Chapter 46: The Pig-Butchering Scheme?

Qian Yousheng was clearly aware of this as well. Now that someone had come to his very doorstep to challenge him, if, as the head of the hall, he didn't stand up for his subordinates, how could he command respect in the future?

"Liu Shen, do you even know what you're saying?"

"Of course I do," Liu Shen replied with a nod. "But I'm just speaking the truth. If you don't believe me, Hall Master Qian, why don't we make a wager?"

"A wager?" Qian Yousheng let out a derisive laugh. "And how would we bet?"

"We'll bet on whether I'm talking nonsense or not." Liu Shen glanced at the piled-up account books and said, "From the looks of your preparations, you're planning to work through these accounts by lamplight until tomorrow."

"If I can balance all these accounts within two hours, then that proves I wasn't just bragging. I win, and you owe me a small favor. But if after two hours I still haven't finished, that means I was just spouting nonsense. You win, and not only will I apologize to all your accountants, but you may also ask me for a favor in return."

He smiled at Qian Yousheng and added with a hint of provocation, "All the gambling dens and houses in Heyang County are under your protection, Hall Master Qian. Surely you wouldn't shrink from such a small wager, would you?"

"You little brat, don't try to provoke me!" Qian Yousheng sneered and slapped the table. "I refuse to believe that you alone can outperform all the accountants in my hall!"

"So, Hall Master Qian, you're willing to bet?"

"Today, I, Qian Yousheng, will take you up on your wager!"

"Excellent!" Liu Shen slapped his thigh and stood up. He cupped his fists to the group of accountants and smiled. "Gentlemen, I must ask Hall Master Qian for a favor, so if my words have been a bit presumptuous, I hope you'll forgive me."

"No harm done, no harm done," the elder accountant, Old Li, waved his hand dismissively. "If Hall Master Liu truly possesses such a prodigious talent, it would be an eye-opener for us all."

"Please make some room, everyone!"

"After you, Hall Master Liu!"

Liu Shen smiled, and seeing that the accountants and their assistants all made way, he calmly took the main seat, pen in his right hand and account books in his left.

Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he finished the first account book, jotted down the figures, and recited, "This book shows a total income of sixty-seven taels and seven qian in gold, one thousand seven hundred forty-eight taels and three qian in silver, and three hundred seventy-two strings and eighty-six coins in copper."

With that, he tossed the completed account book aside and picked up another to begin reviewing.

Meanwhile, Qian Yousheng watched as Liu Shen didn't even touch the abacus, merely glanced through the book once and reported the totals. Qian's expression was full of surprise and suspicion. He signaled Old Li, who immediately understood, picked up the account book and the abacus, and beckoned a few assistants to help him verify the calculations.

They began checking quietly in the corner.

Liu Shen merely smiled at this. Before long, while Old Li was still counting, Liu Shen had already finished and checked a second account book. He announced, "This account shows expenditures of eight hundred sixty-eight taels and six qian in silver, and five hundred thirty-eight strings of copper coins, with nothing left over."

He immediately began the third account book.

Soon after, Old Li finished checking the previous account, wiped the sweat from his brow, and glanced at Liu Shen as if beholding some marvel.

Page 2/3

He cautiously leaned in close to Qian Yousheng and whispered, "Hall Master Qian, the account totals are precisely sixty-seven taels and seven qian in gold, one thousand seven hundred forty-eight taels and three qian in silver, and three hundred seventy-two strings and eighty-six coins in copper..."

"Hmm?" Qian Yousheng shot him a suspicious glance.

Old Li nodded, lowering his voice, "Liu... Hall Master Liu's calculations are flawless to the last coin!"

Qian Yousheng's face twitched at this. Seeing Liu Shen nearly finish the third account book, his astonishment only grew, and he instructed, "Check that one as well..."

"Yes, sir." Old Li took the second account book and went back to check.

By the time Liu Shen was working on the fifth account book, Old Li returned again, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and reported, "This account shows expenditures of eight hundred sixty-eight taels and six qian in silver, and five hundred thirty-eight strings of copper coins, with nothing left over."

