After successfully passing on the task of teaching Chen Huanyu to play mahjong, Dong Changyang settled down and focused on studying and doing exercises.

Yes, it was her fault for secretly playing mahjong and getting caught by Brother Chen.

Teaching Brother Chen how to play mahjong was truly more painful than teaching him math and science.

She would rather take another top exam than teach again!

“Exams are great! I must achieve first place again and experience my ideal high school life!”

Dong Changyang opened the window, let the sunshine in, and began diligently brushing through practice problems, again and again.

Many other excellent students who were also preparing for exams inexplicably felt a chill.

“Dong Changyang!”

A girl directly stuck these three words on her own desk to remind herself whenever she glanced at them.

She was Jiang Ze from Sanzhong.

Originally expected to be the top scorer.

Never would she have imagined losing not to her school’s top students but to an art exam student. Even her strongest subject, mathematics, was outscored by several points. How could Jiang Ze endure this?

She originally could have opted out of the high school entrance exam, but upon hearing that Dong Changyang was also participating, her competitive spirit immediately ignited.

As far as she knew, it wasn’t just her; the top students from Yizhong and Erzhong were also gearing up to defeat Dong Changyang in this upcoming high school entrance exam.

Losing to a student from Thirteen Middle School, or even losing to an art major from Thirteen Middle School, is simply unacceptable!

Chen Huanyu faced challenges of his own, no less formidable than Dong Changyang’s.

Just imagine, a noble young master who has never learned how to play anything, now running up to someone revered in gambling dens and suggesting they play some newfangled game, and then dragging along two friends. What would others think?

It’s like bringing a big sword in front of Guan Gong.

This gambling master’s name is Li Wuwei.

It’s said he gave himself this name because he believes he accomplishes nothing except eating, drinking, and enjoying life, so he might as well call himself Wuwei (meaning “do nothing”).

Mr. Wuwei is around thirty-five years old this year, about the same age as Chen Huanzhi’s father, but he looks much younger, appearing in his youth as quite the handsome man. He built his own mansion on the outskirts, filled with beautiful women and children, though scholars may find this disgraceful, how many wouldn’t envy such a lifestyle?

At least Chen Huanzhi doesn’t envy it.

“Nephew, did you just say you want to play a game called ‘mahjong’ with me?” Li Wuwei looked at Chen Huanzhi’s refined and gentle appearance, almost thinking he misheard.

Having roamed the gambling scene for so many years, there’s hardly a game he hasn’t played. What is this mahjong, could it be a competition shooting sparrows in the sky with bows and arrows?

In his letter, Chen Huanzhi’s father clearly stated that his son had hardly ever been exposed to gambling games, at most participating in casual drinking games. He worried that this lack of exposure might put him at a disadvantage in social situations, which is why he sent him to Li Wuwei to learn a few tricks, to prevent him from being taken advantage of in the future. However, Chen Huanzhi turned out to be quite the opposite. Instead of showing genuine interest in learning, he directly proposed such a challenging idea?

Interesting, indeed.

Li Wuwei had no children. In his youth, frequenting gambling dens and taverns had taken a toll on his health, and although he had recovered through adjustments, there were still issues with offspring. However, he didn’t see it as a problem at all. Since he lacked nothing, not having children just meant he could take on a few apprentices instead.

“Within my mansion, there are indeed many who are proficient in gambling. Do you have any other requests?” Li Wuwei continued to inquire.“

If possible, it would be best if they were women,” Chen Huanzhi thought for a moment and voiced his request, “This mahjong gambling game was originally designed for Jinjiang Pavilion. Having women inform us about the advantages and disadvantages of this game would be ideal.”

“Understood.”

Li Wuwei had no shortage of women skilled in gambling games.

Chen Huanzhi and his father were indeed different.

To better adapt to the current era’s understanding of gambling games, Chen Huanzhi made some minor adjustments to mahjong. First, upon hearing various names for mahjong, he chose the name “mahjong,” which conveys liveliness and would be more easily accepted by women.

Secondly, he kept the terminology for the mahjong tiles unchanged but modified their suits. For example, he changed bamboo to cakes, resembling delicate pastries, and characters to a silk shape. The characters remained unchanged, directly transferred for use.

Mahjong tiles have similarities to the dominoes of Chen Huanzhi’s era, but there are many variations in gameplay and form. Initially, it’s easy to learn and straightforward to play, yet it offers extensive variability and unique combinations, ensuring no two games are alike even after playing hundreds of times. Naturally, once introduced, it would certainly be more popular than dominoes.

Now, all Chen Huanzhi needed to do was listen to the opinions of experts to make it even better.

Li Wuwei called forth his two concubines, both around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. They appeared bold and daring, though their facial features couldn’t be described as stunning, they exuded a charm that surpassed mere appearance.

