Chapter 338

The next day, Ding Li brought money over from Zaocheng.

I took the money into the guesthouse,

and told Ding Li to arrange to stay inside as much as possible, letting him keep watch in the guesthouse.

Zhu Sheng went to find Mei Ge again.

After noon, I drove and took He Zuming to Yangquan Hutong to buy crickets.

Along the way, He Zuming introduced me to the cricket-fighting trend in Sijiucheng.

He Zuming said: "Jianqiang, don't underestimate this little bug; the stakes are hundreds of thousands to millions, far more serious than mahjong."

I said: "Mr. He, I know nothing about this. Please tell me more about it.

I want to understand the ins and outs."

"Sure. The trend of cricket fighting has existed since ancient times; during the prosperous Tang, it began in the harem of Emperor Tang Ming, where concubines started raising crickets as a fashion.

That amorous emperor indulged in pleasure; the concubines and talented ladies vied with each other, first fighting crickets in the palace.

Emperor Tang Ming also joined in; as the saying goes, what the superior likes, the inferior follows, and the powerful ministers and nobles eagerly took to it, turning cricket fighting into the most popular gambling.

When the Song court moved south, Chancellor Jia Sidao was a famous expert in raising crickets; despite the Jin invaders coming south and the military situation urgent, he spent all day raising and fighting crickets, compiling his experience into a book called the "Pu Zhi Jing," and even had prefectures and counties select rare insects according to his list for his amusement.

He even built a villa at Ge Ling specifically for cricket fighting, named "Ban Xian Tang." In the Ming dynasty, the Xuande Emperor was even more a pleasure-loving, carefree son of heaven,

and cricket fighting was one of his favorite pastimes.

He specially ordered the imperial kilns to produce white-ground blue-and-white water jars, fighting basins, and cages; these items are now priceless treasures.

Each such item is worth tens of millions offhand.

The cricket-fighting trend lasted all the way to the Qing dynasty, enduring without decline.

Especially the retired officials and literati at the end of the Qing, they spent all day carrying bird cages, and then fought crickets.

Only after the founding of the People's Republic did these things disappear.

In recent years, the world has been at peace for a long time, and we are again in a prosperous age,

the cricket-fighting trend has begun to come back into fashion.

It is mainly some rich second-generation and official second-generation who take part.

They have plenty of time and plenty of money,

and they play to be different."

"Is it that Second Master Wen Han also likes cricket fighting?" I asked.

"Yes, he is also a player, but he mainly makes his fortune and earns money from this."

"How does he make money?"

"You'll find out later." He Zuming said.

"Then, is Hongguo Li very familiar with Wen Han?"

"He's just a servant; Hongguo Li is merely skilled at raising crickets, his boss is called Qiu Xi,

Qiu Xi is a veteran figure in Sijiucheng, basically a good-for-nothing.

He has some family background, enjoys playing, and especially loves fighting crickets.

Qiu Xi is acquainted with Wen Han; his main job is to sell crickets for Wen Han to make money, acting as Wen Han's white glove.

The jar we had yesterday counts as a gift we gave to Second Master Wen.

Qiu Xi organizes idle people to fight crickets, and they do it at this Douqu Pavilion; then he takes a cut.

This is also one of the ways the Wen family makes money.

Don't underestimate this; the courtyard we visited is what they earned from crickets.

Qiu Xi, Hongguo Li, and Xiao Yan are all people who follow Second Master Wen.

Yesterday, a fake Zhao Ziyu jar, he opened his mouth asking for one million.

Think about how much money that is."

Hearing He Zuming say that, I understood a lot.

I laughed and said: "Looks like it makes more money than our real estate business."

"How to put it? Your money is hard-earned, requiring effort and investment, whereas their money is easy money.

Many people attach themselves to these young nobles, using their behind-the-scenes resources, and have made big fortunes.

"In Sijiucheng there are the famous four young masters; behind each is a group of people who specialize in serving the idle." He Zuming said.

