The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Reincarnation is indeed a skill!

Ni Er felt envious and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing. With my status and position, how could I be qualified to get close to Master Huan?"

It's clear that Jia Yun's family is in a much worse situation than my own.

But since his surname is Jia, he was able to get involved with Third Master Jia Huanhuan, and they were very close relatives.

Seeing Jia Yun's bewildered expression and a hint of impatience on his face, he hurriedly said, "Brother Yun, are you free? How about we go to a nearby restaurant and eat while we talk?"

"I do have something I'd like to ask Brother Yun to help me make a connection!"

Without waiting for Jia Yun to refuse, she pulled him directly to a nearby tavern and ordered two meat dishes and some wine.

Jia Yun hadn't eaten meat for several days, and the aroma made him unable to move.

Seeing that Ni Er was indeed very enthusiastic, he simply went along with it and sat down, intending to enjoy a good meal.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to agree or not is up to you, so there's no need to waste the opportunity.

After the food and drinks were served, the two of them ate and drank heartily. Only after they had eaten and drunk their fill did they slow down and get down to business.

"Tell me, Second Brother, what exactly are you thinking?"

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him." Jia Yun was only thirteen or fourteen years old and had no intention of owing anyone a favor, so he spoke up directly.

"Brother Yun is so straightforward!"

Ni Er gave a light praise, then lowered his voice and said, "Yun-ge should know about the Four Seas Gambling House, right?"

"Of course!"

As the only gambling den on Ningrong Street, and a hotbed of various interests and struggles, Sihai Gambling Den was quite famous.

"I overheard that one of the owners of the Four Seas Casino has changed!"

Ni Er continued in a low voice, "The previous owner was Lai Er, the head steward of the Ning family!"

Many things are basically kept from superiors but not from subordinates. Lai Er, as one of the owners of Sihai Gambling House, did not deliberately hide the fact that he was a hoodlum like Ni Er.

He was a local tycoon who frequented the area, and his information network was much better than that of the average person.

Jia Yun was so shocked by this bombshell news that he couldn't recover for a long time.

"Now, Lai Er's status as the owner has been taken over by Lian Er, the second master of the Rong family!"

Ni Er explained softly, "Just a few days ago, the Third Master Huan of the Rong family led a group of students from the clan school to block the entrance of the Sihai Gambling House, which led to Second Master Lian's opportunistic move!"

Jia Yun was once again dumbfounded!

He's been busy looking for odd jobs these past few days and has had less contact with his friends at the tribal school.

Who would have thought that Jia Huan would do something so serious?

"Then, Second Brother, just say what you're thinking!"

He's not stupid; Ni Er wouldn't invite him to dinner for no reason.

Those who hang out on the streets, despite their constant talk of loyalty, are actually quite pragmatic.

If it doesn't help them, even glancing at it shows a conscience.

"Hehe, I'm thinking of lending money in the gambling den in the future, so I'd like to ask Master Huan to take care of me!"

Ni Er was a little embarrassed, but still spoke out what was on his mind.

He's not young anymore, and if he continues to loiter around on the streets, he basically has no future.

However, if one can successfully lend money at the Four Seas Casino, the future financial prospects will be quite promising!

As the saying goes, the gamblers get the meat, while the lenders get the soup; it's a perfectly normal thing.

But he had no connection with the owner and manager of the Sihai Casino. Why would they let him into the casino to lend money? Wouldn't it be better to take care of their own people in such a lucrative business?

And so, they've decided to curry favor with Jia Huan.

As for Jia Lian's thigh, he didn't even dare to think about it.

Putting aside the vast difference in their social status, Ni Er felt that his small frame might not be able to handle any orders Jia Lian might give him.

After all, his ancestors were the personal guards of the Duke of Rong, and they lived on Ningrong Back Street. They were not entirely clear about the situation in the Rong Mansion, but they had a good understanding of it.

Ni Er was aware of Jia Huan's situation in the Rong Mansion.

As a son born out of wedlock, he felt it was more appropriate for him to curry favor with powerful figures.

As for Jia Huan's young age, they didn't take him seriously at all.

Ni Er just needed a stepping stone to smoothly enter the Sihai Casino for lending money, and not be deliberately targeted by the casino's members. He didn't need any other help from powerful figures.

Jia Yun quickly understood what the neighbor was thinking. He didn't agree on the spot, but said he needed to think about it, though he was a little hesitant.

He really didn't want to get involved in this, but backing down was impossible now.

