"...I only took him there once, and then he never went with us again..."
Chun San, a man in coarse clothes, stood in Shunhe Hall and said carefully. Hearing Lingbao's continuous crying beside him, he became even more restless.
"So you don't know that he often goes to casinos these days?" Gu Shiba Niang asked in a deep voice.
Chun San nodded hurriedly, his face full of self-blame.
"Miss, if we had known earlier, we wouldn't have advised you. We all just find a small place to play for a few taels of silver and have fun..." The other man said hurriedly, giving a wry smile, "...Of course we know, we hope It’s impossible to make a fortune in a casino…”
Who would have thought that such a shrewd person like Lingyuan would believe it...
There was silence in the hall, only Lingbao's cry was louder.
"It's all my fault..." She covered her face and cried bitterly, "Brother said that I should learn to do business, and I took it seriously. I'm afraid that if you know about it, miss, you will be heartbroken and make your brother ungrateful... He is away every day and doesn't come back, so I just When he actually goes into business... who knows..."
Gu Shiba Niang closed her eyes.
She knew that this child Lingyuan had always been very strong. First he wanted to repay his kindness, and then he wanted to be independent. She was negligent and did not understand his intention to start a career earlier. If she had known this, she would have lent him some money to start a business. It doesn't make him want to make a fortune by gambling.
There has been no news from Lingyuan for three days. The last person to see him was Chun San, outside a casino.
"If we look for more people and look through the entire Jiankang casino, I won't believe we can't find him." Gu Shiba Niang said in a deep voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, a few of the family members and idle men he had sent out earlier came back, running out of breath.
"Miss, I heard about it." One of them said while wiping his sweat.
"Where?" Gu Shiba Niang and Ling Bao asked in unison.
Liuyuntang, located in Dongliu Alley, is the largest gambling house in Jiankang City. It is almost noon at this time. Although it is not as noisy as at night, it is still very lively. The thugs guarding the gate have red eyes, yawning and joking. .
In a box next to the door, there was no such noisy activity like pushing cards and playing dice outside.
Gu Shiba Niang, dressed in brown clothes, sat quietly and listened to a man with a mustache opposite. Lingbao stood aside, looking in a daze.
"...I really didn't know that Madam Gu was yours..." There was a hint of apology on the mustache's face, "If I had known that little brother was yours, we would have come forward to smooth things over..."
Casino medicine shops are all businessmen, and everyone knows a lot about famous people in the same class as themselves, so Gu Shiba Niang's name is not unfamiliar to them, and they also know what influence she has in the medicine shop industry. , so the master of Liuyuntang received him personally. When he heard that she was looking for someone, he immediately ordered his men to conduct a thorough investigation, and they found out in less than half a day.
It turns out that Lingyuan did come here. In three days, he made huge bets with others, and naturally lost all his money in the end.
"...But the same goes for little brothers. If you let others beat you and scold you, you just don't tell me where your net worth is..." The mustache glanced at Gu Shiba Niang, and it was hard to tell whether it was a sigh or admiration, "...Actually, it's only a thousand taels of silver. If he Having said that, even if we at Liuyuntang were to help him, we could still afford it..."
He shook his head as he spoke, apologizing once again.
"You're welcome." Gu Shiba Niang forced a smile and stood up to thank her.
There was silence in the room. Lingbao didn't even have the strength to cry and could only cry silently.
Not to mention that Liu Yuntang could afford it, but she, Gu Shiba Niang, couldn't afford it? However, all of them understood that the reason why Lingyuan gritted his teeth and refused to mention his net worth was because he did not want people to know that he was from Shunhe Hall. He would rather be beaten to death than embarrass himself in front of Gu Shiba Niang.
With such ambition, why take this step
Gu Shiba Niang sighed.
"What happened next?" She calmed down and asked.
"That's right, the rule of our casino is not to interfere in the private disputes of gamblers. Those few people beat and scolded each other. Seeing that they still couldn't find out the little brother's net worth, and they were afraid that beating him to death would not be worth the loss, so..." He raised his eyes and looked at it. Gu Shiba Niang, pause for a moment.
The little girl in front of her was thin and delicate, with a palm-sized face, but she was always expressionless, with no hint of happiness or anger. Comparing it with the little girl beside her, who was confused in appearance and spirit, she felt that she was not of the same age.
Is it because they are not blood relatives that they are here, or is it because they are calm and tolerant of their emotions
"Please tell me." Gu Shiba Niang nodded and said.
