Finest Servant

Chapter 295 Teaching

Oh? What else besides him? Lin Wanrong couldn't help but draw in a cold breath. Was Old Xu hinting at something? ‘If you want to court me, that's fine, but the problem lies in the fact that your young daughter and I aren't exactly on the same wavelength.’

Upon noticing Xu Wei and Lin San conversing, the Eldest Miss saw Miss Xu's face pallid with despair. She reached for her hand, consoling, "Miss Xu, Madam Xu, don't mind Lin San. He's all bark and no bite. Ignore his nonsense. Come with me; I have gifts for you both."

Lin Wanrong knew the Eldest Miss intended to give out perfumes. He couldn't help but let out a couple of chuckles, which made the Eldest Miss blush. She glared at him, then, with the account book in hand, led the two women into the inner courtyard.

"Little brother Lin, Little brother Lin, did you hear me?" Xu Wei's voice resonated in his ear.

"Huh? Ah, yes, I heard, I heard...what was it?" Lin Wanrong responded with a laugh. "Mr. Xu, we can discuss these matters later. First, take a look at this portrait. Do you recognize this woman?"

He pulled out a portrait from his pocket and handed it to Xu Wei. Upon receiving it, Xu Wei saw a uniquely styled painting of a woman who looked like a celestial being - both her posture and her appearance were breathtaking. He studied it for a while before furrowing his brows. "This seems vaguely familiar, but I can't recall where I've seen her."

Overjoyed, Lin Wanrong seized his arm, asking, "Mr. Xu, can you remember seeing her in the palace?"

Xu Wei shook his head. "I can only say she seems familiar. As to whether I've seen her or not, I can't say for sure."

Xu Wei gave a wry smile, "The second princess? I saw her when she was very young. For more than a decade now, she has been very private and modest. Apart from the Emperor, few have seen her. I'm quite familiar with the eldest princess, but even she has seldom seen the second princess. Ah, it all ties back to a secret from when the Emperor ascended to the throne. Let's not talk about that."

Lin Wanrong persisted, "Could Mr. Xu take another look and see if this lady resembles the eldest princess or the Emperor?"

Xu Wei glanced at the painting, chuckling, "Little brother Lin, you're asking me quite a lot of questions. Is this lady in the portrait the second princess?"

Lin Wanrong nodded, "I'm not quite sure, just a suspicion. If she is the second princess, she should bear some resemblance to either the Emperor or the eldest princess."

Xu Wei shook his head, "Although a person's appearance is inherited from their parents, it can significantly differ. Determining familial relationships based solely on appearances can be misleading. Especially when it comes to the royal family. Throughout history, no princess has been unattractive. Why is that? Because anyone who becomes an Emperor naturally possesses a certain dignified aura and their appearance won't be too unattractive. The consorts are even more stunning, and their daughters, the princesses, often inherit the best features of both, making them exceptionally beautiful. Because an Emperor's majesty isn't befitting for a woman, most princesses inherit their mother's appearance. For instance, the eldest princess inherited her mother's looks, as did the second princess. It's not unusual for these half-sisters to look nothing alike."

Lin Wanrong was suddenly somewhat disappointed. If Qingxuan's appearance resembled that of the eldest princess or the Emperor, then it would be easier to determine her identity. Regrettably, Old Xu had thrown out the theory that "a royal princess often resembles her mother." It seemed that it would indeed be difficult to identify Qingxuan's status simply by her appearance. Was he really supposed to garner more merit, and wait for the Emperor's decree inviting him into the palace?

Seeing that he couldn't find a breakthrough from Old Xu, Lin Wanrong was rather helpless. Qingxuan, Qingxuan, was she really a princess?

After exchanging some idle chatter, Lin Wanrong beat around the bush about the matter of joining the army. Sometimes he would say that the border was so far away, other times he would remark how strong their army was, dragging in unrelated matters. Xu Wei was immensely frustrated; he had talked to this young man for quite a while and still had not figured out if he wanted to go or not. The top scholar had truly met his match in this cunning character.

When Lin Wanrong and Old Xu entered the inner courtyard, they saw Su Qinglian and Xu Zhiqing each holding a bottle of perfume, playing with them curiously. Miss Xu seemed much happier, applying some perfume to her jade-like wrist, sniffing it lightly. A trace of delight appeared on her face, "It's fragrant but not too heavy, charming yet not vulgar. My dear sister, this is truly a wonderful thing, I love it very much. Do you have more? I'd like another bottle of the orchid one."

