The time at home passed quickly, although he did not deliberately squander, today is Chinese New Year's Eve, my father went downstairs early in the morning and set off a firecracker, crackling, bursts of green smoke, walking in the streets, everywhere you can smell the smell of gunpowder.

The sound of the TV New Year's greetings resounded throughout the living room, my mother stood in the kitchen, mixing dumpling stuffing in an iron basin, and my father was at the door of the room, humming the community and pasting the Spring Festival couplets.

"Happy New Year, Mom and Dad, do you want to give New Year's money."

I stood between the kitchen and the living room with a bitter face, and my parents glanced back at me and said in unison, "Fuck off." ”

I sniffled, walked to the sofa stupidly, just sat down, the phone rang, took it out to check, it was Sun Kai's call, I grinned, and answered the call.

"Happy New Year, bastard."

Sun Kai's voice was hearty and loud, and his emotions were high, and it seemed that his virtuous helper had forgiven him.

I cleared my throat and laughed, "Happy New Year, bastard." ”

"Come to my house to play poker, Xiao Qing and Jin Chen are also there."

There was a noisy laugh and scolding on the other side of the phone, as if it was very festive.

I hurriedly got up, walked to the window, looked in the direction of Sun Kai's house, and saw Xiao Qing and Sun Kai sitting on the sofa, munching on melon seeds, as if chatting about some funny topic.

"Coming soon."

After hanging up the phone, I clicked on WeChat, and saw that Wang Ling still didn't leave a message for me, and there was a little loss in my heart.

I began to mumble in my heart, is it because of a serious cold, and that shouldn't be played missing, I shook my head, and suddenly, I thought of another possibility, could it be that she found a new love and forgot about me?

Thinking of this, I felt a little melancholy, feeling that I shouldn't pour all my thoughts into a woman, but even so, her smile and charming face still lingered in my mind, lingering, and difficult to let go.

I sat on the sofa in the living room, stunned for a moment, my father asked me to roll the dumpling skin, I said I was going to play poker, my father glanced at me, saying that the family could not trap me as a fleabird.

When I came to Sun Kai's house, I saw Mengxi's ruddy cheeks, dignified posture, and was busy serving water and making tea, and I didn't see any traces of yesterday's quarrel gaffe.

After the New Year, I sat at the card table, I haven't seen Xiao Qing for a long time, she is wearing a pink open-neck sweater today, and a pair of light blue slim jeans on the lower body, she is still that tall and slender figure, but on her haggard cheeks, you can clearly see the dignified and charming mature woman.

Jin Chen's changes are huge, he has lost his immaturity and ignorance, and between the lines, you can see his sophistication and shrewdness.

Sun Kai held a new deck of poker and said with a smile: "The loser please eat, this is very fair, right?" ”

Xiao Qing glanced at him and said with a smile: "Please eat and have no place to invite, today is Chinese New Year's Eve, which restaurant are you open?" ”

Sun Kai lit a cigarette and said disapprerovitically: "Then come to the real thing, expose your real money and silver, and let me, the owner, take a look." ”

Jin Chen pursed his lips and said with a smile: "You haven't said what to play yet?" ”

Sun Kai rolled his eyes a few times, and was just about to speak, when he saw Mengxi holding a teapot and walking over with a smile, she helped us fill the teacup with water, glared at Sun Kai and said, "Look at your appearance, you seem to be very proficient in gambling money." ”

"Where, where, hehe."

Sun Kai scratched his hair, sent Mengxi to watch TV, shuffled the cards and said, "Zha 丨 Jinhua, have you ever played?" ”

He glanced at us, Xiao Qing raised his eyebrows, and said thoughtfully, "I've played on my phone." ”

"What about Xiao Tao? Have you played it yet? ”

I glanced at Jin Chen and said lightly, "No, I haven't played." ”

Sun Kai sighed, looked at me and Jin Chen and said: "The rules are very simple, that is, it is bigger than anyone's point, three A is the sky, and there are straights in it, such as JQK, such as 678 or something, understand?" ”

I nodded as if I didn't understand.

"Very well, let's get started."

Sun Kai smiled with satisfaction, to be honest, I am more reluctant to gamble money, before the scumbag brother got married, because of gambling, he lost all his blood, he was already a disciple of the four walls, so he changed his evil and turned to the right, and started a stall to make a living, but this kind of card game is purely to pass the time, it doesn't hurt to play once or twice, not to mention that everyone is the best friend.

Today my idea is simply lost to the extreme, never draw a big card, even if it is connected to a straight, but also suppressed by Sun Kai's flush, a morning time, I lost more than 3000, Jin Chen lost more than 2000, but he and Xiao Qing is husband and wife, who loses and who wins there is no boundary, I instantly have a feeling of isolation and helplessness, the more depressed and irritable, the more can not catch a good card.

I finally said angrily, "Don't play, no idea." ”

Sun Kai said compassionately: "How much will you play for a while, don't judge heroes by temporary success or failure, you have to endure loneliness." ”

I saw him tinkering with the cards in his hand, that kind of flexible and skillful technique, I was dazzled, Xiao Qing said unhurriedly: "Let's play for a while, Sun Kai won the most, and lunch was eaten at his house, haha..."

"No problem, whatever you want to eat, as long as I have it at home."

He took a cigarette in his mouth and began to shuffle the cards again, and I frowned and said, "It's okay to play, but I have to shuffle the cards." ”

Sun Kai's hand paused, and a layer of gloom was added to his fair cheeks, which was not easy to find, he laughed dryly, handed me the card and said, "Ha, okay, whoever shuffles the cards can do it, have fun." ”

After speaking, he turned back to Mengxi and shouted: "Wife, boil the oil in the pot and prepare lunch, everyone is here today, you must drink it." ”

Mengxi pouted, reluctantly walked to the kitchen, and began to prepare wine and food.

