Chapter 1, The House of Bankruptcy
It is precisely because of the experiences from his previous life that in this life, although Zhou Chong does not possess the same talent as before, he demonstrates remarkable organization when dealing with the debts owed by the Zhou family. After all, in his previous life, he spent a lifetime repaying debts to the bank. Although he never managed to settle them before his death, he developed a calm demeanor. The creditors who come knocking now may be fierce, but compared to the relentless banks of the future, they are merely a piece of cake. After all, in his previous life, he spent a lifetime repaying debts to the bank. Although he never managed to settle them before his death, he developed a calm demeanor. The creditors who come knocking now may be fierce, but compared to the relentless banks of the future, they are merely a piece of cake.
Unfortunately, during an incident where Wang Jie was helping someone smuggle goods, a disagreement arose between the buyer and the seller, leading to a violent confrontation. In the ensuing chaos, Wang Jie displayed remarkable skills, taking down seven or eight of the opponent's henchmen. However, he ultimately found himself kicked into the water, and being unable to swim, he drowned in the sea. When he regained consciousness, he had arrived in the Ming Dynasty during the Zhengde period, and his identity had transformed into that of a wealthy young master known as a prodigy. Unfortunately, despite being a young master, he was destined to serve as a waiter, and within just a few days, he became a bankrupt young master.
Unfortunately, later on, Wang Jie could not tolerate his superior's harassment of female employees in the company, and he also faced discrimination as a so-called 'outsider.' As a result, his anger accumulated to a certain extent, and he physically assaulted his superior on the spot. In the end, he not only lost his job but was also detained for a period of time
Hey yo, hey yo
In this situation, Wang Jie transformed from an IT worker into a member of the gray area, engaging in activities that straddle the line between legality and illegality. Wang Jie's thoughts are quite simple; he wants to first pay off the mortgage on his house, then save some money. At that point, he hopes to retire from his current activities. Ideally, he would find a legitimate job, but if that proves difficult, he plans to start a small business. Eventually, he wishes to find a girlfriend, get married, and have children. This is Wang Jie, a person with a dream that is as ordinary as he is.
Regarding the doubts in the minds of the foremen, Wang Jie, who should now be called Zhou Chong, is completely unconcerned. He thought he would surely drown after falling into the sea, but to his surprise, when he opened his eyes, he found himself several hundred years in the past during the Ming Dynasty, and he had become a wealthy young master. Unfortunately, he was not destined to be a young master by nature. After only a few days of being a young master, he received the unfortunate news that his father's ship encountered a storm at sea, resulting in the shipwreck and loss of life.
Although this discovery left Zhou Chong quite dejected, life must go on. Therefore, he gathered his spirits and began to sell off the assets of the Zhou residence, mortgaging what needed to be mortgaged. He even started to sell items from within the Zhou residence, such as the rockery that had just been removed from the garden, which was worth several hundred taels of silver. Additionally, the gold and silver jewelry belonging to the women of the household was also included in the sale. This task was managed by Aunt Zhao, the mother of Zhou Chong's younger sister, and it is estimated that everything should have been collected by now.
The Zhou family was once a leading wealthy household in Songjiang Prefecture, with a residence that was impressively constructed. The inner and outer courtyards were separated, covering a substantial area. According to Zhou Chong's estimation, it occupied at least a dozen mu. Both the front and back courtyards featured sizable gardens, and the decorations inside and outside the buildings were exceedingly luxurious, with some areas even bordering on extravagance. However, it is regrettable that this once magnificent Zhou residence has now fallen into disrepair
In his past life, Zhou Chong also lost his parents in a car accident at the age of 15. From that moment on, he never experienced the warmth of a family again. Now, not only has heaven granted him a chance for rebirth, but it has also provided him with a family that, although imperfect, is filled with warmth. All of this brings Zhou Chong a profound sense of fulfillment
Be careful, this stone is worth several hundred taels. If it breaks, not only can you not afford it, but I, this young master, will also have to jump into the river! At this moment, a young man dressed in a light blue long robe walked in from outside the garden. Upon seeing the laborer pushing the cart, he immediately broke into a brilliant smile.
