When the morning mist of Green Ox Valley wrapped around the rhymes of the Abacus Beads, the newly contracted farmers clutched their bamboo tallies and huddled in the corner of the classroom—the four Abacus Bead style characters on their tallies reading "New Abacus Contract Recruit" were still warm to the touch. The Abacus Beads immediately rolled into ice-breaking spheres with a pattering sound, projecting images near their feet: "What is there to fear? The Abacus Beads are more gentle than your family's old hen!" A young farmhand muttered, "I heard the Abacus Beads will flick people on the forehead..." An Abacus Bead bounced into the shape of the character for "flick," tapped him lightly on the forehead amidst his hair, and then projected a tiny heart with the message: "Flicking you is out of love, don't blame the bead code."
"Today we are teaching the Abacus Bead speed-memorization method for Essential Techniques for the Peasantry!" Xiao Moli waved her Abacus Bead pointer, and the Abacus Beads bounced on the blackboard to form the character for "play"—the crop rotation system had actually been turned into an Abacus Bead hopscotch game, with each square inscribed with one of the five elements of medicinal herbs: "wood, fire, earth, metal, water." When an old man stepped on the wrong square, the Abacus Beads immediately projected tiny thorns on the soles of his shoes along with the message: "Stepped on the wrong bead square, penalty is to recite Essential Techniques." With a…
Chapter 270