The two did not linger. After finishing their meal, they rented a standard room at the nearby Zhenxing Hotel.
After putting down their luggage, they drove to Songjia Village, about five kilometers from the county seat. This was Song Jianmin's rural hometown, while he himself lived with his father-in-law in the county seat.
Song Jianmin drove an old Santana, indicating that he hadn't fared particularly well.
Instead of going to Song Jianmin's ancestral home, the car drove directly to the entrance of the Song family ancestral hall.
Ancestral halls were present in almost every village in the south, serving as places where clansmen of the same surname worshipped their ancestors. They were usually quiet but became lively during festivals, with all the men, young and old, gathering to chat over tea.
The Song ancestral hall was large, a quadrangle with three courtyards. The last courtyard housed the main hall for ancestor worship, the middle one was for meetings, and the front one was used for banquets during happy and sad occasions.
The casino was set up in the middle meeting hall. A table, about 1.2 meters wide and 8 meters long, was placed in the center. The table was covered with a piece of red velvet cloth. In the middle of the table, a dividing line made of yellow tape separated "single" from "double."
Two rows of benches were arranged around the table, capable of seating dozens of people.
Additionally, charcoal braziers were placed in the four corners of the meeting hall, making the entire hall feel warm.
When Yang Jian entered the meeting hall with Song Jianmin, the casino had not yet started. Only about ten people were present, attending a meeting.
A tall man in his mid-thirties, dressed in a stylish manner, with a facial structure somewhat similar to Song Jianmin's, sat at the head of the gambling table, speaking.
"Brother, this is my comrade Yang Jian. Arrange something for him to do. He'll be joining our team from now on."
Song Jianmin introduced Yang Jian.
"Hao-ge, Happy New Year!"
Yang Jian had heard from Song Jianmin on the way that his elder brother was called Song Jianhao. He knew that his brother had been involved in the underworld and was somewhat known in the county seat, though not with significant influence.
Song Jianhao was very jovial. He stood up, shook Yang Jian's hand, and then pulled out a few red envelopes from his woolen overcoat, handing one over.
"Xiao Yang, welcome. Jianmin has often spoken of his comrade who is very skilled in martial arts. It's good to finally meet you. Today is our company's opening, and all the brothers who came today receive a red envelope. Please take it."
"Thank you, Hao-ge."
Yang Jian did not stand on ceremony and took the red envelope directly, as Song Jianmin had also received one.
Afterward, Song Jianmin introduced Yang Jian to the seven or eight young people present, officially welcoming him into the team.
Perhaps it was time for the opening, and Song Jianhao stopped speaking.
Yang Jian was assigned the role of a "nail," meaning he would be on lookout duty outside.
Yang Jian knew something about this gambling method, which involved betting on odd or even numbers using dice. He hadn't played before, so he didn't know the casino's rules. He knew how to play "Zha Jin Hua" because workers on construction sites liked to play it, and he often participated.
Led by Song Jianmin, Yang Jian collected a green military overcoat and a walkie-talkie from the ancestral hall's storeroom.
Then, he was taken to a melon shed about a kilometer away from the village.
This place was a crossroads, the mandatory path into the village from the county seat.
"Yang Jian, you'll stand guard here. If you see a police car, call us on the walkie-talkie. Don't worry, the cops won't come during the New Year holidays. It's very safe. Here's a game console for you to play with."
Yang Jian knew that "cops" referred to the police.
Song Jianmin gave a few instructions, left a pack of cigarettes and a Tetris game console, and then left without saying how long he was supposed to guard.
It was still snowing heavily, and the ground was already covered in a thick white blanket. The weather was freezing. Yang Jian reluctantly wrapped his coat tighter. Although his body wasn't very cold, his hands and face were exposed and stung by the north wind.
This job wasn't easy.
Yang Jian surveyed the melon shed. It was just a shed built of wood, only about twenty square meters. The roof was made of asbestos tiles, and the sides were of spliced wooden boards, but they were severely damaged and leaky, making the inside no different from the outside.
In such cold weather, staying for a few hours would be unbearable.
Yang Jian jumped in place a few times, feeling that this wouldn't work. He was wearing ordinary sports shoes, which weren't warm enough. He would freeze in this environment after a while.
To get warm, Yang Jian found some wood and straw in the melon shed. Feeling it wasn't enough, he broke off a few more wooden boards from the shed.
Yang Jian didn't usually smoke, but to socialize, he carried cigarettes and a lighter with him, which proved useful this time.
A bonfire was lit, and the melon shed gradually became warmer. Sitting by the fire playing games wasn't too bad.
Cars occasionally drove into the village on the road, and some people got out to ask if Mr. Song's establishment was here.
Yang Jian's task was to watch for police cars, so he paid no attention to these ordinary vehicles.
It was his first time as a lookout, and he felt a bit nervous, as gambling was illegal and severely cracked down upon by the police.
As a former armed police officer, he had participated in anti-crime operations and knew that these lookouts were the first to be apprehended by the police, making the risk factor very high.
With a sense of unease, he persisted until six in the evening. It was already dark, but there was still no order to get off duty on the walkie-talkie.
However, Song Jianmin drove over, surprisingly, to deliver food.
"Yang Jian, the establishment will continue to operate tonight. You need to hold on for another two or three hours."
After handing Yang Jian a boxed meal, Song Jianmin moved a brazier and a bag of charcoal from the car trunk.
Yang Jian was a bit dejected, "It's still open tonight? It's too cold here. In this weather, the cops shouldn't be coming, right?"
"The establishment is very lively, and the gamblers want to play, so it has to continue. Don't worry, your salary is doubled today. Also, don't tear down the melon shed anymore; be careful someone reports you."
"Alright then, I can manage."
When one is under someone else's roof, one must bow their head. He had no right to negotiate terms at the moment.
"Yang Jian, I know this is a tough assignment, but there's no other way. First, this position must be manned. Although the cops won't come during these New Year holidays, we have to guard against any possibility.
Also, you're still new, and being an outside lookout is a necessary process. Once we get to Hancheng, I'll arrange for you to work inside."
Song Jianmin seemed a bit apologetic, mainly because the weather was too cold, and it would be even worse at night.
"It's okay, it's okay. I have a good body and can endure."
Yang Jian ate the slightly cold boxed meal and agreed with a wry smile. Could he not endure? Thinking of his disappointed, angry, and heartbroken parents, he had to stay here no matter how bitter or tiring it was.
Song Jianmin didn't leave immediately. While Yang Jian ate, he lit the brazier. The heat from the charcoal was clearly inferior to the bonfire.
"Forget it, you continue to stay by the fire. It's too cold here. You should tear down one side of the wall. I'll go and speak to the owner of the melon shed later and give him a hundred yuan."
Song Jianmin also realized that the brazier alone couldn't provide enough warmth, and the temperature would be even lower at night, making it deadly to stay for several hours.