Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

She had reservations. If things were to escalate to a minor point, it would just be her own family coming to ask for the money back. If she could get most of the money back, the matter would be resolved.

But if this gets out of hand, Zhao Chunqin will lose her job, and the entire Zhao family will not let her off the hook. Zhao Tiesheng might even feel guilty and not ask Zhao Chunqin for the money back.

Zhao Chunqin's high education might allow her to find another easy and high-paying job, but I might not even be able to get my money back, and I would be hated by the Zhao family. Even outsiders would blame me for causing Zhao Chunqin to lose her job.

After all, in this day and age, people with higher education levels are generally more respected.

Zhao Da'e knew that Cheng Jinxiang had concerns. She sighed, grabbed Cheng Jinxiang's hand, and slowly explained, "Mom, what I said was the worst-case scenario. Let's not make things so tense unless absolutely necessary. We can go to Aunt's place first and ask her to get the money back. First, let Aunt know that we're here to ask her for the money. If she gives us the money, everyone will be happy. If not, we can make a scene, and all her neighbors will know that she owes our family money."

“My aunt is a junior manager in a big factory. Big factories value reputation the most, so we’ll make a scene. If she doesn’t give us the money, we’ll go to her workplace to find her. At that point, she might give us some money, saying she doesn’t have any and is still doing business. She’ll have to pay us back the rest in a few days. Mom, what do you think we should do?”

After listening carefully, Cheng Jinxiang said, "Since you said your aunt is investing in a business, she probably doesn't have that much money on her. We should ask for a portion of the money and then ask for more once she has made some."

Zhao Da'e frowned and shook his head, asking a rather fatal question, "Mom, you said this is the situation when we make money. What if we don't make money and lose money?"

This question surprised Cheng Jinxiang slightly. She hadn't thought of this before. What if they lost money?

Zhao Chunqin used this money to invest in a business. If you go to her now to ask for the money back, you might only get a portion back. But what if she loses it all? Will Zhao Chunqin still repay the money then?

It's obvious they won't pay back the money.

“Then we’ll ask her for the money again after a while. As long as she’s still working and earning money, there’s a chance we can get it back. Once she’s earned some money, we’ll go to her door and ask for it back.”

If we take it slow, we might get the money back someday.

Zhao Da'e pursed her lips and couldn't help but sigh. Her mother was still too naive. In her past life, she had asked her aunt for money in the same way. The first time she went to ask for money, her aunt refused. So the couple discussed going to the factory or workplace to ask for money. But as soon as they got to the door, Zhao Chunqin stopped them and complained that doing business was not easy. She gave them some money, saying that it was money she had just earned, and promised to pay it back as soon as she made money. She tricked her parents into leaving and then went to Wang Guixiang and Zhao Tingxu to complain.

Zhao Chunqin's family thought too highly of her.

I always thought that Zhao Chunqin was a city person, someone with a certain status, and would have some sense of shame. But Zhao Da'e knew that the most shameless person in the world was Zhao Chunqin.

When Wang Guixiang learned that Zhao Tiesheng had actually gone to Zhao Chunqin's workplace to ask for money, which might affect Zhao Chunqin's job and future, she flew into a rage. Zhao Tingxu beat Zhao Tiesheng up, and Wang Guixiang scolded Cheng Jinxiang; in short, they didn't give each other a pleasant look.

Later, when Zhao Tiesheng realized that asking Zhao Chunqin for money at the factory might cause her to lose her job, he felt very guilty. So he stopped asking Zhao Chunqin for money at the factory and instead asked her for money privately. But Zhao Chunqin always brushed him off without any real effort, either saying she didn't have the money or that she would pay him later.

Cheng Jinxiang harbored resentment, but at that time she dared not speak out and could only sulk in silence.

Zhao Tiesheng repeatedly asked for the money but to no avail. In the end, the money was never recovered, and the new house was never built.

This is what happened in her previous life. At that time, Zhao Da'e was thinking that if the couple were more assertive and went to Zhao Chunqin's factory to demand money, she might give them more money out of fear, because there would be problems with reputation damage and losing her job. However, as long as they did not go to the factory, Zhao Tiesheng and his wife would not pose any threat to her.

It's a very simple principle, but in their previous lives, Zhao Tiesheng and Cheng Jinxiang were so confused that they couldn't figure it out no matter what they did. They stubbornly believed that as long as Zhao Chunqin had money, she would pay back the money, and the matter of building a new house would be settled.

But reality is often disappointing.

