Chapter 471: With no one to support my ambition for the blue clouds, I shall loan my way to the mountain peak!

Chang'an.

Huaiyuan Ward.

Detai Money Shop.

The sun was blazing, and the light passed through the carved lattices above the main entrance, casting diamond-shaped golden spots on the ground. Just stepping through the door, one could feel a rush of agarwood fragrance.

Facing the door was a half-person-high bronze auspicious beast weight, the beast's head gilded, and tiny turquoise embedded between its scales and claws. The base was engraved with the four characters "Forever Guarding Wealth and Salary," polished bright by people coming and going.

Old Jiang came out from the back hall carrying a gold-painted lacquer tray, the grapes in the tray like agate, each one plump.

His steps were steady. He walked to the side of Old You, who was fiddling with counting rods at the counter, and placed the lacquer tray gently on the table. The porcelain tray hit the rosewood surface with a light sound.

"Old You, come taste these grapes; they are large, juicy, and sweet..." Old Jiang pointed at the lacquer tray with his fingertips, his voice carrying a hint of a smile.

Old You didn't even lift his head, first responding with "Alright," but the counting rods in his hands didn't stop until he returned the last one to its place. Only then did he straighten up, rub his fingers, and reach out to pinch a grape from the tray.

Old Jiang pinched a grape and asked: "How is your side coming along?"

Old You bit into the grape, juice dripping down the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand to wipe it casually, his brows furrowing, and he curled his lips vaguely with the fruit pulp in his mouth: "Don't mention it!"

"The task assigned by Steward Li this month is still far from done!"

After a pause, he asked back: "Old Jiang, what about you?"

Old Jiang shook his head slowly, his tone wrapped in the same weariness: "Me too..."

As he spoke, he put the grape into his mouth, chewed slowly twice, then turned to spit the seed into the copper dish at his hand, his brows twisting tighter, his voice deepening: "It seems that this month, we will have to catch some lowly people to make up the numbers again!"

Old You's originally half-lowered eyelashes lifted suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, his shoulders shrugged casually, and he sighed: "This is also a method with no other method..."

He wore a look of helplessness.

The KPI set from above had to be completed, otherwise, people like them would be in trouble...

If they didn't want to be in trouble, they could only shift the burden onto those lowly people!

Just as they were talking, a man's voice carrying exclamation drifted from outside the hall, the tail of the sound wrapped in a bit of the excitement of someone who hadn't seen the world:

"So this is Detai Money Shop!"

"It really is magnificent..."

When the words fell, a person had already stepped over the threshold.

Wearing a half-old silk long gown, with an inconspicuous jade pendant hanging at his waist, his complexion carried a hint of caution, as if he had never seen the world, exactly Chen Yan after disguising and simple makeup.

Too many people in Chang'an knew Chen Yan; he couldn't not change his appearance...

He deliberately narrowed his eyes to look around, even taking two extra looks at the carvings on the pillars, his curious appearance just like a country squire entering the capital for the first time.

However, the decoration of this Detai Money Shop was clearly typical old-money style...

Following closely behind were four people. Zhu Yi and Lu Cangfeng, wearing blue cloth short jackets, stood with their hands down, looking like proper attendants, but in reality, their hands were pressed on the hidden swords at their waists.

Yuwen Ze was disguised as an accountant, holding an old account book in his hand.

Finally, there was Liang Shiyan, in casual clothes, but his eyes scanned the movements in the hall without a trace, covering the caution in his eyes.

Old Jiang's ears caught the movement first. His fingertips pressed quickly on the back of Old You's hand, and he gave a look toward the door, reminding in a lowered voice: "Someone is here..."

This was rare, someone taking the initiative to come to the door...

Old You immediately put away his previous weariness, threw the unfinished grape into the copper dish, rubbed his hands on his lapel casually, and walked up quickly, his face piled with the usual warm smile: "You gentlemen look unfamiliar; is this your first time patronizing? I don't know if you are here to deposit silver or to borrow today?"

Seeing this, Chen Yan hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute, deliberately twisting his brows a bit tighter, his tone revealing a hint of urgency: "I am here in Chang'an to do some business, and recently there has been a big gap in turnover, and I am really in a hurry."

"Recommended by a good friend, saying your shop lends money cleanly, I specially came to borrow some silver to save the emergency!"

He wore a look of being anxious as if burning.

Old You's gaze first paused on Chen Yan's face, then like scanning goods, it quickly swept over Zhu Yi, Lu Cangfeng, Yuwen Ze, and Liang Shiyan behind him, as if calculating something in his heart, the warm smile on his face not decreasing, "How much do you intend to borrow?"

