The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 506 Crisis Resolved (Two Chapters in One)

On the second day, at daybreak, Qi, the shopkeeper of the Jinshang Bank, summoned a dozen of his men to the Jia family. Jia Huan was a ruthless man, and Sun Shaozu was a lesson for him. Therefore, Qi felt it necessary to bring more people to prevent any mishaps before they happened, lest Jia Huan fail to pay the money and find an excuse to do something bad. In short, the debt must be collected today, even if it means a lawsuit!

Shopkeeper Qi led his men to the Rongguo Mansion in a threatening manner and found that many people had gathered outside the door, obviously there to collect debts.

"Look, here comes Old Qi!" Three well-dressed middle-aged men immediately came forward and bowed when they saw Shopkeeper Qi.

Shopkeeper Qi clasped his fists and returned the greeting: "Old Deng, Mr. Xu, Mr. Zhou, you are here early."

Old Deng was the head manager of the Zhejiang Merchants' Money House and was also a wealthy man. The Jia family borrowed 40,000 taels from the Zhejiang Merchants' Money House, making them the second largest creditor after the Shanxi Merchants' Money House. Mr. Xu and Mr. Zhou were both upper-class merchants in the capital, and they lent the Jia family between 10,000 and 20,000 taels respectively.

In other words, these four people account for more than half of the total debt of the Jia family. It is no wonder that they are anxious and angry. In fact, these four people almost did not sleep all night, and at this moment they all have different degrees of panda eyes.

"How many people did Lao Deng bring?" asked Manager Qi.

Shopkeeper Deng glanced at the dozen or so burly men behind Shopkeeper Qi, smiled knowingly, and raised two fingers, saying, "Twenty. Mr. Xu and Mr. Zhou also brought quite a few people with them. Hehe, if Jia Huan doesn't pay back the money, I'll teach him a lesson."

Mr. Zhou and Mr. Xu also started to "grin". The Jia family was now in decline, they had lost both hereditary titles and their property was ransacked. It was obvious that the emperor no longer favored them. Even though there was still a noble concubine supporting them in the palace, they were not afraid. It was only natural to pay back debts!

While Manager Qi and the other three were talking, more creditors arrived and blocked the gate of Rongguo Mansion. The place was crowded with people and noise. Some impatient ones even went up to bang on the door and curse, scaring the doorman inside so much that he trembled in fear and hurriedly reported in.

Mr. Zhou took out a pocket watch from his bosom and looked at it, frowning and said, "It's only a quarter of an hour until the morning hour, and there's still no movement. Will Jia Huan go back on his word?"

Mr. Xu snorted coldly and said, "If he dares, I will have the gate demolished right away."

Mr. Xu was originally a butcher, but later he took over a mountain of coal in western Beijing and became a modern "coal boss". He was wealthy, had a bad temper and was somewhat of a bandit.

Shopkeeper Qi said with a smile, "Mr. Xu, please be patient. Since Jia Huan said that the door will be open at noon, let's wait for another quarter of an hour. We should use courtesy first and force later. If he doesn't open the door to return the money by then, it's not our fault."

Mr. Xu laughed and said, "Well, even though a phoenix that falls into water is no better than a chicken, let's give him some dignity."

At this moment in Rong Xi Hall, Jia Zheng was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, because it was almost noon and Jia Huan had not come yet. He sent people to urge him several times, but this evil son was not in a hurry, which was really infuriating!
Just when Jia Zheng was about to lose his temper, Li Shier ran in and reported, "Master, Master Huan San is here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Huan walked into Rong Xi Tang calmly. He was wearing a long gown for a juren, a square scarf on his head, red lips and white teeth, and he was gentle and elegant. His every move revealed a scholarly air.

Upon seeing this, Jia Zheng's anger unconsciously subsided, and he even felt a little ashamed. He had lived for several decades, but his self-control and energy-cultivation skills were not as good as those of this rebellious son who was only ten years old. He felt ashamed!
"Good morning, master!" Jia Huan bowed to Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng snorted coldly and said, "I am not worthy of this. Third Master Huan is finally here. I thought I had to invite him."

