The effects of using fire manure were so remarkable that a wave of fire manure burning swept through the Earl's estate.
Materials like wild grass, straw, and branches could be easily gathered, especially in the surrounding forests, where layers of fallen leaves and branches had accumulated over the years. Collecting materials for fire manure was a simple task.
Moreover, the average serf didn't rent much land, so a single pile of fire manure was usually enough. The amount of material needed wasn't excessive, and since serfs were already required to pay a firewood tax to their lord, collecting materials to burn fire manure didn't incur any additional taxes.
It seemed like they were coming out ahead.
As a result, the serfs became even more enthusiastic about gathering materials and burning fire manure. Soon, thick smoke could be seen rising from all corners of the estate to the point where it looked like the surrounding forests might catch fire.
The stewards, seeing the potential danger, suggested to Felix that he ban the serfs from burning fire manure to prevent an actual forest fire.
In the end, Felix didn't outright ban the practice, but he did impose restrictions. Serfs were no longer allowed to burn fire manure privately and had to do so at designated locations. Additionally, the amount of fire manure they burned couldn't exceed what was needed for their land. If they produced more, they would be subject to additional taxes.
This last rule was introduced because Felix discovered that some serfs were selling excess fire manure to people outside the estate, which greatly displeased him.
At his core, Felix was still a feudal noble. He allowed the serfs to burn fire manure because their increased crop yields benefited him as well. However, using his resources to line their own pockets was unacceptable.
Once the Earl's decree was issued, no one dared to continue such practices in secret. The serfs obediently burned fire manure at the designated locations and didn't produce more than required. As a result, the air around Sardinson Castle was no longer filled with the constant smell of smoke.
Wei Wei only learned about Felix's decree later, through discussions among the castle servants. She agreed with the decision to centralize the burning of fire manure. If she had found a more suitable fertilizer, she wouldn't have suggested burning fire manure in the first place, given the significant pollution it caused.
As for the ban on selling fire manure, Wei Wei remained neutral. Burning fire manure wasn't particularly difficult; with a few attempts, anyone could figure it out. The technique wasn't highly technical, and once others learned about it, the serfs within the estate wouldn't be able to profit from it.
She suspected that Felix understood this as well, but his decision to ban the practice was likely also about maintaining his authority.
The very next day, however, Felix came to Wei Wei for help.
This young Earl, renowned for his martial prowess, had once been the most promising new knight in the capital's tournaments. Many believed he had the potential to become the next chief knight, and even the king held him in high regard.
But even such a talented individual had his weaknesses.
Felix was terrible at anything involving numbers.
Unlike his elder brother Eric, who had received a comprehensive education as the heir, Felix had been raised as a knight and was a typical academic underachiever.
Felix's literacy was limited to common words and phrases, and anything more obscure left him baffled. In arithmetic, he was on par with Dolores—or rather, he had been, until Dolores started receiving lessons from Wei Wei.
Now, Dolores, who had memorized the multiplication table and learned to use vertical calculations, rarely made major mistakes in basic arithmetic. Felix, on the other hand, struggled with multiplication and division, much like Dolores had before her lessons.
In modern terms, Felix wouldn't have graduated from elementary school. For him, managing accounts was harder than winning a hundred consecutive tournaments.
After much deliberation, Felix could only think of asking Wei Wei for help.
He didn't trust anyone else with this task, and if Wei Wei helped, they would have more time together to nurture their relationship.
Perhaps one day, she might even be moved to accept his proposal.
His dreams were grand, but reality was far less accommodating.
Wei Wei didn't refuse to help. Given how much Felix had done for her, she couldn't bring herself to say no.
However, Felix's romantic vision of the two of them working alone in his study—him handling official business while she managed the accounts, occasionally pausing to chat and laugh—didn't come to pass. They weren't alone.
Wei Wei had rearranged her teaching schedule with Mrs. Bates and brought Dolores along.
"Dolores has been doing well in her arithmetic lessons recently. I thought this would be a good opportunity to teach her how to manage accounts."
And, incidentally, help the siblings bond.
With that explanation, Felix couldn't object and had to accept the arrangement.
Dolores's shyness had eased somewhat around Wei Wei, but she was still timid around Felix. Fortunately, compared to other strangers, she was slightly less afraid of her older brother, whom she rarely saw.
