When Teacher Lou, having been tracked down at Slender West Lake by Zhao An, heard that he was expected to personally step forward to borrow money, his blood pressure nearly spiked. No matter how Zhao An tried to persuade him, he remained adamantly opposed.
How could he possibly borrow?
Borrow ten thousand taels and receive only nine thousand, while having to pay back fifteen hundred taels a year? With fifty thousand taels, the annual interest alone would be seventy-five hundred taels—even selling Teacher Lou’s entire family wouldn't be enough to pay it off. Zhao An couldn't exactly reveal the benefits of fleecing the Old Ancestor’s micro-lending scheme, so he resorted to a mix of cajoling and deception. Yet, Teacher Lou remained as stubborn as if he had swallowed an iron weight from his own office. Even when Zhao An threatened him with the Ming and Qing dynasties, Teacher Lou still refused.
Chapter 123