flstandardbreds Chapter 152 Raising Funds for Bridge Repair is Difficult and Arduous
Chapter 152 Raising Funds for Bridge Repair is Difficult and Arduous
Raising funds to repair the bridge is difficult and arduous.
Su Yunlan took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in her heart.
Over the next few days, Su Yunlan and Young Master Xiao visited almost every wealthy merchant's mansion in the city.
The vermilion-lacquered gate and the gleaming gold plaque both testify to the owner's wealth.
But when Su Yunlan knocked on the door full of hope, she was often met with a cold rejection and perfunctory excuses.
"Madam, I'm so sorry, business has been slow lately, and I'm short on cash."
“Building a bridge is a good thing, but our small business simply can’t afford it.”
The repeated rejections, like cold raindrops, pounded on Su Yunlan's heart.
Seeing that Young Master Xiao was also gradually getting tired, she felt even more guilty.
After many days of travel, she felt as if her legs were filled with lead, and her throat was so dry that she could barely speak.
The sun shines on me, but I feel no warmth, only endless fatigue and frustration.
Just when Su Yunlan was at her wit's end, an uninvited guest came to her door.
"Is this Lady Su?" A short, stout craftsman dressed in greasy clothes stood in front of Su Yunlan, his face full of fawning smiles.
Su Yunlan sized up the man in front of her. He had a face full of scars, and his small eyes gleamed with shrewdness. He looked like a tough opponent.
"you are?"
"My surname is Li, and I am a well-known craftsman in the city," Craftsman Li said with a smile, rubbing his hands together. "I heard that you want to build a bridge, so I came to help."
Su Yunlan's heart skipped a beat. He was just worried about not being able to find a suitable craftsman, and this person had delivered himself to his door.
"Can Craftsman Li build bridges?"
"Of course, my ancestors for three generations were all craftsmen, and I have a wealth of experience in building bridges," Craftsman Li assured, patting his chest, while his eyes kept glancing at the house behind Su Yunlan.
Su Yunlan sneered inwardly. This craftsman Li seemed enthusiastic, but the greed in his eyes was hard to hide.
"Since craftsman Li is so experienced, how should his wages be calculated?"
Upon hearing this, craftsman Li's eyes lit up, and he held up five fingers. "One price, five hundred taels!"
"Five hundred taels?!" Su Yunlan exclaimed in surprise. This was an outrageous demand.
"Craftsman Li, your price is way too high!"
“Madam Su, building this bridge is no small matter; it will require a great deal of manpower and resources. Five hundred taels is already a very fair price.” Craftsman Li did not back down at all, instead adopting an indifferent attitude.
"Besides, no one else in this city knows how to build bridges except me."
Su Yunlan was furious when she saw Li the craftsman's greedy face.
This is clearly taking advantage of her urgent need to build a bridge and deliberately raising the price.
"Craftsman Li, you're taking advantage of our misfortune!"
"Madam Su, you can't say that." Craftsman Li was still smiling, but his eyes had turned somewhat cold.
"These days, artisans rely on their skills to make a living, and the highest bidder wins."
Su Yunlan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.
She suppressed her anger and looked coldly at Craftsman Li.
"Craftsman Li, what if I told you I have an even better bridge-building plan that could save half the labor costs?"
The smile on Li's face froze, and the shrewd glint in his eyes dimmed slightly.
He chuckled dryly twice. "Madam Su is joking. This method of building bridges has been the same since ancient times. What better solution could there be?" There was a hint of panic in his voice.
Su Yunlan sneered inwardly; this craftsman Li was clearly feeling guilty.
She calmly took out a drawing from her sleeve and slowly unfolded it.
The structural diagram of a bridge is clearly visible on the drawing. Unlike previous bridge construction methods, the bridge design on this drawing is more ingenious and uses less material.
“Craftsman Li, look, the design of this bridge is not only more stable, but it can also save half the labor and materials.” She pointed to the details on the blueprints and spoke eloquently, her tone full of confidence.
Craftsman Li's face grew even uglier. He craned his neck, trying to see the contents of the blueprints clearly, but was too embarrassed to get too close.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his already oily face looked somewhat pale.
“This…this…” Craftsman Li stammered, unable to speak for a long time.
He originally thought Su Yunlan was just an ordinary woman who could be easily tricked into paying a high price, but he never expected that she would know how to build bridges and have such an ingenious design.
Su Yunlan took in Li Gongjiang's reaction and felt even more confident.
She knew that she had taken the initiative.
