Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: A Little Tactic
Chapter 100: A Little Tactic
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Li Qingwu did not agree at all. Although he also felt that Qingzhi was very capable, he found it unbelievable that the entire Chu family listened to her.
“Third Brother-in-law, you’re the head of the family. Everyone should listen to you.”
Chu Rong paused for a moment and said, “I’ll keep that in mind, but since things have come to this, there’s no other way. Please help me.”
Li Qingwu thought to himself, How can I help? The money is with Cao Zhilan. Even if I want to lend you money, I can’t. He said vaguely, “Let me think.”
Although he did not have much hope, Chu Rong was still very disappointed.
Zheng Guixiang walked into the kitchen and pulled Li Qingyu, who was cutting vegetables, to the side. “Qingyu, 1 want to discuss something with you.”
Li Qingyu smiled. “Mother, if you have something to say, just say it.”
Zheng Guixiang said expectantly, “Now that your family is doing well but your two brothers are still poor, you have to help.”
Li Qingyu said, “Mother, I’ve already helped as much as I can.”
“How is that enough?” Zheng Guixiang glanced at Granny Chu, who was cooking, and said softly, “Qingyu, give your brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece a higher salary. Also, let your brother and sister-in-law be in charge. What do you think?”
Li Qingyu felt uncomfortable. “Mother, 1 don’t have the final say in this family. Besides, our family still owes others 50 taels of silver. They’re coming tomorrow to collect the debts. I’ve been worried about this.”
Zheng Guixiang could not help but raise her voice. “What? You owe people 50 taels of silver?”
It was already very good for a farmer to earn five taels of silver a year. In other words, 50 taels of silver would take ten years. It was not something ordinary farmers could afford.
Li Qingyu said helplessly, “We borrowed money to start the business, but half a month has passed and we haven’t earned any money. Mother, do you have any money? Lend us some and we’ll return it to you when we earn money.”
She thought to herself, Mother, don’t blame me. 1 have a family 1 want to protect too. I can’t let my family be taken advantage of.
When Zheng Guixiang heard this, she felt uncomfortable. “Seeing that you’ve hired so many people, I thought that you had made a lot of money. I didn’t expect that not only are you carrying a huge debt, but your business is also not profitable.”
Li Qingyu said sadly, “Mother, how can doing business be so easy? If it’s easy, won’t everyone become rich?”
Zheng Guixiang patted Li Qingyu’s shoulder. “Alright, you can continue cutting the vegetables. I won’t disturb you. I’m going out.”
She wanted to use the money in her hands to support her sons. In addition, if she lent her money, she might not be able to get a penny back. It was better not to take this risk.
Li Qingyu looked at Zheng Guixiang with disappointment in her eyes.
In the shed, a few young women sitting beside Fan Limei chatted as they worked.
“Sister Qingyu came to borrow money from me yesterday.”
“Me too. Did you lend her money?”
“Yes, we’re from the same village. How can 1 refuse her? Besides, we’re working for her.’
“I lent her money too. I hope it can help Sister Qingyu get through this.”
The more Fan Limei listened, the more she felt that something was wrong. She went up and asked, “Is the Sister Qingyu you’re talking about Li Qingyu?”
One of the women said, “Yes, what’s wrong?”
Fan Limei’s heart skipped a beat. She asked uneasily, “She really borrowed money from you.”
The woman nodded and said, “That’s right. Her family borrowed 50 taels of silver to do business. Now that they can’t pay it back, they naturally have to borrow it from someone. Don’t you know?”
Fan Limei shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard her mention it.”
“The debt collector will come tomorrow.” The woman turned her head to Fan Limei and said, “You’re relatives. You have to at least lend her ten taels of silver, right?”
Fan Limei felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She thought that the Chu family was their hope, but now all the hope was dashed. “Are you sure the debt collector is coming tomorrow?”
The woman said, “Yes, that’s what Sister Qingyu said.”
Fan Limei couldn’t sit still anymore. She quickly went outside to ask Cao Zhilan about the situation, but Cao Zhilan said the same thing.
The two of them went to look for Zheng Guixiang, only to hear the same thing.
Hence, the two of them firmly believed it.
In the corner, Cao Zhilan said resolutely, “Mother, Sister-in-law, I don’t have the money to lend her. If you have, you can lend her as much as you want.”
Fan Limei said, “If we don’t lend her the money, we definitely won’t be able to stay.”
Cao Zhilan’s tone was not good. “So be it. They can’t pay their debts. This place will become someone else’s sooner or later.”
In the beginning, Fan Limei was especially jealous of Li Qingyu’s good life. However, now that Li Qingyu had a huge debt on her, she was not jealous at all. Instead, she pitied her. “So be it. Let’s go say goodbye to them, okay?”
Zheng Guixiang didn’t want to lend money either. “Alright, go and tell Qingyu that we’re leaving.”
Fan Limei and Cao Zhilan nodded. “Got it, Mother.”
The three of them first went to their husband and children to explain the situation. Finally, they went to look for Li Qingyu and Chu Rong.
The two of them were surprised to hear that the Li family was leaving. They didn’t expect such a simple test to scare them off.
Fan Limei said in a self-righteous manner, “Qingyu, Chu Rong, we can’t help you with your family’s matters. Sorry for disturbing you for two days.”
Li Qingyu felt a little sad. It turned out that her family only wanted to share her wealth but not her difficulties. “Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, when are you leaving? I’ll send you off.”
Fan Limei looked at the setting sun and said, “We’ve already packed our things. We’ll leave immediately.”
Li Qingyu’s expression was a little ugly. “I’ll send you off.”
The Li family went to take their things. Li Qingyu walked behind to send them off. The other Chu family members also came out to see them off.
Li Hanhai thought that he could enjoy a good life for a few days, but he did not expect that the Chu family actually wanted to borrow money from them. Hence, he was frustrated and left the fastest.
Not long after the Li family left, Chu Qingzhi returned. Chu Eighth led Fu Bao out to eat grass. When Chu Eighth saw Chu Qingzhi, she immediately told her that the Li family had left.
The corners of Chu Qingzhi’s lips curled up. Not bad. With a small tactic, she made the Li family scurry away on their own.
She glanced at Chu Eighth and asked, “Did you apply the medicine on that injured horse?”
Chu Eighth said in high spirits, “Yes, 1 applied twice. The horse is already much better.”
Chu Qingzhi praised, “Good girl.”
Chu Qingzhi went home, took the hoe, and walked towards the wasteland.
Crackle crackle—
The sound of hammering, sawing, and knocking on bricks continuously sounded from the wasteland. A few days later, the groundwork of the house had been built and bricklaying had already begun..