If they could win the first prize in one draw, they would make a fortune.
A regular bar of soap costs seventy coins, and those that look nice are naturally more expensive, not to mention whether you can even buy them.
Many of them had visited Huichuntang several times and returned empty-handed. Seventy coins might be a lot for an ordinary family, but for these people, it was just a trivial matter.
But the three soaps with raccoon dogs printed on them were different; they were not only beautiful but also more effective, which made them somewhat tempted.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper pointed to a wooden box on the counter that was sealed on all four sides, with only a small opening at the top for one hand to fit through, and said: "This is a lottery box. There are three thousand lottery tickets inside. Anyone who wants to play can try their luck. It costs ten coins to draw a ticket. Even if you don't win the grand prize, you can still take away a bottle of mosquito repellent. Moreover, the first prize, a bar of soap, is unique. There is only one available, so don't miss it."
These words excited those who initially thought three thousand sticks were too many; compared to ordinary soap, the phrase "unique" was undoubtedly more appealing to everyone.
Moreover, so what if there are three thousand sticks? If you're lucky, you can still draw the first prize from that big box.
Some people who were originally just there to watch the fun and had no intention of participating also lined up, just to have some fun.
Even if you don't win the grand prize, getting a bottle of mosquito repellent is still a good deal.
Although it's not yet summer, it's already mid-March, and mosquitoes are gradually emerging, so mosquito repellent is a useful item.
The old woman at the front of the line glanced at the three bars of soap with raccoon dog designs on the counter and was in a great mood.
Her daughter had recently complained that the soaps were too plain, with only simple colors, and wished they had patterns printed on them. Unexpectedly, Huichuntang presented her with this opportunity today.
If she were to win the first prize, her young lady would be overjoyed, and might even reward her with something.
If she didn't win, she could just buy a few bars of soap and send them back. She also had mosquito repellent on hand, so it wouldn't be a waste of her money. No matter how you looked at it, it was a profitable deal.
Thinking it over, she said, "I'll take three draws first."
As he spoke, he handed over thirty copper coins and reached into the wooden box.
She carefully took out a wooden stick, and seeing that it had no markings on it, she asked curiously, "What kind of stick is this?"
The waiter said with some regret, "The regular tickets only have writing on them for the first to third prizes."
The old woman responded, though somewhat disappointed, she knew it was impossible to win on her first try. She then drew two more lots and found they were both ordinary lot.
He immediately frowned and asked curiously, "Are you sure there are only three thousand sticks inside? We don't even know how many sticks are actually inside. Who knows if you're just fooling us?"
Hearing this, the others also looked at the waiter.
The waiter coughed lightly and said calmly, "If you don't believe me, you can watch from the side. I won't put these drawn lots back in. You can come and count them later."
With these words, everyone felt relieved and urged the old woman at the head of the group to hurry up.
"Are you still going to smoke or not? If not, give us some space."
"Yeah, I'm definitely luckier than you, I'm sure I'll win the first prize."
Seeing that the people behind her were urging her on, the old woman was a little unhappy. She snorted and left the group. She wanted to see if the man was telling the truth.
Several people drew lots, a total of a hundred times, and still got mosquito repellent. Everyone felt both disappointed and excited.
The more people in front of you draw, the greater the chance for those behind you, which makes those in the back of the line even happier.
Lin Yan'an stood upstairs watching the increasingly long queue in the lobby, his eyes widening in surprise. "Miss Jiang, your move is truly brilliant."
When he first heard about this method, he thought it was impossible. After all, there were three thousand sticks. If he only won on the last stick, wouldn't it cost him thirty taels of silver?
He felt that buying three bars of soap for thirty taels of silver was a bit expensive, no matter how beautiful the soaps were.
Lin Zhaozhao, who was standing to the side, also widened her eyes, her gaze towards Jiang Yimian filled with admiration. "Sister Jiang, aren't you afraid that these people won't come to draw tickets?"
Jiang Yimian smiled and said, "Ten coins are nothing to these people, and with mosquito repellent as a backup, they'll naturally want to try their luck if they can win a big prize."
It would cost thirty taels to draw all three thousand lots, as the people below naturally knew. But what they were thinking was that if they could win with just one lot, no matter which of the three prizes they won, it would be a win-win situation.
As long as this thought is in their minds, these people will definitely smoke. It feels like gambling; it's addictive.
As the three were talking, an excited voice came from below.
"Hey, I won! I won! Third prize! I won with just one ticket!"
A young man excitedly held the lottery ticket in his hand.
Others watched with a mixture of envy and jealousy.
Those who were initially hesitant about whether they could win the grand prize became even more excited. Before long, half of the three thousand lottery tickets had been drawn. However, these people did not have the same luck as the previous person and instead received a bunch of mosquito repellent.
However, the remaining people were still very enthusiastic, mainly because the young man who won the third prize with just one draw kept showing off at the side of the line, which gave everyone a lot of confidence.
Just as the lottery was proceeding smoothly, Jiang Yimian was about to tell the brother and sister what they needed to do next when she heard a cold sneer from below.
"When did Huichuntang start playing these deceptive tricks?"
A young man dressed in a crescent-white robe walked in from outside, with a pretty young girl standing beside him.
The girl's arrogance, however, instilled a sense of fear in those who looked at her.
Everyone looked at the newcomers and was taken aback when they saw that it was the young master and young lady of the Song family.
The Song family was a prominent family in Qingshui County, on par with the Lin family. The two families had little business dealings and kept to themselves, but their young masters had developed a considerable feud.
As a result, the two were constantly at odds, and there were even rumors of them fighting in the street.
Everyone in Qingshui County knew about these things, and the shop assistants at Huichuntang were naturally aware of them as well. Upon seeing the newcomers, they were momentarily frightened.
This little tyrant has a notorious reputation; he's not only beaten people, but he's also smashed up shops. No one dares to mess with him.
For a moment he was stunned, and the words he was about to say were instantly cut off by Song Qi, "What, did I say something wrong? You dare to say there are first and second prize tickets here?"
He stopped playing these little tricks after he turned five; only that idiot Lin Yan'an would still use them to fool people.
Seeing this, Song Miaoyin also sneered, "What, Huichuntang doesn't save people but instead tries to cheat them? Then I'll have the yamen officials come and ask them carefully what crime this is."
Upon hearing this, the people in line hesitated for a moment.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
