Chapter 9

Qin Xiao gave a straightforward and clear quote, leaving Dou Ba momentarily stunned. Watermark GG test Watermark GG test

Seeing Dou Ba staring at him, Qin Xiao remained calm and composed, speaking in a very polite tone: "The toilet needs to be cleaned in advance, so the total comes to nine taels of silver. Of course, Uncle Dou will be staying here for two years, and you will definitely need more things in the future. You can prepay some, and I'll keep a record. This way, I won't have to come and collect the money every time. Rest assured, I, Qin Xiao, may not be good at many things, but when it comes to integrity, I rank second, and no one in this world would dare to claim first. In long-term business, integrity is the foundation, and I won't make any mistakes, not even a single cent."

Dou Ba's face showed anger: "Are you saying that these things require silver?"

"Isn't it obvious that these things require silver?" Qin Xiao said with a look of surprise. "Uncle Dou, tell me, where can you find things that don't require silver, and I'll go there immediately."

Dou Ba sneered: "I understand now. You're trying to sell things in the prison. No wonder... the people in the previous cells all paid silver, right?"

At this moment, Dou Biao finally realized why the people in the cells were living so comfortably, with food and drink, and even comfortable living conditions. It was all because they had paid silver.

Earlier, at the door of the guard room, the guard had given Qin Xiao a meaningful look, but Dou Ba hadn't understood it at the time. Now, he realized that the guard was simply indicating that there was a new customer.

Qin Xiao still had a sincere look on his face and nodded: "Uncle Dou, this is not an inn, but a prison. The prison has its own rules. According to regulations, not even a needle can be easily brought in, let alone fine wine and food. The people in Cell A are all heroes, and I have always admired heroes. Seeing you suffer here, I feel even more pain than you do." He smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I've always thought about what I can do for you. Later, I realized that since I can move freely in and out of Cell A, if you need anything, I can bring it in for you."

Dou Ba snorted and looked at him with disdain.

"Running errands is something I should do, but everything costs silver. My monthly salary is only two taels of silver, and I have a family to support. I can't afford to pay out of my own pocket," Qin Xiao sighed, putting the small book back in his chest, looking helpless.

Dou Ba said: "Fine, running errands for people and getting silver is reasonable, but the things you just mentioned wouldn't cost more than one tael of silver. You're asking for nine taels of silver? Look at the toilet; buying a young maid wouldn't cost more than twenty to thirty taels of silver, and hiring an old woman to clean the toilet every day wouldn't cost more than two taels of silver a year. You're asking for one tael of silver a month. I think you should just go out and rob people."

"I am a constable, how can I rob people?" Qin Xiao immediately shook his head. "Even if I starve to death, I won't do anything illegal. You say the things are too expensive, but think about it. I'm taking a huge risk to bring these things in. The rules in the prison are very strict. If the higher-ups find out, I'll lose my job, and I won't even be able to support my family. To keep this a secret, I have to bribe the guards, and everyone needs a bit of hush money. So... Uncle Dou, this is already very cheap. In my business, I value honesty and fairness, and I never force anyone to buy. If you need something, I'll do my best to help you. If you don't need anything, I won't force you to buy."

Dou Ba rolled his eyes and said: "Then get out of here, I don't need anything!"

"Uncle Dou, don't get angry. Even if we don't do business, we can still be friends. Since you don't need anything, rest well." Qin Xiao's expression remained unchanged, and he still spoke kindly. "But if you need anything, you can tell me when I come by." He picked up the sack, left the cell, and locked the door. Thinking of something, he said to Dou Ba inside: "Uncle Dou, there's one more thing I almost forgot to tell you. Cell A is the best place in the prison, and many people want to stay here. If you don't need anything for ten days, you won't be using my services, and you'll have to move to Cell B or even Cell C." He bowed slightly and said, "Good night, Uncle Dou!"

Dou Ba's anger surged. Qin Xiao had just said he wouldn't force him to buy, but his words clearly meant that if he didn't pay for things, he would be moved to a much worse cell.

After saying this, Qin Xiao turned and walked away, glancing at Cell 8 with a strange smile.

He stopped in front of Cell 7, where a fat prisoner lived. Seeing Qin Xiao, the prisoner came over with a smile. Qin Xiao opened the sack and took out an oil paper-wrapped package, handing it to the prisoner: "Uncle Chen, this is the braised pork knuckle you wanted, and this is the monkey wine from Tongqing Building. Take good care of it. It's four taels of silver, and I'll deduct it from your account."

The prisoner took the food and drink without a word and went to enjoy it.

