My sister-in-law from Qingdao

"I'm in the south, and I'm with a few investors. We've invested 500,000 yuan. If things go well, we can make several million yuan a year. If things don't go well, we might lose everything."

Now that I'm at my age and in this predicament, I have no choice but to give it my all.

"Your brother has no way out. If one day I can't go back, please take care of your sister-in-law for me."

"Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? Of course you can come back."

"Try your best. Okay, give the phone to your sister-in-law, I'll talk to her for a bit more."

When I got back, I gave the phone to my sister-in-law, and she went to the corner where I had just made the call.

Five or six minutes later, my sister-in-law came back. I noticed that her eyes were red, probably from crying on the phone.

I kept my head down and ate, pretending not to see anything. The two of us ate like that for a few minutes, heads down, when my sister-in-law's phone rang again.

The call was from Lin Moli; she had just returned from accompanying a client.

After I finished the call, my sister-in-law ate with me for a while longer before she went to find Lin Moli by herself.

I was uneasy, unsure whether Lin Moli would lend my sister-in-law the money.

After finishing my meal, I didn't go back to the office or the dormitory. Instead, I strolled to the front gate with my hands in my pockets.

I just wanted to see if my sister-in-law's car was still there, and whether she had managed to borrow the money.

When I got to the door, I saw that my sister-in-law's car was gone.

After hesitating for a while, I finally called her: "Sister-in-law, did you manage to borrow the money?"

My sister-in-law answered the phone, and I immediately asked her what was wrong.

"I borrowed it, but it's not enough."

"Oh, what's going on? Why isn't it enough?"

"Lin Moli lent me 300,000 yuan. She said the company was in a tight spot recently, and I couldn't say anything else, so I took the 300,000 yuan home."

"Three hundred thousand isn't enough!"

Hearing my sister-in-law say that, I started to worry too. My cousin has a tough life outside, and it would be even harder for him if he didn't have money.

"Yes, it's definitely not enough, so I'd like to find somewhere else to borrow some more."

Where are you going to borrow it from?

"To be honest, I have a childhood friend who works at a karaoke bar as a lobby manager. If all else fails, I can ask him for a loan."

My sister-in-law's words made my heart skip a beat, and I quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I can lend money from anywhere, but I can't lend money to these people."

Whether it's a karaoke bar or a bathhouse, they're all gangsters. They're passionate when it comes to feelings, but they don't have genuine emotions.

And they can easily drag you down with them.

After I finished speaking, my sister-in-law fell silent.

"I know what you're saying, but I have no choice. Your brother has mortgaged everything that could be mortgaged, and my father suffered a stroke because of my situation. I really have nowhere else to borrow from."

I felt a fire burning in my chest, and without hesitation, I said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, let me think of a way."

"You're looking for a solution? What solution are you looking for? You're from the countryside, you've only been working for a little over half a month, and you haven't even received your salary yet."

What she said is true; I really haven't received my salary. Although I have many college classmates, they are all scattered across the country, and even if I were to borrow money, they might not lend it to me.

And it seems my parents don't have much money either.

But I absolutely cannot let my sister-in-law work in that place, much less let her borrow money from those kinds of people.

"Sister-in-law, believe me, I can get 200,000 yuan first thing tomorrow morning."

My sister-in-law's voice choked up.

"Chen Dong, if only your brother Chen Fang were like you, that would be great. Okay, then you think of a way, but remember this for your sister-in-law: don't come up with any crooked ideas."

"Who do you take me for? I'm a college student; I have basic moral principles."

"Alright then, give it a try. If you can borrow it, I'll give you a high interest rate. If you can't borrow it, I'll think of another way."

After hanging up the phone, looking at the dark sky, I suddenly couldn't help but smile bitterly.

What ability do I have to borrow 200,000?

After hesitating for a while, I called my parents.

My mom was very excited when she received my call.

"Xiao Dong, you finally called home! How's work going? You better listen to your boss!"

"Mom, my workplace is great. The food and accommodation are good, and the work isn't tiring. I just miss you and Dad a little."

"You little rascal, Qingdao isn't far from Ju County. Your dad and I have some money. Once you learn to drive, we'll buy you a car so you can drive to see us anytime."

"Mom, how much money do you and Dad have left?"

I felt guilty about asking that question, but thinking of my cousin and his wife, I still asked it without hesitation.

"Your dad and I have about 80,000 or 90,000 yuan left. The peanuts are growing well this year. We planted more than six acres. If we can earn 1,000 yuan per acre, we can earn more than 6,000 yuan more in the fall."

"Your dad works as a laborer and earns 120 yuan a day. By the end of the year, he can easily buy you a car worth over 100,000 yuan."

My mother's words brought tears to my eyes; I felt both incredibly sad and incredibly happy.

In this lifetime, perhaps only your parents truly care about you and love you.

"Mom, I urgently need the money right now. Why don't you transfer it to me first?"

After hesitating for a long time, I finally said it.

"Oh, what do you need money for?"

"Mom, to be honest, my brother's business is very big, but he's run into some trouble and is short of money, so why don't you transfer me 80,000 yuan first?"

My mom told me that we have 80,000 or 90,000 yuan in our family, so I should leave them some living expenses.

After a moment's hesitation, the person on the other end generously said, "Okay, you wait here. I won't transfer it myself, I'll have your dad transfer it to you. Your brother and sister-in-law are good people; they take such good care of you. If you're in trouble, we'll help them out if we can."

My mom's words warmed my heart.

Half an hour later, I had 80,000 yuan more in my bank account.

I know this 80,000 yuan is my parents' hard-earned money, but I have no choice. For my cousin and his wife, I have to take it out.

But that's not enough.

With the 80,000 plus my sister-in-law's 300,000, we only have 380,000 left, still short 120,000.

At this point, I was in a dilemma.

For a wealthy person, 180,000 yuan might just be pocket change, but for me, a rural college graduate who has only been out of school for three months, it's a huge sum of money.

I hesitated for a long time before deciding to find Lin Moli.

I want to receive an advance on my salary and commission.

Perhaps this is the only way to help my cousin and his wife.