Chapter 49: Loan Funds Credited

The call was from Ma Changrong, who told him that the loan application had been approved. He asked Cao Shujie to go to the Rural Commercial Bank in the town, sign a confirmation, and the funds could be released.

Cao Shujie was delighted at this good news; he had been worrying about not having any income streams lately.

It was just after ten o’clock. If he finished up by noon, he could have lunch together and strengthen their relationship.

He informed his wife, Cheng Xiaolin, and gave his daughter Mengmeng, who was playing with the little husky, a hug. Then Cao Shujie drove to Qingshi Town.

Cao Family Village isn’t far from Qingshi Town. Ten-odd minutes later, Cao Shujie arrived at the credit office of the Qingshi Town Rural Commercial Bank.

“Knock knock knock!”

Cao Shujie knocked on the door. Inside the open office was only Ma Changrong.

Hearing the knock, Ma Changrong looked up from his paperwork. Upon seeing Cao Shujie at the door, he quickly stood up with a smile and said, “Oh, Mr. Cao, you arrived so quickly. Please come in.”

Once Cao Shujie was seated, Ma Changrong took out a jar of green tea from his desk drawer. “Mr. Cao, I’ve been saving some good tea for you. Let’s enjoy it today.”

He was a smooth talker, and Cao Shujie was no slouch either. The two of them chatted idly for a while, not mentioning the loan at all.

Only after some time did Ma Changrong take the initiative. “The appraisal results this time were better than expected. Based on the evaluation, you’ve been approved for 1.32 million yuan.”

“A three-year interest-free loan. You’ll pay just over 2,300 yuan in interest each month for now. At the end of the three years, you repay the principal in one lump sum, and all the interest will be refunded.”

Only after hearing this did Cao Shujie understand how the ‘interest-free loan’ worked. He had no objections and was actually quite pleased.

Then, almost offhandedly, Cao Shujie asked, “Manager Ma, I forgot to schedule a withdrawal. I’d like to take out 130,000 yuan in cash today. Is that possible?”

Ma Changrong glanced at Cao Shujie and couldn’t help but think to himself, “Cao Shujie really has figured things out and lives with clarity.”

Originally, Cao Shujie had planned to borrow a million and take away 900,000.

This time, with an approved limit of 1.32 million, he instantly asked to withdraw 130,000, the implication couldn’t be clearer.

Moreover, Cao Shujie was thoughtful—he didn’t request a transfer and instead wanted cash, clearly signaling that Ma could feel reassured.

“Mr. Cao is a valued client of our bank. There shouldn’t be any issue,” Ma Changrong replied.

Without another word, Cao Shujie left the credit office, fetched his bag from the car, and went to the VIP counter to process the large cash withdrawal.

Just as Ma Changrong had said, after a call from the teller, the cash was smoothly withdrawn for Cao Shujie.

After withdrawing the money, rather than bringing the bag of cash straight back to the credit office, Cao Shujie first locked it in his car, then returned and asked Ma Changrong, “Manager Ma, it’s already eleven. Let’s go find somewhere to eat.”

“My treat!” Ma Changrong said with a smile.

Who paid didn’t matter. On some level, the two had reached an understanding, knowing there would be many opportunities to work together in the future and both happy to forge closer ties.

They both drove out from the bank, Ma Changrong leading the way. After more than twenty minutes, they arrived at a donkey meat restaurant in Pingyuan County Town.

Inside, Ma Changrong turned to consult with Cao Shujie before ordering. He ordered a kilo and a half of donkey sausage, some marinated donkey meat and offal, a plate of mashed garlic, a few cold dishes, and two orders of donkey dumplings.

He told Cao Shujie, “This place has really good donkey meat, the flavor is authentic, especially their donkey sausage—more expensive than elsewhere, but worth every penny.” Ma Changrong seemed to know the place very well.

He asked, “Mr. Cao, what would you like to drink?”

Cao Shujie caught the hint. “With such good food, Manager Ma, aren’t you going to have a drink?”

Ma Changrong shook his head, explaining, “This afternoon, there’s a township enterprise handling a loan. The arrangement’s been made, I’ve also contacted a third-party appraisal company, so I have to be present.”

He sounded a little regretful, “Mr. Cao, let’s get together again another time and have a proper drink in the evening.”

“Alright, we’ll drink tea instead of wine today,” Cao Shujie agreed readily.

Still, Cao Shujie asked the restaurant for two bottles of wine with gift bags, told Ma Changrong to go rest in the private room, then left the restaurant carrying the wine.

About five minutes later, Cao Shujie returned with the two bottles. “Manager Ma, take these back and save them for next time.”

Despite some polite refusals, Ma Changrong ultimately accepted the gift. The two of them drank tea, ate, and chatted. When parting, they agreed to meet again, their warmth towards each other almost brotherly.

Watching Cao Shujie’s premium Buick LaCrosse drive off, Ma Changrong parked his car by the roadside, weighed the wine bag on the passenger seat, gazed ahead, and sincerely thought, “He’s quite a character!”

Then, Ma Changrong called Song Zhichao to arrange a meal together.

The details required no words between them—they understood each other perfectly.

…

Meanwhile, Cao Shujie drove back to Cao Family Village, arriving close to 3 p.m.

At this time, Mengmeng was still napping, so Cao Shujie left her undisturbed and sat nearby checking something on his computer.

That night, he received a notification on his phone: 1.32 million yuan had been credited to his Rural Commercial Bank account—the same account he opened before the holidays.

At this moment, Cao Shujie gave a silent sigh of relief.

Cheng Xiaolin noticed the change in her husband’s expression and subconsciously asked if something was wrong.

Cao Shujie didn’t hide anything. He explained the loan was credited and detailed the repayment arrangements.

Cheng Xiaolin was also surprised—this method was beyond her previous understanding.

“We only have to pay a bit over 2,300 in interest each month?” She could hardly believe it.

Objectively speaking, this wasn’t a lot of interest. Besides, with the principal paid in full at the end of three years and all interest refunded, it was an excellent deal.

This time, Cheng Xiaolin felt no pressure, though she cautioned her husband, “Hubby, this money should be used for its designated purpose.”

“Of course, from now on this money goes solely to expenses related to the orchard, and I’ll keep careful records of every payment,” Cao Shujie replied.

Cheng Xiaolin understood the unspoken meaning: with this money, their own savings could now be used for other things, freely and without worry.

Previously, Cao Shujie had used his own funds to pay the first ten years’ lease, the wire fencing, well drilling, and all labor for weeding, leveling, and planting.

He needed to reimburse himself from the loan—keeping such matters clear and never mixing them up.

Besides, the money for the saplings hadn’t yet been paid to Ji Guangyou. Cao Shujie thought he should take a moment in the next couple of days to settle this debt.

As the saying goes, with cash in hand, a man feels more confident—payments go out quickly and generously!

Before bedtime that night, Cao Shujie brought up an old topic and asked Cheng Xiaolin, “Honey, since we’re not too busy now, let’s find time to visit Mengmeng’s grandma.”

“Sure!” A sweet smile appeared on Cheng Xiaolin’s face, like she’d just had honey. This time, she didn’t refuse.

(End of Chapter)