Chapter 728: Winning Might Not Be a Blessing

Moonlight filled the night sky, and Haiping City was remarkably quiet. Although the city had changed hands, the lives of its residents had, paradoxically, become more stable than in previous years. The most notable improvements were a decrease in banditry and the establishment of channels for grievances to be addressed, with genuine action taken on cases rather than just accepting bribes without resolution.

Consequently, as the New Year approached, the people of Haiping City and its surrounding areas felt a greater sense of security, sleeping soundly through the night. After the night watchman struck the third watch, Zhang Shuai opened his eyes and quietly slipped out from under his covers.

The cold air made Zhang Shuai shiver, but it also made him more alert. How could a mere chill compare to the fervent excitement within him?

Zhang Shuai dressed himself, put on a thick coat and a hat, then retrieved a substantial money pouch from under his pillow. He initially intended to leave directly, but after reaching the door, he reconsidered, returned to open the chest beside his bed, and took out the 'Fu' (Fortune) character scroll.

Zhang Shuai spread the 'Fu' character scroll on the bed, then folded it left and right, reducing the large character into a thick, palm-sized piece, which he then tucked into his bosom.

"Previously, I, your humble servant, simply didn't understand the rules of the game," he muttered. "Tonight, I will conquer all!"

Zhang Shuai had become infatuated with a game that had only recently gained popularity, found exclusively in gambling dens: Ma Diao cards. Its rules were more detailed and its gameplay more engaging than the earlier Yezi Xi card game.

He had visited many times before, and despite admitting he wasn't fully familiar with the rules, he had still experienced wins and losses. Often, upon reflection, he realized his frequent losses weren't due to bad cards, but rather incorrect play. He had now managed to accumulate five taels of silver through various means—a considerable sum even for his family—enough for a substantial session at the gambling house.

Zhang Shuai had brought the 'Fu' character as a good luck charm; after all, it wasn't a common item. He hoped to win big and spend lavishly during the New Year. Buying some fine fur for his family with the winnings would surely bring him great prestige.

Filled with excited thoughts, Zhang Shuai opened his door and tiptoed out. He then climbed over the back wall by stepping on pickling jars, landing outside. He looked around; visibility was excellent under the moonlight.

"Heh heh, the night is perfect!" he chuckled.

Zhang Shuai, light-footed, jogged directly towards the gambling house district, primarily using the narrow alleyways. After navigating for about fifteen minutes, he finally arrived on the street where the gambling house was located. From a distance, he could see a string of illuminated lanterns bearing the characters 'Hailefang'.

Upon seeing the gambling house's lanterns, Zhang Shuai quickened his pace. As he approached, he could already hear the lively sounds from within. The two burly men guarding the entrance clearly recognized Zhang Shuai and greeted him with smiles.

"Oh, young Master Zhang, back for some entertainment?"

"Heh heh, indeed," Zhang Shuai replied. "My hands are itching for a game. Tonight, I'm sure to win big, and I'll treat you two to some drinks then."

The two burly men cupped their hands in a gesture of respect, then smilingly opened the door for Zhang Shuai. He returned the gesture before stepping inside, where a wave of warmth immediately enveloped him, causing him to shiver instinctively.

Deep in the night, the gambling house was bustling. Charcoal braziers were placed around, and the high spirits of the crowd further warmed the atmosphere. Once his body had adjusted to the warmth, Zhang Shuai spotted an empty table and headed towards it.

"Come on, brothers, let me join you!"

Gambling houses generally operated in two ways: one where patrons occupied tables and played among themselves, giving the house a small commission, with house employees joining if there weren't enough players; the other involved a permanent dealer's table where many onlookers could place bets, which was the most thrilling and attracted the largest crowds.

Zhang Shuai decided to warm up first, and during the process, he drew good cards repeatedly. After playing for almost an hour, even after the commission, he had already won over 300 copper coins. However, Zhang Shuai felt it wasn't exciting enough.

"I'm not playing here anymore. I'm done."

