Zheng Long came to Xu Chunjun's side. Xu Chunjun put down the needle and thread in his hand and said to Ah Li and Ah Li beside him: "Show the butler some tea."
"Don't dare, don't dare. I'd better stand, old slave." Zheng Long always abides by his dignity.
"You'd better sit down and talk! Although there is a difference between master and servant, you are an old man in this house, and you have served the old man. We juniors should take a high look at you." Xu Chunjun's attitude was kind, she said
That makes sense too.
Many young masters of wealthy families will look at servants who have served their elders differently.
"Thank you so much, grandma." Zheng Long thanked him and sat down on the chair slantingly.
"I asked someone to invite you here because I want to discuss with you the matter of repaying the debt for the uncle." Xu Chunjun sighed as he spoke.
"According to Grandma's wishes, what should we do?" Zheng Long asked instead without answering. He wanted to see what Xu Chunjun planned.
"I'm really worried when I think about this. I didn't expect that the uncle owes so much debt. The money in our account is not enough to repay it. What's more, even if the money in the account is misappropriated, what will happen to the family's expenses?
What?" Xu Chunjun sighed several times while speaking, "If I have the money to pay it back temporarily, that would be fine. But my dowry is not much. I thanked Mr. Chen a few days ago and paid it back.
The money sent to the uncle is over a thousand dollars in total. It’s all my own private money, and now I can’t get much money out.”
"What Grandma said is that three thousand taels is indeed not a small amount for us." Zheng Long couldn't help but nodded and sighed.
Xu Chunjun's natal family is not rich either, so she is doing her best to be able to come up with the money.
"I'm thinking, don't we still have two shops in our house? We should have some income, plus it's autumn, and it's time to pay the rent at the farm." Xu Chunjun didn't look like he was a family member, but rather like he was asking for a loan.
A poor relative of the family asked, "If you put these together, can you make up for the debt that the uncle owes?"
"Grandma, you also know that the main income of our house is supported by these two roads. Previously, our family still had a few shops in the city, and the land on the farm was mostly first- and second-class.
Good land. But later, the uncle had too much money to spend, and there was not enough money in the account, so he had to sell off the shop and the land. To this day, there are still two half-dead shops in total, and the land is only over 100 acres.
Most of them are third-class places and don't produce much grain." Zheng Long shook his head helplessly.
If Zheng Wuji wasn't such a prodigal, even if he didn't become an official, the income from his family's land and land would be enough for him to live comfortably.
But he spends his days wandering around, eating, drinking and going to the theatre. Whatever costs a lot of money, he does whatever he wants.
Even if the family has a lot of money, it can't withstand his torment like this.
"You mean you can't even make up three thousand taels for the shop and rent collection?" Xu Chunjun seemed surprised and scared.
"It's only a little over two thousand at most, and the price of food is high," Zheng Long replied.
"What...what should we do about this?" It seemed that Xu Chunjun was really worried.
"How about you ask your wife and the old lady and let them help think of ideas." Zheng Long said tentatively.
Unexpectedly, Xu Chunjun rejected it immediately: "This is not okay. How can we let them know about this terrible thing? Isn't it making them sick?"
Zheng Long thought to himself that although this grandma was not a good housekeeper, she was really filial.
If anyone else had heard that their husband owed so much money, they would have gone to their mother-in-law crying and fussing.
"Don't be too anxious, young lady. Didn't you tell those who want the account? Wait until the uncle returns to the capital and check it before giving them the money. There is still time in the meantime. Let's raise funds in various ways to plug this hole.
Just go up." Zheng Long said.
Xu Chunjun lowered his head and thought for a long time, and then said helplessly: "There is no good way, I can only do this. I will go back to my parents' house in two days to see if there is no water in the well."
"Grandma, let me say a few words. When the uncle comes back from Dongdu, try to persuade him to calm down! If this continues, our family will really fall apart." Zheng Long advised Xu Chunjun,
"You will pay him back this time and next time. When will it be the end?"
"Although I say that, there is an ancient saying: before you marry, obey your father, and when married, obey your husband. It is also said that when you marry a chicken, follow the chicken, and when you marry a dog, follow the dog. The old lady and my wife can talk about him, but I can't." Xu Chunjun is a fool and a sage.
, "Otherwise, wouldn't it be against Tiangang?"
When Zheng Long heard what she said, what else could he say, so he could only say: "That's what the grandma said. It's the old slave who is confused."
"You have good intentions," Xu Chunjun was not angry at all. "You can go to the shop or the bank later and take back the money that should be collected. I don't have access to these things, so I have to trouble you."
"This is what an old slave should do," Zheng Long said hurriedly, "I don't dare to call it troublesome."
"By the way, take these account books to the accountant by the way." Xu Chunjun said, and ordered A Li to take the pile of account books and give them to Zheng Long.
The dust on it has accumulated very thickly, and a clear fingerprint can be seen when I scratch it.
It seems that this account book has been kept with Xu Chunjun for half a month, and she has never even looked at it.
Zheng Long took the account book out and went directly to the accounting room to hand it to Lou Qian.
Lou Qian patted the account book, and the dust that rose up made him cough several times.
The two mustaches fluttered for a long time before they stopped.
"Well, why did you bring me back what you took away? This grandma has a good fetus in vain, but in fact she is just an embroidered pillow." Lou Qian shook his head and laughed at Xu Chunjun, "From this point of view, she and
They are truly a match made in heaven."
"Stop talking nonsense, follow me to Zhuangzi to collect rent in the next two days." Zheng Long said next, "There is still a hole waiting to be plugged!"
He still had something to do, so he left the house.
After turning a few streets, we stopped in front of a door in Zaozhi Alley.
He patted the door, and then the door opened.
"It's the master who's back!" The person who opened the door was a little girl who had just grown her hair. She closed the door and ran into the courtyard again.
The yard is not big, but it is neat and tidy. Turning around the screen wall, there are three main rooms and two side rooms.
A woman in her early twenties was coming out of the door, wearing silk and satin, gold and silver, a pink face with a smile, and she flew into Zheng Long's arms like a butterfly.
"What have you been busy with lately? I haven't been here for several days." The woman complained in a low voice, more coquettishly than angry.
Zheng Long said as he walked in: "What can I be busy with? There's a bunch of mess over there, what can't I worry about? I'm going to the countryside again in two days, so I came to see you."
"Little Hua'er, hurry up and prepare the food and drinks. It's too late to cook them now, so go ahead and book a table at Gaosheng Restaurant." The young woman told the girl next to her, "I'll have a few drinks with the master."
