The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 9: That Flutter of the Heart

Upon arriving at the tailor shop, Li Xuanba glanced at the limited selection of clothes—few colors, few patterns—then tossed the copper coin he held in his hand. It arced through the air and landed precisely in front of the shop owner. “Thud!” “Shopkeeper, give this young master a piece of clothing!” The shopkeeper was in the middle of balancing the books when the loud clatter of Li Xuanba’s coin startled him. He suddenly shuddered, and the brush in his hand left a long, smudged streak on the paper. The tailor had intended to curse Li Xuanba out, but upon seeing the string of copper coins that had fallen onto the table, he immediately put on a broad smile and greeted him enthusiastically: “Sir, which one would you like to choose? Just let me know!” Li Xuanba paid no heed to the shopkeeper’s fawning expression. His piercing eyes swept the room casually; he raised his right arm and pointed with his large hand at a half-moon-collared robe, asking in a loud voice, “How much is this one?” “This one is a thousand wen—exactly the same amount as the coin you gave me, sir. You really do know your stuff! This garment is made from…” A string of copper coins? Hearing the price, Li Xuanba furrowed his brow. Ignoring the tailor’s self-praise, he glanced sideways at the price list inside the shop. Seeing that it was indeed one guan of copper coins, Li Xuanba nodded and said to the shopkeeper, “Give me one wen in change, and I’ll buy this robe!” “One… one fen?” Looking at Li Xuanba’s serious expression, the tailor’s eyes went blank as he twisted the corners of his mouth. A customer who could afford a guan of copper coins for a garment yet demanded a change of just one wen—this customer was truly peculiar! Though he grumbled to himself, the shopkeeper quickly took the garment off the rack and handed Li Xuanba one wen. It was just one wen—compared to the several hundred wen he’d make on this sale, it was hardly worth worrying about. After changing in the back room of the tailor shop and stepping out, Li Xuanba instantly transformed from a fashion-forward environmentalist into a handsome, dashing, and extraordinary young gentleman of the Tang Dynasty. However, compared to the other men with long hair tied in headbands, Li Xuanba’s short hair was quite eye-catching. “Not bad, not bad,” Li Xuanba thought to himself, quite satisfied. The tailor shop owner had been quite thorough—the outfit came complete with undergarments, so he wouldn’t have to go out empty-handed. There was just one thing, though—why were there so many layers of the loincloth wrapped around him? It was too much of a hassle. When he had time, he’d definitely have to find a different way to wear it. As for the outer garments, they were quite comfortable. Tossing a one-wen coin in his right hand, Li Xuanba strolled over to the Hongyun Casino. He gave Mei Hanxue—whose face was still slightly flushed—a faint smile, one that made her heart pound wildly. “Miss Mei, if you trust me, Li Xuanba, then come inside with me and watch as I win back your five hundred guan!” “O-okay! Please lead the way, young master!” Perhaps because Li Xuanba had changed into a fresh set of clothes before returning, he now exuded a new air of refined elegance. Combined with his defiant and untamed demeanor, he appeared utterly captivating. So much so that Mei Hanxue could only glance at him twice before her face flushed crimson; she shyly lowered her head, her proud, snow-and-plum-blossom demeanor vanishing entirely as she obediently followed Li Xuanba into the Hongyun Gambling House. “Bet and walk away!” “Big, big, big!” “Small, small, small!” “Supreme Treasure! It was rather chilly outside the casino, but inside, it was bustling with activity. The dealer with a faint smile on his face, the gamblers with bloodshot eyes and agitated expressions, and the enforcers pacing back and forth with their arms crossed—all of this clearly sketched out the small world within the casino. Li Xuanba glanced around, skipping past the mahjong tables—known in later times as “ma diao”—as well as the pai gow tables and other gambling stations, and led Mei Hanxue straight to the table where dice were being rolled. “Clang! The dealer shook the cup containing the dice and shouted loudly, “Place your bets—no more bets!” “Big,” Li Xuanba’s eyes lit up, and his ears twitched as he placed his bet directly on the “Big” character marked with one cash coin, paying no heed to the mocking glances from the other gamblers. “Tsk, tsk, tsk! That guy’s wearing some pretty expensive clothes, but he’s sure stingy! Betting just one cash coin at a time.” “He’s probably lost everything and only has one cash coin left—guess he’s trying to win it back!” “Heh heh, what’s the point of trying to recoup your losses with just one cash coin? It’s a one-to-one payout—are you trying to win another cash coin?” Amid the gamblers’ skeptical murmurs, Mei Hanxue furrowed her delicate brows. She pulled the only other hundred wen of copper coins she had from inside her robe, handed them to Li Xuanba, and said in a cool tone, “I still have a hundred wen of copper coins here. Take them and use them.” Seeing Mei Hanxue hand the money to Li Xuanba, the gamblers immediately stopped their disparaging remarks. With looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment, they eyed Li Xuanba and Mei Hanxue back and forth, whistling in admiration. “Wow! This young master is really something! He actually brought his wife to the gambling house!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk! Just look at his wife—and then look at mine. There’s just no comparison!” “Oh my! Look at him—he even brings his own woman to the casino, while I have to sneak around and avoid my wife just to come here. This world is beyond belief.” “No need. I told you I’d use this single cash coin to win five hundred guan for you. You’d better keep this money yourself!” Watching Mei Hanxue blush crimson and bite her pearl-white lips in shyness amid the gamblers’ chatter, Li Xuanba gave her a gentle smile, and a sudden flutter of emotion welled up in his heart. “Mm,” upon hearing Li Xuanba’s words, Mei Hanxue lowered her head, letting out a soft sound through her delicate nose—had Li Xuanba not been so sharp of hearing and sight, he likely wouldn’t have caught it at all! “Three, five, six! Big! Here’s your money, sir!” After the dealer opened the dice cup, he called out the numbers on the dice and, with a hint of disdain, handed two coins back to Li Xuanba. “Once you’ve placed your bet, there’s no turning back!” “Big!” “Once you’ve placed your bet, you can’t back out!” “Small” “Bet and walk away!” “Big!” “The bet is final!” “Small” In the previous few hands, the dealer had been constantly mocking Li Xuanba. By the tenth hand, however, the dealer had turned pale and was trembling all over. The reason was quite simple: the amount of money in front of Li Xuanba was still counted in units of one—only now it had gone from one cash coin to one tael of silver. Moreover, starting with the sixth round, the other gamblers had begun betting alongside Li Xuanba. Though their winnings weren’t substantial—each had won a small amount—they quickly cashed out to avoid drawing the attention of the enforcers at the Hongyun Casino. But Li Xuanba remained calm and composed, standing tall with a smile on his face, tossing the one tael of silver in his right hand up and down. The 24 copper coins in front of him stood tall, yet he made no use of them at all. If he were allowed to keep winning like this, wouldn’t that one liang of silver turn into a thousand liang after ten rounds? “Make way! Just as the dealer was trembling as he prepared to roll the dice again, the voice of a thug rang out from beside the gambling table. A burly man with a rugged, menacing face walked in—none other than the owner of the Hongyun Casino: Hong Dangtou.