I shuffled and shuffled, touched and touched, and everyone looked at me, I looked at you, all confused.

Jin Chenhan said with a smile: "Xiao Tao, let's just play casually, why take it so seriously?" ”

I glanced at him and said angrily: "I have lost more than 3,000, and I can't transfer it." ”

Sun Kai was a little embarrassed, he said stupidly: "Who let you be a fool all the time, you have no confidence in your cards, you should throw it out early, the more you follow, the more you lose." ”

"I don't know what cards you have."

I put the cards on the table in a huff and started the second round of exchanges.

The first card caught a 10, I pursed my lips, I thought to myself, this is not small, the second chapter caught a Q, I was a little excited, as long as there is another J, I can make up a not small straight, the last card is finished, I carefully hold it in my hand, dare not look, Sun Kai's father stood behind me, patted on my head, and whispered: "Look, what card is the last one?" ”

I sighed, slowly the last card crushed away, really God help me, sure enough, it's a J yes, 10, J, Q, straight, this round I am full of confidence, peeked at Xiao Qing, she frowned, as if she was very dissatisfied with her cards, Sun Kai was full of confidence, Jin Chen bet on the ante, and folded directly.

"100, do you want to?"

Xiao Qing was the first to speak, I was a little surprised, just now she put on an expression that didn't have any good cards, but betting 100 is not too small, is it her trick to attack the east and west, and want to catch the old and indulge?

I didn't hesitate to call, Sun Kai followed a round, then threw away the cards in his hand, he sighed and lit a cigarette, so far, the entire table, left me and Xiao Qing in a fierce battle.

I don't know how many rounds we followed, the atmosphere has solidified to the freezing point, even Mengxi, who was busy cooking in the kitchen, stood behind me and watched, the bet had reached 8,000 yuan, but Xiao Qing still had no intention of letting go, I was in a cold sweat, like sitting on acupuncture, I didn't know what kind of card she had in her hand, the kind of only guessing and sticking to it became my last straw.

Xiao Qing's forehead was also covered with fine sweat, but on her cheeks, she still maintained a perfect confidence and smile, which made me a little distressed, if I blindly called, the amount would rise higher and higher, could she be three A's? I muttered to myself in my heart, but the temptation of not being a hero who didn't go to the Great Wall made me follow a few more rounds, and when the bet rose to 10,000 yuan, Xiao Qing still didn't mean to stop, I couldn't sit still, this is simply a torture, it requires a strong mental endurance, and I am almost on the verge of collapse.

"Open, don't follow."

I took a few breaths, there was a trace of panic and anxiety on my pale cheeks, Xiao Qing smiled, she pinched the three cards in her hand, looked at me and said, "Really don't follow?" ”

I nodded vigorously, turned over the three cards, wiped my sweat and said, "10, J, Q, if you are bigger than me, you win." ”

Xiao Qing didn't speak, just turned over the cards in her hand one by one, the first one was J, the second one was Q, and the third one was K, which completely suppressed me.

My eyes widened, my expression darkened, my eyes glazed over, and I lost so completely that I couldn't refute it.

Mengxi was behind me and whispered comfortingly: "Oh, you shouldn't have been with so many rounds." ”

Jin Chen also patted me on the shoulder and said, "Brother, a small gamble is pleasant, a big gamble hurts your body, let's stop at the point." ”

I began to curse Sun Kai in my heart, if he hadn't asked me to play cards, I wouldn't have lost so embarrassedly, but after thinking about it, no one forced me to play, I was willing to gamble and lose, there was nothing to complain about.

Seeing that several people at the card table showed a smug expression of disobedience and disobedience, I swallowed this sullen breath and whispered, "Come again." ”

Sun Kai giggled: "Come back, don't even lose your wife by then." ”

I glared at him and continued to deal the cards, and finally pulled back a few rounds, but the battle was fierce, and we didn't even eat lunch, until my mother forced me back, and the game came to an end.

I went back and calculated carefully, counting the few games I won, a total of more than 6,000 losses, that kind of heartache and remorse, always at the end of the awakening, gambling is a tumor, pit hundreds of millions of families, how many people lost bankrupt, wives separated, and how many people in order to win back a game, worth their lives, the so-called gamblers, is the walking dead living in falsehood and fantasy, they forget the responsibility and responsibility of being a human being, they are lazy, just want to rely on luck and luck to win chips, I have to say, I'm stupider than them.

The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is very richly prepared, even if we know that we can't eat it will be wasted, but in a year, the most important thing for the family is this reunion dinner, the Spring Festival Gala program is not as good as a year, the New Year atmosphere at home is also dull, I drank some wine with my father, no laughter, no gratitude, no singing about wine, just in this tepid, lukewarm environment, can I feel the warmth and beauty of home.

Everything welcomes the spring and sends the remnants, the end of the year is tonight, after dinner, my parents yawn and go to sleep for days, I am half lying on the sofa, holding the remote control in my hand, aimlessly changing the channel, the Spring Festival Gala broadcast is very comprehensive, almost all the channels are covered, I watched for a while, I felt bored, I picked up my mobile phone, and saw dozens of WeChat messages and more than 20 missed calls.

I was surprised for a while, clicked on WeChat, the first few were New Year's greetings sent by friends, and the messages behind were all occupied by Wang Ling alone, what voice calls, video calls, all kinds of emojis, all kinds of complaints, all kinds of crying, etc., I saw the end, she sent me a location information, I clicked on it to view, I couldn't help but be shocked, this location is clearly in this small city, did she come to me?

I hurriedly sent her a WeChat message, which read: Where are you?

She replied almost instantly: Come to me.