Step Down, Let Me Come!

Chapter 29: Gamble 

Scoundrels like him saw all kinds of people. People like him perfected their control over people in the midst of struggles, so with just one glance they could see through someone and learn how to deal with them. So, he could also see through that naive and simple young lady before his eyes. She was truly softhearted. 

Softhearted people were moved by virtue.

The more generously he announced that “delaying work” didn’t matter, and that he would “wait” with the lady for her own “safety”, the more guilt she would feel, so the trust she put in him would sharply increase. She would let go of her precautions, even in an unfamiliar environment, and then fall into his trap. 

 As expected.

The young lady closed her eyes, shyly asking: “Do you really not mind?”

The man sat near Shen Tang.

He deliberately extended his two legs, exposing his feet with black mud stains and frostbitten toes, so that Shen Tang could see his severely worn out straw sandals. He appeared straightforward and generous: “Not at all. At most, the shopkeeper would deduct a few copper coins. If that gentleman doesn't see you passing by, he’ll come here”.

Shen Tang’s expression changed, and her eyes started wandering around, as if she were fighting an important battle in her heart. The man was secretly delighted in his heart.

Why did he dare to say that?

It was because he knew that Qi Shan wouldn’t come back so quickly!

He didn’t worry his lies could be exposed. 

He stayed calm, but he already started counting in his mind. When he counted to “15” the lady sitting on the stool stood up. She said softly: “Since Yuanliang told you to find me, it’s better to quickly go and meet with him. If we’re late, we’re not only going to delay your duties, but he would also curse at us… lead the way”. 

Success!

The man was delighted, so he quickly said: “It’s what I should do, there is no trouble. It’s the little lady that suffered a loss”. 

“Young lady, we’re going there”. The man extended his finger, he pointed at the direction, where Qi Shan departed before. When he did that, he also intimately took Shen Tang’s motor with him. He said again: “The Youth Inn is a bit far from here, do you want to take a ride there?”

During the whole process, the man behaved very decently and properly, which also invisibly increased Shen Tang's sense of trust in his position as a “helper at the Youth Inn”. Of course, Shen Tang didn’t doubt him. She clumsily climbed onto the back of the motor. The man shoot a glance at the motor. He was pulling the rope, while chatting with her: “This doesn’t look like a horse?”

Meek young lady would certainly answer to his questions. 

“Motor is a mule”.

“Mule?” 

The man secretly thought about how much money this mule could earn him.

Even though it was a mule, not a horse, this mule was good-looking, his entire body was snow-white, and he was as tall as a typical full-grown man, so the price should be considerable. If he found the buyer himself, the price could be even higher.

At this time the man lead the motor at the front and he only reveled his back to Shen Tang. Naturally, he didn’t want to reveal his expression to Shen Tang. The greed and pride nearly overflowed on his face. Upon seeing it, the trader that was still worried about this matter, sighed deeply and muttered – you can’t obstruct some people from courting death. 

She fell into this scoundrel hands, so this young lady was already done for.

The butcher’s shop was next to the wine shop. 

The butcher saw dim-witted Shen Tang going with the hoodlum, and his expression changed a few times. He clenched his teeth, then he threw the knife to the cutting board and picked up another butcher knife. He didn’t go out yet, when his parents stopped him. They firmly give him a meaningful look. 

The butcher didn't struggle, he just looked as the silhouette of Shen Tang gradually shrank and finally sighed.

“Sinful!” He wiped his face with his dirty hands, suppressed his meddling thoughts, and cursed again, “What a broken world!” 

He wasn’t sure if he cursed himself or that hoodlum. 

After adjusting his mood, he continued with his job.

The buyer swiftly said a few words.

“That young master can’t be in trouble”.

Butcher was stunned: “What?”

The guest smiled and repeated. 

“That young master can’t be in trouble. On the contrary, we should worry about that cheater’s life”. 

The butcher widely opened his eyes in surprise, he still held the knife, he made an angry gesture: “This old fool, what are you saying?” 

The guest was fearless, he said calmly: “We can as well make a bet, right?” 

When the butcher heard that Shen Tang wasn’t in trouble, he relaxed a little. Then, he thought that the guest was just talking drivel. 

What young master? 

The one who was taken away was clearly a charming and beautiful young lady. 

He snorted, dissatisfied: “An old and unscrupulous thing. Your skills are not good, head is also bad, so you just talk nonsense and deceive people. You can't even tell whether he is a man or a woman. You say you want to gamble, so how do you want to do that?” 

Client: “After 1 hour, this young master will safely come back. If I win, you will give me the viscera from today”. 

The butcher didn’t think much and accepted.

It was just a few catties that no one wanted, it wasn’t a big gamble.

He was familiar with this client. He was bought by Moonlight Building and worked in the kitchen —every time he came, he would buy some unwanted viscera. The butcher saw that he was different from the other workers in Moonlight Building. He didn’t look like someone who would fawn over the other person, but rather like a scholar, with an indescribable elegance, so he was very fond of him, and he would always give him more viscera.

Today, he came as usual. He didn’t expect that he would start to talk drivel. 

The butcher said: “And if I win?”

Client: “I will buy more viscera”. 

The butcher was unhappy: “How much more money can I earn by selling more viscera? Ok, just gamble!” 

After a moment, the butcher cut half a catty of meat and wrapped it in lotus leaves. He put it together with the viscera from before and pointed at the table, and said, “If she can come back, I will give you this half catty as well”.

Even though it didn’t have much meat, one could still make a stew meat with it.

The client was skin and bones. The butcher had a soft heart and sincerely hoped the client could win. If that young lady was safe and sound, it would also help him to amass some secret virtue, he would feel a bit better.

The client bowed: “Thank you”. 

The butcher muttered: “This action is also decent”. 

What kind of place was the Moonlight Building? 

It was a place for men and women to have fun.

The client was a helper in the kitchen doing rough work, but the slaves bought back by Moonlight Building were, to put it bluntly, the worst of the low-class. He was often ridiculed for behaving like a scholar, the butcher also thought he was putting on airs.

However, the butcher didn’t laugh. 

It was only because the client’s temperament was especially good. 

It was nice talking with him.

After an hour, the butcher became anxious. From time to time he would look in the direction, where Shen Tang disappeared. He asked: “Old fool, why did you just say young master? It’s clear that she was a girl”. 

The guest didn't take the butcher's rudeness to heart at all, he just pointed to his waist with a smile. 

The butcher was puzzled: “What's wrong? Your back hurts?” 

The guest said: “Wenxin symbol”. 

The butcher was taken aback: “What?”

Client: “That one had a wenxin. Although he isn’t as good as an ordinary warrior, it wouldn’t be a problem to him to deal with an ordinary person”. 

Butcher: “…”   

As an ordinary person, he has heard of the “wenxin” before even if he has never seen it, so he naturally knew what it meant.  

“Why didn't I see it?”

When the butcher tried to recall, he could only remember that pretty face. 

The client said: “Wenxin symbol is colorless and transparent like crystal. If you don't pay attention to it, it could be easily overlooked”.

Because of the emergence of wenxin and wudan, it became popular for men to wear monograms or accessories similar to them when they went out. It was difficult to discern the ordinary monogram and the wenxin monogram, and it was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish it in the first place.