Chapter 2

After Justin left to stall them, I cracked a bag of biscuits, walked to the front of the village, and sat down on the stone bench where the village women gathered to gossip.

Within an hour, I had Buck's whole operation figured out.

"Buck Lansing is a real actor. He runs around with a bunch of thugs, targeting young men who come back from working in the city. A few drinks in, and he's already figured out how much they made all year.

"All those people watching the games? Every single one of them is his.

"A whole year of hard work, gone in one night. What a sin.

"My son came back this year. I grabbed him by the ear and didn't let him go out.

"Same here. My husband and son handed all their money to me before coming home, just in case they got targeted.

"I wonder which unlucky fool walked into it this year. Last year, the Hsu family's boy sold his old house to pay off his debt."

…

Listening to all this, I would not help feeling uneasy.

"This is basically gambling, isn't it? Aren't they afraid someone will call the police?"

The woman next to me shot me a look.

"Girl, you really are naive. The police? See those people posted along the road outside the village? Lookouts. The moment a police car shows up, they get word immediately. There's nothing left to catch.

"And even if they did catch something, who would admit it? Losing money is one thing, getting arrested means jail."

After hearing all that, my heart sank.

At the same time, I understood…

This year, Justin was the target.

From the very beginning, when Buck came to our house drinking and eating, he had been fishing for information, trying to figure out how much we made.

That old b*stard.

By the time I had what I needed, it was getting dark.

Justin still was not back. I left the child with my mother-in-law, grabbed what I needed, and headed straight to Buck's place.

Calling it his house was generous. It used to be a grain storage shed.

Now it had been turned into a gambling den.

When I went in, Justin was already red-eyed from losing, shouting:

"I still have money! Our family in Cratertown…"

"Justin!"

I cut him off immediately. He stopped mid-sentence.

When he saw me, he froze. Only then did he remember what I had told him before he left.

Buck chuckled when he saw me.

"Well, if it isn't the nephew's wife. Women shouldn't be coming in here. Let the men have their fun."

"Yeah, Mae. Justin finally got a chance to relax, let him enjoy it."

"Don't kill the mood."

The condescension was obvious.

I did not waste time. I walked over, pulled Justin out of his seat, and sat down in his place.

"Uncle Buck, I'm your nephew's wife. You've been so focused on Justin, but you don't know, I enjoy this too."

I gave him a look and tapped the table.

"Come on, I'll play a few rounds. We've been working hard all year. Can't we relax a little?

"How do you play? Tell me the rules."

I rolled up my sleeve, revealing the jade bracelet on my wrist. Bright green. Buck's eyes immediately locked onto it.

"Don't joke around. You know how to play?"

"You underestimate me, Uncle Buck. Ask Justin, he learned from me."

Justin quickly backed me up.

"Yeah! Mae's right! She loves this stuff. Back in Cratertown, she'd go play mahjong every afternoon and wouldn't come back until dinner!"

Buck laughed.

"Fine. But we play for money here. If you don't have any–"

I showed him my account balance. His eyes lit up.

"Alright then, Mae, join us.

"Come on, shuffle.

"I'll tell you, we're playing Three-Card Brag.

"Three of a kind is highest, then straight flush, then straight, then pair."

Once the rules were clear, I was ready.

"Let's start."

Now I would see exactly how they cheated right under my nose.