Free Web NovelChapter 26: Chapter 26 Purple Dragon Pattern
As the sky gradually darkened, a gentle breeze wafted through the willows, casting their reflections on the walls of the small western-style building, like a scene from a traditional ink-wash painting.
In the village, the wealthiest was the village head, Zhao Youquan, and this two-story western-style building belonged to him. The house was surrounded by a two-meter-high wall built of red brick, coated in white paint.
The courtyard was filled with flowers and plants, likely the favorites of his wife.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the darkness.
"Thud, thud, thud."
The sound of knocking arose.
"Is Village Head Zhao home?" the person knocked vigorously on the gate from within the dark.
"Who’s there in the middle of the night?"
Liu Xiulan staggered out of her room and turned on the porch light.
When she opened the door, it turned out to be Ding Li.
"It’s you, what do you want with our Old Zhao?"
Although Liu Xiulan wasn’t familiar with him, Ding Li’s notorious reputation was well-known to her, hence her tone wasn’t particularly pleasant.
Ding Li glanced at Liu Xiulan, who was wearing a loose nightgown with nothing underneath, her ample bosom swaying unsteadily - living up to her nickname, Liu Bajin.
Unable to help himself, he swallowed, cursing silently, "She’s quite the siren, isn’t she? Can the village head really handle her?"
But he replied with feigned respect on his face, "I’ve come to discuss renting some land with the village head."
Liu Xiulan wasn’t interested in public affairs, so she didn’t inquire further.
"He’s bathing, you’ll need to wait."
Liu Xiulan, not offering a warm welcome, turned and walked back inside.
Ding Li followed her in, eyeing Liu Xiulan’s graceful figure, her slender waist, and her firm, rounded backside, which looked plump enough to hold a cup of water on. Old Zhao was indeed a lucky man.
Once inside, Liu Xiulan didn’t acknowledge him, instead she went straight into her room, leaving Ding Li alone to wait. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Seeing this, Ding Li cursed inwardly, "This damn woman, looking down on people, one day I’ll have to deal with her and show her what Ding Li is capable of."
Before long, he heard the sound of a door opening and quickly stood up, knowing that Zhao Youquan was about to come out.
"What brings you to my house?"
Zhao Youquan, seeing Ding Li sitting in his living room, hurriedly shut the door, afraid of being seen by the villagers, especially Wang Hao, that kid was a tough nut to crack.
"Didn’t I tell you not to come to my house?"
Zhao Youquan’s expression changed abruptly, as he scolded loudly.
"Yes, yes, I was just anxious. You went to Zheng Cailian’s place, did that woman agree? I’m worried on your behalf, hoping to secure the land early to sell to you at a low price."
Ding Li spoke with a fawning expression.
"You, you’ve lost everything again?"
"Ah, how could it be said that our village head doesn’t miss a thing, Fiery Eyes? You’ve hit the nail on the head."
Zhao Youquan looked at Ding Li’s smug face, clearly having his suspicions confirmed.
"The matter regarding the land might need to be postponed for now. Today’s encounter with that bastard Wang Hao complicated things. Find a time when no one’s around to make a fuss, maybe then she’ll agree to divide it up with you."
"Then, Village Head, since our deal is halfway done, could you... perhaps advance me some money?"
Ding Li looked at Zhao Youquan with a smiling but insincere face; throwing tantrums was nothing new for him.
Now, having no one else to turn to and desperate, he could only use his current cooperation with the village head as leverage to borrow some money.
Zhao Youquan internally regretted getting involved with such a scoundrel, but for the time being, he had no choice but to bear it. Once he had secured the land, what would he care about Ding Li or Wang Hao?
"Name your amount," Zhao Youquan said.
"Eight thousand, just eight thousand. I’ll sell you the land later and give you a discount of a thousand, how does that sound?"
"Not eight thousand, at most five thousand. You’ll have to take two thousand less later, all deducted together."
Ding Li thought to himself, the old bastard really is cunning, selling at a low price was one thing, but now he wants to eat the meat without spitting out the bones, advancing some cash and still losing two thousand.
