Chapter 149: Copper plates are fine too—after all, it doesn't take much effort

"Go call everyone out." Jiang Yun Chu said calmly.

Upon hearing, Kang Wen said, "Got it."

As long as it's not punishing himself, he's happy to run errands for the Dean—something many people hope for. Didn't you see Kang Wu's expectant eyes?

Kang Wu: "You're back—am I not looking at you like a fool?"

In a moment…

Those students came out…

The people from Ningguang Yuan also came out…

Even the people from Spring Flower Kindergarten came out—Yue Yue and Zhi Dong, the two little ones, were having an extra snack, each holding a pastry plate, and came out just like that.

"Mom, we're here." Yue Yue said, not forgetting to look up and greet her mother.

Jiang Yun Chu felt several black symbols jump on her forehead—who could tell her if Kang Wen's comprehension had a problem?

"Dean, everyone's here—I called them all." Kang Wen looked pleased with himself.

Kang Wu covered his eyes, "Dean, go easy—don't hit my face."

Jiang Yun Chu gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes—very good.

"The situation is like this; you few, think of a solution." Jiang Yun Chu's words had just fallen.

Kang Zhiqiu said, "We have many people; we can string a thousand together with rope, then tie ten strings into a bundle, and finally just count the bundles."

Jiang Yun Chu nodded, "Going from zero to a whole number is a method."

"However, it's a bit troublesome; your time is precious—don't waste it on this."

"Any other method?"

Several people scratched their heads; Kang Nai Xin silently raised her hand.

Usually, Nai Xin speaks little, and she is practically invisible; only when her name is called does she voice her opinion, but her observation is sharp and she is good at thinking.

Jiang Yun Chu discovered that many of her angles of thought were different.

"Nai Xin, you speak." Jiang Yun Chu gave her an encouraging look.

Kang Nai Xin's tension had just eased a bit; "Silver can be weighed, and so can copper coins—when making copper coins, they're surely uniform, right?"

At first she spoke slowly, still watching Jiang Yun Chu's expression, afraid she might say something wrong.

But seeing Jiang Yun Chu's encouraging gaze, she broke into a smile, speaking more fluently and gaining confidence.

"We can first count out a thousand copper plates, then weigh them, afterwards just weigh directly, and finally calculate the weight to know how many copper plates there are."

She spoke while thinking, and by the end her eyes had narrowed.

Jiang Yun Chu nodded, then looked at everyone and asked, "What do you think of this method?"

"It's feasible!" Ning Hanmo nodded.

"I think we can try." Kang Wu also responded.

Several people fell into thought.

Jiang Yun Chu smiled and said, "Then let's begin."

The little ones started counting without hesitation.

"I have a hundred."

"Mine is also a hundred."

"Mine is two hundred."

In a moment, several people had gathered a thousand.

Jiang Yun Chu looked toward Cao Shao and said, "Cao family young master, do you want to count? Don't deny it later."

While the children were counting, the townsfolk were watching.

She was just going through the motions, to prevent the Cao family from denying it later—how could the silver owed be repaid with just three boxes of copper coins?

Even a fool knows that's impossible!

"Not necessary." Cao Shao snorted coldly and turned his head aside.

"Have they come out?" Jiang Yun Chu glanced at the children.

"They're out, they're out." Kang Zhi Chun nodded.

"To prove feasibility, let's count another thousand the same way, weigh them, and see if they're consistent—what do you think?" She looked at her younger siblings and asked directly.

"Good." Ning Hanmo agreed outright and went to count.

In a moment, everyone again gathered a thousand.

One weighing, they were completely consistent.

Kang Nai Xin jumped up on the spot, "Same, great!"

After all, it was her proposal; since it's feasible, how could she not be happy?

Ning Hanmo thought of something, then walked around the crowd so everyone could see clearly, lest later someone deny it.

"I've watched both times, and they're the same!" said someone nearby, who had been watching the whole time.

Whether counting copper plates or weighing, he watched, then shouted loudly; those nearby who were also watching nodded and admitted it directly.

"As the Princess Consort, I have always believed that the people's eyes are clear, and justice resides in the hearts of the people." Jiang Yun Chu said with a smile.

"Since the two results are consistent, this shows the method is feasible."

"Weigh it up!"

In the meantime, those boxes of copper coins began to be weighed.

First weigh the whole boxes, then subtract the boxes' capacity; the remainder is the weight of the copper coins.

After the three boxes were completely weighed, a total weight was tallied, and according to the capacity of a thousand copper coins, it was distributed.

A few children were calculating over there; although Jiang Yun Chu had already worked out the result, seeing the children's effort still made her feel relieved.

After they bought the fertile land that month, these kids seemed to hold their breath; every day the kerosene lamp stayed lit past midnight.

Still, to protect their eyes, she imposed a strict rule: the lamp must be put out at the set time.

But...

She had set the lamp-off time, so they woke up earlier in the morning; those who used to get up only for early practice now, when she checked the early practice, each child held a book, reading and reciting beside it; if they didn't understand something, they would mark it, to ask others later.

She didn't know whether this situation was good or bad.

Where there is a policy above, there is a countermeasure below.

She could only accept their study method; however, she improved their meals considerably, and whenever she had time she would stew them a tonic soup, adding some medicinal herbs to boost their stamina.

"I've figured it out." Ning Hanmo was the first to raise his hand.

After him, Kang Wu, Kang Zhi Chun, and Ning Qiancheng also raised their hands.

"Go ahead and say." Jiang Yun Chu smiled.

"These copper plates are just 432 taels of silver; I even gave them an extra two hundred copper plates!" Ning Hanmo pursed his lips.

They owed a thousand taels of silver, and paying back just over four hundred taels would be enough?

Which way do you have to sleep to dream of such a good thing?

"What about you?" Jiang Yun Chu asked.

"Unanimous!" The children shouted in unison, then turned over the paper they had calculated on so she could see clearly what they had written.

Jiang Yun Chu smiled, turned her head toward the Cao family's eldest Young Master, and said, "Copper plates, I accept them."

"I hope your household will send the remaining silver within three days."

"Right..."

"Copper plates are fine too, after all they don't take much effort."

The smile on her face seemed mild to others, but in the eyes of the Cao family's Young Master it was not so; it seemed to carry sarcasm.