"Sell the little brother..." the mustache said.
"Where were they sold?" Gu Shiba Niang asked.
The mustache shook his head, "I'm sorry I don't know this, but Madam Gu, don't worry, I've sent someone to inquire... maybe I haven't left Jiankang yet..."
Lingbao swayed when he heard this, and finally couldn't hold on and fainted.
Gu Shiba Niang closed her eyes, seemingly unaware of Lingbao's fainting.
"Where are those people from?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.
The mustache is in a bit of a dilemma. The rules of the casino are that you cannot interfere in the private affairs of gamblers. Whether you have enmity or kindness, you must not take sides.
"I know your rules." Gu Shiba Niang saw his doubts and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you by hitting or killing you."
Seeing her say this, although rules are rules, relationships are still relationships, and you still have to be flexible. He smiled and told the origins of those people in detail.
After walking out of Liuyuntang, Chun San and others were all very sad. Only Gu Shiba Niang seemed to have no change.
"Send the Lingbao back..." she ordered, adding, "Send it to my house and ask Madam to send someone to take good care of it."
The home responded.
"You guys should go and inquire again..." Gu Shiba Niang turned around and said to the dejected Chun San and others.
"Yes." Several people nodded in agreement, feeling very sad in their hearts. They all secretly regretted that they should not have taken Ling Yuan to gamble that time, or else they should not have worked together to help him win money. If it hadn't been for that win, Ling Yuan must have been there. Yuan will not be trapped in this.
"Jiankang is not very good. It's not difficult to find someone. Don't worry, Miss..." Chun San and others hurriedly comforted her.
Jiankang is not big, so it is really not difficult to find someone, but if the owner of Liuyuntang, who has connections in all directions, implicitly said that he doesn't know where he is sold to, then he is really afraid that he doesn't know where he is sold to...
Gu Shiba Niang felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart, making it uncomfortable.
"Yeah." She nodded and didn't say much.
"Miss..." Chun San and the others looked at each other, and then they mustered up the courage to whisper, "...Lingyuan, this kid is just a bit stubborn... He is still young..."
When he said this and looked at the girl in front of him who was obviously younger than Lingyuan, and then thought about what he said and did, he suddenly felt even more embarrassed, and it became even more difficult for him to stutter and ask for mercy.
"...I hope the lady will give him a chance..." Several people lowered their heads and whispered.
They saved your life and gave you the opportunity to establish yourself, but you didn't know how to cherish it. You wanted to do business without them. In the end, you hurt yourself and asked others to save you... .
If it were them, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to use someone like Ling Yuan again, not to mention that this young lady can't find a partner.
Poor Lingbao... several men were about to shed tears.
"Yes." Gu Shiba Niang still said in a low voice.
Seeing that she obviously didn't want to talk more, Chun San and others lowered their heads and hurriedly said goodbye.
"Miss?" The servant asked for instructions.
Gu Shiba Niang came back to her senses and said, "You guys take the Lingbao back first, and let Dr. Peng go and show it to her... I will take a walk by myself..."
The servants hurriedly answered yes and did not dare to ask any more questions. They had just been bought and they knew that although the person in front of them was the young lady of the family, her status in the family was absolutely unparalleled and she was completely the head of the family.
Watching the carriage go away, Gu Shiba Niang slowly started walking. She didn't know where to go, she just wanted to walk casually to relieve the suffocation in her heart.
She really didn't expect Lingyuan to be like this, gambling? Nine out of ten times you gamble, you lose. She, a woman who has never been in a casino, knows this truth. Why doesn't he know it
Want to start a business and make money? Can't you just talk to her? If it wasn't just the capital, would she be reluctant to give it to him? She has always said that she will not treat them as servants. They are free and can leave anytime they want...
To take a step back, if you lose and are forced into desperation, is your life more important than your face? He actually refused to let go, not mentioning Shunhetang, not mentioning Gu Shiba Niang, not coming to her... He would rather be betrayed than ask for help...
Well, if she doesn't count as him, then he doesn't want to think about it, what should he do with Lingbao
The spring sun in the afternoon shone warmly on the street, and pedestrians were bustling with people chatting and laughing, but Gu Shiba Niang felt like she was holding a piece of ice in her arms.
She was in a trance and didn't look at the road. She was suddenly knocked down and staggered.
The man's strange scream sounded.