In contrast to his previous life of solitude, Heaven has granted Zhou Chong several relatives, such as Aunt Wang, who, although honest and simple-minded, cares deeply for him and treats him as her own son. Additionally, he has two lovely younger sisters: one is a four-year-old little girl, and the other is a thirteen-year-old girl, both of whom are particularly fond of clinging to him, their big brother.
After Zhou Hai's unexpected death, the Zhou family faced such a drastic change. If it had been the previous so-called prodigy, who was actually just a bookworm named Zhou Chong, he would likely have been unable to cope even if he were beaten to death, and might even have been driven to suicide by those creditors.
Upon hearing this, the foreman quickly exchanged a few pleasantries. However, seeing the other party's cheerful demeanor, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: Everyone says that Young Master Zhou was once a prodigy, having passed the imperial examination at a young age. Yet now, the Zhou family's business has collapsed, and they are burdened with a mountain of debt. Nevertheless, every time he encounters the other party these days, he is always wearing a cheerful smile. Could it be that after his father's death and the bankruptcy, this Young Master Zhou has lost his mind?
Zhou Chong quickly walked through several courtyards ahead. Apart from the biting cold wind, there was no sound at all. The servants had long been dismissed by him, leaving the entire mansion devoid of any liveliness. If it were nighttime, generally timid individuals would truly hesitate to stay here.
First, Zhou Zhongxian handled the funeral of that cheap old man, and then he compiled a tally of their debts and the assets of the Zhou residence. To his dismay, he discovered that the amount of debt was just slightly more than the assets of the Zhou residence. This meant that after he repaid the debts, not only would the Zhou residence be left with nothing, but they would also owe some external debts.
Thinking of this, Zhou Zhong turned around and walked towards the inner residence. His inexpensive father had four concubines. Among them, aside from Aunt Wang who gave birth to the eldest daughter Zhuo'er, and Aunt Zhao who gave birth to the younger daughter Duo'er, there were also two young Han sisters, who were only twenty years old this year and had not yet borne any children.
Moreover, Heaven is indeed very merciful; for instance, it has not taken away everything from Zhou Zhong. At the very least, he still possesses a large mansion, which is infinitely better than the small apartment of several dozen square meters that he had mortgaged in his previous life. Furthermore, the land beneath the mansion entirely belongs to him, and he does not need to worry about any nonsense regarding the seventy-year issue.
Zhou Dashao, rest assured, these more than ten brothers are all strong and capable individuals from www.hetushu.com, and they will definitely not damage your belongings! Seeing this young man so enthusiastically joking with them, the foreman who was directing from the side also laughed heartily.
In the fourth year of the Zhengde era, in a large garden behind a mansion located on South Street in Songjiang Prefecture.
Rather than saying that a young man has entered, it is more accurate to describe him as a youth, for he appears to be at most fifteen or sixteen years old. He possesses strikingly handsome features, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. However, within the gaze of this youth lies a maturity that is not typical for his age. Thus, when one meets his eyes, it feels as though he is somewhat older than his actual years.
At this moment, the specially prepared flatbed cart was immediately pushed under the artificial rock, and the laborers slowly loosened the ropes, carefully placing the artificial rock onto the cart. Following this, the laborers pulled the ropes at the front of the cart, gradually moving it out of the garden
In the biting cold wind, a group of bare-chested laborers, their bodies steaming with sweat, are desperately pulling a several-ton heavy artificial rock. The numerous makeshift wooden pulleys above emit a painful creaking sound, and with the laborers' strenuous efforts, the heavy stone finally begins to lift slowly off the ground
Moreover, the situation is even more dire. In his previous life, Zhou Chong was a solitary man, able to feed himself without concern for others. However, now he has four concubines above him and two younger sisters to support. Altogether, that amounts to six mouths to feed, which is far more challenging than sustaining himself alone
These troubles, when combined, would likely cause anyone to feel quite distressed. However, apart from feeling somewhat dejected for not being able to enjoy the life of a young master for a few more days, Zhou Chong has remained very optimistic. For him, who has been reincarnated, everything happening now belongs to the original Zhou Chong. His life was originally destined to end, but now he occupies another person's body and has been given a chance to live again, which is akin to heaven granting him a second opportunity. Therefore, it is entirely normal for heaven to take away some of the things that originally belonged to Zhou Chong.
