Chapter 518: Bringing Two Thousand Taels of Silver

The ninth round.

Bao Guan drew a card, covered it with his hand to hide it, and looked at Tuan Tuan: 'Place your bets.'

Tuan Tuan lifted her eyes to look at his face, then broke into a grin.

Her sweet smile, however, made Bao Guan's heart skip a beat.

She raised her little hand, pointing at the black spot: 'Uncle Daoba, put it all here!'

'All right!' Daoba said without another word, pushing all the silver he'd won onto the black.

Bao Guan's eyes widened suddenly, his hand trembling, but he could only grit his teeth and flip the card over.

Black.

'Another win!' Daoba raked the silver into his belly, laughing loudly, 'I've been gambling for so many years, always losing money to others, and finally I get to taste the joy of winning!'

Other gamblers gathered around the table, chattering:

'Where did this kid come from?'

'He's won nine in a row!'

'Little brother, what are you betting on next round? Bring me along, old brother!'

Many people took out silver, ready to follow the bet.

Bao Guan's face had turned completely green, his hand resting on the stack of leaf cards, unmoving for a long moment.

Tuan Tuan tilted her little face up to look at him: 'Uncle, aren't you playing anymore?'

Bao Guan's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at the little dumpling before him, not knowing how to answer.

'Make way! Make way!'

A portly middle-aged man pushed through the crowd and came over, smiling all over: 'Young master, you have great luck! I'm the manager of this Outer Pass Tower; may I have a word with you?'

Daoba scooped up all the silver on the table and stood guard in front of Tuan Tuan, wary.

Xiao Er's gaze fell on the two lackeys behind the fat shopkeeper; at a glance they were clearly martial artists—looking for a fight?

Tuan Tuan showed no fear: 'Shopkeeper Uncle, do you also want to invite me somewhere else?'

The shopkeeper blinked—this kid even knows that? It seems not his first time.

He smiled even more kindly: 'Young master, you're clever—that's exactly what I meant.'

Tuan Tuan shook her head: 'I'm not going, you're so big here, I've only just won…' She looked at Daoba: 'Uncle Daoba, how much did I win?'

Daoba snorted, glancing sideways at the fat shopkeeper: 'Less than ten thousand taels!'

'Our little ancestor has only been playing for the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, and you, this grand Outer Pass Tower, won't go broke over it, will you?'

The shopkeeper's smile remained: 'Not at all, I just wanted to invite the young master to try something else—what do you think?'

Tuan Tuan asked: 'Which one?'

The fat shopkeeper turned and pointed to the pai gow table: 'How about this one?'

Tuan Tuan looked at the tiles on the table, which were covered in a bunch of dots, then shook her head: 'I don't get that one! Is there anything similar?'

The fat shopkeeper pointed to another table: 'Then let's play dice—just as simple, compare the points.'

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: 'Great!' She stepped over to the table he indicated.

Xiao Er and Daoba hurried after her, standing one on her left, the other on her right.

The fat shopkeeper walked to the side of the table, clasped his hands to the gamblers, and said: 'Everyone, I'm fortunate to have met this young master today; my hands are itching, I want to jump in and play a few rounds with him.'

'Please, make it convenient for me—pause your play for now; after I finish with the young master, you can resume.'

The gamblers glanced at each other and began to whisper.

'I've been to this Outer Pass Tower how many times, and I've never seen the manager personally take the field.'

'This young master might end up losing all his winnings; I don't want to follow him.'

'Yeah, better to wait and see.'

The gamblers stepped back a few steps, completely clearing that table.

The fat shopkeeper picked up the dice cup; the three dice inside spun around, making a clear clacking sound.

He looked at Tuan Tuan with a squinting smile: 'Young master, let's bet big or small.'

'There are three dice in this cup; add up the pips, four to ten is small, eleven to seventeen is big; if it's a triple, the house sweeps. How about that?'

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands: 'Great, great! Shopkeeper Uncle, may I place my bet?'