Jia Huan yawned and said, "I went to bed late last night, so I got up late. Please forgive me, Master!"

When Jia Zheng woke up, it was almost midnight after he had counted the silver and put it into the warehouse last night. It was indeed very late. Young people are more sleepy than old people, so it is normal to sleep a little longer. Therefore, he looked a little relaxed and said no more.

Jia Huan handed the key to the treasury to Lin Zhixiao and ordered, "Go and take out all the silver from the treasury and spread it out on the open space outside."

Lin Zhixiao hurriedly took the order. Jia Huan then asked someone to bring the large table from yesterday to the front of Rong Xi Tang and said to Jia Zheng, "Master, please take a seat. You will preside over the meeting today!"

Jia Zheng knew that he could not handle that kind of situation and felt a little guilty, so he hesitated to move forward.

Jia Huan could see that Jia Zheng was not confident, so he said, "Master is the head of the family, so you only need to sign and seal. I will take care of the rest."

When Jia Zheng heard that he only needed to sign, he felt relieved and sat down on the armchair behind the desk. Although Jia Zheng was ordinary, he had a good appearance, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a square face, and a long beard. He was a classic ancient handsome man. When he sat there with his head held high, he looked dignified and majestic.

Jia Huan stood beside Jia Zheng holding the account book. Behind him stood two rows of sturdy servants who guarded the house. Everyone was holding a stick and was ready to fight. Then he ordered the gate to be opened.

As soon as the door opened, the creditors who were blocking the way outside rushed in like a tide. Seeing that, the originally noisy crowd suddenly quieted down and lined up honestly in front of the counter.

Shopkeeper Qi glanced at the Jia family servants holding sticks, stepped forward and bowed, "Master Zheng, we agreed yesterday that the money would be returned today. Where is the money? Are you planning to treat everyone to a Hongmen Banquet?"

Jia Zheng said, "Shopkeeper Qi, wait a moment. My Jia family has always been trustworthy. I said I would pay you back today, and I will definitely pay you back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw many servants carrying dozens of large wooden boxes and placing them in a row on the open space behind the desk. The housekeeper Lin Zhixiao even opened the lids of the first few wooden boxes, revealing the white silver inside.

Everyone's eyes lit up and they began to whisper, "Tsk tsk tsk, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Jia family lost their title and their property was confiscated, their wealth is still there. Look at how magnificent these dozens of boxes are! How shocking! If they were filled with silver, there would probably be 200,000 or 300,000 taels of silver."

Shopkeepers Qi and Deng looked at each other and sneered in their hearts. They were all experienced people, so they would not be easily fooled by such superficial tricks. If the Jia family really had so much money, how could they borrow so much debt? After all, borrowing money requires interest. Who would be so stupid as to borrow money to make ends meet? Therefore, most of the dozens of boxes in front of them were probably empty, or filled with bricks and stones, just bluffing.

At this time, Jia Huan opened the account book and said in a loud voice: "I checked and recorded the debts yesterday. As long as they are not suspicious, they will be paid off today. Those whose names I read out, please come forward to sign and receive the silver, and cancel the IOU in person. Huang Zongren!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a half-bald guy came up and rubbed his hands and said, "I am Huang Zongren. This is the receipt for your housekeeper Lai buying cloth on credit from my shop. The total is 750 taels."

Jia Zheng turned his head to look at Jia Huan, who nodded and said, "It has been verified to be correct."

Jia Zheng wrote on the receipt: "Payment will be made on such and such a date in such and such a year. Both the money and the goods have been paid. No debt is owed to either party." Then he signed.

Huang Zongren received the 750 taels of silver, signed his name immediately, cancelled the receipt, and left happily.

Next, Jia Huan paid back one creditor at a time, and soon the two boxes of silver were empty. Lin Zhixiao opened two more boxes, which were also filled with silver. At this time, the creditors calmed down and waited patiently for Jia Huan to call out their names.