"Hey, you're walking without your eyes...are you trying to take advantage of our charming young master Liu..." A familiar voice said with a sinister smile.
Gu Shiba Niang looked up and the voice suddenly stopped.
"..Gu...Ms. Gu...ah...are you okay? Did you bump into something..." Xin Chao Ling's teasing smile was still on his face, but his attitude changed drastically. He hurriedly moved respectfully, and at the same time he raised his hand to hit that person. The young master who was covering his arms and still making a fuss, said, "...you have the eyes of a dog, why are you walking so fast, please apologize to Mrs. Gu..."
"No way, Mr. Ling, if you tell two people in one sentence, how can you be like this..." The young master hurriedly covered his other arm and shouted.
Gu Shiba Niang suddenly couldn't help but laugh.
"Ms. Gu, are you okay?" Xin Chaoling breathed a sigh of relief and asked hurriedly.
Gu Shiba Niang had stopped smiling and said nothing. She nodded at him and walked away.
"You care more about sex than friends..." The young master next to you raised his hand and hit Xin Chaoling on the head, "...don't think about my brother helping you find a match later, you will lose your shit...you will be spanked by your father when you go back. …..”
"Am I going to lose?" Xin Chaoling's proud voice sounded from behind, "Did my title of God of Gamblers in Jiankang City come from the strong wind? Don't get popular with me in the future..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shiba Niang, who had already walked over, suddenly turned back and stood in front of him.
"Are you telling the truth or are you lying?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
Xin Chaoling stuttered for a moment, "What... is it true or false? My respect for you, Madam Gu, is..."
"I mean gambling," Gu Shiba Niang interrupted him impatiently.
Xin Chaoling blinked and opened his mouth, suddenly not knowing how to answer.
West Lake Gambling House is a gambling house in Jiankang City that is famous for its elegant style. Of course, there is no need to say whether a gambling house is elegant or not. At this time, in a luxurious private room that can accommodate dozens of people, three people in their thirties The man of forty or five years old, with a big face and a foreign accent, was sweating heavily. The fine gown he was wearing had been rubbed to a crooked shape, and he was almost shirtless. He didn't have any elegant style.
The three people's eyes widened nervously, and they shouted loudly in foreign accents regardless of their appearance.
"Open!" Accompanied by the dealer's strange cry, the dice cup was opened, and the three dice spun around, and finally stopped under the gaze of everyone in the room.
four o'clock, little
The three foreigners looked mournful, gnashing their teeth and beating the table.
"Give me money, give me money, come on, I'm willing to admit defeat." Xin Chao Ling smiled broadly and stretched out his well-maintained young master's hand to wave in front of the three of them.
The three of them looked at each other, and then looked at the empty table in front of them. Just now, everyone had nearly ten thousand taels of silver piled here. How could they lose everything
They obviously won
"You're cheating," one of the fat men jumped up and said.
Xin Chaoling rolled his eyes and booed along with the boys around who were waiting on the errands and making tea.
"Are you pretending that the West Lake Gambling House is a party in your Shanxi rural area? Are you trying to cheat?" Xin Chao Ling Yin Yang said angrily, while shouting loudly, "Master Pang, this is terrible, someone is trying to destroy your place. Here.”
Seeing the contempt on the faces of everyone in the room, the three men suddenly lost their confidence and wiped away the dripping sweat together.
The three brothers had never lost so miserably throughout their journey. To be precise, no one had ever bet so wildly with them. The initial enthusiasm was just a waste of money. Without blinking an eye, people like them who had experienced casinos couldn't help but be tempted, and they raised the stakes steadily, so that after losing three games in a row, they lost all their winnings.
This time it was a ride.
"Sir, we admit defeat." The three people quickly changed their expressions and said in a low voice.
You can't be angry in the casino. You have to know when to be aggressive and when to be soft.
"That's right, come on, take the money." Xin Chaoling said with a smile, waving his hand in front of the three of them, which only made them dizzy.
They literally have no money now.
"Young Master, please give me a few days' grace. We will go back and get it from you right away..." one of them said with a smile.
"Go back? Where are you going back? You have gone to Shanxi. Do you want me to go to Shanxi to collect debts?" Come"
"Master, we really don't have any," the three of them cried sadly, wanting to kowtow. "You have a few days of grace, but within a few days, the money will come. Why don't all three of us leave, leaving one as a pledge for you, Master?" ."
