Chapter 39: Being Able to Borrow Money Is a Profound Act of Kindness

The night was as dark as ink, deeply shrouding the entire village.
The moonlight was thin, casting sparse glimmers upon the mottled courtyard.
Li Aimei anxiously walked out of the room, clutching a neatly organized stack of banknotes and a slightly worn notebook.
Her figure was elongated by the faint moonlight, every step she took appearing so heavy.
"Junsheng, you... give me all the remaining money you have."
Li Aimei walked over to Lin Junsheng and said.
Without hesitation, Lin Junsheng pulled the crumpled bills from his pocket and handed them to Li Aimei.
The gaze of everyone around focused on the stack of money in Li Aimei's hands.
She counted them carefully, her brows furrowing tighter with each bill she counted.
328.67 yuan—this was their entire current savings.
For a family that was far from wealthy, this sum was undoubtedly a huge amount, but at this moment, it seemed so insignificant.
"Let me divide it among everyone."
Li Aimei opened the notebook in her hand, which was densely filled with records of every loan and debt.
She raised her eyes to look at the neighboring villagers gathered around; their expressions varied, some expectant, some indifferent.
"We will divide this money equally," Li Aimei said, beginning to split the cash into several portions. "Everyone take a little bit first, and we will return the rest as soon as possible."
Though her tone was calm, every single word seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds.
This money was merely a drop in the bucket when it came to solving the immediate crisis.
Yet since everyone had come to collect their debts, an explanation had to be given.
Lin Junsheng stood silently to one side, watching Li Aimei's busy figure, feeling a knot in his chest.
Although his mother's mindset was somewhat old-fashioned, she was truly good to him and his younger sister.
She had carried them through all these hard years of toil.
Lin Junsheng wanted to give his mother a good life.
One where they wouldn't have to live on sweet potatoes alone.
Where they could eat fine white flour and bowls of plump, full rice grains.
Once this money was paid back, they would have to live through extremely tight days.
Never had they been as stretched for money as they were now.
Because they truly had no money left.
The manuscript fees were gone, and the savings his mother had scraped together were gone too.
"Mom, don't worry too much," Lin Junsheng softly comforted. "We will figure something out together, and things will get better."

After dividing the money, Li Aimei began explaining their repayment plan to each person.
Her words were sincere and firm, making people naturally inclined to trust her.
Those who had initially worn doubtful expressions gradually lowered their guard, successively expressing their willingness to give them some time.
However, at that very moment, an unexpected voice suddenly shattered the courtyard's peace.
"Aimei, you haven't divided this money fairly!" The speaker was Granny Zhang from the village, always known for her shrewdness, and this time was no exception.
She glared at the money in Li Aimei's hands as if trying to ferret out some hidden trick.
Li Aimei was startled upon hearing this, and immediately explained, "Granny Zhang, we divided this money in proportion to the amounts borrowed. It is completely fair."
"Humph!" Granny Zhang let out a cold snort. "Do you take us all for blind fools? We aren't clear about the accounts in that notebook of yours? If you don't give us a proper explanation today, we won't accept this distribution!"
The crowd, which had just quieted down, began murmuring among themselves again, some even starting to question Li Aimei's integrity.
Li Aimei felt a wave of dizziness wash over her; she had not expected matters to escalate to this point.
She gripped the money and the notebook tightly in her hands, as though they were her last remaining support.
"Everyone, please listen to me!"
At that exact moment, Lin Junsheng suddenly stepped forward.
"Everyone here knows our family's situation, and we have never once thought of defaulting on our debts. This money was indeed divided based on the size of the loans. If there is any discrepancy anywhere, we are more than willing to recheck it."
Lin Junsheng firmly grasped the somewhat worn notebook belonging to Li Aimei.
He slowly opened the book, which recorded their intricate web of borrowing and lending relations.
"Dear fellow villagers, every single loan, every single cent, is recorded in this notebook."
Lin Junsheng's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
He showed not the slightest intent to evade responsibility, only a resolute determination to solve the problem.
The crowd formed a circle, their gazes collectively focusing on the notebook in Lin Junsheng's hands.
Lin Junsheng began reading out the accounts one by one. His voice was steady and powerful, and as each name and amount was called out,
the villagers either nodded in confirmation or discussed quietly among themselves.
Right now, everyone simply wanted to know if everything was transparent.
"Auntie Zhang, you borrowed three hundred yuan during the spring plowing this year, correct?"
"Uncle Li, you borrowed eighty-two yuan for the treatment of my leg ailment, do you remember?"
As Lin Junsheng meticulously verified them, the accounts gradually became clear.
During the process, a few minor disputes arose over certain entries, but Lin Junsheng always patiently explained, producing the original receipts or witnesses to ensure that every single entry was acknowledged by both parties.
With the verification of the final account completed, Lin Junsheng closed the notebook and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Alright, the accounts are clear now. Please keep the money that was just distributed to you. Next time, I will call you all back and pay off the rest together."