Lin Wanrong was sweating. She was holding a rose one and wanted another orchid one. Which scent did she actually prefer? Was she sometimes innocent, sometimes coquettish? Such an intriguing woman indeed had a unique taste, quite similar to his.

Su Qinglian laughed, "Zhiqing, this perfume is so sought after in Hangzhou that it's nearly impossible to acquire, and the price has already doubled several times. A tiny bottle like this has been speculated to be worth three hundred taels of silver. Ladies in the capital have already started circulating it, but the quantity is limited, and few people know about it. Everyone treasures their own. By asking for one, you're spending several hundred taels."

Xu Zhiqing laughed, "Auntie, I naturally understand. When I met with sister Yuruo for the first time, she was so generous. If I didn't ask for another one, wouldn't I be at a loss? Besides, sister Yuruo is smart. She wants us to advertise for her."

The Eldest Miss was delighted to see that even a lofty lady like Xu Zhiqing loved this perfume. She laughed, "No worries at all. I'll give Miss Xu and Madam Xu another bottle of the orchid one each. This is our Lin family's secret recipe, impossible to find anywhere else."

Miss Xu glanced at Lin San, murmuring an indifferent 'oh'. Lin Wanrong touched his nose, thinking that she would return these two bottles to the Eldest Miss when she heard that he made the perfume. According to the black market price, this was worth six hundred taels of silver.

As he was deep in thought, he saw Xu Zhiqing carrying the Eldest Miss's account book and slowly walked over, "Young Master Lin, I have a matter to consult you on."

Upon seeing his daughter speaking with Lin San, Xu Wei immediately laughed heartily, "You two are both extraordinary, you should talk more. Miss, I will impose myself on your mansion today and ask for a cup of wine. Qinglian, bring the zither. Today I'm in a good mood. Let's sing a song and have some fun with Miss and Young Master Lin."

‘Good heavens, every time I spoke to your lady, you started singing and dancing, enjoying fine food and wine. I did all the work and you took all the pleasures. Was there any justice in this?’ Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "Ah, Miss Xu, you wish to learn from me? Perhaps later. I was hoping to listen to Miss Su play the zither. I must say, I'm quite fond of romancing, it's just that I'm not very good at it, and haven't courted many."

Xu Zhiqing gave a nonchalant nod, saying, "I was intending to seek your instruction about Arabic numerals, but if you are occupied, then never mind."

Lin Wanrong exclaimed in astonishment, "You know about Arabic numerals?"

A cunning light flickered in Xu Zhiqing's eyes as she smiled, "Let's first listen to Aunt Su play the zither. You seemed quite eager, didn't you?"

Damn, this girl was seeking revenge. ‘I will romance you today,’ he thought with a grin. "If that's the case, then never mind—I was planning on discussing the calculation methods of these Arabic numerals with Miss Xu. Oh well, let's talk about love!"

Both of them were playing games, locked in a quiet battle of patience to see who would yield first.

As Lin Wanrong moved away, he recalled his ambition to spread Arabic numerals in this world. While this was foundational, if done right, it would be a great contribution to the nation. Perhaps it would mark the beginning of the Great Hua catching up with Europe?

He didn't know how to make cannons and he refused to manufacture gunpowder, but this foundation in mathematics and physics—if he managed to spread it, that would be a benefit to countless future generations. ‘So be it, I'll take on the role of the anonymous hero. Xu Zhiqing is patient and determined, and she knows about these Arabic numerals. Why should I miss this opportunity out of sheer stubbornness?’

Having thought this, he suddenly halted and, with a serious expression, addressed her: "Miss Xu, I won't hold a grudge against you. Let's talk frankly. Regardless of your opinion of me, whether you think I'm babbling nonsense or I'm ignorant, I must say, Arabic numerals and the calculation methods based on them are an extremely great invention. Without them, the Westerners wouldn't be so powerful. Mastering them, the Great Hua might enter a brand-new era."

