The dealer named Fourth Brother has been away for a long time.
After he got through the door, everyone in the hall fell silent. The games at the other six tables were stopped because no one was placing bets, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the half-open door.
Zhao Rang took this opportunity to scan around the people and games in the hall again, but no matter who was standing at the table, they were basically young, and no one was elderly. Zhao Rang did not see the old gentleman the child was talking about.
Zhang San is also helping Zhao Rang search, but without Zhao Rang's instructions, he can't directly ask the people around him, so as not to disrupt Zhao Rang's plan and make it self-defeating.
Gradually, the hall became no longer quiet, and people began to become restless. The whispers became louder and louder, and in an instant it turned into a roar of people.
All kinds of words filled Zhao Rang's ears, but they were all words he couldn't understand. It's an uncomfortable feeling, especially when you know that everyone is actually talking about you and you don't understand a word of it.
Everyone's discussion came to an abrupt end when the fourth brother returned.
"Why are you arguing? Do you still want to play?"
The first thing the fourth brother did when he got out of the door was to show off his authority.
After shouting at everyone, they immediately lowered their heads and began to play with the loose money in front of them. The people hosting the games at the six tables also began to lazily continue, urging everyone to place bets.
Zhao Rang saw the fourth brother walking around the hall with his hands on his hips like an emperor inspecting his territory and subjects. Then he came to Zhao Rang, put a smile on his face and said:
"The table here is small, the house is shabby, and the fun is small. If I really want to use my hands, can we change places?"
Zhao Rang thought for a while, took out a piece of the silver ingot he had just quartered with a black steel knife, threw it to his fourth brother, and asked:
"What's in it?"
The fourth brother felt that the fish had taken the bait and Zhao Rang was convinced of his "idea", so he explained:
"Of course I hope you like it!"
Zhao Rang must be very dissatisfied with such an ambiguous answer.
Seeing that the fourth brother had not yet collected the small piece of silver that Zhao Rang had thrown to him, Zhao Rang immediately stretched out his hand to hold it.
"Alas! Master, don't be anxious!"
The fourth brother panicked, leaned over from across the table, and talked in Zhao Rang's ear for a while before straightening up.
"Well, that sounds good! Let's go!"
After Zhao Rang finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the side door.
Zhang San put away the remaining three small silver ingots on the table and followed Zhao Rang.
The fourth brother wanted to stop him, but Zhao Rang glanced sideways and put down the hand he just raised.
Zhang San is a local. Although he has never been to Lotus Lane, he is still familiar with the stories here than Zhao Rang, a complete foreigner. Having him by his side will definitely affect their deception.
The experience of the fourth brother and the people behind him is not enough to know Zhao Rang's true identity, but we also know that he is definitely not just here to gamble.
As for what he was going to do, it didn't really matter. Whether you are looking for someone or asking for something, as long as the money is in place, all roads are open.
The fourth brother even estimated the money Zhao Rang carried, and thought that if he could earn it all and get his own share, it would not be a problem to buy a house and marry a wife in the northwest market.
When I think that I can still live such a life, my fourth brother is full of energy!
The door frame was a little low, so Zhao Rang had to lower his head to get in.
However, the corridor behind the door is still spacious. Zhao Rang and Fourth Brother walked side by side, and there was still room on both sides.
From the moment you enter the door, the environment in the corridor is completely different from that in the hall outside.
The wooden boards used for the walls are very neat, and the rough edges have been carefully polished. It is also much brighter and the odor is almost gone.
Two-thirds of the way through the corridor, the fourth brother stopped, and only then did Zhao Rang see a door that fit perfectly on the wooden board on the right.
"Master, please give way a little bit!"
Zhao Rang turned sideways, and the fourth brother knocked on the door and then opened it.
The light in this room is a bit dazzling.
It's not the light of lights, but several skylights on the top, like the grids of a chessboard.
Behind the door, there are two spacious couches on the left and right, which look very soft at first glance.
Zhao Rang could tell at a glance that this couch was in the style of the previous dynasty, and it should have been brought out from the palace by the group of eunuchs. It's just that it's a little too plain. I think he fled westward and took down all the decorations that could be exchanged for money.
"coming?"
A voice that was neither male nor female came slowly, and Zhao Rang even got goosebumps when he heard it...
"Xiaosi, please let the guests sit down quickly. Why are you just standing there?"
There is a gorgeous table placed deep in the room, which is carved out of a whole thick camphor tree. It looks extremely luxurious.
The person who spoke was neither a man nor a woman, sitting behind the table, facing Zhao Rang. There were three people in front of him, and they all turned to look at him when they heard the sound.
The person on the far right is a thin old man wearing gray and black cloth clothes and trousers. It's a bit old, but it's spotlessly clean, and it looks very upright when worn.
One of his hands was placed on his lap, and Zhao Rang couldn't see clearly due to the shadow under the table. The other one was placed on the edge of the table, and the light from the skylight just shone on it.
