Chapter 28 Mr. Tong Quan

Mention a pawnshop, and the general impression is that it's a haunt for the destitute and gamblers.

In many films and television dramas, we've seen those unable to keep the pot boiling, those who've gambled away their silver, those wanting medical treatment but unable to afford it... They rummage through their belongings, taking all sorts of odds and ends to the pawnshop to exchange for some silver to tide them over; there are those who pawn jewelry, antiquities, clothing, and even those who pawn tables, chairs, benches, water jars, and straw mats...

Do such things really happen?

They do, but our impression isn't accurate.

Actually, pawnshops also have different levels, divided into "big pawn", "big mortgage", "big pledge", and "small pledge" — with varying term lengths from long to short, and interest rates from low to high.

The "big pawn" pawnshops not only need to be financially robust but also powerful, as they typically serve the wealthy.