Xu Zhiqing noticed his grave demeanor, quite different from the frustrated young man moments earlier. She couldn't help but sigh, "How you change so swiftly! Arabic numerals were introduced by the Westerners and recorded in the coastal areas. I came across a brief note about them in a translated book by missionary York. I saw you using them for counting in Miss's account book and out of curiosity wanted to ask. Do these Arabic numerals really hold the significance you claim?"

"Whether they are significant or not, it's not up to me to decide. Let's do this: You give me a math problem, and we'll solve it together. Let the facts prove themselves," Lin Wanrong proposed.

That seemed fair. Xu Zhiqing nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Then, I will set a problem. A chessboard with five squares across and two squares down, making ten squares in total. Put one tael of silver in the first square, two taels in the second, four taels in the third, and so on. To fill all ten squares, how many taels of silver are required in total?"

Seeing Miss Xu reach for paper and brush to calculate, Lin Wanrong, after a brief mental calculation, laughed, "There's no need for that, it's one thousand and twenty-three taels."

She had posed the question herself, so there was no way he could have cheated. Miss Xu, in awe, asked, "How did you calculate that? Is this how Arabic numerals are calculated?"

Lin Wanrong laughed and replied, "I can't tell you now. Once you have mastered Arabic numerals, you can deduce these formulas yourself. Miss Xu, you are knowledgeable. Can you tell me, do you find the current calculation methods you use convenient?"

Xu Zhiqing pondered and said, "I never found them complicated before, but after seeing you do the calculations, it seems I need to reconsider."

Lin Wanrong nodded, "I'll tell you, whether it's astronomy, calendars, or engineering calculations, Arabic numerals are the most useful means of calculation. If you want to learn, I'll teach you. I don't expect you to remember my good deeds. I just hope that once you've learned, you can pass this knowledge on, invite more people interested in mathematics and engineering to join, and collectively develop this field of mathematics. If possible, compile them into books for continued circulation. With these, I'll be content. What are you looking at? Do you think I'm great? Let me tell you, do not worship individuals; I'm afraid it would cause problems."

Xu Zhiqing shook her head and chuckled, "You... Just when I thought you were getting serious, you change again. I will remember what you said. In fact, it's what I've been doing all along." Lin Wanrong was determined to pass on this calculation method. As he taught Xu Zhiqing, he was meticulous in his explanations. Unfortunately, having never been a teacher before, teaching elementary mathematics felt somewhat challenging. Thankfully, his knack for conversing helped him muddle through.

Indeed, Xu Zhiqing was exceptionally bright. She quickly became familiar with the Arabic numerals. Lin Wanrong only had to explain the four arithmetic operations once, and she understood, impressing him - she was far more intelligent than he was in primary school.

Seeing her enthusiasm for learning, Lin Wanrong went all out, teaching her the concepts of exponential operations. Whether she understood or not, he went ahead anyway. In this situation, he could only resort to rote learning; if she wanted to understand, she could study it in her own time.

After an hour of teaching, Lin Wanrong was parched. Xu Zhiqing sighed, "These Arabic numerals are truly ingenious. With these calculation methods, our Great Hua craftwork will undoubtedly advance further."

Lin Wanrong nodded and asked, "Miss Xu, how much did you manage to remember?"

Xu Zhiqing lowered her head, her face reddening slightly as she whispered, "I remembered about ninety percent, but I didn't quite grasp the last part about exponents."

‘Sweat, she's a real genius. If I keep going, I'll end up proving the Pythagorean theorem to her. Enough is enough, I've done my part. The rest is up to her to understand.’

He had met Xu Zhiqing several times before, but it was the first time he saw her blush. Unable to contain his amusement, he maintained a stern face and sighed, "Alas, I suppose it will have to do. Among all the students I have taught, you're the slowest to grasp the concepts."

However, Xu Zhiqing wasn't easily intimidated. She looked up and chuckled, "You don't even blush when you lie. But, I am curious. You aren't particularly clever. Where did you learn about these Arabic numerals?"

‘Damn it, she thinks I'm not clever enough? Which eye of hers saw that?’ Lin Wanrong indignantly replied, "When you think I'm clever enough, I'll tell you then. I'm hungry, let's go eat."

Xu Zhiqing paused for a moment, then burst into a delicate laughter. Her voluptuous body shook violently from her amusement to the point where she couldn't even stand straight...

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