Chapter 43: What a Loan Lender Mr. Yan
Seeing Chen Qi's face full of confusion, Xie Yuduo thought to himself, my cousin and his wife have lost their children many times. Should she know about such a tragic thing?
"...After much thought, I can only wait for you to come back and talk to you properly, but you came back so late today..."
Chen Qi fell into his arms, hooked her arms around his neck, and acted coquettishly and complained at the same time.
Xie Yuduo listened to her words one by one, looked down at her long eyelashes casting a light shadow on her pink cheeks, and couldn't help but hug his wife tightly in his arms.
"It's because the Chinese New Year is coming soon, and there's so much going on in the shop that I can't spare the time. I'll be so busy these next few days until the Chinese New Year."
He lowered his head and kissed her.
"It's cold at night. You don't have to wait for me anymore. Just sleep well and I'll feel more at ease. Remember?"
"Um."
The person in his arms responded softly.
"As for the matter of my eldest brother and his wife... I don't know much either."
If such a tragic thing were to be told to others, it would probably scare her.
Chen Qi nodded, having long guessed that such inner secrets of the boudoir were something he probably couldn't figure out.
Because of this matter, Chen Qi was reluctant to display the Guanyin statue given by her mother, so she simply wrapped it in a brocade box and placed it deep in the box.
Fortunately, she didn't hear anything happened to the Sun family for many days, so she felt a little relieved.
Sure enough, I was busy until the end of the year.
The eldest brother of the Shen family is also very busy.
Ever since the day they decided to open a shop, Xie Yuduo really took the time to go to Xiuqiu Street and chose a house with a shop front. It was located at the intersection, with a wide frontage and a lot of people coming and going, which was exactly what he wanted.
Xie Yuduo contacted the owner and settled the matter with both parties. Two days later, he and the Shen family went to the house to take a closer look.
The house had two front rooms and three floors: the first floor was used as a shop, the second floor as living quarters, and the third floor as a kitchen. Although the courtyard was small, it was extremely quiet and elegant, and everyone praised it.
Shen Shao calculated his own capital. If he paid three years' rent first, the remaining money would not delay future business turnover.
Xie Yuduo stopped him.
"This house is originally worth 120 taels. If it's rented out for three years, it'll cost more than 20 taels. I know a man named Yan who's a moneylender in the provincial capital. If you trust me, I'll lend him 200 taels. You can use it now. When the business turns around, I can pay him back slowly over the next three to five years. It won't be too late."
Upon hearing this, Shen Shao was indeed somewhat moved, but he was also very hesitant.
"I understand your good intentions. However, when the shop opens tomorrow, we'll have to host a few banquets and invite neighbors and new friends to get together. We'll also have to fix up the saddle horses and hire shop assistants. Furthermore, there's the household items in the house, which will cost at least seventy or eighty taels of silver."
Shen Shao, like his father, is not the kind of person who would wait for the next year to eat the next year's food.
"I'm thinking that if I open the door to loans right from the start, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford it later and won't be able to get anyone to chase me for debts. From my perspective, it's better to do it within your means."
Xie Yuduo nodded slightly, his tone calm.
"Don't worry, big brother. This gentleman and I traveled together to Yunnan and Tibet two years ago. We were inseparable all the way. We are truly a lifelong friend. I will act as your guarantor. If he considers my kindness, he will certainly not ask you for any interest. You can use it with peace of mind. You can keep the extra money as capital. At least you will have more money."
No one else noticed, only Chen Qi glanced at Xie Yuduo and nodded slightly.
Although Shen Shao was two years older than Xie Yuduo, he respected his brother-in-law greatly, knowing that he was a capable and reliable man. Hearing this, he felt that if he continued to refuse, it would seem like he was being nagging. Hearing this, he cupped his hands and readily agreed.
"Although this Mr. Yan is your close friend, he must pay interest according to the market price of 5% per month. This is inevitable. Moreover, although I am not a person who would betray my trust, I must also write a document and have both parties sign it to reassure the Mr. Yan."
He fetched a pen and paper and wrote a document. Xie Yuduo was determined not to let him include the interest. After some haggling, the two sides finally gave in.
As soon as the document was written, someone delivered two hundred taels of cash in the afternoon. Shen Shao thanked the person and accepted it carefully.
On the second day, the old owner of the house came over, and Xie Yuduo was still the guarantor. The two parties signed the sales documents and handed over 120 taels of silver on the spot. Shen Shao received the house deed and gave it to his wife Qiao for safekeeping.
Half a month later, the Shen family's new house was ready, and the clothing store on Xiuqiu Street was also mostly ready. Shen Shao spent money to buy half a boatload of cloth, hired two experienced tailors who had been to the south, and found two young assistants, and chose an auspicious day to open the shop.
On the opening day, there were about twenty friends and relatives who came to give fruit boxes and red envelopes, and the Xie family naturally sent people to deliver gifts and red envelopes as well.
In addition, Xie Yuduo also presented a yellow horse, four-color gold-woven silk, and two baskets of tea and wine, both with red silk, as gifts for the opening of the shop.
Seeing that his brother-in-law had helped him a lot and the gift was so generous, Brother Shen was very grateful and naturally thanked him again and again.
On the opening day, the Shen family invited four musicians to play wind and percussion instruments, and they set up several tables for banquets. All the neighbors were seated at the tables, and the atmosphere was very lively with glasses being passed around and the atmosphere being lively.
Two clerks were selling at the counter, one checking the silver and the other arranging the price. As it was the end of the year, there were many people preparing to buy clothes and jackets, and the shop was in a good location, so business was very good.
In the evening, after closing the shop and counting the accounts, it was found that in the first three days alone, the shop had sold more than 40 taels of silver.
Shen Shao was very happy, and his business gradually took off.
Entering the twelfth lunar month, he took some time off to take the pregnant Qiao to the city to take care of her. However, Shen's parents were reluctant to leave their woolen yarn shop, so they still lived in Baihe Town with their younger brother Shen Ji.
It was the end of December when they were busy. Seeing that the Shen family shop had opened smoothly, business was booming, and everything was going well, Shen Qi took the time to ask her husband about his itinerary and asked Xiaowu to go out and buy some good wine and food for her.
That night, a pot of jasmine wine, a plate of crystal goose, a plate of roasted shad, a plate of pickled silverfish with osmanthus and spices, and a plate of rose longevity cake were placed in the room.
There were also two seasonal side dishes that she had made herself, both served on small gold-painted plates, arranged neatly and placed in the room.
She opened the mirror box, put on her makeup, and made herself look very pretty, waiting for Xie Yuduo to come back to the room.
That night, some snowflakes fell from the sky again, first like catkins, then gradually like goose feathers. Until the first watch, Xie Yuduo finished his work in the shop and walked to the east wing at the back, stepping on the scattered jade fragments.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw his wife in a silk dress piled like snow, with her hair piled like clouds. She came towards him, bowed to him and performed a greeting.
"Mr. Yan, I am sorry for the trouble you have taken with my elder brother's affairs recently. Please accept my greeting."
Xie Yuduo smiled and helped her up, then leaned over to return the greeting.
"Mrs. Shen, congratulations on your family's great celebration!"
Chen Qi also helped him up, smiling like a flower.
"Congratulations to the great official."
Xie Yuduo looked at her rosy face and sweet smile, and his heart was moved. He picked her up by the waist and carried her to the table before putting her down.
Snow was falling outside the window, a fire was burning in the room, and the couple were sitting close together under the lamp.
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