“Defaulting on debt? The Tea Bookstore has been diligently repaying every month!”
I understand that the Tea Bookstore had to repay many debts that were all acquired from the Man Geum Battlefield. However, nothing has changed.
Debts don’t have a copy bug, nor do they hatch like eggs!
I have never delayed a repayment date or paid less while running the Tea Bookstore. In fact, since things started to ease up, I’ve been repaying even more.
There’s absolutely no reason to hear about defaulting on debts.
“Look at these documents.”
A man who appeared to be a clerk handed me another document.
The contents stated the amount the Tea Bookstore owed.
“This document seems off. This isn’t the Tea Bookstore’s debt amount.”
Do I look like a wealthy man who doesn’t manage money? Where are you trying to scam me from?
“This is indeed the Tea Bookstore’s debt. It simply includes the debts of Bai Ok-bin as well.”
Bai Ok-bin? That name sounds familiar.
“Why is Lady Tang’s mother’s name here? No way, are you saying this debt is not the Tea Bookstore’s, but rather all the debts incurred by the Bai family?”
The debt the Tea Bookstore has to repay came from the Bai family. It was a deal to take the Tea Bookstore in exchange for taking on half of the Bai family’s debts.
“That’s correct.”
The clerk nodded lightly in agreement.
“Don’t be ridiculous! The creditors and I came to an agreement last year. The Tea Bookstore has no obligation to repay more than half of the Bai family’s debts!”
Who would have thought debts could just keep copying themselves?
“No, there is. The creditor now is the Man Geum Battlefield. Our Man Geum Battlefield wants the Tea Bookstore to repay all of the Bai family’s debts.”
“How can there be such nonsense!”
“The rightful creditor is Man Geum Battlefield. The absurdity of saying you won’t repay the debt is being thrown around by the Tea Bookstore.”
The clerk maintained an expressionless demeanor, speaking in a very businesslike tone.
I’m about to lose my mind from this absurdity.
Suddenly showing up and demanding the Tea Bookstore repay all the Bai family’s debts. If you can’t do that, then give up the store? What kind of nonsense is this?
Don’t get worked up.
Getting worked up only clouds your thinking. Let’s employ the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique. Although I’m still not free in front of the scales, perhaps thanks to some heart-stabilizing training, my rapidly heating head began to cool down.
Why is this happening?
Man Geum Battlefield. Tea Bookstore. Problems. Absurdity. I quickly connected the dots.
“Jeon Gil-san. That guy?”
My calm anger bubbled up.
“……”
“Is Jeon Gil-san causing all this trouble just because he had a bit of a tough time in Yichang?”
Jeon Gil-san from the Man Geum Bookstore. If it’s a rogue kid causing trouble, I can understand. Did he return to Wuhan without a care in the world, throwing a tantrum?
Jeon Gil-san, you’re going this far just for revenge? In that case, I have my own way.
“Old Man Jang at Man Geum Battlefield is the close friend of the Bai family’s chief. There are plenty of ways to resolve this.”
If I can just let my grandfather hear about this, he’ll tear them apart for messing with his grandson!
“Old Man Jang personally ordered this.”
However, the words that came from the clerk of Man Geum Battlefield were entirely different from what I expected.
“Did you hear that? The head of the Bai family and Old Man Jang were close friends, weren’t they?”
“Old Man Jang? Why on earth?”
“Is Old Man Jang targeting the Tea Bookstore?”
The guests at the Tea Bookstore fluttered at the shocking announcement.
“If you don’t pay the debt immediately, I will seize the Tea Bookstore.”
What in the world?
What kind of issue has Old Man Jang got with the Tea Bookstore?
Before I could shake off the shock, one by one, the guards from Man Geum Battlefield began to enter the Tea Bookstore.
Let’s push the questions aside for now. First, we need to get them to leave.
“Step aside!”
“What brings you here…”
How should I block them? As I pondered for a moment, two elderly men pushed through the guards and emerged at the entrance of the Tea Bookstore.
Who are they?
“What the hell is going on in my Yichang? Stop what you’re doing immediately!”
“The Merchant Leader?”
The person who broke through the guards was the Merchant Leader of Yichang and the Head Guard of the Bai family!
———-
The influence of the Merchant Leader in Yichang was immense.
Even the people from Man Geum Battlefield had to retreat momentarily.
I moved to a table with the Merchant Leader and the Bai family’s Head Guard to discuss the situation.
“It’s my fault. I never imagined the creditors would pull such stunts.”
The Head Guard of the Bai family hung his head in shame as he spoke to me.
“Do you even know what happened?”
“Do you remember the talk about creditors when you returned to Yichang? After Bai Ok-bin passed away, it seems the creditors came here personally and bought all the worthless debts for a very low price.”
