Cheng Su noticed Qi Taiguoâs expression becoming very strange, and couldnât help using her mouth to ask: "Whatâs wrong?"
Qi Taiguo forced a slight smile, his eyes shifting away, feeling a bit guilty.
Just now, Cheng Su had talked to him about two donation matters, all saying she made big business and got money, should donate more, and she was sulking about it, he also just persuaded her not to mind it.
Now, his mother called, still saying these things, people doing business, they want money.
Qi Taiguo felt his face burning, staying silent for a long while.
Mother Qi felt something was wrong, and asked: "Taiguo, are you listening? Your aunt had a rough life, in that family of theirs, only Weichun is left as a man, weâre relatives, close relatives, you all got along well when you were young. If you can help, just help a bit."
"Mom!" Qi Taiguo said with great reluctance: "Cheng Su is doing business, she needs a lot of cash flow, we really donât have that much money on hand right now."
Mother Qi didnât say anything for a long while, then said: "So youâre unwilling to help? Itâs just a loan, they will eventually pay back, and you wonât help with this as well?"
"Mom, itâs not that we donât want to help, but we really donât have it, Cheng Su has just reopened a restaurant, all the money has gone into it, so... hello, hello?" Qi Taiguo heard the beeping dial tone from the receiver and couldnât help but frown.
After hanging up, he saw Cheng Su squinting at him, and forced a smile.
"Whatâs going on? What do they need the money for?" Cheng Su asked.
She had an intuition that it wasnât anything good, feeling rather depressed, whatâs going on lately, one after another, theyâre all asking for money.
Qi Taiguo did not dare to say.
"I overheard, sooner or later Iâll find out." Cheng Su said, meaning that whether he said it or not, he had to say.
Qi Taiguo then relayed what Mother Qi said to her, finally adding: "You heard it too, I refused!"
So itâs about borrowing money.
Cheng Su asked: "How much do they want to borrow?"
"One thousand!"
Cheng Su widened her eyes: "Borrow one thousand? Are they building this house entirely on borrowed money?"
Qi Taiguo gave a bitter smile.
"Are they borrowing from your mom or from us?" Cheng Su asked again, and without waiting for him to answer, continued: "But itâs all the same, borrowing from your mom is equal to borrowing from us, where would your mom get the money?"
Qi Taiguo glanced at her and said: "Donât worry about it, I already told mom, your money is all invested in the restaurant!"
"Youâre right, the restaurant has opened, but itâs big, and the cash flow needed is also larger, I donât have much money on hand either. One thousand yuan, itâs not that we donât have it, but if loaned out, can we ensure it would be returned? This is to build a house to get married, if you ask me, wear the hat that fits your head. One thousand yuan, even if they borrowed it and built the house, this debt would still crush them later!" Cheng Su said.
"I know your shop has a large cash flow, so I also told mom honestly, donât worry about it, as you said, wear the hat that fits your head." Qi Taiguo quickly said, not daring to mention the part about his motherâs comment on doing big business.
Cheng Su pursed her lips, borrowing moneyâher principle was to help in emergencies, not to alleviate poverty. If you say youâre saving a life, then itâs okay to loan, but this is to build a house and get married, thatâs a different story!
One thousand yuan, not much but not little, at least in ordinary families, being frugal, it could last for a few years, and how can anyone guarantee that once loaned out, it can be recovered?
Borrowing money depends on the personâs character, doesnât it? That face of his aunt, Cheng Su thought about it, and then shuddered.