Wang Mazi let out two loud laughs.

This woman actually dared to ask for an exorbitant price—it was downright laughable.

The key question was, could she even win?

Even if she did win, could she actually walk out of here?

Thinking of this, Wang Mazi readily agreed.

“Alright, no problem.”

The playing cards were spread out on the table. Wang Mazi said, “I won’t bully you just because you’re a woman. You pick first this time.”

Su Banxia replied, “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Su Banxia selected a card from the deck in front of her, placed it face down before herself, and pressed her hand firmly on top of it.

Wang Mazi also drew a card.

He slapped a ten-yuan bill onto the table and said, “You show yours first.”

Su Banxia tossed twenty yuan onto the table. “You show yours first.”

Su Banxia knew very well that if she revealed her card first, Wang Mazi would find a way to swap his card.

But she could guarantee that the card in her hand was the smallest one in the entire deck.

She wanted to crush any hope Wang Mazi might have.

Wang Mazi slapped five more ten-yuan bills onto the table.

“You show yours.”

Su Banxia looked at the three ten-yuan bills in front of her and pushed them all forward.

“I’m putting all my money in. You show yours.”

Wang Mazi’s eyelids twitched. This woman was playing with fire.

Seeing how calm Su Banxia was, Wang Mazi was momentarily intimidated.

Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

His right eyelid twitched again as his deep-set eyes fixed intently on Su Banxia.

Had someone tipped her off? Was she planning to cheat?

The onlookers grew impatient.

Su Banxia said, “I’m not cheating.”

Wang Mazi knew dragging this out wouldn’t help. He pushed all the money in front of him forward.

“You show yours.”

This was exactly the moment she had been waiting for. The money on the table added up to six or seven hundred yuan—more than enough to pay back those sisters-in-law.

Su Banxia sighed helplessly and flipped over the card in front of her.

When Wang Mazi saw the card, his pupils constricted.

Dammit, it was an ace!

How could it be an ace?

Wang Mazi hadn’t expected her to win.

He slammed both hands heavily on the table. “This round doesn’t count.”

Su Banxia had anticipated this. She swept all the money on the table into her arms, calmly stacking the bills one by one.

Good heavens, it added up to five hundred ninety-six yuan.

This was more than enough to pay off her debts.

Wang Mazi sneered, “You think just because you won, you can walk out of here with this money?”

He advanced step by step, but Su Banxia showed no fear.

What kind of situations hadn’t she seen before? Why would she be afraid of a mere Wang Mazi?

Su Banxia’s gaze fell on an empty liquor bottle on the table. She grabbed it and smashed it forcefully against her own forehead.

The crisp sound of shattering glass filled the room, and the air thickened with the strong smell of blood.

Warm blood trickled slowly down Su Banxia’s cheek—sticky and utterly unpleasant.

Wang Mazi halted mid-step, seeing the ferocity in Su Banxia’s eyes.

She pressed the broken half of the liquor bottle against her neck.

Her blood-streaked face was deathly pale, and her fierce expression radiated murderous intent.

Wang Mazi felt a chill run down his spine.

Su Banxia gritted her teeth and said, “Come on, take one more step, and we’ll all die together.

Do you really think I’m a fool?

I’ve been playing cards with you for months. You thought I was an easy target, cheating right in front of me and saddling me with a mountain of debt.

I’m being hounded by debt collectors and driven to the brink. Now that I’ve finally won, do you really think I’ll just give up this money so easily?

Today, either I walk out of here with the money, or you die here, or I die here.”

A man nearby took a step forward, and the glass tip pressed against Su Banxia’s neck pierced her skin, causing a bead of blood to trickle out.

Was this woman insane?

Wang Mazi didn’t want things to escalate. He said, “Wait, sis, let’s talk this through properly. Can you put the glass down first?

If someone really ends up dead, it won’t be good for anyone.”

“Hmph, just give me a straight answer—are you letting me go or not?

Let me remind you, this money is what I won fair and square. And I doubt you want people to find out about your cheating ways.”

Wang Mazi gritted his teeth in anger. Su Banxia’s blood dripped onto her collar, and her pale face looked terrifying.

This woman was truly vicious.

If he didn’t let her go now and delayed any further, someone might really end up dead.

Wang Mazi had never been threatened like this before. He clenched his fist in fury.

“Fine, you can go.”

Su Banxia let out a cold laugh, still gripping the broken bottle. She backed away slowly, left the room, and hurried out of the courtyard. Only after putting considerable distance between herself and the place did she finally discard the glass shard.

She strode onto the street, glanced back to make sure no one was following her, and continued walking.

During the first two rounds of the game, she had noticed that the corner of the ace had been folded—a telltale mark.

In the past, Wang Mazi had always been the one scheming against her. This time, she had to risk everything for a chance to win.

Fortunately, she had succeeded.

Su Banxia tightened her grip on the money. She wanted to buy some things from the supply and marketing cooperative, but she didn’t even have any ration tickets.

After a moment’s thought, she decided against it. It was better to go back and repay the debts first.

Her head injury made her dizzy and disoriented.

After leaving the gambling den, she finally let out a sigh of relief, but her legs felt weak and unsteady.

She trudged slowly toward the military compound.

Not far away, an army-green jeep approached.

Jiang Guo’an was driving, with his comrade Chen Feng in the passenger seat.

Chen Feng, a battalion commander from another unit, had just left the county committee with Jiang Guo’an that morning. On their way back, they spotted Su Banxia.

Seeing her, Chen Feng knew about the couple’s strained relationship. He turned to Jiang Guo’an with a light laugh and said, “Old Jiang, isn’t that your wife walking by the roadside?

Looks like she’s heading back to the military compound. Should we give her a ride?”

Jiang Guo’an glanced through the car window and indeed saw Su Banxia’s stout figure.

She usually walked with vigorous, confident strides, but today her steps seemed weak and unsteady, as if she could barely lift her feet.

Jiang Guo’an didn’t want to have anything to do with her before the divorce was finalized. He didn’t want to give her another chance to cling to him.

Jiang Guo’an said, “Let her walk. I don’t want to see her.”

But Chen Feng, sharp-eyed, noticed something as the car passed Su Banxia—there was blood on her neck and collar.

Chen Feng knew Su Banxia had a gambling problem and had never cooked a decent meal for Jiang Guo’an. It was understandable why Jiang Guo’an despised her.

Who wouldn’t be frustrated with a woman like that?

If he were in Jiang Guo’an’s shoes, he doubted he could have tolerated her as long. They’d probably have been fighting constantly.

Chen Feng said, “Old Jiang, your wife doesn’t look right. There’s blood on her collar.”

The moment Chen Feng finished speaking, the car screeched to a halt on the narrow path leading to the military compound.

Jiang Guo’an jumped out of the car and strode quickly toward Su Banxia.

As he approached, he saw the half-dried, smeared blood on her face, and his frown deepened.

It seemed things were worse than he had thought.

She must have been beaten up by debt collectors.

Jiang Guo’an’s face darkened. Su Banxia’s complexion was as pale as paper, her lips dry and bloodless.

Jiang Guo’an said coldly, “Get in the car.”

Seeing his furious expression, Su Banxia wanted to retort, but she was too dizzy to even stand steadily.

Well, a wise person knows when to yield. She could bend without breaking.

Fine, she’d get in the car!

Who was afraid of whom?