If it were before, he would have had to find a way to refuse no matter what. He had no confidence at all. If he made a move on Jia Huan, wouldn't Ni Er explode when he found out the truth?

The situation is a little different now. Jia Huan just asked him to go to the clan school to help with errands.

When the time comes, he can just casually mention it, and that will be considered as fulfilling Ni Er's request.

Of course, there was no need to say this aloud, lest Ni Er take advantage of the situation and cause further trouble.

Having witnessed the fickleness of human relationships, Jia Yun knew there were certain things he had to be wary of.

In fact, with Jia Lian becoming one of the owners of the Sihai Gambling House, the impact on the local thugs and gangsters in Ningrong Street and the back streets of Ningrong Street was quite significant.

Jia Huan, who was regarded as a powerful figure, encountered considerable trouble after entering the mansion. It was uncertain whether he could escape unscathed, and he might even suffer a great loss.

Chapter 48 Settling the score (Please continue reading)

"Huan-ge'er, Madam wants you to come and give her a message!"

Just as they arrived at the second gate, they encountered Zhou Rui's family, who had been waiting for them.

Jia Huan's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Zhou Rui's wife, whose expression was unfriendly. Given her stiff tone and the word "respond" in her words, it was clearly not a good thing.

“Aunt Zhou, I just returned from the clan school. I’d like to go back to my residence to rest for a bit before I go to pay my respects to Madam. Is that alright?”

As he spoke, he deliberately shook the small satchel containing books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

The meaning was clear: let him put his backpack back first.

"No, Madam has instructed that Huan-ge'er, you should go there as soon as you return to the manor!"

Zhou Rui's wife firmly rejected the idea, saying righteously, "Huan-ge'er, it's better not to put me in a difficult position!"

Damn, this is practically blocking him from getting any information or communicating with Aunt Zhao.

Without saying a word, Jia Huan nodded to show he understood, and then, under Zhou Rui's watchful eye, quickly made his way to the main room of the second house.

"You wretched child, why aren't you kneeling down?"

As soon as she entered and bowed, Madam Wang slammed her teacup heavily on the coffee table, her face stern as she coldly rebuked him, instantly creating a very oppressive atmosphere in the room.

Jia Huan reacted instantly, and instead of stubbornly resisting, he bent his knees and knelt down on the ground.

Clan etiquette is deadly!

The charge of 'disrespecting one's stepmother' is enough to warrant being killed without any problem.

Of course, Madam Wang wouldn't go that far, but in her anger, she ordered her servants to beat Jia Huan half to death, and no one could say anything was wrong with that.

As the legal mother, Lady Wang naturally had this right!

Only Madam Wang, Zhou Rui's wife, and two first-class maids were in the main room; there were no outsiders present.

If Jia Huan hesitated even slightly, he could be directly labeled, and the consequences would be severe.

I didn't feel wronged or aggrieved, nor did I feel much anger or humiliation.

It was just like kneeling to pay respects to ancestors during the Qingming Festival; there was no excessive sense of self-respect.

If you're really unhappy, just find an opportunity to take revenge on Jia Baoyu, the phoenix egg!

This guy has tons of weaknesses; a little mischief could give him a good beating.

If there's another chance, will you still not kneel and bow when you meet Grandmother Jia again?

There are many times when you need to kneel and worship, such as during the Lunar New Year, to pay respects to your ancestors, or to receive imperial edicts. If you can't kneel down, it's considered a crazy act of self-destruction.

At this moment, Jia Huan was full of doubts, not understanding what Madam Wang was up to.

He lowered his head and asked curiously, "I wonder what I have done wrong to make Madam so angry?"

"You still have the nerve to ask?"

Madam Wang snorted angrily, "At such a young age, they're already learning bad habits! They even dared to lead a bunch of classmates to block the entrance of the gambling den on the street. They're truly audacious!"

Jia Huan felt relieved, thinking that Madam Wang knew about his property purchases outside and that it would be difficult to deal with her if she became angry.

As for the outrageous things that happened in the clan school, those are not a big problem.

He lowered his head, revealing an expression of both shame and fear, and stammered, "Child, I was momentarily bewitched and lost my mind, which is why I did such a wrong thing!"

A hint of smugness flickered across Madam Wang's lips, but her tone remained stern: "It's good that you know you're wrong. When Master sent you to the clan school, it wasn't so you could run wild and cause trouble outside!"

"It's one thing for you not to study properly, but you even brought a bunch of classmates out to cause trouble. You're utterly outrageous! You'd better explain this to the master!"