"Ahh see gentlemen, I told you he would join us shortly," the girl said, smile bright. "This is my husband."

The fisherman blinked twice, but wisely said nothing.

The other men around the table looked up. The one on the girl's right laughed and said to the man on the girl's left:

"See? Big strapping fellow. Aren't you glad you kept your wandering hands to yourself, you old fool?"

The men around the table and those watching cackled, and Hao Min felt his neck prickle. When girl beckoned him to sit down, he pushed his way around the table to sit to her left. His large body slammed into his chair, movements awkward.

"Would you like something to drink?" the girl asked, gesturing to her own mug of ale.

"I don't drink," the fisherman said abruptly. Then at the stares from the other men, added. "You know that, my dearest wife."

"Ah yes, of course. How could I have forgotten," the girl added, turning back to her hand.

She won the next few hands, and then motioned to her growing pile of coins. "Would you like to join us?" she asked him.

"I don't gamble as well," he said, jaw tight. "As you know."

"Doesn't drink doesn't gamble, what does he do then?" someone in the assembled crowd goaded.

"I know what I'd do all day with a wife like that!" another guffawed.

"Hah, all day! As if you could, old man."

The crowd laughed collectively and more bawdy insults were thrown. But the fisherman heard none of them, for he had seen a twitch of disappointment in the girl's smile when he had refused to join the game, and now could think of nothing else.

"Fine," he said, just as the girl won another hand. "I'll play. Deal me in."

The girl's smile was approving.

Hao Min was dealt into the game. Deliberately he lost the first few hands. Then, as the coin from his own small purse started to shrink, he began to fold almost immediately to stay in the game.

The girl won more than she lost, and when she did lose it seemed calculated, or expected. Hao Min did not know how she was doing it, but he knew she must be counting the cards.

He finally realized her trick after she raised her hand and beckoned the tavern boy to bring more chicken skewers, generously paying for the whole table's portion with coins from her winnings.

After devouring several skewers, the girl raised her finger to her lip and tapped it while considering her cards. When her finger came away, Hao Min noticed the gleam of chicken grease in the dim lantern light.

The girl then carefully pressed her finger to the back of one of her cards, leaving an ever so faint stain of grease upon one of them.

An innocuous and seemingly innocent gesture, but Hao Min recognized it for what it was. She is marking the cards.

He glanced at the assembled crowd around them. And if I can figure it out, someone else is sure to as well.

He had no choice but to beat her.

The next hand he was dealt was strong. The fisherman kept his face neutral, as he had for past games, and at one point made to fold.

"Come on young man, learn from your wife. You'll never win without risk," one of the other men at the table goaded.

Perfect.

With feigned reluctance, the fisherman stayed in the game. The betting increased, until first one, then another of the players folded from fear of losing. Finally the third man at the table folded, until it was just Hao Min and the girl left.

"You should fold, husband dearest," the girl said, glancing at the cards he held in his hand. He was careful to hold his hand so she could not see the marks she had made on the cards.

"You should fold, dearest wife. I would hate to see the disappointment on your face when you realize my hand trumps yours."

"What's worse, a man who loses to his wife, or a man who won't let his wife win?" someone joked.

"Hah, you are bluffing," the girl said, glancing at his cards once more. But her brow furrowed, for she could not see the cards completely. The fisherman made sure his large hands hid just enough to keep her guessing.

"It is you who are bluffing," Hao Min said, pretending to study his cards. But really he watched the girl's hand. Not the one holding the cards, but the one resting atop the table. He had noticed that when she had a truly good hand, she would drum her fingers on the table, eager to win. The many rings on her fingers flashed in the lantern light.

But now her hand was still. Hao Min smiled to himself. What an obvious tell. Like a child's.

The calls around the table increased, eager to urge the players to a conclusion.

"Shall we show?" Hao Min asked. "Or would you like to bet more?

"I will raise you ten more gold," the girl said smugly, looking at his too small pile of coins and expecting him to fold.

