Xavier had an equal number of cream scones, matcha scones and chocolate scones. After he ate 44 cream scones, some matcha scones and chocolate scones, there were 71 scones left. The number of matcha scones he ate was thrice the number of chocolate scones he ate. The number of matcha scones left was 23 more than the number of cream scones left. How many cream scones were there at first?

	Cream scones	Matcha scones	Chocolate scones	Total scones
Before	1 p + 44	1 p + 3 u + 23	1 p + 3 u + 23
Change	- 44	- 3 u	- 1 u
After	1 p	1 p + 23	1 p + 23 + 1 u	71

Number of matcha scones and cream scones was equal at first.

1 p + 3 u + 23 = 1 p + 44
3 u = 44 - 23
3 u = 21

1 u = 21 ÷ 3 = 7

Total number of scones in the end
= 1 p + 1 p + 23 + 1 p + 23 + 7
= 1 p + 1 p + 1 p + 23 + 23 + 7
= 3 p + 53

3 p + 53 = 71
3 p = 71 - 53
3 p = 18

1 p = 18 ÷ 3 = 6

Number of cream scones at first
= 1 p + 44
= 6 + 44
= 50

Answer(s): 50