EBE Chapter 207 You Only Have One Chance!
Chapter 207 You Only Have One Chance!
"The trouble was caused by my mother. She smashed the signboard of Juxian Restaurant. It's true that children have to pay for their mother's debts, but I can also just pay my share."
The shopkeeper should also know the saying, "One monk carries water to drink, two monks carry water together, but three monks have no water to drink." Currently, the four of us brothers and our parents have divided the debt and each of us should bear the responsibility. We should all do our best to pay off the debt and regain our freedom. Wouldn't it be better if the shopkeeper could get the money sooner and not have to see us every day and feel distressed?
"If you're worried I'll run away, we can sign a contract. If I really do run away, you can report me to the authorities and have me arrested so I can sign a contract of servitude, working for you like a slave for the rest of my life. I'm a scholar; I won't ruin my future for a few dozen taels of silver."
"Okay, be ambitious!"
At such a young age, he dared to gamble with a contract of servitude; he has guts!
Shopkeeper Zhang tapped the table lightly. He thought it over carefully and realized that if he could pay off his share within a year and a half, he could get several dozen taels of silver, which would be better than nothing.
These four brothers clearly had no prior work experience and were far less capable than the restaurant staff. They wouldn't be of much use staying at the restaurant, so it would be better to give them a chance. After all, their brothers were still here; they could run away, but they couldn't hide!
Manager Zhang lifted his eyelids, glanced at Shen Qianchuan, and said, "I can promise to give you a chance to leave the restaurant and make money, but I am a businessman. I run a restaurant, not a charity. Your family still owes me 436 taels. If you take one-fifth, that's 87 taels and 200 cash. If you want me to give you a year and a half to pay it off, then interest will have to be calculated."
"If you pay it off in a year, you'll give me a round number: one hundred taels of silver, principal and interest. If you pay it off in a year and a half, I'll add another ten taels. But if you haven't paid it off by the end of the year and a half, don't blame me for dragging you back to sign a contract of servitude!"
One hundred and ten taels?
Shen Qianchuan was stunned!
The manager agreed to let him leave the restaurant, but he wanted to charge interest. Even with his elder brother and Xiao Tang helping him, he was still unsure if he could pay off the more than eighty taels of silver in a year and a half. The manager then asked him to pay back one hundred and ten taels, which was almost twenty-three taels more than he owed. This was comparable to the usury of gambling dens.
If they don't agree, they'll have to stay and work at the restaurant with their second, third, and youngest brothers.
Manager Li disliked the four brothers for not working efficiently and refused to pay them according to the restaurant's wages, so he didn't know when they would be able to pay off their debts completely.
Shen Qianchuan was extremely conflicted. If he couldn't repay the 110 taels of silver in a year and a half, he would have to sign a contract to sell himself into servitude to the shopkeeper for the rest of his life.
His elder brother's business was growing bigger and bigger, and he was willing to lend him money, but he couldn't trouble his elder brother anymore; he had to rely on himself.
If the eldest brother pays off the debt for him, the second, third, and youngest brothers will definitely pester him when they find out. He can't cause trouble for his eldest brother!
You only get one chance!
What should he do?
Seeing that Shen Qianchuan hesitated to respond, Manager Zhang curled his lips and stood up, his eyes full of contempt.
"I thought you were a man of great courage, but it turns out you're only capable of this much. In a year and a half, you still can't pay back 110 taels of silver, yet you dare to come and talk big to me. You're just wasting my time. I'm very busy and don't have time to chat with you."
From now on, none of you four brothers are allowed to set foot on the second floor without my permission. If I find out, I will not forgive you!
Manager Zhang waved his hand, signaling Shen Qianchuan to leave quickly.
Shen Qianchuan was torn between two conflicting thoughts. He wanted to leave the restaurant immediately to start his own business, but he was also afraid that he wouldn't earn enough silver to make 110 taels in a year and a half and would have to sign a contract of servitude. However, after working at Juxian Restaurant for half a year, he had had enough of this endless, hopeless existence.
Therefore, his inner desire for freedom outweighed his fear of becoming a servant.
"I'll sign it, one hundred and ten taels it is!"
When Manager Zhang saw that Shen Qianchuan had actually agreed, he immediately clapped his hands and cheered.
"Alright, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You're a ruthless guy. Have Steward Li come up and draft a contract, and have him be a witness. Once we sign the contract, you can leave. But remember, starting next month, you'll have to pay back five taels of silver every month. If you dare to break the contract, I'll dig a thousand feet into the ground and have someone bring you back!"
Shen Qianchuan clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Manager Zhang, "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely keep my promise!"
"go quickly."
After Shen Qianchuan called the cursing Steward Li upstairs, Steward Li confirmed that Shen Qianchuan was not lying to him. Only then did he change his expression and pick up a pen to draft a contract.
After signing and pressing his fingerprint, Shen Qianchuan left Juxian Restaurant and returned to Guihua Village to pack his clothes.
When the three brothers, Shen Jiangchuan, Shen Haichuan, and Shen Xiaochuan, discovered that their fourth brother had left Juxian Restaurant without a word, the three brothers were in an uproar. They immediately wanted to follow him home, but were stopped by Manager Li.
The three brothers argued and insisted that Steward Li explain himself.
Shen Xiaochuan exclaimed excitedly, "Manager Li, why can Fourth Brother leave the restaurant and go home, but we can't?"
Manager Li scoffed, "He is him, and you are you. Do you think he's free now that he's leaving? If he can't pay the money within a year and a half, he'll have to sign a contract of servitude. He dares to gamble, but do you?"
"What? He's been away from the restaurant for a year and a half, and he hasn't even raised eighty taels of silver before signing a contract to sell himself into servitude?"
"That's right!"
Manager Li nodded smugly, as if he was certain that Shen Qianchuan would not be able to repay the full amount of silver.
The three brothers immediately gave up. They thought the fourth brother had come up with a good way to leave the restaurant, but they never expected that he would be gambling with his entire life.
How can one earn more than eighty taels of silver in a year and a half?
They wouldn't even dare to dream of such a wonderful thing!
Shen Xiaochuan's hope vanished instantly. He spat and said, "The fourth brother has fallen out with the whole family over dividing the debt. I thought he had made something of himself and found a good way, but I didn't expect him to be so stupid. Paying back more than eighty taels of silver in a year and a half? Don't be ridiculous. Just wait to sign a contract of servitude!"
Shen Jiangchuan was so angry that his face turned green. Although his fourth brother's demand to divide the debt was not a fair thing to do and made the whole family unhappy, he, as the second brother, still did not want his fourth brother to be forced to sell himself to the restaurant.
How could he dare to think that he could pay off more than eighty taels of silver in a year and a half?
I thought the fourth brother had finally figured out how to make money and was willing to leave his brothers behind, but it turns out he's a complete idiot!
Hopeless!
The third brother sneered, "Doesn't he know his own limitations? He dared to play such a big game. He'll have something to cry about when he's reduced to a servant!"
Manager Li said, "Whether he can do it or not, we'll just have to watch together. Stop slacking off and get to work!"
The three brothers could only nod in agreement and go off to do their work.
When Shen Qianchuan returned, his parents were both very surprised.
Mr. Shen was still holding his breath, and even though he was surprised, he couldn't bring himself to ask his son why he had come home so early today.
Sun was different; she was always shameless.
She went up to him and asked, "Qianchuan, why are you back so early today? Where are your second brother, third brother, and Xiaochuan?"