Before they knew it, the 50,000 taels of silver had been paid back. In other words, only about 30,000 taels of the silver that had been collected last night was left. Jia Huan was still reading out the names slowly, while Jia Zheng and Lin Zhixiao began to get nervous, because if they continued to pay back like this, the silver would soon be used up, and wouldn't the remaining creditors who didn't get their money make a fuss?

At this time, Shopkeeper Qi, Shopkeeper Deng, Mr. Xu, Mr. Zhou and others were already getting very impatient, because Jia Huan had called so many people, all of whom were "retail investors" who owed hundreds or thousands of taels, and he did not call any "big investors" who owed more than ten thousand taels.

"Master Huan San, when will it be my turn? Your Jia family owes me more than 20,000 taels!" The hot-tempered Mr. Xu finally couldn't help but yell.

Jia Huan glanced at the man and said calmly, "Since Mr. Xu is anxious, you will be the next one!"

"Hey, it should have been done long ago!" Mr. Xu immediately stepped forward and slammed a promissory note on the table, causing the ink in the inkstone to bounce up.

Jia Huan frowned, picked up the IOU and saw that it was an IOU for 22,000 taels. The borrower's signature was Jia Zhen, and the guarantor was Jia She. These two uncles and nephews guaranteed each other to borrow money outside. They were really drunk!
"Mr. Xu, the interest on this IOU is one thousand taels per year, and the loan period is three years. It will be due in two years, so I can't return it to you now!" Jia Huan said indifferently.

Mr. Xu's face darkened and he said, "We originally agreed to borrow it for three years, but now the situation has changed, and I have to pay it back today."

Jia Huan said calmly: "It's not impossible to pay it back. The interest will be waived and only the principal will be paid back."

Mr. Xu naturally refused to do so and said loudly, "I have borrowed this money for almost a year, but it is only ten days short. I will waive one month's interest at most."

"Impossible!" Jia Huan refused flatly, saying firmly: "It is written in black and white on the IOU that the loan period is three years. Mr. Xu's request to repay the money in advance is a breach of contract. The loss will be borne by you. If everyone breaks the contract, what is the point of having a contract?"

Mr. Xu blushed and said, "Then I'm going to let you waste my 22,000 taels for a year?"

Jia Huan raised his sword-like eyebrows and asked coldly, "Whose father is Mr. Xu?"

Mr. Xu was originally a butcher and a fierce man. However, he was stared at by Jia Huan with a real gaze, and his heart trembled. He muttered, "I am at a disadvantage if I only pay back the principal. Master Zheng, please judge for me!" Jia Zheng was thin-skinned. He had used 22,000 taels of silver for a year in vain. It was indeed a bit too much not to pay some interest. Just as he was about to speak, Jia Huan said coldly, "Mr. Xu, there is no need to say more. Everything should be done according to the contract. Either you only pay back the principal, or you pay back the principal and interest after two years."

Mr. Xu said with a dark face: "What if I insist on asking for the principal and interest today?"

"Then I can only ask you to leave. If you are not satisfied, feel free to file a complaint with the Shuntian government office." Jia Huan said calmly.

Xu Yuanwai's face changed from one to another. After thinking it over again and again, he probably felt that it was not worth it to resort to violence. He was afraid that he would not win the lawsuit if he sued the government. After all, the loan was indeed not due. So he said angrily: "Okay, you are so cruel. Return the principal to me, and the interest of one thousand taels a year will be regarded as a reward to a beggar."

Jia Huan looked calm, ordered someone to bring a twenty thousand tael silver note, and paid another two thousand taels of silver, saying calmly, "From now on, we are even, Mr. Xu, please sign and cancel it!"

Xu Yuanwai was naturally unwilling to lose a thousand taels of interest for nothing, but if he didn't take back the principal today, he was afraid that the Jia family wouldn't be able to pay it back. So, well! Just take it as a lesson learned!

Mr. Xu signed and sealed the loan note, then he took the money and left in a huff.

