Chapter 33

Jiang Ning entered the Gold Jade Hall intending to find Zhao Instructor, but upon entering, she realized she had underestimated the situation.

From the outside, the Gold Jade Hall appeared to have just a small door, but inside it encompassed seven or eight interconnected shops, with an area roughly the size of a football field.

The hall had two levels. The ground floor was the main hall, with seven or eight large gambling tables arranged from left to right, each surrounded by people. The second floor had a courtyard design, with more than ten small compartments separated by screens along the curved railing. People upstairs enjoyed snacks and tea while having a clear view of the events unfolding in the main hall below.

What caught Jiang Ning's attention most, however, was an enormous couplet hanging from the second floor to the first.

The first line read: "From small bets to great wealth and glory;"

The second line read: "From nothing to everything, ascending to heaven in one step."

The horizontal scroll above read: "It's all about timing and fate."

This couplet was indeed fitting, Jiang Ning thought, as it captured the gamblers' mentality perfectly.

However, the Gold Jade Hall was larger than Jiang Ning had imagined. She stood in place for quite a while, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the hall several times, but she couldn't find Zhao Instructor.

"Miss, why are you just standing there? Come and play a few rounds!" came Houzi's voice from behind. Jiang Ning was inclined to ignore him, but suddenly he raised his hands above his head, clapped loudly, and announced in a booming voice, "Hey, gentlemen! A young lady has come to our establishment, and she's quite wealthy – she's got a whole tael of silver to spend! It's her first time here, so let's all be gentlemen and make sure she has an enjoyable experience!"

Despite his scrawny appearance, Houzi had an exceptionally loud voice. His announcement cut through the bustling atmosphere of the hall, ensuring that everyone absorbed in their gambling heard every word he said.

A wealthy young lady entering a gambling hall was indeed a rare occurrence. Dozens of eyes turned to stare at Jiang Ning, each person brimming with curiosity and intrigue. Some even whistled at her.

Jiang Ning stood calmly in place, discreetly observing several men who slowly emerged from the shadows.

One, two, three, four, five, six – a total of six men, each dressed like Houzi in black fitted clothing with their hair tied up, presenting a neat and agile appearance.

They were the hall's hired muscle.

Jiang Ning easily guessed their identities and understood that leaving this place directly wasn't realistic, especially for someone who had entered with silver.

Very well, she thought, let's gamble then.

"Clack!" "Clack!" "Clack!"

The hall instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath, listening intently to the crisp sound of dice colliding inside the cup. Several people even closed their eyes, tilting their heads to focus on the sound.

"Thud!" Old Yu slammed the cup down on the table and calmly announced, "Place your bets, everyone!"

The usually impatient gamblers took their time, each weighing their copper coins and glancing sideways at Jiang Ning, waiting for her to bet.

Jiang Ning didn't mind. With a "clank," she placed her silver tael on "big."

"Miss, are you betting it all?" Old Yu asked, unsure.

Jiang Ning raised her eyes to look directly at him. "As you can see."

A wave of snickers rippled through the crowd, and then the others began placing their bets. Most people, eyeing Jiang Ning's silver tael, chose to bet on "small," while a few followed Jiang Ning's lead and bet on "big."

Once everyone had placed their bets, Old Yu shouted, "I'm opening it now!" and slowly reached for the dice cup cover.

"Small!" "Small!" "Small!"

The crowd started chanting, each shout louder than the last, as if their voices could influence the outcome. The few who had bet with Jiang Ning were shouting "Big!" but their voices were completely drowned out by the majority.

Old Yu took his time, letting the crowd chant as he touched the dice cup cover at an excruciatingly slow pace. Then, taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Open!"

The cup was lifted, revealing three dice lying quietly inside. Everyone craned their necks to look: "Three, four, four – eleven points. Big!"

Most people had lost. A chorus of sighs and groans echoed through the hall, while the winners grinned from ear to ear as they eyed the pile of money.

Old Yu distributed the winnings according to the bets. Jiang Ning, having bet the most, won the most. After the house took its cut, she had won one hundred and three copper coins in this round.

"The miss has quite the lucky hand – a win right off the bat! Would you like to continue?" Old Yu asked with a smile as he handed Jiang Ning her winnings.

"Let's keep playing then," Jiang Ning replied.

She tucked the copper coins into her clothes, but left the silver tael on the table as her next bet.