Chapter 262 Cut off the source of income
Songzhi was so anxious that he burst into tears: "A Ning, what should we do? We have signed a three-year contract with Jixian Pavilion. If Jixian Pavilion goes bankrupt, won't we lose our source of income?"

Qin Xiaoning was puzzled: "Although Mr. Cai is a businessman, he is also a Confucian businessman. He doesn't look like a gambler who would abandon his family business."

"That's right." Songzhi agreed, and then said, "But the Jixian Pavilion was indeed sealed up. I asked the shop owner next door and heard that the Cai family also had two small calligraphy and painting buildings in East City that were also sealed up. It is said that they owed people a lot of money."

The little maid said as she worriedly: "There are only two large calligraphy and painting shops in Shuwang City. We have already offended Mr. Li of Lantingxuan, and now Mr. Cai's shop has been closed down. If those small calligraphy and painting shops want to buy our calligraphy, they will definitely not be able to pay too much money."

Before Qin Xiaoning could speak, Shen Qingshu interrupted and said, "Don't worry about that. Even if we lose these two calligraphy and painting shops, we still have others. At worst, we can sell our calligraphy in calligraphy and painting shops in other towns. After all, there will be no shortage of buyers for Ah Ning's calligraphy."

After hearing what Shen Qingshu said, the worry on Songzhi's face faded a little. She sighed slightly and asked Qin Xiaoning: "A Ning, what do you think we should do?"

Then he hastily suggested, "How about I rent a carriage from Brother Li and take your calligraphy to Lincheng to check the market?"

"Don't worry about this for now." Qin Xiaoning said, "We are friends with Boss Cai after all. He is in trouble now, and the matter has not been clarified yet. We can't be so anxious to find a new buyer."

As he said that, he picked up the gauze hat and put it on his head, and said to Songzhi, "Let's go to Mr. Cai's house first and ask him in person what's going on."

"I'll go with you." Shen Qingshu said.

Qin Xiaoning refused: "His shop was sealed by the government. You are an official, so it is not convenient for you to come forward."

Seeing that Qin Xiaoning refused, Shen Qingshu agreed with her and said, "Then go find out first. If there is anything, have someone come to my house to find me. I am not busy in the government office today, so I will stay at home."

Qin Xiaoning nodded in agreement and went out with Song Zhi.

Qin Xiaoning didn't know the exact address of Boss Cai, but she had heard from him before that his house was in the west of the city, so the two of them hired a carriage and asked along the way to Cai's house.

Boss Cai is also a famous businessman in Shuwang City. His house is magnificent and spacious. Songzhi jumped off the carriage and knocked on the door. After a while, Boss Cai came out to greet him in person.

However, after not seeing him for a few days, the old man seemed to have aged a lot.

"Madam, have you heard about what happened to my family?" The old man had a bitter face, and he couldn't help sighing when he saw Qin Xiaoning: "Madam, you just sold a piece of calligraphy yesterday, and I haven't come to give you the commission yet, but I never thought such a disaster would happen this morning."

Qin Xiaoning saw this and said hurriedly: "Boss Cai, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not here to ask you for money."

"I heard that something happened in the calligraphy and painting building, and the neighbors are saying all kinds of things. I was worried about you, so I came here to check on you," she said gently.

It is easy to add icing on the cake, but it is difficult to provide timely assistance.

When Boss Cai heard this, his expression eased a little. He led Qin Xiaoning to the front hall while sighing and muttering, "It's all because of my prodigal son. I sent him to school, but he didn't learn well and got addicted to gambling. He owed hundreds of thousands of gambling debts behind my back. Apart from the calligraphy and painting building that I have run for most of my life, even if I mortgaged my ancestral home, it would not be enough to pay off the debt."

It turned out that Boss Cai's son owed gambling debts. As you can see, this incident had just happened and rumors were spreading on the street.

Boss Cai cried as he spoke: "This morning, the government sealed off my shops and told me to move out as soon as possible because they were going to seal off my house. Oh my, I have an 80-year-old mother and a toddler daughter. How can my family survive?" He spat fiercely, "It's all my fault that my unfilial son has brought so much suffering to my whole family."

Boss Cai spoke miserably, on the verge of collapse.

Qin Xiaoning was a careful person. Hearing this, she was surprised and said, "Isn't your son still young? He is a teenager. Even if he got involved in gambling, it should be a small one. How could he owe such a huge gambling debt?"

Such a disaster happened suddenly today, and the old man was suddenly confused. After listening to Qin Xiaoning's words, he suddenly realized: "Could it be that someone deliberately set a trap for my son?"

There are people like this in the market who specialize in luring people into gambling in order to set them up.

First they take you to play, let you win, and give you some sweet rewards, and then they slowly close the net and make you lose more and more, taking advantage of your unwillingness to give up, so that you get deeper and deeper into the trap and lose more and more. When you have owed a large gambling debt and have no money to repay it, those people will show their vicious side and force you to sign your family assets to pay off the debt. If you refuse, they will threaten to chop off your hands and feet.

Qin Xiaoning said: "I think this matter is very strange. Boss Cai should ask your son carefully."

Speaking of his son, Boss Cai gritted his teeth in hatred: "This unfilial son caused such a disaster. I was so angry that I beat him severely and ordered people to throw him into the ancestral hall."

"Now is not the time to get angry." Qin Xiaoning advised: "You should ask your son kindly and make him tell the truth. This way, you will have a better idea of ​​how to deal with it."

After being enlightened by Qin Xiaoning, the old man suddenly realized: "Oh, I was just angry and didn't think deeply about it."

"My lady is really smart. Thank you so much."

Qin Xiaoning replied: "This happened suddenly, Boss Cai, you were so anxious that you didn't have time to think about it."

After comforting everyone, Qin Xiaoning walked back with Song Zhi.

In the car, Qin Xiaoning asked Song Zhi: "How much money do we have left?"

Qin Xiaoning had always given all their money to Songzhi to manage. The little maid managed it very carefully. Seeing Qin Xiaoning's question, she listed all the money, "Not counting the one hundred taels we brought from the mansion, the money we earned from selling calligraphy, and the one hundred taels that Madam Wei next door paid in advance, there are a total of fifty-six taels left."

Qin Xiaoning couldn't help but frown: "Is that all left?"

Songzhi said: "You can earn a lot by selling calligraphy and being a teacher, but our expenses are also high."

She counted the bills for Qin Xiaoning: "A while ago, I spent more than thirty taels to buy a wet nurse for my child. Yesterday you asked me to buy two little maids, which cost another forty taels in total. And we have to pay the silver to the people for our house in installments, plus you want the best for all the food and daily necessities. In the past half month, we have spent twenty taels just on food and cloth. And every month, we have to feed and drink these servants, and pay their wages, which will cost about ten taels."

Listening to Song Zhi's chattering, Qin Xiaoning sighed and replied, "I understand."

Songzhi asked, "Do you think we should save more money in the future?"

"No." Qin Xiaoning said: "I think that we should find a way to make more money in the long run."