The long street is bustling with people coming and going.
The carriage is only half a street away from Yuhengdang on the opposite side.
Sitting in the carriage, Hu Guan felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles. He was as nervous as if he were sleeping with him for the first time.
But more than anything, I was ashamed, ashamed, and a little afraid to look at the people on the street.
"What a shame!" He sighed in his heart, and at the same time his face felt hot, and he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in.
Mao Xiang gave him five days to raise more than 300,000 silver.
He really had no money and couldn't save his face to find someone to borrow money. After thinking about it, he only had this solution.
Find a pawn shop and get a mortgage loan.
His family also has a pawnshop business, but compared to the Yu Hengdang in front of him, it is like a small witch who can't deal with a big witch. This pawnshop is located in the capital, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and other the richest places in the world. It has semi-colons and strong funds.
.
Don't think that a pawn shop is just a place to pawn things. In fact, it is the most profitable business in the world.
It’s even more profitable than a bank account. A pawn shop can do what a bank account can do, but a pawn shop can’t do it. Because the pawn shop, the owner behind the big pawn shop, cannot be offended by the bank.
The owner of the largest pawnshop in any city must be someone who stomps his feet and trembles in the local area. In contrast, bank accounts are honest businessmen.
Moreover, compared with bank accounts, pawnshops are a profitable business, even a business without capital.
"Master, it's done!"
The loyal old butler came to the outside of the carriage and whispered to Hu Guan, "We have already negotiated the price with the inside, and we are just waiting for you to go in and stamp it!"
"Hey!" Hu Guan, who was sitting in the carriage, sighed deeply again.
Three hundred thousand was a huge sum of money, and all the money his family could scrape together was only fifty or sixty thousand. He had no choice but to mortgage the land in his name and the deeds of several small pawnshops in his name.
This kind of mortgage is a no-brainer for him. For Yu Hengdang, he is happy to see the results. Not only does he lose a peer, but he also increases his strength and assets. More importantly, this
The mortgage includes not only the pawn shop's shop, warehouse, and bills, but also the accounting clerk in the pawn shop.
"They... said nothing?" Hu Guan was silent for a long time and asked again.
The old housekeeper replied from outside, "No one said anything. Their shopkeeper was always polite and always had a smile on his face. He said that it is common for the business to be slow. We are all colleagues and it is necessary to look after and help each other.
Moreover, the price given to us is 20% more than what we estimated!"
"Does he know it's our family?" Hu Guan asked again.
Although the pawnshop is under his name, outsiders don't know it. This is an unwritten rule of a wealthy family. All transactions are under the name of the family members and run by reliable people, and the masterminds behind the pawnshop are hidden in the dark.
The old housekeeper pondered for a moment, "Even if he knew, he wouldn't tell nonsense!"
"Hey!" Hu Guan sighed again, "How did it get to this point?"
After all, he is also a respectable person in the capital, with status and status. But today, he has to lower his head, lower his body, and go shamelessly...
"You go ahead!" Hu Guan reached out and took off his seal from his waist, "You go and stamp it, and I won't pass!" He said with a bitter smile, "It's embarrassing enough, I don't need to come forward!"
At this point, he shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Aren't you fucking fooling yourself? Ha!"
Seals are people. Every man has his own seal after he reaches adulthood. It represents his name, his credibility, and his promise.
The old housekeeper didn't say much. He held Hu Guan's seal in both hands and walked quickly into the pawn shop.
After about half a stick of incense, the old housekeeper quickly came out of the pawn shop opposite and stood in front of Hu Guan's carriage.
~~
"Look, this is a banknote. It's 20% more than our pre-estimated price. Two farms of 400 acres, plus our two pawnshops on Confucius Street, the total is 360,000 yuan!" The old housekeeper
A thick stack of banknotes was handed in, so heavy that it weighed on my hand.
"This pawnshop is quite conscientious. The shopkeeper didn't keep the two boxes of gold, silver and jade. He said that the pawnshop and farm property alone were enough for that amount! He didn't ask any questions when sealing, and the little old man sealed it.
After that, the shopkeeper respectfully locked the contract in the iron cabinet..."
"Have a conscience? Humph!"
Hu Guan didn't look at the banknotes, and there was definitely no difference in the number. He wished he had given him a few less, so that he would have an excuse to cause trouble in the future.
At this moment, what he was most concerned about was the contract documents between the two parties.
"Hiss!" Suddenly, Hu Guan took a breath and was very puzzled, "Three hundred and sixty thousand silver for three years, and the interest on the money is two cents?"
He was puzzled not because the profit was high, but on the contrary because it was too low.
You must know that in the capital, whether it is a pawnshop or a bank, the money released is only 4 cents interest. Moreover, there are a series of methods such as interest compounding upon maturity, interest rate increases and mortgage deductions.
But the contract in his hand now is clean, just an IOU.
Three hundred and sixty thousand silver, two cents of interest, and the principal and interest will be returned together after three years.
Seeing that Hu Guan was stunned, the old housekeeper said, "I guess they are deliberately giving you face. After all, you are the consort. You can take care of their business. Their ancestral graves are smoking, how can you still do it?"
I dare to charge you more money! Everyone in this life has a time when their horses are too high and their stirrups are too short. At this time, they add insult to injury. In the future, when you take a breath, you will be crushed to death with one finger..."
"Nonsense!" Hu Guan glared at the old housekeeper, "Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand!"
If someone can open such a big business, how can they be afraid of you as a prince-in-law?
Don't say you are the Prince Consort, you are the vassal king of the Ming Dynasty, and others may not be afraid of you.
"Hey!" Hu Guan sighed again.
~~
"Why are you so thin?"
Mrs. Deng looked at her son's thin cheeks, tears of distress welling up in her eyes.
In the garden of Cao Guogong's mansion, Li Qi sat opposite her mother, sipping the sweet-scented osmanthus cake in a bowl, and said with a smile, "It's okay, mother, don't worry!"
The couple sat in the pavilion, eating snacks and drinking tea, enjoying the afternoon spring breeze.
There were at least dozens of maids and nannies standing in a long line outside.
"I'm not worried yet!" Mrs. Deng took her son's hand and rubbed it inside and out. After thinking for a long time, she still hesitated and said in a low voice, "You have to know moderation!"
"Yeah!" Li Qi was stunned, and the hand that had just gone to pick up the sweet-scented osmanthus cake froze.
Mrs. Deng helped her son wipe his lapel and whispered, "I have heard that after you got married to the princess, you were sticky day and night. Once, you didn't leave the house for two or three days in a row. Son, this is the case.
He...you have to control yourself!"
"Your body is made of flesh, not iron. Even if it is iron, he can't hold on like this...right?"
"You are still young and have a long time to come. Don't dance like crazy and howl like crazy!"
"Cough cough cough!" In an instant, Li Qi's face turned red and she choked. She blushed and coughed hard.
"Quick, water!" Deng shouted.
There was a maid beside me, offering tea.
Li Qi drank a few sips, and then her face turned as red as a monkey's butt with embarrassment, "Mom, what did you say?"
"I'm doing this for your own good! Take it easy!" Mrs. Deng patted her son's back.
At this time, a nun outside reported, "Madam, Mr. Zhang from the second counter in the outer courtyard wants to see you!"
"Huh? Why is he here? Tell him that the master is not at home. If it is a business matter, wait until the master comes back!" Deng said with a wave of his hand.
"Madam, Mr. Zhang said there is something urgent!"