Chapter 9: Learning to Ride the Horse

Zhang Qingteng pointed at Zhang Jinbao and said: "This old fellow is worthless, but this one is still young. How much silver do you all think he is worth? Is there anyone willing to buy him?"

"That won't do!" The three gambling friends protested, "Where is the fairness in winning money and then running away? Continue, continue!"

Exactly! This is just the beginning, why are you all in such a hurry? None of the three gambling friends have lost, so naturally they want to make a play for that remaining silver coin.

The sound of the牌响 again echoed, as one hundred thirty-six牌 were arranged into two rows of four columns, crossed and placed in the center of the table

Zhang Jinbao, overwhelmed with joy, counted the money and said, "Sister! Let’s go back!"

What if one wins without using a treasure

In the next round, she began to decline again, and in no time, she lost all the money she had won.

The three from Zhangjia were stamping their feet and sighing in frustration behind. Zhang Qingteng also seemed a bit anxious; after another round, with a push of the tiles, he exclaimed, "I won!"

The dealer shook two small red dice in his hand and placed them on the empty space of the betting table.

In the first round, as Zhang Qingteng was halfway through, having just drawn a tile, he suddenly realized he was missing one. It turned out he had made a mistake, which was quite lamentable

Daughter

Upon everyone's gaze, she realized that she had misremembered the treasure of the upper hand and had falsely claimed victory

Others kept urging, "This is just getting exciting, how can we just give up? We can't afford to be short one person in this trio!"

Zhang Qingtian, infuriated, turned pale and slammed the table, angrily rebuking, "It is all of you spendthrifts! Constantly sighing behind me! You only know how to eat and do not understand how to earn money. From now on, I will wash my hands of this matter and let you fend for yourselves!"

Among the three people at the table, there was someone who recognized Zhang Qingting. Seeing her cheerful demeanor, it seemed she was somewhat agreeable. Moreover, it is easiest to deceive newcomers for money. Since there is one person short in the game, it could just serve as a way to pass the time, so I said: "Miss Zhang from the Zhang family, please take a seat."

Zhang Qingteng lost money, and his face grew increasingly cold. "If you say another word, all of you get out!"

This ... ... this is not ... ...

The other two also covered their eyes, unwilling to confront such a desolate reality

The Zhang family's three members were shocked. Is the eldest sister out of her mind? She actually wagered the entire family's assets?

When there is a pair, you can make a meld; when there is a sequence, you can also make a meld. With these thirteen tiles, as long as you can add one tile to form four sets of three and one pair, you win. In each round, there is also a tile designated as a treasure, which can be used as any tile. If you win without making a meld from the table, then your score doubles

"All of you get lost!" Zhang Facai, with a fierce but weak demeanor, tried to push people away. Unfortunately, he was outnumbered and his voice was not loud enough, so no one paid him any attention. Before long, he shrank back to the corner, burying his head in silence.

In an instant, all the money was completely lost at https://www.hetushu.com

The crowd laughed even more heartily, attracting more people to come and watch.

Growing up in a large mansion, Zhang Qingteng was no stranger to the sordid affairs that were no less than those known by outsiders. She let out a faint sneer and pulled out Zhang Xiaodie, who was hiding behind her, saying, "Then what if we add her to the mix? Buy one, get one free!"

Someone kindly reminded, "Miss, you are a novice, so you must stay alert. If you forget to pick up the cards after playing, you will end up as a mere onlooker, watching without any stake! At that time, no matter what you have, it won't count as money. If you misidentify the cards and falsely declare a win, you will have to compensate the entire family eighty wen!"

Elder sister

The elder sister is truly patient now, not saying a word about leaving, just standing there straight, not even taking a breath. The other members of the Zhang family can no longer endure it; while they can keep their mouths shut, their bodies twist and turn, leaning awkwardly, bending at the waist, resembling three large, cramping worms.

What if I win after playing the treasure?

From this round onward, she seemed to gradually turn her luck around, winning a few small hands, and the silver she had lost was slowly returning. The three loud mouths of the Zhang family finally fell silent, and her heart felt somewhat at ease. Suddenly, Zhang Qingting made a strong comeback, winning a self-drawn round, and at this moment, she had more money than before

Zhang Qingtian seemed to be losing her composure, increasingly determined to go all in, "I will recover my losses and gamble on *books* right now!" She pointed at Zhang Facai and said, "Look at how much this old fellow is worth? I will use him as my stake for the gamble!"

