Chapter 674 - 348: Borrowing Money 2

Chapter 674: Chapter 348: Borrowing Money 2

After hearing this, Third Uncle lowered his head in thought. Realizing it made sense, he said, "In that case, I’ll listen to you. I always say you’re more capable than I am. So why don’t you open a shop? You have a house on the market street, and everything you need is already there. I guess I thought it was much simpler than it is."

Huai Zi said earnestly, "We’re not opening a shop on the market street because we’re afraid it’ll just get seized. That’s why we rented it out instead. Third Uncle, it doesn’t matter if we’re a little poor. We just have to get through these next few years, but we absolutely can’t let anything happen to our family. This business idea of yours isn’t quite right, either. If you pay too much for goods, you won’t make a profit. If you offer too little, people won’t sell to you. Wouldn’t it be better for them to just walk a little farther to the market? Nowadays, everyone treats every last copper coin like their lifeline. They’d never be willing to sell to you on the cheap."

Zhang Dashuan nodded again and again, also chiming in with a lot of advice.

While nodding, Third Uncle smiled and asked, "Huai Zi, do you think Yangzi will be able to pass the scholar exam? Your grandmother is at home every single day, burning incense and praying. She keeps saying how wonderful it would be if the Zhang family’s ancestors finally smiled upon us and produced a Scholar." Having set aside the idea of starting a business, he felt much more relaxed and asked about Yangzi.

Zhang Huai smiled. "It’s hard to say, but we’ll know soon enough either way. Just don’t worry, Uncle, and don’t mention it to anyone. We also need to be careful with this grain. Carry a little less each time, or people will think our family has a ton of it."

Third Uncle said quickly, "Of course I know that! I was just thinking I should wait until it’s darker to carry it back. Those people are like wolves. What do you think will happen if they see? Even letting the other villagers see it would be bad. They won’t think about how close our families are; they’ll just assume you have a ton of grain. If too many relatives start showing up at your door, you won’t be able to handle the strain."

Zhang Dashuan said in a solemn voice, "Once it gets dark, I’ll go with you. That way we can carry more, and besides, I won’t feel right about you heading home alone."

Third Uncle nodded. "Then I’d be very grateful. Your First Uncle’s family can still manage, but Second Uncle’s family is really struggling. Fourth Uncle’s family was about to go under, but thankfully, things got a little better with Yu Qin’s help. Hey, how come no government officers have come to your village? Was everyone able to pay their taxes?"

Huai Zi nodded. "That’s only because the workshop made a bit of money. Otherwise, we’d be in the same boat as you. Also, Scholar Li’s parents live here, so the officials have to show them some face."

In reality, there were two main reasons those men didn’t come to Qingnan Village. First, all the taxes in Qingnan Village had been paid. Second, the government officers didn’t dare come here to extort people. The last time "Yan Erhuai" and his men had come, they were beaten half to death, and on top of that, they were punished with a plank beating by the Lord County Magistrate when they returned. Now, none of them dared to show their faces here. Since the taxes were collected, they didn’t come looking for trouble. They were just bullies, picking on the weakest targets.

Third Uncle said admiringly, "Once Yangzi passes his exam and becomes a Scholar, Qingnan Village will have two Scholars. Wow! That’s an incredible achievement. Who would dare to bully your village then?"

Zhang Dashuan and Huai Zi looked at each other and smiled.

’Two Scholars? It’s more like there will be at least three. And if Liu Sixun passes too, that’ll make four Scholars. No, three Scholars and one scholar. That would really cause a sensation.’

While they were talking and laughing, He came in to call them for dinner. She smiled at her younger brother and said, "So? I told you it wasn’t a good idea. Third Brother, you have to be patient and not be so hasty. Didn’t you see what happened with our village’s workshop? It was doing so well, but we had to sell it. Who can win against people like that?"

Third Uncle nodded. "My nephew said the same thing, that I should wait. I’m just sorry to be troubling you again, Sister."

He chided gently, "Haven’t you all helped me out before? Fortunately, our village is still doing alright. If we were in the same situation as you, our entire extended family would be without hope. Wouldn’t we have to start selling off land then? At least now there’s one family that can hold things together. If we can all just pull through these next couple of years, things might get better."

Third Uncle nodded again and again, feeling incredibly fortunate.

When Huai Zi went into the kitchen to help carry out the dishes, Juhua asked, "Huai Zi, Third Uncle came to borrow money, but we don’t have enough, do we? I can give him a few taels of silver. Third Uncle is a good man. He wouldn’t have asked if things weren’t difficult."

She was very fond of Huai Zi’s kind and honest uncle. Years ago, when they sold a calf to the Zheng Family, he had argued the price down against Zheng Changhe, proving himself to be a rare and truly upright man.

Huai Zi quickly explained why Third Uncle wanted the money, shared his own perspective, and told her about their plan to send grain instead, assuring her not to worry.

Only then did Juhua nod, agreeing that the business was not a good idea and that it was better to be patient.

He came in, smiling. "See? I told you to let them discuss it first. Juhua, you should keep your money—it’s for our son’s future. We can’t use your money."

Juhua smiled. "Oh, Mother, don’t say that. It’s for an emergency, isn’t it?"

That evening, Zhang Dashuan and Third Uncle each carried a full load of grain. He also packed up a good number of eggs and several fish she had caught, and they delivered it all to her parents’ home under the cover of darkness.

Later, they made two more deliveries in a row. Fortunately, after they had finished digging the underground storeroom, they hadn’t sold any of their grain at all. Except for what was needed for taxes, they had stored everything away, so the family had a plentiful supply.

However, relatives suddenly began showing up at their door in droves, some to borrow grain, others to borrow money. It was an incredible headache. It wasn’t that they were unwilling to lend. ’Who doesn’t fall on hard times, after all?’ When you help someone in need, they remember your kindness. But with a constant stream of visitors, it was becoming overwhelming. They would even start comparing what they received, thinking things like, ’You lent him an extra one hundred cents, but I got two measures less of grain.’ You’d end up offending people even after helping them.

The Zheng Family was in the same situation. In fact, the whole of Qingnan Village was facing the same problem.

In the end, they had to harden their hearts and, as a rule, lend out only small amounts of rations—and mostly corn at that. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)