Chapter 21: Repaying Debt (Seeking Follow-up Reading, Seeking Monthly Tickets)

On the morning of June 19th, Xu Jin was carrying two catties of old wine for his father, a bag of peanuts, ten catties of mutton, five feet of fine cloth for his younger sister Jiang Er, a gold-wood hairpin, and the mung bean cakes from Miao's shop that his sister loved most.

Xu Family Village was more than twenty li away from the Juncheng, located at the foot of the Great Green Mountain. Because it was not far from the Juncheng, besides farming and harvesting mountain goods, they could also work in the Juncheng, so it was considered a relatively wealthy village.

Xu Jin remembered that before, when he came to the Juncheng from Xu Family Village, more than twenty li away, he rested three times on the way and walked for a full three hours to get there.

But today, when he went back, Xu Jin was walking as if he had wind under his feet, carrying nearly twenty catties of things, and arrived in just over an hour, his face not red and his breath not short.

Xu Jin once again discovered the huge change in his physique after succeeding in pointing stars.

"Eh, who is this, why is he a bit..."

"Uncle Seven, isn't this Jin Yazi."

"Eh, Jin Yazi, why have you grown so strong?"

"Eh, is this Jin Yazi, why have you grown so strong?"

As soon as he entered the village, Xu Jin was greeted constantly, and the exclamations were endless. Xu Jin, who was socially anxious before, smiled until his mouth was almost stiff.

No way.

Not only were they fellow villagers, but they were all Xu's creditors.

Some borrowed a few taels of silver, some borrowed a few qian of silver, or even two chickens. In order to treat Xu Jin's illness and point stars, Xu Jin's father borrowed everything he could and helped everything he could.

No matter how much, as long as silver was borrowed, that was a kindness, and it had to be acknowledged.

When Xu Jin returned home, Xu Dajiang, who was working in the fields, got the news and rushed back in two or three steps.

Xu Dajiang was really afraid that Xu Jin wouldn't succeed in pointing stars and would have some other thoughts.

He rushed back to comfort Xu Jin.

Xu Dajiang had mixed in the Juncheng for a long time and was a knowledgeable person; he knew that Xu Jin was likely unable to succeed in pointing stars.

But as soon as he entered the door and saw Xu Jin, who had grown a circle stronger, he couldn't help but rub his eyes and even doubted his own eyes.

Was this really his son Xu Jin, who was thin and skinny, all bones, and felt hard when hugged?

Could he see the bulging muscles on the arms exposed by the rolled-up sleeves?

"Father, I succeeded in pointing stars!"

"My congenital heart disease is also cured!"

"I also joined the Middle Academy of the Dao Academy!"

Three good news bombs.

Directly blew Xu Dajiang, who was leaning on a hoe, into a Hong Daze.

"Succeeded in pointing stars? The illness is also cured? And joined the Middle Academy of the Dao Academy?"

Repeating it, Xu Dajiang's gaze was dull, and then he slapped himself hard, "Could it be that I was heat-dazed and had a daydream?"

"Father, it's true!"

Xu Jin smiled bitterly and handed over the wine jar, "Look, I brought you good wine; I really succeeded in pointing stars and joined the Middle Academy."

Suddenly, Xu Dajiang's eyes widened, and he slapped Xu Jin, but Xu Jin, who was quick to react, dodged it slightly, and Xu Dajiang instantly became angry.

"You little rabbit, you dare to lie to your father, and you dare to dodge!"

"Are you trying to fool your father who hasn't seen the world?"

"You have been at it for eighty-two days and haven't succeeded in pointing stars. Even if you succeeded in pointing stars, it would be good to enter the Outer Academy; you still want to enter the Middle Academy!"

"I'll let you dare to lie to me!" While getting angry, Xu Dajiang picked up the hoe.

Xu Jin was stunned; this was also a beating for telling the truth.

"Father, look what this is!"

