rather disorganized. Expenses for various projects, labor allocations, and output calculations—if there were a clearer system, it might be far more efficient.” His words were structured, his gaze sincere. “I am not skilled in much, but I have some understanding of arithmetic. I wish to help Madam by organizing accounts and planning the fields.”

Jiang Suisui was somewhat surprised.

The estate had expanded too quickly; staff and tasks had multiplied, and both she and Chunxing were overwhelmed. The accounts had only been kept as simple ledgers, leaving many details unattended. She had planned to hire an accountant from town once things settled down. She never expected this seemingly frail scholar to volunteer for the task.

She looked at Shen Qinghe but did not immediately respond.

“The estate’s accounts are intricate, and some matters are tied to several households in the capital. It’s no trivial matter,” she cautioned.

Shen Qinghe noticed her careful tone and was not discouraged. Instead, he replied even more respectfully: “I understand, Madam. If you’re concerned, you may have me first organize the accounts of the past few days and prepare a brief report. After you review it, you can decide whether to proceed. I have no intention of prying into the estate’s secrets—I only wish to do my utmost to repay your kindness.”

His posture was humble, yet his words were confident, embodying the dignity unique to a learned man.

Jiang Suisui considered for a moment and then nodded. “Very well. Chunxing, bring Mister Shen the account books from the past few days.”

Chunxing hesitated slightly, but obeyed, fetching a small ledger from inside the house.

From that day on, Shen Qinghe spent every spare moment, aside from his morning lessons with the children, in the estate’s makeshift “accounting room”—essentially just an old desk tucked in the corner of the courtyard.

He began by copying and reorganizing Chunxing’s messy ledger. How many pounds of seeds were purchased, the costs; how many day laborers were hired, their wages; how many baskets of vegetables were sold to Yuelai Ju, and the corresponding revenue… Using tables he created himself, he listed every income and expenditure clearly and systematically.

In just two days, a clear and detailed new ledger was placed before Jiang Suisui.

As she flipped through it, she realized that Shen Qinghe was truly talented. Not only had he organized the accounts meticulously, but at the end of the ledger, he had attached a “business analysis.”

He pointed out that the estate’s largest expense was labor costs. Many of the new farmhands had been sent from various households in the capital, and their experience didn’t suit the estate’s unique cultivation methods. Training them took considerable time, and efficiency was low. He suggested selecting a few of the quickest learners and most capable workers as “team leaders” to manage and teach the newcomers, forming a hierarchical structure that would greatly free up Gu Xuan and Jiang Suisui’s time.

He also noticed that the estate relied entirely on animal manure and wood ash for fertilizer. While natural, this was insufficient for the newly cultivated fifty acres of slope land. From an old agricultural book, he found a method to make compost using kitchen scraps, weeds, and fallen leaves, producing a more efficient organic fertilizer.

What surprised Jiang Suisui most was that he had redrawn a land-planning map for the estate.

On the map, every plot was numbered, and based on factors like sunlight, soil moisture, and slope, he indicated the most suitable crops for each.

“Madam, please look,” he said, pointing to one area. “This plot slopes from east to west. The eastern side gets full sun, and the sandy soil suits sun-loving root crops like sweet potatoes or peanuts. The western side is low-lying and retains moisture; we can divert water here to create a small paddy field for rice.”

“For the back mountain, we’ve only planted fruit trees so far, which is a waste. The shaded side lacks sunlight but retains moisture—ideal for cultivating mushrooms. On the sunlit gentle slopes, we could plant drought-resistant medicinal herbs like astragalus or licorice. In this way, the land can be used to its fullest potential.”

He spoke with clarity and confidence, his eyes shining with intelligence. This was no longer a struggling scholar; it was a strategist displaying his talent.

Gu Xuan, Wei Ziqian, and the others had initially been watching out of curiosity. But as they listened, they found themselves drawn in. They might not understand the agricultural details, but they could read the map and envision the richer, more interesting estate Shen Qinghe described.

Jiang Suisui looked at the detailed map, then at Shen Qinghe, now radiant with confidence, and finally spoke.

“Your ideas are excellent.” She spread the map on the stone table. “The accounts will be entrusted to you from now on. Additionally, we will form an Agricultural Technology Group, with you as the team leader, responsible for crop improvement, land planning, and the introduction of new techniques. Choose the necessary staff from among the farmhands yourself.”

Shen Qinghe’s body trembled slightly. He had thought being the estate’s accountant was already a tremendous favor, but he had never expected to be granted such authority and trust.

“Madam… I fear… I may not be up to the task,” he said humbly.

“If I say you can do it, then you can,” Jiang Suisui said calmly, her tone carrying an undeniable authority. “I give you power, people, and funds. I only care about results.”

Shen Qinghe looked at her for a long moment, then bowed deeply once more—this time with complete sincerity and conviction.

“I will not fail the trust you have placed in me.”

He turned, picked up the planning map, and, addressing the group of still-stunned farmhands, shouted, “Everyone, come here! Meeting! Our way of working is about to change!”