Chapter 22 Horse Racing Lottery
Shangguan Jiannan was delighted: "Wow! If I win the prize, I must celebrate!"
"Then...how much is the bonus?" he asked immediately.
The girl hesitated a little: "Well, it depends on the results of the other numbers. The unsuccessful gold coins belong to the winner, but the 'dealer' will take 10%."
"The dealer? Is he the boss who draws the lottery?"
"That's right." The girl nodded. "It's not easy for them to organize horse racing events. They have to raise horses, hold competitions, pay staff salaries, etc."
Shangguan Jiannan was very excited: "Raising horses is a very expensive hobby! Our village chief also has a majestic black horse. By the way, what is the other big expense?"
The girl smiled and said, "That means you have to pay the government a monthly fee to avoid their nagging."
"Then how do you claim the prize money after winning?" Shangguan Jiannan asked.
The girl smiled and explained: "After signing the numbers and paying some bet money, the dealer will give you a 'signature slip'. After you win, you can take this signature slip to claim your prize, either in cash or silver bills."
Shangguan Jiannan seemed to have seen the gold coins flashing before his eyes: "Great! As long as I draw number 18, Brother Jiannan will take you flying!"
Li Shishi joked, "Brother Jiannan, have you seen yourself smiling from ear to ear after winning the lottery?"
Shangguan Jiannan nodded: "Yes! I found you, an 18-year-old beauty, and learned about the horse racing. I feel like I have won the lottery!"
Li Shishi said with a little worry: "I always buy two horse racing lottery tickets, each ticket costs 5 taels. In the past three months, I have spent nearly 100 taels. My savings are almost gone. I don't know when I can be free again."
Shangguan Jiannan comforted her, "I hope a miracle will happen and horse No. 18 will win the championship tomorrow. Then, I will redeem you!" He was full of confidence. Hearing this, Li Shishi was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes!
Shangguan Jiannan was at a loss for a moment, like an ant on a hot pan, not knowing what to do.
After a long while, Li Shishi suppressed her excitement and called out in a delicate voice, "Brother Jiannan!" Her voice revealed an irresistible sense of trust, "I believe that this time you will definitely be able to turn your luck around and win the grand prize, because I also had a strange dream."
Shangguan Jiannan's eyes sparkled, and he teased, "Really? Sister, I love listening to people talk about their dreams the most!"
Li Shishi continued, "After the last lottery draw, I was extremely depressed because I didn't win. That night, I lied that I was not feeling well and fell asleep. As a result, when I was half asleep and half awake, a childish kid ran up to me and said to me mysteriously: 'Don't worry! The grand prize is actually with you. If you think carefully, you will find the clue.' Since then, I have been trapped in an endless brainstorm. I racked my brains to think, but I still couldn't find the answer. I almost went crazy."
Shangguan Jiannan interrupted, "What happened next?" Li Shishi continued, "I was sleeping soundly last night when I was woken up by a burst of cheerful children's laughter. Strangely, there was no one around. After a while of random thoughts, I decided to go to the God of Wealth Temple on the outskirts of the city to worship."
Shangguan Jiannan laughed after hearing this and said, "This is simply a miracle among miracles! That child might be the God of Wealth who has descended to earth. I guess he was hinting at your age!"
Li Shishi laughed so hard after hearing this, "You're right! I'll go look for valuable ornaments right now. I must sign all the lottery tickets with '18' today!" Shangguan Jiannan encouraged, "Come on, I look forward to your good luck!"
The sun was shining brightly. In the Lansheng Pavilion by Daming Lake, a delicate sigh came: "Ah, my feet are sore after walking so much."
Then there was a hearty laugh: "You've worked hard, girl. Come, let's go to the pavilion to rest and eat some fruit."
This is the voice of the duo Shangguan Jiannan and Li Shishi.
They had just traveled through the streets and alleys of Tiger Wing City and successfully bought two thousand lottery tickets.
They enjoyed the delicious fruit while chatting and laughing in low voices.
Li Shishi sighed: "I feel relaxed and comfortable after a long time. Daming Lake is so beautiful."
Guan Jiannan smiled apologetically: "Miss Shishi, you helped me so much, but I only asked you to eat this kind of fruit. I am really ashamed."
Li Shishi smiled and said, "Brother Jiannan! I'm not the kind of person who covets material enjoyment. By the way! Do you know why we have to visit so many houses?"
"Yes! I clearly saw that every dealer allows people to buy 200 or 500 bets, and that number is rarely signed. We only need to go to ten dealers!"
"Brother Jiannan! I'm thinking about you. Last month, a rice merchant from another place bought 10,000 bets at one time, and concentrated them in one lottery, and entrusted him to 'adjust the cards'..."
"Wow! Ten thousand bets! That's five hundred thousand gold! Did you win in the end?"
"Yes, he was successful! But soon after, news of his death came out!"
“This… is too horrible!”
Shangguan Jiannan suddenly held Li Shishi's hands affectionately and said, "If you win the prize tomorrow, please give me a chance to redeem you."
Li Shishi was shocked and asked in a low voice: "Don't you dislike me?"
Shangguan Jiannan hugged her and said anxiously, "Girl! I admire you so much, how could I possibly despise you? Let's make this a deal!"
Li Shishi leaned in his arms, whispering to herself, "Brother Jiannan...Brother Jiannan couldn't help but shed tears!"
Shangguan Jiannan patted her shoulders gently and said, "Sister Shishi! Stop crying! Come on! Tell me the performance of tomorrow's horse race! I'm just a rookie!"
Li Shishi teased him with a smile: "You look honest on the outside, but you've learned to be smooth-talking not long after coming to Tiger Wing City. You're really full of bad intentions."
Shangguan Jiannan blushed and was speechless for a moment!
Li Shishi pointed to the surroundings of Daming Lake and said with a charming smile: "Brother Jiannan, tomorrow's horse race will be held at the Daming Lake with infinite scenery. Starting from Lousang Village, passing through Green Garden, Book Collection Pavilion, Yunshan Temple and other scenic spots and historical sites, circling the lake, and ending back at Lousang Village, there are at least 300 miles of beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way!"
Shangguan Jiannan listened with great interest, and then exclaimed: "This is really a game for rich people! There are so many places of interest, how much gold coins must it cost! The organizer must be a rich man!"
Li Shishi shook her head: "This mysterious organizer is not only rich, but also powerful. The City Lord's Mansion is in a mess because of him."
Shangguan Jiannan raised his eyebrows: "Is there such a thing? It sounds like there must be something fishy going on here. Maybe it's a huge conspiracy, not just for the sake of making money."
Li Shishi sighed, "Yes, only one out of thirty horses can win the championship, and only one out of thirty people can win the lottery. The more people gamble, the more complicated the whole society becomes."
Shangguan Jiannan sighed: "We have no power and influence, so we can't control it even if we want to."