Cheng You thought for a long while before she remembered that Xu Nanxi was a journalism major.
Xu Nanxi, thinking she was considering, quickly said, "I'm currently interning at the Yancheng Evening News. If my article can be published in the paper, the actions of Zhen Shan Tang will surely resonate deeply with the public. You won't even need much publicity, and your business will boom!"
"If that's the case, why should I agree to your interview? I don't know you well, and I strongly dislike your partner, Feng Xue. Please don't come looking for me again."
Cheng You tugged at her scarf, covering the tips of her ears.
Her patience with this man had worn thin.
However, Xu Nanxi was persistent, determined to make Cheng You agree. Otherwise, his long wait in the cold would have been in vain.
"Cheng You, Feng Xue and I are merely using each other. There are no feelings involved. If you don't like it, I can break up with her."
Cheng You was so angered she burst out laughing. This man and Feng Xue were truly a match made in heaven.
"I don't like Feng Xue, and I dislike you just as much! Who cares if you have feelings for her or not? It's only because of Grandpa Feng that I'm speaking to you. Otherwise, who would bother with you? Get lost!"
Since getting into university, Xu Nanxi had been very popular among his female classmates, relying on his good looks. This was the first time he had encountered such a stubborn woman.
"Cheng You..."
"Still not leaving? Do you want me to call Grandpa Feng over?"
Unable to withstand her threat, Xu Nanxi finally left, thinking he would come back tomorrow to talk to her properly. There was no corner too hard to break, only a hoe that wasn't swung diligently enough.
Once his figure disappeared from sight, Cheng You took out her key and opened the door. Snow had fallen from above, and it was only upon entering that she realized how cold it was outside. Even though she was bundled up, her hands were stiff from the cold. She quickly turned on the floor heating and placed the kettle on the stove. After a while, the room gradually warmed up. She didn't sleep on a heated kang but on a bed. Without the floor heating, she would have frozen in the winter.
When she went to deliver the medicine, she handed a thick stack of envelopes to the transport soldier, asking him to take it to Qi Chengyan. She wondered how long it would take to reach the border from here.
Cheng You's mind wandered. Wrapped in her quilt like a silkworm, she fell asleep. In her dream, she saw Qi Chengyan reading a letter under the dim kerosene lamp. Outside, the wind howled, her hands were red and swollen from frostbite, but a smile still played on her lips. Just as Cheng You reached out to touch him, her feet slipped, and she felt herself falling. She woke up with a start, realizing the sky was already bright. The weather wasn't good, overcast and gray, but the snow had stopped. She changed her clothes and decided to go to Zhen Shan Tang today. She needed to check the inventory and distribute the bonuses.
When she arrived at the shop, Chen Qin hadn't come yet. Qian Limei had already been fired, and a young man named Han Shaohua had been hired to do the odd jobs. He was reportedly introduced by Doctor Liang and was diligent and proactive.
"Good morning, boss."
Cheng You looked at him for a moment and smiled, "Everyone else doesn't call me boss, so you don't have to either. How old are you this year?"
"Eighteen."
"Then I'm a few years older than you. Please call me 'jie' (older sister). I'm not used to being called boss."
Han Shaohua nodded in agreement.
Cheng You picked up the ledger and found a new ledger placed beside it. The accounting method was entirely different, making it clear at a glance. However, this ledger was only half-finished.
"Who made this ledger?"
Just as Han Shaohua was about to speak, someone interrupted, "It was me! Sister Cheng You, it was me."
The voice belonged to Wu Sheng, the pharmacy assistant beside Doctor Liang. Cheng You looked at his fawning smile and her expression suddenly turned stern.
"This is our pharmacy's ledger. Who gave you permission to touch it?"
Wu Sheng's smile faltered. Fearing she would hold him accountable, he quickly exclaimed, "It wasn't me! It was Han Shaohua! Everyone else can testify. He was the only one here last night. Director Chen asked him to stay and check the inventory."
Han Shaohua stood stiffly, lowering his head in panic. He had only thought the ledger was a bit messy and wanted to redo it. He hadn't expected to cause trouble. He had just started working thanks to Grandpa Liang, and now he had messed up.
Cheng You chuckled, "Are you sure? You just said you made it, but now you're saying Han Shaohua did?"
Wu Sheng shamelessly endured the mocking glances from others and offered a fawning smile. "I misread. I thought you were referring to the ground herbs next to it."
Cheng You let out a cold snort, "Study diligently with Doctor Liang. Only through hard work and progress can you get a raise soon. Our Zhen Shan Tang doesn't need sycophantic flatterers."
Inside, Doctor Liang, who was bandaging a patient's wound, called out with a stern face, "Wu Sheng, come over and help!"
Wu Sheng lowered his head, blushing, and quickly went over.
Cheng You turned to Han Shaohua, her expression softening. "Did you make this?"
Han Shaohua stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't know I shouldn't have touched the ledger."
"It's not that you shouldn't have touched it," Cheng You said. "Since Director Chen asked you to, it's not a mistake. This ledger's recording method is very different. Did you go to school?"
Han Shaohua shook his head. "I didn't. My grandmother's father used to be an accountant for a wealthy family. This is a recording method he invented. My grandmother uses it to keep accounts at home."
Chen Qin understood how to manage a pharmaceutical factory, but he wasn't good at bookkeeping. Not only the ledger, but the inventory management was also a mess, comprehensible only to him. Cheng You sighed, it seemed like a stroke of luck. She sat down and casually flipped through the ledger made by Han Shaohua.
"Your handwriting is very good. Did your family teach you?" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Han Shaohua nodded obediently, a hint of shyness appearing on his face. "My grandmother and I depend on each other. I couldn't afford school, so my grandmother taught me."
Cheng You realized, "Was your grandmother educated?"
"Before she got married, her family hired a teacher for her. My grandfather was a scholar and had excellent calligraphy. My grandmother's handwriting is also a copy of his."
As if thinking of something, Han Shaohua quickly closed his mouth. His grandmother had always told him to speak less and do more.
Cheng You didn't ask further, already considering promoting him to the pharmacy's accountant. He was quite young; in her opinion, at this age, school would be better. She would need to discuss it with Chen Qin.
"You inventoried the stock yesterday. Tell me about it."
Han Shaohua hesitated for a moment and then walked over. He didn't need to look at the inventory books; he knew everything in the warehouse like the back of his hand.
Cheng You nodded in satisfaction. He was a born talent for accounting.
"Everyone worked hard for the past few days. The workers at the pharmaceutical factory will each receive a bonus of fifty yuan. Doctor Liang and Doctor Chen will get eighty, Director Chen one hundred, the pharmacy assistants fifty, and you, thirty. Calculate how much is needed. Take the money from me and distribute it to everyone."