Chapter Eighteen: You Are the Victor

“What’s gotten into you tonight?” Chen Da glanced at Xu Fei; his last round had just ended, and he’d played out a full house.

Wang Yiming shot Xu Fei a sidelong look. “You’re truly afraid your wife will kick you out of bed tonight, aren’t you?”

Xu Fei nodded with a laugh, glancing at the thick stack of bills before him.

He hadn’t had time to count it carefully, but it looked to be seventy or eighty yuan. That was about what he could earn hauling sacks for two or three months. Yet, with Xu Fei’s memory, he recalled he’d always been on the losing side; perhaps in his entire life, he’d never won so much in one night.

Pitiful, really!

At first, he’d genuinely believed Zhang Mingyang and Sun Qigong were colluding to win over him.

But after playing together all night, it seemed Zhang Mingyang and the others just thought Xu Fei was easy to beat.

“Damn it!”

Xu Fei won yet another round.

Zhang Mingyang, seething, cursed and slammed his cards onto the table.

“I’m done!”

Zhang Mingyang had lost the most tonight—fifty yuan, no less.

Chen Da stretched and groaned, “Damn, what a cursed night. I’ve been losing nonstop.”

“Enough, you’re not the only one,” Wang Yiming chimed in. “At least you won a few rounds. Mingyang and I are the real losers here.”

He shook his head and glanced at Zhang Mingyang, who sat beside him.

Xu Fei looked at Zhang Mingyang. He’d always wanted to get closer to him; before, he was the perpetual loser, the perfect partner for these guys to win from.

So, from the start, he’d planned to win tonight, to make Zhang Mingyang and Chen Da want to play with him again—even if it meant losing.

“Fei, see how much you’ve won?” Zhang Mingyang gestured toward the pile of bills in front of Xu Fei.

Xu Fei picked them up, counted, and smiled.

Exactly seventy-eight yuan.

“Xu Fei, your card skills are something else!” Sun Qigong watched Xu Fei pocket the money with envy. He’d hoped to win some from Xu Fei tonight, so he pressed, “When’s the next game?”

Xu Fei frowned slightly.

“That depends on my wife, as you all know. She’s all I have left now. If I lose her, I’ll have nothing.”

“So, Fei, you win some money and you don’t want to play anymore?” Chen Da asked.

Xu Fei glanced at him and replied, “Come on, Chen. Do you think I’m that kind of person? Next time you want to play, just let me know a day in advance so I can arrange things at home.”

“Haha, good, good! Next time we make plans, we’ll give you notice.”

“Deal.”

Zhang Mingyang stood up. “Fei, expect news from us in the next few days.”

Xu Fei nodded with a smile. “Brother Zhang, whenever you want, I’m at your service.”

“Alright.”

Xu Fei stretched, then said, “I’ll head out now. Still have work soon.”

“Go on, go on,” Zhang Mingyang waved him off.

But Xu Fei reached into his pocket and pulled out five yuan.

“Brother Zhang, take this and buy breakfast for everyone.”

The gesture left all of them stunned.

Five yuan was not a small sum.

Especially coming from Xu Fei—they all knew his situation.

Zhang Mingyang smiled in satisfaction. “Fei, enough with that. I appreciate the thought, but with all your debts, we don’t need you to buy us breakfast.”

Wang Yiming snatched up the money and shoved it back into Xu Fei’s hand.

“Take it. We know you mean well. Don’t you know us by now?”

“Exactly,” Chen Da said, glancing at Zhang Mingyang. “Mingyang, I didn’t expect Xu Fei to be so considerate.”

“Mmm.” Zhang Mingyang nodded at Xu Fei. “Fei, keep the money. We don’t need you to buy us breakfast.”

Xu Fei smiled and waved them off. “You all have money and status, I know. But winning so much tonight, I feel uneasy. Money comes and goes, but brothers share their blessings.”

With that, he turned and walked out.

Zhang Mingyang gave Sun Qigong a look.

Sun Qigong hurried after Xu Fei.

“Xu Fei, let me see you out.”

Watching Xu Fei leave the courtyard, Chen Da said, “Mingyang, this kid’s alright. I never thought much of him before—just figured he was a fool. But seeing him now, he’s got a knack for things.”

Zhang Mingyang nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, outside the alley, Xu Fei felt a pang of heartache.

Five yuan!

If it weren’t for wanting to leave a good impression with Zhang Mingyang and the others, he’d never fork over five yuan so easily.

He thought of how he worked himself to the bone all day and only earned three yuan; it felt painful to give away so much.

But he touched his pocket.

Seventy-eight yuan.

This was money he’d never dared dream of.

With this, at least a few months’ expenses at home were taken care of.

He could go home and give Du Man and his siblings some reassurance.

Thinking of this, he checked the time. Du Man and the others probably hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.

Just ahead, there was a breakfast stall—the fried dough sticks and soy milk had just come out of the pot, their aroma making Xu Fei, after a night’s struggle, salivate.

He ordered two bowls of soy milk and half a pound of fried dough sticks.

Xu Fei carried them home.

Du Man and the others really hadn’t cooked.

“Come out for breakfast!” Xu Fei called, prompting movement from Xu Qing’s room.

“You’ve got the nerve to come back?” Xu Qing, draped in her clothes, emerged from her room, glaring at her big brother—only to be stunned by the dough sticks and soy milk in his hands.

“Dough sticks?”

Xu Yun, catching the scent, ran out from his room as well.

He leaned over the table and sniffed eagerly.

“Go get bowls.”

Excited, Xu Yun dashed into the kitchen and brought out four sets of bowls and chopsticks.

Du Man walked out too.

Xu Fei smiled at her, noticing her eyes were swollen.

“What happened?” he asked.

Du Man stepped forward, eyeing the four bowls of soy milk and the half stick of dough each that Xu Fei had set out.

“Sit down, I have good news for everyone.”

Xu Fei motioned for the three to sit.

“Good news?” Xu Qing snorted coldly. “Go ahead, how much did you lose this time?”

Du Man’s face was full of worry.

“Xu Fei, what’s going on with you?”

She honestly feared more that Xu Fei would revert to his old ways, disregarding everyone. If he could stay as he was now, good to her and her siblings, she could forgive him.

“Wife, I’m fine.”

Xu Fei smiled at her.

He glanced at the still-angry Xu Qing and the eager Xu Yun staring at the dough sticks and soy milk.

“Look at this,” Xu Fei said, pulling the seventy-eight yuan from his pocket.

When he placed the money on the table, all three were dumbstruck.

Even the youngest, Xu Yun, stared wide-eyed.

“Brother, why do you have so much money?”

Du Man was shocked, but her brow immediately furrowed.

“You won this?”

Xu Fei nodded with a smile.