Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Raising Funds

Ding Zhuang had little hope in borrowing money from the Tang family. His own son had caused trouble and eloped with their daughter. But they were desperate and had to try their luck.

There was another task for Zhao to handle...

After Guo Liang left, Ding Zhuang said, "Don't scare the children. Li Chun's wife, take Xiang Xiang and Li Ren to the east wing. As the eldest son, Li Chun must show responsibility and face this with us."

Ding Li Chun puffed out his chest and nodded silently.

Zhang Shi felt as if the sky had fallen, crying as she went to fetch Ding Li Ren and Ding Xiang.

Ding Xiang, not wanting to leave, climbed onto Ding Zhuang's lap, tears in her eyes, "Xiang Xiang won't leave Grandpa. I'm very smart and will become a top female scholar. I want to listen and help come up with ideas."

Ding Li Ren joined in, "Grandpa, when I grow up, I want to pass the imperial examinations. I'm smart and can come up with good ideas."

Embracing the soft little body, Ding Zhuang couldn’t bear to let go and carried Ding Xiang into the bedroom.

Setting Ding Xiang down, he opened a chest and took out a large wooden box and several rolls of money.

Ding Xiang thought he would take out the pouch hidden in the corner of the wall, which contained a jade of excellent quality that could be sold to repay debts.

But Ding Zhuang didn't take it, instead heading straight to the main room. Ding Xiang clung to his leg, following step by step.

That jade piece must be more valuable than grandpa's life itself; that's why he was reluctant to part with it.

Ding Zhuang placed the money on the table and opened the box, revealing several deeds, banknotes, and silver ingots.

"This is our family's entire fortune. We have 146 silver taels and 12 rolls of copper coins in savings. The blacksmith shop, the furnace, the smithing tools, and the cost of transferring the blacksmith's deed are worth around 300 taels. This courtyard is worth about thirty-some taels, fifteen acres of land and its yield about a hundred taels, and that old ox is worth about eight taels."

The fixed assets needed to be appraised by a professional; his estimates might not be exact. Plus, owning a blacksmith shop required more than just the skill; it needed official approval or transfer from another blacksmith.

Ding Qiao added, "I have some private savings as well."

Zhang Shi also mentioned, "I have my own savings too."

Ding Xiang chimed in, "Xiang Xiang has private savings too, let's all contribute."

"We have them too," declared Ding Li Chun and Ding Li Ren.

The group went inside to retrieve their private savings.

Ding Xiang ran to the southern room to fetch a large chest, from which she took out three papers hidden beneath, concealing them inside an old shoe and placing the shoe under a small couch.

A few months earlier, Ding Xiang had secretly crafted a simple goose feather pen and re-recorded that information on a piece of paper, also redrawing the portrait of Mother Li and the scene from her dream.

Holding the chest, she went to the main room.

Due to the jewelry purchased by Ding Chi and Ding Zhuang, Ding Xiang's private savings were the most substantial, worth several dozen taels of silver.

Ding Zhao and Zhang Shi’s private savings included nine taels of fragmented silver and some copper coins, and Zhang Shi also brought out a few pieces of jewelry.

Ding Zhao, somewhat embarrassed, glanced at Ding Xiang as he brought out seven small pearls.

His explanation was, "These were given by Doctor Fang when Xiang Xiang was born. They're South Sea pearls, worth about a dozen or so taels. I’m sorry, Xiang Xiang, to even have to use these."

Small clothes, being of little value, were not included.

Although Ding Xiang was pained to part with the pearls, she felt it was necessary to contribute them now.

The combined private savings of Ding Li Chun and Ding Li Ren amounted to only a few dozen large coins.

Excluding the jewelry, the total value of everything amounted to about five or six hundred taels of silver. The jewelry wouldn’t fetch its original price and would depend on how it was appraised.

The money borrowed from the pawnshop was 1,200 taels, with the due date just three days shy of a month away, accruing an interest of 36 taels. The total debt was 1,236 taels.

There was a shortfall of six or seven hundred taels. Deducting the promised hundred taels from the Guo family, the deficit was still five or six hundred taels.

The Tang family, harboring resentment towards Ding Chi, were unlikely to lend money, and if they did, it wouldn’t be much. Other relatives were poor and the total borrowed from them wouldn’t exceed twenty taels. As for friends, Ding Zhuang and his son hadn’t made wealthy acquaintances, managing to scrape together ten strings of coins would be an achievement.

With such a significant shortfall, how were they to repay it?

Ding Xiang felt extremely disheartened, finding herself without any solutions, despite being a woman who had traveled through time.

Perhaps dreaming of finding Ding Chi and the Tang family could be an option, but what's the use? Beating or killing Ding Chi still means we have to repay the debt ourselves.

Gathering so much money in three days is truly beyond her means.

Paintings of different sizes won't fetch high prices with her unskilled fingers, and there's nowhere to sell them at a premium. Selling pirated storybooks is out of the question, not to mention the impossibility of writing a masterpiece in such a short time; even small tales wouldn't bring in hundreds of silver taels. Selling vegetable recipes is not feasible either, as there are no raw materials at home and her parents won't obediently buy them...

She has no choice but to let Zhang make some different kinds of knitted goods to sell, but that won't bring in much money either.

The only option for the unpayable debt is to continue borrowing from high-interest lenders and find ways to earn more money when there's more time.

Seeing all their possessions being used up and still falling short of the amount needed, Mrs. Zhang couldn't hold back her tears any longer and burst into loud sobs.

"Oh no... our family is ruined. What are we going to do now?"

Her wails were heartbreaking, and Ding Liren also started crying loudly. Ding Lichun held back his tears, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Ding Xiang didn't cry either, burying her head in Ding Zhuang's arms.

She believed that the softest emotions could sometimes become the strongest force. Now, only she could give her grandfather the strength to lead the family through this crisis.

Ding Zhuang patted his granddaughter's back softly, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, Xiang Xiang. With your grandpa and dad here, you won't have to suffer."

Unable to hold back any longer, Ding Xiang whimpered. She pressed her face tightly against Ding Zhuang's chest, trying not to cry out loud.

Ding Zhuang coaxed, "Don't cry, I still have a trump card."

The crying of the others stopped abruptly, and they all turned to look at Ding Zhuang.

Ding Zhao understood somewhat and looked sadly at his father.

Ding Zhuang then tapped the bottom of a wooden box several times, removed its bottom board, revealing a secret compartment.

From it, he took out a dagger.

The dagger's sheath was made of cowhide with a row of copper nails, appearing quite exquisite.

Ding Zhuang drew the dagger, its cold light menacing. With a flick of his wrist, the dagger flew and embedded itself in the iron hook at the corner of the room.

The sight of the iron hook being pierced elicited several screams from within the house.

Ding Zhuang stood up, went to retrieve the dagger, revealing a small hole in the iron hook.

Ding Lichun exclaimed in amazement, "Cutting iron as if it were mud, how did Grandpa come to possess such a fine object?"

Sitting down, Ding Zhuang stared intently at the dagger, murmuring, "In my youth, I fortuitously came upon a small piece of fine iron. It took me over a year of secret forging, enduring a thousand hammerings and a hundred refinements, to create this treasure."

Ding Zhao also remembered his father making this dagger. It was right after their mother's death, and he lived in the iron shop with Ding Zhuang. Unable to alleviate his grief, Ding Zhuang would hammer the iron, sometimes working through the night, the constant clang echoing.

The neighbors, infuriated but fearful to confront Ding Zhuang, let him hammer day and night for over a year.