As a result, there were only 3,000 taels of silver left from the previous night, plus the 5,000 taels that Lin Daiyu sent in the middle of the night, a total of 8,000 taels. So Jia Huan was a little nervous at this time. Why didn't Shitou come back? He had to make sure he didn't lose his nerve at the critical moment.

Next, Jia Huan paid back the money of several "retail investors", and another two thousand taels were spent. Jia Zheng and Lin Zhixiao were secretly anxious, because the remaining money boxes were filled with miscellaneous items, and it was just a bluff. If this continued, it would soon be exposed.

At this time, Jia Huan took out his pocket watch and glanced at it, then said calmly, "It's almost noon. Let's have lunch first, rest for an hour, and come back at the beginning of the afternoon."

The remaining creditors who had not received their money were immediately in an uproar. Shopkeeper Qi frowned and said unhappily, "Mr. Huan San's behavior was inappropriate. Did we wait for so long in vain?"

"Yes, we are not hungry, give us back our money!" everyone started clamoring.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Jia Zheng's forehead.

Jia Huan said calmly, "You are not hungry, but we are. Besides, my father is still ill and has worked hard for half a day. He needs a rest. You all have parents. How can you bear this?"

Jia Zheng hurriedly pretended to cough lightly a few times, but his acting was so poor and he was too shy to do so, which made him blush.

Shopkeeper Qi sneered and said, "Master Huan San is indeed eloquent, but I have come here three times, and I don't think I need to come a fourth time, so please forgive me, Master Zheng, and pay me back first before you rest and eat. It won't take much time anyway."

"This..." Jia Zheng was just hesitating when suddenly a servant ran in quickly and whispered something in Jia Huan's ear.

This servant was Lin Zhong, Lin Zhixiao's eldest son. He had gone out with Shitou and others to do some work yesterday, and now he is finally back.

After hearing Lin Zhong's report, Jia Huan felt relieved immediately. He whispered something to Lin Zhong, and the latter left in a hurry.

"Shopkeeper Qi, since you are in a hurry to get the silver, just come forward. However, after we pay you back, we must rest for a while." Jia Huan said calmly.

Shopkeeper Qi was a little surprised. Could it be that the Jia family had really raised enough money to pay off the debt? Was it not just bluffing?
At this time, Jia Zheng and Lin Zhixiao were also a little confused. They didn't understand what Jia Huan was up to. Now he only had 6,000 taels left, which was not enough to pay back the 60,000 taels owed to the Shanxi Merchants' Bank.

At this time, Shopkeeper Qi walked to the table, took out three IOUs, and said with a smile, "This is the 60,000 taels your family borrowed from our bank. Please check it, Mr. Huan San."

Jia Huan took the loan note, checked it, and nodded, saying, "It is correct, but only 20,000 taels are due. The remaining 40,000 taels are not due yet. If Shopkeeper Qi wants to take it back in advance, he will only have to pay the principal, without interest."

Shopkeeper Qi glanced calmly at the remaining unopened cash boxes, as if weighing the pros and cons. At this moment, Shi Tou Xingwei came in with a dozen strong servants, carrying six heavy boxes and placed them next to the original pile of boxes.

Jia Huan smiled and asked, "Have you thought it through, Manager Qi?"

Shopkeeper Qi gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Return the principal if you want. It's better than nothing!"

Jia Huan made a gesture and Shitou immediately opened the money boxes. The boxes were indeed filled with silver. All six boxes were full, more than 60,000 taels.

Shopkeeper Qi swallowed his saliva and said with a smile: "I was just joking with Master Huan San. I will only pay back the 20,000 taels that are due. You can pay the remaining 40,000 taels when it is due."

Shopkeeper Qi was originally worried that the Jia family had emptied the money and he would not be able to get any money back, so he was anxious to get his principal back. Now that he saw that the Jia family could actually come up with the money, he began to feel the pain of paying the interest. After all, if he paid it back in advance, he would save several thousand taels of interest, which was not a small amount.

Jia Huan smiled faintly and said, "Manager Qi's joke is not funny. Shitou, bring me 2800 taels."