"Liu Hall Master's calculations... are flawless!"

Qian Yousheng stared Liu Shen up and down, his face now stripped of mockery or resentment.

Liu Shen tossed aside the fifth account book and stretched. "This one shows expenditures of six hundred eighty-one taels and nine qian in silver, and seven hundred sixty-three strings of copper coins, with nothing left over."

He paused, looking at Qian Yousheng with a smile. "Hall Master Qian, when I said I'd finish in two hours, that was a conservative estimate. At this pace, I should be done in an hour and a half."

Qian Yousheng's face twitched again, his expression a mixture of disbelief and awe. "You truly have such a rare talent?"

"It's just a bit of arithmetic, nothing special." Liu Shen gestured at the books he'd already checked and asked, "Would you like someone to verify these as well, Hall Master Qian?"

"No need..." Qian Yousheng waved a hand, then glanced at Old Li and instructed, "You all may leave. Come back tomorrow to finish the accounts."

"Yes, sir..." The accountants, understanding that their hall master had private business with Liu Shen, discreetly excused themselves.

Now only Qian Yousheng and Liu Shen remained in the room, staring at each other in a subtly charged silence.

After a long pause, Qian Yousheng lost patience and broke the silence first. "So, what is it you want from me?"

"It's a small matter." Liu Shen hinted, "I’d like to trouble you to sharpen your knife and help me slaughter a pig."

"Slaughter a pig..." Qian Yousheng's eyes narrowed.

"Slaughtering a pig" was underworld slang in the gambling world, meaning to set up a trap to fleece someone out of their money.

Page 3/3

The Qingsha Gang's money house managed all the gambling dens in Heyang County, and as its head, Qian Yousheng was naturally familiar with the term.

He tapped the table. "And how heavy is the pig you want slaughtered?"

"Not light."

"And how much pork do you want?"

"Over ten thousand catties!" Liu Shen tapped the table in turn. "The shorter the time, the better. The heavier the pork, the better!"

Qian Yousheng sucked in a cold breath through his teeth, staring. "Aren’t you making things difficult for me? There are only a handful of people in Heyang County with that kind of wealth. Who would be stupid enough to play the pig?"

"It's not a local." Liu Shen waved a hand, signaling patience. "You know the Song family in the southern part of town, right?"

"I do." Qian Yousheng frowned. "Old Master Song is a capable man. Does this have something to do with the Song family?"

"In a way." Liu Shen sighed and explained how Old Master Song had tried to arrange a marriage for his only son, but after the son's early death, his own health declined year by year, and now the shameless Pei family was after his inheritance.

"And what’s your connection to the Songs?" Qian Yousheng asked, puzzled. "Why do you know so much about their affairs, and why would Old Master Song share his will with an outsider like you?"

"Old Master Song once showed me great kindness." Liu Shen paused, not revealing his relationship with Pei Xueyan, and said, "You know I came here as a refugee years ago. I once had porridge from the Song family's relief kitchen, and Old Master Song himself once taught me martial arts. When I heard he was gravely ill, I went to visit, and after telling me about these matters, he passed away."

He sighed again. "To not repay a debt of gratitude is not my way, especially one for martial instruction. That’s why I’ve thickened my skin to come and ask your help."

"As men of the rivers and lakes, that's how it should be!" Qian Yousheng nodded, his impression of Liu Shen changing for the better. "So the pig you want slaughtered is that wastrel from the Pei family?"

"That's right." Liu Shen nodded. "His name is Pei Hongyu, a gambler with a slick appearance and a folding fan in his hand. He's probably still at one of the gambling dens now."

"If he likes to gamble, that makes things easy," Qian Yousheng said, a glimmer in his eye. He then gave a deliberately stern snort. "You rarely ask anything of me, so I’ll take this on!"

He raised his eyebrows and added, "And from today on, I call you my friend!"

"Hahaha!"