xymnovel Chapter 45 The Military and the Gentry
Chapter 45 The Military and the Gentry
Three days later, Oak Bay Estate was brightly lit.
This estate was built for himself by the former quartermaster of the governor's manor, and its level of luxury was second to none in all of Boston.
The huge banquet hall has a floor made of hard maple imported from North America, polished so that it reflects people's images.
Oil paintings imported from London hung on the walls, and three huge crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Hundreds of beeswax candles illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.
There were about a dozen servants in the manor, who were urgently recruited by Mrs. Martha. They had also learned etiquette from her and Fiona for a few days. Although they were still a bit rusty, they were at least presentable.
Fiona, dressed in a well-fitting dark silk dress, directed her temporarily hired servants as they moved among the guests, her stunning figure repeatedly drawing their attention.
The composition of the guests was quite peculiar.
On one side was a group of young British officers led by Andrew Gage, their scarlet uniforms gleaming under the lights, their boots polished to a shine. They were gathered together, talking loudly about London anecdotes and naval warships.
On the other side were local Boston gentry and merchants. Dressed in dark woolen coats, they were more reserved, gathering in small groups to talk in hushed tones, their conversation revolving around the prices of goods and the harvests from the land.
Among these people were Samuel and his father, Mr. Adams the Elder. Mr. Adams the Elder was a well-known cloth and sugar merchant in Boston and was also one of the important patrons of the "Sons of Liberty".
Strangely, Li Wei managed to arrange for these two groups to sit alternately.
At a long dining table, next to a British captain in a scarlet uniform, might be a local businessman with a shrewd and calculating look on his face.
These two groups are usually at odds with each other in the stock exchange and in parliament.
At this moment, however, in Li Wei's manor, they were temporarily bound together by expensive porcelain, sumptuous roast meat, and a strong liquor called "Eastern Morning Dew".
Li Wei, holding a glass of amber-colored wine, wandered around the table.
"This is 'Jade Dew' that I brought from the East. It is brewed with rice and sorghum, and the process is complicated. It is smooth on the palate, but has a strong aftertaste."
Alcohol truly lives up to its reputation as the best lubricant.
After a few cups of "Jade Dew," the two groups, which were originally clearly divided, gradually started talking more.
The officers boasted of their bravery in the Seven Years' War, while the merchants flaunted the profits from their last transatlantic trade.
"Mr. Adams, I heard that your fleet's business in Jamaica tripled in profits last month. That's a remarkable achievement." Levi raised his glass to Samuel's father.
"Not at all, Mr. Li, I'm just trying to make a living. I can't compare to you, who stepped into Oak Bay in one step," old Adams replied with a smile, a calculating glint in his cloudy eyes.
Just then, a discordant voice broke in.
"Performance? It's nothing more than smuggling some rum and sugar back and forth. Does that even deserve to be called performance?"
A British captain named Humphrey, his face flushed from drinking, staggered over.
"We use our swords to expand the kingdom for our king, while you country bumpkin merchants only know how to hide behind the scenes counting coins. What's the difference between you and the rats on the docks?"
The noise in the banquet hall froze instantly.
Samuel's face flushed red, and the veins on his hand gripping the knife bulged. Old Adams, though his expression was grim, maintained his composure and remained silent.
Andrew Gage watched with great interest, seemingly eager to see how Levi would clean up this mess.
"Ding!"
A crisp clinking sound.
Li Wei tapped his wine glass lightly with a small silver spoon, stood up, and showed no anger on his face.
"Captain Humphrey had too much to drink. But he has a point. A warrior on the battlefield and a rat in the marketplace are indeed not the same thing."
Li Wei's words elicited a burst of laughter from the British officers, while the local merchants looked even more displeased.
"So, to liven things up, and to be fair, let's play a game." Li Wei took a wooden box from the servant.
"An Eastern game called 'Pai Gow'."
He poured a set of dominoes consisting of thirty-two black lacquered wooden tiles onto the table.