"What? You're leaving just because you've won?" "Exactly!" someone else chimed in.

The gamblers nearby were somewhat displeased. Zhang Shuai smiled and pointed towards the livelier area.

"This side isn't exciting enough; the stakes are too low," he declared. "That's where the real thrill is! I'm going over there to play, and you can all place your bets with me!"

With Zhang Shuai saying that, the others had little to retort, and indeed, he started walking in that direction after speaking.

To be honest, the dealer's tables at the gambling house were frequented by many big spenders, and Zhang Shuai's five taels of silver were not much. He didn't immediately join a game but instead placed bets on the side.

Outer bettors didn't participate in the main table's card competition; they could bet on wins or losses, or even guess which of the four suits the last card dealt would be. This offered much more excitement than merely betting on dice.

Zhang Shuai's luck was indeed exceptional today. He drew good cards right away and immediately bet one tael. Since he sat down, there had been continuous exclamations from that area. After more than an hour, with more wins than losses, his initial capital had swelled to twenty-two taels.

What was originally a four-player Ma Diao game had now transformed into a two-player ladder match, with Zhang Shuai consistently playing against the house dealer.

Sweat beaded on the dealer's forehead, while Zhang Shuai was in his element, riding a wave of success.

"Heh heh, gentlemen, place your bets on win or loss! Just bet on me to win, and you're sure to profit!"

"Amazing, amazing!" "Young Master, your luck is truly incredible!" "That's because my card skills are excellent!"

"Yes, yes," they agreed.

On the second floor of the gambling house, several people watched the smiling Zhang Shuai with furrowed brows.

"Is this man cheating?"

"None detected so far." "It's not quite right."

"Indeed, the cards he's drawing are simply too good."

As the two discussed, Zhang Shuai, as if injected with adrenaline, suddenly placed a huge bet.

"This time, I'm betting fifteen taels!"

His voice was loud, attracting considerable attention. Those upstairs narrowed their eyes, leveraging their elevated position and keen eyesight to see the cards Zhang Shuai had drawn.

At this very moment, in his excitement, Zhang Shuai felt a warmth in his chest, but in his heightened state, he paid it no mind, as he was now drenched in sweat.

The dealer on the other side wiped the sweat from his forehead, handling the situation cautiously. He repeatedly glanced up towards the second-floor railing, one hand holding his cards, the other resting on the table's edge, ready to reach below at any moment. However, the people upstairs merely shook their heads slightly, so the dealer could only continue playing normally.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Shuai, disheartened, slammed his cards onto the table.

"Oh, dear, I misplayed a card... Oh, my fifteen taels!"

Many onlookers who had bet on Zhang Shuai also suffered losses, with some who had wagered large sums stomping their feet in frustration.

"What did you do?!" "You made me lose two taels of silver!"

"If you can't play, why are you yelling?" "You scoundrel!"

"Oh!"

Zhang Shuai, too, kept pounding the table, his face filled with remorse.

"If only I had known, I wouldn't have bet so much..."

The expressions of the people on the gambling house's second floor improved. Then, Zhang Shuai played another round and lost another tael of silver, at which point the brows of those upstairs fully relaxed.

As dawn began to break, Zhang Shuai emerged from the gambling house with many others, his expression conflicted.

"Ah, after a whole night, I only won one tael and 300 copper coins..."

"I only won 200 copper coins."

"You guys are still complaining? I lost one tael!" "I lost three taels!"

"Brrr... it's cold!"

People shivered and hurried back to their homes. Zhang Shuai, like them, braved the cold back to his house, and after merely taking off his thick coat, he climbed into bed.

However, he couldn't sleep in bed, thinking about the more than ten taels of silver he had lost, completely unaware that he had actually left the gambling house with more money than he had entered with.

"Sigh! If only I had stopped in time, I'd have over twenty taels now..."

As he spoke, Zhang Shuai pulled out the 'Fu' character, which was folded into a small, thick square from his chest, and angrily tossed it under the bed. Zhang Shuai had always believed that his card skills had influenced his fortune recently, and at this moment, he felt a sense of injustice.

