Chapter 29: Contentment
Uncle Shi coughed lightly, bowed to Zhou Dalang, and was about to speak when suddenly a pair of eyes stared at the big rooster in Zhou Dalang's arms.
He pounced on it with shining eyes, touched the rooster's glossy feathers, and asked as if he had seen his lover, "Is this the rooster you were talking about?"
Everyone in the Zhou family was frightened by Uncle Shi, even Zhou Dalang was speechless for a while.
But Manbao didn't hesitate. She rushed forward with Uncle Shi, stood beside her fifth brother, and reached out to touch the rooster's feathers. She asked proudly, "How is my rooster?"
"Okay, okay!" Uncle Shi touched it again and again and asked, "How much do you want for it?"
Manbao was stunned and scratched her head. She had never thought about this before, because she thought that since they liked the big rooster so much, it should be able to be sold for a good price.
The most important thing is that only after I found him a nice big rooster did he feel willing to sell the hairless rooster to her at a lower price.
Manbao couldn't help but glance at the rooster with its feathers shed.
Uncle Shi followed her gaze, and the child's thoughts were almost written on her face. Uncle Shi laughed and asked, "Do you want my rooster?"
Manbao nodded.
"What are you going to do?"
"Let's make some soup," Manbao tilted his little head up to look at Grandpa Shi, "Rooster is very nutritious, my mother wants to eat rooster."
"This chicken can only be used to make soup, but..." Uncle Shi asked doubtfully, "Don't you raise roosters at home?"
"I have to eat it every day. This big rooster is more expensive than yours. Besides buying this one, you can also buy a second one."
Uncle Shi couldn't help but laugh, "Not bad, not bad, very smart. Okay, I'll buy this big rooster."
Uncle Shi could hardly wait to take the chicken from Zhou Wulang's arms, touched it, put it on the ground and walked it around for a few steps. Seeing that it was energetic and strong, he became more and more satisfied.
He felt around in his arms and pulled out a small piece of silver. He threw it to Manbao and said, "Here, I'll buy this chicken, and the rooster is a gift to you."
Manbao held the silver in his hand and looked at it, then asked, "How heavy is this?"
Uncle Shi felt a little guilty, but he pretended to be calm and said proudly, "It should be at least three or five cents. You will know when you go back and weigh it yourself."
Manbao felt that silver was not very reliable and asked, "Don't you have any copper coins?"
"Who would go out to gamble and carry a bunch of copper coins? Wouldn't that be heavy?" Uncle Shi said, "Do you want it or not? If not, I won't buy it."
Before Manbao could say anything, Zhou Wulang immediately expressed his wish. Even Zhou Dalang couldn't help but say to Manbao, "It should be three coins, which is more than enough."
But he knew that this chicken cost sixty-five coins, three qian of silver, which was three hundred coins in copper coins.
Zhou Dalang glanced at the miserable rooster on the ground, which had very little feathers left, not to mention that it was given away for free.
Although it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t affect the taste.
When Manbao heard that his elder brother had confirmed it, he was very happy. He held the silver ingot in his hand and made the deal with Uncle Shi. He also said, "Next time I have a good rooster, I will come to you."
"You have to be able to fight, or else a beautiful and strong one like this one will do."
Someone who witnessed their transaction whispered to the Zhou family. Once they were out of the market and out of Mr. Shi's sight, they immediately stepped forward and said, "You're so stupid! That big rooster is worth at least five taels of silver, and you only sold it to Shi Dalang for a few coins. That's too much of a loss! You should go back and bargain again."
The three brothers, led by Zhou Dalang, were all stunned. "First, a rooster is worth so much money?"
"This isn't just any rooster; it's a rooster that can make money. Shi Dalang bets, do you know how much it's worth? It starts at at least twenty taels. If this rooster wins, he can get that much!"
The other party made a gesture, and everyone was stunned. Only Manbao looked up at them with disdain, "How stupid! What if we lose?"
The Zhou family's boiling blood suddenly cooled. Yes, what if they lost?
Ever since his fourth brother lost money gambling, Manbao has heard from Koko many tragic stories about various intelligent races throughout history and in the future who lost their families and even their own lives because of gambling.
Keke said that nine out of ten gambling games are lost, and the only winner may not be due to skill or luck. Didn’t you hear what Uncle Shi said just now?
There are a lot of frauds in casinos, and people outside may not be unaware of it, but they just don’t dare to say it out loud. Why?
Afraid of being beaten or killed.
So Manbao summed it up himself: whoever is better will win.
If her fourth brother is invincible, is there anyone who dares to win his money?
"But that rooster is worth five taels of silver!" Zhou Wulang was still a little unwilling.
"Fifth brother, that chicken was originally only worth sixty-five cents. Not only have we made extra money now, but we also got a big rooster for free." Manbao had her own reasons. She counted on her little finger and said, "If the uncle selling the rooster knew about this, wouldn't he be furious? If Uncle Shi uses this rooster to gamble and loses, not only will he lose the money, but he'll also lose the money he paid us for the rooster."
Zhou Wulang thought about it and felt much calmer.
Zhou Dalang also said, "Being contented is the best way to be happy. You are such a grown-up, but you still don't think as clearly as Manbao."
"Brother, don't blame me. Didn't you feel regretful just now?" Zhou Wulang was not convinced, but he couldn't help but look at his youngest sister with admiration. "Manbao, you are really smart. Mom and Dad always said you were smarter than us, but I didn't believe it. Now it seems that you are really smart."
Manbao nodded proudly and said with a smile that was not at all modest: "It's just so-so. It's mainly because my friend taught me, and I learned quickly."
"What friend? Isn't it just Mr. Zhuang?" Zhou Wulang said, "Now that you have Mr. Zhuang as your teacher, you can't just call him friend all the time. You have to call him teacher."
He added, "Actually, I think you're smarter than us, so you can't blame us for being stupid. It's mainly because your parents are smarter..."
"Wulang, what nonsense are you talking about?" Zhou Dalang slapped him on the head. Only then did Zhou Wulang realize that he had talked nonsense. He quickly covered his mouth and smiled foolishly, looking at Manbao nervously.
Manbao comforted Zhou Dalang, "Don't be angry, big brother. Fifth brother is just a little dumb. You are smarter than him and look like dad."
Then Man Baote said proudly: "I am just like mother. Mother is a little smarter than father. Fifth brother is not like anyone. I don't know if he was picked up on the street. Alas, mother is always worried. Every night before going to bed, she says, I don't know if Xiaowu will be able to find a wife in the future."
Zhou Dalang and Zhou Liulang: ...
Zhou Wulang was filled with grief and indignation. "How am I stupid? I'm just honest, just like my father, you know?"
Manbao shook his head, "I can't tell how you look like Dad. If you don't believe me, go home and ask Dad. See if he tells you if you look like him."
(End of this chapter)
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