Chapter 207: Gambling House
“Mother dear.” Yuan Yuan pounced over and hugged Shang Wan, rubbing against her. Shang Wan reached out in extreme disgust and pressed down on the little baby girl’s forehead, pushing her away.
She had just been rubbing against the dog; no bathing meant no rubbing against her.
Yuan Yuan giggled, pouted, and blew a kiss to her mother.
At home there was Xiao Hui, entering the city there was Xiao Hei; the cub wouldn’t have to walk on her own anymore.
That’s right, the little baby girl who had only recently learned to walk was already starting to think about slacking off.
Chu Xu pulled Yuan Yuan aside and whispered to her; her cat-like eyes darted around, clearly plotting some mischief.
“You two aren’t allowed to go out again. I’ll go check up front.” Shang Wan exhorted the two children and went to the front to watch the artisan dismantle the decoration on the wall.
Once dismantled, they would measure again to custom-make the medicine cabinet.
The renovation artisan was introduced by He SIZhi and was called Wu Kai; he was neighbors with He SIZhi.
If Shang Wan had come looking two days earlier, He SIZhi could have brought his apprentice, but yesterday He SIZhi had taken on new work. Although it was in the city, he had no energy left to take on Shang Wan’s job.
After pondering it over, he recommended Wu Kai to Shang Wan.
He SIZhi had brought Shang Wan to meet Wu Kai once; Shang Wan thought he seemed decent, so she settled on him right away.
Wu Kai spoke little, worked nimbly, understood everything Shang Wan said, and never acted on his own initiative; Shang Wan was very satisfied.
Moreover, Wu Kai knew many artisans; for the furniture Shang Wan wanted custom-made, his friends could handle it all, at very reasonable prices.
The two nephews who came with Wu Kai to work were young, about the same age as Shi Tou.
The two were hired by Wu Kai to help; they had just started learning the trade and could only assist with carrying and lifting.
Wu Kai told Shang Wan not to pay the two wages, just provide meals.
Shang Wan watched coldly; the two youths obeyed Wu Kai completely, doing whatever he told them without ever talking back.
Shang Wan, who already owned thirty-four spiritual fields, was never short on food; getting two helpers for free, she naturally wouldn’t refuse.
However, Shang Wan wasn’t good at cooking, nor did she want to poison people at the medical hall. After a bit of pondering, she simply paid the boss lady of the neighboring eatery to help cook.
She would provide the ingredients; the boss lady just needed to use her skills, paid by the meal.
As soon as Shang Wan mentioned it, the boss lady hesitated only a moment before agreeing readily.
The stove was sitting idle anyway; making a few home-style dishes was no difficult matter for someone running a restaurant.
With the cooking issue resolved, under the efforts of Wu Kai and his two nephews, the renovation officially hit the fast track.
Worth mentioning was that Shang Wan hadn’t even gone to the gambling house to buy the dog yet when people from the gambling house got wind of it somehow; a steward brought thugs right to her door.
Without a word, they started smashing the place.
Shang Wan was the type who responded to kindness with kindness but wouldn’t take any bullying.
For someone like the gambling house steward who came in acting tough, she would only be tougher.
The gambling house people walked in upright but crawled out battered and bruised.
It was mealtime, and with the restaurant nearby, there were plenty of customers coming and going. Hearing that gambling house people had come to make trouble, a crowd had already gathered to watch the spectacle.
They thought the shop owner would come off worse, but unexpectedly the gambling house people were beaten until they didn’t even recognize their own parents.
The common folk pointed at the battered thugs, and along the way discussed this shop still under renovation.
Shang Wan seized the chance to do some publicity; many commoners remembered that a medical hall was about to open here. What spread even wider was that the apothecary’s shopkeeper was a beauty.
Naturally, the gambling house people weren’t content to be beaten back; soon another group came looking for trouble, and Shang Wan struck hard again, beating without mercy.
She dragged a chair to sit at the shop doorway, declaring she was waiting for the gambling house to come again for more beatings.
Her attitude was truly arrogant, but she had the ability to back it up.
The gambling house sent three groups in total, and all three were beaten back; their face was truly ground into the floor.
Worried the gambling house might try something at night, Shang Wan didn’t go home that evening, resting in the backyard with the two children.
Everything was taken from the space; with Yuan Yuan distracting Chu Xu, he thought it was all already in the shop and didn’t suspect a thing.
Before closing up, the restaurant’s boss lady came specifically to remind Shang Wan to be careful; if she couldn’t hold out, report it to the officials right away, as even the gambling house would dread them somewhat.
Shang Wan appreciated the kindness, but tonight, she certainly wouldn’t be the one reporting to the officials.
She might not win in reasoning, but in fighting, she feared no one.
Little friend Chu Xu was so excited he couldn’t sleep, rolling around on the bed, wondering when the gambling house people would come.
Shang Wan slept in the middle of the bed; seeing the child tossing like a pancake, she helplessly patted him. “When they come, I’ll wake you to watch the fun. Now close your eyes and sleep.”
If he kept rolling like this, he would wake Yuan Yuan.
She had no desire to hear that devilish crying.
Chu Xu and Shang Wan pinky-swore; only after her repeated assurances did he close his eyes and sleep obediently.
In the middle of the night, three black shadows flipped in from over the courtyard wall.
Shang Wan abruptly opened her eyes, a expectant curve hooking at her lips.
If they came seeking death, she couldn’t be blamed.
“Hurry and lock it up.”
“Splash the oil, splash the oil.”
“Dare to challenge the King of Hell; let that woman know our power.”
The three in black clothes kept their voices low, sneaking about.
One of them suddenly looked around and asked his companion, “Why do I feel like someone’s watching us?”
“In the dead of night, even ghosts are asleep; where would people come from?” His companion scoffed. “You’re just timid.”
“You’re the timid one!” the black-clothed man retorted. “I really feel something’s off; hurry and light it so we can go.”
His companion snorted, pulled out the fire starter, and was just about to throw it onto the oil-slicked door when suddenly the flame flickered and went out.
The black-clothed man couldn’t help shivering; that man cursed under his breath and blew it alight again, just about to throw when it went out once more.
His companion couldn’t help cursing: “Damn it, what piece of junk is this?”
“C-Could it be… a ghost?” The black-clothed man’s voice trembled; hugging his arms, he looked all around, already muttering “Amitabha.”
“Don’t scare yourself,” his companion said while blowing on the fire starter. “Where do ghosts even come from in this world…”
Suddenly, in the faintly glowing firelight, a ghastly pale face appeared.
Shang Wan grinned, her voice cold as ice. “Are you looking for me?”
The three: “!!!”
Ghost!!!
……
……
The next day, a cage appeared at the shop doorway with three men in night clothes locked inside.
Commoners heading out early to buy breakfast caught sight of the cage and gathered curiously; even bosses and shop assistants from several restaurants came over to join the excitement.
“Who are these three?”
“Isn’t this a dog cage?”
“Wearing night clothes, they definitely weren’t up to anything good.”
“Isn’t that one of the gambling house guys? How’d he end up locked here?”
“Yesterday the boss lady offended the gambling house; these three probably tried to strike the shop at night and got caught by the boss lady.”
“Isn’t the gambling house owner that one? Daring to stand up to the gambling house; the boss lady’s got some guts.”
……
While the commoners were discussing, a team of officers walked over.
“Officers, it’s these three. Last night they tried to splash oil and burn my shop. Luckily I was alert and hadn’t slept deeply, or I’d have been burned alive by now.”
Shang Wan pointed at the three and lodged a complaint with the officers, then patted her chest in lingering fear afterward, her pretty face pale.
