On this day, the entire capital was engulfed in a wave of lamentations. Outside various gambling houses, people were running around naked in madness, some banging their heads against trees, and others preparing to choke themselves to death by eating several steamed buns at once.
A-Fei received the last batch of betting money, feeling an urge to join the naked runners.
Two hundred and fifty taels, with odds of ten to one. Heavens, how much money was that?
He, a nobody who lived like a rat in the corner, ignored by all, now had bank notes worth over two thousand taels in his possession?
Stay calm, stay calm. This huge sum wasn’t his; come to think of it, he had even lost his savings.
A-Fei stumbled away from the gambling house as if drunk, looking no different from those who had lost everything, attracting no attention at all.
The long night finally passed, and Tianxiang Teahouse was even more bustling than usual.
“Miss, A-Fei wouldn’t have run off with the huge sum, would he?” A-Man asked, clutching her chest.
She couldn’t even bear to imagine such a possibility; the mere thought made her heart ache.
Jiang Si sighed helplessly: “A-Man, you’ve asked this for the sixth time now.”
“This servant is just worried, that’s all.”
It was over two thousand taels of silver, had the young miss calculated it correctly?
As the mistress and servant entered the private room, A-Fei came forward to greet them, clearly having waited for some time.
A-Man let out a long sigh of relief.
This boy knew his place after all.
“Miss, here’s your money—” A-Fei’s hands trembled as he took out an oil paper package from against his chest.
A-Man took it, opened it, and counted three times before finally showing a smile: “Miss, it’s all here.”
Jiang Si raised her chin slightly.
A-Man understood and reluctantly took out a hundred-tael banknote: “Here, as agreed.”
“How could I—” A-Fei quickly accepted the banknote.
“Give A-Fei another hundred taels.”
“Miss!”
Jiang Si raised an eyebrow.
A-Man deflated and took out another hundred-tael note.
This time, A-Fei didn’t accept it: “Miss, we agreed on a hundred taels before…”
“At that time, the odds were five to one. You placed your bet at a good moment, allowing me to earn much more. This extra hundred taels is a bonus.”
“Then I won’t be polite.” A-Fei, having spent years in the streets, had thick skin. Hearing Jiang Si’s explanation, he happily reached for the banknote.
He tugged, but it didn’t move.
A-Fei glanced at A-Man and reminded her: “Sister A-Man, you’re going to tear the banknote…”