"I don't know how much your money shop can lend?"

Chen Yan leaned forward half a step, his shoulders leaning slightly forward, his fingers unconsciously caressing the old jade pendant at his waist, his brows twisting tighter, and even his voice was deeper than before, carrying a bit of probing and revealing helplessness: "My gap is a bit big..."

That masterful acting could be said to have grasped the urgency perfectly.

A big deal!.......... Old Jiang heard it clearly on the side, his heart skipped a beat, his eyes lit up, calculating secretly, cleared his throat, moved forward half a step to take the conversation, and said loudly: "Before you came, you should have heard your friend mention the rules of my Detai Money Shop, right?"

As he spoke, he held up a finger, emphasizing: "One person can borrow at most one thousand taels!"

"But anything over one hundred taels must have collateral..."

Chen Yan reached into his bosom, his fingertips pinching a few neatly folded land deeds and pulling them out slowly, his fingertips deliberately rubbing the edges of the paper, looking as if he were holding some treasure. When he handed them over, he paused, asking with a bit of uncertainty: "I don't know if these land deeds of my suburban residence are acceptable?"

Old You's gaze had long been stuck on the land deeds, his eyes lighting up suddenly. He reached out to take them and flipped through two pages, saying repeatedly: "Yes, yes!"

As soon as the words fell, he immediately changed his address, the smile on his face became a bit warmer, and his tone softened: "How much does the brother want to borrow?"

Chen Yan lowered his eyes to stare at the tabletop, his fingers unconsciously picking at the wood seams, looking like he was deliberating and couldn't make up his mind.

But the anxiety that couldn't be hidden in his brows had already been revealed with his rapid breathing.

After a pause, he looked up and swept a glance at the land deeds in Old You's hand, as if after repeated calculations he gritted his teeth, his voice carrying a bit of desperate determination: "To tell you the truth, my turnover gap is really not small. Since I can borrow at most one thousand taels, then I will borrow one thousand taels!"

The smile on Old You's face almost overflowed. His hand unconsciously gathered the land deeds into his bosom, leaning forward deliberately, his tone carrying a hint of emphasis: "My Detai Money Shop has a monthly interest of six percent, and the principal is returned after one year, but the monthly interest must be repaid once a month!"

Chen Yan didn't hesitate at all, hurriedly nodding: "I know, I know! I understand this little rule; it won't be wrong."

Old Jiang on the side had already taken out the prepared contract, spread it on the table, and pointed his fingertips at the blank space at the end: "Since you are all clear, then sign and press your fingerprint here..."

"Alright." Chen Yan responded crisply, picked up a pen and dipped it in ink, wrote down the name Cao Kun neatly, and pressed his fingerprint.

Seeing this, Old You immediately took out a stack of silver notes from the counter, handed them to him, and said with a smile: "Come, this is nine hundred and fifty taels of silver notes!"

"Brother, please count them..."

Chen Yan reached out to take the silver notes, his fingertips pausing just as they touched the edge of the paper. Tasting Old You's words, his brows frowned fiercely, the urgency on his face replaced by confusion, and he asked puzzledly: "Wait! Didn't I borrow one thousand taels? Why is it fifty taels less?"

Hearing this, the smile on Old You's face faded instantly, but he didn't have any guilty conscience, instead straightening his back and speaking with justification: "That fifty taels is the handling fee! It is the rule of my Detai Money Shop!"

As he spoke, his eyes deepened, his gaze sweeping toward Chen Yan who raised the objection like it had thorns, clearly intimidation and threat.

This is really damn black!.......... Even Chen Yan couldn't help but curse in his heart, then lowered his eyes, pretending to swallow his anger, his voice weakening: "Alright... it is I who don't understand the rules."

"Then I will take my leave first!"

When the words fell, he bowed to Old You and Old Jiang, preparing to lead his people away.

Just as Chen Yan turned around and before his heels could lift, Old You's voice came from behind: "Brother, wait!"

His steps paused, and he turned his head slowly, his face carrying a hint of confusion, his brows furrowed as he asked: "Is there anything else?"

Old You rubbed his hands, his gaze falling on the hand holding the silver notes, his tone carrying a hint of probing: "Brother, for the gap in your business, I am afraid these alone are not enough, right?"

"Exactly!"

Hearing this, Chen Yan was thoughtful, as if realizing something. He first nodded heavily, then let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping, that look of helplessness as if it couldn't be hidden: "Still missing a lot..."

