Transmigrated Family C11

Chapter 11: Old Yan’s Economic Calculation

As soon as the donkey cart stopped, the doorman at the gambling den spotted Yan Lao’er.

Before he could react, seven or eight men rushed out from inside.

They surrounded the donkey cart.

“Whoa! Isn’t this Yan Lao’er? Riding a donkey cart now, huh? Here to pay back your debt?” One of them stepped forward and even reached out to stroke the donkey, but the donkey twitched its ears, bared its big teeth, and the man quickly withdrew his hand with an awkward smile.

Better not risk getting bitten.

Damn it!

Yan Lao’er felt his scalp tingle and turned around in slow-motion, fearfully looking at his elder brother—Yan Huaiwen, who could now sit up on his own.

“Pay back what debt?” Yan Huaiwen asked.

Yan Lao’er was on the verge of tears. He got exposed too early, without any mental preparation!

They were still hoping to clear this gambling debt with the help of the platform tonight!

“Big… Big Brother… I didn’t… I’m not…” Yan Lao’er broke into a sweat, his face turning bright red.

Wuwuwu! No way to explain this now!

If he said it wasn’t him, if he said he didn’t do it, who would believe him? Who!

He was being wronged!

It wasn’t even June yet, but oh heavens, please send some snow!

“Aiya, my bad eyesight! Isn’t this the scholar? Please forgive the neglect. If you’d be so kind, would you like to come inside for a cup of tea?” The man in charge was dressed in a neat short outfit, looking strong and burly, but he spoke slickly.

“No need. Just tell me what this debt is about.”

“Your younger brother was having some fun at our gambling den earlier. His luck wasn’t great, so he ended up owing exactly twenty taels of silver.”

“Is that so?”

“Would we dare to lie to you? Here, we have his personally signed IOU.”

Yan Lao’er had nothing to say. That guy had already taken out the note with his signature and handed it to his brother in a showy manner.

His brother took it, carefully read it from top to bottom, then gave him a glance before turning away expressionlessly…

Old Yan must be heartbroken and disappointed now.

He had always been so good to his younger brother.

Everything was happening at once, adding insult to injury.

Yan Lao’er wiped his face fiercely and, deciding to just go all in, admitted,

“Big Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have gambled!

I owe the money, and I’ll find a way to pay it back myself.

Didn’t we agree on three days? It’s not time yet. On the agreed day, come find me, and I, Yan Lao’er, will pay you back in full.”

The man scoffed but ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on the scholar sitting in the donkey cart.

Yan Huaiwen couldn’t quite remember his exact reaction when he first faced this sudden gambling debt. Maybe he didn’t want to remember, or maybe he didn’t want to repeat that disgraceful moment.

Back then, he had been utterly dumbfounded, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

The sorrow of having an irresponsible younger brother, the bitterness of his pleas, and even the resentment when he was forced to sell land to repay the debt.

Yes, back then, his younger brother had said the same thing:

“Big Brother, I was wrong. Please save me. If I can’t repay the money, Li-shi and Er Ya will be taken as collateral… Big Brother, I know I was wrong, I won’t gamble again… Big Brother, trust me, just this once…”

He still remembered Da Ya’s crying, his wife’s crying, and Er Ya’s…

Who would have thought that little girl could cry even louder than her older sister? Eyes shut, mouth wide open, such a tiny thing, yet her wailing was deafening!

His head had buzzed so much that he almost collapsed from it.

Rather than letting the whole family live in fear, it was better to confront the problem early and resolve it in town.

“Our family foundation is thin, with only ten mu of ancestral land…” Yan Huaiwen closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “Help me down.”

Yan Lao’er, frustrated, shoved aside the debt collector who was trying to curry favor, stole a glance at his elder brother’s expression, and carefully helped him down from the cart.

Yan Huaiwen gently pushed him away, looked up at the sign of the Shunyi Pawnshop, and walked in slowly.

“Shunxin, Shunyi…”

Just from the names, it was obvious the gambling den and the pawnshop were run by the same people.

Yan Lao’er pulled a long face, hesitated for a moment, then followed inside.

Just in time to hear his brother say,

“The town has more than one pawnshop. My younger brother’s debt should be covered by three mu of land at the current market rate.”

“Scholar Yan, that’s an outsider’s view. High-grade farmland sells for seven taels per mu in good years, but with this summer’s expected poor harvest, if the heavens show no mercy and it doesn’t rain at all, the land value will drop. It will have to be appraised as mid-grade or even low-grade.

Moreover, this is a pawnshop. The rules of the trade require a discount on all pawned goods. But on the bright side, we pay in cash, no delays, very convenient.”

Before the second shopkeeper could reply, the chief shopkeeper hurried out from the back and took over the conversation.

Yan Huaiwen had struck straight at the heart of the matter, whether intentionally or not.

Indeed, there was more than one pawnshop in town. If they drove him away and he sold his land elsewhere, that would be a huge loss.

They had been eyeing Yan Huaiwen’s land for a while now.

“Other items might be difficult to sell, but I’ve never heard of land being hard to move. It’s always in demand. If I put out word that I’m selling, I could close a deal today. Chief shopkeeper, don’t try to fool me with empty threats,” Yan Huaiwen said calmly.

“You’re right. But you’re only willing to sell three mu. Such a small sale—large households won’t bother with the hassle. Selling land in the countryside involves asking relatives and neighbors first, and you know it’s hard to find a suitable buyer quickly.

Pawning to us is the most convenient option. We don’t need to inspect or measure the land. As long as you have the deed, we can process the paperwork with the authorities immediately. If you’re too busy, just write a note, and we’ll handle everything—you don’t even need to show up.”

The chief shopkeeper smiled warmly, polite and accommodating, confident that Yan Huaiwen wouldn’t want to go to the authorities himself.

After all, a scholar selling ancestral land wasn’t exactly honorable.

“What’s your price?” Yan Huaiwen asked.

“Five taels per mu,” the chief shopkeeper replied without hesitation.

If it were anyone else in debt at the gambling den, he wouldn’t have even offered this much. Four taels at most.

But Yan Lao’er’s debt was too small—only twenty taels. Not enough!

Yan Lao’er panicked, “Three mu isn’t enough? We need four?”

That would mean losing four mu—almost half their family land.

No wonder Old Yan divided the family! He had every reason to!

Yan Huaiwen shook his head. “Rather than letting you undervalue it, I might as well sell all ten mu. After repaying my brother’s gambling debt, I’ll have enough left to reinvest elsewhere.”

“What? Sell everything?” Yan Lao’er was stunned. Was Old Yan really this decisive?

But thinking about it rationally, without all the sentimental attachment to ancestral land, this was indeed the least damaging financial move.

Ten mu at seventy taels, minus twenty for the debt—

They’d still have fifty taels in hand.

With some careful searching, they could buy land elsewhere. Not the best land, but decent enough—maybe even another ten mu.

Old Yan’s economic calculation was solid!

Wait a minute!

Oh, crap!

Wasn’t Old Yan planning to leave? To flee the famine?

He already had a destination—some place called Guanzhou…

Well, land couldn’t be taken on the road, but silver could!

A lucky coincidence?!

Old Yan decided to take the initiative—better than waiting for debt collectors to come knocking again.

His niece’s crying was giving him a headache!