Chapter 366 Borrowing Money
After successfully making sweet potato starch once, Song Lubai's confidence soared.
However, considering that only five kilograms of sweet potatoes could produce two bowls of sweet potato noodles, Song Lubai was worried about such a low yield.
A pound of sweet potatoes cost two cents, while a pound of dried sweet potato noodles cost twenty-six cents—a price difference of more than ten times. Although this price difference includes labor costs, it also demonstrates how difficult it was to obtain sweet potato noodles.
She took out the letter her aunt had sent and read it again. On the back, she found her aunt's words: "The master said that, based on his many years of experience, one pound of sweet potato starch can only produce eight or nine ounces of sweet potato noodles. One hundred pounds of sweet potatoes with a high starch content can produce about fifteen pounds of sweet potato noodles, while some can only produce ten pounds."
Seeing these numbers, Song Lubai had a more intuitive understanding of how much is lost when sweet potatoes are turned into sweet potato flour.
While she was still using some sweet potatoes, she was excitedly preparing to try again using the method Wei Zhao had suggested when Yang Xiu'e arrived with a worried expression.
"Xiao Song, the shoemaking class will have to stop in another month or so."
Song Lubai said, "Is it because we don't have enough material? We can't buy any nearby."
Yang Xiue nodded. "Not only that, the shoe-making team hasn't been paid for their goods yet, and the troupe doesn't have any money left for them either. I'd like to talk to your aunt. She used to work in the capital, so I'm wondering if she can help the shoe-making team find a solution."
Song Lubai said, "Sister Xiu'e, my aunt went to Pang Juan's house to deliver gifts. Today, Tang Xuewen officially started living with Pang Juan. Wait here for a while, she will be back soon."
As the matchmaker, Wei Zhao not only didn't receive a red envelope, but she also generously gave Pang Juan and Tang Xuewen a pillowcase.
Today, besides Wei Zhao who brought gifts, Cheng Guizhi also brought a teacup.
Yang Xiue instantly forgot what she was there for. "Tang Xuewen? That Tang Xuewen who beat his wife into a miscarriage? He's married again? Who was so blind to marry him?"
Song Lubai recounted the whole story, but she avoided mentioning that Pang Juan was no longer able to have children.
Yang Xiue's eyes widened, and after Song Lubai finished speaking, she waved her hand and said, "A man who hits a woman is a dog that can't change its nature. That woman is confused."
Yang Xiue counted on her fingers and said seriously, "Men who beat their wives and love to drink can't be changed."
Song Lubai said, "I heard from my aunt that Pang Juan's child's father is so ruthless that he even beats his own parents. Pang Juan can handle people like that, and she's confident she can keep Tang Xuewen in check."
Yang Xiue frowned and said, "I hope so. Women are not as strong as men, and it's always women who suffer in fights."
After thinking for a moment, Song Lubai suggested, "Sister Xiu'e, we're out of fabric. Let's go to the textile factory in Shicheng to buy some. We can take a thousand yuan's worth at a time, which should last for half a year."
Yang Xiue exclaimed in shock, "A thousand yuan? That's too much! Where are we going to get this money?"
Song Lubai said, "Once the payment is settled, we won't rush to settle accounts with everyone. We'll borrow the remaining three hundred or so from the credit cooperative."
Yang Xiu'e was stunned by her line of thinking.
She never expected to have to borrow money.
Yang Xiu'e asked uncertainly, "Will the cooperative lend us the money?"
Song Lubai said, "Three or four hundred isn't much. Why can't we lend it to you? Let the people in the group go with you. If you don't want to borrow from the credit cooperative, just find someone to pool together a few hundred yuan."
Yang Xiu'e quickly waved her hand, "That won't do, who can come up with so much money all at once?"
Song Lubai's family is wealthy, but she won't lend it out; she has to keep a low profile.
Wei Zhao had just returned when she heard Song Lubai's words. She said, "The collective's money belongs to the collective. Don't ask someone to help you out. It will cause too much trouble later. Let a junior leader from the regiment go with you, the squad leader, to borrow from the credit cooperative. You can go home and ask your husband, Lao Feng, if the regiment used to borrow agricultural supplies from there when it was short of money."
Yang Xiue nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, I'll go back and ask."
Looking at Wei Zhao and Song Lubai, Yang Xiue felt more and more that they were intelligent enough, and that she still had a lot to learn.
“Xiao Song, I heard you used to work at the Shicheng Supply and Marketing Department. Do you know anyone at the textile factory? If you raise the money, come with us to Shicheng. I’ll feel more at ease with you by my side.”
Song Lubai was somewhat tempted, but constantly being busy with the shoemaking class wasn't a good idea, since she wasn't part of the shoemaking class and didn't receive a salary from it.
"Sister Xiu'e, let's wait until you've raised the money before we talk about it."
After Yang Xiu'e left, Wei Zhao said, "Have Wei Yang discuss this with Secretary Feng, hold a small meeting in the regiment, and then report to the division headquarters. Let's set up a new commercial office in the 16th Regiment headquarters to manage the 16th Regiment's commerce. Xiao Song, you have a talent for business, so you can take charge of this. However, I think that given the current situation, even if the division headquarters agrees to establish a new office, people from our regiment probably won't be able to become the heads of the commercial office."
"Having the division headquarters send someone means we've gone through the proper channels and gained support from above. If any problems arise later and we need the division headquarters' assistance, we'll have someone to help us."
Song Lubai felt that her vision was not as broad as Wei Zhao's. "Sister, you are really smart."
Wei Zhao was already impressed by Song Lubai's ability to come up with a way to get a loan.
"I've only been eating for a few more years than you. If you really want to achieve something in the future, you need to study. Whether it's going to school or somewhere else, go to a large-scale factory and see how it operates. Understand the function of each department. It will definitely help you in the future. But there's no rush now. With your current intelligence, if you can set up a workshop, you'll master problem-solving skills in practice. To put it bluntly, doing things is about solving problems..."
Wei Zhao spoke at length, and Song Lubai listened attentively, finding it quite beneficial.
That night, Tang Xuewen and Pang Juan, who had just received their marriage certificate and were officially living together, awkwardly lay down on the same bed.
A room was divided into two small rooms by a curtain. Pang Juan's father-in-law and her son slept in the front room, while Pang Juan always slept in the back room by herself.
At this moment, two people were lying in the narrow space behind.
Tang Xuewen felt uneasy.
His wife's ex-husband's father-in-law lived in front of him, and the whole space was separated by a curtain. He felt uncomfortable no matter what, and he always felt like an outsider.
The dinner was rather uncomfortable, but thankfully the old man was understanding and Pang Juan's son was quite well-behaved. However, he just couldn't stand living like this.
In such a small space, he can only do whatever he wants without having to.
It was past midnight, and neither of them was asleep; the one in front of them was already snoring away.
Driven by primal urges, Tang Xuewen reached out his hand to the side.
Pang Juan, who was not asleep, was startled, and then also reached out her hand.
Realizing he had been caught in a crucial moment, Tang Xuewen cried out in surprise, then began to question the meaning of life.
Damn it, it seems like the woman he married wasn't a decent woman.
Pang Juan whispered sternly, "Keep your voice down!"
Under Tang Xuewen's incredulous gaze, Pang Juan sat up...
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