“They purchased the bad debts from Man Geum Battlefield to try and make a profit.”
After Lady Tang’s mother passed away, the debts became impossible to collect. I had assumed the creditors had given up since they hadn’t said a word since then, but who would have thought they’d sold them to Man Geum Battlefield?
Normally, there would be no way to collect, but with the power and influence of Man Geum Battlefield, they likely thought they could swallow the Tea Bookstore whole.
I’m in quite a bind.
“But something feels off. The head of the Bai family is a close friend of the head of Man Geum Battlefield. Even the head of Man Geum Battlefield came to Yichang to pay respects to his deceased friend. Yet now he’s trying to take his friend’s only remaining store, run by his granddaughter’s fiancé?”
The Head Guard had a puzzled look on his face as he rubbed his forehead.
“It seems the grandson complained to his mother about being mistreated.”
The Merchant Leader provided the answer to the Head Guard’s confusion.
“Are you saying it’s Jeon Gil-san?”
“That saying has merit; just like his mother, he went to complain to his father. They claimed they should sever ties with the Bai family. After everything we’ve overlooked, how could he repay kindness with enmity?”
“So that’s why the head of Man Geum Battlefield got involved.”
In targeting my life, causing trouble in Yichang, the only thing he’d share was this story about the black-haired barbarian who took advantage of a very kind and simple young man doing his business sincerely.
“The head of Man Geum Battlefield wouldn’t act like that.”
The Merchant Leader claimed sternly.
“Are you saying it’s not true?”
“He’s the kind of man who harshly reprimands his own son for losing to a merchant. This wouldn’t be a person who would simply jump in to back a grandson!”
The head of Man Geum Battlefield seemed quite gentle, but perhaps he was a fierce grandfather?
“Don’t you think his heart might lean toward his grandson rather than a black-haired barbarian? If the grandson has been wronged, he would likely harbor ill feelings toward the black-haired barbarian.”
“No, that can’t be. Every time I go to Wuhan, I praise you endlessly.”
“You praised me?”
“What do old men have to talk about other than the flow of the new era? You’re the one who caused the most incidents in Yichang, after all.”
“Haha.”
I appreciate the praise, but it just leaves me more puzzled. Why is he targeting the Tea Bookstore?
“Then could it be that…?”
The Head Guard seemed to recall something, stroking his beard as he squinted.
“Do you have any guesses?”
“No, I wouldn’t think so. Just a foolish thought crossed my mind.”
“I’d gladly accept even a small clue.”
“It’s truly nonsensical. Just an old man’s idle thoughts, pay no mind to it.”
The Head Guard waved his arms as if embarrassed to speak.
It felt like a boss’s attempt at humor, but mentioning it would likely freeze the mood. I nodded and continued speaking.
“Regardless of whether the head of Man Geum Battlefield has good intents or ill, the fact remains that I need to pay all the money back right now.”
I mean, I don’t have that money. Please, Club Leader, do me a favor! I purposefully slumped my shoulders and put on a despairing expression.
“I’ll mediate for you. As the Merchant Leader of Yichang, I cannot condone such absurdity.”
“If you do, I will forever be grateful.”
“However, you must think of what comes after mediation. Debts carry powerful leverage. There’s no place in Hubei that can be more ruthless and certain than Man Geum Battlefield when it comes to collecting debts.”
One could lose their land for failing to repay barley borrowed in spring.
Even if the opponent is armed with unreasonable logic, they still have wealth and power. If mediation fails, it would become troublesome.
Repaying the debt all at once is impossible. However, claiming I will pay double the debt is also unfair.
I also can’t mobilize the members of the Tea Book Club over an issue from Wuhan.
Should I contact Lady Tang? No, reaching out to the Tang family would be a rookie move.
Strictly speaking, the Tea Bookstore belongs to Lady Tang. But asking for help from the Sichuan Tang family is problematic too.
Sichuan Province and Hubei Province, a simple wait for measures would take months of back and forth. If it drags on, it would easily be over a year.
If I’m not careful, they might try to send me back to the Tang family.
What kind of business does the Tang Family Head’s son have in Hubei? Just write and live in the Tang family. That’s the most undesirable scenario.
“I’ll do what I can to prevent the seizure. After that, you too must have your plans. What will you do?”
The Merchant Leader asked in a testing manner, gazing at my troubled face.
Of course, I have no intention of giving up the Tea Bookstore.
It’s a bookstore I’ve managed to put back on its feet. Now that it’s ready to fly, how dare someone try to clip its wings?
I can’t pay the debt in one go.
I won’t even think about doubling the debt.
If there’s no way to rely on the Tea Book Club and no way to turn to the Sichuan Tang family…
There’s only one course of action.
“I will go to Wuhan and meet Old Man Jang directly.”
It’s a head-on breakthrough!