Xu Jin opened his chest and directly revealed his chest and abdomen. With a movement of his mind, a large area of starlight instantly covered his entire chest.

This shining starlight was like the scorching sun at noon, directly blinding Xu Dajiang, who stood there in a Hong Daze, and after a moment, he rubbed his eyes...

Xu Jin spent a full half-quarter of an hour to explain these things clearly to his father Xu Dajiang, and only then did he successfully offer the good wine to his father.

"Don't be anxious, let's go, go to your Uncle Youcai's house first."

"Your Uncle Youcai borrowed nine taels of silver from us before and after, and the earliest one was borrowed for almost three years."

"Recently, his second child was seriously ill, and he didn't come to collect the debt."

"Now that you have brought silver, you must pay it back immediately," Xu Dajiang said.

Subsequently, Xu Jin followed Xu Dajiang and ran to pay back debts at four houses in a row. The silver was not much, totaling just over twenty taels.

The ten catties of mutton and a bag of mung bean cakes that Xu Jin cut were also divided into four portions by Xu Dajiang. After paying back the silver, he sent a thin gift to each family.

Regarding this, Xu Jin could only give a thumbs up to Xu Dajiang secretly.

A particular person.

This father, although he liked to slap him, was indeed particular in doing things.

"Let's go, let's go to the Juncheng to pay back the debt, pay back the borrowed silver, and then exchange for some scattered silver. When we come back, buy some rice, flour, wine, and meat, and when paying back debts to relatives, bring it to them along the way."

The debt in the village was actually not much left, totaling less than five taels of silver, just a bit scattered.

"Jin'er, don't look at how little they borrowed, but those who can lend you silver are all kindness; you must remember it! You have pointed stars now, and your life will definitely be better in the future. If you have the opportunity, you must repay this favor. Of course, when repaying this favor, you must also grasp the degree yourself," Xu Dajiang was educating Xu Jin while walking.

"By the way, Father, where is Jiang Er, why haven't I seen her all this time?" When asking this question, Xu Jin had been secretly observing Xu Dajiang's expression, and his heart was really a bit suspended.

In this era, selling sons and daughters is really not a lie.

Xu Jin was really afraid that the fifty taels of silver used to buy Awakening Pills were obtained by Xu Dajiang selling Jiang Er.

Xu Dajiang glanced at Xu Jin and said lightly, "Jiang Er went to work and hasn't come back yet."

Xu Jin instantly became suspicious, "Father, where did Jiang Er go to work? Also, where did you get the fifty taels of silver to ask Instructor Ning to buy Awakening Pills last time?"

"If it was borrowed, let's pay it back immediately." Xu Dajiang glanced at Xu Jin and said unhurriedly, "That silver wasn't borrowed."

"Then what is it?" At this very moment, Xu Jin's heart was in his throat, fearing that Xu Dajiang would say that he had sold Jiang Er to a big family as a slave.

"What are you thinking?"

Xu Dajiang directly slapped Xu Jin on the head.

"Jiang Er is also my own daughter; I, Xu Dajiang, would rather sell my house, land, and myself than sell my daughter!" While speaking, Xu Dajiang took out a document from his bosom and handed it to Xu Jin.

"Zhuang Master Zhao, the kind-hearted Zhao of the Juncheng, is recruiting female workers to raise silkworms and weave clothes, providing food and housing, and giving one tael and five qian of silver a month. Jiang Er went to ask, went to try the embroidery, and it was said to be top-notch, so she could be given two taels of silver a month. It took a lot of effort to be willing to pay two years of wages in advance, but we signed a three-year contract and found a middleman to establish a document."

The document wrote roughly the same, but there was one last clause: if the contract is breached halfway, the wages paid in advance must be compensated ten times.

"Four female children from the village went, and Jiang Er's embroidery was the best, and the wages were the highest." Speaking of this, Xu Dajiang was quite proud.

"Four people from the village went, so they can take care of each other."

Xu Jin's suspended heart was slightly put down, and he asked again, "Father, how long does Jiang Er come home?"

