Mahjong? Mahjong!

In the days that followed, after finishing his studies, Jia Yun would carry the twenty taels of silver and wander among the artisan shops hidden deep in the alleys of the capital city.

He wasn't looking for ordinary carpenters, but skilled craftsmen who specialized in micro-carving and bone engraving and could handle delicate objects.

At that time, during the Tianyou era of the Han Dynasty, the gambling tools popular in the market were of two kinds: one was the "Xuanhe Pai" made of bone or bamboo and wood, which is what later became known as Pai Gow; the other was the "Leaf Game" made of paper or silk. (Both of these appeared in the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber.)

These little gadgets, though also for leisure, are quite different from the mahjong that Jia Yun remembered as being popular in later generations.

Jia Yun knew that the true prototype of modern mahjong only gradually evolved in the late Qing Dynasty.

So he had no choice but to rely on his memory to redraw the mahjong pattern on paper—one hundred and thirty-six tiles, four of each of the three suits of numbered tiles, "Wan", "Tiao", and "Tong", from one to nine; and the four winds of "East", "South", "West", and "North", and the three dragons of "Red", "Green", and "White", all clearly marked.

After making several inquiries, Jia Yun finally found an old craftsman surnamed Lu in a small alley filled with the smell of raw lacquer.

This master craftsman's shop wasn't large, but it was piled high with all sorts of semi-finished dominoes, carving knives, and whetstones, clearly indicating that he was an expert.

After explaining his purpose, Jia Yun handed over the design.

Master Lu held the unusual and unheard-of design, his eyebrows furrowing in dismay: "Young master, your tiles... are strangely designed and numerous, quite a lot of work and materials indeed."

"Master craftsman, that's precisely why I've come to seek out a master like you. Please tell me what materials and wages you require."

After pondering for a moment, Master Lu replied, "If you want to use the best materials for this item, you must use fine ox bone and old bamboo. Only then will it feel warm and smooth to the touch. However, ox bone is the most troublesome to process."

As he spoke, he led Jia Yun to the backyard, pointing to some slightly yellowish bone fragments on a bamboo rack. He said, "Young master, do you see these? These cow bones all have to be boiled in boiling water first, then soaked in a specially prepared alkaline solution for many days to thoroughly remove the blood, flesh, and fat. Only then can they be sawed into sections and chopped into pieces. And that's not all. The chopped bone pieces need to be placed in a cool, ventilated place to slowly air dry, avoiding direct sunlight and moisture. It takes at least half a year for them to dry completely and set without cracking or deforming. I took over the business of selling Xuanhe brand cards from a gambling den two years ago, and that's how I acquired this stock accumulated over the years."

Jia Yun touched the warm, smooth bone material and nodded to himself, realizing that he had found the right place.

"Master craftsman, use your finest materials! Don't worry about the wages; I guarantee you won't be shortchanged. But I only ask for exquisite workmanship, as it's a gift for a distinguished guest. If you can finish within five days, I'll pay extra for expedited service."

"Alright! Seeing that you're a sensible and knowledgeable young master, I'll take the job! Rest assured, I'll make sure it's done beautifully for you!"

When the five-day period ended, Jia Yun felt a mix of emotions when she saw the four sets of dazzling mahjong tiles.

The dominoes felt cool to the touch, with a delicate texture, and produced a crisp, pleasant sound when they struck each other. Even the grain of the bamboo back complemented the pure white of the bone surface. The craftsman's skill was truly exquisite!

These four sets of mahjong tiles: one set was to be given to Xue Baochai as a birthday gift, one set was to be presented to Prince Xin under some pretext, one set was to be given to Grandmother Jia, and the other set was to be given to Wang Xifeng as a sample.

After class that day, Jia Yun brought the mahjong set that he had originally planned to give to Yu Baochai to the school.

When he poured the box of dominoes, engraved with fine characters and patterns, onto the soft-felt table, it immediately attracted the attention of all the girls.

