A failed scholar?

Isn't this just like that schoolteacher who passed the imperial examination?

Yunling's interest was instantly piqued, but then she thought of the previous schoolteacher who had gone home to recuperate due to his advanced age...

"I wonder how old the shopkeeper's father-in-law is today. Most of the children in our village are naughty, and it always takes a lot of talking and effort to teach them."

Shopkeeper Chen waved his hand, looking calm. "Relax, relax. He's not like your average old man. He's very mischievous, always going up and down mountains and rivers without even breaking a sweat. As for the naughty child you mentioned, he's not a big problem. He's got his grandsons and granddaughters all messed around with him."

Yunling immediately seized on the word, "Granddaughter? Does he also teach granddaughters?"

"Of course, he believes that the more literate and reasonable people there are in the world, the less conflict there will be. However, my uncle and his family don't think so. They think that women should only learn needlework and embroidery so that they can understand the affairs of the inner quarters in the future. As a result, he misses out on a lot of fun."

“Shopkeeper, then we’ll invite your father-in-law to teach. You can name your price.”

Yunling originally thought that Yun Chu should learn to read from her father-in-law, which would be better than figuring it out on her own. Then she thought of Yun Ruochun. If her aunt really wanted to marry into a powerful family, it would be good for her to learn some knowledge and understand things beforehand, so that she wouldn't be timid in social situations in the future. So she immediately made the deal.

Shopkeeper Chen was overjoyed, especially by the generous phrase, "The price is up to you," which pleased him greatly.

"But I have to make this clear: my father-in-law was able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar entirely on his own. He never studied with a teacher or attended a private school. He just liked reading all sorts of books. Most people in the village called him a gossip. That's just how it is. It's unlikely that he could raise someone to be outstanding."

The title "know-it-all" suited Yunling perfectly; wasn't this exactly what broadening her knowledge was all about? It was a purely good thing, so she immediately adjusted her attitude.

“We are very satisfied with our father-in-law and would like to ask the shopkeeper for help so that he can come to the village to teach after the New Year as soon as possible, which can solve our urgent problem.”

Shopkeeper Chen said "Eh," and said, "I'll tell him about this when I get back tomorrow. You can come back on the third day of the new year and we'll discuss it again."

"OK."

The matter was temporarily settled, and Yun Chu, along with Yun Ling and Yun Ruoxia, went out with the paper she had bought.

The streets were bustling with activity, the sounds of buying and selling, and the constant exchange of greetings and well wishes mingled together, creating a festive atmosphere for the New Year.

There has always been a rule in the capital that every Lunar New Year, the government would open gambling for three consecutive days for the people to enjoy. This game of gambling with small stakes was loved by everyone from high-ranking officials and nobles to ordinary people, and it gradually spread throughout the country.

Yunling and Yun Ruoxia were also very interested, so they followed the shouts of "Pure! Pure! Pure!" There were many goods for trade, including pearls, jewelry, flowers, boots and shoes, as well as snacks, chickens, ducks, fish and geese, which were dazzling to look at.

Coincidentally, they saw Yun Dazhuang, Yun Erzhuang, and Yun Sanzhuang, who were engrossed in gambling. To be honest, they weren't great people, but they were incredibly skilled at gambling.

In just one morning, all three of them were carrying loads of things that looked worth a lot of money. If they were to sell them, they could probably pay off their debts.

In fact, that's exactly what they think.

The eldest son's debt has ballooned to over 300 guan. Two years ago, the three brothers started learning gambling and gradually developed a knack for it. They expect to sell about 80 guan in the next three days, which should help ease their debt burden.

Yunling had no intention of running into them, lest she cause trouble later. It wouldn't sound good to start a fight during such a festive time.

She pulled Yun Ruoxia and Yun Chu and turned to another street, which was relatively quiet. There were only two or three shops selling gambling. Yun Ling looked at the shop further ahead, where it said, "Bet twenty, and you'll get a cotton-padded coat for ten."

It seems this is another method of tossing coins. The front of the coin has characters, and the back has nothing. If ten coins in a row are tossed back, the cotton coat and twenty coins belong to the person who tossed them; otherwise, they belong to the shopkeeper.

Hearing Yun Ling's explanation, Yun Ruoxia was somewhat tempted. In her opinion, cotton-padded coats and fur coats were expensive, lightweight, and warm, and were very popular with wealthy families. If she could get one, she would be very prestigious not only in the village but also in the county town.

"Hey shopkeeper, I'll play a game."

Yun Ruoxia unbuttoned her coat and took out a string of warm copper coins from the embroidered pocket of her inner garment. She broke off twenty coins and placed them on the table, then picked up ten more, held them in her palm, and murmured prayers for blessings from the God of Wealth, the Bodhisattva, Laozi, and even Yama, the King of Hell.

He then tossed it into the air, and the copper coin, no longer in his hand, landed on the table with a thud, perfectly aligned with the character "五" (five characters, five pure).

The shopkeeper chuckled, scraping the twenty copper coins on the table towards himself with his board. He exclaimed, "Five pure coins! The banker wins! Young lady, you'd better step up your game. Maybe you can win them back next time!"

Yun Ruoxia was a little unconvinced. What the shopkeeper said made sense. She had already gotten five pure ones this time, and she was sure she could get ten pure ones next time. Twenty coins was like buying a cotton coat, so it wasn't a loss. She then took out another twenty coins and said generously, "Let's play another round."

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, I beg the Supreme Lord Laozi to bless me and grant me the Ten Pure Ones this time. I only want this one time. If I win the cotton-padded coat this time, I will never touch it again and will devote myself to Buddhism. Amitabha."

After muttering to herself for a while, Yun Ruoxia gripped the copper coin tightly in her palm and rubbed it for quite some time, until she felt she had received divine power, before suddenly tossing it upwards.

Everyone present held their breath. As expected, only two of the copper coins escaped, while the other eight remained innocent.

The shopkeeper was delighted again, and quickly swiped the copper coins in front of him. "Ba Chun, you are the most amazing young lady I have ever seen. I reckon if we play one more round, you can win this cotton-padded coat."

Yun Ruoxia felt a pang of regret. She had already lost forty coins, and if she played another round, she would lose another twenty coins. But would she really be able to roll a ten in the next round? Of course not!

This could be a bottomless pit for someone without the skills, and she might lose more than forty coins in the end.

Yun Ruoxia pounded her thigh in pain. She used to always say that others were fools who would waste their hard-earned money on gambling, but now she had fallen for it herself. She really regretted it. That was forty coins!