Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields - Chapter 67
68. Bumped into a blackmailer.
“It’s her!” Third Aunt clapped and blurted, “When I was at Tian Family I heard people talked about it. There’s no mistake! I heard that family is one of the wealthiest in Shuang Liu county! Since you’re related, so they’ll most likely agree when asked.”
“But we didn’t stay in touch for a good few years now. We can’t remember what cousin Fang Qing look like. So isn’t it a bit out of the blue to ask them to lend us money…”Lian Ze was full of hesitation.
Then the tale of Granny Liu bringing Ban er to the Jia Manor (refer to a scene of famous Chinese literature, the dream of Red Chamber) came to Lian Fang Zhou’s mind. Could it be that she will receive the same treatment?
After contemplating for a bit, she gave in to temptation, since the benefit of growing cotton is enormous. She gritted her teeth and delivered her decision as she looked at the two little ones. “Since it’s like that, we can’t drag it any longer. Ah Ze and I will head out tomorrow. You guys, be good and stay with Third Aunt at home. ”
“I’ll come along!” Ah Jian who remained silent til now, spoke out. “The journey there is far, so it’s best that I accompany you!”
Everyone couldn’t help remember the matter on the journey back on the day they first met Ah Jian. Lian Fang Zhou didn’t reject his offer and grinned, “Alright. Us three go!”
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“As for the charcoal making, I’ll give Aunt Zhang a heads up. ” After a beat, Lian Fang Zhou continued. When the time comes to split the money, it’s no big deal when they take less.
After a moment of more discussion, Lian Fand Zhou rushed over to Aunt Zhang’s home to give a clear explanation. When she returned she asked if the charcoal was sent to Uncle and Aunt? After Lian Ze reported that it was already delivered, she let it go.
One night silently passed.
Early next day, Lian Fang Zhou, Ah Jian, and Lian Ze left home. No one in the village owned a horse carriage. So they could only rent one when they get to the town.
Once they reached the town, the sun had just risen, and the morning cold fog drifted around.
The three of them each got a bowl of soup noodle at a roadside stall. After they finished eating, they made way to the horse bank (replace taxi bank) to pick a carriage.
Very quickly, they settled on a bargained price and set out on their journey to Shuang Liu county.
Actually, Lian Fang Zhou was full of antsy. After all, she doesn’t have any impression of that cousin, and now the other person became a wealthy person. The other person may not believe her when she asked to borrow money and promised to return it definitely. In their eyes, she is someone trying to extort money.
If the opportunity wasn’t so hard to come by, Lian Fang Zhou would never be willing to bring herself to do this.
“Oh yeah!” Lian Fang Zhou suddenly asked. “How was our cousin’s family condition before she married? It should…”
Lian Ze shook his head, said “Actually, I’m not sure. Anyway, it definitely won’t be a really well-off household.”
Lian Fang Zhou was silent. She thought, then how could the Su Family allow her to marry to their only son? This matter seems too odd. It couldn’t be that cousin is a concubine? If it is, then there’ll be some difficulty.
Lian Fang Zhou was only mentally muttered, while Lian Ze spoke it out loud “Sister, Third Aunt said Su Family is wealthy, then why did they marry in cousin Fang Qas a daughter-in-law? Could it be Third Aunt was lying?”.
The siblings considered and discussed for a while and came up with nothing but doubts.
In the end, Ah Jian couldn’t hold back his laughter. “What is there to guess? We’re already halfway there, so when we’re there we’ll know, right? And our purpose is to borrow money, so what does it have to do with us how they got married?”
With these words, Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze erupt into laughter.
“You’re right. When we are there, we’ll know!”Lian Fang Zhou chuckled. The three of them then started other trivial small talks. They weren’t feeling one bit solitary.
Suddenly the horse carriage came to an abrupt halt and stopped moving.
The carriage violently shook. Lian Fang Zhou raised the curtain to look outside and saw the two sides were the green mountainous scenes. They were still traveling!
“What happened?” she asked the driver.
The driver had already hopped off the carriage, spreaded out his hands. “The carriage has broken down, Miss. Afraid it’s not going to be easy.”
“How did this happen?”Lian Fang Zhou wrinkled her brows and also got off the carriage.
Lian Ze and Ah Jian also followed her down.
“Is the damage terrible? Can it be repaired?”Lian Ze enquired.
“Look at what you’re saying, little brother!”The driver gruffly laughed. “Sure it can be repaired, but right now we’re in the middle of nowhere. So how am I suppose to get it repaired? Oh, I’m so unlucky. This trip is all for nothing. After all this hard work, I can’t earn enough for repairs. And also my horse, taking this long journey, he’ll need a few days rest. If I knew earlier, I wouldn’t have come…”
Hearing the driver grumbled in anger as well as lamented in bitter and was not straying from the word money, Lian Fang Zhou sensed something else and simply stood there unmovingly as she watched what he exactly want to do.
Lian Ze was truly feeling anxious when he worriedly look at that broken horse carriage.
While Ah Jian carefully inspected the carriage for a while and offhandedly pointed out, “Your carriage has no problem at all. How can you say its broken?”
The driver was immediately paused before he disgruntledly argued. “How is it not broken? Didn’t feel that large jolt when you were inside? It’s my own carriage, how could I not know? If it was in fine condition, why would I stop? What do you know? Don’t go speaking nonsense!”
“Then,” Ah Jian suggested. “you go sit inside, I’ll drive the carriage.”
“No way!” The driver answered without a single thought. “This is my carriage. My horse. How can I trust you not purposely to crash and damage my horse and my carriage?”
Ah Jian wanted to persuade him, but Lian Fang Zhou lightly pulled on his sleeve. With a steady gaze, she looked at the driver and asked, “Just frankly tell us what you want to do.”
Lian Fang Zhou’s words were so straightforward that the driver whose heart was full of schemes, couldn’t react. Out of anger and embarrassment, he immediately glared and yelled, “What do you mean by this?”
“I should be asking you that,” Lian Fang Zhou smirked. “Give me an obvious answer. Are you going to drive or not?”
The driver was filled with enraged embarrassment on the inside, but he could only keep on enduring. –-who told him to have deceitful intention?
He didn’t give an outright answer; instead, he sprouted a load of nonsense. The main point was the carriage was broken. If they need to continue the journey, it is possible. It’s just that it’ll cause more damage to the wagon and the horse will be even more exhausted. He will also be put on a tight spot. That’s why the price won’t be what they previously agreed. In three words: Increase in price!
Ah Jian and Lian Ze was dumbfounded, while Lian Fang Zhou snorted out a laugh.
The most infuriating part was his tone. He’s enduring his pain to drive the carriage, and they must pay more and still be grateful to him and be in his debt.
If he wanted to increase a bit, she’d let it go and endure and swallow down this disgusting fly as she is in anxious to make her way. But the initially four silver coin became two liang and four silver coins. The three of them was enraged.
“You are going to far! We clearly agreed on the price, so how can you do this! You are too crooked!”Lian Ze roared in anger.
“How am I crooked?” The driver refuted back. “I already clearly explained the reason for increasing the price, no? No matter where I’m in the right! I’m not profiting from the extra two liang. It can barely cover the repair cost.”
As to what Ah Jian said about his carriage is in excellent condition, was being ignored automatically by the driver.
