Then, Wang Ergou and the sharp-mouthed man from before walked out with big smiles on their faces.
He didn't care about anything else, wiped his mouth and quietly followed the two of them all the way to the small tavern in the next alley.
The tavern faced the street, its window half-open. Feng Zicai crouched under the window, holding his breath, and heard Wang Ergou's voice from inside, "Waiter, bring me a pot of the finest Daughter's Red wine, a plate of braised mutton, a plate of braised pork, and a roast chicken!"
Immediately following was the crisp reply from the waiter.
Before long, plates of fragrant dishes were brought out. Feng Zicai stood on tiptoe and looked at the plump roast chicken. His mouth watered. This Wang Ergou had just eaten his fill at Tianxianglou, and less than an hour later, he had ordered so many dishes again.
Even the pigs in the pigsty probably couldn't eat as much as him!
Thinking back to the three bowls of wonton soup he had just drunk at the wonton stall, Feng Zicai suddenly felt as if he had been thrown into a vat of vinegar, with a sour smell emanating from his hair to his heels.
Just then, a soft, gentle male voice rang out.
"Brother Er Gou, how much money did we win in total tonight?"
Upon hearing this, he no longer cared about being envious. His droopy ears perked up immediately, but he couldn't hear Wang Ergou's voice for a long time. He could only see the man holding up two fingers in the reflection of the window paper.
Two taels of silver?
Feng Zicai's eyes narrowed upon hearing this.
In such a short time, he has already won two taels of silver; even a treasure pot might not be able to do it this fast.
Every day after school, he would copy books for the bookstore until he was dizzy and exhausted. But even after a year of hard work, he could only earn a few taels of silver at most. Not to mention the farmers in Shanghe Village who toiled in the fields for a living. Their families could only save two taels of silver a year after working themselves to the bone. But Wang Ergou could earn two taels of silver in less than an hour!
How is this possible?!
Isn't it said that in gambling dens, nine out of ten gamblers lose?
However, just as he was filled with astonishment, he saw Wang Ergou shake his head and then sneer, "What two taels of silver! If I can only earn this little bit in a night, I might as well go home and wash up and go to sleep. Why bother coming here to do this nonsense?"
"Twenty taels?" The sharp-mouthed man exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.
"Brother Er Gou, we've struck it rich! Twenty taels a day, forty taels in two days, and if it's three days, how much will that be..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down, the walls may have ears." As the sharp-nosed monkey-like man's voice fell, Wang Ergou sneered, "It's just a mere twenty taels of silver, why are you so surprised! Now that we know the secrets to winning money in this gambling den, getting silver will just be a matter of going around in there, right?"
"Yeah, those idiots in the gambling den only know how to bet on big or small according to their own mood, and in the end they all lose everything. Unlike our Brother Er Gou, who has such good luck that he accidentally saved an old dealer in the gambling den."
"Go to hell! This isn't luck. It's because I, Wang Ergou, am capable, and God is on my side. I deserve to be rich."
"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Er Gou is right. Brother Er Gou has a talent bestowed upon us by heaven. From now on, I'll be relying on Brother Er Gou to live a life of luxury!"
"What's so great about eating and drinking well! If it weren't for the fact that winning too much money at once would upset the people in the gambling den, I could bet big right now, buy houses and land in Qingshui County, and become a wealthy and powerful man."
"Yes, yes, from now on, when Brother Er Gou becomes the master, I'll go to Brother Er Gou's house and be your butler. Please don't look down on me..."
Feng Zicai squatted under the window, listening to the two talking back and forth, his eyes wide open.
Twenty taels? You can get twenty taels in one night?!
No, not in one night, but in less than an hour, he made twenty taels of silver. Even the Su family's spicy hot pot business doesn't make money that fast. If he were to copy books, he wouldn't earn that much silver even if he broke his hand copying them.
No wonder, no wonder Wang Ergou is now flying high in the clouds and working in restaurants, it turns out he has such good fortune.
The house is in charge; whoever the house decides to win wins. Who can beat them?
Feng Zicai's eyes darted around. If only he had saved the old dealer in this gambling den, then the winning strategy would be his, and all the silver in Wang Ergou's hands, and the countless silver in the future, would all belong to him.
At that time, he would no longer have to worry about not having enough money to study. Even the Su family would have to bow down to the Feng family. As for the Tianxianglou shrimp and crabs that Xiaohua liked, he could buy her as much as she wanted. He would not have to worry about winning her favor again.
However, it's not too late now.
Fate brought him together with Wang Ergou in Qingshui County today. This was destiny sending him a benefactor. Wang Ergou's brains were no match for his. He could easily make this benefactor his own.
Thinking of this, the man's eyes darkened. The only thing he needed to worry about now was the reliability of the gambling den. He wouldn't act rashly without sufficient certainty.
For example, the incident of catching adulterers in a dilapidated temple a month ago.
Once bitten, twice shy; he absolutely cannot make the same mistake again this time.
As the moonlight shifted, Feng Zicai's legs went numb from squatting outside the window.
It wasn't until almost curfew in Qingshui County that he quietly straightened up and walked out.
"Brother Er Gou, that kid outside is gone." The man with the pointed lip glanced at the dark ground outside the window, chewed the mutton in his mouth a couple of times, and swallowed it. "Brother Er Gou, do you think that kid would really believe what we put on today? People who can pass the imperial examinations aren't any less intelligent than us..."
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