She put away the blueprints and said calmly, "Craftsman Li, if you are willing to build the bridge according to my design, the wages can be discussed, but if you still insist on the high price of five hundred taels, then I'm afraid I can't keep you company."
Night falls and the cold wind howls.
After a long day of running around, Su Yunlan returned home feeling sore all over and utterly exhausted.
Inside the room, a dim oil lamp cast a warm glow, and Xiao Yuhan sat at the table, holding a bowl of steaming soup in his hand.
"You're back?" Xiao Yuhan saw Su Yunlan and quickly got up to greet her, taking the bundle from her hands. "You must be exhausted. Have some soup to warm yourself up."
Su Yunlan took the soup bowl, and a warm current instantly flowed through her body.
She took a sip of the soup, and the rich aroma of chicken soup spread in her mouth, dispelling the chill from her body.
She looked at Xiao Yuhan, her eyes filled with emotion.
"You've worked so hard." Xiao Yuhan looked at Su Yunlan with heartache and gently stroked her cheek.
His hands were warm and strong, as if they could soothe all the weariness in her heart.
Su Yunlan leaned on Xiao Yuhan's shoulder, feeling the warmth emanating from him, her heart filled with happiness.
The cold wind was still howling outside, but it was warm and cozy inside.
"Tomorrow, I will visit a few more wealthy businessmen," Su Yunlan said softly.
Xiao Yuhan squeezed Su Yunlan's hand, "Don't work too hard on yourself."
Su Yunlan smiled. "I'm willing to give everything for our family." She looked up at the window. In the dark night sky, twinkling stars seemed to herald the arrival of hope.
However, this hope seems somewhat slim...
The following morning, Su Yunlan embarked on her fundraising journey once again.
But this time, she was met with another cold rejection...
"Madam, we really have a lot to say about this bridge construction project..."
As dawn broke, Su Yunlan embarked on her fundraising journey once again.
However, she was still met with a closed door and a cold rejection.
The wealthy merchants gathered in the ornately decorated hall, all dressed in fine clothes, yet they showed little interest in Su Yunlan's proposal.
“Madam Su, building this bridge is no small project; the return on investment will take a long time. We really…” A wealthy businessman waved his folding fan, speaking perfunctorily.
Su Yunlan took a deep breath, unfolded the prepared blueprints, pointed to the potential commercial districts that would form at both ends of the bridge, and explained in detail: "Gentlemen, please take a look. After the bridge is completed, transportation between the north and south banks will be greatly improved, and trade will become more convenient. At that time, land prices at both ends of the bridge will double, and your businesses will flourish even more..."
However, the wealthy businessmen remained unmoved. They whispered among themselves, and the atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. Su Yunlan felt her mouth was dry, and her initial enthusiasm was gradually extinguished.
Just when Su Yunlan was about to give up, Young Master Xiao suddenly had a bright idea. He tugged at Su Yunlan's sleeve and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I remember now. Master Qian from the west of the city once received a favor from my elder brother. Perhaps we can try to find him."
A spark of hope rekindled in Su Yunlan's heart, and she hurriedly followed Young Master Xiao Nineteen to the west of the city.
The gate of the Qian residence was much simpler than the mansions of the wealthy merchants we had visited before, and the verdigris on the door knocker showed the marks of time.
Mr. Qian was quite old, with white hair and beard, but he was still very energetic.
Upon hearing the purpose of the Xiao family's visit, he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse: "I have heard about the Xiao family's affairs, but..."
Su Yunlan quickly explained the bridge construction plan in detail again, emphasizing the benefits the bridge would bring to the local people and commerce.
Mr. Qian listened quietly, his fingers tapping the table repeatedly with a dull thud.
After a long silence, Mr. Qian sighed and said, "Very well, General Xiao did indeed do me a favor back then. I will pay this amount, but it is only a limited amount. I hope Madam Su will not find it offensive."
Su Yunlan was overjoyed and quickly thanked him.
Although the money Mr. Qian provided was only a drop in the bucket, it was still a good start.
A long-lost smile appeared on her face, like a ray of sunshine in winter, illuminating the road ahead.
Leaving the Qian residence, Su Yunlan looked at the silver notes in her hand, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Although some funds have been obtained, they are still far from meeting the needs.
She looked up at the sky; it was cloudless, and the sunlight was a bit dazzling.
“Nineteenth Brother,” Su Yunlan turned to look at Young Master Xiao, “where else do you think we can raise funds?”
Young Master Xiao pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke up: "Sister-in-law, perhaps..."