Chapter 22 Huge Debt
Song Yuning led the maid towards the pavilion. When they got closer, they saw Song Yuyan and a young man painting there intently.
Song Yuning stopped involuntarily, thinking that going forward at this time would probably disturb their interest.
So she turned around and prepared to leave, but at this moment, she caught a glimpse of a man who looked like a servant not far away waving at her.
Song Yuning had seen this servant before at Yuqing Temple. At that time, he seemed to be following Xiao Yunzhan closely and serving him.
Song Yuning looked down at the bamboo purse hanging around her waist, then led the maid towards where the boy was.
As expected, after passing through the layers of peach trees, Song Yuning saw the tall and imposing Xiao Yunzhan in the depths. At that moment, he was standing with his hands behind his back, standing there quietly like a jade tree in the wind.
"I didn't expect to meet you here today." Song Yuning said softly.
Hearing the voice, Xiao Yunzhan looked at the approaching Song Yuning. When he saw the bamboo purse hanging around the other's waist, the smile in his eyes as deep as a pool of water became even brighter.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on your family’s movements and I know that the old lady is going to take you out today.
So, I put off a lot of things and came here to see you." Xiao Yunzhan stared at Song Yuning with burning eyes.
Song Yuning raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a teasing smile. She looked at Xiao Yunzhan with a half-smile and teased, "Did you come here specifically to see me, or did you come here specifically to ask for the purse?"
After saying that, she gently untied the purse from her waist, put it into the thin rope in her hand, and then turned it flexibly with her fingers.
Xiao Yunzhan's face showed a trace of seriousness, and he answered solemnly: "Of course I came here specifically to see you, and by the way, I also came to ask for that purse."
Before he finished speaking, he stepped forward, walked to Song Yuning's side, and quickly snatched the purse away.
"Are the herbs in it quite effective? I feel that your complexion seems to be much better." Getting closer, Song Yuning looked at Xiao Yunzhan's face carefully and found that his complexion was indeed much better than before.
Xiao Yunzhan just smiled and said nothing more. In fact, the purse was indeed very effective.
Ever since Song Yuning handed him the purse full of medicinal herbs, Xiao Yunzhan has become particularly peaceful when sleeping at night, whether because of the efficacy of the herbs themselves or for other reasons.
The small purse placed next to the pillow gave him a sense of security, just like the month when Song Yuning stayed by his side, making him feel safe and at ease.
Xiao Yunzhan hung the purse around his waist very carefully and rubbed it gently with his hands.
Then he raised his head and said to Song Yuning, "Do you know that the emperor is cracking down on corrupt officials recently? Many ministers have been imprisoned and punished for this."
After hearing this, Song Yuning felt a little confused and bewildered. She didn't quite understand why Xiao Yunzhan suddenly told her these things, but she had indeed heard about this incident. After all, the sensation it caused was quite big.
Because a distant relative of the Song family was dismissed from his official position in this incident, Song Hongzhi was really worried and frightened at home for a long time, fearing that the emperor would implicate himself because of this distant relative.
"Well, I know. What happened?" Song Yuning asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Because of the problems that happened to these companies, many people were implicated.
Many people were worried that they would be investigated, so they secretly sold off their large amounts of fertile land and shops at low prices.
Such a rare opportunity should not be missed. There are many shops and fertile fields for sale now, but many people are afraid to take them over easily.
I've already acquired some. If you're interested, would you like to consider it?" Xiao Yunzhan asked Song Yuning.
Song Yuning had completely understood Xiao Yunzhan's intentions. This was simply a great sale at a great value! She was certainly tempted, but she had limited money on hand.
"Okay, I'll try my best to scrape together about 500 taels of silver. Can you help me exchange all of it for land?" After carefully weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Song Yuning asked Xiao Yunzhan.
If you change it to a shop, you may also face the risk of losses unless you rent it out, but farmland is different. It is definitely a business that is sure to make money.
After some time, when the price of the land stabilizes, she can sell it and she will definitely not lose money.
Now an acre of good farmland outside Beijing costs about seven or eight taels of silver per acre, and if sold at a low price it would probably fetch five taels of silver.
Five hundred taels of silver and one hundred acres of land, she definitely made a lot of money.
Xiao Yunzhan looked at Song Yuning and said, "Five hundred taels of silver can only buy a hundred or so acres of good farmland. This opportunity is rare."
Song Yuning nodded helplessly: "Of course I know, but this is all the money I can afford."
She would have to convert all the gold and jewelry she had earned in the Song Mansion during this period into silver to make up that much.
"Besides, one hundred acres of good farmland is already a huge asset for me."
Adding to what she had before, she had a farm of 200 acres and a small shop. She was already very satisfied with the family property.
“This is indeed a great opportunity, and if you miss it, you may never come across it again.
How about this, I will buy two shops with five members, a cloth shop, and 500 acres of land for you.
"I'll count the silver you need as a loan. When you make a profit, you can return it to me. Is that okay with you?"
Song Yuning showed surprise on his face and stared at Xiao Yunzhan, but his mind began to calculate rapidly.
One shop costs 45 taels of silver. If you buy five shops, it will cost 225 taels. Even if the price is slightly lower, it will still cost at least 200 taels.
Two shops would require four hundred taels of silver, and adding a cloth shop would probably cost another two hundred taels.
Finally, there are 500 mu of land, worth 2,500 taels. In this way, Song Yuning only needs to nod slightly to bear a huge debt of 3,000 taels of silver!
Five hundred acres of fertile farmland, plus the one hundred acres she originally owned, a total of six hundred acres.
These 600 mu of fertile land could earn about 1,200 taels of silver per year, not even after deducting taxes. Once Song Yuning borrowed the money, it would probably take three or four years before he could barely repay the debt.
Song Yuning looked at Xiao Yunzhan seriously and asked, "Are you serious?"
"Of course, given our friendship, there's no need for me to play tricks on you, right? If you're willing, just leave it to me. I'll help you get it done. This is also my way of repaying you for saving me."
Song Yuning was torn between his conscience and his desires. If he agreed to Xiao Yunzhan's help at this time, it would not be so easy to use his power to get rid of the Song family in the future.
However, his suggestion was also very good. If she had these properties in her hands, even if she married a playboy like Song Hongzhi in the future, she could still live a good life without having to ask others for money.
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