bookrandom Chapter 172 Helping Uncle 4 come up with ideas for dividing the debt
Chapter 172 Helping Uncle 4 come up with ideas for dividing the debt
Shui Sheng hurriedly waved his hand in refusal, "Brother Qingchuan, you've already helped me a lot, I..."
"Listen to me, hurry up and take it. Only when Aunt Xiangqin is well can we go to the county to supply her with peace of mind, right?"
Shui Sheng was deeply moved, and his eyes welled up with tears. "Brother Qingchuan, you have helped me so much, but I have nothing to repay you with."
Lin Qingchuan patted Shui Sheng on the shoulder and said, "Hey, we're brothers, so don't be shy."
As soon as he finished speaking, the fourth brother, Shen Qianchuan, entered the room dejectedly. When he looked up and saw his eldest brother, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
After not seeing him for several months, my brother's clothes were much better than before. He used to wear clothes patched upon patched, but after going to town to do business, he could barely wear cotton clothes without patches. But now, the material he wears is even better than cotton.
Not only have his clothes changed, but his older brother has changed too. He stands up straight, looks more energetic, and is no longer as timid and foolish as before.
It's easy to see that the eldest brother's family is getting better and better, while my own family is getting poorer and poorer.
He whispered "Big Brother," and then couldn't say another word.
Lin Qingchuan didn't care. Back in the Shen family, his father and stepmother tormented them, and the second, third, and youngest brothers openly and secretly ostracized them. Only the fourth brother didn't ostracize them. Although the fourth brother never helped him, in that kind of environment, it was good enough that he didn't follow the crowd. So he didn't hold a grudge against the fourth brother.
"Qianchuan, what brings you here?"
Shen Qianchuan stammered, finding it difficult to speak, "My father and mother heard from the villagers that everyone has switched to growing turmeric. Growing turmeric yields higher output and makes more money, so they asked me to come and ask them."
The elderly couple didn't want to show up, so they sent their fourth son instead.
Lin Qingchuan thought for a moment and said, "If you want to plant it, then plant it. Turmeric does have a much higher yield and a higher price. You have a lot of people and a lot of land, so if you plant it and take good care of it, you can sell it for money next season. But you should save some seeds so you can continue to plant it next year. As long as you are hardworking and conscientious, you will be able to pay off your debts sooner or later."
Shen Qianchuan blushed, his lips moved but he didn't know how to speak.
My father and mother said that they could only keep a small portion of the grain for their own consumption, and the rest had to be sold to pay back the money to Manager Zhang of Juxian Restaurant, as they didn't have enough money to buy turmeric seeds.
But how could my elder brother, who has severed ties with them, possibly agree to give them seeds for free?
Isn't this just wishful thinking?
No matter what, he just couldn't bring himself to say it!
Seeing that Shen Qianchuan remained silent, Shui Sheng guessed that it must have been Old Master Shen and Madam Sun who sent Shen Qianchuan to find Brother Qingchuan, hoping to get some turmeric seeds for free to plant at home.
They're all supposed to be family, and no matter how things turn out, blood ties shouldn't be broken. But everyone knows exactly what kind of people the Shen family are. They've managed to get some turmeric seeds this time, but who knows what they'll be after next?
Lin Qingchuan thought about how the Shen family had been carrying a debt of several hundred taels of silver for the past few months and had stopped bothering him. He felt that it was a good thing that his father and stepmother wanted to grow turmeric. At least they were thinking of relying on their own farming to pay off the debt. If he asked them for money again, it would seem like he was being too calculating.
He paused and said, "Qianchuan, the whole village came to me and Shuisheng today to buy turmeric seeds. There aren't many left. If you really want to plant them, take some back with you."
Shen Qianchuan's expression was somewhat unnatural, his face turning red to the roots of his ears. "Brother, I didn't bring any money with me. Father and Mother said there's no money left at home, and the rice we just harvested hasn't been sold yet. I... I'll tell you the truth, please don't be angry. Father and Mother wanted me to ask you for turmeric seeds without paying. I know what they're doing is really going too far. It's not easy for you to grow turmeric for a season, but you know Father and Mother's temperaments, I didn't dare not come."
Lin Qingchuan sighed, "Although we are half-siblings, I don't know why, you didn't take after your father or your mother. In the whole Shen family, we are the two most similar in personality. It's normal that you don't dare to disobey them. I've been like this since I was a child."
After the family split up, they couldn't control me anymore, so I gradually changed. You're like I was back then—afraid to resist, afraid to disobey, powerless to change your ways.
Shen Qianchuan said sullenly, "Big brother, I don't want to be so cowardly and obedient all the time. I also want to be like you, daring to resist, to do what I want to do, and to be able to make my own decisions in many things. But the family owes several hundred taels of silver, and I can't continue my studies. My second brother, third brother, and I have ruined our lives."
When the topic of the Shen family owing several hundred taels of silver, preventing the brothers from finishing their studies, came up, Lin Qingchuan did not respond.
This was all because his stepmother used underhanded tactics to compete with him for business, which backfired and dragged down her sons. He has no obligation to pay off their debts.
As for the brothers being unable to continue their studies and take the imperial examinations due to the influence of the Sun family, that is their own business, and they can resolve it behind closed doors. They can't complain about him, the eldest son who has already separated from the family.
Seeing that her father didn't say anything, Lin Xiaotang knew that he didn't want to get involved in this matter. She felt that it was better not to interfere. There were some things that couldn't be helped at all. Once you got involved, you couldn't get rid of them.
However, since Fourth Uncle was the only one in the Shen family who still had a conscience, she couldn't bear to see him dragged down by the whole family and fall into a quagmire, so she decided to give him a suggestion.
"Fourth Uncle, people don't necessarily have to study, take the imperial examinations, and become officials. Now that you owe Juxian Ninth Tower several hundred taels of silver, it's impossible for you to study peacefully. Have you ever thought about starting a business to save money to pay off the debt and live the life you want?"
Shen Qianchuan stared wide-eyed at his niece, somewhat unable to believe what she was saying.
"Xiao Tang, I know you're thinking of your fourth uncle, but the family owes several hundred taels of silver. If we want to start a business, we don't even have the capital. How can it be so easy?"
Moreover, you know your grandparents' personalities; they're simply not suited for business. Your uncle is incredibly lazy, so there's no need to mention him. Your second and third brothers, after messing things up with braised pig's trotters, were so badly hurt that they never dared to mention business again.
"I owe so much silver, and my whole family is unable to support me. Even if I were to tear myself apart and try to run the business alone, I still couldn't repay several hundred taels of silver."
Lin Xiaotang said solemnly, "You alone can't repay several hundred taels of debt, but there are several adults in the family. You can divide the debt among your grandparents, second uncle, third uncle, youngest uncle, and you. Six adults can share several hundred taels of silver, and each person can only get a little over eighty taels of debt at most."
Besides, you've already paid back a portion, so we'll just calculate it as eighty taels of silver for you. If you work diligently in a small business, earning a hundred or so taels of silver in a year or two isn't difficult. Once you've paid back your share of the debt, you can slowly save the money you earn later. You can use it for your studies, getting married, or buying a house in town—it's all up to you.”
Shen Qianchuan's eyes lit up after hearing this; he seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Xiao Tang, tell your fourth uncle quickly, what kind of business can earn a hundred taels of silver?"
As soon as he asked the question, before Xiaotang could answer, his eyes dimmed again.
Xiao Tang is just a seven-year-old girl, still a child. What good ideas could she possibly give him?