The tiles with the numbers "万", "条", "筒" and the winds "东", "南", "西", and "北", as well as the tiles with the numbers "中", "发", and "白", have a warm and smooth texture to the touch and bright colors to look at, and are full of novelty.

"Young master, what is this? It looks much more complicated than leaf cards." Tan Chun's little head was the first to come over, and she picked up a "ten thousand" card and examined it carefully.

Jia Yun laughed and said, "This thing is called 'Mahjong,' and the gameplay is more varied and interesting than that of leaf tiles."

Jia Yun then began explaining the rules, based on his simplified version of Hangzhou Mahjong: "This game requires four players. The core is to form specific hand patterns, called 'winning hands.' The most basic are sequences, such as one, two, and three of a kind; or triplets, three identical tiles, such as three 'white tiles'..."

Ah Jiyun explained things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, from how to draw and play cards, to the differences between "chow", "pong", and "kong", and then to the common ways to win, such as "plain win" and "pong pong win", all of which were demonstrated one by one.

This didn't stump the girls; some of the rules and regulations were somewhat similar to those of the Leaf brand.

The girls listened intently, even Daiyu, who disliked complicated things, frowned and strained her ears to listen.

Seeing the girls' enthusiasm, Jia Yun was also pleased and gently pushed the mahjong set in front of her.

"Miss Xue, this deck of cards was originally prepared for your birthday. I brought it today so that everyone can have a sneak peek. Although it is small, it contains a wealth of knowledge. It may be a good way to pass the time with your sisters in your spare time."

Upon hearing this, a bright light flashed in Xue Baochai's eyes.

She was usually composed, but at this moment she couldn't help but smile, revealing obvious joy.

Seeing the curiosity and envy in everyone's eyes, Baochai felt even more delighted by the special treatment she received, and her face shone with pride.

Then she looked up at Jia Yun and smiled, "It's kind of you, young master, to have come up with such an exquisite and unique item. I really like this gift, but while the way to play with it sounds interesting, just listening to the explanation is like looking at flowers through a fog; there's still a layer between us."

Her eyes swept over her eager sisters, her voice soft yet carrying a hint of mischief: "How about we ask the young master to put in the effort and set up our formation for a real battle? That way, we can truly experience the fun."

When Jia Yun saw that Baochai had taken the initiative to suggest it, he naturally agreed and said with a smile, "Miss Xue is absolutely right. Theory is indeed not as good as practice. Then let's sit at a table of four and learn while we play."

Upon hearing that a real battle was going to be fought, Tan Chun was the first to clap her hands and cheer: "This is a brilliant idea! I must be the first to go!"

Daiyu nodded gently and said with a light smile, "Alright, I'll indulge in the elegance of 'mahjong' today, but I just hope I don't lose too badly."

Although Yingchun didn't say much, she sat down at the table out of curiosity, indicating that she was willing to give it a try. Xichun didn't say anything and just stood there blankly, clearly not very interested in this matter.

Therefore, Jia Yun invited Baochai, Tanchun, Daiyu, and Yingchun to take their seats first.

He stood aside, personally acting as referee and instructor. The maids nearby had already cleverly rearranged the tablecloth and arranged the 136 dominoes neatly.

Tan Chun was impatient and wanted to sort out the cards as soon as possible. In a moment of carelessness, she carelessly played out a key card that she had just drawn.

"Oops! I dialed the wrong number!"

Jia Yun was standing beside her, and upon seeing this, he almost instinctively bent down.

He reached over her shoulder and retrieved the card that had just fallen into the discard pile, laughing, "Third Miss, don't be in a hurry, look carefully before you play. Keep this 'Five of Bamboo,' it will make a sequence with your Four of Bamboo and Six of Bamboo."

Jia Yun's movements were natural, but his hands inevitably touched Tan Chun's skin.

Tan Chun, however, did not blush or blush like a typical young lady. Instead, she looked up at him and smiled brightly, saying, "Thank you, young master! I was too hasty. There's really a lot to learn about these cards!"

