She said this was her second time coming here and displayed unfamiliarity and nervousness, but just now she had spoken too much.
Jun Zhenzhen shouldn"t be trying to probe her?
Lin Jin"er looked at the girl in front of her.
Miss Jun"s expression seemed to be calm, her eyes bright and clear without a trace of emotion.
She couldn"t discern her mood.
Lin Jin"er squeezed the hand on her knee.
"I am from Yangcheng. You just came here last year so you don"t know. Everyone knows about the fearsome Jinyun Hall," she said with a smile.
Miss Jun nodded, propping her jaw against her hand.
"That"s good. I was worried that Young Miss Ning and them would not have enough money to play."
Lin Jin"er went blank. So she asked because of that. Immediately, she laughed in her heart.
It really did not need her needless explanation.
"Zhenzhen." She immediately put on her anxious expression, grabbing onto her hand. "What are you doing? We can"t play."
Miss Jun took the hand from under her chin and rapped the money on the table.
"What do you mean we can"t play. We"ve just started," she said carelessly. "If I can"t play, why can Miss Ning and them play?"
Lin Jin"er acted nervous and angry.
"Zhenzhen, this is not like fighting with Zuo Yanzhi about buying a hairpin at a jewelry store like the Jin Hall. If you make them lose a lot, you will lose too," she said. "Don"t foolishly throw money around to buy happiness."
Miss Jun smiled.
"Happiness," she repeated. "Spending money to buy happiness is very good. It"s just money after all."
Lin Jin"er became even more nervous at her misunderstanding.
"Zhenzhen, that isn"t your money; it"s the Fang Family"s money. If you do this, you will provoke the Fang Family. After all, you are now a daughter-in-law of the Fang Family--"
A slap! Miss Jun slammed the money on the table.
"Who am I?" she raised her voice.
"Young Lady Fang," said Jinchuan immediately, who had been sitting down silently all the while.
Lin Jin"er"s expression was stunned, but inside she was almost bursting with laughter.
"The Fang Family"s money is my money. If I want to use my money, it"s n.o.body else"s business," she declared while sitting up straight. "I want to place a bet."
"First section, nineteenth room, places one hundred taels for against the ear."
When this was announced, the whole hall froze. Did they hear incorrectly? It seemed like even the musician"s song had stopped for a moment.
"Is she crazy?"
Ning Yunyan and the girls were dumbstruck.
Against the ear was a basic level configuration. Usually it was only used to get everybody excited, and everyone intentionally put down ten, fifteen taels of silver.
Even if the Jinyun Hall"s pitch-pot was harder than the ordinary game, if you couldn"t throw an against the ear you, wouldn"t have the dignity to climb on stage, unless you were a shame-faced person begging for money.
Obviously, the young n.o.blemen prepared to play this game did not expect it either. His hand holding the arrow trembled when the voice came from the private room.
But the ones who could play here were worldly. The silence lasted only for a moment, immediately followed by people placing bests. They were the standard, ten, fifteen taels; no one went crazy because of one person who didn"t understand the rules. Until the last one.
"First, seventeenth bets one hundred taels on against the ear."
When they heard another unconventional bet, everybody stilled.
This was definitely a fight between young men or women.
This was not often seen, but not never.
"Zuo Yanzhi, are you crazy?"
Ning Yunyan"s girls were dumbfounded and staring at Zuo Yanzhi in the corner.
"Didn"t the 150 tael hairpin teach you anything?"
Zuo Yanzhi gripped her hands tightly.
"I just can"t not teach her a lesson," she said. "She thinks she can use this trick to fool us?"
The girls exchanged glances. They saw that Jun Zhenzhen was deliberately trying to oppose them with her bets.
"Just don"t get fooled by her," said another girl.
Zuo Yanzhi scoffed.
"What am I scared of her doing? Why is it enough to not be fooled by her, why can"t I fool her?" she said.
One of the girls snorted.
"You thought this way last time," she said.
This made the girls laugh.
Zuo Yanzhi turned red.
"She is just one person; we have eight. If she puts out one hundred taels, we eight have to put ten or so each. Could it be we can"t play? If each of us lose one hundred taels, she will at least lose eight hundred. I don"t believe that she won"t eat a loss this time," she declared.
This was logical, but also stupid. Although she would take a hit, they all would have to spend money.
The girls" faces showed their hesitation.
"I haven"t gone out for two months, and at New Year"s I received some red packets. When we came into the city today, Big Brother also gave me money," said Ning Yunyan, smiling at Zuo Yanzhi. "You were wronged because of our Ning Family, so I"ll give you three hundred taels."
Little Moon behind her immediately presented Zuo Yanzhi with a banknote.
Everyone understood what was going on.
"Since it"s like that, I"ll contribute a hundred taels."
"I have some too. Here"s a hundred."
They spoke without any more hesitation, striving to be first and fearing to be last. At most they gave two hundred, at least, one hundred. In the blink of an eye, Zuo Yanzhi had ama.s.sed one thousand taels.
Zuo Yanzhi slapped the table, her face glowing red.
"Today I will definitely make Jun Zhenzhen, that cheap s.l.u.t lose her underwear and make everyone see the valiance of the Fang Family"s Young Lady," she said with a big grin.
Such vulgar words came out in a gambling den, learned from habitually listening in to their brothers.
All of the girls covered their smiles.
"How could she not lose her underpants this time. Just a pity no one will be able to see it," someone joked.
After all, they were all girls. When they thought of such a situation, they giggled with laughter.
Ning Yunyan pressed the teacup to her lips again and smiled faintly.
Not lose? That was simply impossible. This time, it was not only dependent on her awareness.
"Three hundred taels!"
Miss Jun said.
The servant Jinchuan, who had previously stood behind her was now standing by the door.
When she heard Miss Jun speak, she immediately went outside.
"First, nineteenth, esteemed guest places three hundred taels on successive hits. [1]"
Lin Jin"er looked at Miss Jun, who was holding her teacup, with a distressed face.
"Zhenzhen, you really cannot play again," she said.
The hundred taels that were on the table before, as well as another fifty taels were no more.
Like this, Miss Jun was set to throw away over a thousand taels.
But Miss Jun did not stop, instead betting even greater amounts.
"These n.o.ble sons have exemplary skills, so don"t play anymore," she added.
"Exemplary talents are good. The better the talent, the bigger we can play," Miss Jun said breezily.
As expected, after the announcement came the attendant"s voice from the neighboring room.
"First, seventeenth, esteemed customers bet four hundred taels on successive hits."
Miss Jun looked outside.
"Don"t you see it?" she said, raising her brows at Lin Jin"er. "There"s another Zuo Yanzhi, though this time there is more than a one hundred fifty tael lesson."
Seeing Miss Jun"s immensely proud expression, Lin Jin"er secretly smiled.
Outside came the sounds of applause. As expected, the n.o.ble son won.
Lin Jin"er sighed in despair.
After the applause ceded, a new round of betting started.
"First section, seventeenth places five hundred taels for an inverted ear. [2]"
When she heard this, Miss Jun gave Lin Jin"er "this is all within my expectation" look.
"Six hundred," she said with a smile.
The attendant outside shouted.
"That"s too much" Lin Jin"er warned uneasily.
"What is much? This is just money," Miss Jun said calmly, holding a teacup.
Was this just a show of money?
This child was really boring.
She lifted up her cup.
Lin Jin"er picked up the teapot to pour tea but found it was empty.
"Xianglan, go get another pot of tea," she said.
[1] Where the first and second arrow make it into the main body
[2] Not gonna lie, I have no idea what this is