Chapter 448: Borrowed Six Thousand Taels

Chapter 448: Borrowing Six Thousand Taels

Evidently, Yu Yongbai had overestimated Zhou Yunyi's moral standards.

Zhou Yunyi rode straight to the Gong Family's shop.

The shopkeepers and clerks at the Gong Family's shop recognized him, knowing he was the owner's future son-in-law, and had always greeted him with smiles and warm welcomes.

So when Zhou Yunyi needed money, the first place he thought of was the Gong Family's shop.

But he didn’t realize that the warm welcome from the Gong Family's staff was all because of Gong Qingniang!

Did he really think it was because he, the young master from the Marquis of Weibei's household, was particularly revered?

Zhou Yunyi got off his horse in front of the Gong Family's shop.

The shop clerks were open for business, and although this man had fallen out with their owner, they wouldn’t kick him out in public.

They greeted him with a smile anyway: "Hey, isn’t this Young Master Zhou? What brings you to our shop today? What can we get for you?"

Zhou Yunyi acted all high and mighty, looking every bit the spoiled young master.

"Where’s your manager?" Zhou Yunyi asked, lifting his chin slightly, his tone cold.

The clerk cursed under his breath, what kind of pompous jerk is this, showing up at their shop to flaunt his status.

But outwardly, he still smiled: "Our manager’s busy with an important guest. Want me to pass on a message later?"

Zhou Yunyi’s face twitched, catching the clerk’s dismissive tone, and he snapped: "You mutt, how dare you mess with me—"

As he spoke, he raised his whip to strike.

But his arm, holding the whip, was grabbed mid-swing.

Zhou Yunyi turned back angrily to see Gong Qingniang.

The clerk cheered, "Boss!"

Gong Qingniang waved the clerk off, telling him to get back to work.

"What the hell are you doing in my shop!" Gong Qingniang scolded.

Zhou Yunyi frowned, not mincing words: "Gong Qingniang, give me six thousand taels of silver. I'll return it to you tomorrow!"

When Zhou Yunyi was engaged to Gong Qingniang, there were times when he was short on cash and would "borrow" a hundred taels directly from Gong Qingniang's shop, returning the money later. This had happened before.

Thus, Zhou Yunyi saw no issue with his current behavior.

But Gong Qingniang thought Zhou Yunyi was out of his mind. She almost thought she had misheard: "What?"

Zhou Yunyi impatiently said: "Don't you understand? You insisted on taking back that piece of warm jade, causing Jia Jia to lose the jade that nourished her body! Now I need six thousand taels to buy the jade, and it's all because of you! Besides, I'm not taking your silver for free, I'll return it tomorrow!"

Gong Qingniang had never heard such touching logic.

She suppressed the urge to curse, narrowed her eyes, and sneered: "I see, so you're here to borrow money, right? With the way you're ready to hit someone at the drop of a hat, I thought you were here to collect a debt."

Zhou Yunyi angrily retorted: "Gong Qingniang, can't you speak properly?!"

Gong Qingniang sneered: "Speaking properly is fine, but that's only with people, isn't it?"

Of course, you can borrow money. However, this isn't a charity house. In the past, when we were engaged, I didn't say anything when you took tens or hundreds of taels for your needs. Now that we're clear and have no ties, you still come to my shop to get money for your needs. If you don't pay some interest, it wouldn't be right, would it?"

Zhou Yunyi, with his high and mighty attitude, disdainfully looked Gong Qingniang up and down, "I always said you reeked of money! Fine, it's just the interest! When I bring you the money tomorrow, I'll give you an extra hundred taels! That should be enough, right?!"

Gong Qingniang was quite satisfied, "So, that's a hundred taels of interest per day, is it?... Young Master Zhou, you said it yourself. Come, come, I have paper and brush here, let's make it official."

Zhou Yunyi grew even more disdainful of Gong Qingniang, nitpicking and reeking of money. He was glad he chose Jia Jia! Otherwise, spending a lifetime with such a woman who only cared about gold and silver would be worse than death itself!

While Zhou Yunyi was cursing inwardly, a brush was quickly thrust into his hand.

Gong Qingniang laid out the brush and paper, extending her hand, "Go ahead, Young Master Zhou."

Zhou Yunyi felt nothing but frustration and suffocation, quickly writing out the IOU with a flourish, then snorted, threw down the brush, and was about to press his thumb into the ink pad.

"Wait," Gong Qingniang thoughtfully pointed to the last sentence, "You need to write clearly here, it's a hundred taels per day. What if you don't gather enough money tomorrow and come to repay the day after?"

"Gong Qingniang!"

Gong Qingniang didn't even lift her eyelids, "Don't call my name; calling my name won't get you a discount. Hurry up and make the IOU clear."

The clerk, quick on the uptake, ran over to retrieve the brush.

Zhou Yunyi, taking several deep breaths in anger, cursed under his breath about "reeking of money" and "stinking to high heaven," but still made the IOU clear.

Zhou Yunyi fumed, "Look, is there anything else to add?!"

Gong Qingniang really did check it word by word in front of Zhou Yunyi.

Zhou Yunyi was about to explode with anger!

He, the legitimate son of the Marquis of Weibei, would never default on a debt!

Gong Qingniang didn't care how angry Zhou Yunyi was. After carefully checking every corner, she finally nodded in satisfaction, signaling Zhou Yunyi to press his thumbprint.

Zhou Yunyi, filled with resentment, pressed his thumbprint, "This should be enough now!"

Gong Qingniang, satisfied, picked up the IOU, blew on it a few times, didn't even glance at Zhou Yunyi, and waved for the manager to fetch the banknotes.

With the six thousand taels finally in hand, Zhou Yunyi exhaled his frustration, mounted his horse.

He gripped the reins, looking down at Gong Qingniang from his horse, "You can cling to your inferior warm jade and live your money-stinking life!"

With that, he spurred his horse and rode off.

The clerk was so angry he wanted to chase after him and throw stones, but Gong Qingniang stopped him, "Forget it, forget it, throwing stones might hit someone else, and that wouldn't be nice. I actually think he's blessing me."

She sarcastically twitched the corner of her mouth, "That kind of young master, his head is full of romantic fantasies, floating in the air. Just wait and see how he repays the money!"

Gong Qingniang blew on the IOU again, the more she looked at it, the better she felt.

The manager, however, was still puzzled, "Speaking of which, that Young Master Zhou kept saying he needed six thousand taels to buy warm jade. Whose warm jade could sell for such a high price of six thousand taels?"

Gong Qingniang suddenly remembered the warm jade from the Treasure Pavilion that Yu Yongbai had mentioned.

Could it be?

Gong Qingniang found it hard to believe.

But then again, Gong Qingniang thought, who cares, she made at least a hundred taels, and should thank him for it!