The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 459: Losses (1)_1

Chapter 459: Chapter 459: Losses (1)_1

Shameless, truly shameless! This was the thought running through the minds of all the villagers at this moment.

The Lin Family had many workshops, which produces various kinds of goods, so naturally, countless merchants came to purchase them. Such a thriving business was indeed a great responsibility to the shopkeeper of the accounting department, and it definitely had desirable perks. No one would dare tamper with the books because Lin Ziyin, the current head of the Lin Family who was an expert in handling finances, probably had more skills than all other accountants combined. Secondly, most of the accountants employed by the Lin Family were purchased through ironclad contracts, so they were reliable.

However, the shopkeepers of the accounting department could not gain benefits from the books, but they could accept gifts from merchants as part of business courtesies. This rule was tacitly endorsed by Lin Ziyin.

Thinking about the hustle and bustle of the Lin Family’s trade every day, one could perceive the perkiness of the shopkeeper’s position. Many villagers envied such an important position but didn’t have a way to acquire it, and Ma Dalang, who always had a strained relationship with the Lin Family, incredibly aspired to land the role of the accounting shopkeeper in one step? All the villagers thought that Ma Dalang had made the biggest joke of the year in Shili Village.

Ma Dalang didn’t think he had done anything disgraceful and was very confident in himself. After all, he had been a secondary shopkeeper in the city for over a decade. His abilities in accounting, and handling matters, were unquestionably much stronger than those of the villagers in Shili.

In a certain sense, Ma Dalang and Ma Zhicai were very alike, both being incredibly narcissistic.

Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou were nearly infuriated to death. They wanted to kick the Ma Family out so much that it was out of their sight, out of their mind.

However, Lin Ziyin gave Ma Dalang a chance, "Alright, since everyone is present, and it’s not time to start work, I’ll give you a chance."

"Thank you, Miss Lin." Ma Dalang was delighted. He thanked her following the villagers’ way of addressing Lin Ziyin.

"Call over the shopkeepers from each workshop and get five children who are good at calculations from the school." Lin Ziyin ignored him and only looked at Ma Dalang after giving instructions to a runner, "I won’t play favorites. Anyone who comes to work for the Lin Family must have some skills. If you’re applying for the shopkeeper’s position, you should deploy all your skills and compete fairly with our shopkeepers."

"Alright." Ma Dalang immediately agreed, confident about the competition.

"To ensure fairness, Lou Zheng and Ma Zhicai will each prepare ten questions." Lin Ziyin added.

Ma Dalang was even happier when he heard this. He originally feared that the Lin Family might cheat, but Lin Ziyin had proposed a condition that was to his advantage, so he readily agreed.

Hong Ying and Lun Luo moved quickly, and soon the shopkeepers from various workshops and the children from the private school were rounded up.

The villagers of Shili Village were usually very busy and hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy such an entertainment in a long time. Ever since the He Family made a disturbance, people had been gathering here. Even the merchants who had yet to buy goods swarmed in. For a moment, the crowd almost packed the dining hall to full. Yes, today’s competition venue, set up by Lin Ziyin, was in the dining hall.

For the first time, Ma Zhicai, Lou Zheng, and a few foreign merchants sat in the top seats and was observed by so many people. His heart felt a bit complex. This kind of attention should have been bestowed upon him when he successfully passed the examinations to become a scholar and then to become a provincial candidate. But now...

Thinking about it, he clenched his fist in his sleeve. There will be a day when all the people in Shili Village fear him, and his name will be inscribed in Shili Village’s village hall.

Most of Shili Village’s villagers had different last names, unlike other places there were tribal elders, and naturally, they wouldn’t have ancestral halls. But the village had built a village hall where some respected elderly people elected by everyone presided. When the village encountered major issues that could not be resolved, these elders and Lou Zheng could fully assume the role of tribal elders.