Shipin Dalizheng

Concubine Xian smiled and scolded Rong Tang, "Don't bully Tiantian."

It was already late afternoon when they left the palace. Madam Tang asked, "My dear son-in-law, is this the time to end it?"

Rong Tang smiled and said, "I wanted to get the debt back before the New Year. The sooner it's settled, the sooner I can get it back."

Tang Tiantian pursed her lips slightly and said shyly, "Then let's go to our actuary club. We've also taken on some business audits these past few days, which is the end of the year. Miss Cui and Princess Zhao Ling are busy every day, so I'm the only one having fun."

The Actuarial Society is located at the most prosperous intersection in the East Market. It is a shop that was awarded to Zhao Ling by Emperor Xuan Ning. She didn't know what to do for a living, so she simply invested in the shop and established this actuarial society.

Rong Tang looked up and saw a stark contrast between the bustling street and the quiet shop. But when he went up to the second floor, he found the only two employees inside were actually very busy.

Zhao Ling helped, handing the account books to Miss Cui one by one. Miss Cui was working on an abacus very quickly. She put the boxes of account books away, marked the ones with errors, and put them away separately.

Zhao Ling was very happy to see them coming. He came up and took Tang Tiantian's hand. "You are my sister now. Next year you will be my cousin's wife. We will be a real family. Cousin Tang, you must not bully her, otherwise my mother will punish you."

Miss Cui stood up and saluted with dignity, "Greetings to Princess Changping."

Tang Tiantian blushed, "Ms. Cui, don't be like this."

Zhao Ling said frankly, "Let's not call each other names, otherwise how can we work? I'm Zhao Ling, Tiantian is Tiantian, and Cui Minshu is Minshu. Tiantian, come quickly. We have two days left to finish the work, and then we can close the museum for the New Year."

Tang Tiantian took out her extra-long abacus and put it on the table, "I need to add something. I need to settle the account with the virtuous concubine."

When Zhao Ling heard this, he asked, "What's the score with my mother that needs to be settled?"

Her income is pitifully small, and there are only a few old people in Fengqi Palace. What could go wrong?

Rong Tang answered for Tang Tiantian, "It's my aunt's dowry shop. It's been rented out for so many years, and I haven't collected much rent. It's time to get it back."

Zhao Ling laughed, "That's hard to calculate. I've been keeping track of it for my mother. Eight shops, and the promised annual salary was 1,200 taels, but they're paying less than 200 taels. They're trying to get rid of my mother with just a hundred or so taels. Even if you hadn't told me today, I would have gone to the Chu family to ask for it on New Year's Eve. I, Zhao Ling, am a princess after all, and I can't let a mere imperial merchant bully my mother."

"How much do you remember?"

"Let's assume they give me two hundred taels a year. Over the past fifteen years, they owe me fifteen thousand taels in total, which is enough to pay for it all. If they don't pay, I will make a scene before my father."

To be honest, it was this year that Rong Tang gave Zhao Ling enough confidence, otherwise, according to Concubine Xian, she would have to endure it.

Rong Tang said, "You can't calculate the account like that. It's been fifteen years, how can there be no interest at all?"

Zhao Ling was interested. "Then, cousin, what do you think is a suitable interest rate for him? Fifteen thousand taels, rounding it up to twenty thousand taels?"

Rong Tang still shook his head, "Let's settle the accounts first. Thirty percent interest isn't a lot for loans in the market, right?"

Zhao Ling looked at the other two with a blank look, and it was Madam Tang who answered the question, "It's not much. It's a normal interest rate. If you borrow one thousand taels, you will have to pay back one thousand three hundred taels including principal and interest. Even if you put it in the context of the sky, it's not too high."

Zhao Ling blinked. "Ah! Fifteen thousand taels, 30% interest is four thousand five hundred taels, a total of nineteen thousand five hundred taels, that's fine!"

That's about the extent of her math skills.

Rong Tang smiled, "My cousin's business is not going well. She will lose money. Tiantian, Miss Cui, do the math. 30% annual profit for fifteen years."

Tang Tiantian and Cui Minshu started calculating together, taking notes as they went along. After about a cup of tea, Cui Minshu was the first to answer, "Fifty-one thousand taels."

