After spending half a month at Autumn Osmanthus Lane, this was the first time that Yu Shu did not open her stall on a rainy day. Qing Cui led Xia Mingming to Mingyuan Casino early in the morning when there were not many people on the streets.
Although it was early in the morning, the gamblers in the marketplace often gambled throughout the night. As the largest casino in Autumn Osmanthus Lane, Mingyuan Casino was equally crowded no matter day or night. Xia Mingming followed behind Yu Shu. As soon as he entered the main hall, he almost vomited from the stench of sweat and foxes.
She glanced at the scene in disgust and tugged at Yu Shu's back, whispering, "Can't we go somewhere else? I can't stand this smell. "
Yu Shu glared at her, "Just bear with it." Xia Mingming pouted. Since she was the one who insisted on following, she was too embarrassed to complain and followed Yu Shu in.
Yu Shu squeezed through several gambling tables and found the young man behind the counter she had seen yesterday. She leaned forward and greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, Brother Xiaoqi."
The shop assistant, Xiaoqi, recognized Yu Shu and asked, "Why are you here?"
Yu Shu placed the two packets of dried fruits on the counter. She opened the packet of dried fruits and pushed it forward. "Thank you for helping me write a note yesterday. I had nothing to do today, so I came to see you. These dried fruits are sold at the door of my house. They're very fragrant. Take them and have a taste."
Xiao Qi was not very old, about the same age as Yu Shu. He was still at the age where he loved to eat. When he smelled the aroma, he picked up a flower and popped it into his mouth. He chewed on it and happily leaned on the counter, recording the flower while talking to Yu Shu.
"Who's this?" Xiaoqi pointed at Xia Mingming who was standing beside Yu Shu.
"He's my brother."
Xiaoqi looked at Xia Mingming a few more times and winked at Yu Shu, "Why does your brother look better than other girls?" Xia Mingming glared at him and hid behind Yu Shu. Yu Shu chuckled, "Let's not talk about her. She's thin-skinned."
Xiao Qi couldn't see Xia Mingming anymore, so he asked Yu Shu, "You came to play with me, aren't you going to open your stall today?" Yu Shu also picked up a flower and ate it raw, "No, business isn't good."
Xiao Qi clicked its tongue and said, "What's not good about it? I see that you guys are all good at making money. You can easily make a few taels with just a pinch of your fingers." Hearing a layman's understanding of a barter, Yu Shu can't help laughing. He can know the cause and effect by pinching his fingers. If he is not a swindler, he must be a great immortal.
"That's what you saw. Can't you see that there are still many people who can't eat?" Yu Shu said.
"Who can't eat? You?" Xiao Qi pointed at Yu Shu and joked. Unexpectedly, Yu Shu nodded seriously. "I can still eat it now, but I can't say for sure in a few days."
"Ah?"
Yu Shu saw that he was surprised and asked, "Brother Xiao Qi, yesterday you said that the Evergreen Gang has a barter. Can you tell me how to get there?"
Xiao Qi spat out the raw flower in his mouth and stood up straight, "Why? You want to go there?" "Yes, I need money urgently, so I want to go and have a look." Yu Shu told the truth. If she wasn't in need of money, she really didn't want to cause trouble in such a place.
Xiao Qi hesitated, "It's not that I can't tell you, but you have to think carefully. Gambling in An Ling City is different from other places. It's common to lose a hundred times. If you're unlucky and meet a few fortune tellers at the same place, you'll lose all your money."
Yu Shu knew that he meant well and said, "Don't worry, I'm quite good at mathematics. I learned from a great fortune teller in my hometown."
She was talking about Pei Jing, so it wasn't a lie. She did learn accounting from Pei Jing.
When Xiao Qi heard this, he didn't try to persuade her anymore and told her how to enter the barter.
It turned out that the Evergreen Gang's barter wasn't open every day. It was open on a single month and on a single day on a double month. The location wasn't fixed either. You had to come to Ming Yuan Casino first and get an entry slip before you knew where to go.
Therefore, if one didn't walk the streets often and knew people, it would be impossible to find a gambling place in the south of the city. Yu Shu had accidentally befriended Little Qi and struck up a conversation with someone. That was how she got to know Little Qi and got the directions.
"Here, you can only enter with this slip." Xiao Qi rummaged under the counter and found a yellow slip the length of a finger. He said to Yu Shu, "But you have to pay for it."
"How much?" Yu Shu reached for her purse without hesitation.
"Five taels for one."
Yu Shu's hand trembled. She cursed under her breath, but she still took out her money. She counted out half a bag of silver and placed it on the counter. She took the slip from Xiao Qi's hand and examined it. The entry slip was crudely made. On it were the words "Year Ninwu, Chrysanthemum Spring Fragrance House" and so on. There was a red stamp on the back.
Before Yu Shu could see what was on the red stamp, Xia Mingming stretched out his hand and asked curiously, "Let me see."
Yu Shu passed the slip to him. Seeing that Xiao Qi had put away the money, she thanked him.
