As the Abacus-Bead Lanterns in the Chang'an Night Market gradually went out, Pei Hongxiu slammed her abacus-bead ledger onto the counter of the Qingniu Sundries Shop. The beads bounced between the numbers to form the character "EXPLOSIVE": "Scoundrel! After half a month of contextual marketing, the profit we've made is enough to buy ten Persian trading caravans!" The Protagonist shook the abacus merit book and smiled faintly: "This is the 'Abacus Array Dividend'—" The beads jumped into the ledger, spelling out the word "MARVELOUS". "The Literati District sells elegance, the Hu Merchant District sells novelty, the Commoner District sells practicality, and the abacus beads sell souls!"
The Calligraphy and Painting Boat of Moli drifted over with a fragrance of fresh ink. The beads bounced on the not-yet-dry *Panoramic Map of the Abacus Array* to form the word "FUN"—in the painting, the abacus beads were crowning every district with laurels, and a banner reading "King of Traffic Generation" hung from the abacus-bead stilts of a dancing Hu maiden. A scholar pointed at the "Bead Brain Map" formed by the abacus beads in the painting and exclaimed: "Such beads belong only in the heavens!" The beads immediately bounced onto his hair, spelling out the word "BOAST", while embroidering a mini portrait of "Abacus Beads are Boasting About You" on his folding fan.
In Xiaotao's eatery, the abacus beads were helping pack the last few steamer baskets of abacus-bead steamed buns, bouncing on …
Chapter 236