"What a useless piece of junk! When I didn't bring you last time, my luck was even better. It was foolish of me to ask for your blessing; I've had terrible luck!"

The moment these words left his mouth, Zhang Shuai suddenly felt a slight dizziness, then shivered and quickly recovered.

"Oh, dear, I haven't eaten anything all night. I still can't fall completely asleep; I need to get up and have a bowl of porridge..."

Zhang Shuai finally got out of bed around noon, feeling refreshed. After eating something at home, he bid farewell to his family and went out again, his destination still the gambling house.

An hour and a half later, Zhang Shuai had already won thirty taels. His excited shouts filled the entire gambling house, surrounded by a large crowd of gamblers...

Zhang Shuai's card skills were indeed exceptional. It wasn't that he had consistently good luck, but rather that he dared to place heavy bets when his luck was even slightly favorable. Despite wins and losses, his earnings continued to grow.

In a sense, Zhang Shuai truly possessed a talent; he could clearly remember the count of all the cards. The dealer opposite him attempted to cheat again, but Zhang Shuai surprisingly noticed that there was one extra 'cross' card and one less 'coin' card. The dealer claimed it was a mistake during shuffling, and others 'testified' to this, so the round was nullified, and the matter was glossed over.

It was a pity that Zhang Shuai's talent was misplaced, but at that moment, he was undoubtedly triumphant. Another hour passed.

Crack!

"Hahahahaha, I'm out of cards! Pay up, fifty taels! Hahahahaha..."

On Zhang Shuai's side, a small pile of a hundred taels of silver had already accumulated. Just as he reached out to sweep the silver from the opposite side, a large hand abruptly seized his.

Zhang Shuai looked up and saw a ferocious-looking burly man, whose expression was utterly terrifying.

He grunted ominously.

The burly man squeezed Zhang Shuai's hand with such force that Zhang Shuai felt his hand might break.

"Hiss... It hurts!"

"How dare you cheat here?"

"I, hiss... I didn't..."

The burly man vigorously shook Zhang Shuai's arm, then dragged him away from the table, and shook his sleeve, causing cards to flutter out from its cuff.

"Still denying it?"

Many people nearby suddenly understood.

"So he was cheating..." "No wonder!"

"That's why he won so much." "His cheating was quite discreet..."

Many people in the gambling house gathered around, pointing fingers at the pale-faced Zhang Shuai. He, of course, understood that he had been framed.

"You! You're framing me! You're ruining me!"

"Impudence! You dare to lie? Everyone saw you cheat!"

The burly man cursed angrily, then landed a punch squarely on Zhang Shuai's stomach, a single blow that nearly made him vomit bile, leaving him doubled over in agony on the ground. The two thugs beside them also joined in, kicking and punching him.

When Zhang Shuai left the gambling house, he could barely walk, with two stern-faced men accompanying him. He had been forced to sign a promissory note: all his previous winnings were gone, and he now owed the gambling house one hundred taels, due within three days. Furthermore, someone was constantly following him from a distance, monitoring his efforts to raise the money.

'Oh, the bitterness...' he thought.

Zhang Shuai felt a bitter pang in his heart. His family could probably scrape together a hundred taels if they gritted their teeth, found their savings, and pawned some valuables. But how could he possibly tell his family about this? His father would surely beat him to death when he returned...

As for reporting to the authorities, Zhang Shuai dared not; the men following him were not to be trifled with. Regardless of whether reporting would be effective, if he dared to do so, he would most likely be the one to suffer.

'This is equivalent to seven or eight taels of gold...'

Zhang Shuai limped his way home, cautiously glancing back occasionally. Sometimes he could spot his followers, other times he couldn't.

Suddenly, an idea struck Zhang Shuai: the Da Zhen soldier from last time seemed genuinely interested in that 'Fu' character. Perhaps...

With a plan forming in his mind, Zhang Shuai quickened his pace, hurrying home.