Chapter 4: Whom to Borrow Money From

What follows is merely a matter of gaining favor; the words of the boss's family are hardly sufficient. When have they ever truly delivered? That vixen from the Gu family always tries to brush her off with trifles.

"If you are afraid to hold your head high, then you should not show off and break someone else's jade pendant." He Shi was never one to lose in a verbal exchange and immediately retorted.

The ancestry of the Lian family is no longer traceable, and Mr. Lian truly started from scratch. He lost his parents at a young age and had to go out to become an apprentice. Due to his diligent, honest, and kind nature, he was well-liked in the shop. He was also an ambitious person, quick-witted, eager to learn, and particularly driven. While other apprentices were slacking off and wasting time, he quickly mastered the use of an abacus and quietly developed a good handwriting. The hardships he endured were known to no one, and in the end, he became the manager of a large store.

Even the old gentleman's words made it unnecessary for Lian Shouyi to speak, and He Shi immediately stopped crying

The gap between 40 taels and 500 taels is indeed quite significant

He speaks in a coarse manner, causing even the flowers to blush with embarrassment.

"Second son, tell your wife to be quiet," the old man shouted. "Who said the land is for sale? That land is not for sale."

How about borrowing from the elder sister? I heard that her grocery store can earn several hundred taels of silver in a month

Five hundred taels of silver is not a small sum; for the Lian family, it could even be described as a matter of risking their entire fortune. It seems that Old Master Lian is a prudent person, so why would he make such a decision

"Second aunt, before I even get married, I am already asking his family for money. How can I hold my head high in their family in the future?"

Only the twenty taels brought back by the eldest son, along with a few taels of broken silver we have saved, can add up to a maximum of forty taels said the old lady

Even the old master was quite willing to invest in his sons' education. Finally, when the eldest son of the Lian family turned twenty, he passed the examination to become a scholar, which filled the old master with immense joy, and from then on, he fully supported his eldest son. However, fate played a cruel trick; after that, the eldest son of the Lian family failed to pass several local examinations, and even in the annual imperial examinations, he could only rank in the middle tier. The second son of the Lian family studied alongside the eldest, and a considerable amount of money was spent, yet he could not even attain the status of a scholar. Fate was unkind; after that, the eldest son of the Lian family failed to pass several local examinations, and even in the annual imperial examinations, he could only rank in the middle tier. The second son of the Lian family studied alongside the eldest, and a considerable amount of money was spent, yet he could not even attain the status of a scholar. He was not fond of studying to begin with, and later he simply abandoned his studies altogether.

You... the flower felt both shy and angry, turning her head to bury it in Lian Xiuer's embrace and began to sob.

There are only thirty acres of land left at home, sighed the old man

Even the old master has said this, indicating that several sons are to jointly bear the burden of these 500 taels of silver

Father, this money, Yang Chengfeng is waiting in the town, and he needs it tomorrow

Lian Man'er was taken aback and wondered who Old Jin was, to make the usually honest Lian Shouxin so agitated

Achieving success in the imperial examination and becoming an official brings glory to the family, while being appointed as a supervisor also brings honor to the household. Although there is a difference between the two, it ultimately fulfills his long-held aspiration. Furthermore, out of concern for his eldest son, the old gentleman finally made this decision.

Are you saying that you want to sell the land? That is the lifeblood of the entire family

Nevertheless, the old gentleman still believes that his eldest son is a seed for learning, and that one day he will succeed.

There is a place to borrow from, but my mother does not allow me to go. In that case, I might as well send the flowers to the Sun family and ask for several hundred taels of silver.

Lian Shouyi mumbled indistinctly, no longer daring to ask his elder sister for money

"Oh dear, this is going to be the end of us." He suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Five hundred taels of silver, and you choose to go after the wealthy instead of us, with your hearts turned black, wanting to sell the land. You might as well tie us mothers and daughters together and sell us off. Is a flower girl worth that much? The Erlang boys are not even the legitimate grandsons of their grandparents; they are the children I bore from an affair, and if they starve, no one will care..." You might as well tie us mothers and daughters together and sell us off. Is a flower girl worth that much? The Erlang boys are not even the legitimate grandsons of their grandparents; they are the children I bore from an affair, and if they starve, no one will care...