Zhao Ling was shocked. "My goodness, how did you calculate that?"

"The first year's interest is three hundred taels multiplied by fifteen years, for a total of four thousand five hundred taels. The second year's interest is three hundred taels multiplied by fourteen years, for a total of four thousand two hundred taels. And so on, this year's interest is three hundred taels. The total interest for fifteen years is thirty-six thousand taels, plus the principal of fifteen thousand taels, for a total of fifty-one thousand taels."

Zhao Ling's mouth opened into an O shape. "I've made a fortune!" But she was worried. "Can I get the full amount back?"

Rong Tang asked Tang Tiantian, "Is this how you calculate it too?"

Tang Tiantian was supposed to count faster than Cui Minshu, but for some reason she stopped, her pretty little nose slightly wrinkled, and she looked a little hesitant.

"I'm wondering, after calculating the interest for the first year, he didn't pay back the money. Since the interest is calculated annually, if he doesn't pay it back, does that mean the principal and interest should be recalculated?"

Rong Tang was very pleased. "That's right. Since you didn't pay it back in the first year, then the principal and interest will be added to the outstanding balance of that year. Just do the math, don't worry about the numbers."

Tang Tiantian understood and bravely recalculated. She didn't know the modern formula for compound interest, so she used the crude method of accumulating year after year.

Interest compounded, interest compounded...

Zhao Ling's brain began to calculate again. "The first year's debt is one thousand taels, including principal and interest, it's one thousand three hundred taels. The second year's interest is calculated on an additional one thousand taels, which is... two thousand nine hundred and ninety taels. The third year's interest is three thousand nine hundred and ninety taels... Oh my god, my brain is not enough, I can't figure it out..."

She couldn't figure it out, but two math experts could. Tiantian used her extra-long abacus with both hands, making a clattering sound, and it took her a full quarter of an hour to calculate.

During this period, because of the incalculable "millimeters", Rong Tang's opinion was sought, and a small amount of decimals were rounded off in the twelfth year. Now, everyone only sees a dozen digits on the abacus, and they are all a little confused.

Mrs. Tang pointed at the abacus and asked, "How much is this?"

Tang Tiantian was also a little hesitant, pointing to one of the points and said: "Before this number, it was a whole ounce of silver."

Zhao Ling leaned over to count the tens, hundreds, thousands, and hundreds of thousands of coins, totaling two hundred and seventeen thousand four hundred and ten thousand nine cents. He gasped.

Mrs. Tang also read it out loud, and after she did so, she sprayed out a mouthful of tea that turned into mist and she almost fell off her chair.

"Mom, be careful!"

Tang Tiantian supported her.

Madam Tang swallowed her saliva and said, "Goddess of Heaven, am I dreaming?"

Rong Tang rubbed his chin. He actually believed in Tang Tiantian's calculations, but he waited until Cui Minshu gave the same answer before saying, "That's right, that's exactly this much. Cousin, are you sure you can get it back?"

Zhao Ling opened his mouth wide, "I..."

"What if it's for His Majesty? His Majesty wants to build an Imperial College, but the Ministry of Revenue won't give him money, so he has to pay out of his own pocket. My aunt donated all the money she's owed over the years to help His Majesty. If you don't want to move, then I..."

"Wait a moment, let me take a break."

Zhao Ling sat down with his hands on the back of the chair, stroking his chest and breathing heavily.

"Why, don't you dare!"

Rong Tang wanted to laugh, but Zhao Ling chuckled, "It's not that I don't dare to ask for it, it's just... I feel guilty..."

Fifteen thousand taels, including principal and interest, is almost two hundred and twenty thousand taels. If she told others about it, she was afraid of being drowned in spit.

She wanted money, but she also wanted dignity.

"If you're sorry, I'll go."

Zhao Ling thought about it again and again, "I'd better go. This is my mother's shop, and I should take the lead. If I don't come back, you will support me."

After the matter was settled, Cui Minshu suddenly left his seat, his attitude becoming more respectful as he bowed to Rong Tang, "Young Master, I'm leaving now. Please forgive me for any disrespect I may have shown you in the past."

"What do you mean, Miss Cui?"

Cui Minshu looked embarrassed. "No, I just think you're very kind to our Cui family."