The gambling games at Fengle House are divided into small gambling and big gambling. Small gambling means personal play, betting against the banker of Fengle House, throwing dice, playing weaving, backgammon, etc.
The big bet is for everyone to bet together, such as betting on cockfights and horse racing, as well as betting on horn fights, fighting, etc., which are different every month. This month's big bet is betting on pots and arrows, starting at Xu Shi, and there will be three bets.
"I went to ask, and no one signed up for the third game. How much do you plan to bet?" Hu Yantong asked Chen Qingdao.
"How much can I earn if I win?"
"There are two kinds of this. One is to bet with the pot throwers of Fengle Tower. It usually pays three to one, and you bet one hundred strings. If you win, you will make a net profit of three hundred strings. Then there is the peripheral bet, and the gambling battle.
There is no relationship between the two parties. Of course, Liu Qiong and I can help you with the custody."
Chen Qing brought fifty taels of silver, but he only had a few dozen guans left. These fifty taels of silver were specially borrowed from Hu Yantong.
He handed fifty taels of silver to Hu Yantong, "I bet twenty taels with the pot thrower, and then the outsider bets thirty taels for me."
Hu Yantong took the money and squeezed in. After a while, he came back with two pieces of paper. He handed the jute paper to Chen Qing, "This is your betting list. You are participating in the third game, and here are the three of us.
Bet slip.”
"You also placed a bet?"
"Of course, Liu Qiong and I bet ten taels of silver each on you, betting that you will win."
The big bet was held on a wooden platform more than ten feet long, surrounded by lanterns, shining like daylight.
Kettle Arrow, also called Wenshe, was a favorite game among the civil servants and concubines of the Song Dynasty. Because it was simple, low-cost, did not take up space, and was suitable for both men and women, it soon became popular throughout the Song Dynasty and was played during every new year and festival.
He is an indispensable part of every family gathering. The whole family plays together and has a great time.
The copper kettle used today is about two feet high, with a large belly and narrow neck, and it shines with a metallic luster under the light.
Chen Qing took a closer look at this kind of copper kettle. The open mouth is very deceptive. It looks very big, but in fact the mouth of the kettle is only the size of an orange. It must be shot vertically and pop out slightly.
The pot thrower of Fengle Tower is a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance. His real name has long been lost and everyone calls him Wei Feng. This man only lives in Fengle Tower. He is very low-key and never participates in any social activities. In the past twenty years,
, I don’t know how many pot throwing masters fell into his hands, but he has never failed. As early as the Xuanhe period, he was known as the best pot throwing player in Tokyo.
He does not participate in the usual small bets, he is only responsible for the big bets.
The rules of the game are also very simple. If you throw five bronze arrows from three feet away, the odds are three to one. If you hit the target directly, it will be ten points. If it hits the edge and bounces into the pot, it will count as five points. If you don't make the shot, it will not count. The one with the higher score will
win.
The first gambler has already come on stage. He is a warrior. Of course he is betting on behalf of his master, betting a hundred coins. His master is Liu Yu, a famous grain merchant in Lin'an.
The high platform was surrounded by three levels inside and three outside, and everyone's face was filled with excitement and excitement. Almost everyone placed bets, waved their hands, and shouted excitedly.
At this time, Wei Feng, the pot thrower of Fengle Tower, stepped onto the wooden platform. He was about forty-five or six years old. He had a small nose and small eyes. He looked ordinary and short in stature. He even looked a bit wretched.
.
But people should not be judged by their appearance! It was this wretched middle-aged man who created a legend of Hujian. Since the third year of Xuanhe, he has not been defeated. It is for this reason that Fanlou gave the challenger more than ten years ago.
He offered a high price of up to five to one, which attracted countless experts to challenge him, but still no one could beat him.
Today's first challenger is a warrior from Jingzhou, surnamed Wang, who is also a master of throwing pot arrows. He just arrived in Lin'an and wanted to make a name for himself, so he thought of challenging Fengle Tower's pot throwing hand Wei Feng.
‘Dang!’ A bell rang, the gambling game began, and the surrounding guests fell silent.
At this time, Chen Qing suddenly saw a dozen young men walking down the stairs. The man walking at the front was Wang Bo. Chen Qing narrowed his eyes. They were really enemies and met them again.
According to the rules, whoever throws the arrow first will be chosen first by the guests, which is also a sign of respect for the guests.