But there was no helping it, with Zhao Youquan having money and power, and himself in dire need of cash right now.
Having taken the money, Ding Li bid farewell, cursing Zhao Youquan’s ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.
...
Time flashed by, and three days passed.
All seemed calm on the surface, but Wang Hao’s mind was constantly pondering over how to deal with Ding Li, as he would always be trouble otherwise.
Yet, force was not only incapable of solving the problem, but it might also bring a lawsuit upon himself.
Suddenly, an idea struck Wang Hao. Ding Li was idle and addicted to gambling; he could gamble with him. That way, once Ding Li owed him money, he wouldn’t be so arrogant in his presence anymore.
Later, he could use the gambling debt to exchange for the safety of Zheng Cailian and her daughter. That seemed like a viable deal!
Wang Hao slapped his thigh, "Let’s do it!"
Huang Yufen was startled by her son’s action and asked with concern, "Son, are you alright?"
"I’m fine, Mom, I have to take care of some things today. Don’t wait up for dinner."
After saying that, he ran out the door.
The neighboring village had a place called Mudpit Pond, which was wealthier than Chen Village, with a better economy and more convenient transportation, as cement roads were built everywhere.
Ding Li was also known to hang out there often, and he was infamous in those parts.
It took more than an hour to walk to Mudpit Pond. Wang Hao had been there twice with his parents when he was younger, and though he hadn’t been there since growing up, he still knew the way.
He had heard that this gambling den was the largest in the vicinity, attracting even people from the county town who drove over for a few games. Every time there was a crackdown on gambling, they managed to cleverly avoid it, obviously having solid connections with the authorities.
After inquiring with the local villagers, Wang Hao found the gambling den. There were no signs at the entrance, just a few thuggish-looking young men chatting idly by the door.
When they saw Wang Hao heading straight in, one of them with green-dyed hair blocked his path, "Hey, kid, who are you looking for?"
"Who else would I come here for? To play a few rounds, of course," said Wang Hao, unafraid and disdainful.
"How come I’ve never seen you before?"
The green-haired ruffian didn’t believe Wang Hao at all. Lately, the higher-ups were on high alert, and they couldn’t let even the slightest suspicious person slip by.
"Hey, Wang Hao, you’ve come to play too?"
Just then, Huang Shancai swaggered over. Although he made a living through lending money, he occasionally liked to come here and gamble a few rounds.
"Huang, you know him?"
The green-haired man turned to ask Huang Shancai.
"Yes, I know him, it’s okay, let him in," said Huang Shancai.
Only then did the green-haired man step aside. Huang Shancai walked up to him with a grin, and Wang Hao followed, "Hao, if you ever have any trouble, feel free to come to me. I can offer you the lowest interest rates."
This was a clear hint that if Wang Hao lost money, he could come to him for a loan. This rascal was even seeking business in the gambling den, indicating that it was very unlikely for anyone coming there to win money.
After walking through the corridor and entering the inner room, the air was filled with smoke and noise, with five or six tables laid out, each surrounded by a boisterous crowd.
Wang Hao looked left and right but couldn’t find Ding Li. He figured it didn’t matter; he could first get a feel for the place, and when the time came to play a round with Ding Li, he would have more confidence.
But then he suddenly remembered his dragon tattoo. He wondered if his tattoo could help him, just like Andy Lau’s character in the movies, who could change the dice numbers at will.
So he grabbed an unused dice cup and started shaking it, closing his eyes and trying to control the numbers inside.
No matter how he called to his dragon tattoo, the nine dragons remained unresponsive.
Just as he was about to give up, his vision suddenly brightened. Not only did the dice cup in front of him become transparent, allowing him to clearly see the numbers on the dice inside, but his hearing also became exceptionally sharp.
Following that, a purple dragon shadow started circling around Wang Hao’s hand.
Wang Hao was elated. It seemed he had unlocked another dragon tattoo. These Nine Dragons tattoos were truly treasures.
The surprise from the purple dragon tattoo was immense, and it made him even more eager to see the outcome of the battle with Ding Li.
Now, he was just waiting for the fish to take the bait!