"Then what does Zhou Jie, the Young Master Zhou, love?" I asked.

"Young Master Zhou loves gambling, and on a large scale; it's said his wins and losses are in the tens of millions.

I don't know much about Young Master Zhou.

The only thing is that Young Master Zhou and Wen Han don't have much interaction.

Second Master Wen is a rising star in Sijiucheng.

His father came to Sijiucheng a few years ago, just barely gaining a foothold.

Only then did he gradually make a name for himself."

"It seems only if one's own father is powerful can they call the wind and summon the rain in Sijiucheng."

"That's natural; if there's someone in court who likes to be an official, and if there's no one in court to wipe your butt when trouble arises, nobody dares to play. In these years I've seen a lot in Sijiucheng.

Some young masters play in great splendor, but when their father falls from power,

they end up with nowhere to beg for food.

Alas, the so-called young masters are only able to play in splendor thanks to the protection of their forebears; in front of them you shouldn't mention the affairs of Sijiucheng,

pretend to know nothing.

it's just aimless association with them."

They are on high alert.

I nodded.

"Don't worry, Mr. He, playing dumb, I can handle that."

He Zuming and I talked while walking, and we quickly returned to the Second Ring's Yangquan Hutong.

After parking the car by the roadside,

He Zuming and I got out of the car,

We walked into the hutong again and soon reached the gate of the siheyuan.

He Zuming knocked on the door,

In a moment someone answered from inside and came out to open the door,

"Yo, Mr. He has arrived," Xiao Yan said, greeting.

"Is Mr. Li here?" He Zuming asked.

"Yes, by the way Mr. He, Autumn Elder is also here. They are planning a cricket competition after the New Year."

"Just as you arrived, Mr. Li still wants to treat you," Xiao Yan said.

"Having Mr. Li miss you, and Mr. Qiu is also here, that's great. Come, Mr. Zhao, let's go in and learn a bit," He Zuming said.

"Mr. Zhao, please go ahead," Xiao Yan said to me.

I nodded and followed them in single file into the courtyard.

We quickly entered the second living room.

In the living room, Hongguo Li was drinking tea with a bald man in his forties.

The man wore a traditional Chinese robe, sported sunglasses, and squatted on a stool while drinking tea.

Hongguo Li saw He Zuming and me enter, immediately stood up and shouted loudly, "Mr. He has arrived; it was that gust of wind that blew you here."

He Zuming laughed, "Northwest wind. Mr. Li, hello; yo, Autumn Elder is also here. Hello, Autumn Elder."

"Mr. He has arrived; forgive me, I cannot greet you from afar. Please sit," the middle‑aged man with sunglasses said without standing up,

He only pointed to a nearby stool and said to He Zuming.

No need to ask; this fellow must be the Qiu Xi that He Zuming mentioned.

"Alright, Autumn Elder, I haven't seen you since before the year. I've missed you a lot; where have you been gallivanting these days?" He Zuming asked.

"I went to Thailand to see foreign women. Damn, it wasn't that fun. Who is the person behind Mr. He? Why does he look so unfamiliar?" Qiu Xi asked, looking at me.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce Autumn Elder. This is Mr. Zhao, from Xinfa Di; he just bought a Zhao Ziyu jar here yesterday. Today he came over to check on the insects," He Zuming introduced me.

I quickly performed the bow,

"Hello Mr. Li, hello Mr. Qiu. As for me, I just entered the trade, thanks to Mr. He's introduction; yesterday I found a fine jar here.

Having a good jar alone isn't enough; you also need good insects, so I let Mr. He bring me here."

At that moment a sentence slipped from Qiu Xi's mouth; though spoken softly, I heard it,

"Country bumpkin. Hmph." It seemed Qiu Xi looked down on me.

In the past, only those inside the Second Ring of Sijiucheng were considered city folk; beyond the Second Ring was countryside, and Xinfa Di, in their eyes, was even more rural.

I pretended not to hear.

Hongguo Li quickly came over,

and said to me, "Mr. Zhao, please have a seat."