Old Master Lian’s voice might have been low, but everyone in the room still heard it. They all knew that Old Master Lian was calculating how much money could be gathered.
"Let Old Fourth think of sothing," Lian Shouyi finally found a chance to speak, "Old Fourth has been buying land and opening stores, making a fortune. And then there’s the grape wine, it must have sold for at least two hundred silver pieces. Six hundred pieces, if Old Fourth makes an effort, he can co up with it."
"Old Fourth, seeing how worried Dad and Mom are, you wouldn’t begrudge the silver, would you?" Lian Shouyi looked at Lian Shouxin.
Lian Shouxin clenched his fists, forcibly suppressing the urge to go up and give Lian Shouyi a beating.
"Big Brother, how did you work out that my family has six hundred silver pieces?"
"Old Fourth, you can’t fool anyone," rejoiced Lian Shouyi, "The thirty acres you bought in Zhao Family Village, that’s a hundred pieces, right? And from selling grape wine, another two hundred, that’s three hundred already. Then you’ve been running a store; with all the rice and flour you’ve been sending over to Dad and Mom, if you didn’t have three hundred in cash, who would believe it?"
"Big Brother, are you trying to kill ?" Lian Shouxin glared at Lian Shouyi, "If I could take out that money, I would..."
"Dad, don’t be fooled by Second Uncle," Lian Manman did not wait for Lian Shouxin to continue, "Second Uncle, not to ntion that we don’t have that much money, even if we did, it’s not our turn yet. You want us to sell our house and land, what about Eldest Brother’s house, and that house you occupy in town?"
When the town house was ntioned, Erlang, who had kept his head down, looked up. Lady He quickly made a gesture to him, and Erlang reluctantly turned his face away with so dissatisfaction.
"Lian Laoer, you haven’t forgotten that we’ve divided the family property, have you? You’re a grown man with hands and feet, so fixated on our family’s possessions, have you no sha?" Lady Zhang scolded, "And who incurred this debt, who swore they would definitely pay it back?"
Lady Zhang had hit the nail on the head.
"The house in town, along with the belongings inside, could probably sell for just under a hundred," Old Master Lian seed not to have heard their quarrel, and continued calculating, "This courtyard, plus the family land, could also bring in just under two hundred."
To pay off their debts, they would be left with nothing but the clothes on their backs, scraping together just another three hundred silver pieces.
Then that... the account Lian Shouyi made for Lian Shouxin was greatly inflated. He knew about the actual assets of the Shouxin Family. That piece of land was worth just under a hundred, and the grape wine probably didn’t make two hundred. The store hadn’t been open long, and couldn’t produce much cash.
For the Old Fourth Family to raise the remaining three hundred pieces, the price would also be total ruin!
Eight hundred pieces could thus be gathered!
Old Master Lian’s thoughts were clear; if the debt wasn’t paid when due, interest would keep piling up, and the debt would grow even larger. In the end, it would be the Lian Family who would suffer the most in repaying the debt. To lessen the family’s loss, including Lian Shouxin, they would have to endure so hardship now. After getting through this difficult ti, he would personally oversee that Lian Shouren repaid this loan and compensated Lian Shouxin.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. If only Lian Shouxin would take the initiative to shoulder this burden, he understood Lian Shouxin. The boy was honest, valued relationships, and truly filial towards him and Lady Zhou.
However, following the commotion with the children just now, he knew Lian Shouxin would not voluntarily take on the debt. Lian Shouxin and his wife, along with the kids including Manman, had all developed great resentnt towards Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, and even him.
How did this resentnt co to be, was it really just because of past incidents? Thinking it over, he couldn’t bla them for feeling resentful.
No, wait! Old Master Lian suddenly rembered sothing, his face turning pale as paper in a mont.
"Old man, what’s wrong with you?" Sitting next to Old Master Lian, Lady Zhou noticed his abnormality and quickly asked.
Old Master Lian felt dizzy and light-headed, with a sweetness in his throat; Lady Zhou’s voice seed to be coming from far away. He silently cursed the situation, bit the tip of his tongue,
forcing himself to stay alert and swallowed the sweet, coppery substance in his mouth. At this mont, he couldn’t fall. If he fell, the family would be finished.
He knew it wasn’t Lian Shouren who had calculated the Lian Family’s and Lian Shouxin’s assets so precisely; it could never be him. Old Master Lian waved his hand in confusion, as if by this gesture he could dispel the annoying thoughts.
"Old man, say sothing, don’t scare like this," Lady Zhou cried out when she saw the scattered look in Old Master Lian’s eyes, breaking into a cold sweat out of fear.
"Old Fourth, just say the word," Lian Shouyi took advantage of the situation, "Look how worried Dad is; just say you’ll co up with the money, and he’ll get better."
"Scoundrel, asshole!" Old Master Lian cursed angrily, blood spurting from his mouth.
This sudden turn shocked everyone, and they all rushed over.
Lady Zhou embraced Old Master Lian and started weeping loudly, "Old Master, please, don’t leave behind..."
"Quick, go fetch the doctor," Lian Manman said urgently.
Lian Shouli and Erlang were the first to run out.
"I’m fine, what’s with calling for a doctor," Old Master Lian spat out a mouthful of blood, still trying to tough it out, leaning on the luggage bundle. "Laoer, you’re a scoundrel, just like your older brother."
"Did you think I’ve gone blind and senile just because I’m old?" Old Master Lian gasped for air, then added.
Old Master Lian wasn’t senile, so this bond of kinship could still continue. Lian Manman breathed a sigh of relief. It seed that Old Master Lian had also figured out what kind of ga Lian Shouren was playing.
"If I die, all of you rember, I’ll have been angered to death. Angered by the eldest and the second," Old Master Lian paused for a while, before speaking again. He had always been a responsible man his whole life, but it was his misfortune to have the least responsible son. Old Master Lian’s mind was crystal clear at the mont. If he died unclearly and inconsistently now, there was no telling if so foolish or scheming person might pin it on Lian Shouxin.
In that case, he would never rest in peace.
"Go, bring the debt note," Old Master Lian ordered Lady Zhou.
"Dad, please don’t talk too much; the doctor will be here soon," Lian Shouxin couldn’t bear to see Old Master Lian wear himself out like that.
"This needs to be made clear, or else, I won’t be able to close my eyes," Old Master Lian said, closing his eyes.
Lady Zhou took the debt note out of the cabinet and handed it to Old Master Lian. After looking at it, Old Master Lian reached out to give it to Lian Shouxin. His hand paused in the air, but in the end, he passed the deed to Lian Manman.
*******
Here’s one update for you, hoping for your likes. Striving for a second update. (To be continued. If you like this work, I welco you to support with recomndation votes and monthly votes on Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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