Of course, she still didn't dare speak much.
Wei Wei genuinely intended for Dolores to handle a portion of the accounting work. She would review and verify Dolores's calculations, but her main goal was to teach the girl how to read and manage accounts.
Felix had mentioned that the castle needed a lady to manage its affairs. Rather than an outsider like herself, wouldn't it make more sense for the Earl's sister to take on that role?
With this in mind, Wei Wei patiently taught Dolores, even going so far as to reorganize and categorize the messy ledgers Felix had provided. She created tables and recopied the records, making everything clear and easy to understand.
The tables she designed were straightforward, with all the numbers neatly arranged. Errors were immediately apparent, and even Felix, upon seeing the new format, felt that managing accounts might not be so difficult after all.
When Wei Wei uncovered several discrepancies and exposed fraudulent entries in less than an afternoon, Felix looked at her as if she were a goddess.
A goddess he wanted to kneel before and worship.
While Felix dealt with the fraud, the accounting work continued.
To Wei Wei, the vertical calculation method was too slow, especially since the currency system in Pradi wasn't decimal-based, further complicating the calculations.
Naturally, she thought of using a calculating tool.
A calculator was out of the question, but an abacus was feasible.
Wei Wei had learned to use an abacus in elementary school. Not only had her school offered specialized abacus classes, but her grandparents had also been skilled at it and often practiced with her. Although she hadn't used it since graduating, she still remembered the mnemonic rhymes clearly. It would only take a little time to relearn.
Of course, there were no ready-made abacuses available, so Wei Wei had to commission a carpenter to make one.
The carpenter was already on hand. Although the design for her new house wasn't finalized, that didn't stop Wei Wei from having him start on the furniture.
The carpenter, along with his eldest son, was currently staying at the castle to work on Wei Wei's furniture. She had previously asked him to make two fan frames, and afterward, he had received numerous orders from the maids. Of course, he didn't neglect his primary work; his younger son handled the fan frame orders.
Now, Wei Wei needed him to make an abacus. She simply drew a design, included a deposit, and had a maid deliver the request.
The carpenter assured her through the maid that the abacus would be ready within two days.
In truth, making an abacus wasn't difficult. The most time-consuming part was polishing the beads, but two days were more than enough.
Wei Wei wasn't in a hurry. It would likely take more than two days just to organize all the accounts into tables.
Initially, she thought she would only need to review this year's accounts. However, after she had nearly finished, Felix sent over ten times as many ledgers.
To fully understand his assets, Felix needed to review at least ten years' worth of accounts for Sardinson County. This workload far exceeded Wei Wei's expectations.
She had assumed it would only be the initial batch, but there was more.
It was at this point that Wei Wei realized she had been tricked.
Staring at the towering stack of ledgers, she flatly refused, "Where's your accountant? This should be their job."
"In prison," Felix replied, copying a portion of the accounts himself. He felt he could handle this part, as long as he didn't have to calculate totals or anything more complex. "The fraudulent entries were their doing. I've already sent people to interrogate them."
"Then hire new ones. Surely there are other suitable accountants in Sardinson County? This volume of work is beyond what a few of us can handle, and I can't stay here forever helping you with this."
"I'm already looking for new accountants," Felix said, a hint of grievance in his voice. "But it seems there aren't many qualified people in Sardinson County. I may have to look elsewhere, and that will take time."
This backwater place.
Wei Wei rubbed her temples, reluctantly compromising. "If you can't find accountants, at least find some literate people to help. I need assistants to fill in the tables."
While accounting required professionals, surely copying and filling in tables could be delegated to others?
Equally eager to offload the work, Felix quickly agreed. "Some of the servants are literate. I'll have Barton find a few suitable ones to help."
"Include Qin and Dolores's maid as well," Wei Wei added. "They're quite good at arithmetic."
Dolores's maid had been with her for years and had attended her lessons, so she was proficient in both reading and arithmetic. Qin, who was already literate, had been diligently studying arithmetic during Wei Wei's lessons. She had memorized the multiplication table and, though slow, was highly accurate.
With proper training, these three maids could handle a portion of the calculations.
"Fine, you decide."