Chapter 112: Causing Trouble

Liu Xiaoli was very experienced. If Zhang Can was truly cheating, it would have to be by using a sleight of hand so subtle that none of them could see it. To prevent such trickery, the best method was to ensure Zhang Can never had the chance to touch the cards—ideally, not even to see them, and certainly not to glimpse a single bottom card. That was why she proposed drawing three bottom cards.

After taking the deck, Liu Xiaoli quickly shuffled and cut the cards several times. Then, with the cards face down, she drew three cards from the middle of the deck. The three cards were pressed tightly together from the moment they were drawn, and her movements were swift and precise. At that speed and angle, it was nearly impossible for anyone present to catch a glimpse of the bottom card.

That was only the first layer of defense. If Zhang Can somehow managed to see the bottom card, there was an even more secure method: the second and third cards were drawn directly adjacent to the bottom card. Even if someone pressed their eyes against the deck, they wouldn’t be able to see those two bottom cards. This completely eliminated the possibility of Zhang Can seeing the second and third cards. Moreover, if Zhang Can were merely guessing, even if he saw the first card’s face and tried to guess the sum with the second card, the odds of getting the parity right—odd or even—would be only fifty percent. Adding the third card made accurately guessing the exact total practically impossible.

Liu Xiaoli knew that to completely block Zhang Can from seeing the bottom cards, even they themselves couldn’t look or have a chance to see them. That way, Zhang Can would definitely have no way of seeing the bottom cards.

But that was only Liu Xiaoli’s plan. For Zhang Can, who possessed clairvoyant abilities, no matter how well Liu Xiaoli tried to guard against it, it was impossible to stop him.

Zhang Can chuckled. The three cards Liu Xiaoli had drawn were the Four of Diamonds, Seven of Diamonds, and Eight of Spades, which added up to nineteen—an odd number. He smiled and declared, “I guess odd!”

Liu Xiaoli flipped over the bottom cards, confirming they were indeed the Four of Diamonds, Seven of Diamonds, and Eight of Spades. Adding them up proved the sum was odd. At that moment, a slip of paper suddenly appeared on Liu Xiaoli’s face, causing Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua to giggle beside her.

“I’m Zhuge Liang; no matter what you do, you can’t stump me!” Zhang Can boasted proudly in front of the three girls.

Although Liu Xiaoli was skeptical, she couldn’t find any flaw in the setup. They drew again, and after a dozen rounds, the slips of paper stuck to her and Zhang Hua’s faces in equal measure, yet none managed to beat Zhang Can even once.

Zhang Hua couldn’t help but accuse, “Second Brother, did you sneak a peek? I just can’t believe you’re guessing that accurately—it’s no different from seeing the cards!”

Zhang Can shrugged and smiled, “You’re all watching me; how could I sneak a look?”

“No way, I won’t accept that!” Zhang Hua tore the slip off her face and said angrily, “Let’s change the rules. Turn around, face away from us, and then guess the cards!”

Zhang Can grimaced but complied, turning his back to them and letting Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoli draw the cards for him to guess.

Still, Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoli remained unsatisfied. After more than a dozen rounds, Zhang Can continued to guess perfectly every single time, earning them another dozen slips on their faces.

Zhang Hua refused to believe it wasn’t cheating. She grabbed some clothes and pillowcases and covered Zhang Can’s head. Already sitting with his back to them, now he was wrapped in thick clothes and pillowcases, yet Zhang Can still guessed flawlessly.

By this point, Liu Xiaoli and the other two girls had given up on winning. They only hoped Zhang Can would lose once, so they could stick a slip of paper on his face for show.

But fate was unkind. No matter how many things they covered his head with, how many cards were drawn, or how many rule changes they made, Zhang Can never lost.

Finally, Zhang Hua, exasperated, grabbed Zhang Can’s hand and said, “Second Brother, how do you do it? You have to teach me this!”

Zhang Can removed the clothes and pillowcases covering his head, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and chuckled, “This isn’t easy to teach. I use the Enslaving Little Ghost technique—‘Heavenly spirit, earthly spirit, little ghost help me see the cards...’”

Even Zhang Hua didn’t believe him, pouting, “Only a ghost would believe that!”

Zhang Can shrugged with a smile, “Well, then there’s nothing I can do. Fine, no more playing. I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow... oh, right!” Suddenly recalling what Wang Qian had told him, he turned to Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoqin and said, “I have to go to Xinjiang with a friend. It might take about ten days. Old Zhu is coming along for a bit of fun, too. So, you three will have to take care of the shop. Old Zhu hired an appraisal master to handle the technical matters, so just manage the shop and the finances. If anything comes up, just call me.”

The three girls were stunned. He was leaving so suddenly?

After a moment, Liu Xiaoqin asked, “When... are you leaving?”

Since Zhang Can had already made up his mind, there was no point in arguing. If he was going, it must be for some important matter. She hesitated to ask what exactly, but at least she wanted to know when he would go.

Zhang Can nodded, “Not decided yet, but probably in a day or two. I won’t leave tomorrow.”