No one should look impudently, especially at someone else’s concubines.

Chen Huanzhi quickly averted his gaze.

The two girls, however, smiled warmly at Chen Huanzhi without any awkwardness or shyness typical of other women when faced with him.

Of course, women proficient in gambling games summoned by Li Wuwei couldn’t possibly be the quiet and refined ladies of society.

“I was just chatting with my sister earlier, saying that Master must have come today in high spirits to play a few games with me and my sister. I didn’t expect to see such a handsome young gentleman here. Ah, Master, why didn’t you mention it earlier? I should have dressed up a bit.”

“Mei Lan, this is a friend’s son. You can call him Master Chen,” Li Wuwei said, then turned to Chen Huanyu and introduced his two beloved concubines, “The one on the left is Mei Lan, and on the right is Zhu Ju. They were originally prominent female patrons in the gambling dens, whom I won back.”

Naturally, there were women in the gambling dens too. Many compulsive gamblers, when they had nothing else left to gamble, would even pawn their wives and children. Mei Lan and Zhu Ju came from such backgrounds, slightly stronger than those sold to brothels. When a prominent female patron in the gambling den sought apprentices, they were chosen. Later, because Li Wuwei won too much in the gambling den where they were, the owner of the gambling den sent their sisters and sold the contract.

Li Wuwei chose two such people specifically, and naturally wanted to see what was extraordinary about the “Mahjong Tiles” Chen Huanzhi brought.

“It looks a bit like dominoes, but it shouldn’t be so simple, and there are more tiles than dominoes.”

“The suits are different too.”

Mei Lan and Zhu Ju grew up in a gambling house, so they could naturally detect the interesting aspects of this mahjong game more quickly than the average person.

“Please allow me to explain it slowly,” Chen Huanzhi’s voice was neither too fast nor too slow, not too loud nor too soft, making people feel as if they were enjoying a spring breeze—it was a pleasure to listen to. “This mahjong set contains…”

Explaining the rules didn’t take much time, but since it involved many complex terms, Chen Huanzhi was prepared to explain it again if necessary.

“Interesting, interesting,” Mei Lan’s face lit up more and more as she listened. If her sister Zhu Ju wasn’t holding her back, she might have rushed forward to grab Chen Huanzhi and ask him more questions.

“I’ve never heard of such a gambling game before. This set of tiles seems to combine the best aspects of various bone games, being simple, fun, and diverse. It’s a top-notch game among gambling games. If it were to be introduced, gambling houses might need to hire a few more accountants overnight.”

The key point is that this game can only be played by four people—not more, not less—just enough for the four sides of a table.

In this era, which woman doesn’t have a few close friends?

Sitting around a table, they can play and chat about family matters, which is far more interesting than playing the zither or painting.

Men can go out for fun, but women are mostly confined to their homes. When they do go out, they have to choose the right time and place, with many restrictions. But with this mahjong game, all they need is a quiet room and a table.

Interestingly, the mahjong tiles make a noticeable sound, which might not be convenient at home since there are always other people around. But if placed in a private room at a teahouse, it would be an ideal choice.

What’s more reassuring than visiting a teahouse with a few close friends?

Young Master Chen said that this mahjong game was designed as a gambling game for the women at Jinjiang Pavilion, and it indeed lives up to its name.

Of course, men can play it too, but it will likely become popular among women first.

“Come on, let’s play a couple of rounds,” Li Wuwei said, his previous polite and distant smile now replaced with a warmer, friendlier look as he glanced at Chen Huanzhi. He now genuinely seemed like an uncle to him.

It turned out that this nephew wasn’t just talking nonsense—he had indeed brought something impressive.

Li Wuwei, with an eye keener than Meilan’s, was a seasoned gambler who frequented various casinos. He could easily see the benefits of this mahjong game. He had been feeling bored and in need of something new, which was why he had agreed to Chen Huanzhi’s father’s request to help guide his so-called clueless son. But now, he was pleasantly surprised.

Who needed teaching now?

Someone who could create such an ingenious gambling game could be the one teaching him!

Chen Huanzhi had prepared himself to explain the game again, but to his surprise, the three of them understood it after one explanation. They naturally took their seats around the table and started handling the tiles.

Seeing their proficiency, if he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he might have thought they were seasoned players who had studied the game for years!

“Nephew, nephew, come and sit down. We’re just waiting for you,” Li Wuwei called out eagerly. “Is this how you shuffle the tiles?”

Li Wuwei pushed the tiles around the table with both hands.

“That’s right.”

Did they really pick it up so easily?

Suppressing his surprise, Chen Huanzhi began to ponder how he could avoid losing to them in the first round.

In the courtyard, the soft shuffling sound of mahjong tiles could be heard.

The author has something to say:

Chen Huanzhi: …I don’t know how to play cards!