A year's time had passed, and the accounts from the estate had piled up considerably. Bai Shan spent an entire afternoon organizing them. When he finally looked up, he saw Manbao and Bai Erlang seated at their desks, engrossed in writing.
Curious, he leaned in to take a look. "What are you two writing?"
Bai Erlang didn't even lift his head. "Biographies. I'm taking advantage of the break from school to write as much as I can."
Bai Shan turned to see what Manbao was working on but realized he couldn't make sense of most of it. He quickly discerned it was a medical text and decided to leave her to it.
Picking up the ledger from the table, Bai Shan spoke without concern for whether the two were paying attention. "I've calculated everything. This year, the estate's profits will allow each of us to take 286 taels."
Turning to Bai Erlang, Bai Shan asked, "Should I repay the money I owe you now, or wait until your cousin leaves?"