Lin Junsheng had just calculated that the remaining debt still totaled over 1,100 yuan.
Of course, that did not include his aunt's family; the amount borrowed from his aunt's family alone was over 1,700 yuan.
This was not something that could be paid off all at once.
However, the money owed to the fellow villagers had to be returned within two months.
Lin Junsheng's hope lay in his manuscript getting accepted and winning an award.
The neighboring villagers successively wore smiles on their faces.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and the small courtyard of the Lin family returned to its accustomed peace.
This ought to have been a joyous and celebratory day, but due to the sudden turn of events, a layer of gloom clouded Li Aimei's mood.
Gently supported by her son Lin Junsheng, she walked slowly back into the house, her steps carrying a sense of helplessness and heaviness.
As soon as they stepped inside, Li Aimei eagerly massaged her temples and asked with furrowed brows, "Xiaosheng, where on earth did that five hundred yuan come from?"
It turned out that during the banquet, Lin Huijuan had quietly mentioned this to her, but back then Lin Junsheng had been deep in the warmth of alcohol, unable to give a coherent answer when asked.
Who could have imagined that before nightfall had even fully settled, the debt collectors would arrive as promised?
Lin Junsheng's expression remained calm and composed. "Mom, that was the manuscript fee I earned from writing novels."
"Writing novels?" Li Aimei looked blank; the term was as unfamiliar to her as clouds in the distant sky—something she could neither touch nor comprehend.
Seeing this, Lin Junsheng smiled slightly.
He turned around and strode quickly back to his room.
Shortly after, he returned to Li Aimei's side carrying an issue of *Shanghai Literature* magazine, several newspapers radiating the fresh scent of printing ink, and a few slightly lower-tier magazines.
Lin Junsheng flipped open those publications, pointing to the dense rows of text he had written, showing Li Aimei the fruits of his labor.
Though illiterate, looking into her son's confident eyes, Li Aimei understood deep down that this child would never deceive her.
Her eyes gradually grew moist, while the corners of her mouth lifted into a gratified smile. "Having a trade that can make money is always a good thing. Mom can worry a little less about you from now on."
Lin Junsheng gripped his mother's hand tightly. "Mom, don't worry. I will definitely make sure you live a better life. I will also find a way to pay off this debt as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Li Aimei could finally no longer hold back her tears as they slipped down her cheeks.
She nodded, her voice choked with emotion. "Xiaosheng, there is something Mom wants to tell you."
Lin Junsheng quickly leaned in closer, listening with rapt attention.
"Don't blame those people who came for their debts. It is we who owe them our gratitude; the fact that they were willing to lend us money in the first place is already a tremendous favor. If they ever encounter any hardships in the future, we should help them however we can."
Lin Junsheng understood his mother's meaning.
He nodded heavily and uttered a soft, "Mn."