The clerks from the Zao Bureau kicked open the Clan Treasury's doors and slapped a statement for 76,000 strings of interest onto the table. Liu Liu's forehead was bleeding, and he could barely keep himself upright against a chair. But ten-year-old Liu Xi stepped forward to take charge of the books, pointing out that the words "compound interest, recorded separately" had been added later. At three percent annual interest, 38,000 strings of principal compounded for 270 years would amount to only 71,858 strings. The Zao Bureau had counted the same compound interest twice, overcharging them by 4,142 strings and seven-tenths. Lang Chong entered, pulled out the statement, and tore it partway through. Even so, he left them a final notice demanding full payment within thirty days. If they failed to pay, the entire Luoyan Hollow would be put up as collateral: the fields, medicinal herb plots, clan treasury, and houses would all be confiscated, and the clan members would be treated as tenant farmers. Liu Liu sank into the broken chair. But before Lang Chong tucked the statement into his sleeve, a corner remained where it had been torn. Was Liu Xi staring at the seal, or the writing?