Zhang Qingtian frowned slightly and said, "I would like to learn to play a couple of rounds, but unfortunately, I only have this little bit of silver. Are you willing?" She emptied the entire contents of her small money pouch.

How delightful it is, unable to contain their laughter, they raised the atmosphere by saying: "Although the young man is still young, he cannot warm the kang or cover his feet when taken home, and one must also be wary of the wife at home taking a liking to him, which is truly concerning"

In the sixth round, Zhang Qingteng finally showed some improvement; although he did not win the hand, he at least managed to achieve a concealed kong.

In the second round, Zhang Qingteng finally completed a concealed meld, but unfortunately did not win the hand, resulting in a loss of five coins. The loss was not significant, thankfully.

Some porcelain cups with small cracks still bore remnants of unwashed tea stains, and the bottoms were settled with some tea leaves. The murky tea water had been steeped for an unknown duration. Yet, this was still a five-wen fee per game, and money was indeed easy to earn here! Zhang Qingteng silently complained, lifted the tea cup, brought it to his lips but did not drink, covering half of his face while glancing at his fellow card players.

The three members of the Zhang family all looked rather unwell. Zhang Xiaodie said softly, "Elder sister, let’s... let’s go back!"

Ten steamed buns! Zhang Jinbao felt hungry in his heart

Zhang Qingtian lightly nodded his chin and said, "Thank you for the reminder"

It needs to be doubled.

Alright! Zhang Qingtian sat down with pleasure, and the young attendant quickly poured a cup of warm tea.

In the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, Zhang Qingteng lost three consecutive games, including two rounds with a double score, resulting in a total loss of exactly one hundred wen, which is equivalent to one qian of silver.

Having determined the starting position, one then rolled a single die and obtained a "6". From the last number, six piles were selected, and the card below was turned over, which happened to be a six of circles. This became the treasure of this round

The three individuals had no choice but to rush over and ask, "Hey! Do you have anyone who can fight?"

Zhang Qingtian smiled and nodded, "It's somewhat interesting. Are there any other rules?"

Zhang Qingteng nodded slightly, took a couple of steps closer, and asked, "What are the rules for this Hu牌?"

A few gamblers won some money and decided to turn over a new leaf, saying, "Forget it, forget it, Zhang's eldest daughter, you just had a bit of bad luck this time. Next time you have money, come back and try to win it back!"

Zhang Qingteng seemed to want to leave, but ultimately felt a bit embarrassed and sat down again

This truly left everyone speechless

Three plus five equals eight

As he raised his head, he happened to see Zhang Qingtian and the others, and he pointed with his mouth, saying, "Isn't there someone there?" Seizing the opportunity, he got up and escaped

Ah! No way? Zhang Jinbao opened his mouth wide and let out a tragic cry, "Sister, you can't sell me! I am your own brother, your own brother!"

Hahaha! Watching this farce, even the owner of the gambling house has come out to enjoy the lively scene.

Zhang Qingtian shook his head and suddenly asked, "How much is this round?"

"Ten coins!" Zhang Facai exclaimed, slapping his thigh in deep distress

Twenty large coins per round, with a single bet on the exposed tile paying ten wen, and a concealed bet from three players each paying five wen, played and resolved immediately, with no credit allowed

There is none left, in our small place, we do not engage in those nonsensical tricks. How about it? Young lady, care to play a couple of rounds?

The young attendant, who had been dozing off nearby and had not spoken for a long time, now poked his head out from the corner and said, "Each round's winner pays a table fee of 5 wen, and there is free tea available"

Double it again

Is this a joke? Inside it is noisy and lively, while outside many gamblers come in to watch the spectacle. "This old thing, so fond of gambling and lazy in work, eats quite a lot! Who would want to take him in? Is it for retirement or filial piety?"

Zhang Qingteng nodded to indicate that he had noted it down, then set up four piles and began to deal the cards. After dealing twelve cards, except for the dealer who took two cards, each of the other players took one card, and the game commenced.

Zhang Qingtian's attention was not on them; he was fixated on the card table. After waiting for about half an hour, a guest finally mumbled as he got up, saying: "I’m done! My luck isn’t good today; I keep losing! It’s no fun!"

Alas! Zhang Facai could no longer contain himself, leading the group in deep sorrow, stamping his feet and beating his chest.

Zhang Qingteng glanced back, successfully leaving all three people gaping in silence.