"Brother Qin, your business is doing well. I just saw, it’s been bustling all afternoon."
Monkey has been sizing up Qin Dazhuang.
Qin Dazhuang humbly smiled, "It’s alright, all the same. I see your business is quite good too, quite a few people came to watch during the half-day."
Qin Dazhuang thought those people were fools.
Even he could see this person was up to something.
Winning would be a miracle.
But at twenty cents a shot, many don’t mind much.
Small amounts add up.
"Here you go, Brother, one yuan."
Qin Dazhuang finished the second pancake and handed it to Monkey.
Monkey felt his pockets and pulled out a fifty-yuan note, "Oh no! Brother, no change!"
Qin Dazhuang was dumbfounded, he didn’t even have fifty yuan total in his pocket.
These days, not many people have fifty yuan on hand.
This was really putting him in a bind.
Looking around, thinking of borrowing money?
Qin Dazhuang always went home early after business, and at most just greeted the other stall owners around.
For something like borrowing money, they probably wouldn’t be willing to help.
Besides, whose business could make fifty yuan in one afternoon?
With his pancake stall, even after carefully counting, he had only made 24.5 yuan, and just earned 12 yuan after deducting costs.
"Brother, I really can’t make change. Let’s do it this way, I’ll give you these two pancakes as a gift."
Qin Dazhuang didn’t take the money.
Unable to make change, he’d use it as a goodwill gesture.
Monkey immediately refused.
"Brother, that won’t do. We’re both in business, it’s hard for business people. How can I eat and drink for free? I’m not that kind of person."
Getting all worked up.
Qin Dazhuang hurriedly waved his hands, "I didn’t mean that, or... next time, next time you have... change, then pay me."
He couldn’t even speak properly when nervous.
"Brother Qin, what do you take me for? Am I someone who takes advantage of others? Besides, if I don’t come after packing up today, won’t I owe you a huge favor? No way, I never owe others, if I owe money, I can’t even sleep well at night."
Qin Dazhuang helpless, "Then what do you say we should do?"
Truly at a loss with this person, he said he wouldn’t take his money, he refused, letting him owe didn’t work either, the problem is he definitely couldn’t make change for 50 yuan.
Monkey’s eyes twinkled.
"How about this, Brother, you use the one yuan at my stall, and it’s like the payment for the two pancakes. I’ll let you play five times, then we’re even."
Qin Dazhuang shook his head vigorously.
He swore he wouldn’t gamble, he still had his vow.
Can’t forget the pain when the scars heal.
"Brother Qin, why not? You really can’t make change. Let’s just settle it, do you look down on me?"
Monkey’s triangular eyes glared, with a bit of momentum.
Qin Dazhuang was speechless, naturally tongue-tied.
"I don’t mean to look down on you, let’s just drop this, no need to settle. Just assume I already played five times. Look at my hand, I once swore to never gamble again.
I was ruined by gambling, drove away my wife and kids. Now I’m all alone, can I gamble again? If I gamble, would I owe my family?
We men ought to keep our word, stand proud. If what we say is like the wind, blown away, then what kind of man are we?"
Qin Dazhuang showed his debilitated left hand to Monkey.
Monkey glanced at the somewhat twisted hand and felt admiration.
Few men go this far, gambling can be tough to quit once addicted. This man went this far to quit gambling, truly admirable. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelꞁire.net
And faced with his temptations, he said no when he meant it.
Couldn’t help but secretly blame those who came up with this lousy idea, leading a good man to gamble. Is this something people do?
"Brother Qin, a small gamble is leisurely, a big gamble harms. Can this be called gambling? Something worth twenty cents? Moreover, it’s not gambling, just supporting my business, it’s mutual support, how can this be gambling?
Have you heard of twenty cents’ worth of gambling?"
Monkey, after saying this, even felt a bit ashamed of himself, when did he become so unprincipled?
Though people see him as sneaky, hardly anyone considers him a good person.
But he really is a good person, skilled in many things, streetwise as he is, never harming others.
But now he’s leading a good man astray, even he looks down on himself.
However, it’s an assignment from the top, and not helping Brother Jin wouldn’t sit well.
Brother Jin has been genuinely kind to them, without his assistance, what could they do back home?
Returning home to farm, couldn’t even support his elderly mother.
Brother Jin is not a harmful person, if he made this request, it proves Qin Dazhuang might genuinely have something about him.
Qin Dazhuang laughed, "Even small gambling is gambling, let me give you a piece of advice, this business is wicked. You should stop, find another trade. Like my pancake business, actually not bad, can make ten yuan a day. If you want to learn, I can teach you. Better long-term than this business."
Qin Dazhuang’s sincere advice spoke volumes.
Monkey blushed, was he still human?
This honest man was willing to teach his craft to others, demonstrating his goodness.
"Your pancakes make a few bucks, I don’t even need capital, it’s pure profit daily. Why not learn my trade? Your pancakes need costs—flour, oil, eggs, and all sorts of things, I need nothing.
A few playing cards, this is a no-cost business."
Monkey exercised his glib tongue.
Qin Dazhuang waved his hand, "Young man, let me give you a piece of advice. Avoid this stuff if you can, it’s harmful to people."
Packing up his cart, he stopped speaking further with Monkey, and Qin Dazhuang simply left.
Monkey spread his hands, it’s not like he didn’t work, the man wasn’t fooled, his willpower was firm, he respected such people, this was a real man.
At that moment, a woman walked over.