Chapter 65: The Years I Borrowed Money in Russia

As for the minor landowner Tussenbach, in short, he was a relatively normal and common type of landowner in Russia—possessing no noble title, living no luxurious life, and often having to labor himself; much of what he had was earned bit by bit through his own efforts.

Of course, exploiting lower-class serfs did happen, but not to excess, for their means simply couldn’t absorb the loss of even a few serfs.

Tussenbach was such a landowner—diligent, stingy, living a life slightly better than ordinary folk’s, yet still demanding sweat.

If asked how he had lived his life, he might not even be able to explain it clearly—but he had lived it this way, and life often is just like that.

Perhaps because he had experienced something similar, Tussenbach was deeply moved by the two stories “Wan Ka” and “Trouble”; the impact was so strong that it triggered real changes in his thinking.

When “Sleepiness” and “The Poor” followed, these changes became increasingly evident in him; and during his conversations with Mikhail, though the old man didn’t fully grasp the meaning of some of Mikhail’s words, he could indeed sense the noble heart of this struggling young man.

Thus, just before ending his trip to St. Petersburg, having heard rumors from others, Tussenbach sought out Mikhail and asked with concern: “Dear Mikhail, I recently heard from Versilov that you’re considering taking out a loan? Are you in some difficulty? If so, why didn’t you mention it to me during our talks?”

“No difficulty,” Mikhail replied after a pause, smiling. “I’m merely planning to co-publish an anthology. There’s a slight funding gap, but once the book is printed, I’ll repay the debt quickly.”

Here it must be noted that publishing books in this era was truly a major business.

First, printing costs were high, and navigating all the necessary connections was even harder; despite Nekrasov’s prior preparations, he still owed a mountain of debts, even borrowing paper from the printer and paper mill owners on credit.

It was no small feat to secure credit from those men—in Belinsky’s circle, only Nekrasov could pull it off.

Yet at the same time, magazine or book prices were rarely cheap, for those with leisure and money to read were mostly from relatively wealthy families.

The annual subscription fee for “Motherland Chronicles” was seventeen rubles and fifty kopecks—a sum sufficient for an ordinary citizen’s monthly living expenses, yet to some families, it was as insignificant as scratching an itch.

In short, due to lack of funds and extreme caution, Nekrasov dared print only fifteen hundred copies despite his debts; yet the anthology sold so well that he later regretted printing so few.

But for Mikhail, he knew this was a guaranteed profitable venture—he acted more boldly and aggressively than Nekrasov, urging him to take on even more credit and debt, while Mikhail himself also took action, researching loans of the era and preparing to borrow heavily.

Damn it, months have passed, I haven’t gotten rich, and now I’m drowning in debt.

More importantly, Mikhail’s income was far too Danyi —his manuscript fees were enough to survive, but even at best, they amounted to little more than the cost of a nobleman’s coat, sometimes even less.

Then again, it made sense—hard work never earned as fast as the nobles’ exploitation; no matter how hard you worked, you’d never outearn them.

Moreover, Nekrasov was a true brother—when Mikhail urged him to take on more credit and loans, after hesitating, he grasped Mikhail’s hand and said: “All right! Dear Mikhail! I believe in you! I’ll follow your advice—I’ll try to get another five hundred copies on credit from the printer!”

This truly moved Mikhail—encouraging someone to go into debt and still being trusted—who wouldn’t call that a true brother?

Seeing Nekrasov act this way, Mikhail couldn’t lag behind—they’d borrow together, shoulder the debt together.

First, he went to his good brother Dmitri, explained the situation briefly, and the giant of a man embraced him again: “I’m proud of your achievements, dear Misha! Maybe I’ll see you at university soon? As for money, no problem—I’ll write to my mother and father right away!”

“I’ll get you two hundred rubles!”

No more words—just moved.

Next, Mikhail took initiative himself—loans required connections; if he stumbled upon some outrageous usurer, Mikhail might well pick up an axe and go Kanren .

In this regard, the small merchant Versilov in the apartment was authoritative—merchants always dealt with loans. After asking around, Mikhail not only secured a low-interest friendly loan from Versilov but was also introduced to several honest merchants.

The news spread slightly within the circle; the minor clerk Smirnov wanted to help Mikhail too, but being penniless, he could only promise: “I’ll buy a copy and support you with all my might!”

Mikhail naturally thanked him for the gesture but declined the book: “No need to buy—I’ll read some aloud to everyone myself.”

His landlord could certainly lend, but Mikhail still avoided owing favors to his landlady Pavlovna.

Besides, as Mikhail’s writing career improved, Pavlovna grew increasingly confident in his future, sometimes even scolding him with frustration:

“Mikhail, do you think you can marry a noble lady?! Don’t dream! If you follow my advice, you’ll become a true St. Petersburg man—then, no matter where you go in Russia, you can hold your head high and tell them where you’re from!”

Under the Tsar’s feet, the capital’s finest place, right?

Could I, Mikhail, ever become a true St. Petersburg man?

Still, Mikhail chose to avoid the question for now.

Back to the present—Tussenbach had likely heard the news from others; Mikhail didn’t hide his plans and laid them out plainly.

After listening, Tussenbach said with concern: “Isn’t this too risky? If something goes wrong, how will you live afterward, Mikhail?”

“Don’t worry, dear Tussenbach,” Mikhail replied, leaning into the sunlight with firm resolve: “I will succeed.”

“You always make people feel hope,” the old man said, moved by Mikhail’s tone, shaking his head. “I understand now, Misha—may I call you that? Soon I’ll return home; my lands there await my care. But I still want to hear your stories—so how could I ignore your situation?”

“Listen to me, Misha—never borrow too much unless absolutely necessary; one misstep and debt will crush you.”

“I’ve saved a fair amount over the years, with nowhere to spend it. After hearing your stories and words, I think I now know what to do with it. But before that, let me help you.”

Over the years, I’ve saved up quite a bit of money, with no real place to spend it; after hearing your novel and those words, I think I now know how to use it. But before that, let me lend you a hand!

Mikhail, doubting his ears: “?”

Mikhail, doubting if his ears had gone wrong: “?”

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)