All the antiques and vases used as decorations in the living room and inner residence have been taken away to settle debts, and the furniture such as tables and chairs has been completely sold off. Even the marble-carved guardian beast horns on the roof have been removed and sold by Zhou Zhong. It can be said that in the entire Zhou residence, apart from this courtyard and the people, everything else has been sold off by Zhou Zhong to repay debts.
However, although the Zhou residence has been completely sold off, unfortunately, the debts outside remain unpaid. The remaining debts, though not substantial, may still be unpayable given the current situation of the Zhou residence. Furthermore, all the shops of the Zhou residence have been lost, and the land has been sold off, meaning that the Zhou residence currently has no source of income.
After gaining his freedom, Wang Jie sought to find a job, but it seemed as though fate was playing tricks on him, as he was unable to secure employment for several months. Eventually, his financial resources dwindled, and the bank's mortgage payments loomed over him like a death knell. In a state of desperation, he was introduced by a friend he met in detention to some gray market activities, relying on the martial arts skills he had practiced since childhood and his agility. He began engaging in activities such as providing security for events, collecting debts, and smuggling goods. Although these jobs appeared to be beneath the surface, the income was quite rapid, even surpassing what he had earned during his previous employment.
Hello, no need to call me Young Master anymore. Now, who in the entire Songjiang Prefecture doesn't know that the Zhou family's business has collapsed, and I have sold off everything at home? Currently, I, Zhou, am completely broke. In a few days, I might have to ask you for a living!
Zhou Chong's father is named Zhou Hai. The Zhou family is an outsider in Songjiang Prefecture, having moved here only a dozen years ago. Zhou Hai makes a living through commerce and owns several shops. Additionally, in recent years, the government's maritime trade restrictions have been relaxed significantly, allowing the Zhou family to secretly engage in smuggling. In fact, it is not just the Zhou family; most prominent wealthy families in Songjiang Prefecture have some degree of involvement in smuggling in their businesses.
The death of the old man is of no consequence, as this brand new Zhou Chong has no impression of that cheap old man anyway. However, the key issue is that the ship is still carrying a considerable amount of cargo, and the Zhou family's business has been affected over the years. This cargo was purchased on credit for the purpose of exporting books, and now that the cargo is completely lost, the creditors are naturally blocking the door to demand repayment.
Zhou Hai accumulated a vast fortune through business, becoming the foremost wealthy individual in Songjiang Prefecture. However, he did not wish for his son to follow the same path, as in the Ming Dynasty, pursuing education and taking the imperial examinations was deemed the proper course. Therefore, he encouraged his son Zhou Chong to study from a young age and invited esteemed scholars to teach him. Zhou Chong lived up to expectations, displaying exceptional intelligence from an early age, and he quickly gained a reputation as a prodigy. Last year, at the age of fourteen, he successfully passed the xiucai examination.
Just when everyone thought that the Zhou family was about to produce a talented individual, and that they might even become a family of officials in the future, the young Zhou Chong fell seriously ill. During this time, he fainted several times and was on the brink of death. When he finally woke up for the last time, the original Zhou Chong had been replaced by the soul of a young man named Wang Jie from the twenty-first century.
It is said that Aunt Wang was the first to enter the household, so it would be appropriate for her to manage the affairs of the estate. However, Aunt Wang came from a humble background and was honest and dull, making her unsuitable for household management. On the contrary, Aunt Zhao, who came from a background of courtesans, was sharp and capable, and thus, after her arrival, she has been in charge of the internal affairs of the Zhou residence.
However, this week is different. He, who comes from the future, is named Wang Jie. His parents died in a car accident when he was in high school. Relying on the savings left by his parents and his own hard work, he eventually graduated from the computer science department of a second-tier undergraduate university. He originally worked at an IT company in Shanghai, earning a decent salary. He even sold his family home and made a down payment on a small apartment in Shanghai, with the remaining amount covered by a mortgage. Everything seemed very promising.
Zhou Chong is the legitimate and only son of the Zhou family. His mother passed away early, and he has two younger sisters, though they are half-sisters. They were born to his father's concubines. Therefore, he is the only man in the family who can take charge. In light of this situation, Zhou Chong has no choice but to step forward.
However, just as Zhou Zhong had walked into a small courtyard within the inner residence, which was the courtyard where Aunt Zhao lived, he suddenly heard a series of soft sobs coming from the main hall of the courtyard