In Cell 6, a tall, middle-aged man lived. When Qin Xiao came, the man didn't come over. Instead, Qin Xiao opened the cell door and went in, closing it behind him.

The man's cell had a table and chairs, and on the table were a dice cup and several dice. The man was sitting cross-legged on the bed, apparently meditating. When Qin Xiao approached and opened the sack, the man opened his eyes slightly and glanced at the bag.

Qin Xiao took out a yellowed book. Before he could speak, the man snatched it and stuffed it under the bedding, looking around the cell nervously and asking in a low voice, "Did you tell anyone?"

"Uncle Gambler, rest assured, no one knows," Qin Xiao said in a low voice. "This book, 'Yutuanfang,' is hard to find. I had to use my connections to get it from Master Zhao. I heard the authorities are cracking down, and Master Zhao is planning to stop writing after his last book."

"Stop writing?" Uncle Gambler asked urgently. "What is his last book about?"

"I heard it's a love story between a servant and the mistress," Qin Xiao said. "Master Zhao said that since it's his last book, he will put all his effort into making it the best story, and he even asked Master Ma to illustrate it."

Uncle Gambler became visibly excited and grabbed Qin Xiao's arm. "There are illustrations? Master Ma is a great artist. I didn't think he would draw...!" Seeing Qin Xiao staring at him, he coughed and said, "Master Zhao is a great writer, and it's a pity he's stopping. The environment is not good, so it can't be helped. Xiaozi, since it's Master Zhao's last work, you must get me a copy, with illustrations."

Qin Xiao nodded. "Uncle Gambler, rest assured. I hear it will be out by the end of the month. I'll get you a copy as soon as it's available, but... it will be very expensive."

"Silver is never a problem," Uncle Gambler said boldly. "Has my sworn brother ever treated you badly?"

Qin Xiao glanced at the bedding and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Gambler, what kind of book is this? I thought you didn't like reading when you ran the casino."

"You don't know what kind of book it is?" Uncle Gambler looked at Qin Xiao suspiciously.

Qin Xiao nodded sincerely. "You know I can't read much. I don't recognize these books. When I got the book, Master Zhao told me that these books are too profound for me, and I shouldn't peek. He is a respected elder, so I followed his advice."

Uncle Gambler immediately looked solemn and nodded. "Master Zhao is right. These books are very profound. You are too young to study them now." He patted Qin Xiao's shoulder. "I have six months left, and when I leave, I'll leave all my books to you. You can study them then."

Qin Xiao smiled, looking innocent. "Uncle Gambler, I don't really like reading. I prefer gambling. You taught me the sleight of hand last time, and I've almost mastered it. Can you teach me something else?"

Uncle Gambler coughed. "Today I need to study, so I don't have time. We'll talk in a few days."

"Uncle Gambler, I've been so attentive to getting Master Zhao's last book with illustrations. Can't you...?" Qin Xiao looked disappointed.

Uncle Gambler thought for a moment and finally said, "Fine, I'll teach you my secret move today, but you mustn't tell anyone else." He reached out and grabbed the dice cup, quickly scooping up the dice on the table and putting them in the cup. He shook the cup and said solemnly, "This move is called 'Heavenly Descent.' It was this move that turned me from a beggar on the street into one of the best gamblers in Xiling, and eventually earned me the title of 'Gambler.' Once you master this move, you can dominate the gambling world and easily open several casinos and have beautiful wives and concubines."

As Uncle Gambler shook the cup, Qin Xiao's expression became serious.

"Do you want big or small?" Uncle Gambler asked solemnly. "There are five dice in the cup. The highest total is thirty, and the lowest is five. Do you want big or small?"

He shook the cup while speaking, his face calm and composed.

"I... I want...!" Qin Xiao was a bit nervous. "I want... big!"

"Bang!"

Uncle Gambler placed the cup on the table, crossed his arms, and looked at Qin Xiao with a smug expression, nodding his head. "Open it yourself!"

Qin Xiao reached out and grabbed the cup, looking at Uncle Gambler. Uncle Gambler crossed his arms, looking confident and mysterious, and nodded to encourage Qin Xiao to open the cup.

Qin Xiao lifted the cup, and it opened.

Five dice: three showed three, one showed four, and one showed six, totaling nineteen.

"Uncle Gambler, this...?" Qin Xiao had expected Uncle Gambler to roll a thirty, but it was only nineteen, and his face showed disappointment.

Uncle Gambler also looked, and his face turned red, but he didn't change his posture. He coughed and said, "This is just a demonstration. The incompetent ones roll like this, and such a move would make them lose everything in the casino." He thought to himself, "I've been too engrossed in love stories lately, and my skills have become rusty. This won't do."

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