She only felt that Jia Yun was teaching diligently, and she also felt a sense of joy in being close to Jia Yun.

But seeing this scene, Yingchun, who was sitting opposite, felt a pang of sadness for no reason.

However, Yingchun was actually having a very good day, drawing good cards one after another. Normally, she would have been secretly delighted by this rare stroke of luck.

But at this moment, she felt that the cards in her hand weren't so enjoyable anymore.

The game continued. The girls gradually got the hang of it and started playing along.

Daiyu was the most meticulous and had an excellent ability to calculate cards. She could often guess what others wanted and deliberately kept it in her hand without playing it. Her slightly raised chin made everyone both complain and laugh.

Baochai played steadily, not greedy for quick wins, but always aiming to build a larger hand, her strategy clear and logical. Tanchun, after the initial flurry of activity, also showed her intelligence and decisiveness, playing her cards more and more skillfully. The most amusing was Yingchun, who seemed to be on a lucky streak today, getting the cards she wanted. However, she was slow-witted, always a beat behind in her reactions, and often needed Jia Yun's prompting to realize she was about to win.

"Second Miss, you won again!" Jia Yun said with a smile, pointing to Yingchun's tiles.

Yingchun then exclaimed "Ah!" and timidly pushed the cards over, revealing an excellent hand.

At this moment, Tan Chun looked at Ying Chun's somewhat helpless face and recalled how she and Dai Yu had teased her after school that day.

Her heart softened suddenly, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Tan Chun pushed the cards in front of her and sighed, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Enough, enough. This game of cards today is clearly just to make Second Sister happy! Look at Second Sister's luck, even the cards are trying to make things fun. We, who are usually competitive, have become mere extras."

As the third sister spoke, she first reached out and took Yingchun's arm, her voice filled with affection, "Good sister, it was my fault and Sister Lin's the other day. We got stuck in a rut and said some nonsense. Please don't take it to heart."

Caught off guard by these soft words, Yingchun's eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly shook her head, saying, "Third Sister, please don't say that. I... I've already forgotten."

Daiyu, ever quick-witted, noticed Tanchun offering a way out and glanced at Yingchun's winning hand: "It seems fortune turns, and today it's the honest one's turn. Second Sister has probably accumulated all the good luck of the past six months this afternoon. We deserve to lose to you."

Daiyu's voice was soft and gentle, but it lacked some of its former sharpness.

As Yingchun listened to her two younger sisters' back-and-forth banter, their words conveying a sense of warmth and intimacy, the grievances and unease that had been building up in her heart for days truly vanished.

She felt a sense of relief wash over her: "It's...it's just good luck with the cards, it doesn't count."

Jia Yun took in the girl's soft words and smiled to himself.

He spoke at the opportune moment, his gaze gentle: "Luck is certainly important, but the Second Miss was calm and composed today, her moves were steady and steady, neither arrogant nor impatient, which was the key to her victory. It is evident that a broad mind leads to a smooth flow of energy, and a smooth flow of energy leads to good fortune. This applies to the way of playing cards, and it also applies to all things in life."

Upon hearing this, Tan Chun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as she already regretted her outburst of anger that day.

Seeing that Yingchun didn't care at all, and with Jia Yun smoothing things over, he was completely relieved.

Daiyu lowered her eyes and smiled, tapping the table lightly with her slender fingers, urging, "Since you're so carefree and lucky, why don't you shuffle the cards quickly? Let's see if the East Wind will still care about our Second Sister in the next round."

For a moment, the flower hall was filled with laughter and chatter.

Looking at her sisters' genuine smiles, Yingchun felt that this was the happiest moment she had experienced in a long time—if only she hadn't caught sight of Tanchun clinging to Jia Yun.

This commotion naturally did not escape Baochai's notice.

But who can say whether the budding feelings of a young woman in this secluded mansion will bring her sweetness or bitterness?

Immediately, Baochai calmly played a card, steer the conversation back to the game: "Second Sister, stop daydreaming! We're all waiting to see if you'll have such good luck in the next round!"