Hao Min frowned, thinking. Then he put his cards faced down, and reached to the ties of his shirt. Slowly he undid them, then slid the shirt from his big frame.

"Everything I have." The fisherman said, and pushed all his coins and his shirt to the middle of the table.

"That will not be enough. Your shirt is not worth ten gold," the girl said, eyes tracing over the waves of muscles on his chest before returning to his face.

"It is a gesture," Hao Min said. "I meant it. Everything I have. Including my boat."

The girl's eyes widened. He could see in them the imagined freedom that would come with such a thing. Able to go anywhere she pleased.

Little Chuan. Dreams of sailing the way she wants to.

The girl hesitated, looking down at her cards once more. "Fine. Show."

Together, they both showed their hands.

The girls hand was strong, but not as strong as Hao Min's. He held four of the five god cards in his hand. It was one of the best plays possible.

"How did you—" the girl began in shock, as Hao Min swept the huge pile of coins his way. He returned his shirt to his shoulders, but deliberately left the ties open.

Then he smiled, and asked those around the table if they would like to begin another hand.

It was Hao Min's game from then on. He controlled the betting, wagering so much that his fellow players had no choice but to fold. One by one the other men left the table, followed by most of the crowd. Until it was just the fisherman and his new wife.

The girl's frustration grew adorably with each hand she lost. And she lost often, for she refused to fold, charging ahead with her bluff even when the hand dealt her was terrible.

I knew this is the sort of player you would be, Little Chuan.

Finally Hao Min decided to end it. He raised the stakes, till all the girl's coins were in the pile between them.

"I raise you five gold," Hao Min said, smiling. More than the girl could afford.

She glanced distrustfully at his cards. He had randomly and unintentionally added his own greasy fingerprints, so now she could not read them. "You are bluffing! You have nothing."

The fisherman nudged the stack of coins. "Then feel free to call my bluff. Five gold to stay in."

The girl angrily went to fold for the first time, but Hao Min raised a finger. "Actually, I have something you can wager to stay in."

The girl's eyes narrowed, and he saw her think of the things he could possibly ask from her.

"You must give me a name," he said, halting her lewd supposings. A few of the patrons around the table who still watched looked at one another confused. "And you must call me by mine."

The girl looked at him with scorn. "Fine. I wager my name. Now show, fisherman."

The fisherman showed.

Once again, his hand trumped hers. The girl cursed, and stood up with a crash of her chair.

"You cheated!" she accused. One finger pointed at his still bare chest. "I know it!"

Around the bar, several heads turned at the mention of cheating. There were murmurs.

Quickly, the fisherman stood, sweeping half his winnings into his purse. It bulged, unaccustomed to such wealth.

"You cheated! I know you did. How else could-"

Before the girl could continue her accusations, Hao Min bent, wrapped his arm around both her legs, and then straightened, lifting the girl onto his shoulder like a heavy sack.

The girl gave an indignant cry and started to pound his back.

"This is for your best room, inn keep," Hao Min called, motioning to the pile of coins still left glinting on the table. The inn keep nodded, and moved around the bar to come and collect the coin.

"And what is left is for the bar, to drink away how they will!" Hao Min raised his voice, to carry over the whispers of 'cheating' and 'swindle'.

Immediately a cheer went up, and the discontented murmurs vanished.

Hao Min turned and walked to where the inn keep stood by the stairs, waiting to escort them to their room. The girl was still slung over his shoulder, ineffectively pounding away at his broad back and yelling curses that would make even the hardiest man in the room blush.

"Better go teach that wife of yours to mind her tounge!" one man yelled out.

"Give her to me, I like 'em fiery!" another called.

Hao Min just winked, pretending amusement. He turned once more, bowing gallantly to the bar, as though the yelling girl on his shoulder was something he was accustomed to.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen, it is time for me to enjoy my winnings."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter: 1677
Total: 11,152