"One month, it is said that she can come home for one day of rest every month."

"Looking at the document, that is the 13th of next month?"

"It's the 15th of next month; Jiang Er prepared for a day at home and made an appointment with her companions before going together."

Hearing this, Xu Jin nodded, and he also had a plan in his heart.

Then on the 15th of next month, he must remember to go home once to see Jiang Er.

If that work is too tiring, Xu Jin must find a way; if it really doesn't work, he will breach the contract!

Five hundred taels of silver, Xu Jin felt he could still earn it.

Although the total assets are currently negative.

The debt that Xu Dajiang brought Xu Jin to the Juncheng to pay back was indeed a high-interest loan.

He found a small leader of the Tianhe Gang to borrow it.

He borrowed 30 taels; when he entered the Jin Shan Dao Academy, the silver for pointing stars was not enough, so Xu Dajiang begged to borrow it.

It was agreed to borrow for half a year, with a monthly interest of one-tenth, which is three taels of interest a month, eighteen taels for half a year, and the collateral was the old house plus the last acre of irrigated land left after selling.

Xu Jin understood a bit.

Xu Dajiang let Jiang Er go out to work, which was the worst plan he had made.

If he couldn't pay back the debt, he was prepared to carry everything himself.

On the side of the Ximen Pier outside the Ximen of the Juncheng, in the warehouse courtyard, Xu Dajiang found Deng Hu, who lent him silver, with Xu Jin.

This Deng Hu was said to be the own nephew of a certain incense master of the Tianhe Gang, so he could manage this Ximen Pier and incidentally lend some high-interest loans.

When Xu Dajiang found them, Deng Hu was drinking with four men who looked quite burly, who should be the thugs Deng Hu gathered.

"Repaying silver? Where is the IOU?"

Deng Hu, who was drunk, looked at the IOU handed over by Xu Dajiang, "Forty-eight taels of cash; hand over the silver, tear up the IOU."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Dajiang was anxious, "Deng Ye, I only used this for three months; it should be nine taels of interest, thirty-nine taels."

"Thirty-nine taels? Do you think I'm doing charity?"

Deng Hu rolled his drunk eyes and sneered, "Are you paying or not? If you don't pay, get out; in three months, I will come to collect the debt myself!"

"Deng Ye!"

Xu Dajiang still wanted to say something, but the four thugs under Deng Hu stood up in unison, hugging their arms and glaring at the father and son.

"Deng Ye, my son Xu Jin has already succeeded in pointing stars; please give me some face," Xu Dajiang suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

Deng Hu's expression changed, and he looked at Xu Jin beside Xu Dajiang, "You succeeded in pointing stars? How many days?"

"Deng Ye, eighty-three days," Xu Jin answered truthfully.

"Pfft!"

Deng Hu sneered, spat out a mouthful of wine, and scolded again, "Are you paying or not? If you don't pay, get out!"

"You..."

Xu Dajiang was angry, and still wanted to say something, but Xu Jin said directly, "Paying, we are paying!"

Subsequently, the silver was handed over on the spot, and Deng Hu also took out another IOU and burned it on the spot. Xu Jin helped Xu Dajiang, who was extremely distressed about the silver and angry, and prepared to leave.

Just as they were about to go out, a thug with a scar on his face beside Deng Hu suddenly asked, "Old Xu Tou, where is that daughter of yours? I remember when you borrowed it, she came with you; could it be that you sold her?"

"I am her own father; how could I sell my children! My daughter just went to work and didn't have time to come."

Xu Dajiang was almost vomited with anger and hurriedly explained, but the group of ruffians only said it was a joke.

Xu Jin, who helped Xu Dajiang go out, had a vigilant look in his eyes; just repaying the silver, why did this group of ruffians mention his younger sister for no reason?

In an instant, Xu Jin was a bit uneasy.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 22 =====

In an instant, Xu Jin felt a bit uneasy.

(End of this chapter)