Yun Yishu was stunned for a moment, then smelled his sleeves and armpits. The pungent smell almost made him fly away.
Yeah, it doesn't smell very good.
How come I didn't realize how smelly I've become these past few days!
No wonder all the palace maids kept their distance from him.
"Alright, take a bath and change your clothes!"
This made Shi Tou extremely happy. For the past few days, he had been enduring this unpleasant smell without daring to say a word. Now that Yun Yishu was willing to take a bath, his life would be much better, and his nose would no longer suffer.
...
After taking a bath and changing his clothes, Yun Yishu took Shitou to the money exchange.
When we arrived at the money exchange, it was bustling with activity.
Su Buqing greeted them warmly, "Chief Deng is here! Quickly make some tea and prepare some snacks!"
"Boss Deng?"
Before anyone else arrived, Yun Yishu quickly asked Su Buqing about Deng Dazhang's background. He was very curious as to why such a big commotion could be caused by just one person.
"The one who is called 'Deng the Chief' is Deng Pingping. Everyone under her calls her 'Deng the Chief.' She is one of the leaders of the canal transport, mainly transporting official salt for the imperial court, and also transporting some grain and the like."
[Grand Canal transport...]
[Transporting official salt and grain means that goods were frequently transported via waterways.]
This person might know Duoduo's whereabouts.
Yun Yishu immediately became interested. He had been listless and weak all over, but now he suddenly had an appetite.
"Stone, hurry up and get me some food."
Yun Yishu gave Shi Tou a push, telling him to go find some food for her, and then continued chatting with Su Buqing about this Boss Deng.
Su Buqing quickly explained, "This person has been hanging around Ankou for many years. A few days ago, he deposited a large sum of money at our manor. Xiao Yao told him that the gambling den at the money shop had opened and invited him to come and have some fun. Unexpectedly, he actually came."
What kind of person is Deng Pingping?
Yun Yishu asked.
"She has a good reputation in the martial arts world. Although she is a bold person, she is not afraid of anything."
"But she would also help the weak and vulnerable she encountered on the road, because she was a very honest person, could distinguish right from wrong, and was very loyal to her brothers. She was the kind of person who would share both hardship and happiness with them, so her brothers were all very loyal."
Yun Yishu nodded, looking completely understanding.
[This person seems to be quite kind-hearted.]
[This person seems genuinely willing to help; they're worth befriending.]
As Deng Pingping walked inside, she loudly proclaimed, "These are my brothers and sisters. Find a few capable men to keep my brothers and sisters company. If they have a good time, they'll be rewarded handsomely!"
Deng Pingping shouted, waving her hand, "Come on, upstairs! Let's take a gamble!"
Upon hearing this, the twenty or thirty men and women around Deng Pingping rushed to the third floor. Yun Yishu quickly went downstairs from the other side, and Su Buqing also went downstairs after giving a shout.
Seeing so many people going upstairs, the money shop's employees couldn't help but worry that the third floor might collapse. They all looked up, their faces filled with concern.
Because Yun Yishu was afraid that the gamblers in the gambling den might get into fights and cause trouble, he ordered the servants in the manor not to provide alcohol, but instead to provide pear blossom soup, locust leaf juice, fragrant herb drink and various snacks.
Examples include rose pastries, Qiqiao pastries, and red osmanthus cake.
If there were many customers, the servants would bring out some fermented bean curd sheets and fermented beans for the gentlemen to eat.
Xiao Yao and Qi Lin usually handle the betting work. Rong Rong and Zi Diao are only asked to serve when there are not enough people or when there are many female gamblers. This is mainly because they are afraid that some male gamblers might be dishonest. Most of the girls in the shop are unmarried, and they cannot be allowed to take advantage of them.
Deng Pingping and her group, along with the passing guests, were caught in a game of chance, sometimes winning and sometimes losing, but they were all having a good time.
"Seven-piece dessert and red osmanthus cake are here!"
"Locust leaf juice and fragrant herb drink are here!" The money shop clerks continuously supplied these foods, striving to provide the best service to these canal transport leaders.
The brothers from the canal gang drank their fruit drinks heartily and played games with great enthusiasm: "Press Big!"
"Suppress it!"
"You bastard, I'll shake the wheel again next time!"
"Your hands smell awful! Did you just go shoveling manure?!"
"I've lost several games in a row!"
Yun Yishu found the people talking extremely noisy. If his elder brother were here, he would surely say that they were disrespectful to scholars.
Moreover, he was in a bad mood and planned to go outside to clear his head first, and then come back to befriend Deng Pingping when everyone had almost dispersed.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard the voice of a strange man.
The man spoke in a sarcastic tone, with a heavy nasal voice: "Oh, who do we have here? It's Sister Deng."
Yun Yishu looked towards the door and saw a man in a green robe walk in. The man was tall with dark skin, but he had a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. He had a mean and sarcastic expression, a small nose, small eyes, and thin lips. His face was large, but his features were all squeezed together.
"Come on, brothers, let's go up and play with these women for a while."
"And who is this person?"
Yun Yishu asked Su Buqing.
"He was Deng Pingping's mortal enemy and also in charge of the canal transport."
Yun Yishu nodded: "Judging from his figure and appearance, he looks like someone who works in the canal transport industry year-round, exposed to the wind and sun."
"This man is the leader of another gang involved in the canal transport, named Yuan Da. He has a very bad reputation and often bullies the weak, but he acts recklessly because he has powerful connections in the imperial court."
Su Buqing glanced at Yuan Da with disgust and shook his head helplessly. "He has good relationships with high-ranking officials in the government, so he's doing quite well in this line of work."
Hearing Yuan Da shouting downstairs, Deng Pingping spat on Yuan Da's head and yelled, "Who the hell are you calling a woman?!"
Deng Pingping's subordinates upstairs were unhappy.
"Hey little girl, don't get so worked up. Are you afraid to gamble with us because you're worried about losing all your money?"
The man in the green robe sneered.
"Let's play then, are you afraid of a sissy like you?"
The man in the green robe wasn't angry; instead, he went upstairs to Deng Pingping's table.
Yun Yishu looked at Yuan Da and felt that this man had a gloomy aura, but he had a really good temper. Even when someone spat on him and called him a sissy, he didn't get angry.
However, it's very possible that this person is just pretending not to be angry; maybe they're harboring malicious intentions!
"Hey, start the game!"
Yuan Da impatiently glared at Xiao Yao, who glanced at Deng Pingping and, seeing Deng Pingping nod, began to shake the dice. Everyone started betting on big or small.
"Bet big!"
"Suppress it!"
After several rounds, Deng Pingping's side lost all their arrogance; everyone had lost a considerable amount of money, and they looked dejected, muttering curses.
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