The fat shopkeeper smiled, the dice cup fell: 'Young master, please.'

Tuan Tuan glanced at the dice cup: 'Uncle Daoba, take out all the silver, I'm betting on small.'

Daoba hesitated a bit, leaning in to whisper in her ear: 'Little ancestor, all on small? Are you sure?'

Tuan Tuan glanced at him: 'Right! How much can I win this round?'

Daoba looked it over: 'If you win this round, it'll be over ten thousand taels, but if you lose…'

Tuan Tuan pursed her little mouth: 'I'm not going to lose!'

'Fine! I'll do as the little ancestor says!' Daoba shoved all his silver onto small, looking at the fat shopkeeper: 'Go ahead.'

The fat shopkeeper's brows furrowed slightly, he lifted his hand—two, three, four—small!

Daoba was ecstatic, nearly crazy: 'We hit it!'

'Again!' The fat shopkeeper scooped the dice back into the cup, shook it hard, and fixed his gaze on Tuan Tuan's face.

Could it be that this kid can hear the dice? Fine, then I'll let you hear them!

He shook it hard, the dice made a clattering noise; after a moment, the cup fell: 'Young master, what are you betting this time?'

Tuan Tuan raised her hand and pointed to small: 'Still this, Uncle Daoba—put it all on.'

'Okay!' Daoba didn't even collect the silver, just shoved it all onto small.

He figured it out: since Tuan Tuan always goes all-in each round, it might as well wait until the end to collect everything together.

The fat shopkeeper's smile on his face gradually faded, and he raised his hand.

Two-four-four, still small!

Daoba's eyes stared wide, this this this, just twenty thousand taels? This is too fast!

Hahaha, we've struck it rich!

The fat shopkeeper pondered for a moment, pulled out a thin white cloth, folded it several times, laid it on the inner walls of the dice cup, and placed the three dice inside.

He picked up the dice cup, gently shook it; this time, the dice made no sound as they turned.

Even so, he only shook it a few times before setting the dice cup on the table.

His smile was full of confidence, his tone tinged with teasing: 'Young master, what are you betting on this time? Your bet is locked in!'

Tuan Tuan looked at him: 'Uncle, your smile looks just like a swindler on the street cheating kids!'

The crowd burst into laughter.

The fat shopkeeper's smile stiffened, he shook his head: 'Young master, you're joking.'

Daoba asked: 'Little ancestor, what are you betting on this time?'

Tuan Tuan raised his hand and pointed to the banker sweeps all spot: 'Here!'

The fat shopkeeper's face changed, and he slightly raised his hand.

Three fives!

The onlooking gamblers exploded.

'Sweep! This kid hit the sweep!'

'This round we won big!'

'How can his luck be so good?'

The fat shopkeeper stared intently at Tuan Tuan, wondering if he had guessed wrong—wasn't he supposed to listen to the dice?

He pondered for a moment: 'Someone! Bring me a new set of dice! Fetch that ivory cup!'

'Yes!'

But no matter what he did, Tuan Tuan kept winning bet after bet, ten in a row, two of which were the surround dice!

The gamblers weren't having it:

'Shopkeeper, I want to follow!'

'Exactly! Why shouldn't we be allowed to follow?'

'Little brother! Let's get rich together, brother!'

Tuan Tuan was delighted: 'Sure! Sure! Everyone, follow my bets!'

Sweat beads on the fat shopkeeper's face fell onto the table: 'Young master, this little temple outside the pass can't possibly accommodate your great presence.'

'If you keep playing, I as the shopkeeper will have nothing to eat and will be left drinking the Xibei wind.'

'Someone! Bring two thousand taels of silver!'

The attendant hurriedly presented a tray, inside which neat rows of silver ingots were stacked.

The fat shopkeeper stepped away from the table and bowed deeply to Tuan Tuan: 'These two thousand taels of silver are my gift; please, young master, try your luck elsewhere.'