The challenging warrior chose to take the lead. He picked up a copper arrow in the plate, felt it for a moment, and then threw the arrow out. "Boom!" The arrow hit the pot accurately, causing cheers and applause from all around.
Chen Qing nodded secretly. It could be seen from this man's movements that he was probably a master of foot and bow, and he couldn't change some of his habitual movements.
'Boom!' The second arrow was thrown into the pot, and it still hit the pot accurately. Then the third arrow was thrown in, and the cheers around him were even louder. His owner, Liu Yu, a big grain merchant, was laughing so hard that he couldn't close his mouth.
, he bet five hundred coins on and off the court. If he wins this battle, he will make at least four thousand coins.
Hu Yantong squeezed back and said with regret: "I have stopped betting. I originally wanted to buy some for this person to win."
Chen Qing smiled lightly and said, "It's a good thing you didn't win over him."
Hu Yantong was greatly surprised, "Will this warrior miss?"
"How can you tell?" Hu Yantong asked in shock.
Chen Qing smiled and said nothing. At this time, the Jingzhou warrior picked up the fourth bronze arrow, his hands trembling slightly.
The fourth arrow was thrown, and there was a crisp sound of 'Dang!'. The bronze arrow missed the target, bounced up, and fell to the ground. There were boos all around, and Liu Yu's face immediately turned ugly.
Perhaps because he was too nervous, the fifth arrow of the Jingzhou warrior did not hit the target. Suddenly, boos broke out in the hall, and the Jingzhou warrior went down with a face full of shame.
At this time, it was Fenglelou's pot throwing hand Wei Feng's turn to appear.
He was very calm and threw three arrows into the pot like flowing water. The applause from all around was extremely enthusiastic. Most people bet on Wei Feng. Even if they made a little less, they made back the money they paid for the drink tonight.
As the saying goes, laymen only watch the fun, experts watch the door. Although Wei Feng uses three postures to project into the pot, his core is the same. He relies on the right index finger and wrist to exert force, and the force is controlled with incomparable precision.
"What is the origin of this person?" Chen Qing asked.
Hu Yantong lowered his voice and said: "Someone checked his origin more than ten years ago. There are rumors that this person came from Zhoujiapu in Qinzhou, but it is just a guess."
"What is the name of Zhoujiapu?"
"Zhou Jiabao is famous all over the world for its archery. Zhou Tong, the famous archer and horse instructor of the Forbidden Army, came from Zhou Jiabao."
Chen Qing nodded secretly, that's it.
At this time, Wei Feng's fourth arrow was also thrown into the pot. It bounced a little and entered the pot not so smoothly, but it did not land. The total score was thirty-five points, which was already more than his opponent, so there was no need to throw the fifth arrow.
Applause, cheers, and shouts resounded throughout the hall. Liu Yu turned red with anger and stomped away.
Next comes the accounting exchange and preparation for the second game.
There was an accident in the second game, and the challenger gave up. This meant that except for the challenger himself who lost his bet, everyone else had no loss or profit.
In front of the stairs, Wang Bo was so angry that he scolded his friend Qi Yun, "Why don't you stop your second uncle from giving up? He doesn't dare to go up. We can also help him go up and vote. Now three hundred guan of money has been lost."
Qi Yun said helplessly: "He gave up without consulting me, and I didn't know either!"
"You can ask again to see if you can cancel the waiver."
Qi Yun ran away, and after a while, he came back panting and said: "The second game is already being refunded and cannot be canceled, but I discovered an interesting thing."
"What's the fun?"
"Brother, guess who will play in the third game?"
Wang Bo frowned, "How could I guess that?"
"It's Chen Qing. I saw his name and I saw him in person."
Wang Bo's eyes lit up, and Chen Qing actually came. He rolled his eyes, smiled at a dozen friends and friends, and said, "Brothers, do you want to put some money down for fun?"
"Brother, Chen Qing's archery skills are very good. I'm afraid he won't lose this time."
"That's not necessarily the case. If he loses focus at a critical moment..."
Everyone suddenly understood and gave thumbs up and praised: "My brother is still smart!"
Wang Bo didn't care about the small amount of money he won or lost, but he never wanted to see Chen Qing win and let Chen Qing lose everything.
Having said that, in line with the principle that a dead Taoist friend should not die a poor Taoist friend, while he encouraged his friends to bet on Wei Feng, he himself did not take a dime.