"In this game, it doesn't matter what color your uniform is or how much stock you have in your warehouse. It only matters two things: luck and brains."
He personally took charge, shuffling the cards with practiced ease, the wooden tiles making a crisp clinking sound on the table.
"The rules are simple: each person gets two cards, the values are added together, and the hands are compared. However, there are some special pairs called 'Heavenly King' and 'Earthly King,' which can beat everything else."
Apart from Gage, who had previously been exposed to Pai Gow, everyone else immediately became interested in this novel game.
Captain Humphrey, quite drunk, was the first to respond, throwing a small bag of gold coins on the table.
"Fine! I'll show you country bumpkins that the King's officers are ten times better than you, both in luck and brains!"
The betting has begun.
Li Wei personally took charge of the game. His fingers were long and steady, and his movements of shuffling, arranging, and throwing the dice were fluid and rhythmic.
In the first few hands, Captain Humphrey had amazing luck, getting several high-ranking hands in a row, and the gold coins in front of him piled up higher and higher.
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, constantly using vulgar language to mock the businessmen who had lost money.
Old Adams also got involved, though he didn't bet much.
Levi discovered that Old Adams, regardless of winning or losing, always kept his winnings within five gold coins.
Andrew Gage didn't join the game. He leaned back in his chair, holding a wine glass, watching Li Wei with great interest, wondering what tricks this Easterner would pull off with a deck of dominoes this time.
He always felt that every move his Eastern friend made seemed to be calculating something.
Finally, when the pile of gold coins in front of Humphrey reached its maximum height, the crucial round began.
The stakes on the table had accumulated to an astonishing amount.
Humphrey shoved all his winnings up the board, shouting, "Lee! I'm betting everything this time! Dare to call?"
If Humphrey wins this bet, the stakes for one night will be equivalent to his income as a second lieutenant in the British Army for more than ten years.
Li Wei didn't speak, but simply made a gesture of invitation.
Old Adams hesitated for a moment, then took out a heavy money bag from his pocket and placed it on the table.
The game turned into a three-player showdown.
Li Wei began dealing the cards.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall.
Humphrey nervously licked his lips and slowly revealed his cards. He was stunned at first, then his face lit up with ecstasy.
The time has come to reveal the cards.
Li Wei didn't reveal his cards; he merely glanced at old Adams and then conceded defeat.
Captain Humphrey laughed heartily, proudly revealing his cards, ready to collect the money.
However, the captain's laughter stopped abruptly when old Adams slowly pushed his cards out.
Old Adams beat him by a tiny margin.
Humphrey lost everything—a month's salary and the bet he had just won, which was equivalent to eight years' salary.
A moment of silence fell over the entire room, followed by a suppressed gasp of surprise.
Just then, old Adams did something that no one expected.
He took half of the gold coins he had won and gently pushed them towards Humphrey.
"Captain, in our business, this is called 'risk hedging'—you can't put all your eggs in one basket."
"Looks like God is on our side tonight, you 'country bumpkins'."
There were no angry accusations, nor boasts of victory. A single business term was more powerful than any insult.
Captain Humphrey's face flushed red and then paled. He looked at the gold coins in front of him, then at old Adams, and finally grabbed the money, turned around and left the banquet hall without saying a word.
After all, once the money is in hand, one's knees buckle. This applies to both men and women.
A dispute that could have escalated into a bloody conflict was defused by Li Wei using Pai Gow.
As everyone chatted again at the long table, Andrew Gage finished the last sip of "Jade Dew" in his cup, walked over to Li Wei, and casually picked up Li Wei's two unrevealed dominoes.
He patted Li Wei on the shoulder and gently handed him the two dominoes, which were none other than the "King of Heaven," representing the highest-ranking hand.
"Li, you're a natural-born broker. My uncle will like you."
"Then I must express my gratitude on behalf of the East to the Governor-General's Office for their kindness."