“Mom, we won’t get the money back this way. As long as it doesn’t threaten Aunt’s future, she’ll shamelessly refuse to pay it back. You said you’re worried that Aunt will lose her job and the Zhao family will blame you, and you have a point. This way, not only will Aunt lose her job, but we also won’t get the money back because she really doesn’t have any. But if we drag it out and make her pay back the money later, she probably won’t even think about paying it back. If she were willing to pay back the money on her own, she would definitely come to us to get it back as soon as she earns some money. So we shouldn’t expect Aunt to pay back the money on her own.”

“If you go to the factory to ask her for money, and Grandma and Grandpa find out, they will definitely beat and scold you. As for Dad? Dad is their own son, they won't hurt him. But I'm afraid you'll get hurt, Mom.”

At this point, Zhao Da'e rushed into Cheng Jinxiang's arms and hugged her tightly. She really didn't want to see her mother get hurt in any way.

Looking at Zhao Dage's expression, Cheng Jinxiang couldn't help but smile bitterly. She admitted that Zhao Dage had some truth to what he said. In the end, if this matter dragged on, she would be the one who got hurt. As for Zhao Tiesheng? He was the son of Wang Guixiang and Zhao Tingxu. The two of them would definitely be a little reluctant to hit or scold him too hard when they were fighting or scolding him, but they would have no such scruples when they hit or scolded him, an outsider.

In the end, you might not get the money back, and you might even get beaten and scolded for no reason, and be pointed at and talked about by others.

Cheng Jinxiang couldn't take it anymore, feeling that nothing she did would work, and her eyes couldn't help but redden as she thought about it.

"Then tell me what I should do. I feel like I'm not going to get my money back no matter what I do. I don't think I'll ever get the money to build this new house. All the money I've worked so hard to earn over the years will end up benefiting someone else."

Cheng Jinxiang was filled with regret. If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have let Zhao Tiesheng give the money to Zhao Chunqin. In the end, not only did she not get the money back, but she also ended up pleasing neither side.

Zhao Da'e comforted Cheng Jinxiang, saying, "Mom, but I have another way to help Auntie pay off her debts?"

Hearing this, Cheng Jinxiang was clearly not convinced. In her opinion, the only way to get Zhao Chunqin to hand over a portion of the money was to threaten her at the factory. After that, she would have to deal with the entanglement from Wang Guixiang and Zhao Tingxu, which would be exhausting every day, and she might not be able to get all the money back.

Zhao Da'e held Cheng Jinxiang's hand and wiped away her tears. Zhao Da'e comforted her, "Mom, think about it. Even though Auntie doesn't have enough money to pay off her debts, we can just have her use something as collateral."

mortgage?

Hearing this, Cheng Jinxiang raised her head in confusion and looked at Zhao Dage with curiosity. "Dage, do you have any ideas? You mentioned using things to resist, but what would be a good way to pay off the debt? Your aunt's money is probably all invested in business now, and she got her job through her education. I heard that the house was provided by her work unit. We have to work in the countryside and not live in the city, and she can't provide us with a job."

The more Cheng Jinxiang talked, the more she felt that there was nothing about Zhao Chunqin that she could take.

Zhao Da'e sighed and, without keeping her in suspense any longer, said directly, "Mom, think about it. Besides a job and a house, what else can we ask for? Isn't Auntie in the tea business? She bought the tea with our money, so let's ask her to use the tea to pay off her debt."

In his previous life, Zhao Da'e had heard that the tea Zhao Chunqin sold was called Lingyun Baihao Tea. This tea was a fine tea, a precious tea from the southern region. Originally, Zhao Chunqin bought this tea at a low price with the intention of selling it to wealthy people at a high price. However, the city where Zhao Chunqin lived was too remote, there were few wealthy families, and they bought little tea. Ordinary people couldn't afford it, so the tea just piled up in Zhao Chunqin's hands and couldn't be sold. In the end, in order to recoup some of her costs, she sold it to others at a lower price. In the end, she still lost money in the business.

But what Zhao Da'e had her eye on was this Lingyun Baihao tea. She sold Kangxi spring water, which was meant to be paired with tea. With both spring water and tea in hand, her business could definitely expand further. Besides, the tea had such a long shelf life, so she could stock up on it and give it away as gifts. The tea would become popular in the next few years, so she wouldn't have to worry about selling it. Moreover, Zhao Da'e could go to big cities, meet more people, and recommend the tea at a higher price. That way, money and business would come naturally.