Xiao Qi waved his hand and glanced at Xia Mingming. He reminded, "Oh right, this slip only allows one person to enter. It's only valid during the month. Don't bring others with you, or you'll be kicked out. Also, don't miss the date. We'll change the stamp in October."
"Got it. Then I'll leave you to your work. I'll treat you to a drink after I win some money." Yu Shu said some polite words and left with Xia Mingming. This trip was considered a smooth one. She found out where the gambling place was.
Coming out of the gambling house, standing on the street, Yu Shu and Xia Mingming took a few breaths of fresh air.
"Ashu, do you know where this Spring Fragrance House is?" Xia Mingming asked with the slip in his hand.
"Yes." In order to find a place to set up a stall, Yu Shu had walked around Autumn Osmanthus Lane. Seeing the name of Spring Fragrance House, it was not difficult for her to remember the sign she had seen before. She frowned.
It was not a good place. It was a brothel on the street behind Autumn Osmanthus Lane.
"Then shall we go now?" Xia Mingming was eager to try.
"Not us. I'll go alone." Yu Shu took the slip from his hand. "Didn't you hear what he said? One slip only allows one person."
Xia Mingming's face fell. "Then what about me?"
"You stay at home." Not to mention that she did not have extra money to buy another ticket, even if she had extra money, Yu Shu did not intend to take Xia Mingming with her. Xia Mingming was a troublemaker. She did not know what trouble he would cause if she really went.
Xia Mingming knew that they did not have enough money, but they still wanted to stay to gamble. So, she did not ask Yu Shu to buy another slip.
"Then do you have a reason to go now?"
"Not now. Tomorrow."
"Can't we go today?" Of course, Xia Mingming hoped to get the money as soon as possible. Only when she got the admission certificate could she be at ease. Otherwise, she would not be able to sleep at night.
"I can't go today."
"Why?"
"Because it's September now."
"What's wrong with September?" Xia Mingming asked in confusion.
Yu Shu looked at her disdainfully. "Next time you go out, OK?"
It was an odd month with two days. It was September now, and today was the 23rd. What could she do there? Go to a brothel?
As soon as Yu Shu and Xia Mingming returned home, Yu Xiaoxiu and Jing Chen greeted them. The former asked, "How was it?"
Xia Mingming begged Yu Shu yesterday, and Yu Xiaoxiu was also present. Xia Mingming did not hide it from him. After dinner, Xia Mingming let it slip, and Jing Chen also knew that Yu Shu was going to gamble in order to raise money for Xia Mingming.
Yu Xiaoxiu actually did not approve of Yu Shu gambling with their living expenses, but because Xia Mingming was present, he did not make it obvious.
"Well, I've found everything. I'll go and have a look tomorrow." Yu Shu sat down and drank some water.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Yu Xiaoxiu couldn't help but say, "Can't she not go? If she doesn't pass the exam, the money will be in vain.
Xia Mingming was unwilling. "Who do you think can't?"
"I'm talking about you." Yu Xiaoxiu said bluntly. "You're not as good as my brother in learning. My brother doesn't want to go, but you insist. You don't have a single cent to spend, and in the end, my brother has to think of a way for you."
Xia Mingming was embarrassed by his words, and his face turned red. After a while, he thought of something to say. "I don't need you to worry about it. Why do you care so much? "Who cares about you? I'm just worried that my brother will suffer."
"You, you …"
Yu Xiaoxiu and Yu Shu had been eating and sleeping together for the past few days, so his mouth wasn't as dumb as it used to be. Furthermore, he was still young, so he didn't need to be humble. Thus, he was able to gain the upper hand when arguing with Xia Mingming.
Yu Shu was annoyed by the two of them. She suppressed the urge to give each of them a slap on the head. She put down the teacup and went back to the inner room. Jing Chen saw this and stood up as well.
They were still arguing outside. Yu Shu sat at the desk, playing with the beautiful feather that Jing Chen gave her. Jing Chen stood beside her, moved the inkstone, grinded the ink, and wrote on the paper. "Can I go with you?" Yu Shu looked at the paper and tilted her head to look at the handsome Jing Chen. Suddenly, she remembered the time when Jing Chen went to the Ji family's Baoren Casino to win money with her in Yiyang City. She did not expect to encounter a similar situation again.
She was moved, so she mentioned the past to Jing Chen, "A few months ago, we met in Yiyang City. At that time, one of my elders was seriously ill and needed money. I went to the casino to win money. I was afraid that they would embarrass me, so I specially asked you to be my bodyguard to protect me. Do you still remember?"
Nose Dust tried hard to recall, but he had no impression at all. He shook his head with some disappointment.
Seeing that he couldn't remember anything, Yu Shu smiled and looked back at the feather in her hand. She did not intend to tell Jing Chen that at that time, she was thick-skinned and asked him for help, so he agreed to accompany her. Unlike now, he took the initiative to ask.
But this time, she could not bring Jing Chen.
Fifty taels of silver, in the capital, was not much at all. There were many rich people here. As long as she controlled the amount well, she would win and lose tomorrow. She would earn fifty taels of silver in silence. It should not cause any trouble. She calculated for herself last night.
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