Shitou immediately took people to count out 20,800 taels of silver. Manager Qi counted the money in front of him, signed and sealed it, cancelled the IOU for 20,000 taels, and then left politely.

As a result, there were only two big customers left: Manager Deng of the Zhejiang Merchants Money House and Mr. Zhou. The Jia family owed a total of 40,000 taels to the Zhejiang Merchants Money House and 18,000 taels to Mr. Zhou, but neither of them was due.

So Shopkeeper Deng and Mr. Zhou both hesitated at this time. They thought that the Jia family had no money, and wanted to take advantage of it, so they forced the Jia family to use the land deeds and house deeds to repay the debts. Now it seems that the Jia family has sufficient funds. If they force them to repay the debts in advance, not only will they not get any advantage, but they will even lose the interest. It is not cost-effective!

After thinking it over, the two of them clasped their fists and smiled flatteringly, "Master Zheng, Master Huan San, we are not in a hurry to use the money, so let's wait until the maturity date to withdraw the principal and interest. Goodbye!"

After the two of them finished talking, they left with their people. Jia Huan couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief and announced that they would take a break and eat, and continue in the afternoon.

The remaining creditors were all "retail investors". After seeing with their own eyes that the Jia family had the ability to repay the money, they were no longer in a hurry and left to have lunch, planning to come back in the afternoon.

Jia Zheng quickly ordered the gate to be closed. While looking through the boxes of silver that Xing Wei had brought back, he asked, "Brother Huan, where did you get all this silver? Hey, this is... a stone!"

Jia Zheng was stunned when he suddenly discovered that these boxes of silver only had silver ingots on the surface and the bottom was full of stones.

Xing Wei smirked and said, "Master Zheng, you don't know this. Third Master has long since ordered me to keep a close eye on Lai Da and Lai Er. The two of them sold their house and fled with their family a few days ago. They are temporarily hiding in a remote village in the west of Beijing. They had planned to flee to Shu after the storm had passed, but they had no idea that I had already been keeping an eye on them.

Yesterday afternoon, I led some people out of the city and rushed there. We caught them all at night. They are still tied up and guarded by people, waiting for the decision of Master Zheng and Master San. I have brought back all the property that Lai Da and Lai Er took away."

Jia Zheng was surprised and delighted. He stroked his beard and laughed, saying, "Good! Heaven has eyes, Heaven has eyes!"

Xing Wei corrected him: "It is the Third Master who has eyes!"

Lin Zhixiao said with a smile: "Third Master is as good as a god in predicting things and planning strategies, comparable to Xiao He and Han Xin!"

Jia Zheng glanced at Jia Huan and coughed lightly, "It's too late, how can it be compared? But Huan'er's move is indeed a precautionary measure. Shitou, how much property did you bring back this time?"

Shitou waved his hand and said, "I don't know. Master Zheng should ask Lin Zhong and Lin Fu. They keep the accounts."

Lin Zhong immediately stepped forward and replied, "I have counted it. There are more than 36,000 taels of silver, 3,000 strings of money, and a number of jewelry. The value is unknown at the moment."

Jia Zheng was deeply moved and said, "How can this be possible? This pair of rats actually embezzled so much money. It's really shocking!"

Jia Huan, however, was very calm. The Lai family had been the chief steward for several generations and had been digging into the Jia family's wealth for sixty or seventy years. In addition, they were good at business, so it was not surprising that they had saved tens of thousands of taels of silver. Otherwise, how could they have built such a magnificent house and donated a county magistrate position to their son Lai Shangrong.

The Lai family was originally servants of the Jia family and belonged to the Jia family's private property. The servants' wealth naturally belonged to the master, and now it was just the right time to solve their urgent problem.

Jia Huan estimated that the property Xing Wei brought back, including gold and silver jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, was worth at least 50,000 taels, but it was far from enough to make up for the hole. Fortunately, Manager Qi and others were scared by him, otherwise it would be difficult to deal with.

(End of this chapter)