Cheng Jinxiang was somewhat shocked. She hadn't expected Zhao Da'e to be talking about tea. "But Da'e, we don't really have any use for this tea. We don't know how to sell it. It would be more practical to just take the money."

Zhao Da'e smiled and patted her chest, saying, "Mom, have you forgotten? I'm in the water business now. I can sell these tea leaves. Trust me, we'll definitely break even if we sell them."

Seeing Zhao Da'e's confidence, Cheng Jinxiang asked, "Da'e, what are your thoughts now?"

Zhao Da'e nodded and said, "Yes, but it's only in the planning stage right now. I've heard that my aunt's tea is very good, from the tea capital of the south. It must taste delicious. When doing business, we can give some of the tea to our partners so we can make more money. Or I can promote a tea beverage that can also be sold. But this tea has a long shelf life, so we don't have to worry about it spoiling if we keep it."

Zhao Da'e knew that tea would definitely become popular in a few years, and that tea would be a hot-selling item. Top-quality teas like Lingyun Baihao tea would be sold out quickly.

If possible, Zhao Da'e would also like to ask her aunt where she bought the tea, as she also wants to stock up on some.

This will cost even more money.

Zhao Da'e started having headaches again. He needed to build a new house, rent a shop, and consider opening a water plant in the future. The money required was not a small amount. Zhao Da'e could only take it slowly and focus on doing the things in front of him first.

Seeing Zhao Da'e's confidence, Cheng Jinxiang supported Zhao Da'e's decision. "Da'e, whatever you want to do, Mom will do as you please. We can even ask your aunt for the tea leaves without paying anything. There's not much Mom can do to help you, but I can help you with this. At worst, we can postpone building the new house and get the tea leaves first."

Cheng Jinxiang wanted to get back the tens of thousands of yuan that Zhao Chunqin had taken to build a new house, but at the same time her daughter needed funds and goods to support her business. She herself had a low level of education and not much money to help Da'e, but she could help Da'e with this matter. If Da'e made money, she would naturally be happy.

If I don't make money... then I'll deal with it later. At worst, I can just work hard to make more money.

But Cheng Jinxiang still had a lot of confidence in Zhao Da'e. Da'e was clever and wouldn't let himself be taken advantage of.

Zhao Da'e felt a warmth in her heart. She hadn't expected her mother to say that, preferring to forgo the money so that she could get more tea.

Her family was always her strongest support, except for Zhao Tiesheng.

“Mom, you don’t have to do this. We will definitely ask for some money at the beginning, but we can’t ask for all the tea. Let’s take it slowly. You can’t rush things. We can go to her door to ask for money at the beginning and make a scene. Then, when my aunt says she has no money, we can offer to use tea to pay off the debt.”

This is Zhao Da'e's current idea. Cheng Jinxiang nodded, finding it very reasonable, "Then let's do as you say."

“But I don’t think Dad will let me mess around like this.” Zhao Tiesheng didn’t know much about Zhao Dage’s water-selling business. He only knew that Zhao Dage was doing some small business and had earned a few hundred yuan. But he spent almost all of that money on taking a family photo for the Cheng family and buying clothes for Cheng Jinxiang and himself.

Two days later, Zhao Tiesheng and Cheng Jinxiang were to go to Zhao Chunqin's place to ask her for money. Zhao Tiesheng would also go. He didn't understand the value of tea, only cared about money, and thought the more money the better. Moreover, he was timid. If Wang Guixiang found out that his family had gone to Zhao Chunqin's factory to make a scene, Wang Guixiang would definitely scold Zhao Tiesheng. If Zhao Tiesheng was soft-hearted, he might not think about taking the money, nor would he let Zhao Dage take Zhao Chunqin's tea.

If possible, Zhao Da'e wouldn't even want Zhao Tiesheng to go over there, as he would only get in the way.

Cheng Jinxiang knew what Zhao Da'e was worried about. She thought for a moment and said, "Your father is a blockhead and doesn't understand anything. You don't need to worry about him. I will deal with him. If he dares to get in your way, I will fight him to the death, ask him for a divorce, and tell him to get as far away as possible."

“I’m determined to get this debt back, no matter what I use as collateral, money or tea, my son and I can’t afford to lose out. If your father isn’t firm in his stance and doesn’t want to get the money back, I’ll beat him until he wakes up.”

Cheng Jinxiang's attitude was very firm. The promises she made to Zhao Da'e were not empty words; she really meant them.