The two placed the sa bet, so how could they determine a winner? They would have to proceed to a second round of competition.
But this ti, even the heavens seed not to favor Zhong Yingming. As soon as he placed his bet, it was a mistake, perfectly giving Butler Hong the chance to bet correctly.
With a cold laugh, Lin Yuan felt even more contempt for Zhong Yingming. Even the heavens aren’t helping you—serves you right!
"So that’s how it is. I always thought Brother Hong and that dice-throwing guy secretly pulled a trick!"
Lin Yuan giggled, just shy of blurting out the words "cheating."
Butler Hong shot her a pretend glare, fiddling with his hair with a lofty deanor: "Sifang Gambling House does not allow cheating. Even as the steward, I can’t do it. As they say, the beam above is crooked, and the one below is askew. If I, as the steward, were to lead in cheating, wouldn’t that ruin our own reputation?"
Lin Yuan chuckled. If she hadn’t heard about Butler Hong from Xia Zheng earlier, she might have been fooled by this guy’s sanctimonious appearance!
Outside the door, Yin Xing entered, sporting a gloating smile: "Miss, Old Master Zhong has been sent away."
Not only sent away, but also given a good lesson by those two hulking fellows before being personally escorted back.
Lin Yuan curled her lips into a smile: "In that case, we should have Madam Ming get ready. Go, and tell Miss Yan, it’s ti for her husband to enter the stage."
"Yes, ma’am."
Yin Xing responded crisply, giggling as she went out to find Yan Ruchun.
For the Zhong Mansion, this day was certainly a disaster of epic proportions.
Zhong Yingming, bruised all over, was thrown back to the Zhong Mansion by the two hulking fellows, causing a ruckus throughout the entire household.
Lady Yun was hurriedly helped over by two maids, yet her cry of "Oh, my son" hadn’t escaped her lips before those two hulking fellows scared her half to death.
The family had faced misfortune after misfortune these past years. Even staying within the inner quarters, she was frightened by the debt collectors coming to the door.
"Mother!"
Zhong Yingming, beaten up with not an unscathed spot on his body and his face swollen like a pig’s head, weakly called out to his mother when he saw Lady Yun, but couldn’t muster the face to say anything more.
The two hulking fellows looked at Zhong Yingming, who was playing dead on the ground, and couldn’t help but smirk. Though they had indeed laid hands on him, it was all superficial wounds—how could it be so severe that he couldn’t even stand?
How could they know Zhong Yingming’s little sches? He had lost his mother’s only dowry, and without looking pathetic, how could he win the old lady’s pity?
In fact, he was quite grateful for that beating at Sifang Gambling House. If he had returned ho unscathed, he would have had to stage an act of self-harm to trick Lady Yun.
But now, there was no need to act; it had beco real.
"Enough, no more talking! Your master has lost this estate you’re currently residing in, along with four other estates and two shops, to our Sifang Gambling House. Here is the deed. If you don’t hand over the land deeds obediently in three days, be prepared to have his hand and foot broken!"
The hulking fellow flung the deed onto Zhong Yingming’s retracted head like a turtle, snorted, and turned to leave.
Though they left, the vicinity of the Zhong Mansion had already been secretly monitored by people from Sifang Gambling House. They had no interest in seeing a situation where both people and property were lost.
Four estates and two shops?
Lady Yun’s legs stopped trembling, and she didn’t need the maids’ support anymore. With a quick step, she rushed to Zhong Yingming, took the deed with her son’s na and fingerprint, and examined it carefully.
Ah!
After a long while, a shrill and piercing scream echoed throughout the Zhong Mansion, and Lady Yun was so angry that she nearly choked.
In Lady Yun’s courtyard, Zhong Yingming knelt guiltily before her bedside, gently soothing her chest while offering ideas and comforting her.
"Mother, it’s all my fault. I originally planned to win so more things to honor you, but who could have known—heaven didn’t look after , and I fell hard."
After the lesson from those two hulking fellows, Zhong Yingming dared not speak of Sifang Gambling House’s underhanded tricks again. However, he wasn’t about to admit he lost due to his own incompetence, so he blad it on bad luck instead.
Lady Yun closed her eyes, clutching her collar, evidently heartbroken.
Zhong Yingming cautiously watched his mother’s expression and continued: "Mother, didn’t you say that the estates and shops would eventually be mine? Don’t be angry, please. Though I lost them today, I promise to buy them back ten or a hundred tis over in the future."
Humph!
Lady Yun snorted coldly, wishing she could spit in his face: "With you?"
Zhong Yingming knew he lacked the capability, and with an awkward chuckle, he quickly replied: "I’m not capable, but don’t forget about Lady Su! Back then, she always claid she had no Silver or dowry, but when it truly ca to that point, didn’t she pull out Silver and an estate? Mother, don’t worry. This ti we have a chance to see what other cards she has."
Lady Yun’s expression finally improved a bit. Though still pained over her estates, she felt that Lady Su’s possessions were better compared to her own.
"Don’t let her off easy. This ti, let’s make her cough up everything at once!"
Lady Yun, unwilling to vent her anger on her son, completely unleashed it on her daughter-in-law.
She spat vehently: "Once she spits it all out, let her scram! And that son of yours, just like his mother—a hundred kinds of ignorance, bound to cause trouble for the Zhong family sooner or later!"
This child is just...
Thinking of Xiao Fei, Zhong Yingming hesitated—after all, he was his own flesh and blood.
But then, rembering that alluring little lady with child in his chamber, he felt relieved and cheerfully agreed with his mother’s words.
However, before the mother and son could finish discussing how to swindle more Silver Coin from Lady Su, Zhong Shi ca stumbling in wildly.
"It’s bad, Master, it’s bad! The young master and madam have been thrown into jail!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)