Zhang Can, Liu Xiaoqin, Zhang Hua, and Liu Xiaoli all lived on the second floor. Liu Dongsheng and Chen Huiyu, the married couple, occupied a room on the third floor. Zhang Can had intended for them to live on the second floor to avoid climbing too many stairs at their age, but they insisted on the third floor, saying they didn’t want to disturb the younger people—and besides, the extra exercise was good for their health.

Afterward, Zhang Can went to sleep. Although he lived in the same house as Liu Xiaoqin, he never thought of sharing a room with her. The girl was too pure to take advantage of; that would have to wait until after marriage.

Once Zhang Can went upstairs, Liu Xiaoqin and Zhang Hua lost interest in playing and went up as well. Liu Xiaoli followed suit, leaving only the elderly couple, Liu Dongsheng and Chen Huiyu, sitting by themselves watching TV. They had nothing to do, and being old, they slept less and didn’t want to go to bed too early.

The next day, Zhang Can woke up, washed up, and didn’t leave the room until after ten o’clock. After eating breakfast left by Liu Xiaoqin, he headed out. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoqin, Zhang Hua, and Liu Xiaoli had already left early to work at Laoshi Zhai.

Zhang Can drove toward Laoshi Zhai and parked near the market. From a distance, he saw several people standing at the door, apparently pushing and shoving. He froze for a moment, then quickened his pace.

As he neared, he recognized Zhang Qiang and a few employees wrestling with someone inside the store. The person being restrained wasn’t visible at first, but as Zhang Can approached the door, Zhang Qiang spotted him and called out loudly, “Manager Zhang! This guy is causing trouble in the shop, and we can’t stop him!”

Zhang Can stepped inside quickly and was shocked to see that the man struggling with them was Li Yong.

Inside, Liu Xiaoli, Liu Xiaoqin, and Zhang Hua were all frightened and shrunken into a corner, too afraid to move. Li Yong held a dagger in his right hand, waving it threateningly. Zhang Qiang and the others dared not strike him, partly because of other reasons.

When Li Yong first arrived, he said some words that made the employees suspect he might have a special relationship with Liu Xiaoli—Liu Xiaoqin’s older sister—who worked at the shop. Without clarifying the situation, they didn’t dare call the police, fearing the situation would spiral out of control. Instead, they wanted to inform Zhang Can and wait for his instructions.

Fortunately, Zhang Can arrived just in time.

As soon as Li Yong saw Zhang Can, he stopped and hurriedly said, “Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, it’s good you’re here, it’s good you’re here...”

“What are you doing?” Zhang Can frowned. “Brandishing knives and weapons inside the store—you do realize that’s illegal?”

“It’s just a joke with them!” Li Yong quickly put away the knife with a forced smile. “Brother-in-law, here’s the thing: you never told me where the store was. I couldn’t find you at your place, heard you’d moved, so I spent some time searching the antique market shop by shop before finally finding this one.”

“Enough with the nonsense. What exactly do you want?” Zhang Can was impatient. This man was nothing but a rogue with a pretty face. The more you treated him well, the more he’d take advantage. He never cared about shame.

Li Yong chuckled, “Brother-in-law, I went back when you told me to. I’ll come back after Xiaoli calms down. Couples argue, but in the end, they make up. Besides, we haven’t really quarreled much yet.”

Liu Xiaoli immediately snapped coldly, “Li, we’re finished. I’m not going to live with someone like you anymore. Do you understand?”

Li Yong still grinned, “Xiaoli, don’t be so cold. I already called my parents yesterday and told them we’re getting married soon. We’ll have the wedding, then I’ll come out to work. I promise you’ll be the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Li family!”

“Don’t use that old line to fool me again!” Liu Xiaoli was furious, standing up and snapping, “Li Yong, all you do is flaunt your family name like it’s some great thing. Over the years, I haven’t gained a single advantage from your family; in fact, you’ve been mooching off me. Besides that spiel, you have nothing else to say. A grown man like you, is this the best you can do? Do you have any dignity? Any prospects? I’m telling you honestly: from now on, you are you, and I am me. We have nothing to do with each other anymore!”

Li Yong’s face finally darkened. He had spent the entire previous night thinking of ways to coax Liu Xiaoli back, planning to marry her so he could keep working with Zhang Can. With Liu Xiaoli and Liu Xiaoqin being sisters, he believed he’d have a chance to make big money alongside Zhang Can. Honestly, his family was decent back home in the county, but nowhere near Zhang Can’s level. Yet Zhang Can seemed increasingly distant toward him. After much thought, Li Yong suspected it was because of Liu Xiaoli herself.

He had prepared many words to placate Liu Xiaoli that day, but upon arrival at the shop, she gave him no warmth. Knowing better than to lose his temper with her now, or he would have acted out like in the past—when Liu Xiaoli had suffered plenty at his hands.

With Zhang Can’s arrival, Li Yong restrained himself even more. Zhang Can’s attitude was crucial to him. Their first meeting had gone well, but somehow things had become so chaotic afterward.

Li Yong felt a sense of despair. It seemed Liu Xiaoli wasn’t merely sulking but truly intending to break up with him.