"Thomas brother, you must not go." Mrs. Sullivan suddenly frowned fiercely, blocking the doorway.

"Brother, sister-in-law ended up like this because of borrowing money. I can't drag you down too!"

"Sister-in-law!" Thomas Johnson was trembling all over with anxiety. "This is the last resort. Are you just going to wait for Charles Walker to report us to the defense officer?"

Mrs. Sullivan still shook her head firmly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Brother, you've already helped us so much, I can't drag you down. Even if we borrow the money, I won't take it!"

Both sides were stubborn, and so they were at a stalemate, making Thomas Johnson pace anxiously in circles.

"Ahem, Uncle Qiao, there's no need to worry about the money. I have a way!"

"You do? What way..." Thomas Johnson and the others turned around abruptly, shocked and speechless. Kevin Bolton was swaying, holding onto the door for support.

Chapter Six: The Business Plan

"Kevin, Mr. Zhou already instructed you to rest more and not to overthink!"

Mrs. Sullivan and Lucy supported Kevin Bolton on either side, helping him sit by the kang. Just those few steps made the wound under his ribs burn with pain, and all his joints ached.

"Second nephew, just focus on recovering. After all, you still have us. Don't worry about the money!"

Of course, Kevin Bolton knew these were just comforting words, but he was still touched.

"Mother, Uncle Qiao, you really don't need to worry. It's just twenty taels of silver, I have a plan. Otherwise, I wouldn't have signed a note with Charles Walker."

"Oh? Second nephew, you really have a way? I thought you were just being hot-headed and stubborn." Thomas Johnson scratched his head awkwardly.

Supporting Kevin Bolton's back, Mrs. Sullivan asked in surprise, "Kevin, can you really do it?"

"Yes!"

Kevin Bolton nodded slightly. In fact, his body had almost recovered, and he had been thinking about ways to make money. He wanted his family to live better. Charles Walker's trouble had only spurred him to act sooner.

"Uncle Qiao, do you know about the Guangning horse market?"

"How could I not? That's one of the three major horse markets in Liaodong. Lots of Tartars bring warhorses there to sell—it's bustling. Why? Are you planning to make money in Guangning?"

Kevin Bolton smiled faintly. "A couple of days ago, I overheard some businessmen chatting. They said you can trade homespun cloth for fat sheep in Guangning, and even old, worn clothes—if you wash them clean—can be exchanged for fur coats. There's still over a month before the New Year, and every household needs to buy goods for the festival. We don't need much—if we can trade for ten sheep, we could sell them for at least thirty or forty taels. Paying back the debt won't be a problem at all."

Thomas Johnson and the others had discussed for ages without coming up with a solution, but with just one sentence from Kevin Bolton, their eyes lit up and they all fell into deep thought.

George Johnson scratched his head and said worriedly, "Guangning seems pretty far away. What if something goes wrong?"

"Useless!" Thomas Johnson smacked his son hard. "Back in the day, I even went to Korea! Guangning is only about a hundred and fifty li from us—three or four days' walk. How is that far?"

Hearing this, Frank Johnson quickly said, "Dad, so you agree? I can finally see Guangning!"

"Don't get excited so soon." Thomas Johnson frowned, his face full of worry. "The horse market is a place for trading with the Tartars—Tartars! There are business disputes almost every year. Many merchants have been injured, some even killed."

Mrs. Sullivan turned pale with fright when she heard this. "Kevin, the Tartars are all wild by nature. I heard they eat raw meat and drink human blood. I won't allow you to deal with them! If anything happens to you, I couldn't go on living!"

Frank Johnson disagreed. "Auntie, how fierce can the Tartars be? We have fists too. Besides, isn't Guangning Ming territory? They can't just do whatever they want!"

"You don't understand!"

Thomas Johnson said in a deep voice, "The horse market involves warhorse trading, and all the officials in Liaodong keep a close eye on it. I remember Big Brother Bolton once said the waters run deep there. Without connections, not only will you not make money, you could lose everything—including your life."

A bucket of cold water poured over him, and Frank Johnson drooped his head.

Mrs. Sullivan was truly frightened now, almost crying as she said, "Kevin, just listen to Uncle Qiao. Let's think of another way."

A bitter smile appeared on Kevin Bolton's face. With time so tight, where could he find a better solution? No matter how dangerous Guangning was, he had to make the trip!

"Mother, Uncle Qiao, your worries aren't wrong. But why do so many merchants still go? Because there's profit to be made! Even if the Tartars are savage, as long as we're honest and don't cheat them, there's nothing to fear."

Actually, in border trade, the Ming dynasty provided silk, porcelain, tea, and ironware, while the Mongols traded warhorses, cattle, sheep, ginseng, furs, and so on. Who got the better deal was obvious. Most conflicts arose because unscrupulous merchants cheated the Mongols, and in turn, the Mongols, who respected violence, caused trouble.

Kevin Bolton patiently explained, "The horse market is hugely profitable. Officials extort without restraint, merchants scheme against each other, and fights do happen. But we're just doing small business—just trying to get a sip of the soup. The big shots won't bother with us. As long as we're clever and keep a low profile, we won't suffer losses."

After hearing Kevin Bolton's explanation, Thomas Johnson and Mrs. Sullivan both breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they really were overthinking it.