The old man's hands looked as if they had never been exposed to the sun, and were frighteningly white. Zhao Rang has never seen anyone with such fair skin, and even Yuan Kexin is much worse in comparison.
The only blemish on the hands was a tiny speck of ink on the knuckles. If Zhao Rang hadn't had good eyesight, he wouldn't have been able to see it at all.
The knuckle of the index finger is where the pen is held, and the old man's identity is already revealed. Zhao Rang can basically conclude that he is the old gentleman the child mentioned!
"Okay, Manager Li!"
The fourth brother agreed, took Zhao Rang to the table, got a chair, and asked him to sit down.
There are chairs here with soft cushions on them, which are more than a little more comfortable than the benches outside!
Manager Li smiled and nodded at Zhao Rang. The fat on his face was all hanging down, and it would sway back and forth if he moved a little, which made Zhao Rang feel sick...
However, he still held back and nodded in return, but he couldn't smile no matter what... His smile now must be uglier than crying.
Fortunately, Manager Li didn't pay attention, but picked up a purple clay pot on the tea table next to him and poured Zhao Rang a cup of tea.
"This teapot is a serious tribute. It has been passed down to three emperors in the Qinzheng Palace alone. Even my godfather doesn't know how many years it has been in the palace."
"Look, there are no tea leaves in it at all. As long as you pour hot water in, the tea aroma and tea soup will come out!"
Manager Li said slowly, with his orchid fingers raised as he poured the tea.
"please."
This purple clay pot has a big belly and a small spout. The small tea cup took a long time to fill.
If he were elsewhere, Zhao Rang would never want to drink this cup of tea...
Manager Li's identity is definitely that of a former eunuch. As for whether he is the general manager, Zhao Rang thinks that it is probably not the case. He probably likes this name, so he lets others call him that. Anyway, here, money is the boss. People like Fourth Brother can do anything to survive, let alone just a title. Maybe he himself doesn’t know what a manager is, so he can call him whatever he wants.
However, the godfather Li mentioned was most likely the real manager.
Zhao Rang knew that the great eunuchs of the previous dynasty had the habit of accepting adopted sons. However, it is rare for eunuchs to accept eunuchs. Those nine-thousand-year-old men who are so powerful that even the ministers and generals have to go to the pole to fawn over them. If they really accept a young eunuch as their adopted son, it means that this young eunuch must have something special about him.
"Mr. Li, you're welcome!"
Zhao Rang took a deep breath, made enough preparations, picked up the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp.
But this aroused the disgust of Manager Li, who frowned and said:
"Oh! How can you drink tea like this? Can you still taste it?"
After that, he gave Zhao Rang another drink.
Zhao Rang didn't say anything. He picked up the tea cup with both hands this time, smelled the aroma first, then took a sip, and then let out a sound of relief from his throat.
Manager Li didn't know that Zhao Rang didn't gasp at all when he smelled it, and his lips were only slightly wet when he drank it.
"Well, not bad! This young man knows etiquette and appreciates gifts! I heard that you are a good swordsman. Is your surname Zhao?"
Manager Li said calmly.
Zhao Rang had goosebumps, but he broke into a cold sweat again!
Just now I thought that this old eunuch must have some ability to survive to this day and live so well. But he didn't expect that he could guess that he was a member of the Zhao family just based on his skill with the knife!
Zhao Rang was not sure whether he said it casually, or if he really saw it, so he pretended to be shocked and said:
"I'm just showing off my sharpness, it doesn't mean anything."
"The knife made of black steel is indeed fast! It seems that your Zhao family really got a lot of treasures back then!"
Manager Li said meaningfully.
He has already confirmed that he is the Zhao family.
"Young man, don't be harsh, we'll be waiting!"
Manager Li saw that Zhao Rang still didn't want to admit it. He supported the table with both hands, stood up slowly with his fat body, and then walked to the standing cabinet beside him.
The eunuch walked with his legs spread wide apart. Manager Li looked even weirder because of his obesity. And in order to cover up the smell on his body, he had at least a dozen sachets fastened to his thick waist, some of which were jasmine and some rose. When mixed together, it was even weirder than his walking posture!
Manager Li slowly came to the cabinet and breathed heavily and said:
"Xiao Si, lift the cover!"
Just a few steps were already a huge load on his body. Manager Li was so tired that he no longer had the strength to reach out and his voice was a little hoarse. But when he spoke like this, he looked a bit like a man, and the goosebumps on Zhao Rang's body improved a lot.
There is no dust on the cover cloth, it seems that it is cleaned frequently. This not only shows that Manager Li is a clean person, but also shows that the things placed in the cabinet under the cover are extremely important.
"fire!"
Manager Li's breathing calmed down and his voice changed again.
As soon as the word came out, the fourth brother was already protecting the candle with his hand and stood beside him.
