Chapter 23: The Gambling Den

Wang Man no longer paid any attention to Wang San. Knowing she had to go into town again the next day, she went straight to bed.

Wang San, on the other hand, ate two more skewers and only when he felt a bit of discomfort in his teeth did he mimic Wang Man and rinse his mouth before going to sleep.

Early the next morning, Wang Man woke Wang San up. The two of them carried out bundles of straw bristling with skewers of candied hawthorn.

Wang Man had never sold anything like this before and didn’t know what price would be reasonable.

It was Wang San who told her that snacks like these were new and refreshing, and suggested selling them for five copper coins per skewer.

Wang Man thought about it and didn’t object.

She decided to test it out first—if people thought it was too expensive, then she’d lower the price to three copper coins a skewer.

But as it turns out, the world works in strange ways. What you think is expensive might not seem so to others.

Wang San was a familiar face in town. When people saw him selling candied hawthorn skewers, many found it novel and interesting.

After trying one, everyone agreed it tasted great.

In just a short while, all fifty skewers were sold out.

They pocketed over two hundred copper coins, leaving Wang Man overjoyed.

She hadn’t expected doing business to be this easy.

Grabbing the about-to-slip-away Wang San, she said excitedly,
“Come on, let’s hurry back and pick more. We’ll sell again tomorrow.”

Wang San, pulled back, couldn’t get away and had no choice but to follow Wang Man back.

Under her supervision, he helped pick another full basket of hawthorns.

They immediately started making more candied skewers.

After the first round of promotion, more people came to buy the second time.

A crowd gathered around, one person asking for this skewer, another asking for that one, keeping Wang Man so busy she could hardly keep up.

She was in charge of collecting the money, while Wang San was responsible for handing out the candied hawthorn.

The two worked in perfect sync, and by noon, all the skewers were sold out.

Wang Man pulled Wang San along again to buy more rock sugar, then they went back to pick more hawthorns.

They returned to the same hawthorn grove where the giant snake had appeared before.

At first, Wang San was reluctant to go. But after Wang Man’s repeated insistence, he had no choice but to muster his courage and go with her.

At the beginning, he was so nervous he broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that man-eating serpent might suddenly leap out.

But in the end, nothing happened—not even a shadow of the snake appeared. Gradually, he began to let his guard down.

For several days in a row, Wang San followed behind Wang Man, dutifully helping to sell the candied skewers.

That day, seeing how well the hawthorns were selling, Wang Man asked Wang San to take the ones they had already made to town first.

She would finish up the remaining ones and come after.

Wang San nodded and headed off.

But when Wang Man arrived later, she couldn’t find him anywhere.

She was puzzled—had the hawthorns sold that quickly today?

Had Wang San already sold everything?

But where had he gone?

Seeing the crowd that had come to buy candied skewers, Wang Man didn’t dwell on it for too long.

Once she finished selling the ones she brought, she tidied up and then asked the vendor at the neighboring stall.

That person hesitated and didn’t seem willing to talk, but his eyes kept drifting toward a hawthorn ball that had fallen from one of the skewers in Wang Man’s hand.

Wang Man immediately realized he knew something.

After a brief pause, she stuffed the hawthorn ball into his hand.

The man took the hawthorn ball and said,
“Just make sure you don’t say it was me who told you. Otherwise, he’ll come after me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word,”
Wang Man promised.

Only after eating a hawthorn ball did the man finally speak:
“He hadn’t been here long when a few thugs showed up. Then they all left together.
Said they were going to play a few rounds.”

“What about his candied hawthorn? Did he sell all of it?”
Wang Man asked.

The man shook his head.
“No, there’s still some left.”

Wang Man was so furious she nearly ground her teeth to pieces. That Wang San really hadn’t changed at all!

Bold as ever, how dare he take the money they earned from selling candied hawthorn and go gamble?

Hmph! Just wait until she gets her hands on him. She’d make sure not only he got a lesson, but also those no-good friends of his—so they’d think twice before dragging him into trouble again.

Seeing the stormy look on Wang Man’s face, the man hurriedly reminded her again not to reveal it was him who spilled the news.

Wang Man nodded, then headed straight for the gambling den.

There was only one gambling house in town, but it drew crowds every day—people of all sorts and backgrounds.

It showed just how enticing gambling was.

The moment Wang Man stepped through the doorway, she was hit by the thick, choking noise and shouting that made her frown immediately.

To be honest, this was her first time seeing such a scene in real life.

In a word—she hated it.

Her eyes scanned the room. She didn’t spot any sign of Wang San, but she did notice several people gnawing on candied hawthorn skewers.

Clearly, those were theirs.

Which meant Wang San really was here.

Inside, the gamblers were caught up in the frenzy—some shouting “Big! Big! Big!” others yelling “Small! Small! Small!” or “Open it! Open it!”—a chaotic mix of voices filled the air.

As for Wang Man, a thin and petite girl, no one paid her any attention.

After all, there were even younger kids in here.

People had clearly grown used to it.

Just as Wang Man was searching the place, she heard a familiar voice.

Following the sound, ha—wasn’t that Zhu Yazi?

If she could find Zhu Yazi, then finding Wang San wouldn’t be hard at all.

Wang Man squeezed in behind Zhu Yazi and saw him excitedly shouting,
“Open! Open! Open!”

But when the dice cup was lifted, the result wasn’t what he wanted.

Zhu Yazi instantly deflated like an eggplant hit by frost, head drooping low.

He patted himself down—nothing left, not even a single copper coin. Clicking his tongue, he turned and headed elsewhere.

Wang Man didn’t say a word and silently followed him.

And sure enough, she soon spotted Wang San. He had both hands pressed against the table, eyes locked on the dice cup in the center, lips tightly pressed together.

He looked extremely tense, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

Seven or eight people were gathered around the table, all holding their breath, waiting for the dealer to lift the cup.

The moment the dice cup was revealed, everyone sighed in disappointment.

The skinny dealer grinned as he swept the silver and copper coins from in front of everyone toward himself, then called out cheerfully,
“Come on, come on! Place your bets! Let’s keep going!”

Just as Wang San reached into his pocket, he felt someone grab his wrist. He turned around, annoyed—only to be completely stunned:
“Man—Man—Manniang, what are you doing here?”

Zhu Yazi, upon seeing Wang Man, was so terrified he immediately tried to slip into the crowd.

Heavens! Why was this tigress here? She must’ve been right behind him just now—how had he not noticed?

It’s over. Wang San was finished. He was probably going to get a real beating again.

“You dare use the money we earned from selling candied hawthorn to gamble? You’ve got some nerve!”
Wang Man said through clenched teeth, face dark with anger.

Wang San quickly defended himself,
“No! I didn’t use your money! I was gambling with my own!”

“Oh? Since it’s yours, then hand over the money we earned from selling the candied hawthorn.”
Wang Man stretched out her small hand.

Wang San panicked,
“I—I don’t have it. No money.”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t touch my money? Then why don’t you have it? Hand it over!
Or don’t blame me if I stop being polite.”

Wang Man didn’t want to stay in this suffocating place any longer. The thick smoke and noise were making her temples throb, and her temper was about to boil over.

“Manniang, listen to me—I didn’t finish selling the candied hawthorn, so…
So there’s no money,”
Wang San confessed honestly.

“At least you’re being truthful. Since you didn’t sell it all—
Where’s the rest of the candied hawthorn?”