Base card

Author: Xin Juan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Noon, the office compound of a planning bureau was quiet. The civil servants had returned home or found places for their noon naps. The vast courtyard seemed empty, with only the cicadas on the trees tirelessly shouting loudly. Coincidentally, a few young people who lived far away and couldn’t return home for lunch gathered in the office, playing poker—digging holes—without tiring. Wang Xiaoyue, who also lived far away, hadn’t gone home for lunch either. She had just lain down on a "bed" made of temporarily piled chairs when the typist Li Hui knocked on the door, asking her to play poker. She said, "Sorry, Li Hui, I don’t know how to play poker." "Neither do I. Let’s just play for fun!" "What are we playing?" "Digging holes!" "Who else?" "Cheng Xiaoxiao." Cheng Xiaoxiao was the driver for Vice Bureau Chief Xie Qianli. He was straightforward, impatient, and loud. As soon as the first round of cards was revealed, he yelled, "Dig straight, dig straight!" Obviously, he was holding a red four. He began to play, muttering to himself, "Direction unclear, pairs first." Li Hui said, "Hit pairs when far, hit singles when close. Never forget to pass the three-joker." Soon, the round was over. Digging holes didn’t require much skill; the outcome depended on your card luck. Xiao Cheng won. "What’s wrong with me today? I keep winning." Xiao Cheng smiled. "It’s like playing mahjong. Play for ten years, and everyone wins their own money." Li Hui said. Xiao Cheng said, "You’re unlucky at cards but lucky in love. This is what they call 'fate turning,' and good things can’t all go to you." "What nonsense are you talking? You’re old enough to know better than to speak carelessly." Li Hui said. "Hey! Who doesn’t know you’ve been selling steamed buns since childhood and have gone through everything?" "There’s Wang Sister here! Watch what you say." "Who doesn’t know our driver is like this—mouth dirty but heart pure!" "Li Hui, it’s your turn to play. Why are you spacing out? Thinking about someone?" Xiao Cheng smiled. "Thinking about someone? What’s wrong with that? There are no three-legged toads, but there are plenty of two-legged men on the streets. These days, men aren’t in short supply." Wang Xiaoyue said, "Xiao Li, stop talking and play." Xiao Cheng said, "Girl, just divorce your guy and let’s be together." "You wish. Even if all the men in the world died, it wouldn’t be your turn." "Oh! So I’m so annoying?" As they spoke, the round was almost over. At this point, Wang Xiaoyue glanced at her watch and said, "Let’s wrap this up after this round! There’s a bureau meeting in the afternoon, and I still need to polish the speech draft for Vice Bureau Chief Xie." "Okay, don’t let playing distract you from your work." "Let’s continue practicing tomorrow at noon." Xiao Cheng said. "Okay."
That afternoon, in the meeting room of the Xian City Planning Bureau, a meeting was being held to discuss an application from a real estate company to add more floors. Vice Bureau Chief Xie Qianli was presiding. after the meeting started, Xie Qianli’s phone rang. He picked up the phone: "Hello, who is it?" Before the call ended, Vice Bureau Chief Xie’s phone rang again. "Who is it?" "It’s me." "Oh, it’s you." "What are you doing?" "I’m in a meeting. What’s up?"