Before they could finish their words, Xin Chao Ling spat at them.
"Okay, I lost the money and I don't want to give it to you. You want me to raise your grandson in vain? You don't get cheap things and you don't have money. If you don't have money, what kind of bet will you place with me? You're shouting like an uncle." He yelled. , waving his hand, "Go, go, find a trafficker. If I don't have money, I'll pay it with you."
As soon as this was said, everyone present laughed, and responded in a noisy manner that the three of them only thought he was joking, so they increased the money by 10% and only asked for an extension of three days.
Unexpectedly, a trafficker really came in. The three of them were stunned. Is this young man serious
"No, boy, the three of us together are not worth a hundred taels of silver. As long as it lasts three days, we can give you thirty thousand taels of silver. You, you..." The three of them were anxious and looked at it. Chao Ling looked like a fool when he read the letter. Wouldn't this kid get kicked in the head by a donkey
"Goodbye, young master, I only care about the one hundred taels of silver now. I really don't want the ten thousand taels of silver in three days' time..." Xin Chaoling looked like he needed a beating, looked at his legs and shook his head. He added with a smile, "Young man, I just want to bet like this and let you, a poor boy, play tricks on me."
The three of them were stunned, thinking that these words sounded familiar. Before they had time to think about it, they were picked up by a few stout guards.
"I have money, we have money..." The three of them were shocked, opened their mouths and shouted randomly, but each of them was stuffed with a ball of rags.
"If you have money, you still owe me gambling debts." Just give me seventy or eighty taels of silver."
Everyone responded in unison, dragging the three people who were thrashing and whining away.
The room returned to silence for an instant, and then there was the faint sound of a piano, which sounded somewhat elegant.
"Ms. Gu, are you satisfied with this?" Xin Chaoling rubbed his face, adjusted his expression to be dignified, opened the magnolia door on the side, and said to Gu Shiba Niang who was sitting upright inside.
The reason why this place is called West Lake is because there is a small lake in the casino. At this time, the window in the next hall was wide open. Gu Shiba Niang, wrapped in a dark green cloak, stared blankly at the small lake next to the window. Her thin eyebrows were slightly condensed and her face was cold. Chill, no joy at all.
After several rounds of inquiries, we found out the news about Lingyuan. It was confirmed that he was on a ship bound for Yangzhou. It was said that he was sold to the saltworks to work as a coolie.
This kid. . . . .
"Thank you very much." Gu Shiba Niang turned her head and saluted Xin Chao Ling.
Xin Chaoling was flattered, and hurriedly returned the favor, but also wanted to talk. Gu Shiba Niang strode over, her cloak fluttering with trembling, revealing the brown dark floral brocade dress underneath, and walked past him.
"Ms. Gu, this money..." Xin Chaoling felt a faint fragrance brushing his cheeks, almost forgetting important things, and hurriedly patted his cheeks to calm down.
"Just give me the capital, and the rest is yours, Master Ling. It's naturally yours." She stopped and turned her head.
Xin Chaoling has been playing dice since he was able to walk, but today's game was the first time he had made a bet of ten thousand taels of silver. He was still a little unbelievable. When he heard that all the winning money was his, he was shocked. I couldn't say a word.
"No, no, if you, Mrs. Gu, hadn't provided me with capital, how could I have played so big..." He came back to his senses and stammered.
His family thinks that he is useless. Although he is a young master, the money he gets every month is not as much as a concubine of his father. He is Xin Chaoling, charming, has many beauties, and spends a lot of money. He can play once a month. Anyone who bets a hundred taels of silver is a big spender. No one has ever been so generous as to carry boxes of silver for him to gamble with.
Compared with the previous battles, this is called gambling, this is called the God of Gamblers. From now on, anyone who dares to say that he believes that Chao Ling is not Jiankang's God of Gamblers deserves to be struck by lightning.
Xin Chaoling felt hot in his heart and his eyes were burning. He really wanted to throw himself on Mrs. Gu, who had a keen eye for recognizing talents, and cry loudly. Then he would put incense and a blood oath to become brothers. . . . . . .
He wiped his nose nonchalantly and looked at his good brother who had already disappeared.
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It’s just an atmosphere. Please don’t worry too much about the ratio of money and so on. I saw someone say today that when reading my novels, you should look at the general trend and ignore the small details. Haha, just watch the excitement and the excitement, and try to relax and smile. Don’t do it. get to the bottom