After more than twenty years of managing the business, even the old gentleman has accumulated some silver. However, in his heart, he considers this merely a menial task; farming and education are the true foundations. Once he has saved enough money, he plans to resign from his position, return to the village, purchase a house and land, and devote himself to supporting his sons' education, hoping to change their social status.

Old Jin!" Suddenly, Lian Shouxin raised his head, "Are you referring to that Old Jin at the east end of the village!"

Lian Man'er was once again left speechless; it was the first time she had encountered such a display of tantrums

Lian Shouren, the Gu family, and Lian Hua'er seem to have pinpointed the weakness of Old Master Lian

The mother of the child said it well, elder brother, over the years, you have been living in the town, receiving the grain allowance from the scholar and the money for the inn, yet you have not sent back a single penny. Your nephews at home are struggling to get enough to eat, and every year, the little money they earn goes to you for tea and wine. You always say that once you enter the academy, you will let your brothers and nephews enjoy the blessings. However, we have not enjoyed any blessings; in fact, more than half of the family land has been sold. If we sell the remaining few acres, your nephews will have to go hungry.

"Second brother, we have not divided the family, so what is there to separate as yours and mine?" Lian Shouren said

Speaking of which, the old master of the Lian family can be considered a somewhat legendary and *illustrative* figure in this village

How much silver do we have left at home?" asked the old master to the Zhou family.

Lian Hua covered her face, harboring deep resentment towards the He family. However, at that moment, she did not dare to confront them too directly. She was well aware of He family's temperament; if they were to act recklessly and expose the matter of sending her clothes and having her assist in selling Lian Man'er for silver, everything would be over.

Father, where does that money come from... borrowing money?

Father, Mother won't allow me to go to Eldest Sister's place, so I can only borrow from Old Jin

Father, this money should be paid by elder brother himself!" Lian Shouyi said

"Who did you hear that from?" Zhou said sternly, "Your elder sister's family is also struggling to make ends meet; how could they have any money? If you dare to set your sights on your elder sister's family, I will break your legs"

What are you still trying to gather? Isn't all the money in our family in the hands of our father and mother? Even Lian Shouli said honestly, the Lian family is managed by Old Master Lian and Old Madam Lian, and none of their sons have a single cent in their hands

At that time, the Lian family had many members, with peasant households that only had some produce from the fields. The eldest and second sons of the Lian family were rather carefree, and after the old master of the Lian family sold several plots of land for the eldest son's county examination, the family's situation began to decline. By the time of the third and fourth sons of the Lian family, they had only learned a few characters at a private school in the village before returning to farming

Lian Shouyi's words stirred up He's old grievances and new resentments. The eldest family was cunning, making her help speak on behalf of Lian Man'er, and only then did they give her and her daughter one outfit each. However, these two outfits were worth less than one of Lian Xiuer's. If it weren't for Lian Man'er's earlier remark that reminded her, she would have been deceived by the eldest family again

"Er Lang, San Lang, Si Lang, Liu Lang..." Mrs. He called out a string of names. She is the daughter-in-law of the Lian family who has given birth to the most male grandchildren, and she takes great pride in this. "You heartless ones, where have you gone? If you don't come back soon, we will be driven to death by your uncle's family. The eldest son of your elder brother and sister-in-law has married and already has children. Our eldest has reached the age for engagement, but because all the money has been given to you, he still hasn't found a wife..." You heartless ones, where have you gone? If you don't come back soon, we will be driven to death by your uncle's family. The eldest son of your elder brother and sister-in-law has married and already has children. Our eldest has reached the age for engagement, but because all the money has been given to you, he still hasn't found a wife..."

He cried louder and louder, causing the faces of Shouren and Gu to grow increasingly dark.

"Isn't Young Master Song determined not to marry anyone but our Hua?" He Shi's eyes turned, and she came up with a good idea, "Hua, why don't you have a word with Young Master Song? It's just five hundred taels of silver. For us, it's a huge amount, but for him, a little slip between his fingers would be enough. A young lady like Hua, isn't she worth five hundred taels of silver to him?"