allonlinenovel Chapter 173 Figure it out
Chapter 173 Figure it out
How can you do business without capital?
Even if you manage to raise enough capital, what business can you possibly do to earn a hundred taels of silver?
It was truly absurd of me to cling to a child's words as a lifeline; how ridiculous!
Seeing that her fourth uncle was both excited and disappointed, Lin Xiaotang guessed that he didn't believe that a little girl like her could come up with a good solution.
She raised her small face confidently and said, "Fourth Uncle, I know you think I'm too young and are afraid my ideas won't be good. Don't underestimate me because of my age. I've seen a lot of things by doing business with Dad. I'll give you a good idea that will definitely help you make money. Once you've figured it out, go back and divide the debt with Grandpa and Grandma. After everything is settled, have Uncle Shuisheng inform Dad and me, and I'll give you more ideas to get the business going."
Shen Qianchuan hesitated, his heart filled with conflict. He felt that what Xiaotang said made sense. Dividing the debt would mean about eighty taels of silver per person. Eighty taels of silver didn't sound as overwhelming as four or five hundred taels.
After scrimping and saving for so long, the family has only managed to pay back a few dozen taels of silver. They still have more than four hundred taels left. He and his second, third, and youngest brothers are working at Juxian Restaurant to pay off the debt, but they don't know when they'll be able to finish. The wages at Juxian Restaurant are pitifully low. If they want to pay off all the silver, they'll probably have to stay there for the rest of their lives.
But he was still young, and he didn't want to spend his whole life working at Juxian Restaurant, doing the hardest and most tiring jobs, not even earning a single copper coin, and eating like a pig when he got home. If he could only live like that for the rest of his life, he didn't want to live anymore.
After thinking for a long time, he asked, "Xiao Tang, it's not impossible for me to ask for a share of the debt, but wouldn't it be too selfish of me to run the business alone and ignore my parents and brothers?"
Lin Xiaotang immediately said, "Fourth Uncle, you just said that Grandpa and Grandma are not suited to doing business, Second Uncle and Third Uncle have lost confidence in doing business, and Uncle Yao is an scoundrel. If you want to do business with them, then your business will definitely not succeed. You should give up as soon as possible, lest the business fails and you lose all your capital."
Actually, it's one thing that Fourth Uncle couldn't support the whole family on his own, but on the other hand, she also had her own selfish motives. She didn't want to help the heartless grandfather, the vicious and narrow-minded stepmother, or the Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Youngest Uncle who often ostracized the four of them.
If her fourth uncle hadn't been so similar to her father and hadn't conspired to bully the four of them, she wouldn't have bothered with their business.
Lin Qingchuan knew that his eldest daughter was a resourceful person. Since she said she could think of a way to help her fourth brother, she must have thought of a way.
Moreover, her methods have never gone wrong!
So he followed up with advice, “Qianchuan, Tang’er is right. If you don’t divide the debt, and you really start a business, you will be the one who suffers. When it comes time to pay back the money, you will be paying back the whole family. Are you confident that you can pay back four or five hundred taels by yourself?”
Shen Qianchuan hung his head and analyzed to himself, "Father is arrogant and thinks he's a scholar. He always just wants to be a hands-off manager. If it weren't for the huge debt of several hundred taels of silver, he wouldn't even be willing to work in the fields. Mother is always complaining, but when it comes to actual work, she's useless. The two of them would never go to town to do small business and hawk their wares. My youngest brother is lazy and good-for-nothing. He's counting on everyone to earn money to pay off the debt, but we can't count on him at all. My second and third brothers are already married with wives and children. They're all cunning. Even if they earn money, they'll keep it all for themselves. I don't have the confidence or the willingness to eat the same food and live the same hard life, yet work myself to death to pay off the debt for the whole family."
Isn’t that okay?
Anyone with a brain would want to be a sucker forever.
Lin Xiaotang felt that her fourth uncle's analysis must mean he was thinking of dividing the debt.
"Fourth Uncle, it's getting late. Dad and I need to hurry back to town. We still have chores to do at home."
Lin Qingchuan also said, "Yes, we have to go back quickly. Take twenty catties of turmeric seeds back with you. Your elder brother won't accept money. That's all I can do to help the Shen family. Once you've thought it through, or after you go home and discuss how to divide the debt, remember to have your father write you a written agreement to avoid future disputes. When the time comes, have Shuisheng inform me. Tang'er's idea will definitely work, but when you go home, you can't say that it was Tang'er's idea. Just say it was your own idea."
Shen Qianchuan was in a state of confusion, but he obediently nodded.
So Lin Qingchuan took his eldest daughter and drove the carriage back to town.
Shuisheng packed twenty catties of turmeric for Shen Qianchuan and handed it to him. "Qianchuan, compared to your brothers, I think you're pretty good. If you listen to Brother Qingchuan, you might be able to pay off your debt in less than two years. Whether you continue studying or go back to business, you'll be free. Otherwise, you'll waste your whole life at Juxian Restaurant without end."
Shen Qianchuan nodded helplessly, feeling depressed. "Brother Shuisheng, I know you all mean well. My eldest brother only helped me because I didn't bully him with my second and third brothers in the past. But we are different. My father is a son-in-law who married into the family, and my eldest brother had a reason to separate from the family and change his surname. I am my parents' biological son, and the biological brother of my second, third, and youngest brothers. If I really divide the debt and start a business on my own, my parents will definitely scold me for being unfilial, and my second and third brothers will accuse me of being heartless and ungrateful. I..."
Shui Sheng sighed and said, "As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Since the whole family can't work together to pay off the debt, we should take care of it as it comes. There's no reason for the whole family to be ruined because of this. Besides, it was your mother who brought this up. As her son, you're already doing your duty by sharing the debt. Everyone has their own fate. If they want to get out of this mess, they need to find another way."
Your family has sixteen mu of land. This season, you're starting to plant turmeric. Although you're planting a small amount, once the harvest is complete, you'll have plenty of seeds. You can earn a good amount of money from farming in the future, and I believe they can gradually pay off their debts.”
Yes, I shamelessly asked my older brother for this turmeric. He didn't charge me any money. In the future, when the harvest comes from the fields, everyone will not only thank my older brother, but also remember my contribution.
Thinking about it this way, Shen Qianchuan suddenly understood!
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Alright, I'll take Jiang Huang back now and we'll talk about dividing the debt in a few days, so they won't guess that it was my brother who came up with the idea and resent him."
Previously unnoticed, Shen Qianchuan has matured considerably since the Shen family incurred debts. He is no longer as silent as before and now cares for his elder brother.
He carried twenty pounds of turmeric home, and his parents were sitting in the yard waiting for him. When they saw that he had actually brought back the turmeric, the old couple were overjoyed.
Sun said with a smile, "Qianchuan, I told you you'd be a good kid. You're coming back soon. Did your older brother ask you for money?"
Old Mr. Shen snorted, "He dares to do that! He's planting such a profitable crop in the fields, yet he's siding with outsiders, including us in the aquatic crop. It's outrageous! If I didn't think that rebellious son was somewhat useful, I would have broken his legs!"
Shen Qianchuan silently watched his ungrateful parents, and his heart sank.
No wonder the eldest brother insisted on separating the family property back then. He made money but refused to come back to help the family. If our parents treated the eldest brother like this, then what about the second, third, and youngest brothers?
No matter how much the eldest brother sacrificed for everyone, they were not grateful. Instead, they all wished they could eat his flesh and drink his blood. They even cursed him. The eldest brother was heartbroken and completely disappointed with the family, which is why he refused them in that way!
The elder brother and sister-in-law were right!