Chapter 362: Chapter 188 Debt Collection Team_1
Going to the county town to collect debts inevitably requires some preparation.
The deadline for the debt repayment was fast approaching, and Old Jin, having apparently heard the news of Old Master Lian’s illness, hurried over in a rush.
Old Master Lian finally fell asleep under the influence of the medicine and couldn’t be woken. Lady Zhou, scared senseless by Old Master Lian’s illness, was unable to decide on such a major issue. Fortunately, Old Master Lian had entrusted the handling of this matter entirely to Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Lian Manman.
Old Jin entered the room and even inquired warmly about Old Master Lian’s condition, but Lian Manman had neither the time nor the mood for pleasantries.
"We’ll first repay you three hundred and eighty taels of silver. Please count it." Lian Manman pushed the package of silver towards Old Jin.
Old Jin first checked the quality of the silver, then counted the amount carefully.
"This is three hundred and eighty taels, but when can the rest be repaid? Tomorrow is the due date." Old Jin asked.
"We’ll go into the city to get the silver tomorrow," Lian Shouxin said.
"All right, all right," Old Jin’s face broke into a very amiable smile, "However, let’s get this straight beforehand. If the due date passes, even if by just one day, the interest will be calculated for an entire month. Although we are from the same village, the rules cannot be broken. Giving you an extension and not seizing your house and land is already our way of showing kindness."
Lian Manman knew that the rules of usury were such that many who hoped to turn their fortunes around with high-interest loans ended up completely ruined because of them. She didn’t want to haggle with Old Jin over this.
"Sixth Master Jin, my father said to just take this silver for now, and we should write down a note for it. Then, you give the exact amount still owed," Lian Manman said.
Old Jin pocketed the silver, scanning the room with his eyes. It seemed Old Master Lian was seriously ill, and the ones now in charge of the household were the separated Lian Shouxin’s family. But these matters were none of his concern; he was only there to collect the debts accurately.
"The original capital was six hundred taels exactly, and by the due date, one should repay one thousand two hundred forty-four taels and one qian six fen of silver. Now, deducting the three hundred and eighty taels already paid, eight hundred sixty-four taels and one qian six fen of silver is still owed." Old Jin took out an abacus from his bosom and flicked it back and forth, "If by the Zi Hour tomorrow, this outstanding eight hundred sixty-four taels and one qian six fen of silver is completely repaid, then this debt can be considered settled. If it goes past the time, interest will be charged on the eight hundred sixty-four taels and one qian six fen of silver; if it’s even one day late, it will be calculated for an entire month, and that would be one thousand thirty-six taels and nine qian nine fen of silver..."
Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were somewhat flabbergasted at the terms; the usury was terrifying. And they felt some pain at the thought of all that silver.
Lian Manman didn’t care—it wasn’t their money. Lian Shouren and Lian Huahua wanted to scheme against others; let them taste the bitter fruit of their own making.
Having received the money, Old Jin added a few strokes to the debt note, indicating all he had said. Lian Manman had Erlang, Lian Shouli, and Lady Zhou sign as witnesses on it.
Erlang and Lady Zhou both made their mark, but Lady Zhou, claiming to be dizzy, refused to sign.
Lian Manman didn’t fuss over it, carefully stored the note, saw Old Jin off, then went to the town to preemptively hire two horse carriages, paid a deposit, and arranged for the carriages to pick them up from Thirty Mile Camp the next day.
Afterward, she sought out Wang Youheng at Jisheng Hall.
"Brother Youheng, what do you know about the Song Family in the county town?" Lian Manman asked Wang Youheng.
"You mean Song Hailong’s family?" Wang Youheng looked at Lian Manman, somewhat puzzled, "Manman, why do you ask this?"
Lian Manman sighed and briefly explained the ordeal of Lian Shouren’s debt not being repaid, Old Master falling gravely ill, and being bedridden.
"My father told us to go to the city to collect this money, but we don’t even know which way the gates of the Song Family’s residence open."
The statement was a bit exaggerated, but Lian Manman truly didn’t know the specifics about the Song Family. Not just her, even Old Master Lian only knew what he had heard through rumors about how the Song Family was and had never had actual contact with them. This was because Lian Shouren had never gone into detail, and the Song Family had never made a connection with their family.
This was obviously not normal, but on second thought, it also seemed not so strange.
Lian Huahua’s marriage was her own private agreement with Song Hailong, followed by a formal engagement. It was only after the arrangements were made, and preparations for the dowry needed to begin, that Lian Shouren informed Old Master Lian. Given the social gap between the Song Family of the county town and the rural Lian Family, and with a distance of thirty miles between the county town and Thirty Mile Camp, it was clear that although the Song Family had married Lian Huahua, they had no intention of getting close with the rural Lian Family.
