Upon entering, she heard the hostess speaking, and Qian Shumei immediately replied,
"Eh, okay, I'll go look for it right away!"
The hostess, named Hao Yumei, was just forty years old and had two children. A boy of eight and a girl of five. The girl had been raised by Qian Shumei, and often cried to be taken back to her hometown.
Qian Shumei had plenty of free time, especially when Boss Lin was away on business.
After he left, Hao Yumei would usually go to her parents' house to help. The children were at school, and once the house was cleaned, there was nothing else to do.
So, whenever she had some time, Qian Shumei devoted her attention to the mahjong parlor.
Boss Lin and Hao Yumei both knew about her hobby of "playing cards." They said that as long as it didn't interfere with her work, they wouldn't mind anything else, and even allowed her to come home later.
It's just that recently, for some reason, her luck at cards had been consistently bad, losing nine out of ten games.
Every time she thought about quitting for good, a voice would tell her, "Be bolder, and you'll win. You'll have all the money you want then!"
Qian Shumei thought the same way. One night, she even dreamed of winning a lot of money. The money filled the entire room, and even the entire living room of the Lin family's house.
She woke up laughing that night, truly laughing awake.
She had no idea that she had already been targeted by Soul Spirit Number Five.
Soul Spirit Number Five had been dispatched by Lu Fang for some time. It had intended to complete its mission and return as soon as possible, but upon seeing the casino, it couldn't bring itself to leave.
It loved the atmosphere, loved the smell of money within! And even more, it loved the scent of the wicked souls inside!
Alas, the master only desired good fortune. If souls were needed, it could immediately bring them back.
It had locked onto its target: Qian Shumei.
Don't let her nice-sounding name fool you. She was true to her name; Qian Shumei (钱舒美), which translates to "money lost is beautiful," or "wealth means loss."
Even Soul Spirit Number Five couldn't understand why such a person had roots of good fortune.
However, it couldn't concern itself with such matters. As long as the mission could be completed, that was enough.
These past few days, she had successfully been ensnared by it. Especially after giving her a dream of winning a lot of money, her appetite had grown.
The thirty or fifty yuan on the mahjong table couldn't satisfy her desires. She kept pestering the boss to find out where bigger games were being held.
The boss was tight-lipped at first, but couldn't withstand her persistent nagging. Finally, he led her into the room behind the mahjong parlor.
The reason he hadn't brought her initially was because her profession was merely that of a nanny. He knew perfectly well how much money such a person could have. Even if he lent her usurious loans, he feared she might die without repaying them.
Soul Spirit Number Five didn't follow her everywhere. As soon as she left the mahjong parlor, it considered its shift over.
It loved the smell of the mahjong parlor and didn't want to leave it for half a step.
But it was even less worried about Qian Shumei not returning, because a person addicted to gambling could never change their habit.
Qian Shumei was like this: whenever she had free time, her heart felt like it was being scratched by a hundred claws. If she didn't play a few hands, she felt like the day hadn't been well spent.
Hao Yumei had even earnestly advised her once to play less and take care of her health, but she had been annoyed for days.
Lin Jiashan, on the other hand, never advised her. He even said, "Sister Mei only has this one hobby, so indulge her. If her heart is happy, her body will naturally get better!"
Qian Shumei felt quite proud, thinking that men truly understood women.
While tidying up the house, she pondered the reasons for her recent string of losses at cards. When playing big hands, it was luck, but losing even on small hands meant she was being set up.
She absolutely could not tolerate this insult; she had to find someone to set up a trap as well.
Who to find? After thinking it over, she decided on Bai Suxiang.
She looked unfamiliar, and Qian Shumei didn't know if she played cards.
With this thought, she made a call when she had some free time.
"Hello, who is this? ... Sister Mei, hello, hello! I just got back from shopping... Okay, okay, I can do it, don't worry! I'll be there after I change my clothes!"
Bai Suxiang said while signaling Liu Sandao to walk faster.
Liu Sandao carried Bai Suxiang's shopping haul and headed towards her room.
Old Jia was just coming out of a room in the courtyard. Upon seeing Bai Suxiang and Liu Sandao return, he gave a deliberate, sly smile and hurried towards his own room.
His room contained a specially designated counter, serving as the inn's front desk.
Besides two women in their forties or fifties who came and went, he was the only one busy.
Bai Suxiang opened her room door, and Liu Sandao put the items inside.
"Okay!"
Liu Sandao replied and returned to his own room.
There wasn't even a kettle in the room, which made Liu Sandao very unhappy. This differential treatment was truly unmatched.
"Boss, boss! Bring me a kettle of hot water!"
Liu Sandao opened the door and shouted loudly.
His room was not far from Old Jia's, so he would definitely hear this.
He had clearly seen him go in just now, but after a long while, he heard Old Jia's voice, "Coming, coming!"
Old Jia rushed out, carrying a thermos, red, with the color almost completely worn off.
"Aiya, why are you shouting? Why not earlier, why not later... Here, here, here!"
Old Jia said irritably, sweat beading on his forehead.
Looking at his slightly obese belly, it seemed to be from the strain of being overworked.
Liu Sandao didn't say anything. Once a boss, always a boss. If you ask him to be an employee, of course, he won't have a pleasant demeanor. Sudan Novel Network
"Boss, boss! It's leaking, come take a look quickly!"
Old Jia had just entered his small room when Liu Sandao called out again.
He had no choice but to rush over to take a look, "You're such a bother! You didn't spend much money, yet you have so many demands!"
Muttering under his breath, he still entered Liu Sandao's room to check.
The faucet was dripping, not heavily. "What a fuss! The water isn't going to cost you anything, why are you making such a racket!"
He complained again, leaving Liu Sandao speechless.
How could a boss like this be so unbusinesslike? Yet, his eyes clearly conveyed calculation, so why would he say such a thing?
Liu Sandao didn't have the time to speculate on people's intentions; it had little to do with him.
It was then that Bai Suxiang called out to Liu Sandao:
"Liu Sandao, let's go! I've changed. Take a look, is this outfit okay?"
Liu Sandao looked up, and Bai Suxiang was already standing at the doorway.
She was wearing casual attire. Although a bit conservative, it couldn't conceal her youthful aura.
Old Jia's eyes were glued to her, and his earlier listless demeanor had vanished.
"It's fine. Are we going out now?"
Liu Sandao replied.
"Why else? Why don't you come with me!"
Bai Suxiang said with a hint of coquettishness.
"Go, go! I'll have someone fix it for you!" Old Jia interjected at the right moment, seemingly trying to assert his presence.
Liu Sandao followed Bai Suxiang out of the inn.