"I can only scrape together everywhere!"

Hearing this, Old You's eyeballs turned quickly in their sockets, as if he suddenly had an idea.

He reached into his bosom and took out those land deeds from just now, flicking them lightly with his fingertips, making a faint paper sound, but his gaze crossed Chen Yan and fell on Zhu Yi, Lu Cangfeng, and the others behind him, his tone instantly warming up by several degrees: "How about this, anyway, Brother, you gave several land deeds, and you have several people..."

"I can do you a favor; one land deed per person as collateral, and everyone can borrow one thousand taels!"

Old Jiang on the side heard his eyes light up suddenly, as if his joints had been cleared, and he was suddenly enlightened in his heart: "Old You's brain is still bright! Such a good method, why didn't I think of it first?"

This was simply the perfect way to eat one fish many times!

After all, for those several land deeds, borrowing one thousand taels for one person is borrowing, and borrowing one thousand taels for each person, isn't it also borrowing! It is even borrowing to the limit!

Why worry about not completing the performance?

Old You is really a damn genius!

Chen Yan heard this, his eyes widened instantly, the previous look of helplessness swept away, and he looked like a drowning person who had been saved.

He took a big step forward, gripped Old You's wrist tightly with both hands, his voice carrying uncontrollable trembling: "Re... really?!"

He grasped the excitement of having his urgent needs met perfectly.

Old You patted the back of Chen Yan's hand and said decisively: "That is of course!"

After a pause, he swept over the crowd with great anticipation and asked: "What do you think?"

Chen Yan's eyes lit up instantly as if stars had fallen, and when he let go, his fingertips rubbed his lapel, his tone full of urgency: "This is naturally what I am asking for!"

The borrower and lender hit it off instantly.

The smile on Old You's face grew even wider, and he immediately raised his hand to make a "please" gesture toward the square table behind the counter: "Then let's come over here to sign and press our fingerprints!"

"Tsk!"

After leaving Detai Money Shop and turning into an alley, Chen Yan raised his hand to take out the large stack of silver notes he had tucked in his bosom, patted them lightly in his palm, making a crisp paper sound.

He raised his brows, the corners of his mouth hooking into a playful smile, as if savoring the situation just now, then took a deep breath, his face full of relaxed satisfaction, his voice carrying a hint of ease: "These four thousand seven hundred and fifty taels are in hand!"

Why hadn't he encountered such an easy way to earn silver before?

Yuwen Ze gripped the old account book in his hand, looking at his elder brother's look of excitement that couldn't be hidden, his brows frowned lightly, and he asked puzzledly: "Elder Brother, aren't we dealing with Detai Money Shop? Why are we borrowing silver?"

The business of Detai Money Shop was originally usury; weren't they just expanding their business with this move?

Hearing this, Chen Yan shook the silver note held by his fingertips lightly, the playful smile on his face growing stronger, and he affirmed: "Yes!"

Immediately, he leaned forward half a step, lowered his voice, a hint of calculation hidden in his eyes, and added meaningfully: "This is the means to deal with Detai Money Shop!"

"Wait!"

Yuwen Ze's hand gripping the account book tightened, his eyes widened suddenly, as if he had suddenly grasped some key, his tone full of surprise: "Elder Brother, could it be that you are planning to...?!"

Liang Shiyan understood, the corners of his mouth hooking into a mischievous smile, his eyes full of playfulness, and he took over the conversation: "We borrowed it by our own ability; why should we return it?"

"What kind of talk is this?"

Chen Yan heard this, raised his hand to pat Liang Shiyan lightly on the shoulder twice, withdrew the playful look on his face, deliberately straightened his face, and corrected him solemnly: "It's not that I'm not paying it back, it's that I'm paying it back with rhythm and regularity. First pay back the interest, then the principal, to achieve full repayment!"

As the saying goes, with no one to support my ambition for the blue clouds, I shall loan my way to the mountain peak!

Yuwen Ze and Liang Shiyan responded almost in unison: "Indeed!"

When the words fell, the three exchanged a look, the smile in their eyes couldn't be hidden, and they tried their best to suppress the rising corners of their mouths.

Chen Yan gripped the silver notes in his hand, a flash of cunning in his eyes, and ordered: "Notify the private soldiers in each of your mansions, all disguise yourselves and go to Detai Money Shop to borrow!"

"Take the land deeds and go borrow until you die!" ===== CHAPTER 472 =====