Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 419 - 233: Borrowing Money_2

Chapter 419: Chapter 233: Borrowing Money_2

Qian Liang’s father said, "If only we had gathered enough silver earlier, but we had just bought some acres of land a few days ago and now we are short on silver. Many families are now selling their fields and lands to raise silver, and land prices are definitely low, so I don’t want to sell our land. I was thinking of borrowing some silver from my nephew Qian Sangui, and I’ll repay it in a few months."

Without a second word, Qian Sangui smiled and had Lady Wu give him five taels of silver.

The next morning, Madam Hua also came; her family had also been allocated a conscription spot.

Her eyes were red, her spirit seemed diminished, and she appeared to have lost weight overnight. She said, "Master Qian, Madam Qian, could you please pay my son Hua Qiang’s wages in advance for the next ten years? You know about my Hua Dianzi, he’s no good, and if he were to go to the front lines, he’d probably die of fright before he could kill any enemies. My Hua Qiang is just fifteen and we’ve just started to discuss his marriage. Many young ladies have taken a liking to him, saying he’s sturdy, willing to endure hardship, and earns a good wage working for Master Qian. I just can’t bear to send him off to die..."

While she was speaking, Hua Qiang arrived; he had grown into a man over seven feet tall.

He bowed to Qian Sangui and Lady Wu, saying, "Master, Madam, don’t listen to my mother, there’s no need to pay my wages in advance, I will enlist." He said shyly, "After I leave, could you please ask Master to let my younger brother Hua Zhuang take my place? Master, rest assured, although my brother is only thirteen, he can endure hardship and is willing to work..."

Upon hearing her son’s words, Madam Hua burst into tears, crying out, "Qiang Zi, you must listen to your mother."

Hua Qiang gently persuaded her, "Mother, listen to me, it’s for the best. Our father is not dependable, and you’re getting on in years. My brother still needs to get married and build a house, and if we borrow so much silver, when will we ever be able to repay it..."

The mother and son began to argue, with Madam Hua refusing to let Hua Qiang go, and Hua Qiang insisting on going. In the end, Hua Qiang prevailed, and Madam Hua agreed, in tears, to let her son go to the front lines.

Qian Sangui said, "Qiang Zi, listen to your mother and we’ll advance your wages. We won’t rush you to repay the money; you can do so whenever you’re able to."

Hua Qiang bowed deeply to Qian Sangui and stubbornly said, "Thank you, Master, I know you have a kind heart, but I still don’t want to borrow so much money. If I don’t enlist, with me aged fifteen and my brother thirteen, in a couple of years we’ll both need to marry and build houses, plus there will be this huge debt. The burden on the family would be too heavy. I don’t want my mother to have to struggle too much... Besides, not everyone who goes to battle dies. Just like Uncle Qian, he not only survived but became a General."

Qian Sangui agreed, nodding to have Hua Zhuang take Hua Qiang’s place in their home as a worker. He also said that Hua Qiang should come to their home again before he left, and he would write a letter to Manjiang to take care of Hua Qiang.

Qian Sangui really liked Hua Qiang—loyal, self-sufficient, filial, family-oriented, and calculative.

Both Madam Hua and Hua Qiang were very happy when they heard this. After expressing their immense gratitude, they left.

A few days later, Old man Qian, Old woman Qian, Qian Dagui, Lady Wang, Duo Duo, and Jin Wa all came to Guiyuan to play.

As soon as Old man Qian arrived, he started to curse Qian Ergui and Lady Tang.

It turned out that Qian Mandua’s in-laws had also been allotted a conscription spot, so they sent her husband Li Shuanzi.

Qian Mandua came back crying, asking Lady Tang to "lend" twenty taels of silver to prevent Li Shuanzi from going to the army and facing death.

Lady Tang had no money to her name and turned to Qian Manhe for help.

Qian Manhe did not want to give the money, and berated, "The Li family has three sons, and the other two have three more sons among them. Why should my brother-in-law, who is an only son, be the one to go? The Li family is making good calculations, expecting our family to pay the silver so their men don’t have to serve in the army."

Lady Tang and Qian Mandua cried and made a fuss, and Qian Ergui also scolded Qian Manhe for being all about the money and not caring about people, asking how he could just watch his brother-in-law go off to die.

With no other choice, Qian Manhe had Lady Xiao Wong give out twenty taels of silver. He said, "Older sister, I guess there’s no way around having you as a sister. Today, let me be clear: the Dessert House is in deficit this year, and the lotus pond and fields only yield so much in a year. Our family has also been allotted a conscript and the money we earned today has all been spent. These twenty taels of silver, we’re taking from our savings from previous years. Now, our household has no money left, so don’t come over to freeload too often."

Qian Mandua readily agreed, happily taking the silver and returning home.